Julie Heraghty, Macular Degeneration Foundation CEO

Topic: Macular Degeneration Foundation and Patient Support - Helping you help your patients

When: 1200 to 1300, Sunday 20 November 2011

Julie Heraghty (BA DipEd )has spent seven years as Chief Executive Officer of the Macular Degeneration Foundation and prior to this seven years as a senior Policy Advisor to NSW State Ministers across three major portfolios. Her career began as a secondary school teacher and registered psychologist working in schools with students, teachers and parents. Julie has served as a Director and Manager in major government departments across Education and Training, Fair Trading and Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources. She has also served in local government as Deputy Mayor and has worked voluntarily for many charitable causes.

This session will address:

• The Macular Degeneration Foundation’s upcoming awareness campaign
• Access and affordability of treatment and low vision aids and services
• The Foundation’s newest publications and services
• The Foundation’s new research grants program.

Dr Bradley Horsburgh, ASO President

Topic: Practice Management Costs and the MBS.

When: 1400 to 1530, Sunday 20 November 2011

Dr Brad Horsburgh, MS BS (QLD), FRANZCO is a comprehensive ophthalmologist specialising in cataract surgery and adult strabismus. He was trained on the Queensland ophthalmology training program and completed his specialty education in United Kingdom, as part of the Western England senior registrar training program. His public appointment is undertaken at the Royal Brisbane Hospital and his private surgery is performed at Queensland Eye Hospital. Dr Horsburgh is actively involved in undergraduate and registrar training and travels annually interstate and overseas to maintain his skills.

Associate Professor Alex P Hunyor

Topic: MBS Review committee

When: 1600 to 1630, Sunday 20 November 2011

Alex is a Sydney-based vitreoretinal surgeon and macular specialist. He is the director of Retina Associates and a member of the Vitreoretinal Unit at Sydney Eye Hospital. He is Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of Vitreoretinal Services at the Australian School of Advanced Medicine, Macquarie University; and a Clinical Senior Lecturer and member of the Retinal Therapeutics Research Unit at the University of Sydney. Alex is the Chair of the RANZCO Medicare Advisory Committee, and has been involved in the Medicare Benefits Schedule Quality Framework Review as an advisor and member of the Clinical Working Group.

Susi Tegen, CEO RANZCO

Topic: RANZCO Update

When: 0900 to 1000, Monday 21 November 2011

Susi Tegen (MBA Melbourne, BA Adelaide, FAICD, Dip Ed UNE, and FARLP) is the Chief Executive of RANZCO. She is on the Board of the Adelaide Western General Practice Network and the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.

Her role at RANZCO over the last year has involved considerable review and change to develop the future purpose and strategy of RANZCO in a rapidly changing environment. She believes that RANZCO, although small from a medical college perspective, has the enviable advantage of having a tight knit fellowship and being lean enough to respond quickly. In addition, as an institution which sets the standards for Ophthalmologists, RANZCO has the active support and involvement of more than a third of its Fellows, through special interest groups, examination and curriculum committees and policy development.

Susi is motivated by the ability of ordinary people achieving extra ordinary things. It is often the smallest thing that provides inspiration and the will. She has admired the ability of individuals and communities to “pull themselves together” and achieve wonderful outcomes.

Susi has a passion for medicine and primary industries having started and held roles as CEO of a Division of General Practice where she focused on computerisation of general practice, workforce and succession planning, doctor’s health programs and accreditation.

She held the role of Managing Director of Fresh Rare Enticing Eyre an Agribusiness focusing on value adding and grain marketing and has been Deputy Chair of FarmBis and FarmSafety SA as the Minister of Agriculture’s nominee.

Her work with local government, hospital boards, industry and community groups in developing their strategic direction and advocacy has allowed her to work across sectors to achieve sustainable outcomes for communities which have been affected by drought, monopolies and international trade issues.

Susi won the RIRDC SA Rural Woman of the year in 2009, was the Telstra SA Nokia Innovation award recipient, a national finalist for the Nokia Innovation award for her role as Managing Director of FRE Eyre, is an SA Great recipient for an agricultural injury prevention program involving GPs and more recently for across industry and community general practice workforce planning..

Dr Andrew Laming, MP

Topic: Where next with Medicare & private health cover

When: 1030 to 1130, Monday 21 November 2011

Dr Andrew Laming graduated medicine (1990) and ophthalmology (2002) before transitioning to Federal Parliament in 2004.

Other career highlights include remote and rural family practice in 1991, sports medicine in South Africa, a Diploma of Obstetrics in London, landmine clearing and ICRC war surgery in Afghanistan in 1992. After public health research in Lajamanu with Menzies in 1995 and specialist Ophthalmology training (1999), Laming completed a Harvard MPA (2000) before joining the World Bank Group as a consultant in human development. From there he was seconded to the East Timor Transitional Authority in 2001 as a health planning specialist. He earned a Master of Philosophy in Public Health from University of Sydney, looking at antibiotic treatment of trachoma in remote communities and a Master of Public Policy from Charles Darwin University for cost benefit analysis of remote diabetic screening.

After working as medical advisor to then Health Minister Kay Patterson in 2002, he was a major reviewer of Indigenous community organisations with ATSIC and worked as an Ophthalmologist, before winning the seat of Bowman, which incorporates Brisbane’s bayside and bay islands. Laming is Australia’s most innovative user of social media in politics and in 2010 was appointed the Coalition spokesperson for Indigenous Health and Regional Health Services and Eye health. He is a qualified personal trainer and enjoys triathlon.

Speaker: Mr Sheldon White
Medicare National Manager for eClaiming and eHealth,
Health eBusiness Division, Department of Human Services - Medicare

Topic: Medicare eBusiness

When: 1130 to 1300, Monday 21 November 2011

Sheldon White has been working in the Department of Human Services (and its predecessors) for 15 years. Some of his core achievements during this period have include the implementation of major initiatives such as Maternity Immunisation Allowance and the Family Assistance Office. He has also been responsible for systems implementations, compliance and fraud investigations.

In early 2011, he was appointed National Manager to the eClaiming and eHealth branch, where he currently is primarily responsible for the take-up of electronic claiming in relation to electronic patient claims at the doctors’ surgeries and also with the private health insurance sectors.

Sheldon is representing the Health eBusiness Division which focuses on strategies and program design for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of Medicare’s eBusiness channels through, optimising the use of eClaiming systems, implementing streamlined online solutions, delivering Connected Authentication (a core building block for Service Delivery Reform), contributing to the Australian Government's eHealth strategy and administering the Healthcare Identifier Service.

Sheldon studied at Oxford, gaining an MBA specialising in E-Commerce in 2002. In his spare time Sheldon obviously enjoys cooking.

Dr Michael Steiner, AMA, President NSW

Topic: Medico Legal Issues

When: 1400 to 1530, Monday 21 November 2011

Dr Michael Steiner is an Ophthalmologist whose main interests are: cataract, glaucoma and refractive laser surgery.
He is an Approved Medical Specialist to the NSW Workers Compensation Commission.
He was involved for many years with the College and in 2000 served as President .
He has been, and still is, on numerous committees of RANZCO, ASO, AMANSW and Federal AMA, and is a director of AMACOM.
Currently he is the President of AMANSW.
He was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2003 and elected a Fellow. of the AMA in2006.

Colleen Sullivan, Practice Management Educator

Topic: AAPM 2011 National Salary Survey Results / Social Media – where does it fit in the healthcare practice?

When: 1600 to 1730, Monday 21 November 2011

Colleen Sullivan has been involved in practice management for many years. She has worked on specific projects with private practices as well as the AMA, the ADA, the RACGP and a number of Specialist Colleges.

Colleen is a former State and National President of AAPM and is still involved with a number of AAPM Working Groups. Colleen is a presenter and assessor with the UNE Partnerships Professional Practice Management Program, sits on a number of industry committees including the Eclipse Reference Group and has been involved in the practice management programs at a number of the AMA Queensland international meetings.

Peter Hanson, RANZCO General Manager Business Operations

Topic: HR & Employment Contracts – an interactive workshop

When: 0900 to 1000, Tuesday 22 November 2011

Peter Hanson is the General Manager Business Operations for RANZCO. He is responsible for the management of finance, IT, human resources, congresses and conferences, communications with Members, and anything else that is not education and development.

He is a New Zealand Chartered Accountant and a member of Chartered Secretaries Australia with a Commerce degree from the University of Auckland. He has worked in senior finance positions in New Zealand for NZ Forest Products, the New Zealand Dairy Board and was Company Secretary of Transpower New Zealand Limited (the owner and operator of the New Zealand National Electricity transmission grid) for four years until 1998 when he emigrated to Australia.

In Australia, before joining RANZCO he worked for Maxxium Australia Limited in positions such as Head of Finance and Company Secretary.

Gareth Thomas, MIGA

Topic: Your Practice through the Ophthalmoscope

When: 1030 to 1230, Tuesday 22 November 2011

Gareth Thomas is the Clinical Risk Coordinator at MIGA, a national medical indemnity insurer and leader in the provision of risk management education to doctors.

In his role Gareth visits medical practices reviewing clinical risk exposures. He also coordinates aspects of MIGA’s Interactive Risk Management Program and develops risk management materials for doctors and medical practices. Gareth is also actively involved in providing risk education to doctors, students and practice staff.

Gareth has 13 years experience in the Australian and New Zealand hospital systems working in various roles including: as a Complaints Manager, Clinical Risk Manager, Corporate Risk Manager and Patient Safety and Quality Manager.

He is a current member of the Risk Management Institute of Australia and former member of the Australasian Society for Healthcare Risk Managers and the New Zealand Society of Risk Managers.