It Takes Heart

When the government announced sudden changes to the NDIS with only weeks’ notice, allied health business owners across Australia were thrown into crisis mode. For Judy Scott, occupational therapist and founder of My Therapy Crew, it meant pivoting her business while staying true to the values-led culture she’s nurtured over years of practice.

From starting out in a converted garage after redundancy, Judy has grown My Therapy Crew in...

What happens when you say yes to adventure, purpose, and the unknown? In this episode, we meet oral health therapist Karli Grace, whose journey from private practice to working in Australia’s most remote Indigenous communities is as inspiring as it is impactful.

Karli shares what it’s really like delivering oral healthcare across Central Australia, East Arnhem Land and the Torres Strait, setting up mobile clinics in remote communiti...

What happens when rest doesn’t work? When even after sleep, time off, or a holiday, you still feel depleted? That’s the reality of burnout and it’s something Ruth Limkin has seen up close. 

As Founder of The Banyans, Ruth shares how burnout often hides in plain sight - from professionals quietly struggling with addiction to healthcare workers pushing through chronic fatigue. She explains the difference between being worn out and bei...

What does it take to truly fix healthcare in Queensland? According to Dr. Nick Yim, it starts with smarter systems, not just more funding. In this episode, we sit down with the AMA Queensland President to unpack a bold new idea: a statewide digital passport for clinicians. It’s a simple solution with the power to break down bureaucratic barriers and supercharge workforce flexibility across hospitals and communities.

But Dr. Yim does...

What would life look like if you couldn’t speak? No way to order your morning coffee, tell someone you love them, or ask for help. For people recovering from strokes or neurological conditions, this loss of communication can be one of the most isolating parts of their journey and it’s where speech pathologist Nikki Wells steps in with purpose and compassion.

Nikki shares how her unexpected start in a teenage sign language class spar...

What drives a doctor to leave the safety of private practice and instead offer care inside prisons and homeless shelters? For Dr Juergen Landmann, it all started with a simple mindset: “Why not?” In this powerful conversation, Juergen shares how burnout led him to rethink the way he worked and opened the door to a more energising, purpose-led path.

Now splitting his time between general practice, correctional facilities, and Emmanue...

Who cares for the carers? Discover how one foundation is quietly reshaping rural healthcare.

In this heartfelt episode, we speak with Fran Avon, CEO of the Rural Doctors Foundation, and rural GP Dr. John Buckley. Together, they reveal the hidden struggles faced by rural doctors who serve as the backbone of their communities. From responding to catastrophic floods to managing everyday burnout, we explore why supporting rural doctors ...

Ever felt like your career was running on empty? Travelling Midwives Jess and Millie did and they chose the open road over burnout.

In this episode, we sit down with Jess and Millie, two Dual-Registered Midwives who turned burnout in healthcare into a journey of rediscovery, purpose, and friendship. They open up about the emotional toll of permanent roles and what finally pushed them to make bold moves into rural and remote contract...

What do Disney cruise ships, rural hospitals, and music festivals have in common? For Dr. Tim Turk, they’ve all been part of his incredible medical journey. In this episode of It Takes Heart, Tim chats with hosts Sam and Kate about how saying “yes” to unique opportunities has led him across continents, specialties, and communities - creating a career rich in purpose, adventure, and impact.

Tim shares how rural medicine offers unpara...

What do you get when a fourth-generation farm girl swaps her ballet slippers for blister packs? You get Shaylee Mills (better known as The Rural Pharmacist) who shares why she chose to take her pharmacy career off the beaten track and into the heart of rural Australia. 

 Based in Karratha, Western Australia, Shaylee sheds light on what rural pharmacy really looks like, dispelling the myths of outdated clinics and highlighting the mo...

Lorraine Evans is the kind of midwife who turns every experience into a story worth telling. With a larger-than-life personality and a passion for adventure, Lorraine has built a career that’s taken her from the bustling streets of London to some of the most remote communities in Australia. As a travel midwife, she’s delivered babies in outback hospitals, managed high-risk births via telehealth, and tackled emergencies as the sole ...

Content warning: This episode discusses suicide and may be distressing for some listeners. If you feel you could be triggered by this content, you may want to skip this episode.

Dr. Karyn Matterson’s path to medicine was anything but typical. Building a career first in tourism, a devastating personal tragedy shifted her purpose entirely, leading her to study clinical dietetics before ultimately pursuing medicine. Determined to creat...

Join us for an eye-opening episode on occupational rehabilitation with Chantelle Wood, a leading rehabilitation counsellor and founder of Restorative. As the Australian Rehabilitation Counsellor of the Year at the Allied Health Awards, Chantelle shares her journey in allied health, offering insights into the complex process of recovery and reintegration into the workforce after life-changing injuries. From stories of individuals ov...

Hamish Briggs is a viral TikTok star and healthcare professional whose career has taken some unexpected turns. Growing up in outback Kalgoorlie, his journey led him from professional dancing - including performing at Disneyland Paris - to working as a COVID marshal, becoming a mining medic, and finally to becoming a registered nurse. 

Hear how Hamish leveraged social media to build an audience, attended the TikTok Awards, and balanc...

Ever wondered what it takes to create a podcast series that not only tells stories but makes a real impact? Join us on a journey through the transformative world of 'It Takes Heart,' as we wrap up an incredible first season filled with inspiring tales from healthcare professionals across Australia and beyond. From attracting healthcare workers to rural areas to discovering diverse paths like working at the Olympics, our c...

Join us as Marguerite, an accomplished sports and musculoskeletal physiotherapist, shares her incredible journey. Fresh from the Paris Olympic Games, she reflects on her role as team physio for the Aussie Stingers, Australia’s women’s water polo squad. With a career spanning leadership at Water Polo Australia and PhD studies at the University of Queensland, Marguerite's story is one of passion, resilience, and balancing elite ...

Join us on a captivating journey to the heart of Australia's remote healthcare landscape with Lesley Woolf OAM, a distinguished healthcare professional whose exemplary 50-year career has earned her the Order of Australia Medal. 

Lesley is the Executive Health Manager at Mala'la Health Service, where she does everything from manage the local morgue to launching critical child health programs - the challenges are b...

Marie Davey, an inspiring figure in the world of remote area nursing, joins us to share her extraordinary journey. From starting her nursing career in New South Wales in the 1980s to embracing the challenges and adventures of remote area nursing in Australia, Marie has become a symbol of resilience and adaptability. Listen as she recounts her memorable experiences, such as navigating to a placement by mail truck and tinnie during t...

Annabelle Brayley says "Yes" when opportunities come her way. When a publisher at Penguin read an article she wrote in Outback Magazine, she began curating Bush Nurses for them which eventually led to becoming their published author.

Annabelle's journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Growing up in a small community on the Western Darling Downs, she spent her early days as a registered nurse before transi...