Young Lives Matter - HBF Community Partner

In June 2021, the HBF Chief Executive Officer John Van Der Wielen, introduced the Business News exclusive Heath and Research publication, which highlights the medical research and technological advancements underway in Western Australia. He writes:

“The entire health ecosystem has a role to play in responding to evolving health needs and finding innovative and affordable ways to deliver high quality care. I firmly believe corporate Australia has the ability to unlock further potential in this space, particularly as the community's moral expectations of large corporations increase.

At HBF, through partnerships, grants and donations, we aim to better the health and wellbeing of everyone in the community, not just our members. We recently began awarding significant grants once a year to a project that will make an ongoing, tangible difference to the health of West Australians. Each partner is provided $300,000 over three years, with a new partner announced annually. In 2019, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood became our inaugural partner; their pilot program will provide Fiona Stanley Hospital with a reliable supply of faecal microbiota transplants to treat, and potentially cure, patients suffering from life-threatening recurrent Clostridium Difficile infection.

In 2020, we named the University of Western Australia's Young Lives Matter Foundation our second community partner, supporting a clinical trial with Meeting for Minds of gene-based treatment for severe depression, As the State's largest health insurer, we are well-placed to drive innovation and change in the sector. Our contributions are modest compared to for-profit companies but it's a commitment we take seriously and a program we will continue to honour because we understand how difficult it can be for researchers to source funding. So many proposals are in need of financial or resourcing support - we must seize the opportunity to strengthen the health of West Australians, particularly when there is the potential to rapidly translate research outcomes into better healthcare for all.”

The full publication can be found here Cutting Edge Health Research | Digital Edition (smedia.com.au)

For more information about UWA’s Young Lives Matter Young Lives Matter Foundation - UWA : The University of Western Australia