A vision for more caring healthcare

Going to a hospital is never a pleasant experience. Visiting for eye surgery adds another layer of anxiety. But a long and lingering history of discrimination, combined with a lack of cultural knowledge can make the experience especially challenging for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.  

Dr Hannah Wood understands these fears. 

But she also knows how to put in the work to gain her patient’s trust. 

Having long conversations getting to know patients before talking about anything medical and making sure they have family member or support person nearby for the difficult moments can make a big difference. 

“They often were feeling very vulnerable, but having a hand to squeeze – someone familiar – really put them more at ease,” Wood says of the patients she’s worked with in the past.  

On track to become the first female Indigenous ophthalmologist, Wood has been named the Australian National University’s 2025 Alumni Volunteer of the Year for her commitment to community service and contributions to Indigenous ophthalmology. 

“I feel very privileged to have been nominated for this award, let alone receive it,” she says. “I am so excited for the future of ophthalmology in this country.  

“Seeing how programs in Victoria are impacting our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and providing healthcare that’s safer and more accessible is just an incredible thing to be a part of.” 

Finding a new vision

After studying politics at ANU, and working as a parliamentary researcher, Wood returned to the University to study medicine. This switch was motivated by her experience on a parliamentary project to improve school outcomes for children in the Northen Territory.

“It showed me that often what’s lacking is opportunity,” Wood says. “These are really bright kids who have such a great future ahead of them that just need to be supported at the right time.

“And if there are things that were creating barriers for them, such as poor sight or poor hearing, it can really affect their trajectory.”

Wood believes providing culturally sensitive care is a way to chip away at the systemic barriers that can put people off seeking healthcare.

She took this belief on the road when she volunteered with Lions Outback Vision Van as a medical student. Her experience helped her to understand the importance of providing a friendly and approachable face to discuss medical issues outside the sometimes “unfriendly” clinical environment.

She has also pushed for changes to stereotypical views of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients within medical curriculums.

“We have so much potential to help those around us.”

“We should be shifting as practitioners to make people feel more comfortable and feel safe within our space,” she said. “And I’m really pleased to see that the way this manifests is that so many of my colleagues have a much more gentle and thoughtful approach to how we treat Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.”

Her team at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital runs an outreach clinic through the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service. This means care is supported and guided by an Eye and Ear Aboriginal Liaison Officer, so that as much care as possible “can be facilitated in a more culturally safe and comfortable environment”.

The pay it forward attitude

As a Torres Strait Islander woman raised on Ngunnawal and Ngambri lands, Wood says local Ngunnawal elders have taken her under their wing.

“This has really heavily influenced how I see my role in the world,” she says. “They have such a pay-it-forward attitude – you’re a member of a larger community and in that you have responsibilities and others have responsibilities to look after you.”

She credits Professor Anne Martin (also known as Auntie Anne), Director of the Tjabal Centre at ANU, for shaping her attitude towards community and care.

“She found me when I was learning who I wanted to be in this world and gave me such an insight into how we can lift people up around us,” Wood said. “I would like to try and take that same attitude forward.”

“I’ve just spent some time with my elders in the Torres Strait Islands and they echo the same sentiment as the Ngunnawal elders – that we have so much potential to help those around us.”

ANU Distinguished Professor Asmi Wood, Hannah’s father, says he is proud of his daughter’s achievements.

“I guess most parents would be proud anyway, but I’m proud because of what she does and the fact that she uses skills, which I don’t even remotely possess, to do things for people – to improve the quality of people’s lives with things like eyesight.”

Wood is modest about what she has achieved.

“I’ve been really fortunate in my journey to have a lot of people who have supported me to get to this place,” she said.

“I now see myself as a part of that process to try and encourage those who come after me.”