Dr Jaquelyne Hughes, a Torres Strait Islander woman and the country’s first Indigenous kidney specialist, continued to shine the spotlight on the experiences of Indigenous Australians with chronic kidney disease.
In September, Dr Hughes, who is also an NHMRC Early Career Research Fellow at Menzies, played a lead role in organising the Indigenous Patient Voices Symposium in Darwin.
This forum, hosted within a National Scientific Meeting for kidney specialists, was the first of its kind bringing together patients, clinicians, policy makers and researchers to hear about the impact kidney disease has on patients and their families.
Participants talked about their experiences, limited access to health services and the impact of relocation for treatment of the current models of care.
The forum also identified solutions to the issues raised, including on-country treatment options.
In the months after the symposium, Dr Hughes, with Menzies and RDH colleagues, produced and published the symposium findings and spoke out through the media about its importance and significance.
This was another clear example of Dr Hughes’ commitment to improving the lives of Indigenous kidney patients and strengthening health systems through clinical practice, research and advocacy.