SPACE HEALTH & MEDICINE ON AUSTRALIA’S CLINICAL LAUNCHPAD
With
Professor Tracy Smart AO, Air Vice-Marshal (Ret’d)
BMBS, MPH, MA, Dip AvMed, FRACMA, FACAsM, FAsMA, FCDSS, FACHSM (Hon) &
Tracy Smart AO, Professor, Military and Aerospace Medicine
The Australian National University
HEALTH EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS SEGMENT
Filmed in Canberra | April 2026
Professor Smart is a veteran, medical doctor, health leader, aerospace medicine specialist, and retired Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) senior officer. She is currently at the Professor, Military and Aerospace Medicine at the Australian National University (ANU), and serves as the Interim Director of the ANU Defence Institute, and as a Mission Specialist at the ANU Institute for Space. She previously served as the University’s COVID-19 Public Health Lead from 2020 to 2022.
Prof Smart’s 35-year RAAF career included several operational deployments, and leadership and command positions at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of Defence. Her career culminated in the roles of Surgeon General of the ADF and Commander Joint Health. In these roles she drove substantial reform in the delivery of policy, programs, and treatment in the military Mental Health space, and in the health aspects of transition from Defence. She transferred to the RAAF Specialist Reserve in early 2020 and continues to take a strong interest in Defence and Veterans’ health.
Apart from her ANU roles, Prof Smart is a non-executive Director of Goodwin Aged Care Services and the International Academy of Air and Space Medicine; Chair of the ANZAC Research Institute and the Australian Football League Industry Mental Health Steering Group; and Co-Chair of the Australian War Memorial Gallery Development Project Veterans’ Advisory Group. She is a member of the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal, an Honorary (Professorial Fellow) in the Psychiatry Department, University of Melbourne, a frequent keynote speaker, and undertakes various consulting and advisory roles in aerospace medicine and military and veterans’ health.
Source: Supplied
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8918-8939
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Australia’s Nursing Crisis Snapshot
“Nursing, already under pressure, is reaching breaking point due to the pressures of COVID-19 and a disjointed healthcare system, including the acute, primary and aged care sectors”, says Kylie Ward, Australian College of Nursing CEO adding, “We must act now to protect our nurses and healthcare; the time has come for a national reckoning on nursing in Australia.”
Australian nurses cannot continue to work under the extreme pressure they are currently operating under – the impacts are mounting.
The almost 400,000 Australian nurses are a constant presence in every one of our major life milestones, national emergencies and global crises. The nurse of today holds a science degree, possesses highly technical training, valuable medical opinions, front-row expertise, is an effective trainer, and is skilled in population and systemic thinking. But the pandemic is inflicting a major emotional and physical toll on nurses.
In this “Perspectives” special, Australian Health Journal spoke with 4 nurses on the challenges they or nurses in their circle have experienced, the key issues as well some of the opportunities. These nurses come from national leadership & policy, large scale workforce management, a final year student completing over a year on placement across 6 Melbourne Hospitals and a NSW based ICU nurse stranded in Mexico, unable to return to a critical role in nursing to an already strained team due to incoming quotas.
While the issues are challenging, there are strategies that can be put into place to ease the pressure, to support nurses, and nursing care in Australia. These are discussed by the the 4 nurses.
– Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN CEO, Australian College of Nursing
– Adjunct Professor Alanna Geary FACN ACN Chair of Workforce Sustainability Policy Chapter & Chief Nursing & Midwifery Officer, Metro North Health
– Natalie Reyes, NSW based ICU Nurse Currently stranded in Mexico
– Hayley Pollock, Final Year Bachelor of Nursing Student & ACN Emerging Nurse Leader
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The quest to create an Australian framework for a Palliative Care Pharmacist
Helen Stone is the State and Territory Manager SA & NT for the Pharmaceutical Society Australia. Her professional interests include palliative care, pharmacist professional services, mental health, leadership, and management.
She has recently led teams of pharmacists in innovative pharmacy practice models including in aged care, GP practice, palliative care and dementia support. This has contributed to the body of evidence for sustainable funding for embedded pharmacist roles in primary care and aged care settings.
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Spinal implant technology eyes global opportunity
Adelaide, South Australia wants to let the secret out, and be known as hub for medical devices, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and digital health. It boasts world-class research institutions, such as the University of Adelaide and SAHMRI, fostering innovation and collaboration. The city’s supportive government policies provide incentives, grants, and streamlined regulations for businesses. Adelaide’s skilled workforce, renowned for its expertise in health sciences, offers a talent pool to drive industry growth. Additionally, the city’s strategic location, advanced infrastructure, and strong healthcare ecosystem make it an ideal base for development, manufacturing, and market access, attracting companies in these sectors.
