Dr. Julee McDonagh’s career journey from nursing to research has always been driven by a desire to improve clinical practice and patient outcomes. Like many researchers, her direction has been shaped by chance encounters, sideways roles and inspirational colleagues.
Now a Senior Research Fellow (NHMRC Emerging Leader) at the University of Wollongong, Dr. McDonagh also works at the Centre for Chronic and Complex Care Research Institute at Blacktown Hospital, within the Western Sydney Health District.
“I was always drawn to healthcare and love that nursing had such a variety of areas you can specialise in,” she says.
Early in her career, she worked on the cardiac wards at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, caring for individuals with end-stage heart failure. It was during this time that she began her PhD, realising that research offered an incredible opportunity to transform care for patients with cardiovascular disease.
“Clinical practice offers the chance to directly impact the lives of patients, but in research, I saw an opportunity to make a difference on an even greater scale,” Dr. McDonagh explains.
She first joined the ACvA through its CV Champions program and is currently an active member of the ACvA Emerging Leaders Committee. “It’s important to foster the next generation of researchers and it’s a great forum for EMCRs to take on responsibility and have a voice,” she says.
In addition to her role on the committee, Dr. McDonagh co-leads the ACvA’s Frailty and Heart Failure National Taskforce whose recent publication in Heart Lung and Circulation advocated for improved frailty assessment and multidisciplinary care models.
The ACvA’s Heart Failure Clinical Theme held a national workshop to foster a coordinated approach to tackling frailty in heart failure bringing together experts from a range of disciplines, including geriatricians, nurses, cardiologists, physiotherapists, palliative care specialists, dieticians and public health professionals.
“Unfortunately, we often see siloed efforts in clinical practice, but the solution to frailty lies in a team-based approach. The gold standard for managing heart failure and frailty is an interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary model,” she says.
She is proud of her involvement in the ACvA Heart Failure Clinical Theme initiative, which champions frailty within the context of heart failure.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see frailty being recognised and addressed within heart failure and I’ve had the privilege of working with some truly inspiring people, including Professors Patricia Davidson, Caleb Ferguson and Peter Macdonald.”
Dr. McDonagh is optimistic about the future of heart failure and frailty research and is committed to advancing both research and clinical practice, so that patients receive the best care possible.
“It’s a really exciting time to be in this space. We are moving beyond just identifying frailty to recommending solutions that will make a real difference.”
You can read the complete article An Expert Opinion on the Management of Frailty in Heart Failure from the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance National Taskforce.