Tony Walker ASM

Today I want to thank someone, and their family, who are very special to me. I don’t know them. I’ve never met them. But their decision, made at an incredibly difficult time, changed my life. In 2022 I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Despite successful initial treatment, it spread to my liver. More surgery and ongoing chemotherapy have followed to keep it at bay for as long as possible. Liver transplantation recently became an option, in highly selected circumstances, for cases like mine. A few months ago, I received this extraordinary gift. Without it, my life and my future would look very different. Each year, thousands of lives are transformed through the generosity of organ and tissue donors. I think of my donor and their family often. Today I want to share a heartfelt message of thanks to them, and to all organ and tissue donors and their families who say yes to donation. Your selfless gift is truly life changing. #ThankYouDay2025

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in this role with the @VicGovDH and working alongside colleagues across the sector to strengthen paramedicine and the broader healthcare system. Paramedicine continues to evolve as a profession, and I am motivated to connect with people across the state, listen to the experiences of those working in the system, and contributing to ongoing improvements in care, workforce capability and service delivery. A sincere thank you to @DrLouReynolds for her leadership and the important work that has already been achieved in progressing the role, care for patients and supporting the profession. I look forward to collaborating with many of you in the months ahead!

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Leon Baranowski as Victoria’s Chief Paramedic Officer. Leon brings extensive international experience across paramedic practice, academia, and research, along with a strong commitment to improving patient experiences.

In response to the #NHS 10 year plan, @AACE_org produced a comprehensive, holistic overview of its role in the plan’s delivery, and the associated enablers.  Read our full response here: aace.org.uk/a-vision-for-t… #ALF2026

An uplifting morning celebrating #IWD2026 and #RedAndYellowDay with my @LifeSavingVic and emergency management friends and colleagues

A fabulous day joining with my @LifeSavingVic colleagues at the #Midsumma #PrideMarch

I’ve just published Part 2 of my Substack series on exercise as medicine in cancer care. This article focuses on how exercise works biologically — not as motivation or general physical activity, but as a mechanism-driven intervention that modifies the tumour microenvironment and systemic physiology. Specifically, I examine how appropriately prescribed exercise influences: * blood flow and oxygen delivery * inflammation and immune surveillance * glucose and insulin regulation * endocrine signalling (including cortisol, IGF-1, and sex hormones) * myokine release from skeletal muscle, including direct effects on cancer cell signaling The central argument is that exercise does not act by “starving” cancer or boosting immunity in a vague sense. It works by modifying the physiological conditions in which cancer develops and treatments operate, in a dose- and timing-dependent manner. This series is based on the framework developed in my book, MyExerciseMedicine for Cancer, and is written for clinicians, researchers, and patients interested in mechanism-led exercise oncology. profrobnewton.substack.com/p/the-body-is-…

Victoria is experiencing a rare heatwave event. Extreme heat can affect anybody, especially those more at-risk such as people over 65, babies, young children, pregnant women and more. To keep you and others safe, visit: go.vic.gov.au/4pZp5di

We are proud to recognise the outstanding achievements of our Ambulance Victoria members who today have been recognised with an Ambulance Service Medal (ASM). MORE: bit.ly/4pSRHVw

During the Dec 14th Bondi attack in which I was shot, one of the amazing lifesavers left the nearby surf club and with no regard to her own safety, ran towards the site of the attack. She looked after me, held my hand, helped apply first aid, while speaking to me the whole time to ensure I remained conscious and then accompanied me to the ambulance. She helped many others too. For over a month now since the attack, I had been trying - unsuccessfully - to find her, to say Thank You. Even on the flight from Sydney to Parliament in Canberra this week, I sat next to the President of Surf Life Saving NSW and told him as well. He promised he would find out. While in Parliament for the Condolence Motion, a group of surf life savers came to also attend the motion, and rightfully be acknowledged for the heroes and incredible role models that they are. As I was readying to go into the Parliament chamber for the motion, this young woman comes up to me and says: “Hi, I’m Anna. Do you remember me? I held your hand at Bondi.” It was her. I simply fell into her arms, with tears flowing yet again. Today, I nominated her for the Governor-General's Australia Day Bravery Award. [📸: With Anna, at Parliament House, Canberra]

Today, on NASA’s Day of Remembrance, we honor the astronauts of Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia. Honoring our crews isn’t about stepping back from risk, it’s about facing it with clarity. The impact of their lives and their missions is carried by every engineer, every astronaut, and every team working across the agency today, and in the work preparing us to go farther than ever before. Apollo 1: Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Ed White, Roger Chaffee Challenger (STS-51L): Dick Scobee, Michael Smith, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Gregory Jarvis, Christa McAuliffe Columbia (STS-107): Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark, Ilan Ramon

Happy 96th Birthday to Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot, 2nd man to walk on the moon and Gemini XII pilot 🚀

Evaluating the Rate of Emergency Department Avoidance Achieved in a Collaboration Between an Ambulance and Virtual Care Service: A Retrospective Observational Study - Lumsden - 2026 - Emergency Medicine Australasia - Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.111…

I’m very pleased to promote this face-to-face psycho-oncology workshop in London with Professor Suzanne Chambers AO. High-quality cancer care requires more than excellent medical treatment — it requires systematic, evidence-based psychological care embedded across the whole cancer journey. Yet this remains an area where many health professionals, across both public and private settings, report limited formal training. This workshop is deliberately practice-focused. It brings together the evidence base with applied clinical skills, distress screening, and whole-journey support — exactly the capabilities needed in real-world oncology settings. If you work with people affected by cancer and want to strengthen how psychological care is delivered in your practice, service, or centre, I’d strongly encourage you to consider this course. 📍 Cleveland Clinic London | 🗓 14 March 2026 🔗 Register: Early-bird £350 (inc VAT) (limited to 10 places, closes 15 Feb) buy.stripe.com/eVq6oHg3k0bPcL… Standard £450 (inc VAT) buy.stripe.com/eVq6oHg3k0bPcL… Group £395 (inc VAT) buy.stripe.com/00w8wP7wOe2FeT…

Not all robots walk on two legs. Aletta is a robot that makes drawing blood completely automated. We live in the future

We're looking for a couple of superstars (don't have to be a couple but must be comfortable sharing a house) 1 x Station Hand & 1 x All-Rounder/Station Hand At least one person MUST be able to ride a 2-wheel motorbike confidently. At least one person must be able to supervise a single student doing school of the air.

Proud to contribute my piece “The Weight of a Human Life” to the book of essays from Australians with ideas @theausinstitute “A Time for Bravery: What Happens when Australia Chooses Courage?”    I drew on my experience as a professor, medical leader, oncologist, and researcher working in the ‘Third Space’ - which is the unforgiving territory where patients are dying, existing drugs do not work, and hope drives action.   In this essay, I explore themes of action in uncertainty, giving real hope, and balancing ethical responsibility with experimental medicine. australiainstitute.org.au/store/a-time-f… @MelanomaAus @Sydney_Uni @ausoftheyear @Science_Academy @FulbrightAUS @AAHMS_health

Impact of AEDs and training of smartphone activated volunteers in residential areas on OHCA: a nationwide stepped-wedge implementation trial - Resuscitation resuscitationjournal.com/article/S0300-…

7 simple factors—smoking, physical activity, diet, BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose—link to health outcomes for both cardiovascular and cancer academic.oup.com/eurheartj/adva…

The Canadian Medavie recruitment team will be visiting Australia soon #paramedicine #EMS #health medavie.ca/australia

I’m pleased to announce the release of my new book, MyExerciseMedicine for Cancer. This book is written first and foremost for people with cancer, survivors, and their families. I explain—in clear, accessible language—how exercise functions as a medical treatment and how it can be safely and effectively applied adjunct to surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone, targeted, theranostic, and radiation therapy, as well as throughout long-term recovery. The content draws on more than 40 years of research and clinical practice in exercise medicine, including over two decades devoted specifically to exercise oncology. While the book is designed to empower patients and families with practical, trustworthy guidance, it is also highly relevant for clinicians seeking to integrate evidence-based exercise prescription into standard oncology care. Key areas covered include: • How exercise influences tumor biology and immune function • Enhancing effectiveness of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy • Reducing treatment toxicity and improving tolerance • Individualizing exercise prescription to different cancer types and stages and comorbidities • Practical guidance to begin, progress, and maintain exercise safely and systematically My aim is to provide a resource that supports informed decision-making, improves outcomes, and strengthens the role of exercise oncology as a core component of cancer treatment. Amazon links: Kindle eBook: amazon.com/MyExerciseMedi… Paperback: amazon.com/MyExerciseMedi… Hardcover: amazon.com/MyExerciseMedi… Thank you to the many patients, clinicians, and researchers who have contributed to this field. I hope my book proves useful for anyone seeking to apply exercise medicine to cancer treatment and survivorship. Special thanks to @EdithCowanUni for supporting my work over the past 22 years.