Congress Program

MC Welcome

Welcome to country

President's speech

President's speech to open Congress

Speaker

Christine Gee

Opening Keynote:

Chaos, Collapse, and Opportunity: What Comes Next for Private Healthcare

The Australian health system is under unprecedented pressure from workforce shortages and skyrocketing costs to policy dysfunction and patient access crises. This keynote will confront the uncomfortable truths: where government, insurers, and providers are failing, what patients are losing, and the decisive leadership actions required if private hospitals are to survive.

Speaker

Dr Nick Coatsworth

Session:

Mental health: A system in crisis

Despite being labelled a "national priority", Australia's mental health system continues to fail patients and providers alike. This session brings together the psychiatrist perspective, the lived experience of patients languishing on waiting lists, and the operational realities facing private hospitals.

Speakers

Dr Michelle Atchison - Director, RANZCP

Panel Session:

Robotics: The Future of surgery or just a fad - sponsored by Device Technology

With over 3 million patients treated with Robotic-Assisted Surgery in 2025 and more than 20 million procedures to date, join our expert panel to discuss if robotic surgery represents the future of surgery and how it fits in the Australian private healthcare landscape. The panel with their diverse experience will provide insights and different perspectives from within the private health care sector. The session will conclude with an open Q&A.

Speakers

Mei Romary - Digital Clinical Lead, Epworth Healthcare
A/Prof Stephen Pillinger - Consultant Colorectal Surgeon
Andrew Spillane - Chief Executive Officer, Westmead Private Hospital
Tim Daniel - Chief Operating Officer, Healthscope

Panel Session:

Who Really Controls Private Healthcare

With patients, insurers, hospitals, and government all pulling in different directions, who has the most influence over care, costs, and access and is the system working in patients' interests?

Speakers

David Swan - Consultant
Prof. Andrew Stripp - Group Chief Executive, Epworth HealthCare
Dr Lachlan Henderson - Chief Executive Officer, HBF

Breakfast session sponsored by Device Technology:

Actionable Insights - Using data to build a value based robotic surgery program

This breakfast session explores how hospitals can use meaningful data, not just utilization metrics to design and sustain a value-based robotic surgery program.

Speakers

John Dyason - General Manager, Robotics, Device Technologies
Gareth Craddock - Director of Transformation, Adventist Healthcare

MC Welcome

Keynote

Paying More for Less: The Premium Puzzle

Consumers are feeling the squeeze. With repeated premium "phoenixing," a sharp drop in coverage, rising out-of-pocket costs, and the ongoing confusion from product tier reforms since 2019, Australians are left wondering what their health insurance is really delivering. This session unpacks the drivers behind premium increases, the transparency gaps in the system, and the consumer frustration fueling the sense of "paying more for less." We will explore the implications for private hospitals, patient trust, and the urgent need for clarity and reform.

Speaker

Mark Blades - Data Journalist, CHOICE

Panel Session:

Health Insurance, Out-of-Pockets and the Trust Gap

Rising out-of-pocket costs are reshaping patient expectations and eroding confidence in private health insurance with direct consequences for private hospitals. This session examines the systemic causes of patient cost pressures, the implications for private hospitals, and the opportunities for industry-led reform to restore affordability without undermining care quality.

Speakers

Sharon Lawn - Executive Director, Lived Experience Australia
Amy-Lee Jade Weisse - Consumer
Dr Peter Sumich, Ophthalmologist, Australian Society of Ophthalmologists

People under pressure

From recruitment bottlenecks and skills shortages to burnout and industrial complexity, workforce pressures are reshaping hospital operations and risk profiles.

Speakers

David Bates - Managing Director, DHB Consulting
Dr. Angelo Virgona - President Elect, RANZCP
Barry Block - Chief People Officer, Epworth
Dr. Tony Hayek - STP Training program

Session:

The Hidden Costs of Integration

While often promoted as a path to efficiency and market control, vertical integration carries significant risks for patients. This session explores how integration can create operational complexity, dilute focus on quality services, and expose hospitals to financial and regulatory vulnerability.

Speakers

Danielle McMullin - President, AMA -
Andrew Goodsall - Senior Healthcare Analyst, MST Marquee

Session:

Viability, past the tipping point

Private hospitals are operating in an environment where costs are rising faster than revenue, workforce pressures are relentless, and policy settings lag reality. With structural flaws across funding, contracting and regulation, the private hospital system is being tested like never before. This session confronts the uncomfortable truths behind shrinking margins and growing risk, and focuses on the decisions, reforms and leadership approaches required to stabilise and future proof operations.

Speakers

Colby O'Brien - Partner, EY
Michael Perven - CEO, IHACPA

Concurrent session:

Rehabilitation Under Threat

Despite strong evidence of its role in reducing downstream costs and improving outcomes, rehabilitation is being deprioritised in health insurer contracts. This session explores why rehab is under pressure, the risks of exclusion for patients and hospitals and the consequences for recovery, re-admissions and system cost, and how private hospitals can respond.

Speakers

Judith Day - Director Healthcare Management & Partnerships, BUPA
Dr Kelly Dungey - Director, RMSANZ
Dr Stephen Milgate - CEO, Australian Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Lorrie Mohsen - CEO, Mt Wilga Private Hospital and Ramsay Health Care's National Rehabilitation Advisor

Breakfast session sponsored by Imprivata

MC Welcome

Session:

Access Denied: Medical Devices and Private Patients

Private patients often face barriers in accessing the latest medical devices, with funding gaps, insurer restrictions, and procurement policies creating inequities in care. This session examines how these limitations affect patient outcomes, hospital efficiency, and clinical decision-making.

Speakers

Ian Burgess - Chief Executive Officer, MTAA

Session:

The Next Chapter: The role of Government

The future of private healthcare will be shaped by the choices government makes and the quality of its partnership with the private sector. Moving beyond crisis management to genuine, long-term reform requires clear priorities, shared accountability and a willingness to confront what is not working.

Speakers

Kaleigh Leggett - Senior Director, Surgery Connect
Joanne Glover - South Australia Health
Cara Miller, CEO - North Eastern Community Hospital

Session:

When Choice Disappears: Birthing and maternity Time to deliver

For many women, access to private obstetric care is no longer guaranteed. This session confronts the structural and policy failures putting private obstetrics at risk, the implications for hospitals and clinicians, and what decisive leadership and reform are needed to protect choice and long-term service viability.

Speakers

Naomi Riley - ANMF

Closing keynote

APHA CEO Wrap up

Speaker

Brett Heffernan