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© 2025 The Pulse: Uncovering health stories with clinical experts
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Hear from leading healthcare experts in Western Sydney and the patients they're treating. Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) provides healthcare to the people of western Sydney at Westmead, Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Auburn and Cumberland hospitals. Proudly produced by WSLHD.
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Hadla Darwiche has been a registered nurse for almost 24 years working in critical care. For the past year thought she’s stepped into Nurse unit manager role at Auburn Hospital where part of her role involves working with dementia patients. The Pulse podcast caught up with Hadla to chat about her introduction of what she calls ‘dementia dolls’ to her ward. The Pulse podcast uncovers health stories with clinical experts from Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD), NSW, Australia. H...
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 ...
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 wo...
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, ...
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...
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 ...
Mitch first experienced anxiety and depression as a high school student, and in the years that followed he struggled with suicidal thoughts and post-traumatic stress disorder. He is now a lived experience peer worker with the Towards Zero Suicides team at Western Sydney Local Health District, meaning he uses his own experience to help others experiencing a suicidal crisis – as he explains on the latest episode of the Western Sydney Health Check podcast. The program also features an intervie...
We're mad about sport in western Sydney but it still might come as a surprise that there are some extremely talented athletes who work for Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD). Alvina Ng always loved the Ninja Warrior franchise but never imagined she would take on the famed obstacle course known as Mt Midoriyama. The Auburn Hospital emergency doctor is now the face of the fifth Australian season, featuring on billboards around the country – all because one of the producers noticed he...
Emma Watkins is best known as the girl with the bow in hair. The singing, dancing, drumming, Yellow Wiggle delights audiences across the globe with her dazzling warmth and energy. But what people didn’t realise was behind the scenes, Emma was in serious pain for a long time – silently suffering from a debilitating condition known as endometriosis. Endometriosis, commonly referred to as “endo”, is a common disease in which the tissue that is similar to the lining of the womb grows outside it...
Julia can remember looking down at her broken arm, the bone through the skin, as the propeller of the helicopter that carried her to Westmead Hospital for lifesaving surgery whirred to life. She was riding her motorcycle on Valentine’s Day when she had a head-on collision with a four-wheel-drive, destroying her bike and nearly claiming her life. Julia was the first patient transferred to the new trauma ward in Westmead Hospital’s Central Acute Services Building, a dedicated unit focused on ca...
From training with the Cronulla Sharks to lying in a hospital bed, Fine Kula’s heroic battle with brain cancer captured hearts across western Sydney, the Shire, and Australia last year. The rising NRL star was diagnosed with medulloblastoma at the start of 2020, and underwent treatment at Westmead Hospital. Fine and his oncologist Dr Vivek Bhadri join us on the latest episode of Western Sydney Health Check to share how the 21 year old beat the aggressive medulloblastoma tumour thanks to the e...
One in four young people in Australia will suffer from some kind of mental health issue. But how do you bring up the topic with them? It’s a question many parents agonise over, and one that we tackle in our latest podcast episode of Western Sydney Health Check for NSW Youth Week. Carlie Dodds, clinical psychologist with our Prevention Early Intervention and Response Service, brings expert insight from her role working with young people experiencing severe mental health issues. “Parents often ...
Western Sydney is home to Australia’s tallest health building – the Central Acute Services Building at Westmead Hospital – and we’re celebrating its official opening in this week’s Western Sydney Health Check podcast. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Health Minister Brad Hazzard visited on Monday 22 March to open Westmead Hospital’s new 14-storey medical tower–a $1 billion investment in western Sydney. WSLHD chief executive Graeme Loy discusses what this landmark project means for our fast-...
Associate Professor Nirmala Pathmanathan - the Westmead Breast Cancer Institute Executive Director - delves into spotting the signs and treating breast cancer and Carol Boulous shares her story of survival. How to check for breast cancer: National Breast Cancer FoundationBreast Cancer Network AustraliaSydney Breast Cancer FoundationMcGrath FoundationFor location of clinics in greater Western Sydney, head to the Westmead Breast Cancer Institute. For more information, please visit: BreastScre...
It was a typically busy day in Westmead Hospital’s emergency department when administration officer Elizabeth Rasmussen suddenly felt severely unwell. “It was like an atomic bomb was going to go off in my head, there was just nothing like it,” she said. A quick check from a colleague revealed her blood pressure was through the roof, prompting an urgent visit to her GP and follow-up care from powerhouse Westmead Hospital cardiologist Professor Clara Chow. Elizabeth and Prof Chow both join us o...
Despite having two heart procedures in one week, Gloria Ring is counting her blessings. We took our microphone to the bedside of the 76-year-old Northmead resident for a special podcast episode to capture the reality of a hospital stay — complete with a few interruptions from a cleaner hard at work in the bathroom! Gloria talks about what brought her into hospital, praises the care she's received from the "wonderful" staff and even compliments the "beautiful" food. She also reminisce...
Mention Australia to people overseas and one of the first things that comes up is our array of deadly snakes and giant spiders. But how worried should we actually be? Clinical and forensic toxicologist Professor Naren Gunja joins us on this episode to shed some light on the creepy crawlies found across Sydney. Naren talks about the death adders, brown snakes and funnel-web spiders you might encounter in Sydney, and shares tips on how to avoid getting bitten. He also explains the science be...
Carol Wilson never has to buy her husband Ian another Christmas gift. The doting wife gave her partner of more than 40 years the incredible gift of a kidney — just in time for Christmas for Ian, a local shopping centre Santa. Carol and Ian join us on this episode to discuss how they made the decision and the "phenomenal" care they received from Western Sydney Local Health District every step of the way. They also share some advice for any couples seeking to emulate their wonderful love sto...
December 12 marked 20 years since the first nurse practitioners (NPs) were endorsed in Australia. There are now over 2,000 around the country, including more than 30 in Western Sydney Local Health District — but what exactly is an NP? Joining us to answer this question is transplant nurse practitioner Kathy Kable and sexual health nurse practitioner Donna Tilley. Kathy was the first NP at Westmead Hospital and has been the main carer for many people who have benefited from life-saving or li...
A landmark report in 2005 revealed that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have shorter life expectancies and are more like to die in childhood, along with other gaps compared to non-Aboriginal Australians. How have we progressed in the 15 years since toward closing the gap? In this episode we speak to WSLHD Aboriginal Health Strategy director Braiden Abala and Aboriginal Mental Health clinical lead John Fetuani about the challenges and successes in Western Sydney. The pair also ...
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