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Ep 117: From Opera Singer to Practice Owner
Episode 117 • 6th August 2026 • Scale My Clinic • Dr. Sachin Patel & Dr. Todd Cameron
00:00:00 00:33:27

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Helen Barnett's path to Practice ownership was anything but conventional.

After 17 years as a professional opera singer with Opera Australia, she returned to university in her late 30s, studied science, won the University Medal, and earned a place in medical school.

But by then, she knew medicine wasn't the path she wanted.

Preventative care was.

Nutrition was.

And that decision eventually led her to co-own Dubbo Health Hub, a multidisciplinary Practice in rural NSW, alongside GP Dr Heather Malham.

Helen brings a rare perspective to this episode. She has been the contractor, the clinician, and the Owner, often at the same time. That means her view on allied health isn't theoretical. It comes from years of seeing where these partnerships work, where they fall apart, and what Practice Owners often miss.

What you'll get from this episode:

  • Why allied health works best when it's built into the patient journey, not bolted onto the side
  • What allied health practitioners are really looking for when they choose a Practice, starting with being treated as an equal
  • Why an allied health room can cost around a quarter of what it costs to run a GP room, and what that means for pricing it fairly
  • Why values fit matters more than simply filling a gap in your service mix
  • How to find the right practitioner by starting with your patients and the referral patterns already inside your Practice
  • Why "here's your room" isn't onboarding, and what weak onboarding quietly costs everyone

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Connect with Todd: LinkedIn

Connect with Helen Barnett: LinkedIn

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P.S. Whenever you're ready, here are four ways Scale My Clinic can help you grow your General Practice without burning out:

1. Spot the problems you're too busy to notice. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for short videos on billing, recruitment, profit, team and leadership.

2. Binge the best podcast episodes for whatever Practice problem you're working through. Search by topic

3. Sharpen Your Skills: Join one of our regular live workshops. Practical, proven tactics for recruitment, team performance, and profit tailored to Owners juggling it all. Click to Register

4. Learn the exact framework we use to help Practice Owners improve profit, team performance and freedom. This video shows the exact system we use.

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