People In Health Care; Dr Gaj Panagoda,
empowering underprivileged communities
Xstitch Health takes project based approach to
creating community-driven,
sustainable health outcomes
Dr Gaj Panagoda, CEO of Xstitch Health, has a diverse medical background and is working to improve health systems for underprivileged communities. In the Australian Health Journal’s People In Health Care series, he talks about the changes needed in community-based care using a project based approach,
According to Dr Panagoda, there is a need for a shift towards community-based care and collaboration with stakeholders in the healthcare system, and the potential to create a new kind of socially conscious, inspired, community-informed medical specialist is the future of medical specialty care.
Project-based job outcomes are clear, post-COVID community-based health systems are innovative, and the six pillars of Xstitch involve working with communities to identify strengths and challenges, collaborating with stakeholders, and deciding what’s needed.
Communities, including underprivileged ones, have untapped strengths that can be harnessed for their own healthcare journeys, and Xstitch Health aims to do something different by focusing on change management, policy, and governance.
“We are looking at a unique model to fund health projects based on community-defined issues and deliverables, with most interest coming from schools”, says Dr Panagoda.
He’s seen, schools in underprivileged areas that are providing services for students with particular needs, are interested in working better with health systems, to address acute issues.
Dr Panagoda believes medical specialists in Australia have untapped potential to address the wider needs of patients and can start taking action on their collective knowledge without waiting for higher positions.
Xstitch Health offers a new kind of job for doctors, combining patient care with system improvement and the opportunity to work in various locations.
Health professionals need support in their role in communities and a collaborative model for medical specialists is being developed to have a big impact across Australia.
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Imperatives for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer
Professor Clare Scott, a pioneering clinician scientist at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, also serves as a medical oncologist at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and the Royal Women’s Hospital.
Her comprehensive training in medical oncology has fuelled her specialisation in gynaecological cancer, combining rigorous research with clinical trials to improve patient outcomes. With over a decade of involvement in ANZGOG, Australia’s foremost gynaecologic cancer research organisation, she is deeply committed to advancing research and saving lives.
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Global MedTech company brings device reprocessing plant to Australia
Cardinal Health is global medical products manufacturer and leading provider of single-use device reprocessing services in the U.S. In Australia and New Zealand, as one of the largest suppliers of medical devices, announced on 23 May 2024 that it will be opening a single-use medical device reprocessing facility in Australia – its first reprocessing facility outside the United States.
On 18 March 2025 at the Health Innovation Living Lab at the John Hunter Hospital, a further announcement was made, on the chosen single-use medical device remanufacturing facility in Beresfield, Newcastle, set to commence operation late 2025, supported by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
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Autonomy in Emergency Nurse Practitioner role
Stefanie Edson is a dedicated Nurse Practitioner specialising in Emergency Care, with a strong commitment to improving patient outcomes. As the Tasmanian State Chapter Secretary for the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP), Stefanie advocates for the growth and recognition of the Nurse Practitioner profession across Tasmania and beyond.
