My healthcare journey: from appendicitis to Hospital Healthcare Europe

26th April 2023

Hospital Healthcare Europe‘s new editor Helena Beer discusses her journey to healthcare journalism and exciting new developments for the publication, including the launch of Clinical Excellence events – the first of which focuses on cardiology

At the age of 12, I was admitted to hospital with appendicitis. There are a few stand-out moments from the few days I spent in the NHS’ care, not least seeing my kidney on an ultrasound scan, which fascinated me. But it was the unparalleled level of healthcare I was afforded by the A&E staff, nurses and my surgeon, that made a lasting impression.

It impacted me so much that not only did I name a soft toy I was given during my recovery after this surgeon – a duck named Roly for those of you wondering – I decided I wanted to become a paediatrician. And at Great Ormond Street, no less. Now, my science grades may not have resulted in an application to medical school, but, one history degree and a journalism master’s later, I was on the road to becoming a magazine journalist instead.

Heading to healthcare

At first, it didn’t occur to me that my interest in healthcare could align with my new chosen career. It wasn’t until I started working for the magazine of a well-known weight loss and wellness brand that I first dipped my toe into healthcare by writing about diabetes and hypothyroidism. This too, I found fascinating, and I realised I could pursue this interest professionally after all. I could make a real difference through my writing and help people just as the healthcare professionals had helped 12-year-old me, if a little more indirectly.

I found my niche and I haven’t looked back. Almost a decade later, having spent much time focusing on consumer healthcare and community pharmacy, and most recently the other side of the coin in pharmaceuticals, I’m now delighted to have joined Hospital Healthcare Europe and Hospital Pharmacy Europe as Editor.

Considering cardiovascular care

It’s an exciting time for both brands. We have brilliant new content in the pipeline and have recently launched Hospital Healthcare Europe Clinical Excellence events. These virtual events, which can be accessed live or on demand to suit your schedule, are guided by strong advisory boards and bring together a host of renowned experts from recognised Centres of Excellence. The aim? To share best practice and explore the latest advances in clinical care, building on Hospital Healthcare Europe’s existing portfolio of valuable content.

Cardiology takes centre stage for the inaugural event – a clinical area we know is of major interest to our readers. What’s more, we have also created new and unique content to support the event which sits in a Clinical Excellence section on the Hospital Healthcare Europe website. Here, experts discuss their pioneering approaches to optimising and achieving excellence in patient care in cardiology.

For example, we share an insightful interview with our advisory board member and event speaker Amitava Banerjee, professor of clinical data science and honorary consultant cardiologist at UCL and Barts Health NHS Trusts. The interview discusses why the trend of using electronic patient record data to predict outcomes and prognosis is here to stay. Professor Banerjee also shines a light on the prevalence, incidence and outcomes of cardiovascular diseases in homeless individuals.

Top up your CPD

Join us on 10 May 2023 to explore the latest advances in cardiovascular care from heart failure to interventional cardiology. Understand how to best utilise multidisciplinary teams, gain ideas for improving patient care and much more. Free to attend and delivered virtually live and on demand, this event offers a convenient opportunity to gain CPD hours.

Find out more about Clinical Excellence in Cardiovascular Care and register here.

And stay tuned for details on future Clinical Excellence events as well as more content covering different clinical areas on our website. Dates for a Respiratory event will be shared soon, with more set to be announced later in the year.

Prominent cardiologist Dr Andrew Coats to speak at HHE event

21st April 2023

Hospital Healthcare Europe is delighted to welcome cardiologist Dr Andrew Coats as an advisory board member and speaker at the upcoming Clinical Excellence in Cardiovascular Care event on 10 May 2023.

Dr Coats, Scientific Director and CEO at Sydney’s Heart Research Institute, will chair a panel discussion on the use and misuse of modern technology in the treatment of the heart. He will be joined by consultant cardiologists Matthew Kahn and Jennifer Peal from Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital and Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, respectively.

This inaugural event in HHE’s Clinical Excellence series brings together renowned experts from recognised Centres of Excellence to share best practice and explore the latest advances in cardiovascular care from heart failure to interventional cardiology.

Providing the opportunity to gain CPD hours, the day-long event will also focus on how to best use multidisciplinary teams and improve patient care in this area. The agenda has been created by HHE with the support of four advisory board members to offer cardiologists and members of the multidisciplinary team a comprehensive overview of this broad clinical area.

Cardiology content

To coincide with the event, a new Clinical Excellence section has been added to the HHE website with a whole host of additional content and interviews with prominent cardiologists from Centres of Excellence and beyond. This includes a fascinating interview with Dr Coats, who is also editor-in-chief of the Cardiac Failure Review journal. HHE spoke to him about his career in cardiology, and heart failure in particular, as well as his pioneering approach to optimising and achieving excellence in patient care.

Find out more about Clinical Excellence in Cardiovascular Care, including the timings and agenda, and register for free, here.

Further events in HHE’s Clinical Excellence series will be announced soon, with respiratory coming first in the summer of 2023.