For occupational therapist Joey, making healthcare accessible is a key priority. Through the Fellowship she wants to broaden her base of knowledge, and create plans for meaningful clinical and social interventions that can help ordinary citizens achieve wellbeing. Her ultimate objective is to shift the focus of healthcare services from treatment to prevention.

“Why treat people and send them back to the conditions that made them sick?” This sentence from prominent researcher Michael Marmot animates healthcare professional Joey’s work. A born and raised Hongkonger, she hopes to resolve issues plaguing the city’s overloaded healthcare system with a focus on social determinants of health. Her main goal is to help Hong Kong’s health professional transition from a treatment-oriented approach and focus on prevention.

Joey believes that healthcare must be equitable and comprehensive. She is driven by the idea that professional help must extend beyond the consultation room. As an occupational therapist working in the public hospital she takes a holistic view of health which closely considers factors such as environment, social roles, and habits that contribute to poor health. However, she has found that the lack of time with each patient coupled with limited resources has prevented her from being able to fully apply her knowledge and skills to help patients resolve their issues and achieve wellbeing. Consequently, she has worked hard to promote change in the healthcare industry through creative and practical approaches to wellbeing that do not rely on vast resources.

Previously, she worked with the Special Educational Needs Foundation on a project focused on bringing therapy-based choir to children with disabilities. Through the Fellowship, Joey hopes to gain insight to launch similar social and clinical interventions in future to wider public. Furthermore, she is eager to connect with like-minded community members and mentors across professions and explore ways to work together to address pressing challenges in public health.

Having been a choral singer since her primary school days, Joey enjoys music in her free time as it gives her a chance to engage with others and serve the community in a positive way.