In this episode of The Health Change Makers, Jenny speaks with John James, the Chief Executive of the Sickle Cell Society. John shares his personal journey, detailing his early experiences and the influential figures that shaped his perspective. He discusses his time in the NHS, the unmet needs he observed in the sickle cell community and the steps he took to address them. John articulates the ongoing health disparities, systemic issues and the need for wider recognition of sickle cell disease. He also reflects on the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership and the power of speaking truth to power.

(0:55) Introduction
(4:49) John's reflections on leadership
(8:10) Addressing discrimination in healthcare
(16:14) John's work within sickle cell
(24:14) Future aspirations

About the guest:
John James is the Chief Executive of the Sickle Cell Society. The Sickle Cell Society is the only national charity in the UK that supports and represents people affected by a sickle cell disorder to improve their overall quality of life and has been working alongside healthcare professionals, parents and people living with sickle cell to raise awareness of the disorder.

OVID Health

OVID Health is an award-winning, independent agency with expertise in healthcare public affairs, patient advocacy, and communications. Their team builds bridges between the worlds of industry, healthcare, and the public sector to help clients achieve change in the health and life sciences sectors.

Find out more about OVID Health
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In this episode of The Health Change Makers, Jenny has a conversation with Sirpa Pietikäinen, a long-time activist and politician. Through the episode, they explore Sirpa's journey from a childhood love of biology and nature to her current political career, exploring her passion for tackling global issues such as climate change and Alzheimer's. Sirpa shares her experiences as a female politician, her views on the role of social media in today's politics and her optimism about the ongoing research in the battle against Alzheimer's.

(0:42) Introduction
(6:43) Taking Environmental Action
(12:35) Sirpa's Early Influences
(19:07) Health Advocacy and Alzheimer's Research
(24:00) Politics, Social Media and Gender Balance

About the guest:
Sirpa was the Minister for the Environment in the Finnish government. She's also been an MEP in the European Parliament for 16 years and is the Chair of the European Alzheimer's Association.

OVID Health

OVID Health is an award-winning, independent agency with expertise in healthcare public affairs, patient advocacy, and communications. Their team builds bridges between the worlds of industry, healthcare, and the public sector to help clients achieve change in the health and life sciences sectors.

Find out more about OVID Health
Follow OVID Health on LinkedIn

In this episode of The Health Change Makers, Jenny speaks with politician Baroness Margaret Ritchie. They discuss Margaret's extensive political career, her personal journey with breast cancer and her perspectives on resilience and the need for expert advice in policy-making. Margaret also shares her views on the importance of vaccination programs and the potential for their expansion in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, she touches on her experiences as the first female leader of a major political party in Northern Ireland and offers advice for those seeking to effect change in their own spheres.

(0:43) Introduction
(4:36) What drives Margaret?
(7:55) A Turning Point
(13:19) Margaret's battle with breast cancer
(23:12) Building Resilience in the NHS
(27:34) Looking to the Future

About the guest:
Baroness Margaret Ritchie was previously leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, SDLP. She has been a Minister for Social Development in the Northern Ireland Executive. She also has done a lot of change-making in healthcare over the years, both from the perspective of an advocate, and the perspective of a patient herself having been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. Margaret is also the Allergy UK's parliamentary champion and has also done a lot of work pressing for improvements in vaccinations.

OVID Health

OVID Health is an award-winning, independent agency with expertise in healthcare public affairs, patient advocacy, and communications. Their team builds bridges between the worlds of industry, healthcare, and the public sector to help clients achieve change in the health and life sciences sectors.

Find out more about OVID Health
Follow OVID Health on LinkedIn

In this episode of The Health Change Makers, Jenny sits down with Darren Harris, a Paralympian and motivational speaker. The conversation delves into Darren's experiences as an athlete, his journey of resilience and the importance he places on living a healthy life. Darren discusses the challenges and opportunities he faced as a visually impaired athlete and how these experiences shaped his perspective on life. He also shares valuable insights about communication, vulnerability and the power of storytelling.

(0:43) Introduction
(8:45) Teenage Challenges and Building Resilience
(14:22) The Power of Sport
(18:53) Family Inspirations
(20:52) Lessons in Leadership
(27:20) Looking to the Future

About the guest:
Darren is a double Paralympian and England's most-capped blind footballer, as well as a coach, mentor, facilitator and bestselling author. Darren was diagnosed with Bilateral Retinoblastoma, a cancer of both eyes, aged 15 months. One eye was removed; the other was treated with radiotherapy, which saw his sight deteriorating gradually over the next 20 years.

OVID Health

OVID Health is an award-winning, independent agency with expertise in healthcare public affairs, patient advocacy, and communications. Their team builds bridges between the worlds of industry, healthcare, and the public sector to help clients achieve change in the health and life sciences sectors.

Find out more about OVID Health
Follow OVID Health on LinkedIn

In this episode of The Health Change Makers, Jenny is joined by Hans Jørgen Wiberg, founder of the revolutionary Be My Eyes app. The conversation dives into how Be My Eyes is transforming the lives of visually impaired individuals by connecting them with volunteers around the world for visual assistance. Hans shares his journey of developing the platform, the importance of the community it has cultivated and the significant role technology, particularly AI, plays in increasing accessibility. He also discusses the potential of AI in education, healthcare, and language preservation, while expressing his concerns about AI's societal impact. The episode is filled with inspiring stories of change and a shared passion for harnessing technology to create a more inclusive world.

(1:40) The global impact of Be My Eyes
(10:26) Challenges and Failures
(15:40) The role of AI in accessibility
(22:12) The power of humour in communication
(27:45) Future Aspirations

About the guest:
Hans Jørgen Wiberg is the founder of Be My Eyes app, a free mobile app that allows people with a visual impairment to get in contact with sighted volunteers via a live video call, so they have access to help 24/7. The app was released in 2015 and gained 10,000 users within the first 24 hours. It's now got over 600,000 users and over 7 million volunteers in over 185 languages, making the Be My Eyes app, the largest online community for blind and low vision people.

OVID Health

OVID Health is an award-winning, independent agency with expertise in healthcare public affairs, patient advocacy, and communications. Their team builds bridges between the worlds of industry, healthcare, and the public sector to help clients achieve change in the health and life sciences sectors.

Find out more about OVID Health
Follow OVID Health on LinkedIn

In this episode of The Health Change Makers, Jenny is joined by Abbas Karimi, a renowned Paralympic swimmer and World Para Swimming Championships Gold medallist. Having been born without arms, Abbas's resilience, drive and determination have led him to become a formidable competitor in the swimming world. Abbas shares his incredible life journey from his early struggles to his current pursuit of a Paralympic medal. He discusses how he has harnessed adversity to fuel his success and how his faith and positivity have become his guiding forces. The conversation also delves into his post-swimming goals, his approach to handling life's unpredictability, and how he inspires others to embrace their unique challenges.

(1:04) Introduction
(5:16) Representation and Responsibility
(9:29) Overcoming Failure and Staying Motivated
(14:48) How does Abbas relax?
(20:12) Looking to the future

About the guest:
Abbas Karimi was born in Afghanistan with no arms and he left Afghanistan when he was 16 years old and travelled through Iran and into Turkey, where he lived in a refugee camp. It was here that Abbas was picked out as a promising swimmer. From there, Abbas became an elite athlete and won a number of medals during his elite swimming career, including a silver medal at the world championships in Mexico and also travelling to Tokyo as part of the Paralympic team.

OVID Health

OVID Health is an award-winning, independent agency with expertise in healthcare public affairs, patient advocacy, and communications. Their team builds bridges between the worlds of industry, healthcare, and the public sector to help clients achieve change in the health and life sciences sectors.

Find out more about OVID Health
Follow OVID Health on LinkedIn

Welcome to the Health Change Maker podcast from OVID Health.

Each week, Jenny Ousbey, founder and CEO of OVID, a global healthcare communications consultancy, will be interviewing fascinating people from around the world who are driving change in the political, healthcare, advocacy, tech and sporting arenas.

In this episode of OVIDcast, Rachel Stewart, OVID Health Deputy Head of Patient Partnerships, continues the conversation with John James, Chief Executive Officer of the Sickle Cell Society.

Listen as they discuss the benefits of adopting an innovative approach in partnerships, the importance of involving patients and families in the measurement of partnership impact from the early stage and the significance of long-term partnerships in achieving lasting impact.

(0:04) Introduction
(0:45) Innovation in partnerships
(1:42) Measuring impact
(3:13) The value of long-term partnerships
(6:49) Patient centricity
(8:05) Key tips for establishing a partnership

About the guest:
John James is the Chief Executive of the Sickle Cell Society. The Sickle Cell Society is the only national charity in the UK that supports and represents people affected by a sickle cell disorder to improve their overall quality of life and has been working alongside healthcare professionals, parents, and people living with sickle cell to raise awareness of the disorder.

Find out more about the Sickle Cell Society

OVID Health is an award-winning, independent agency with expertise in healthcare public affairs, patient advocacy, and communications. Their team builds bridges between the worlds of industry, healthcare, and the public sector to help clients achieve change in the health and life sciences sectors.

Find out more about OVID Health
Follow OVID Health on LinkedIn