Discover Kirsten's remarkable career as Starship Hospital's paediatric heart surgeon and her commitment to the Hearts for Kids Trust, bringing life-saving surgeries to Pacific kids.
Imagine being responsible for a heart no bigger than a walnut.
This week I sit down with Dr Kirsten Finucane, the legendary former Chief Surgeon at Starship, to talk about a career spent performing life-saving miracles on New Zealand’s most vulnerable children.
Kirsten opens up about the grit it takes to handle high-stakes surgery and why she finally decided it was time to trade the operating theatre for conservation work in Central Otago.
00:00:00 - Introduction to Dr Kirsten Finucane 00:03:35 - Why she chose a career in surgery 00:07:08 - Overcoming a fear of blood in Nepal 00:11:05 - Facing sexism in the medical industry 00:19:10 - Operating on hearts the size of a walnut 00:27:02 - The decision to retire from Starship 00:32:48 - Equity in the New Zealand health system 00:40:55 - Hearts for Kids Trust and work in Fiji 00:45:58 - Working in East Jerusalem and Palestine 00:53:50 - Life with her children and their journeys 01:00:45 - Retirement and conservation in Central Otago 01:04:15 - Quick fire questions