Winter2019
A magical trip down memory lane Bupa resident and former pilot gets back onboard
Meet our new CEO
Hisham El-Ansary shares his personal and professional journey
Keeping cool under pressure
How our people handle the busiest of times
Connecting our people across Australia and New Zealand
Physical activity Being physically active can help improve your mood. Exercise can help keep your heart and mind healthy. And your body feels and works better when you are physically active throughout the week.
The little book of energy
Downtime It’s important to completely switch off and take time for yourself. Did you know that slower breathing can help you feel more relaxed?
Sleep Sleep is vital to recharge your energy. Did you know that less than six hours of sleep could increase your risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and obesity?
Energy is at the heart of everything. It’s crucial for our health and happiness, brightening our days both at home and at work. No matter what you need energy for, our Little Book of Energy is packed full of tips to help you manage yours. Download or print a copy from Workplace today!
Find out more: search ‘Performance Energy’ on Workplace. 2 | beat
Diet Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help you have the energy you need throughout the day and when you get home from work. Did you know that most people don’t need to take vitamin supplements to improve their energy levels?
Social life and relationships It’s important to have the love and support of family and friends. Did you know that laughter is great for your energy? RECYCLED STAMP
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A once in a century celebration
Meet our new CEO Hisham El-Ansary
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Ask the physiotherapist
Small actions with big benefits for the environment
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Putting gender on the agenda in Information Services
Connecting with our culturally-diverse customers and residents
Ensuring time is available when it’s needed most
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Bupa Bites
Taking a break
10 Leading the way in dementia care in New Zealand
16 Bupa Week #together
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Years of service
12 Barley: An affordable superfood
18 The ‘sliding door’ moments bringing people to Bupa
26 Keeping cool when the heat is on
Please note that images of deceased Indigenous people may be contained within this magazine beat | 3
A once in a century celebration Bupa team members working in Aged Care Homes and Villages regularly comment on the interesting stories and life experiences residents share with them. Earlier this year, one resident’s incredible past was celebrated in the most wonderful way, in an event brought to life by the hard work and passion of a handful of Bupa team members‌ and the UK’s national airline!
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Far left: Frank Dell is welcomed to Sydney Airport by Cindy Lam, Key Account Manager, British Airways. Left: Frank Dell on the flight deck of the British Airways Boeing 777. Bottom left: For Spencer Bladon (right), National Account Manager, British Airways, it was a ‘real honour’ to meet former British Airways Captain Frank Dell.
Recently, a routine email spurred Bupa St Ives General Manager, Reba Hatcher, to recall a fortuitous meeting she had with a new resident, while she was on secondment at St Ives last July. “When Frank Dell arrived to live at Bupa St Ives, I was the first person the family met, and of course I started to get to know a little more about Frank’s life and interests,” explains Reba. “At the time, my young son was obsessed with learning about World War Two, so when I heard about Frank’s incredible experiences as a fighter pilot in the war, I drew an instant connection with him.” Fast forward to early 2019, and
Reba is back at St Ives, now as the General Manager, when she receives an email from David Giammetta, Media and Corporate Affairs Manager for Bupa Villages and Aged Care Australia. “David regularly sends us emails asking for interesting stories from the homes that Bupa may be able to use,” explains Reba. “I must confess that I don’t always respond to these emails, seeing how busy we can be day-to-day, but on this one occasion, I was encouraged to tell David the life story of our resident Frank, after first gaining permission from his family.” Frank Dell was born in the south of England, and one could say,
almost born to fly. Frank’s father was a fighter pilot in World War 1, and growing up as a teenager, Frank literally watched the Battle of Britain occurring in the sky above his head. Joining the Royal Air Force when he was old enough, Frank trained as a pilot, earning his flying wings and a commission as an Officer during World War Two. After flying thirteen successful night missions, piloting a Havelock Mosquito, Frank and his Navigator Ron were shot down over occupied Germany. “It all happened so quickly. One minute I was in the plane at 28 thousand feet and the next moment I was in fresh air,” Frank recalls. Frank’s good friend and his navigator didn’t survive the crash, and upon landing in occupied Germany, Frank buried his parachute and set off on foot to find a safe haven. “I was actually walking for four nights and didn’t link up with anyone until the fifth day,” explains Frank. “As you can imagine, I was incredibly worn out and tired.” Frank was eventually taken in by Dutch farmers, and he helped the Dutch Resistance in their fight against Nazi Germany. The end of World War Two led Frank to don a fresh uniform and secure the next stage of his career as a commercial pilot with British Airways. “Being a pilot was beyond the reach of average people like me in terms of the cost. Then the war came along and paved the way for me to learn to fly,” explains beat | 5
kindness as part of their BA Magic campaign,” says David. “So I reached out directly to the airline in the UK and ‘cold-called’ their press office to explain that one of their former Senior Captains was living at St Ives, and suggested it would be great to get Frank back into the cockpit of a BA plane again and help him take a trip down memory lane.” After two months of negotiations and planning, British Airways confirmed to David that Frank’s visit to Sydney airport, where he would be welcomed into the cockpit of a Boeing 777, would form part of their #BA Magic 100 campaign. “As soon as we heard that former BA pilot Frank wished to take a trip down memory lane, we wanted to do all we could to make his dream come true by visiting a flight deck once again,” explained Carolina Martinoli. Director of Brand and Customer Experience, British Airways.
crew in the cockpit of a Boeing 777, where he discussed his own experiences as a Captain. “At the time, we were developing newer and better ways of flying aeroplanes by getting rid of all the dials and having a screen for the pilot. I was fascinated today to see what is now possible,” says Frank. Rob Dell, Frank’s son, was delighted with how the day itself turned out. “These experiences don’t come around very often, and seeing him sitting in that left hand seat on the 777 aircraft, chatting animatedly to the operating crew and comparing notes and talking about what it used to be like, has been a spectacular success.” For Reba and the team at Bupa St Ives, that very special day for
“ ...seeing him sitting in that left hand seat on the 777 aircraft, chatting animatedly to the operating crew and comparing notes and talking about what it used to be like, has been a spectacular success.”
Top: Frank Dell compares notes with the operating crew of the British Airways Boeing 777. Bottom: As a pilot, Frank appeared in British Airways advertisements as well as on the cover of some of the airline’s printed schedules.
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Frank. After 30 years of flying, Frank retired in 1976 as a British Airways Captain and during his last year of service, was honoured that Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II was a passenger on one of his flights. “I hit the jackpot by being able to fly a well-known Royal in my last year of service,” laughs Frank. Picking up on how special Frank’s story was, and armed with permission to proceed from the family, David Giammetta started doing some ‘desktop research’ on some potential commemorative experiences for Frank. “I discovered that it was British Airways 100th Birthday and to celebrate, the airline was undertaking 100 acts of
Planning for the big day could then begin in earnest, and Reba knew exactly how to make it a very special surprise. “Frank is now 96, and we understand that he gets a touch anxious ahead of time when something significant is coming up,” explains Reba. “So on the day itself, we arranged for Frank’s eldest son Rob to have breakfast with him and break the news of what was about to occur.” After breakfast at Bupa St Ives, Frank was met by the British Airways representatives and presented with a special BA tie and a model airplane, to sit proudly alongside the other model planes in his room. At Sydney airport, Frank enjoyed morning tea in the BA lounge before heading out to join the
Frank continues to provide joy. “Every time I see Frank he talks to me about the day and it’s incredible to see the delight on his face when he’s reliving something that has been so important to him,” says Reba. “And we’ve put photos of the day up on the screen at the front of the home so visitors and prospective families can see just how hard we try to ensure our residents live the fullest lives they can.” Mosquito Down!: The Extraordinary Memoir of a Second World War Bomber Command Pilot on the Run in Germany and Holland.
Meet our new CEO Hisham El-Ansary Bupa’s new CEO for Australia and New Zealand, Hisham El-Ansary, has been with the business for over a decade. He shared with us his personal story, who inspires him, and why he wants to hear from you!
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“ I believe in the power of feedback and want us to be an organisation that listens, learns and acts.”
When I joined Bupa in 2008 we had less than 1,000 employees, 1 million customers and $1 billion turnover. I am very proud of the growth we have been able to achieve as an organisation since then and now we have more than 22,000 people, 5 million customers and $8.5 billion turnover, meaning we can help more people live longer healthier, happier, lives. It is why I feel incredibly privileged to lead this great organisation, with such a proud history and meaningful purpose.
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Tough time to take on the top job? These are important times for Bupa. There’s a lot for us to be proud of in the work we do every day to care for our customers, as well as our residents and our people. However, we haven’t always got things right, and there are certainly opportunities for us to improve. The world is changing, and we must also keep evolving; constantly reviewing and enhancing what we do to improve the value we provide our customers and the communities in which they live. As we work to address the challenges facing our businesses, I’m confident that together we will emerge as a stronger, more resilient and more effective organisation.
Always seeking feedback One thing I really enjoy about my new role is the opportunity to connect with people in every corner of our organisation, and across the Bupa network worldwide. I believe in the power of feedback and want us to be an organisation that listens, learns and acts, and to that end, I want to lead by example! It is why I have encouraged people to reach out to me with their thoughts, ideas or feedback and I have been delighted with the response so far. Cairo to Canberra I was born in Cairo and I’m the eldest of three boys. In 1970, my parents made the tough decision to migrate. At the time Australia, Canada and the USA were actively seeking immigrants. They applied to all three and resolved to accept the first offer that came along. Lucky for me that was Australia! And so we moved from Cairo, Egypt’s capital, with over 10 million inhabitants to the much smaller capital of Canberra; home to some 300,000. My dad decided to sell our apartment and everything we owned, because he believed that there would be a temptation to return back when times got tough. Leaving their family and friends behind was a big sacrifice - their bravery and commitment have always inspired me.
I grew up in Canberra and began my career there at the age of 18 in a junior finance role within the public service. At the same time, I studied economics part-time for five years. It was great to be able to translate the theory I was learning into practice in my day job. I loved it so much that after graduating and taking a wellearned break traveling around Europe, I decided to do it all again - this time undertaking a Masters of Business Administration degree while I continued to work. Along the way, I managed to find love and married my wife Doa. A few years later we welcomed two healthy boys to our family - Kareem (23) and Hassan (19).
Hisham’s journey from a young child in Cairo as the eldest of three boys, graduating with a Bachelor of Economics from The Australian National University, married to Doa and the father of two boys, Kareem and Hassan, and now the Chief Executive Officer of Bupa Australia and New Zealand.
Ask the CEO Connect with Hisham anytime via HelloHisham@bupa.com.au to share feedback or ask a question.
“ I feel incredibly privileged to lead this great organisation, which has such a proud history and meaningful purpose.” Moving at pace I went on to work in a number of different industries and was then invited to move to Melbourne to take on the role of Chief Financial Officer of Myer after it was acquired by private equity; an iconic brand in a fast-moving industry. I remember being amazed at how we would analyse sales results and trends on a Tuesday, decide appropriate actions then and there and, with the marketers in the room, place advertisements in the papers two days later. It really showed me the benefit of executing at pace. Staying well I feel privileged to live close to the water and every day the bay takes on a different character depending on the weather and time. It’s a continual delight to walk along the beach, often with our family dog Koda, who is a Siberian husky. I love
watching and playing tennis. My youngest son is a nature lover and so we go camping together, most recently at Kakadu. Searching for balance Work is quite a focus of my life. Mondays to Thursdays are very busy and often involve business functions in the evenings as well. But I try and leave work at a reasonable time on a Friday so that I can switch off and disconnect. As an introvert, time and space to refuel is essential for me to be able to recharge my batteries, much to my extroverted wife’s frustration! I can’t say I have found the answer to work life balance, but what I can say is that I have found enjoyment and purpose in what I do, which is such an important part of my overall wellbeing.
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Over the last couple of years, Bupa’s retirement villages and care homes in New Zealand have been leading the way in dementia care by individually being awarded Dementia Friendly status by Alzheimers New Zealand. Now Bupa Villages and Aged Care New Zealand has been presented with a Dementia Friendly National Award, the first aged care provider, and only the second company overall, to receive national recognition.
Leading the way in dementia care in New Zealand
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The number of people living with dementia in New Zealand is expected to more than double over the next 30 years and the national peak body, Alzheimers NZ, is on a mission to create a more dementia-friendly country. “We need New Zealand to be an open and inclusive society, a place where people with dementia feel valued and safe, and where they can contribute to, and participate in, their communities,” says Catherine Hall, Chief Executive, Alzheimers NZ. As one of the largest providers of dementia care in New Zealand, Bupa has been actively working with Alzheimers NZ and participating in the Dementia Friendly Recognition Program since its inception in 2017 - when Bupa Fergusson Retirement Village was the first of its kind to be recognised with a Dementia Friendly Award. Taking the lead in dementia care even further, Bupa Villages and Aged Care New Zealand has now been presented with a Dementia Friendly National Award, only the second company in New Zealand to receive such recognition. “This award acknowledges the wonderful work of our aged care team and the benefits their efforts are delivering for our residents living with dementia,” explains Jan Adams, Managing Director of Bupa Villages and Aged Care. The Alzheimers NZ Dementia Friendly Recognition Program has two levels of awards: ‘Working Towards Dementia Friendly’, where a business has made tangible progress and met fundamental criteria across five of seven standards; and
Bottom: Catherine Hall (left), Chief Executive of Alzheimers New Zealand presents the Dementia Friendly National Award to Jan Adams (right), Managing Director of Bupa Villages and Aged Care. Top right: Beth McDougall is immensely proud of the Bupa team in New Zealand and feels the national recognition is well deserved. Bottom right: For Franie Fulgieras and the team at Bupa Hillsborough, being dementia friendly is now a naturally embedded practice. ‘Dementia Friendly’ where a business has met, or exceeded, all seven standards. “This new national award acknowledges that not only has Bupa met all the existing seven standards, but shows we’ve gone above and beyond and actually exceeded them,” says Beth McDougall, Dementia Care Advisor, Bupa Villages and Aged Care, New Zealand. “I feel immensely proud to have supported our homes and villages throughout this process, and this national recognition is so well deserved.” The process Beth refers to involved Alzheimer’s NZ visiting a number of Bupa locations and conducting
“ This new national award acknowledges that not only has Bupa met all the existing seven standards, but shows we’ve gone above and beyond and actually exceeded them.” audits on various teams and procedures to determine their level of ‘dementia friendliness’. “What has been particularly rewarding was that audits weren’t just conducted in our dedicated dementia care environments, but throughout the broader business, including support offices, as well” explains Beth. Graeme Jones is a Care Home Business Manager, who works in the Porirua Support Office. While he and the finance team don’t often deal directly with people living with dementia, they have regular contact with the families of those who do. “Being dementia friendly really is
in the DNA of everyone at Bupa New Zealand and we try and have a heightened awareness of what the families living with dementia may be experiencing when we deal with their enquiries every day,” explains Graeme. To help improve their dementia awareness, Bupa support offices are encouraged to undertake Bupa’s ‘Dementia Commitment’, an interactive tool available to everyone that educates users on dementia and then requests they make a single ‘pledge’ to help build a dementia inclusive New Zealand. And even though Bupa Hillsborough Care Home in Auckland doesn’t have a dedicated dementia care environment, it too was audited by Alzheimer’s NZ. “We use a Person First approach with all of our residents and really live the values of being dementia friendly,” explains Franie Fulgieras, Facility Manger, Hillsborough Care Home. “What made me particularly proud was that I was on annual leave on the day of the audit, and so it was up to the wider team to showcase our home and processes. It really
highlighted how being dementia friendly is a naturally embedded practice at the home, and not just something that occurs when the manager is there.” A further initiative to support Bupa’s national recognition by Alzheimers NZ has been the development in 2011 of the 0800 DEMENTIA helpline. The service is staffed by Bupa team members and offers free advice about caring for someone living with dementia, from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week. “We roster our people onto the helpline and not only do we get the chance to provide best practice advice on dementia, we also gain a greater understanding of the issues being faced by the family members and loved ones of people living with dementia,” explains Beth. In further support of the great work of the New Zealand team, Bupa received a highly commended award in the Aged Care & Retirement Villages Category in the annual Reader’s Digest 2019 New Zealand’s Most Trusted Brand Survey, released in May 2019.
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health and wellbeing
Barley: An affordable superfood Are you looking for a ‘superfood’ without the hefty price tag? One that costs less than $3 a kilo? Then look no further than barley. A favourite of our grandmothers for thickening soups and stews, barley is fast becoming fashionable. This is thanks largely to chefs such as Yotam Ottolenghi and Karen Martini who have embraced this versatile grain in salads, risottos, casseroles and soups. Barley is a very nutritious grain. It contains B-group vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and selenium, making barley good for your overall health.
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Get your fibre fill
Feed your gut bacteria
Barley with a boost
We know fibre is important for health, but there’s more to the story than that. When you eat barley you’ll get three different types of fibre: insoluble (what we used to call roughage) which can help keep you ‘regular’ and prevent constipation; a type of soluble fibre called beta-glucan that helps lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar; and small amounts of resistant starch, an important fuel for gut bacteria. The most popular type of barley is pearled barley, which is usually available at supermarkets. While this is not technically a wholegrain, as the outer hull has been removed, it still contains plenty of dietary fibre.
Eating a wide range of foods, particularly different grains, can provide your gut bacteria with fuel they love. Your gut microbiota needs different types of fibre from a wide range of plant foods, but they particularly thrive on the fibre from wholegrains. It’s believed that a diet containing a wider variety of plant foods and wholegrains may support more species of gut bacteria, and that seems to be a good thing for your overall health. Barley will provide some extra diversity to your diet that will help keep you, and your gut bugs, flourishing. Adding barley to your meals isn’t difficult. It takes about 30 minutes to cook in boiling water. Use it to replace rice in many dishes, including risottos, add it to soups and stews, and make it the basis of hearty salads.
When you’re next in the supermarket, look out for products containing BARLEYmax™. Developed by Australian CSIRO scientists, BARLEYmax™ is a strain of barley with an impressive nutritional profile. It is extra high in fibre, with on average 40% more beta-glucan (soluble fibre) than other grains. As beta-glucan can help lower both cholesterol and blood sugar, BARLEYmax™ is a great choice if you have, or are at risk of, heart disease or type 2 diabetes. What makes BARLEYmax™ particularly interesting is its resistant starch content – up to four times that of other grains. Resistant starch is a type of fibre with a prebiotic effect, meaning it can be used as food by your gut
Barley, roasted cauliflower and pumpkin salad
Ingredients 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed 1 small cauliflower, cut into florets 500g butternut pumpkin (about 1/4 large pumpkin), cut into 1cm squares 2 tsp fennel seeds Olive oil for drizzling 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped 1 bunch mint, chopped 1/4 cup currants 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped Salt and black pepper Dressing: 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp honey 1/2 tsp curry powder Salt and black pepper to taste
bacteria. These bacteria then produce substances called short chain fatty acids, which may help lower the risk of colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in Australia and New Zealand. You’ll find BARLEYmax™ added to certain breads, breakfast cereals, porridge, bars and wraps in your local supermarket.
Method Preheat your oven to 180ºC. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and cook the barley until tender, for about 30 minutes. Drain and add to a large bowl to cool. Meanwhile, toss the chopped cauliflower and pumpkin with the fennel seeds and a drizzle of olive oil. Spread over a large baking tray, sprinkle with salt and black pepper and roast for 30 minutes until tender. Stir the chopped herbs, currants and walnuts through the cold barley, then add the cooked vegetables and gently combine. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Season to taste. Pour over the salad and mix through gently. Serves 4–6. Options: Use garlic or chilli oil to drizzle over the vegetables before roasting. Add crumbled feta or blue cheese to the salad, or swap walnuts for toasted almonds or pine nuts.
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ask the physiotherapist
Ryan Ebert is a physiotherapist, and currently the Business & Operations Manager at Bupa Therapy and Director of national occupational physiotherapy company PHW Group. Ryan tackles a pressing health concern for the modern age - is constantly using your mobile phone actually bad for your posture?
The realities of ‘text neck’. OMG! I have heard of a condition called ‘text neck’ and was wondering if it is actually possible that I could damage my neck from looking down at my phone too much? Having your head tilted down for any prolonged length of time does put significant pressure on your neck, and the term ‘text neck’ is now being used regularly to describe the symptoms of pain, especially among teenagers, experienced from the excessive use of mobile phones. Think of your head as a weight, and when you’re standing straight and looking forward, there is roughly 5kg of pressure on your shoulders. By simply bending your head forward by 15 degrees, that pressure will roughly double to more than 10kg. Tilt your head even further forward to 30 degrees and that pressure will increase to 18kg, and at 60 degrees, you will have approximately 27kg of pressure on your neck. That is why large numbers of people are experiencing significant neck problems by looking at their mobile devices for extended periods of time.
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The problem is amplified in teenagers, who may be experiencing a growth spurt with changes occurring in their spines, and there is a real risk of causing lasting musculoskeletal damage from being hunched over a phone or computer for long periods of time. A lesser-known, secondary effect from having your head frequently tilted down is the compression caused to the lungs. This may influence the amount of air being inhaled and exhaled, potentially causing broader cardiovascular problems. Combine this with a job that requires sitting at a desk for long periods of time and there is a real risk that looking at your phone too frequently may actually cause lasting health problems.
Ryan’s top tips for avoiding ‘text neck’ 1 F irst of all, don’t text as much! Use your phone as it was originally intended and call people to talk to them whenever possible instead of texting. 2 If you do need to text, consider sitting down and putting your elbows on a desk, holding the phone in front of your face so you are looking straight ahead and not increasing the pressure on your neck by tilting your head forward. 3 Consider doing regular neck and shoulder exercises, especially if you are sitting down for an extended period of time. 4 Try neck extensions every couple of hours. Bend your head back and hold briefly, then bring your head forward to an upright position and repeat. 5 Every hour or so, stretch your chest by rolling your shoulders backwards and forwards in a circular movement, eight to ten times. 6 Consider your general posture as well. When walking or standing, keep a straight back with your shoulders square and back, keep your head level and have most of your weight on the balls of your feet. 7 I f you do experience neck soreness, try taking a hot shower as a starting point, and then put a heat pack across your shoulders for roughly 20 minutes at a time.
Did you know Bupa’s New Zealand Care Homes attain 100% of their electricity through renewable sources? Or that we are one of the largest privately-owned solar rooftop generators in Australia? Simon Dormer, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Advisor for Bupa ANZ (right), says there are also some very simple actions that we can all implement at work and at home to ensure we make a positive impact on the environment.
Small actions with big benefits for the environment
Keys, Wallet, Keep Cup & Container A standard takeaway coffee cup is not recyclable. One of the easiest ways to make a positive impact on the environment is to provide your own reusable cup, cutlery and food containers at work. “Ideally, people should treat their reusable cup, reusable cutlery and their lunch containers the same way as their wallet and keys.” explains Simon. “Keep them in your bag and take them with you everywhere so you don’t contribute to landfill with takeaway cups, takeaway cutlery or food packaging.”
Buy in bulk to save time, money and the environment! With the increase in convenience stores and smaller supermarkets popping up in suburbs and train stations, it’s easy to shop day-byday for food and meals. But Simon suggests mapping out a week’s worth of meals on the weekend, and then heading out only once, and ideally buying in bulk. “Not only does buying your fresh food and main staples in bulk cut down on unnecessary packaging, it’s also cheaper overall and saves vehicle miles, as well as your own time.”
The recycling ‘scrunch’ test Soft plastics, such as bread bags, chip packets, bubble wrap and pasta bags, typically can’t be recycled through the normal council roadside collection as they can cause serious damage to recycling machines. “A rough rule of thumb is if you can scrunch up any plastics into a ball and they don’t return back to their original shape, they can’t be recycled through your council collections,” explains Simon. “However the good news is they can be recycled though the RedCycle program which places bins at the front of most major supermarkets for you to drop off your soft plastics.”
Put any ‘wilted’ food or scraps to good use Roughly 20% of all the food we buy is thrown away, and the average household waste bin is roughly 40% filled with food waste,” explains Simon. “Just because your vegetables are a little wilted or wrinkled doesn’t mean they’re off, so think about peeling them or making them up into a soup for the cold winter days ahead.” Simon also recommends composting food scraps at home that can be used as nutrients and fertiliser in the garden. “Food scraps and other organic materials don’t belong in landfill as they ultimately release greenhouse gasses when they rot,” explains Simon. “By composting at home, we keep the nutrients on our own property, and don’t have to rely on resource-heavy garbage trucks to them away to where they ultimately shouldn’t go. And then we also don’t have to drive to the nursery to buy fertiliser, often wrapped up in plastic bags.” beat | 15
bupa week
Bupa Week
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Thank you to everyone who got #together to celebrate Bupa Week!
bupaweek.bupa.com
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1 Exec Team Bupa Sunset NZ Donna, Village Manager at Bupa Sunset showing the A&NZ Executive Team around her beautiful Village. #together we are Bupa!
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2 Liverpool #together we have great conversations every time! 3 Lake Wakatipu n
#together we are Bupa together we work as a team #together we improve skills #together we are making a difference. 4 Bupa New Farm n
#together we are a team #together we get job done #together we make difference #together we celebrate our success #together we thank each other.
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5 Café One Connect 4 The Commercial Finance team are always having friendly, yet healthy competitions!
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6 Sami Visiting our Hugh Green Care Home Village Visit, #together means owning the success as well as the failures together and being together in good and bad times. 7 Mamata n
The Bupa Aged Care New Farm team coming #together to have a bbq and celebrate with Bupa. Thanks!
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Bupa Eden #together we have more fun at Bupa Eden. 8
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#together we have walking team meetings. 16 | beat
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#together means coming to work each day and seeing my Bupa family. Experience new memories and together creating the ultimate customer experiences. We save the environment through our water bottles.
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#together we make an awesome team, the A team.
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#together One Team, One Dream.
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I love coming to work every day because I get to work with this amazing team! A photo from the last time we all got together in Wagga Wagga!
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#together means supporting each other, learning from each other and empowering our team members every day! It’s all about working together so our colleagues can live longer, happier, healthier lives in and outside of the workplace.
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Sharing ideas and strategies to achieve our mission.
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Cupcakes to celebrate Bupa Week and being together as a team.
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Working #together to learn more about our whole customer proposition! Marketing and Bupa Optical.
#together We are Bupa
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The ‘sliding door’ moments bringing people to Bupa In its day-to-day operations, Bupa Australia and New Zealand impacts many people and many lives, and some of those interactions are so positive and moving that they encourage people to join Bupa.
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Renee Bertolus Back in 2014, Renee Bertolus was working at Origin Energy as a social media consultant, and was also blogging about her experiences as the mum of a young girl living with autism. “The experience of raising my daughter, who is on the autism spectrum, was one I felt compelled to share in the hope of connecting with likeminded people, and so I set up the blog, ‘About a Bugg’,” explains Renee. “It was really only ever intended to be a place for me to share my thoughts and feel more connected, but over time it started to build a whole community.” The Bupa Blog Awards were launched in 2013 to recognise the best health blogs in Australia, and help build a connection with the influencer community, and in 2014, Renee’s ‘About a Bugg’ won the ‘Social Good’ category as well as taking out ‘Best Overall Blog’ category. “Through the Bupa Blog Awards process, I got to meet with the Social Media and Content Team and the then leader Matt Allison. It was about 12 months later that
a job came up with the team and it was suggested that I apply for the position,” explains Renee. “So after doing some digging and getting a feel for Bupa and its values, it seemed like an awesome opportunity and a brand I’d like to get involved with, especially because of its obvious commitment to social media.” Renee successfully secured the position and joined Bupa in June 2015 as a Social Media Specialist. Renee is now the Head of Digital Engagement and Social Media within Corporate Affairs. “Before I joined Bupa, I really only thought of the organisation as a health insurer, but it was such an eye opener to see the breadth of activities the brand is involved in, from the Foundation and Bupa Therapy, to their strong focus on positive mental health,” explains Renee. “I’m really proud to a be a part of Bupa and through my role, I love being able to share positive Bupa stories with the wider community online.”
Alyce Raine Alyce Raine, who is now part of the Bupa Therapy team, suffered a stroke at the young age of 27. “After the stroke, the left side of my body was affected so much that I had to learn to walk again and so I undertook a lengthy process of rehabilitation,” explains Alyce. The rehabilitation journey for Alyce was undertaken in older hospital facilities, but rather than this deterring her from joining the health industry, it only spurred on Alyce to help make a difference. “I started studying an Allied Health Assistant course at RMIT and also got actively involved in young stroke forums as well as joining a research group at the University of Melbourne that was aiming to improve stroke rehabilitation facilities,” explains Alyce. Being invited to speak at a forum held by The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in 2018, Alyce was noticed by physiotherapist Miranda Carty from Bupa Therapy. “I was quite vocal in saying more needed to be done to support young stroke survivors wanting to return to work or study.” Afterwards, Alyce was met by Miranda from Bupa Therapy,
Lina Arroyave who suggested she come and check out their new therapy space. “By the time I left the forum I’d already received an email from Ryan Ebert at Bupa Therapy inviting me for a tour and a chat two weeks later.” Having worked with a team of health care professionals and researchers from The Florey Institute on what an ideal stroke rehabilitation facility might look like, Alyce was taken aback by what she saw at Bupa Therapy. “I fell in love with the place instantly and a lot of what we’d discussed in the research groups was actually here in real life.” Alyce was encouraged to apply for an upcoming position and was successful in securing a part time role as an Allied Health Assistant (AHA) at Bupa Therapy in March 2019. “I was very anxious coming into my first job post stoke and thought it might be a bit of a corporate jungle being such a big company,” explains Alyce. “But I was incredibly surprised to discover Bupa Therapy is like a little family, both the team and the customers.” Alyce also mentioned everyone has been incredibly accommodating and supporting her to become the best AHA she can be.
Lina Arroyave, from Colombia, had quite a few dealings with Bupa prior to joining Bupa Medical Visa Services (BMVS) in 2018. “I was about to start a Masters of Business Administration at Kaplan Business School in Melbourne and had to apply for a student visa and undertake a medical assessment,” explains Lina. “I was a bit anxious about the assessment thinking the whole process might be very complex and I wouldn’t be able to ask many questions because my level of English back then wasn’t strong.” Lina sailed through the assessment, which she described as a ‘really good experience’, and then took out Overseas Student Health Cover with Bupa.
“ I really love working at Bupa as everyone works as a team and supports you, and I also love the diversity of the workplace, with people from all backgrounds.”
studies – necessitating another trip to BMVS in order to apply for a Temporary Graduate Visa. “Going through the medical assessment again, I just thought that this was such a great environment that it would be good to work here,” explains Lina. “So I started chatting to the receptionist to get a feel for the workplace.” Two months later, Lina saw an advertisement on Seek and successfully applied to join the team at BMVS Melbourne. “I really love working at Bupa as everyone works as a team and supports you, and I also love the diversity of the workplace, with people from all backgrounds.” With a move to Adelaide in March 2019, Lina had to give up her full time position in Melbourne, but then secured a part time role with BMVS Adelaide and is now looking to secure permanent residency in Australia.
Even though Lina missed Colombia, she loved living in Australia so much that she decided to stay after her beat | 19
The stereotype of Information Technology departments being male dominated is somewhat of a reality, with industry averages of around 70% males to 30% females in computer-orientated roles. But when Bupa’s Information Services (IS) dropped to only 18% of the team being women, the ‘Tech-A-Gender’ initiative was launched to help attract, retain and support female talent in IS.
Putting gender on the agenda in Information Services “We want the team in Information Services at Bupa to be as representative of our customers and broader stakeholders as possible,” explains Sonja Ruddock, Chief of Staff, Bupa Information Services. “This is especially important considering we’re designing and creating digital experiences that everyone should feel comfortable using, and that’s why we need to ensure there are many different voices at the table at IS, on all of our projects.” Information Services launched the Tech-A-Gender initiative in November 2017, when the number of females working in IS was sitting at around 18% of the total team. “Good technology people are hard to find, but we know from research that women are attracted to companies with a strong purpose, good culture and a positive attitude towards work life balance,” explains Sonja. “Tech-A-Gender helps us build our brand as an employer of choice for women considering a career in IT, especially graduates, as well supporting and growing the females we currently have in IS, and ensuring the working environment is aligned with everyone’s needs.” It was while completing her penultimate year of a Bachelor of IT at Monash University that Harshini Ganesh, Graduate Cyber Security Analyst, started to get actively involved in female networking events. “I joined a group called ‘Grad Girls’ which is run by VIC ICT for Women, and every month we’d visit the offices of one of the sponsors to hear 20 | beat
about opportunities for women in technology roles,” explains Harshini. Fortuitously, as part of the TechA-Gender drive to attract female graduates, Bupa was hosting a night for the ‘Grad Girls’, which Harshini attended. “I really enjoyed the twohour information session at Bupa and the people were incredibly friendly and the space felt comfortable,” says Harshini. Harshini was offered a graduate analyst position with the Cyber Security Team, working four days a week while completing her studies. “I’ve been interested in technology since I got my first computer at the age of ten, when I was curious to see what was inside and what made it work,” says Harshini. “I also enjoy maths and what’s great about working in cyber security is that there is a different security event happening every day and so you’re continually learning new ways to help protect the company.” Vimi Gogna joined Bupa as an
intern while she was completing her Masters of IT at La Trobe University. “Three months after I started as an intern, I graduated from my course and was offered a position,” explains Vimi. “I’m really enticed by Bupa’s culture and values.” Vimi is currently a Connectivity Network Engineer, with Network Services and has been involved in the Tech-A-Gender initiative since it started. “The program has really helped me, and I’ve especially enjoyed the mentoring and networking sessions,” explains Vimi. “I catch up with my mentor every fortnight and find the networking sessions a great opportunity to interact with other women in IT.” Vimi has been fascinated by technology since she was first exposed to an IBM computer in the fourth grade and enjoys the problemsolving component to her role. “I think women are instinctively strong at problem solving and working in Network Services, it feels like every day is a new day with constant upgrades to software programs and new problems to solve.” In a little over a year, the percentage of women now working in IS has increased from 18% to 22% and the organising ‘crew’ for Tech-AGender has doubled to now 12 team members. “Our overall vision for people in the Information Services team is that they are enjoying working here and continue to grow,” explains Sonja. “Programs like TechA-Gender help us ensure that is the case for all our people, and not just the majority of male team members.”
Left: Harshini Ganesh has always had a love of mathematics and naturally gravitated to world of information technology. Right: One of the many networking sessions held for the ‘Tech-A-Gender’ team.
“ ...what’s great about working in cyber security is that there is a different security event happening every day and so you’re continually learning new ways to help protect the company.”
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diversity
Connecting with our culturally-diverse customers and residents More than 25% of the populations of both Australia and New Zealand were born overseas, and Bupa is working hard to ensure it represents all of the different communities it serves, across many parts of the business.
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It was towards the end of 2018 that the team at Bupa Sunset Retirement Village and Care Home in Auckland noticed a group of residents who were very reserved and reluctant to participate in any of the planned activities. “We have 16 residents of Indian descent at Sunset and we saw that many of these residents seemed quite lonely and weren’t socialising with others, becoming quite isolated,” says Shalini Mupnar, Clinical Nurse Manager, Bupa Sunset (below left). Jumping into action, Shalini and Pauline Mellor, Bupa Sunset Care Home Manager, drew upon their
existing team members of Indian descent and helped create special Indian-themed activities designed to bring these residents closer together. These twice-weekly sessions proved a hit from the very start and now include exercise classes (below right), gardening activities, Bollywood movie showings and authentic Indian cuisine cooking sessions (right). Rajamma Rajamma, who is originally from Lautoka in Fiji, has lived at Bupa Sunset for four years and looks forward to the activities each week. “I am very grateful that this has started. I get to watch my favourite Hindi movies and I get to speak to others who speak Hindi too. I also have the opportunity to get to know all the staff as well,” Ms Rajamma says. Pauline says it helps that there are caregivers who speak Hindi, because many of the residents who participate in the activities don’t speak any English. “We keep in mind that a New Zealand care
home is completely foreign to people from other countries. These cultural activities create involvement, engagement and a sense of community between the residents. They’ve helped to make our Indian residents feel more comfortable and has them treating our care home as their home,” Pauline says. In what is perhaps one of the strongest endorsements of the program, the number of residents enjoying these Indian-themed activities has more than doubled, with people from other nationalities
“ The purpose of the program is to tailor the way Bupa connects with our culturally and linguistically diverse customer base.”
Below: Sponsoring local events and holding information sessions are key components of Bupa’s ‘Connecting Multicultural Australia’ initiative.
now joining in. “All of our residents love the music and colour of these activities, and as more people have now got involved, it has really helped build relationships throughout the whole care home,” explains Shalini. At Bupa Medical Visa Services, every single one of their customers was born overseas, arriving from over 160 different countries and with many different languages, religious beliefs and traditions. Understanding that a medical assessment can be daunting for some people, the team at BMVS help make them more comfortable by creating a series of cultural awareness education modules for team members. “By increasing our cultural awareness, we’re fulfilling our vision to provide a respectful and caring service to all our customers,” says Gioia Carrera, BMVS Adelaide Centre Manager. “So we researched the top 10 passport of origin countries of our customers, as well as the most frequently requested language interpreters, and identified China, India and Islam as cultures and
religions we could benefit from learning more about.” With a culturally diverse workforce itself, BMVS enlisted the help of team members who spoke Hindi, Punjabi, Mandarin and Cantonese and recorded basic words and phrases to help with correct pronunciation, as well as advising on the best way to present certain information. “We’ve received positive feedback from our people who feel more confident in their knowledge of other cultures and they have enjoyed being able to greet customers with a few words in their language,” says Gioia. Since the first series of customer awareness education modules was released, the team at BMVS has now added South Korea to the mix and plans to introduce modules for Nepal and Vietnam by the end of the year. Back in 2012, the ‘Connecting Multicultural Australia’ initiative was launched by the Customer Growth team with one retail store in Sydney that identified multi-lingual team members, if customers wanted to converse in
their own language. Now, there are 15 such dedicated ‘CMA’ stores and ‘Connecting Multicultural Australia’ has become a fullblown, multifaceted program in its own right. “The purpose of the program is to tailor the way Bupa connects with our culturally and linguistically diverse customer base,” explains Catherine Fu (left), Connecting Multicultural Australia Program Lead. “Not only does this help ensure Bupa represents the broader communities we serve, but it also makes good business sense, considering growth in the private health insurance market is being partly driven by overseas visitors and international students.” A few key initiatives being delivered out of the Connecting Multicultural Australia Program include running information seminars for new arrivals, the expansion of the WeChat channel, making sure communication materials are as multi-lingual as possible and supporting community activities, such as Lunar New Year, in multi-cultural locations. “Many of the activities we undertake for the program, such as running information sessions in store for recently arrived migrants, don’t actually cost that much to put on, but the pay‑off can be significant in terms of both customer acquisition and positive sentiment among the various communities,” explains Catherine. The program has now broadened to help Bupa’s own people as well, with a pilot ‘bridging course’ initiative launched in 2018 to identify and support future leaders of a multi-cultural background. beat | 23
Ensuring time is available when it’s needed most
People Services See People Services for more information on the Parental Leave Standard and applying for leave
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Bupa has recently introduced new standards for Parental Leave that are now consistent across all teams in Australia and New Zealand. Finding out you’re pregnant can be a time of pure joy, but for some people, it can also be slightly stressful. “When I fell pregnant with my second child, I was a bit surprised, but also worried about our financial situation,” says Kim Ngo, Optometrist, Bupa Optical & Hearing, Eastland Shopping Centre. Kim has worked at Bupa as an optometrist for six years, having started with Blink Optical in 2013, and had her first child, Chelsea, two years ago. “When Chelsea was born, there was no support in terms of paid maternity benefits, and I was concerned financially about our situation, which played a lot on my mind,” explains Kim. “At the time, I wanted to stay home longer with Chelsea, but couldn’t afford to without having to take annual leave.” With Kim’s second child due in June, she is now comfortably covered by Bupa’s newly introduced approach to Parental Leave that is consistent across all teams in Australia and New Zealand. “When I fell pregnant with my second child, I was a bit surprised and worried again about the potential situation, but then I discovered the new maternity benefits scheme,” explains Kim. “It now gives me the flexibility to have some extra time with the baby if I want to, and not have to rush back to work like I did when there was no paid leave. We also need to upgrade our car and now we’ll be able to buy something a little bit nicer that should last longer and also be safer.”
Kate Dee, People Director A&NZ, (above) explains of the new standards how “the workplace plays such an important role in supporting people through their parenthood journey and our people told us how important it was that we created consistency across all of Australia and New Zealand. Implementing business wide changes can take time, so I was delighted that we were able to introduce the new standards at the beginning of this year. As a super proud Mum of three wee girls, I am personally and professionally proud to support our people in this way.” A unified consistent approach to leave standards for parenthood means that already this year, 124 additional people across Bupa’s businesses have been supported by this new leave standard. Another key focus of including every business in the same standard was to ensure the language was consistent and reflects how we work at Bupa. Using the words primary and secondary carer is to ensure parental leave is not related to gender and is to be used by every family however it works for them. Recently, George Ritchie, Head of Portfolio Management, Finance & Strategy, enjoyed taking on the role of primary carer for his young son
Gordon, after his wife Laura returned to work. “I was looking forward to being home with Gordon, and the time was extremely rewarding. Even though there were a few adjustments, I learnt a lot,” says George. “This was an opportunity to walk in Laura’s shoes. I now have an even greater appreciation of her and I am closer to Gordon as a result.” Initially, George felt that he was ‘missing out’ on his work at Bupa and found it difficult to adjust. He was conscious the team was continuing without him. “After two weeks, I could see my relationship with
Gordon strengthening. Work was no longer getting my best hours, because my family now was,” says George. “As a leader, I feel it’s important to showcase that Dads can also take primary leave. What people deem as ‘traditional roles’ are a thing of the past, which is what Bupa supports. Since returning from leave I am focused on finding the right balance, so that my family and my work get the best version of me, even on the more challenging days.”
George Ritchie with wife Laura, daughter Emma and son Gordon, who he recently took paternity leave to help look after as primary carer.
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peak performance
Keeping cool when the heat is on Any business will experience times that are just that little bit busier than usual. For the Bupa Medical Visa Services and Health Insurance teams, these times can be predicted in advance, so our people can put in place their own methods of handling the extra customer appointment requirements to keep everyone focused and motivated.
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Twice a year, BMVS experiences close to a 100% increase in the number of typical daily customer appointments. “The start of the university year sees an influx of international students into Australia, most of whom require a medical assessment as part of their visa application as a student,” explains Mary-Lou Keur (above), Medical Assessment Centre Manager, BMVS Melbourne. “Normally, we might handle around 250 appointments a day, but between February and April that number can increase to 450 each day and we also experience a similar peak around August and September for the second university semester.” With the number of physical appointment rooms dictating how many bookings can be made each day, BMVS Melbourne extends its trading hours including opening on Saturdays and Sundays during these
busy times, to manage with the increased customer demand. “On weekends, we provide the team lunch, as a small gesture of thanks, and have an ever changing menu to keep it interesting,” explains Mary-Lou. To cope with the increased workload, Mary-Lou also implements some time saving procedures, as well as some welcome perks, during the peak periods. “Rather than having any ‘all-of-team’ meetings
during these busy times, each team will have their own 15‑minute weekly huddle,” explains Mary-Lou. “We also have a very simple weekly newsletter that’s sent out to help keep up the communication and inform everyone on the weekly customer experience scores that we measure, to keep us all customer focused.” Each week, the team at BMVS Melbourne also has a themed surprise pick me up perk, which could be anything from ‘glamour
“We understand that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to keeping people motivated, so we use a variety of activities and approaches to suit different personalities to help individuals feel valued at work.” week’, where different magazines are freely available for people to read during their breaks, to ‘coffee week’, when the team can grab a free coffee each morning at the local café. “We also have what we call ‘peak energisers’ to keep everyone on track, and on Tuesdays we put on an ‘energiser lunch’ of healthy foods,” says Mary-Lou. Emma McMuIlan, General Manager Clinics, Health Services recognises that it is an ‘all-of-team’ effort to see that the peak period is successful, including the central operations team who take the bookings and provide administration support, the teams in the medical centres performing the assessments and the medical officers behind the scenes doing the complex case reviews. “The whole BMVS team do a fantastic job of maintaining high levels of enthusiasm and customer service levels in these busier times and we are so grateful for the contributions and team work that continue to make our peak periods successful,” says Emma. When the peak period is over, the BMVS Melbourne teams celebrate with a simple function, and this year, everyone received a ‘thank you’ candle (pictured right) as a gesture of appreciation.
For the Health Insurance team, April is always a particularly busy period, when the annual rate reviews are communicated to customers. “We call this period our ‘Time to Shine’, because we see significantly increased volumes of calls into our contact centres and sometimes these can be challenging conversations with our customers where the team has to support them in understanding any increased premiums or policy changes,” explains Alana Beggs (above right), Capability Consultant, Customer Service. “Beyond the customer-facing roles, the support teams are also very busy during this time so it’s really all hands on deck for
everyone in Customer Service.” Similarly to BMVS, the Health Insurance Customer Service team also uses a variety of themed events and incentives to keep everyone energised throughout the peak period. “This year, our overall theme was ‘Love the customer, care for you’ and this was launched on February 14th with a ‘Valentine to shine’ day that involved plenty of heart shaped decorations, a decadent afternoon tea and the team was also encouraged to hand out appreciation cards to show recognition to their peers,” explains Alana. Because an army marches on its stomach, food also plays a big part in helping keep the team motivated, but there is also a strong focus on wellbeing and self-care during this busy time. “We understand that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to keeping people motivated,
so we use a variety of activities and approaches to suit different personalities to help individuals feel valued at work,” says Alana. “At the end of the day, while the incentives and rewards are fun, it’s important to take the time to recognise individuals for their brilliant work in a way that’s meaningful to them.” beat | 27
BupaBites Information and insights to keep you up to date on Global, Market and Business Unit news.
Australian Defence Force Health Services launching On 1 July, Bupa will start delivering quality health care for approximately 85,000 Australian Defence Force (ADF) members, who may be members of the Navy, the Army or the Air Force, with the ultimate purpose of helping them remain fit for their role both in Australia and overseas. The ADF operates bases around Australia, where ADF members work and are eligible for health and care services. Bupa will be providing clinical care for ADF members on bases, as well as co-ordinating the provision of all hospital, allied health and specialist services from community-based providers for ADF members across Australia. Bupa has also built an intelligent referral and booking system. Bupa has the contract to deliver health and care to the ADF for the next six years.
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bupa bites
Grounded in truth this National Reconciliation Week A key part of our reconciliation journey at Bupa, is our commitment to increasing our cultural awareness and understanding of how we can create a more respectful, inclusive and culturally safe workplace for both our employees and customers. The theme for this year’s National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June) was ‘Grounded in Truth, Walk Together with Courage’. National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. In recognition of the theme we organised cultural walking tours across some of our Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane locations. All Bupa Australian employees are also encouraged to complete our ‘Australian Indigenous Cultural Awareness’ learning module on Grow, that helps us to better understand the history and cultures of our First Nations people, their journey from exclusion to inclusion, and how we can all help to progress reconciliation at Bupa. For more information about our second Reconciliation Action Plan, please visit Workplace.
Eye hear Optical & Hearing is growing
‘Tap and claim’ with new Bupa digital cards
Celebrating IDAHOBIT
In under six months, we opened five new Optical & Hearing stores, bringing us to 43 across Australia, with 27 also offering hearing services.
We’re one of the first Australian health funds to introduce digital cards with ‘tap and claim’ functionality, making it easier for our customers to receive claim benefits on the spot.
Bupa celebrated with the LGBTIQ+ community, and the allies who support them, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia #IDAHOBIT – on May 17, 2019.
In late 2018, we opened stores in the Colonnades in South Australia, World Square in Sydney, Burwood in NSW and Camberwell in Victoria. Our most recent store opened in March in Maroochydore on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. “We offer value and the lowest out of pocket options for our Bupa Health Insurance members, so it makes sense that we expand into areas that are conveniently located for them,” said Ian Whelan, General Manager, Optical & Hearing. “This is an exciting time for our people and our customers and it’s just the beginning. We hope to open five more stores before the end of 2019 and we’re also busy preparing to deliver eye and ear care for Australian Defence Force members.” Stay tuned for new store openings over the coming months!
With this change, customers can now ‘tap and claim’ using their Android phones instead of the physical membership card. This new addition to myBupa will provide a better online experience for our customers, removing the delay for our customers receiving their benefits and also save costs on re-issuing physical cards. Last year, we added some great new features to myBupa including introducing a view of customers’ extras and remaining limits and adding a number of claim types so that our customers can now selfservice 93% of claims. Since the introduction of the digital card, our customers are sharing some really positive feedback. We’ll continue to push forward on our mission to bring even better digital experiences to our customers and make their claiming experience even more seamless and convenient.
Our people across Australia and New Zealand shared messages of support for their LGBTIQ+ colleagues. For many LGBTIQ+ people, the decision to be out in the workplace is a difficult one. Recent research by the Diversity Council of Australia found that 74% of LGBTIQ+ people surveyed felt being out at work was important, however only 32% were out to their colleagues. Bupa’s Pride Network formed in 2017, when a group of LGBTIQ+ employees and allies were looking for ways to support each other and took positive steps to create a network to benefit those across the organisation. “The wellbeing of our people and the community is integral to Bupa’s purpose. When we set out to form a Pride Network we knew that creating a safe and inclusive workplace for our people would be the focus,” said Carol Corzo, Head of Inclusion. IDAHOBIT commemorates the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) decision to remove homosexuality from the International Classification of Diseases in 1990. We can’t change the past, but we can create the future. Bupa’s Pride Network welcomes new members. To get involved email pride@bupa.com.au beat | 29
Taking a break The Bupa team members featured in this issue tell us what they’re reading or watching at the moment to help maintain that sense of balance in their busy working lives.
Renee Bertolus The Rosie Result “I’m currently reading ‘The Rosie Result’ by Graeme Simsion, which is the third and final book in his ‘Rosie’ series. It’s written by a local Melbourne author, and the main character (Don Tillman) is on the autistic spectrum, so I’ve really enjoyed immersing myself in life from his perspective.”
Catherine Fu The Shepherd’s Hut “I’ve recently read ‘The Shepherd’s Hut’ by Tim Winton. I love how unmistakeably Australian it is – from the characters and dialogue to the landscapes described throughout. The book also delves into themes of anger and masculinity in subtle yet powerful ways. As someone who tends to read more nonfiction, I was really invested in the two main characters and their unique relationship.”
Alana Beggs The Call to Courage “Recently, I’ve really enjoyed Brene Brown’s special ‘The Call to Courage’ on Netflix. I found it to be sharp, insightful and surprisingly funny – she’s incredibly natural and open, inviting you to reflect on yourself through sharing her own learning and experiences.”
Simon Dormer The Craving Mind Psychology, more so behavioural psychology, fascinates me! I’m always asking myself ‘why?’ and I’ll admit, I’m addicted to thinking. Behaviour change is the key driver as to how we can create a sustainable future. ‘The Craving Mind’, written by Judson Brewer, identifies how and why we form habits along with how to break them. One of the key take homes is ‘…driven to distraction’ and how we are always looking to be doing. Remember, you’re a human being, not a human doing.”
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Alyce Raine Broad City “My favourite TV show that I am constantly revisiting is ‘Broad City’ – it is about two best friends getting up to all kinds of mischief in NYC. It’s the perfect show for a good laugh.”
Enjoying the journey!
years of service
Celebrating the anniversaries of our people with a decade or more of service to our customers.
44YEARS
30YEARS
15YEARS
10YEARS
10YEARS
10YEARS
Kathleen Thompson
Rosemary Bowyer Wendy Reid Yani Sudharta Kiet Huynh Anna Lever
Jennifer Francis-Staite Irene Gahan Eden Humphreys Suet Koh Margaret Michalanney Elvira Milosevic Robyn Milne Kalairajany Naguleswaran Borka Sodic Mary Wade Beata O’Hara Peter Makuzha Tina Doyle Odette Howard Rosita Viliamu Helena Pascoe Liz Ferguson Liz Fleming Roselyn Kumar Patricia McKillop Leanne Rogers Sunanda Meegolla Dot Morton Simon Crabb Renee Jeffery Malcolm Harding Brenda O’Brien Robbie MacGillivray Sarah Hewitt Lois Thurston Michelle Mills Huong Tran Peter Fields Olga Rogatski Lina Lelaulu
Julianne Cooper David Kirunyu Mary Ruot Mohammad Shahid Sam Zand Judy Mitchell Corina Godfrey Rachel Crouch Deena Heeralall Hari Shrestha Rosanne Cox Vatandeep Kaur Khaira Zhao Zhang Tintu Jose Neethy Kurian Maria Thorne Lynn Zhang Irangani Gallage Sokunthea Khoy Ian Ludwick Jillian Campbell Michelle Green Binu Jacob Robert Williams Joanne Costelloe Leanne McCosker Sukanya West Navin Singh Hafize Akan Susan Alford Nilani Arulanantham Felizardo Jr Bueno Radha Tamang Thing Gurung Sharada Khatri Maria Leahy Nina Newman Khilesh Prakash Wijesooriya Siriwardane Nabinitu Babunga Satwant Kaur
Nazia Khan Thi Kim Loan Le Emmanuel Masih Sunaina Ranjit Debbie Robertson Yolanda Charter Rhodora Lang Harish Kumar Elissa McCabe Paul McCabe Leasa Smith Carla Stranieri Susan Trotter Donna Imhoff Ganga Prasai Joshi Charu Paudyal Sapkota Sharon Coulson Norma Lemon Davida Webb Lezani Meyer Lorraine Otene Joanne Thompson Nazmeena Ali Francisca Peralta Jennie Magallanes Rosaline August Renalyn Ramel Brendan Steere Simaima Tuifua Gayle Matika Linda Hurley Umlesh Courtney Metuakore Pukeiti Rachael Kaitani Lucy Mansell Laureen Hoffman Noelena Todd Juanito Bate
Faiese Tanimo Marie Dilly Deanna Vidito Amanda Woods Sarah Posselt Carolynn Ong Philip Nash Angeline Yousef Kirsty Meldrum Craig Wright Janelle Pigdon Jo Bakirci Penelope Wrench Gillian Foster Leonie Best Melissa Kiparizov Chantall Rowe Melissa King Victoria Sturgeon Janni Johns Helen Reeve Linda Ciminata Tinaya Davis Rhonda Doulton Loraine Lorimer Tammy Hickey Kelly Briglia Sophie Littlely Jill Carr Rita Tuckey Rebecca Amidzovski Cassandra Revell Ripa Kaio Sunisa Dansalad Sharon Bartolome Chrissy Grice Melissa Briones Muriel Lyons Debra Dalgety Margaret Owens Keryn Potter Brent Crump
39YEARS Tory Gervasi Peter Andrews
37YEARS Jennifer Wilke Janys Hill
36YEARS Christine Beckett
34YEARS Leanne Oldaker Robert Stewart Ann-Marie Sutherland Tanya Vlahos
32YEARS Irene Mouranga
31YEARS Donna Farrer Robert Hansen Carolyn White Julie Heritage Cherie Herbison Agnes Cox Christine Latter Pagona Soderholm Nisha Habibullah
25YEARS Nicole Wilby Susan Clayton Carolyn Maslin Dell Lamont Jo Lynch Karen Mullen
20YEARS Gregorio Biniahan Krishna Gounder Trish Skeens Pam Coutts Denise Neale Linda Adamson Stephen Smith Deborah Corbett Tanya El-Rassy Jacqui Hosking Wendy Boult Brenda Hodge Fiona Wyatt
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2019
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