Category: Community

STRYKER NAMED AS ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S GREATEST PLACES TO WORK ONCE AGAIN

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]For more than 30 years, Great Place to Work® has studied the world’s most notable workplace cultures, from small start-ups to some of the best-known multinationals, to uncover what makes them great and demonstrating that creating a great workplace can produce superior business performance.

Erin Cramlet, Senior Director, HR for Stryker South Pacific believes creating a great workplace isn’t rocket science, but comes down to people, culture and ensuring one positively fuels the other.

“We wouldn’t be the first company to cite people and culture as key ingredients to a great workplace, but it’s what you do with these important elements that makes all the difference,” said Cramlet.

“We purposefully look to attract people who care about others and will genuinely feel rewarded by the work we do. In doing so, we have developed a culture of driven, hardworking, passionate people who love working for a company that makes a real difference in this world.”

As their mission statement suggests, Stryker is driven to make healthcare better and the company looks for the same passion amongst employees and potential applicants. Stryker places a large emphasis on looking ‘beyond the resume’ and attracts candidates from a wide range of backgrounds to take on a successful career in medical technology.

“It is our belief that our success as a company starts with our strengths-based hiring philosophy. We choose to focus on understanding whether a potential candidate’s talents and strengths align with the role they are applying for, rather than whether or not they’ve had experience in that particular role before. This approach enables our employees to do what they do best, while also providing them with the opportunity to learn and grow their career, alongside a growing company,” continued Cramlet.

“This is an exciting, transformative and competitive time for companies,” said Zrinka Lovrencic, Managing Director of Great Place to Work Australia. “With a services sector heavy economy, employers now need to make a greater effort to improve their workplace cultures in order to retain employees. This competitive pressure benefits everyone, as all workplaces can increase their levels of employee engagement. The companies that have made the 2018 study have risen to this challenge and exemplify workplace culture excellence.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

$80,000 CALL FOR AUSTRALIA’S PATHBREAKING HEALTHCARE INNOVATORS

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Now in its fifth year, MedTech’s Got Talent, an initiative of the Actuator, is on the search to identify and refine high-potential MedTech concepts from aspiring next-generation early stage entrepreneurs and innovators associated with Australia’s world-class universities, hospitals and research institutes.

Successful applicants will receive support to develop an investable start-up pitch, developing a go-to-market strategy, and initiating commercial activities. Participants will vie for over $80,000 in cash prizes plus critical support, such as mentoring from Australia’s leading commercialisation and technology experts.

Founder and CEO of the Actuator, Dr Buzz Palmer, is keen to emphasise the importance of the MedTech’s Got Talent competition in stimulating an entrepreneurial culture within the Australian MedTech community.

“The reason why we have been running the MedTech’s Got Talent competition for the past five years is to support start-ups, researchers, healthcare professionals or anyone who has an interest in MedTech to share their ideas, take risks and embrace failure. It is only through this entrepreneurial mindset that our innovation ecosystem grows, and great MedTech ideas become a reality,” Dr Palmer said.

Victoria’s Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy, Philip Dalidakis, believes its important to highlight the role of the Actuator in enabling the commercialisation of new MedTech ventures.

“We’re one of the world’s largest life science clusters and possess world leader research and advanced manufacturing capabilities. Victoria’s potential to create innovative healthcare solutions is among the world’s best and the Victorian Government is proud to support local start-ups and help them achieve their full potential through the MedTech Actuator,” Mr Dalidakis said.

Applications for the 2018 National round close on the 27th of September. For full program details, eligibility and to apply, visit www.medtechchallenge.com.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Baxter Compounding Pharmacy

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Baxter operates eight TGA / Medsafe accredited compounding centres that employ over 450 pharmacists, technicians and operations staff. All of Baxter’s Pharmacy Services staff are trained to the same exacting set of standards and procedures and consistently achieve industry-leading quality and service levels.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

COCHLEAR CHOOSES QUEENSLAND

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Cochlear is a global leader in implantable hearing devices and has completed the final phase of redevelopment at its Newstead site.

“Cochlear has transformed the lives more than 475,000 people across 100 countries and now they will continue their great work with Queensland-built technology,” Mr Dick said.

Cochlear’s Newstead base currently employs 200 people with more to follow, plus ongoing training and upskilling for staff currently employed.

“This investment has enabled Cochlear to re-direct more than $20 million of work from overseas to Queensland, so not only is our state supporting people experiencing hearing loss but additional staff will be recruited as the facility ramps up,” Mr Dick said.

“More than 27,000 Queenslanders have severe to profound hearing loss, more than 2100 have a Cochlear implant, and we hope to see many more Queenslanders benefitting from this incredible innovation now happening right here in our state.”

Mr Dick said Cochlear is the perfect example of Australian-headquartered, globally competitive exporters choosing Queensland to base their manufacturing operations.

“This is an important step for the development of advanced manufacturing capabilities in our state, with our growing manufacturing sector already employing 170,000 Queenslanders and consistently contributing nearly $20 billion a year to Queensland’s economy,” he said.

“This is what our government is focused on creating: the high-tech, high-paid jobs of the future for Queenslanders manufacturing products that create high-value exports for our economy.

“We want manufacturing businesses in Queensland to set their sights on delivering not only for domestic markets, but also for global markets, and Cochlear is one company grasping that vision with both hands through their Newstead operations.”

Member for McConnel Grace Grace said: “It’s a great source of pride for me knowing that thousands of people the world over are benefitting from the gift of sound thanks to a fantastic Australian-headquartered company producing these innovative products right here in my community.

“I can’t wait to see what this business achieves next from its Brisbane base.”

Cochlear has invested more than $15 million in capital, plant, equipment and labour to enable the Newstead facility to manufacture the latest electronic components used in their implants.

This is in addition to products and components used in the external parts of the cochlear implant system like sound processors.

In 2017-18, the facility manufactured 1.2 million parts and 550,000 finished products for global export.

Over 475,000 people of all ages across more than 100 countries now hear because of Cochlear.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

AUSTRALIAN RESEARCHERS SPARKING IDEAS ON THE WORLD STAGE

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Over the past week, senior executives from across the world gathered in Berlin, Germany for the annual SPARK Global meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to bring together like-minded translational scientists in academia to collaboratively address global health challenges.

As part of the SPARK Global meeting, Accelerating Australia and MTPConnect selected six esteemed Australians to join SPARK’s two-week Biomedical Innovation and Entrepreneurship training program. The six include Anqi Li and Garcia Cruz from Monash University, John Karas and Lisseth Burbano-Portilla from the University of Melbourne, and Carly Italiano and Max Cummins from the University of Technology Sydney.

All six Australians will work across multi-disciplinary and multi-national teams to solve global healthcare problems.

Maria, a PhD student at Monash University, is currently working in the field of cardiac tissue engineering, aiming to improve cardiac regeneration after heat attacks by developing a 3D bio-printed scaffold.

Speaking of her scholarship to attend the course, Maria said she believes the course “will be beneficial to me, as it takes me closer to develop feasible and better solutions, instruct on how to obtain funding to create biomedical companies and reinforces the communication skills that are essential for working effectively in multi-disciplinary teams.”

Joining the Australian researchers will be a delegation of senior executives from SPARK Oceania and Accelerating Australia, including Professor Michael Wallach and A/Professor Kevin Pfleger. Mr Wallach was invited by Stanford SPARK founders, Professor Daria Mochly-Rosen and A/Professor Kevin Grimes, to present the Australian SPARK model as a shining example of collaboration that other Spark programs can emulate.

Professor Wallach said the philosophy of SPARK Australia is to focus primarily on the benefit for the patient, which contributed to the success of all of the projects participating in the program.

“It has been very exciting seeing SPARK programs develop in Sydney (UTS, Univ. of Sydney & Macquarie Univ.), at Monash University starting last year and more recently at the University of Melbourne. Working closely with Professor Daria Mochly-Rosen and Prof. Kevin Grimes from Stanford University, School of Medicine (the Directors of SPARK Stanford) to bring SPARK to Australia has been an amazing experience & a great honour for me,” Prof Wallach said.

The SPARK program was originally developed by Stanford University in 2006 as a way to advance research discoveries from bench to bedside through education, mentorship and funding, often with a particular emphasis on drug development. A number of academic institutions worldwide have successfully developed their own SPARK programs based upon the SPARK at Stanford model, including Japan, France, Switzerland, Brazil, Norway and Australia.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

PARTNERSHIP DELIVERS NEW FIRST NATIONS HEALTH APPROACH

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The new Family Health and Wellbeing Framework, known as Health in the Hands of the People, along with Johnson & Johnson’s Innovate Reconciliation Plan (Innovate RAP) were launched in Sydney today.

“Funding this new framework and our Innovate RAP are examples of the Johnson & Johnson Credo which challenges us to put the needs and wellbeing of the people we serve first,” Johnson & Johnson Pacific Managing Director Doug Cunningham said.

“Our Innovate RAP is an opportunity to deepen our engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through improved cultural awareness. Supporting Children’s Ground and its development of Health in the Hands of the People demonstrates our strong commitment to close the gap in health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“At Johnson & Johnson our vision for reconciliation is that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live longer, healthier and happier lives. Both the Innovate RAP and our partnership with Children’s Ground demonstrate our vision in action.”

Health in the Hands of the People is a framework for health promotion that embraces First Culture, Children’s Ground co-founder and CEO Jane Vadiveloo said.

“The framework is built with the community, from community-owned knowledge. In First Nations culture, health is always interconnected with all aspects of wellbeing.

“We know that the devastating health outcomes of First Nations people in this nation are due to the cumulative effects of the social, cultural and economic determinants of health.”

In this new work, supported by Johnson & Johnson, Children’s Ground integrates a First Nations wellbeing knowledge system with the western health approach. We anticipate that by applying this in a whole-of-community way, in community, that health outcomes and indicators of wellbeing in general will be improved in the long term.”[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”2213″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row]