AIIA Regional Health IT Update 2021

Details

Please note this event is in AEDT

Welcome back to the AIIA Health briefings. To kick off 2021 we have invited three prominent Health Executives to give our members an update on what is key to their regional health service IT plans for the year ahead.

As we all know, there are many major programs of work underway across all districts, many accelerated by the COVID crisis. This briefing will focus on the particular challenges of the districts which serve the rural population of Australia.

Our speakers will bring us up to date with how they cope with these major projects across large geographic areas without having the staffing resources of the metro areas, whilst continuing to deliver quality care to patients.

They will also explore the changing face of ICT in healthcare, as it moves from being historically a back-office function towards delivering front-line support 24×7. This change raises major funding and staffing sustainability challenges that all health services are currently confronting.

The presenters will join our MC for a Q&A panel where you will be able to ask your questions not covered in the presentation or questions you have been wanting to ask but haven’t yet had the opportunity.

Speaker

Jacinta Ducat

B.BUS, B.COMP, CHIA

Jacinta Ducat has over 25 years in ICT strategy and project related roles, with a history of improving work practices by initiating and managing process improvements in both the Finance and Health sectors.
Jacinta commenced her career in consulting in both Melbourne and Sydney, working for Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young Consulting before moving into the Finance industry.  Here she was responsible for introducing best practice systems and processes as well as developing strategy before joining Albury Wodonga Health.
Jacinta entered the health sector in 2014 when she moved to Albury and joined Albury Wodonga Health to establish a Project Management Office, and moved to the CIO role after the first year.  The scope of the CIO role covers Information Technology and Corporate Records, with the focus on developing and implementing digital health strategy that aligns with organisational, state and national strategies to support the maturity uplift of Albury Wodonga Health.  Jacinta is a member of various Victorian Department of Health CIO and IT related forums to represent the interests of Albury Wodonga Health and provide a voice for regional and rural health services.
During this time Jacinta has also held a board role at St Johns Village, a residential aged care facility.During this time Jacinta has also held a board role at St Johns Village, a residential aged care facility.

Helen Murray

Chief Information Officer, Rural and Remote, Queensland Health

Helen Murray is the Chief Information Officer, Rural and Remote and works across North West, Central West and South West Hospital and Health Services. Covering 1.0 million sq. km’s the role works across more than half of Queensland’s 1.8 million sq. km’s and some of the most remote areas receiving health services from Queensland Health.

Helen Murray is the Chief Information Officer, Rural and Remote and works across North West, Central West and South West Hospital and Health Services. Covering 1.0 million sq. km’s the role works across more than half of Queensland’s 1.8 million sq. km’s and some of the most remote areas receiving health services from Queensland Health.

As one of the founding members of the National E-Health Transition Authority (now Australian Digital Health Agency), Helen was instrumental in establishing many of the key building blocks necessary for My Health Record. Helen has held senior roles in private industry delivering some of Australia and New Zealand’s first nurse-led triage call centres after spending several years with NHS Scotland.

In recognition of her commitment to better healthcare through innovative technology she was the recipient of the 2011 Women in Technology Professional Award and in 2014 Women in Technology Outstanding ICT Achievement award and named as the Women in Technology ICT Ambassador for 2014.

Originally from the Darling Downs, Helen is a practising Registered Nurse of over 30 years with both hospital-based and tertiary qualifications, including a Bachelor of Nursing and a Graduate Certificate of Information Technology. Helen brings extensive experience as a Company Director serving on several not-for-profit Boards in the education and healthcare sector.  She is a member of the Australian College of Nursing, Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, Women on Boards and Women in Technology and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Peter Shiells

CIO of Illawarra-Shoalhaven Local Health District, NSW

Peter is an experienced IT executive with a track record of developing and leading IT teams to design and implement cost-effective enterprise-wide communications, software and hardware solutions, with emphasis on increased productivity for end users and alignment with business objectives.

Peter is an experienced IT executive with a track record of developing and leading IT teams to design and implement cost-effective enterprise-wide communications, software and hardware solutions, with emphasis on increased productivity for end users and alignment with business objectives.

He was appointed Chief Information Officer at Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District in October 2018 following 4 years in Strategy and Program Management  with Sydney Local Health District and a previous background in Strategy, Architecture, Planning and Program Management in a number of local and Multinational organisations.