The Biggest and Most Influential Healthcare Exhibition In The Southern Hemisphere
11-12 March 2026 | ICC, Sydney
Healthcare 2040 Day Two: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Health Facilities Design & Development Day One: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Health Facilities Design & Development Day Two: Thursday,20 March 2025
Healthcare 2040 Day One: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Healthcare 2040 Day Two: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Aged Care Transformation Day One: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Aged Care Transformation Day Two: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Digital Health Day One: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Digital Health Day Two: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Care Reimagined Day One: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Care Reimagined Day Two: Thursday, 20 March 2025
9:00 am - 9:10 am
Opening Remarks from the Chair
Bettina McMahon -
Chief Executive Officer,
Healthdirect Australia
9:10 am - 9:40 am
Keynote Panel | Shaping the Future of Care: Strategic Priorities for the Healthcare Industry in 2040
Bettina McMahon -
Chief Executive Officer,
Healthdirect Australia
Sinéad O'Brien - Deputy Chief Executive Strategy and Governance, SA Health
Robert Marshall - Chief Strategy Officer, St Vincent's Health Australia
Stewart Dowrick - Experienced Health Leader and Advisor, Former Mid North Coast LHD
- Exploring the role of leadership in driving transformative innovation
- Balancing cost, quality, and accessibility in delivering patient-centric care
- Preparing for the next generation of workforce needs through technology and training
9:40 am - 10:00 am
Keynote | The future of the healthcare workforce: Blending human Touch with technological innovation in patient care
Bettina McMahon -
Chief Executive Officer,
Healthdirect Australia
- Exploring the ways in which clinician and care roles will evolve over the coming decades as AI and automation reshapes responsibilities and opportunities in healthcare
- Ensuring that technology complements rather than replaces human interactions by integrating advanced technologies into care delivery without sacrificing empathy
- Preparing the workforce with digital skills and continuous training, equipping them to work effectively alongside AI and robotics
- Balancing innovation with human-centered care, envisioning a future where technology enhances patient outcomes while preserving compassionate care
10:00 am - 10:40 am
Panel discussion | Expanding Access: Future Strategies for Equitable Healthcare Delivery
Dana Mouwad -
Manager Strategic Partnership and Programs/Director of the Health Literacy Hub,
Western Sydney LHD
Simone Sandler - Head of Strategy and Planning, Enterprise Services, St Vincent's Health
Brigitte Sigl - Consumer Consultant, Consultant
Justine Swan-Castine - Director Aboriginal Engagement and Strategy Unit, Alice Springs Hospital
Bettina McMahon - Chief Executive Officer, Healthdirect Australia
Patrick Torres - Aboriginal Cultural Coordinator, NT Health
- Addressing health literacy and English language barriers to ensure all patients can access and understand their healthcare options
- Enhancing healthcare access for remote and rural areas through telehealth and mobile health services
- Prioritising culturally appropriate and person-centred care for Indigenous communities by ensuring that healthcare systems and providers are aware of and responsive to Indigenous Australians’ cultural needs and experiences
- Innovating approaches to meet diverse accessibility needs, promoting inclusive and equitable healthcare for all communities
Dana Mouwad
Manager Strategic Partnership and Programs/Director of the Health Literacy HubWestern Sydney LHD
Justine Swan-Castine
Director Aboriginal Engagement and Strategy UnitAlice Springs Hospital
Patrick Torres
Aboriginal Cultural CoordinatorNT Health
10:40 am - 11:00 am
Keynote Presentation | Leveraging AI for timely diagnosis and management of ear disease in remote communities
Dr. Jafri Kuthubutheen -
Clinical Professor,
University of Western Australia
- Exploring the transformative role of AI and telehealth in ear disease diagnosis for remote areas and communities where the burden of ear disease is high
- Discussing insights from a collaborative study with the University of Western Australia’s AI unit to integrate AI into the diagnostic workflow, offering GPs a reliable tool for diagnosing and managing ear disease
- Exploring AI’s potential to support GPs to not just diagnose but also manage ear disease in circumstances when ENT specialists are not readily available
- Examining practical considerations in clinical workflows to ensure AI solutions are seamlessly integrated, acting as a digital assistant that can initiate treatment plans and reduce the time to care for patients with hearing diseases
11:00 am - 11:30 am
Panel discussion | Redefining efficiency and patient flow management by integrating AI in hospital operations
Bettina McMahon -
Chief Executive Officer,
Healthdirect Australia
Dr. Todd Miller - Medical Director, Healthdirect Australia
Amith Shetty - Clinical Director System Sustainability and Performance, NSW Ministry of Health
Dr. Jafri Kuthubutheen - Clinical Professor, University of Western Australia
- Examining applications of AI to optimise hospital operations through predictive staffing and resource allocation
- Highlighting the use of AI tools in managing patient flow and reducing waiting times in healthcare facilities
- Enhancing operational efficiency through AI driven predictive maintenance for medical equipment
- Utilising AI-driven insights to improve patient satisfaction and care outcomes
11:30 am - 12:00 pm
Networking Break
12:00 pm - 12:40 pm
Panel Discussion | Getting a Head Start – What Will the Lab of the Future Look Like?
Juliana Iles-Mann -
ICT Program Director - Client and Business Services and Fusion (SWLIMS),
NSW Health Pathology
Ellen Otte - Director, Cell Culture and Cell and Gene Therapy Development , CSL
Kumaran Mani - Associate Director Business Development & Head of Innovation Hub, AstraZeneca
Figuring out what the ultimate “Lab 4.0” looks like is a tough task, but to be successful in your digital journey, it is important to focus on your goals as a business, and what suits objectives and your staff most. Different methods will suit different organisations – perhaps certain tasks must remain manual for your scientists to be efficient, while others are in dire need of digitalisation to drive efficiency and save lead time and costs. The question of finding a balance remains: will the lab of the future be fully automated, or is there a risk of creating complexity? Join our round-up panel discussion to hear what lab leaders wish to focus on going forward.
Juliana Iles-Mann
ICT Program Director - Client and Business Services and Fusion (SWLIMS)NSW Health Pathology
12:40 pm - 1:00 pm
Linking NSW’s 64 Pathology Labs with Unified Lab Information Management System
Juliana Iles-Mann -
ICT Program Director - Client and Business Services and Fusion (SWLIMS),
NSW Health Pathology
As a key element of the SDPR rollout, New South Wales Health Pathology’s are implementing a single Lab Information Management System (LIMS). The project aims to enhance patient safety, quality, access, and equity while rethinking how pathology services are to delivered long-term. By centralising manual processes and data, NSW Pathology aims to reduce manual processing and inform and support cross functional data sharing.
- Supporting a strategic shift towards utilising pathology data for population health insights and disease prediction
- Focusing on change management and informing decisions by studying previous LIMS implementations
- Showcasing the phased implementation approach
Juliana Iles-Mann
ICT Program Director - Client and Business Services and Fusion (SWLIMS)NSW Health Pathology
1:00 pm - 1:20 pm
Presentation | Increasing Digital Innovation: How AI Can Help to Make Use of Experimental Data in the Laboratory and During Product Development
Sally Gras -
Professor & Director, ARC Digital Bioprocess Development Hub,
University of Melbourne
Digital innovation offers opportunities for new data-driven insights, products and services that can assist laboratories, including those involved in biotech and biopharmaceutical development. In this talk, Sally will discuss how AI and machine learning can be used, drawing on practical examples from The ARC Digital Bioprocess Development Hub. Sally will outline how experimental data can help to train new models to increase yield, reduce experimental time and potentially increase product stability, as well the barriers to deployment of these models and governance considerations. The need for increased digital literacy and opportunities for upskilling the Australian workforce will also be discussed.
Sally Gras
Professor & Director, ARC Digital Bioprocess Development HubUniversity of Melbourne
1:20 pm - 2:00 pm
Panel Discussion | Commercialising Your Healthcare Innovations and Connecting with the Right Stakeholders In a Competitive Health & MedTech Ecosystem
Joseph Po -
Health 10x Program Manager, UNSW Founders,
UNSW Founders
Kumaran Mani - Associate Director Business Development & Head of Innovation Hub, AstraZeneca
Emily Casey - Founder | Investor, What The Health | Side Stage Ventures
Exploring the challenges and opportunities faced by healthcare startups in translating scientific or technological innovations into market-ready solutions.
- How do startups align their innovations with the needs of healthcare providers, patients, and payers?
- What strategies should startups use to connect with key stakeholders, including physicians, regulatory bodies and investors?
- Highlighting the importance of product commercialisation – how can startups navigate the complexities of market adoption, especially when their products are technically advanced but may be misaligned or undervalued?
- How can startups effectively navigate complex approval processes (e.g., TGA, FDA) and ensure compliance while maintaining agility in their development process?
2:00 pm - 3:20 pm
Start-Up Pitchfest!
Listen to pitches from our four PitchFest finalists, including:
Kraken Coding
Misti
Critical Info
Vikhanden
