Watch Recording - Planetary Health: What It Is and Why It Matters
The Department of Nursing, Royal Children's Hospital, and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre hosted this year's third public nursing seminar on 25 July 2024.
Speakers Distinguished Professor Tracy Levett-Jones, Dr Charne Miller, Ms Meiling Zhou, and Enterprise Professor Eugenie Kayak discussed the impacts of climate change on human health, including morbidity and mortality, particularly among the most disadvantaged in our communities. With emissions from the healthcare sector rising both globally and in Australia, the seminar examined the necessary changes and how nurses can spearhead a movement towards a healthier population and a healthier planet. Find out more about the speakers here.
Watch Recording
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About the Speakers
Tracy Levett-Jones is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Technology Sydney. She is a world-leading nursing researcher who leads the Planetary Health for Nursing & Midwifery Education & Research Collaborative and the Empathy Initiative research group. Tracy was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame in 2022 and is ranked as one of the world’s top 1% of nursing scientists by Stanford University. Tracy has written 12 books and over 250 journal publications. She has been the recipient of multiple awards and over seven million dollars of research funding.
Meiling Zhou is a Head and Neck Oncology Nurse Consultant at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. She is committed to delivering comprehensive and integrated care that addresses the multifaceted needs of patients and caregivers navigating through cancer treatments. Embracing a patient-centred healthcare model, Meiling prioritises empowerment, self-determination, and equity in healthcare delivery. Currently pursuing a dual degree in Master of Advanced Nursing Practice and Master of Public Health and recently completed the Wattle Fellowship, these educational endeavours equip Meiling with the knowledge and skills to integrate sustainability principles into healthcare practices. Through research and collaboration, Meiling is actively exploring innovative approaches that reduce the ecological footprint in healthcare and foster a cultural and practice shift among clinicians. Meiling is committed to driving positive change within the healthcare system through community engagement and systemic transformations.
Eugenie Kayak is a Enterprise Professor in Sustainable Healthcare at the Melbourne Medical School and consultant anaesthetist in public and private practice. Eugenie has worked with Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA), ANZCA, the AMA, government and the wider medical profession for over a decade, to raise awareness of, influence policy and address the health impacts of climate change and environmental degradation – including healthcare’s own impact. She was a member of the Chief Medical Officer Advisory Group for Australia’s National Health and Climate Strategy, is Deputy Director of The University of Melbourne Climate CATCH (Collaborative Action for Transformative Change in Health and Healthcare) Lab, Co-Convenor of Sustainable Healthcare for DEA and Deputy Chair of ANZCA’s Environmental Sustainability Network. Work with the AMA has resulted in a collaboration calling for the Australian healthcare sector to be net zero carbon emissions by 2040 and engagement of Australia’s medical colleges to advocate for action from government and the health sector.
Charne Miller is the Director of Learning and Teaching in the Department of Nursing at The University of Melbourne. Dr Miller leads curriculum development, accreditation, and the conduct of outstanding educational delivery in the entry-to-practice, speciality and advanced practice nursing courses as well as establishing opportunities for interdisciplinary education and research. Dr Miller has over 20 years of research experience and a well-established service, publication, and grant track record. A background in psychology has fostered expertise in research methods and statistics which were further strengthened by post graduate studies in statistics. Dr Miller’s qualifications and experience are utilised in the academic setting in research subject coordination and the supervision of graduate research students.