Clinical Leaders
Clinical Leaders are a select group of practicing clinicians with diverse clinical backgrounds led by Melbourne GP and former Australian Medical Association President, Mukesh Haikerwal. The Clinical Leaders team has been assigned to various areas of our work program to provide an important sounding board for the development of our work in real world contexts and to advise on likely issues and appropriate mechanisms for engaging with clinical stakeholders.
| Clinical Leaders - Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, National Clinical Lead | |
|
Yvonne Allinson, Pharmacist
|
Henry Konopnicki, GP |
Clinical Leaders Biographies
Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, National Clinical Lead
In his role as National Clinical Lead, Dr Mukesh is responsible for leading a team of healthcare providers from multidisciplinary backgrounds, to assist in NEHTA’s liaison with the healthcare community and to provide input into the development of our work program to deliver e-health for Australia. A practicing General Practitioner, Dr Haikerwal is also the former head of the Federal Australian Medical Association (AMA) that is responsible for national policy development, lobbying with federal parliamentarians, co-ordinating activity across the AMA State entities and representing the AMA and its members nationally and internationally.
Yvonne Allinson
Yvonne Allinson is a pharmacist with a background in hospital pharmacy practice, in both clinical and management roles in Australia and overseas. Yvonne has also worked on the change management aspects of the information technology and telecommunications strategy for Victorian public hospitals. She has been a member of key government bodies on national medicines policy and e-health initiatives. Her current role is CEO of The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA), the peak professional membership organisation for continuing professional development and practice standards for Australian hospital pharmacists. Her current professional interests include continuity in medication management to bridge the gap between hospital and community, both before admission and at discharge; facilitating consumer empowerment as part of e-health developments via a shared current medication list that both consumers and health professionals can use to improve the use of medicines; the role of pharmacists, working in multidisciplinary teams, to improve the safe and effective use of medicines; using the medicines management pathway and an understanding of the interdependency of the nine key steps and three background processes to improve medicines use and the design of e-health systems; facilitating change in health care so as to maximise the efficiency, effectiveness, safety and quality of health care delivery, especially via e-health programs.
Dr John Aloizos
Dr John Aloizos AM is a graduate of the University of Queensland and has worked as a General Practitioner at Upper Mt Gravatt, Brisbane since 1977. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. John is currently the Chairman of Balanced! Healthcare Pty Ltd and Inala Primary Care Ltd and a Non-executive Board member of Australian General Practice Accreditation Ltd, Quality in Practice Pty Ltd and Attune Hearing Pty Ltd. John’s involvement in ICT includes: member of the Australian Health Information Council (AHIC 2003-2006), Chair of AHIC’s Electronic Decision Support Steering Committee (2003 -2006), Australian Medicines Terminology working party, (2004-2005), MediConnect Development Group (1999-2004) and the General Practice Computing Group (1998-2003). He has served on numerous other national advisory committees for general practice, primary care and health services. In January 2003, he was awarded a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia by the Australian Government for services to medicine, particularly medical administration, and the Australian Divisions of General Practice.
Dr Jenny Bartlett
Dr Jenny Bartlett has extensive experience in clinical practice improvement, clinical governance, the management of complex projects and operational management in health care. She has over 30 years of sector experience, including key roles in senior hospital management at major teaching hospitals. She spent five years as the Director of Quality and Safety and Chief Clinical Advisor in the Department of Human Services in Victoria, immediately prior to commencing work as an independent health care consultant. Her consultancy practice has involved work with a number of jurisdictions and organisations across the spectrum of healthcare, from the community to tertiary referral teaching hospitals. She has directed jurisdictional and national projects and contributed to the development of national health policy. She has had a career long interest in improving health care outcomes.
Dr Ashley Bennett
Dr Ashley Bennett completed a Bachelor of Medical Science in 1996 with a project involving the design and implementation of a computer-assisted diagnostic decision program, then completed his undergraduate medical training at the University of Western Australia in 2000. Having completed postgraduate training in radiology and becoming a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, he now works for Perth Radiological Clinic and Fremantle Hospital. Ashley has also been the webmaster for the Australian Medical Association (WA) since 1999 and has developed a state-wide online radiology teaching archive in Western Australia.
Dr Sharmila Biswas
Dr Sharmila Biswas started her General Practice career in Birmingham in the UK and has been working in General Practice, Community Controlled Indigenous Health, and Emergency Medicine in regional Queensland in Cairns for 15 years. She is acutely aware - on a daily basis - of the need, in Australia, for a reduction of duplication and of the potential for occurrence of adverse events, by the effective use of accessible Summary Health Records, medication management, and secure messaging between health providers utilising a common electronic clinical language.
Professor Tom Callaly
Professor Tom Callaly is Executive Director and Clinical Director of Mental Health, Drugs and Alcohol at Barwon Health: Mental Health and Clinical Professor, Deakin University. He has had an interest in Leadership and Management in mental health, benchmarking and practical aspects of the implementation of routine outcome measures and in the use of ICT in improving mental health service delivery. He has a Masters in Business Leadership and is a Fellow of the Australian Association of Quality in Healthcare.
Dr Pasqualina Coffey
Dr Pasqualina Coffey graduated from the University of Melbourne medical school in 2008, also completing a B. MedSci with Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin. In 2006 she undertook the role of Vice President for the Australian Medical Students' Association, largely being involved with issues surrounding medical education, training, and rural health. Completing her internship with Barwon Health in 2009, she is now a junior medical officer with the Royal Darwin Hospital, and continues to be involved in advocacy for pre-vocational doctors' training, development and welfare.
Ben Connell
After completing undergraduate training at Flinders University in 1994, Ben then undertook ophthalmology training in Melbourne. Ben worked in the NHS for four years (Manchester and London) between 2003 and 2006 where he did advanced training in corneal, cataract and refractive surgery and worked as a consultant at the Manchester Eye and Royal Oldham Hospitals. He has just completed a MPH from Manchester University. Ben holds a public appointment at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and work in a three-site group private practice.
Dr Peter Del Fante
Dr Peter Del Fante has a degree in Science (Physics and Neuroscience) and Computing Science and started his career as a computer programmer. He then moved into medicine, completing a medical degree at the University of Adelaide, followed by postgraduate training in Public Health Medicine, a Masters degree in Public Health Medicine and a postgraduate Certificate in Management from LaTrobe University. Peter works in private practice in Adelaide and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of practice management. He also works on strategic management and governance as CEO for a Division of General Practice.
Gail Easterbrook
Gail Easterbrook is a specialist clinical pharmacist in drug information at a South Australian public hospital. She teaches pharmacology to medical, pharmacy and nurse practitioner students and in 2007 achieved a Carrick Australian Award for university teaching of safe and effective medication management via an innovative e-learning platform, to all areas of Australasia. Gail has extensive experience with Pharmacy Dispensing Systems in hospital and community pharmacy, and has been involved in programs of ADR Prevention and Management research. In particular, she is interested in the development of ‘trigger tools’ to prevent patient re-exposure to previously encountered situations of drug-related harm, and has developed and maintained hospital-based systems of antibiotic stewardship.
Dr David Evans
Dr David Evans is Director of Medical Services at the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital in Brisbane and has specialist qualifications in medical administration and information technology. He has been published, presented and been involved in health informatics for over 20 years having contributed to the National Electronic Health Record Taskforce, the Better Medication Management System, Queensland Health’s Electronic Discharge Summary, the IHTDSO, the National Classification and Terminology Working Group, the Health Connect Clinical Advisory Committee and a number of other committees.
Dr Gary Frydman
Gary is a graduate of Monash University and vascular surgeon who is in practice in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne, where he runs a vascular laboratory. Gary has been interested in computing in Medicine since his PhD days in the mid eighties. Since commencing in private practice in 13 years ago he has been actively finding ways to communicate rapidly and effectively with his referring general practitioners as well as patients. He is currently exploring new methods of online patient information and informed consent over the internet.
Dr Trina Gregory
Dr Trina Gregory studied medicine in London at Charing Cross Hospital Medical School and did postgraduate training in oncology at Royal Marsden; and psychiatry at St Thomas’s Hospital. Trina has over 20 years experience in general practice in Australia and has been deeply involved in her local Division of General Practice, especially in chronic disease, IT HIV, Hep C and aged-care initiatives.
Dr Rob Hosking
Dr Rob Hosking has been interested in e-health since commencing his own practice in Bacchus Marsh in Victoria in 1990. He gained his Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics from Monash University in 2000. Rob was chair of the Privacy and Security working group of the General Practice Computing Group from 2002 until 2006 and saw a number of initiatives implemented during this time. He is a GP principal of an eight doctor semi-rural (procedural) practice.
Dr Leonie Katekar
Dr Leonie Katekar has 20 years of health sector experience and is an accomplished and experienced health leadership executive, consultant, project manager, educator and practitioner in the health services field with proven expertise and a track record of success. Dr Katekar is General Manager, Workforce, eHealth and Health Services for General Practice Network NT (GPNNT) where she is the project director for the implementation of a broad range of eHealth initiatives including secure electronic messaging, electronic transfer of prescriptions, advanced medication management in aged care, shared electronic health records and clinical audit tools for general practices.
Dr Tony Lembke
Dr Tony Lembke has been a partner at the Alstonville Clinic in Northern NSW since 1993. He is Clinical Director of the Australian Primary Care Collaborative Program, and chair of the Northern Rivers General Practice Network. He is also a director of the AGPN and a member of the NSW GP Advisory Council. Tony has a special interest in chronic disease management, open source software, and e-Health, having been Sydney University Medical Society Donkey Kong champion in 1983.
Dr Stephen Lew
Stephen Lew is a general practitioner in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. Previously a tutor/lecturer at the University of Melbourne, Stephen held a number of positions at the RACGP, leading to his tenure as the Director of Assessment at the RACGP from 1999-2003. After joining Western Health as the General Practice Liaison Officer in 2003, Stephen has worked on improving the timeliness and manner with which clinical information is transmitted between general practice and acute hospital. The major focus of this work has been directed at the possible improvements which better communication can bring, by using technology such as electronic messaging.
Dr Kean-Seng Lim
Dr Kean-Seng Lim is a graduate of Sydney University, and Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. He is a full time General Practitioner, working as a partner in a small group practice in Mt Druitt for the last 15 years, and is the Secretary of the Mt Druitt Medical Practitioners Association. He has previously served on the local Divisional Board and RACGP NSW Faculty Board. He has been extensively involved in e-health programs through the local Association and Division, and currently has a strong involvement in schools based obesity prevention programs although he would rather be out riding his bike more often.
Tim Logan
Tim Logan is a community pharmacist of nearly 30 years experience, currently based in Nambour, near Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. After graduating in Pharmacy from UQ, he practiced as a pharmacist in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Atherton and Townsville. He is the President of the Queensland Branch, and Senior National Vice-President, of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, the Guild's nominee for, and Deputy Chair of, the Queensland Pharmacist’s Board, and Chair of the Pharmacy Guild’s IT committee and Constitution committee. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and of the Australian College of Pharmacy Practice and Management.
Dr Trevor Lord
Dr Trevor Lord specialises in industrial medicine, workers compensation, and electronic medical records in General Practice. He has been a medical computing writer for Australian Doctor. Trevor has been a member of numerous committees: among them the RACGP Practice Management Committee, National Medical Computing Committee, IBM Expert Panel, Management Committee General Practice Computing Group, National Electronic Health Record Taskforce, and AMA IT Expert Advisory Group 2000.
Sue McIndoe
Sue McIndoe has 32 years experience as a Registered Nurse and Midwife in hospital and community health settings in Queensland, Victoria and the Northern Territory. Sue developed an interest in informatics in the 1988 when she completed a ‘Computing for Nurses’ subject as part of a nursing degree. She has since done post graduate studies in Health Administration and Information Systems. Sue is currently employed by Royal District Nursing Service in Melbourne where she manages the Informatics department. Sue is also on the executive committees of Nursing Informatics Australia and the Victorian Branch of the Health Informatics Society Australia.
Andrew Miller
After starting a career as a secondary science teacher, Andrew trained as a radiation oncologist working in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. He also had a stint as company director of Oncology Information Services. He now works as a radiation oncologist in regional NSW and undertakes university based research in Informatics where he'd like to produce an oncologist's information system to properly handle oncology knowledge and provide a clinical scaffold for basic and applied informatics research in cancer. With his work at Nehta, he hopes to provide clinical insights into specialist requirements, as well as develop the agenda of medical knowledge.
Dr Stewart Morrison
Dr Morrison is a surgical resident at Western Hospital Melbourne, as well as being heavily involved in the Australian Medical Association Victoria's (AMAVic) Doctor in Training (DiT) Subdivision, currenly being Vice President and Communications Officer.
Dr Christopher Pearce
Dr Christopher Pearce has trained in both General Practice and Rural & Remote Medicine. He currently works in general practice, anesthetics and emergency medicine in Melbourne. A fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, he has held several board positions within the divisions of General Practice network, including the peak body, AGPN. Christopher has been active in health informatics for many years, commencing with the federal government's Information Management Strategy Group, and then the General Practice Computing Group. He has a PhD on the impact of computers in general practice, and has lectured here and overseas on the social effects of computers, as well as published several articles on the subject.
Professor Bernard Pearn-Rowe
Professor Bernard Pearn-Rowe has been a GP for over 30 years. He is a former Chair of the RACGP, President of the AMA, and Chair of WAGPET – the Western Australian GP Training Consortium. He has a long involvement in ethics in medicine and in medico-legal medicine. His current appointments are Foundation Professor and Head of Discipline of General Practice at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Convenor of the Federal AMA Council of General Practice, and member of the Commonwealth Professional Services Review. For many years a solo, full time GP, he now practices half time in a large group practice in Applecross, WA.
Dr Nathan Pinskier
Dr Nathan Pinskier is a Melbourne GP with an extensive involvement in primary health care. He specialises in practice management systems, information technology, change management and general practice accreditation. Nathan holds a diploma in Practice Management from the University of New England Partnerships and holds fellowships with the Australian Association of Practice Managers (FAAPM) and the Australian Association for Quality in Healthcare (FAAQHC). Nathan was involved in the development and implementation of the information security standards for the general practice sector. He has a special interest in developing business applications that leverage the capacity of the Internet.
David Stokes
David Stokes has been involved in the health system in a number of roles over the years. While working as a Director of Psychology in a Victorian hospital, he also became involved in allied health matters, including chairing the National Allied Health Classification Committee which developed standard data items for allied health practitioners in all health settings. David has also been a practicing clinical neuropsychologist for over 30 years in both hospital and private practice settings. For the past seven years, as Senior Manager of Professional Practice at the Australian Psychological Society, David has been lobbying the Government on major issues affecting not only psychologists but other allied health care professionals. David was involved in negotiating Medicare rebates for psychologists and other allied health as well as access to electronic billing. So both his professional practice role and his allied health involvement have led to his interest in such issues as patient privacy, shared electronic health records, practice software, and researching the efficacy of “self help” e-health websites.
Dr Jeff Urquhart
Jeff Urquhart has trained in both General Practice and Sports Medicine as well as undertaking undergraduate studies in computer science. He currently is working in Geelong as the GP Liaison Officer for Barwon Health and has a part-time position as clinical assistant in the Orthopaedic Department Jeff is also a part-time GP in a group practice in Geelong West. He has been involved in Health Informatics for 10 years with a previous position in the ITIM program for the local division of General Practice. Jeff has presented at several health informatic conferences in the area of encrypted health messaging. He is involved in regional health projects promoting the use of ehealth messaging, electronic health records in a hospital environment, a statewide service provider index and electronic referral guidelines for GPs.
Dr Chris Wagner
Dr Chris Wagner is the General Practitioner and Medical Educator working in the southern metropolitan area of Adelaide. He is also a Senior Lecturer at the Department of General Practice at Flinders University in South Australia. Chris has worked in metropolitan and rural practices and community where he was involved with the development of telemedicine and computing services within rural health education and training. He has been involved with health informatics since the mid-70s as well as health delivery, management and education through the Colleges, Divisions of General Practice, Australian Council of Healthcare Standards, and member of the AMA Council of General Practice, SA Branch.
Dr Peter Garcia-Webb
Dr Peter Garcia-Webb is a graduate from Guy’s Hospital Medical School and emigrated to Australia in 1970. As a Chemical Pathologist he acquired extensive experience in research, teaching, public sector, private sector and to a lesser extent international Chemical Pathology. Later in his career he was involved with senior management. He was a member for some years and later Chair of the AMA Committee on E-Health.
Associate Professor Peter Woodruff
President of the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS), Peter is a vascular surgeon based in Brisbane. He is the immediate past President of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Vascular Surgery. Following surgical training in the UK and USA he returned to Australia as a Senior Lecturer at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. He became involved with renal transplantation and moved to Princess Alexandra Hospital to participate in the newly developed specialised vascular unit and subsequently became the Director. He was elected to the Council of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in l997, and was Vice President in 2002-2003. He is a Fellow of the AMA and a past President of the Australian Association of Surgeons. He is a member of the Medical Board of Queensland, a consultant to the HQCC and is on the Private Practice Committee of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare. He was recently elected to the Board of ISQua.