As CEO of Latrobe Health Services and Non-Executive Director at the Australian Health Service Alliance (AHSA), can you tell us about your path to leadership roles within the healthcare sector?

I commenced my career in the Australian health insurance sector back in the early 2000s with Medibank, spending seven great years learning the ropes and contributing to one of Australia’s leading health insurers.

I then relocated to New Zealand and joined Sovereign Assurance, one of the biggest players in the life and insurance space at the time. During my two years there, I worked in their risk-rated health insurance arm and gained valuable insights that continued to shape my approach to the industry.

In my following role with CBA, I moved to Indonesia, where I relished building teams in life insurance, health insurance and the investments business. It was an incredibly dynamic, fast-paced environment. The mix of cultures and rich history had a big impact on me. It was a rewarding chapter that was a significant period of growth in my career.

In 2018, I found my way back to Australia and took on the senior leadership helm of Latrobe Health Services. Alongside providing health insurance, we’re proud to own and operate Maryvale Private Hospital, a not-for-profit hospital in Gippsland, Victoria, where I also serve on the board.

It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m grateful to be part of an organisation that is purpose led, not-for-profit and gives back to members to improve people’s health.

How have your experiences leading healthcare organisations across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia shaped your strategies for improving patient care and operational efficiency?

It has been a privilege to work across a number of countries and organisations. No matter the location or role, the common thread is the customer’s expectation that they can navigate the health system seamlessly. We are proud that in our recent survey, 85% of Latrobe Health Services members agreed they have the information they need to make informed decisions about their healthcare needs.

Another way to ensure a patient’s seamless experience is the innovative use of technology, in both our backend and patient-facing systems. Integrating services through efficient technology and collaborative teams creates holistic care solutions that maintain operational excellence and provide personalised care.

No matter the location or role, the common thread is the customer’s expectation that ‎they can navigate the health system seamlessly

At Latrobe Health Services, I’ve applied these insights with a focus on community wellbeing and support, at a grassroots level. Also serving on the board of Maryvale Private Hospital, I’ve prioritised strategies that streamline processes, invest in technology, and support staff, ensuring that patient care remains compassionate and efficient.

What strategies do you believe are critical for healthcare organisations to foster innovation while ensuring patient safety, accessibility, and affordability?

At the heart of everything we do lies patient safety, accessibility, and affordability – it’s about getting the balance right, and that’s never easy. These challenges shift and vary across different geographical areas, each with its own unique pressures and priorities.

At Latrobe Health Services, our purpose is firmly rooted in finding and maintaining that balance. It takes courage to ask ourselves, time and again, “Is there a better way to deliver what our members need?” That drive to always improve pushes us to challenge our own processes, making sure we’re not just sticking to the status quo but actively looking for ways to do things more innovatively. 

This mindset extends beyond our immediate surroundings. Whether it’s here in Australia or looking overseas, we’re constantly exploring what we can learn and leverage from others. It’s about keeping an open mind and being inspired by new ideas and innovations that can help us create fresh, personalised solutions for our members.

What strategies are in place at Latrobe Health Services to meet the evolving needs of its customers and stay competitive?

Latrobe Health Services provides a highly competitive offering. We recently ran a special promotion offering current members two weeks free upon completion of a free Shane Warne Legacy Health Check.

Our support of Phoenix Australia, the Australian National Centre of Excellence in Posttraumatic Mental Health, has enabled funding for bulk-billed, no-gap telehealth assessment and short-term care for regional and rural Victorians.

Latrobe Health Services and the Trauma Psychiatry Clinic enabled 284 eligible Victorians to access bulk-billed specialist mental health services, providing more than 1,614 bulk-billed appointments from November 2022 to August 2024 and saving them approximately A$270,000. As a result of this work, an incredible 60% of patients recovered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 73% reported a significant improvement in PTSD symptoms, and, overall, 83% agreed or strongly agreed they could better self-manage their mental health.

How does Latrobe Health Services, through its ownership of Maryvale Private Hospital, plan to address the growing healthcare demands in the area while maintaining high-quality medical and surgical services?

Maryvale Private Hospital has been part of the Gippsland and East Gippsland community for over 30 years. We’re a not-for-profit hospital, so everything we do is about supporting our community close to home.

In 2023, we gave Maryvale Private a massive $16 million upgrade, which has seen the addition of two new theatres, an upgrade to an existing theatre, and 19 additional beds. The project also created a new central sterilising service department, admissions centre, a pre-surgical waiting area, and expanded consulting areas. The hospital now supports 14 medical specialties and employs 129 permanent staff.

By focusing on initiatives that help people stay healthy, we aim to reduce the incidence ‎of chronic illnesses, improve overall wellbeing, and support members and our wider ‎community in living longer, more fulfilled lives

Maryvale Private Hospital helps relieve pressure on public emergency departments, taking overflow from the public system. Patients not requiring intensive care can bypass emergency and be admitted to Maryvale Private Hospital within 30 minutes in a streamlined process in conjunction with their GP. In 2024, 1,570 public hospital patients were cared for at Maryvale Private.

We’re also excited about expanding what we can offer, investing in some impressive new clinical services like robotic surgery. Maryvale Private has become the first regional hospital in Australia to offer the CORI System, a world-class knee replacement technology.

Latrobe Health Services has a strong focus on providing preventative care initiatives. What is the driver for this and how do you ensure seamless collaboration and delivery with your partners?

Our commitment to preventative care stems from the belief that prevention is better than cure. By focusing on initiatives that help people stay healthy, we aim to reduce the incidence of chronic illnesses, improve overall wellbeing, and support members and our wider community in living longer, more fulfilled lives. It’s about empowering people to take control of their health before problems arise, which helps to avoid the physical, emotional, and financial strain of managing health episodes.

We are selective about the partners we work with to ensure our programmes are impactful, accessible and meet the needs of communities nationwide, including rural and regional Australians. For example, the success we have achieved as the founding partner of the Shane Warne Legacy has resulted from working with partners who bring the expertise, vision and drive needed to not only improve health outcomes for Aussies but set a strong example for the health industry. The partnership has delivered over 260,000 Shane Warne Legacy Health Checks and our research is showing real behaviour change in participants. In fact, 46% of health check participants have made improvements to their diet or physical activity, and 26% of health check participants believe their health check potentially saved their life.

What trends or challenges do you foresee in healthcare, particularly in digital health and patient-centred care, and how should organisations prepare for them?

In the digital age of healthcare, keeping patient data safe and secure is one of the biggest challenges. From electronic health records to telehealth services and wearable tech, there’s more sensitive information floating around than ever before.

Cybercriminals are getting smarter and targeting healthcare systems specifically, knowing how critical patient data is. On top of that, with so many devices collecting and sharing health data, privacy can easily become a concern for patients.

To tackle this, healthcare organisations need to be unwavering in their commitment to maintaining the highest level of security. This challenge cannot be solved by technology alone; it is also about educating the public about how to stay safe in a digital world, educating staff, our members and patients.