LIVED EXPERIENCE with SPONTANEOUS CORONARY ARTERY DISSECTION (SCAD) Uncommon condition more prevalent in younger women
with
Jen O’Neill, Patient &
Board Member
SCAD Research Australia Inc &
Social Worker, Central Coast, NSW
LIVED EXPERIENCE SEGMENT
Filmed in Sydney | June 2026
Jen O’Neill is a Social Work Program Manager and mother of two from the Central Coast, NSW.
At 36, she experienced her first spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) heart attack and has since survived two further SCADs before age 43.
Her lived experience has driven a strong commitment to heart health advocacy, focusing on improving education, research, and clinical understanding of cardiovascular disease in women without typical risk factors.
Jen is a board member of SCAD Research Australia and serves on the Women’s Health Program Consumer Panel at The George Institute for Global Health.
She is an ambassador for Heart Research Australia’s Red Feb campaign and participates in studies including with the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and Mayo Clinic.
She also supports community fundraising initiatives, including the Central Coast SCADaddle for Research Walk. She is recognised for leadership in advocacy and advancing cardiovascular health informed by lived experience.
Source: MTAA Women’s Health MedTech Summit program
Media access credit: Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA)
-
Launch of Paediatric Eye Care Training
Drawing on almost two decades of experience in paediatric ophthalmology, alongside her research into childhood myopia, Dr Loren Rose explained that the program reflects both her clinical expertise and her long-standing passion for education. She said the rapid advances in myopia management have created a need for practical, accessible learning resources that busy clinicians can easily incorporate into practice.
-
Occupational therapy creates profound impacts on client and patient lives
Margeaux Bartholomew-Carle is an Adelaide based registered Occupational Therapist and the Founder and CEO of Ardant.
Throughout her career, Margeaux has worked in various settings, including aged care, disability, assistive technology, prescription, and mental health. This diverse experience has deepened her understanding of the different needs among client groups.
-
Care workforce challenges
In a wide ranging report looking at the carer needs across Australia, PwC Australia published Reimagine Care Workforce Solutions in October 2022.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Kerryn Dillon, Director Ageing and Reablement and Health Workforce at PwC Australia about the community care sectors of aged care, disability care and childcare the report covers.
