Adoni Media
posted a blog.
Heart of Australia, in partnership with the Queensland Government, has today (Friday 11 February, 2022) officially launched a first-of-its kind mobile medical imaging clinic called HEART 5, that will provide increased accessibility to lung checks to current and former mine and quarry workers in rural and remote Queensland.
The mobile medical imaging clinic is the fifth truck in the Heart of Australia fleet and includes X-ray and CT scanner equipment to assist in the screening and early detection of mine dust lung diseases, such as black lung and silicosis.
Heart of Australia founder, Dr Rolf Gomes, said he is thrilled to be working in partnership with the Queensland Government and Resources Safety and Health Queensland, which contributed $2 million towards the build and operation of HEART 5. The clinic will improve accessibility to respiratory health examinations for current and former mine and quarry workers as well as their broader communities across rural and remote areas of Queensland.
“The battery technology we have designed and built in Queensland to power the CT scanner means with HEART 5 we can do a CT parked on a mine site, and that is a world first. Through the collaboration of the project partners, the Queensland Government, Philips and I-MED, this technology and innovation has been made possible.
“HEART 5 breaks down the tyranny of distance, so if you do have a lung disease, we can find it early and quickly,” Dr Gomes said.
Resources Minister Scott Stewart said the HEART 5 is a revolutionary piece of technology that will bring high quality respiratory health screenings to mine and quarry workers in regional and remote parts of the state.
“We’re proud to have HEART 5 on the road helping to uphold our high standards for health and safety in the resources sector, and our government will continue to support workers, on and off the job site. Today marks an important day as we farewell HEART 5 from Brisbane, on its official rollout to regional Queensland,” Minister Stewart said.
Dr Gomes said providing rural patients with access to locally delivered medical imaging services will make an enormous difference in improving lives and supporting the work of local GPs.
“Heart of Australia is pioneering the delivery of radiology services in regional Queensland. For retired miners as well as those living in rural and remote communities, this means easier access to testing and screening which will improve patient health outcomes,” he said.
Since 2014, Heart of Australia’s medical specialists have seen more than 12,000 patients and saved more than 500 lives. The fleet has travelled more than 500,000 kilometres servicing towns from Stanthorpe in the south to Weipa in the far north and Winton in the west.
“With the launch of HEART 5, our CT truck, we will be finding more, treating more, and saving more lives,” Dr Gomes said.
Link to images and video of HEART 5 can be found here.
Like
Be the first person to like this.
Adoni Media
posted a blog.
January 26, 2022
39 views
The Brisbane veteran who successfully fought for the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide is so frustrated with the political system he today (21 January 2022) launched his own party, the Australian Values Party (AVP), to contest this year’s Federal election.
More than 3000 people have already joined the party with more than 300 interested in being a candidate.
Retired Special Forces Major Heston Russell, who established the Veteran Support Force (VSF) charity to help with veteran health, said the time he spent campaigning for the Royal Commission and other key veteran issues showed him Canberra doesn’t work.
Mr Russell said Australians no longer trust politicians and are demanding authentic leadership.
“I am a professionally trained military leader who supported strategic planning in the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region. I know what leadership requires and I believe the only way to help bring back authentic leadership and accountability is to form our own party and show the Australian people what should be expected,” he said.
“I’ve never been interested in running for politics, but I’ve fought for our country, fought for our freedoms, and while fighting for the Royal Commission I witnessed how dysfunctional the political system is and how it doesn’t work. It’s time for me to serve again.
He said AVP will be non-partisan, represent everyday Australians, and focus on making change at the Federal level.
“We have people who understand leadership and have real lived experiences such as veterans, emergency service personnel, medical professionals, and small business owners wanting to be candidates.”
AVP’s mission is to protect and progress Australia and our way of life, promote a government with a sense of responsibility and accountability to the Australian people, to protect the Australian values, and promote the welfare of the Australian people.
“There is a leadership crisis in our country, which is greater than any pandemic we’ve been facing. This is impacting the physical, mental, and emotional health of far too many Australians.
“The current major political parties are filled with factions and individuals, who are often competing against each other and come together just for election periods.
“People are frustrated by losing their freedoms, freedoms that many of our veterans have fought and died for. Our candidates are keen to demonstrate true and authentic leadership and work together as a team to fix these problems,” Mr Russell said.
Mr Russell is yet to announce where he will be running as a candidate. Anyone interested in becoming a member or candidate for AVP, can register their interest here .
Adoni Media
posted a blog.
Shareholders of Australia’s largest insurance company, Insurance Australia Group (IAG), are invited to join a class action against the insurer, which seeks to recover hundreds of millions in shareholder value.
Global litigation firm, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, is leading the class action against IAG.
Quinn Emanuel’s claim alleges that IAG, which issues business insurance through its Australian subsidiaries, including NRMA, CGU and WFI, failed, over the course of years, to update the wording of its policies in relation to its business interruption exclusions for pandemic related losses. This, compounded by its decision to not adequately inform the market about the potential consequences of this blunder caused IAG’s share price to plunge 7 per cent in November 2020 when it revealed the extent of the exposure.
Quinn Emanuel Partner, Damian Scattini, said hundreds of thousands of Australians hold shares in IAG, which is in the top 50 ASX listed companies, either directly or through super funds and other institutional investments.
“On 11 March 2020, COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, yet IAG’s policies relied on a statute that no longer existed as the foundation for its pandemic exclusion clauses,” he said.
IAG claimed that a test case announced by the Insurance Council of Australia in August 2020 would be successful and further, that IAG’s conservative provision of approximately $150 million was ample to cover its losses associated with COVID-19. But:
On 18 November 2020, the NSW Court of Appeal dismissed the test case. The Court declared that insurers, such as IAG could not rely on the repealed legislation to exclude customer business interruption claims.
On 19 November, IAG entered a trading halt.
On 20 November, IAG announced that it intended to raise $750 million in fresh capital, in a bid to meet the anticipated influx of business interruption insurance claims.
On 23 November, once the market learned, for the first time of IAG’s exposure, IAG shares resumed trading at 7 per cent lower than their closing price on November 18. The loss in market cap was approximately $800 million.
Mr Scattini said, “that means for years it sold policies with a useless exclusion. Then, when the pandemic hit, instead of admitting its error, IAG doubled down, misleading the market about its true exposure.”
Shareholders who purchased IAG shares in the period between 11 March 2020 and 20 November 2020 can register their interest in the class action at www.iagclassaction.com, or contact Quinn Emanuel at iagclassaction@quinnemanuel.com, or (02) 9146 3701. Registering your interest is risk and cost free.
Adoni Media
posted a blog.
Charities, organisations working with the homeless, and women’s shelters are handing out immunity products thanks to the support of health-conscious Australians, including Turia Pitt, through the Kynd® brand.
In an initiative being celebrated for World Kindness Day, Australian supplement brand, Kynd®, founded by a Sydney entrepreneur, has hit a milestone of more than 120,000 Immunity product donations since launching last year.
The Kynd® Immunity product is a specifically formulated powder with ingredients which include Vitamin C and Zinc and is donated by the Kynd® brand through a variety of charities, including Foodbank, throughout New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland with work underway to expand nationally.
Matthew Stenmark, who created the “one for one” supplements brand to help spread kindness, said: “Over the last year, we have seen Australians prioritise their health with some retail figures showing a 147 per cent increase in sales of cold and flu vitamins.
“We know there are far too many vulnerable Australians who can’t afford to put food on the table and are unable to have a balanced diet, so our mission is to help support their health by donating an immunity product to charity every time someone buys a Kynd® bottle of vitamins or supplements,” Mr Stenmark said.
Foodbank’s latest, Hunger Report revealed that 1 in 6 adults in Australia haven’t had enough to eat last year and 1.2 million children have gone hungry.
“We know, hunger is affecting people right across all demographics, people who have never sought help before are asking for food relief for the first time. Donations of immunity products from Kynd® can help support nutrition and health of the many people across the country we’re currently supporting,” Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey said.
Turia Pitt, who became a Kynd® ambassador earlier this year said, donations provided a way for health-conscious Australians to show kindness.
“Science has shown that being kind to others helps us to be happier – so I’m stoked to be supporting a brand that gives back with one for one donations,” Ms Pitt said.
Since its launch, Kynd® has also donated immunity products to teachers to help support their immunity as they returned to school.
Mr Stenmark said the brand’s mission was to help people be kind to their health, kind to others and kind to the planet.
“My wife and I travelled through Africa and India and after coming home to Sydney, I wanted to do something that would make a difference to people’s lives, their health and the environment,” Mr Stenmark said.
People are able to trace where the donation made on their behalf goes by using a code on the Kynd® product packaging.
Always read the label. Follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional. Supplements should not replace a balanced diet.
To enable Kynd® to reach as many people as possible, Kynd® leverages the national distribution network of iNova Pharmaceuticals.
Media contact: Leisa Goddard | 0434 569 011 | leisa@adonimedia.com.au
Adoni Media
posted a blog.
January 24, 2021
75 views
Australia’s leading transport and logistics specialist, NTI, is urging all drivers to take it easy on the roads as residents return from holidays and prepare for the school year to begin.
With border restrictions still in place across the country, many have opted to travel in their own state these summer holidays, and as a result, there could be a greater number of vehicles on the road as families return home for Term 1. In New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia, classes start on Wednesday.
NTI CEO Tony Clark said many drivers may not be used to travelling long distances or sharing the road with heavy vehicles.
“Our research shows in 80 per cent of fatal crashes involving a car and truck, the car driver is at fault,” Mr Clark said.
“This is a timely reminder for all car drivers to take their time and schedule in plenty of breaks on their drive home.
“If you’re near a heavy vehicle, remember it takes a truck longer to brake, so give them plenty of space if you’re overtaking.
“Trucks also have larger blind spots and require more space to manoeuvre so avoid any risky behaviour like cutting in front of a heavy vehicle.”
Mr Clark said 2020 was a record-breaking year for the transport industry and 2021 was also shaping up to be an incredibly busy season.
“With restrictions still in place, we’ve seen online shopping boom across Australia, and it is our transport and logistics workers who ensure the packages you purchase make it to your home.
“They’re also the ones who deliver medicine, fresh food, produce, and either items – yes, including toilet paper – to stores so you can access what you need.
“If you see a heavy vehicle while on your drive home, be sure to give the driver a wave to say thanks.”
Adoni Media
posted a blog.
Whether you are a communications manager wanting to increase brand awareness or a CEO wanting to make sure your team is ready to respond to a crisis there is a media checklist worth ticking off.
We have all seen, especially during the COVID crisis, how businesses have had to pivot and respond quickly to changing restrictions. In many cases it has launched people and companies who may never have considered themselves a media target into the news spotlight.
Our team at Adoni Media Public Relations certainly spent many months helping corporate affairs and business teams manage media interest.
To help as you plan out your year, we’ve put together a media checklist so that you can be better prepared.
Update your Crisis Communication Plan
Crisis communication was in high demand during 2020 and not just for dealing with the media but for advice on how to manage and control internal communication with staff and stakeholders. The risk of not responding in a measured and strategic way is long-term damage to your brand and reputation.
The solution is being prepared. Don’t wait for a crisis to hit. Instead, have a crisis management plan in place so that you have the resources and framework to respond. For clients we work with that can mean identifying potential risk areas, developing key messaging, creating a chain of command and preparing holding statements. Once you have the policy and procedures in place it is important to test them. For some large organisations that can mean running crisis exercises, for others it can involve media training so that key spokespeople know they have the skills to respond.
Prepare with Media Training
There’s nothing more daunting then having a television camera in your face and not knowing how to manage the confrontation or answer a journalist’s questions.
Our team at Adoni Media run media training sessions that provide practical and tailored training to your industry. Adoni Media’s Founder, Leisa Goddard, has been a journalist for 30 years and has helped prepared CEOs, executives and spokespeople from ASX-listed companies to government agencies and charities.
During media training sessions the people most likely to face the media from your organisation learn how to respond, how to frame key messages, where to look during an interview and how to overcome nerves. Body language, facial expressions and what not to do during a media interview are equally as important.
Our entire team of media trainers are former Senior Journalists who each have decades of experience in the media industry. It means you and your team walk away with an understanding of how the media works and that alone can help build your confidence.
Content is king
A solid content strategy will ensure your business is consistent and active across multiple platforms when it comes time to engaging with stakeholders and making public statements.
Prepare two content plans, one for internal content to be published on your website, on your company blog and through internal EDMs. The second plan should be for external content, such as Media Releases, holding statements, thought-leadership pieces and posts to social media.
To gain maximum value from the work you put in to creating content make sure you optimise before publishing. Keyword research is invaluable in any content plan.
Social Media
Alongside your content plan, you should have a social media calendar and a commitment to scheduling regular posts to build brand awareness, trust and engagement.
If you’re making media and managing publicity a focus for your 2021 and would like some advice then please know we take pride in making our experience your advantage.
Adoni Media
posted a blog.
Iconic Western Australian restaurant brand, Chicken Treat, has recorded its greatest growth in two decades, despite a year which severely impacted business across the country.
Mimma Battista took over as CEO six years ago with a strategy to contemporise the brand, reinvigorate the franchise partners, transform the menu, and prioritise convenience channels such as delivery and drive thru.
As a result, sales growth has tripled across the Chicken Treat network with profitability up 120 per cent year on year for Franchise Partners.
The brand, which started more than 40 years ago, now has 58 stores across Western Australia. More restaurants are planned to open across metro and regional markets in FY 21/22 and 23.
“The plan is to grow the business footprint and increase sales by a further 50 per cent. We have identified 20 new sites and are currently in discussion with landlords” Ms Battista said.
Under Ms Battista, Chicken Treat has successfully positioned itself as a dynamic jester brand at the forefront of food innovation. Last year, it surprised the market becoming the first Quick Service Restaurant in Australia to launch a Donut Burger and the brand continues to innovate across all aspects of its menu.
“We have changed and adapted our business to ensure our success. We’ve redesigned the face of the brand including look and feel, uniforms, packaging, menu and brand personality to ensure surprise and delight customers,” Ms Battista said.
“Understanding who the brand is, in terms of its personality while being very clear on its target audience, has helped us to shape what Chicken Treat needs to be for the modern consumer.”
November marked 36 months of positive growth for Chicken Treat.
“Australian Market data revealed that we are actually national market leaders in terms of spend and traffic growth over the quarter ending September 2020,” she said.
“This year was a particularly challenging year for us however we maintained our strategy and repositioned the brand to our new ‘The Chicken Heroes’ identity which also won the QSR Media Award for ‘Best Brand Transformation’ in 2020.”
Ms Battista said ‘zero contact delivery’ drove core sales during WA’s lockdown with shopfront proving to be a strong performer because of aggregators as well as drive thru.
“This year there’s certainly been a level of customer confidence that comes from having an established and trusted brand and we look forward to continuing to provide an exception food experience for the years to come.”
Adoni Media
posted a blog.
Just six months after launching, Australia’s only one-for-one supplements brand, Kynd, has scored a major business coup, joining forces with the country’s largest pharmacy retailer, Chemist Warehouse, to further support people in need.
Kynd has a commitment that for every one product sold, one Immunity product is donated to an Australian in need, including the homeless and those in women’s refuges. Since launching in June last year, the brand has donated more than 25,000 Immunity products to 16 charity partners around the country.
That number is set to increase. From today, all six of Kynd’s products will be available in more than 350 Chemist Warehouse stores across Australia.
Founder Matthew Stenmark said Kynd’s mission was aimed at helping people be kind to their bodies, kind to others and kind to the planet.
“I travelled through Africa and India and after coming home to Sydney, I wanted to do something that would make a difference to peoples’ lives, their health and the environment,” Mr Stenmark said.
“I am thrilled to be stocked in Chemist Warehouse. We’re particularly excited that giving more Australians better access to our products, means more Australians in need will benefit.
“We have proudly partnered with 16 charities across Australia and are looking to assist more people throughout 2021 and would encourage charity organisations interested in receiving donations of our immunity product to get in touch.”
Kynd’s products to be stocked in Chemist Warehouse include:
Women’s Multivitamin + Skin
Glow – Hair, Skin & Nails
Magnesium Bio 1200
Sustainably Sourced Fish Oil Double Strength
Nutricosmetic Collagen Forte
Collagen+
To enable Kynd to reach as many people as possible, Kynd leverages the national distribution network of iNova Pharmaceuticals.
In addition to Chemist Warehouse, Kynd products are also available in Coles and Blooms The Chemist stores.
Always read the label. Follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist, see your healthcare professional. Supplements may only be of assistance if dietary intake is inadequate.
Adoni Media
posted a blog.
A Queensland start-up has invented a world first that has the ability to change the lives of mums and dads using wheelchairs.
1 in 6 children in Australia lives with a parent with a disability and, until now, many people in wheelchairs have had no easy way to feed, change or even interact face-to-face with their babies.
PWA Mobility has changed that, releasing the first prototype of a device called The Care Station.
PWA Mobility spokesperson Adrian Burke said after working closely with leading disability support agency Spinal Life Australia on the development of The Care Station capsule, the organisation is keen to become a longer-term partner of PWA Mobility.
“The baby can be placed in The Care Station so the parents can more easily change nappies, interact and connect with their babies, which all help to strengthen the bond between parent and child,” Mr Burke said.
Katie Hammond became a paraplegic after an injury almost 20 years ago and during this time has raised three children. She said she personally experienced the need for a product which facilitated spending quality time with her daughters.
“When I started feeding with a bottle, I’d hold a bottle in one hand and baby in the other which meant I didn’t have a free hand to push around my wheelchair or reach out and grab other items to assist me,” Ms Hammond said.
“The capsule means that you’re still able to be an active part of your child’s life while maintaining safety for the child and independence for the parent.”
PWA Mobility conducted extensive consultation with parents with a disability throughout The Care Station’s development and testing. Spinal Life Australia Executive Manager Ross Duncan said the approach taken by PWA showed the organisation cared about creating a product that makes a difference.
“We have not seen another product on the market that supports the connection between parent and young children like this. The Care Station will be wonderful for families from mums and dads and their infants, to grandparents and their grandchildren,” Mr Duncan said.
“The capsule aligns itself very closely with our pursuit of helping people with disability live independent, empowered and accessible lives. The wider market for the product also includes aged care facilities, hospitals and nursing homes.”
A Kickstarter campaign is currently underway to raise funds for the manufacture of The Care Station. .