AAPM keynote: What a heart attack and five million plastic lids can teach practice teams
What do an astrobiologist, a life-altering heart attack and a sea turtle have to do with running a healthcare practice?
More than you might think.
At the 2026 AAPM National Conference in Brisbane, Zero Plastics Australia founder Adam Slater will share the unlikely journey that took him from astrobiology to building a micro-recycling operation that has diverted close to five million plastic lids from landfill.
The turning point came when Slater suffered a heart attack at just 30. Faced with an unexpected diagnosis, he began asking what he wanted to leave behind for his young children.
Soon afterwards, an encounter with a sea turtle gave that ambition direction. After learning turtles can mistake discarded plastic lids for food, Slater returned home determined to give the material another life. His first product: four recycled milk lids transformed into turtle-shaped keyrings.
For practice managers, Slater’s message isn’t that healthcare can eliminate plastic. He acknowledges its essential role in modern medicine. Instead, he challenges practices to reconsider what happens to their waste and where small, achievable changes might be possible.
His philosophy is simple: “Waste is only waste if we waste it.” Meaningful change, he says, can start by aiming to do just 1% better.
In addition to Slater’s keynote, the 2026 AAPM National Conference offers four days of practical learning, with workshops and expert-led sessions covering workforce leadership, Medicare compliance, AI, patient engagement and practice performance.
There will also be opportunities to exchange ideas and connect with practice management professionals from across Australia.
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Hear Adam Slater and explore the full program at the 2026 AAPM National Conference in Brisbane, 13–16 October. Click here to view the program and register.
Register for the 2026 AAPM National Conference using code AAPMAUSDOC26 to save 10% on the full conference registration rate. The offer is available 3-14 October 2026.
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