As our healthcare system undergoes rapid transformation, it’s crucial to understand the impact these changes have on our workforce.
A future-ready health workforce can make health systems resilient, adaptable, and capable of meeting society’s ever-changing needs. However, translating technological and health complexities into practical applications takes time. Challenges such as organisational and cultural barriers, workforce shortages, training obstacles, slow adoption of new technologies like AI and virtual care, limited access to technology, frequent policy changes, distribution issues, health equity concerns, and the need to respond to global health trends are all slowing down progress.
The establishment of health precincts, the evolution of digital learning platforms, and conjoint positions are just a few initiatives designed to prepare the workforce for future advancements and support this ever-changing world. Through innovative research, teaching, and collaboration with academia, we can improve health for all Australians while addressing regional and global challenges that intersect with health, such as climate change, aging populations, and the rise of chronic diseases.
In a discussion led by Dr. Louise Messara, Director, Strategic Medical Operations Unit & Specialist Consultant, Workforce Planning and Talent Development Branch, NSW Health, experts from across the Australian health landscape will share insights into the future health workforce in Australia and explore how we can all contribute to and benefit from these developments.
Don’t miss the opportunity to join UNSW Medicine & Health, in partnership with NSW Health, the Future Workforce Unit, and the UNSW International Centre for Future Health Systems, for a captivating evening dedicated to reshaping health together.
Dr Kerry Chant leads the Population and Public Health Division which has accountabilities for a broad portfolio of issues, including tobacco control, reduction of risk drinking and obesity, the promotion of physical activity, end of life care and organ donation. She has a particular interest in the response to HIV, hepatitis C and hepatitis B and Aboriginal Health.
Dr Fizzell is a public health physician working in the Division of Population and Public Health within the NSW Ministry of Health. Day to day she provides advice and input on a wide range of health service delivery projects, including prevention programs. She supported the NSW Health COVID-19 response teams assisting the community, clinicians and other government agencies understand the latest information about COVID-19 in NSW. She is also a member of the NSW Health Artificial Intelligence taskforce and has had a long interest in equitable introduction of new evidence-based health technologies into NSW Health.
Karen worked as a primary healthcare nurse and manager in general practice since 1998. Roles include acute clinical care, preventative health and setting chronic disease management clinics in general practices, and care coordination, population health and data management, accreditation manager, practice administration, setting up systems, staff training and mentoring, workforce planning and business cases to ensure program sustainability.
Karen's main focus is preventative health care and utilizing surveillance, clinical data management and health checks to identify health problems or potential problems so that care, treatment and lifestyle change can be initiated early to prevent damage to a person’s health and well-being.
Karen is the current president and Board Chair of the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA). Karen holds several high level committee and advisory group positions at Federal health department levels including member of the 10 Year National Primary Health Plan, Health Reform Steering Group. She's held ministerial appointments on the Primary Health Care Advisory Group and the Committee for Safety of Vaccines. Karen's previous senior health reform advisory appointments also include the MBS Review General Practice Primary Care Clinical Committee (GPPCCC), The MBS Review Nurse Practitioner Reference Group, and the Allied Health Reference Group, the Diabetes Advisory Group (for diabetes coordinated care pilot), Practice Nurse Incentive Program Advisory Group.
Karen is often asked to speak on the role of nursing in general practice and advanced level general practice primary health care nursing. She's participated in advisory groups and education events for APNA, ACQSHC, AIHW, RACGP, NSW Health, Sydney University, Health Pathways advisory group for CESPHN/SLHD, former board member CSGPN.
Dr Michael Wright is a GP, health economist and health services researcher. Dr Wright currently works as a portfolio GP, combining clinical practice with strategic appointments (most recently with RACGP, Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network, Avant Mutual the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) and academic research analysing the effects of current health policy on the quality and performance of primary care. Dr Wright previously worked in London as a clinician, a Leadership Consultant with The King's Fund, and was a researcher at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Dr Wright completed his PhD at the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in 2019. His PhD investigated the impact of continuity of general practice care on health outcomes, and his research interests including health funding and health policy research into quality, efficiency and sustainability of health services.
Eleanor is the Head of School of Health Sciences and a Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics in the Faculty of Medicine & Health. Eleanore is the immediate past Chair of the Council of Deans of Nutrition and Dietetics (ANZ), a Fellow of Dietitians Australia and have more than 30 years experience in clinical practice and dietetics education. Eleanor is also a committee member for the Health Systems Research Executive Committee. Eleanor is particularly interested in curriculum, assessment and accreditation standards and has been part of expert working groups for reviews of the National Competency Standards for Dietitians, and the Advanced Accrediting Practising Dietitian and Fellow competency standards.
Eleanor is also interested in ensuring all health professionals have improved nutrition knowledge to ensure they can provide basic advice and understand when to refer to nutrition experts such as dietitians. Her clinical research includes close links with dietetics service delivery in hospitals while working with industry partners and international collaborators in grains research. Current projects include a review of both individual grains and fibres, as well as cereal fibre and whole grains generally, and their effects on metabolic health. Eleanor is an Honorary Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics in the School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, at the University of Wollongong.
Dr Louise Messara has held a diverse portfolio of leadership roles in the public and private health sectors as well as the corporate and not for profit environment.
Following early career success, leading her own communications agency in London, Louise completed a medical degree in Ireland. When she returned to Australia, she held clinical roles in the Northern Territory and NSW. Louise completed a Fellowship in Medical Administration and an Executive Masters in Public Administration, and held appointments as Director of Medical Services and Medical Director in both the public and private health systems in NSW.
With an established passion for improving patient care and the patient experience, as Executive Director of the Sony Foundation, Louise leveraged Sony’s commercial reputation and artistic resources to direct the organisation towards a nationally impactful legacy and establish Youth Cancer Centres across Australia. Then as ANZ Chief Executive of OneView Healthcare, she shepherded the global patient experience software company to impactful implementations in NSW, VIC and Queensland as well as successfully listing on the Australian Stock Exchange.
Louise joined the Ministry of Health as Executive Director, COVID-19 Specialist Support, as part of NSW Health’s response to the pandemic. She is the host of the Ministry’s Future Heath Podcast and is currently the Director of the Strategic Medical Operations Unit.
Professor Michael Kidd AO FAHMS is an Australian academic, primary care researcher, educator and clinician. He has a joint appointment as the inaugural Director of the International Centre for Future Health Systems at UNSW Sydney, and as Professor of Global Primary Care and Future Health Systems with the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford.
He is a member of the board of The George Institute for Global Health, Telstra Health, and Therapeutic Guidelines Limited, and chair of the Therapeutic Guidelines Foundation. He is a member of the Australian Government Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC). From 2020 to 2023, he served as Principal Medical Advisor and Deputy Chief Medical Officer with the Australian Government Department of Health, and as the foundation Professor of Primary Care Reform at the Australian National University. He is a Professorial Fellow with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Honorary Professor with the Department of General Practice at the University of Melbourne, Honorary Professor of Global Primary Care with the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University, and Adjunct Professor with the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto.
He was Professor and Chair of the Department of General Practice at the University of Sydney from 1996 to 2008, and the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Flinders University from 2009 to 2016, with responsibility for the university’s School of Medicine, School of Nursing and Midwifery, and School of Health Sciences, and the university’s health and medical research and education activities across South Australia and the Northern Territory. He was Chair of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto in Canada, Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Family Medicine and Primary Care, and Senior Innovation Fellow with the Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto from 2017 to February 2020. He has worked for over 35 years as a family doctor/general practitioner with special interests in the care of people with HIV, mental health and Indigenous health. He served two terms as the elected President of the RACGP from 2002 to 2006. He served as President of the World Organization of Family Doctors from 2013 to 2016. He is the Patron of the Australian General Practice Students Network and General Practice Registrars Australia.
