Rotarian James Tabor introduced Dana Henderson at the Rotary Club of Pinjarra meeting of 16th of November.
Dana is the Chief Executive Officer of the Western Australia-based Spinnaker Health Research Foundation.
The Foundation identifies problems that occur with inadequate treatment strategies, and how other chronic health issues can be affected by this. The Foundation's objectives include providing the research that will inspire local medical and allied health practitioners to find solutions for prevalent health issues confronting the community.
There is a focus to further identify negative trends and issues impacting health outcomes, with the objective to jump-start the careers of early researchers and fund novel ideas to address these issues. There is also work being done to identify key gaps in public community health, and to develop means to address the gaps in focused areas within community health.
Dana was presented with a cheque for $3000, a donation from our Club from funds raised at this year’s Rotary Club of Pinjarra- Alcoa Australia Art Show and Sale.

Dana Henderson, Geoff Booth, and President Miles Hewett
Dana thanked the Club for the generous donation.
First founded in 1996 in part by Warren Jones, whose vision was to realise a research foundation that benefited the health and well-being of local residents, the Fremantle Hospital Medical Research Foundation awarded its first grants in 1999 following a three-year capital campaign to ensure the sustainability of an annual grant program.
In 2016, following an expanded partnership with Fiona Stanley Hospital, the Foundation was renamed Spinnaker, a nod to Jones, the founding chair, who was a local resident of Fremantle and the manager of the successful Americans Cup syndicate in 1983.
Dana is the Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation and has a primary interest in research into Men’s Health.
World-wide, men have a lower life expectancy, die more often from preventable causes, and are substantially more likely to suicide. They are also more likely to participate in self-destructive behaviors than women.
By better understanding the complex relationships between mental and physical health and lifestyle factors, the Foundation’s research examines the causes of men’s predominant health conditions. The work focuses on the identification of the behaviours that exacerbate them, and explore how communities can work to ensure every West Australian male has the best opportunity for a healthy life.
Central to this initiative is an examination of behaviours, attitudes and responses West Australian men have toward their health, as well as ways to improve health literacy and pro-activity for our fathers and grandfathers to have a meaningful impact on their sons and grandsons.
A multi-generational approach to mental and physical health will be vital to improving health and mitigating the increasing burden of mental and physical health issues that impact too many of our men, young and old, too soon.
The hard facts include:
- 60% of men will die early from preventable causes.
- Men are almost twice as likely as women to drink at health impacting levels.
- Men account for 3 in 4 suicides.
- 9 out of 10 workplace death victims are men.
The reality is that many of the factors which impact these poor outcomes to men’s health are avoidable. Men are more likely to avoid seeing their doctor until it is too late. This can be because men are very stoic; will delay seeking health advice or help; often minimise the severity of their symptoms; and have natural fear of what they may be told by their doctor.
Added to this, the health system itself is bogged down by a lack of readily available or easily accessible practitioners and/or services.
It is an unfortunate fact that the funding available at a federal level in Australia for women’s health research is 10 times more than the funding directed toward men’s health research.
Western Australia is the only State in the nation that has a “Men’s Health Policy”. However, the policy has no budgetary backing, and as such, is low on the priorities of the State Health Department.
The Spinnaker Foundation has started the MHT Foundation (Men. Healthier Together). At the core of the MHT Foundation is the West Australian Men’s Health Initiative (WAMHI).
WAMHI will pioneer approaches to improve mental and physical health and alleviate the burden of diseases and injuries over-represented in West Australian men. By working together to improve the lives and health of men and boys, their research aims to build on this position and help create a healthier future for everyone in Western Australia.
Dana answered a number of questions from the floor of the meeting, before she was formally thanked by Rotarian Don Marshall. Don presented Dana with a memento of her visit to our Club.
Some links: https://spinnakerhealth.org.au/
https://healthiermen.com.au/