The Pulse: Uncovering health stories with clinical experts

Coming to hospital can be an overwhelming feeling as it is.. let alone if you have diabetes to add into the mix but our medical staff are trained to manage the needs of patient with diabetes and Dr Wah Cheung joins me now to discuss just what you can expect if you do have diabetes and are admitted to hospital for any other reason. (Hospitalised with diabetes: Best practices - Diabetes series, Episode 1) The Pulse podcast uncovers health stories with clinical experts from Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD), NSW, Australia. HOST: WSLHD's Head of Content and Media, Sarah Mason

Sarah Johnson-Clarke is a Clinical Midwife Consultant in Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) with the Substance Use in Pregnancy and Parenting Services (SUPPS). Her exceptional dedication to providing compassionate and empowering care to vulnerable women, particularly those with substance use issues, makes her an outstanding midwife. Sarah has a remarkable ability to connect with women who have experienced trauma, domestic violence, and substance misuse, immersing herself in their world to understand their unique needs and challenges. Despite the complexities of their situations, Sarah treats each woman with empathy, respect, and dignity, empowering them to take charge of their lives and make informed choices about their care. Sarah was honoured as WSLHD's 2024 Midwife of the Year and was a nominee at the 2024 NSW Health Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards. The Pulse podcast uncovers health stories with clinical experts and this episode brings SUPPS to the forefront to generate awareness for anyone who might be struggling as to what services might be available and to showcase the amazing work that goes on in Sarah's department in WSLHD that people might not know about. HOST: WSLHD's Head of Content and Media, Sarah Mason

Billy ‘The Kid’ Dib is known by most as an icon of Australian boxing as WBO Lightweight Oriental champion & IBF Lightweight international champion with two world boxing championships under his belt…but Billy has been facing a completely new opponent following a cancer diagnosis in 2022. He underwent surgery to remove a tumour in his stomach in October and has subsequently been treated for an aggressive and rare form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma cancer. With his supportive family by his side, including his wife Berry and five-year old son Laith, Billy has remained upbeat and optimistic about his recovery. He joins us for this podcast from the Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre at Westmead Hospital in the Western Sydney Local Health District where he was receiving treatment. He discusses his journey from diagnosis to remission and reveals what has kept him going in his biggest fight yet. This episode is hosted by Natalie Noordhuis and Sarah Mason from the WSLHD Corporate Communications team.   Keep up to date with the Western Sydney Local Health District Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WesternSydneyHealth [https://www.facebook.com/WesternSydneyHealth] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humansofthehospital [https://www.instagram.com/humansofthehospital] X: https://x.com/westsydhealth [https://x.com/westsydhealth] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/westernsydneylocalhealthdistrict [https://www.linkedin.com/company/westernsydneylocalhealthdistrict]

In this powerful episode, we are joined by Dipti Zachariah from Western Sydney Local Health District’s Multicultural Health Services and Nat, a member of her team.  Dipti and Nat provide extensive support to help culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women and survivors of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) find their voice. With International Women’s Day and Harmony Day fast approaching, the pair took this opportunity to share their very personal journeys to empowerment, in the hope of providing comfort and inspiration to others in similar situations. Please note, this episode discusses sensitive issues and listener discretion is advised.

With the COVID-19 lockdown extended through August, many causes of stress and anxiety in our lives right now are beyond our control. But there is a tool within your control that anyone can harness: mindfulness meditation. David Johnson introduced the practice to Western Sydney Local Health District staff last year to help manage the additional stress of COVID-19, and he continues his twice-daily sessions for staff online. In this episode David introduces the concept and takes us through a 15-minute mindfulness meditation session. WSLHD provides many initiatives to support staff wellbeing including wellness information hubs, manager and team wellness sessions, and counselling through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). If you’re a staff member, find out more at the COVID-19 Staff Wellbeing page [https://www.wslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/staff-wellbeing-during-covid-19/staff-wellbeing-during-covid19#EAP].