Talking HealthTech

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Peter O'Halloran from the Australian Digital Health Agency, and Farhoud Salimi and Dr Monica Trujillo from Telstra Health, about the current state and future of interoperability in Australian healthcare.
The discussion covers why seamless data sharing is crucial, how policy, technology, and consumer expectations are driving change, and the evolving roles of national infrastructure like My Health Record.
The group unpacks how the shift from paper to digital created a new problem, with information locked inside systems built for a single hospital, practice or specialty.
They talk through the real cost of that fragmentation, from repeated tests and retold medical histories to the harm that occurs when clinicians do not have what they need at the point of care.
The episode closes on what success looks like by 2030, including a future where interoperability is no longer a talking point, data simply arrives inside the workflow, and connected care reaches rural and regional Australia as reliably as it does the capital cities.

Key Takeaways
💡 The priority now is not convincing stakeholders of the need for interoperability but implementing practical solutions for data sharing in healthcare
💡 Modernising "classic" or legacy systems is a major challenge, but new platforms are being built with interoperability and patient-centricity at their core
💡 Consumer expectations are rapidly evolving, with an increasing demand for immediate access to health information and digital-enabled care
💡 My Health Record has shifted from being a basic repository to becoming central infrastructure, supporting real-time, secure, and routine data sharing
💡 Incorrect or incomplete health data, particularly when combined with AI, can lead to safety risks, reinforcing the need for better standards and data quality

Timestamps
00:00: Introduction & framing the interoperability challenge
01:09: Evolution and urgency for healthcare data sharing
03:07: Patient impact and consumer stories
08:47: Practical use cases and technology improvements
12:48: Urgency, burning platforms, and risks of inaction
19:02: The role and future of My Health Record
22:52: Interoperability at Telstra Health and industry collaboration

Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.
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In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dr Rae Donovan, Chief Clinical Information Officer at e-Health Queensland, Professor Peter Steel, Associate Dean of Digital Health and Informatics at the University of Melbourne and Chief Transformation Officer at Royal Melbourne Hospital, and Anita Ghose, Founder and CEO of inventiveX, at HIC 2026, hosted by the Australasian Institute of Digital Health.
Recorded on the sidelines of the conference, the conversation brings together perspectives from frontline clinical practice, academic leadership, and industry innovation, offering a well-rounded look at where Australia's digital health sector is heading.
The discussion covers digital health innovation, advancing clinical AI in Australia, workforce enablement, women in digital leadership, and the ongoing transformation of healthcare through technology-driven collaboration.
The conversation also touches on the gap between technical ambition and everyday clinical reality, including how outdated hospital systems and clunky electronic medical records continue to shape the day-to-day experience of clinicians.
Together, the guests unpack what it takes to modernise ageing hospital systems, build local expertise in clinical AI, and create lasting pathways for women in digital health careers, drawing on real experience from the clinic floor, the university, and the boardroom.

Key Takeaways
💡 Workforce enablement in digital health involves not just technical training, but supporting ongoing learning, retention, and the evolution of clinical workflows with new technologies.
💡 Clinical AI development in Australia needs hubs or ecosystems of excellence to concentrate capabilities and deliver region-wide benefits, rather than isolated innovation.
💡 Women remain underrepresented in tech roles, and programs focused on digital health leadership can bridge gaps through mentoring, networking, and targeted initiatives.
💡 Technology in healthcare must evolve beyond digitising paper processes to provide more intuitive, AI-enabled, and context-aware support for clinicians.
💡 Networks, global connections, and sponsorship are critical for developing future leadership and sustaining momentum in digital health transformation.

Timestamps
00:00 - Peter Birch | Episode introduction and HIC overview
00:33 - Dr. Rae Donovan | Workforce enablement & networking
07:58 - Professor Peter Steel | Clinical AI innovation & hubs
13:42 - Anita Ghose | Women in Digital Health Leadership Program
19:54 - Anita Ghose | Mentoring and legacy networks

Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.
If you’re enjoying the show and want access to exclusive healthtech discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealth.tech/solo_shownotes
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Talking HealthTech (THT) is Australia's leading media company for health tech conversations, connecting decision-makers, innovators and doers across the healthcare industry.

Hosted by Peter Birch, our weekly podcast features conversations with the brightest minds in healthcare innovation from around the world. Alongside the show, we run a newsletter, active social channels and a comprehensive glossary of digital health terms, so you've got one place to stay across the industry.

*THT+ Community*
Our safe space for the doers and builders in health tech to connect, learn and grow. Members get access to our community platform, live online meetups, exclusive content, partner discounts and other member-only benefits. Join at talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

*THT Productions*
Our production arm helps healthcare organisations tell stories that spark real change, through customer testimonials, product showcases, workflow explainers and documentaries.

*Company Partnerships*
Want to get your organisation in front of the health tech community? Our partnership tiers include a feature podcast episode, directory listing, community seats and more. See what's included: talkinghealthtech.com/partners

*About Pete*
Peter Birch has spent his career in healthcare operations, from running GP clinics and global medical assistance centres to being first hire at multiple health tech startups. He now sits on the boards of industry groups and health tech companies, bringing that experience into every conversation on the show.

Timestamps:
0:00 Welcome to Talking HealthTech - podcast, newsletter, social and glossary
0:22 THT+ Community: our space for health tech doers and builders
0:41 THT Productions: video storytelling for healthcare
1:03 About Pete: from GP clinics to health tech startups
1:32 Real conversations that improve patient outcomes
1:47 Subscribe, follow and join the newsletter

🔗 Website: talkinghealthtech.com
🔗 Media kit: talkinghealthtech.com/mediakit
🔗 Join THT+ Community: talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus
🔗 Partner with us: talkinghealthtech.com/partners

#HealthTech #DigitalHealth #HealthcareInnovation #HealthcarePodcast #HealthTechAustralia

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Manuel Pérez Vallina, former CIO in the Spanish health system, Femi Ladega, Group Chief Digital Officer at Dedalus, and Dr Vinod Seetharaman, Chief Medical Officer for Dedalus in Australia and New Zealand.
The discussion covers the evolution of hospital command centres, the shift from using dashboards for retrospective data towards enabling proactive, real-time operational decisions, and how these changes impact clinical workflows and patient outcomes across different health systems.
Recorded live, the conversation draws on experience building one of Spain's first hospital command centres alongside lessons from health systems in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
The panel unpacks why familiar pressures such as underused operating theatres, growing waiting lists and bed shortages appear so consistently across borders, and what separates a command centre from a wall of screens.
Along the way, they examine the four principles that determine whether the model delivers real change, the cultural and governance work that sits behind the technology, the role artificial intelligence can play in filtering meaningful signals, and the practical first steps for organisations weighing up where to begin.
Key Takeaways
🚑 Hospital command centres enable real-time, actionable insights beyond traditional dashboards, improving operational efficiency and patient care.
🛠️ Implementing command centre solutions requires aligning technology, organisational culture, and governance to drive sustained change.
📊 Demonstrating value and securing investment means clearly defining the use case, limiting initial project scope, and engaging stakeholders early.
⚡ Effective change management and clinician engagement are crucial for successful adoption and maximising impact.
🌐 Challenges and solutions discussed are common globally, but must be tailored to local healthcare system maturity and needs.
Timestamps
00:00 - Episode introduction & topic overview
03:42 - Manuel Pérez Vallina on Spain’s command centre journey
05:55 - Femi Ladega: Global perspectives and data orchestration
08:29 - Dr Vinod Seetharaman on capacity management challenges
10:26 - Command centres vs. dashboards
19:02 - Clinical benefits and flow management
22:13 - Stakeholder engagement and return on investment
32:07 - Real-world impacts and cascading benefits
39:48 - Implementation challenges and change management
48:59 - Integrating AI, primary care, and data governance
53:45 - Final advice for hospital leaders

Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.
If you’re enjoying the show and want access to exclusive healthtech discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealth.tech/solo_shownotes
And if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps.
Mentioned in this episode:
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In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Steve Saunders, Healthcare Principle at RingCentral, about what is really at stake for Australian healthcare organisations still running on legacy phone systems and why the move to cloud-based communications is becoming increasingly urgent.
They cover the risks of relying on ageing PABX infrastructure, the barriers that slow down migration decisions and how a modular, evolutionary approach to modernisation can reduce risk and build confidence across an organisation.
The conversation also gets into the role of AI and automation in transforming how healthcare manages calls, appointments and patient interactions, as well as the critical importance of data sovereignty, privacy and security when moving to cloud-based platforms.
Steve shares why voice remains the most important communication channel in healthcare, why general-purpose tools are not built for clinical environments, and what healthcare leaders should look for when choosing a long-term technology partner rather than a one-off supplier.
For more information check out RingCentral at www.talkinghealthtech.com/ringcentral
Have a question about this episode? Reach out directly to Steve:
Steve Saunders
Healthcare Principle | RingCentral
📞 +61-2-9157-6831
✉️ Steve.saunders@ringcentral.com

Key Takeaways
📞 Voice communication remains the number one application in healthcare, with unique requirements compared to other sectors.
☁️ Healthcare is at a crossroads, moving away from legacy on-premise PABX phone systems towards resilient, cloud-based communications platforms.
🤖 AI tools are being used for pre-interaction triage, live transcription, translation, and post-call analytics to improve efficiency and patient experience.
🛡 Data sovereignty and security are top priorities, with strict compliance with Australian regulations and onshore data processing for AI.
🔄 Major barriers for adoption are fear of change and complacency, not just competition from other vendors.

Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction & guest background
00:37 - Why voice is critical in healthcare
03:41 - Unique challenges for healthcare phone systems
07:31 - Transitioning from legacy to cloud
11:25 - AI & efficiency in communications
16:25 - Data sovereignty & security
18:39 - Industry landscape & barriers to change
22:09 - Advice for healthcare providers

Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.
If you’re enjoying the show and want access to exclusive healthtech discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealth.tech/solo_shownotes
And if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps.
Mentioned in this episode:
Sign Up to the Free Talking Healthtech Newsletter
Sign up to the free Talking HealthTech newsletter for weekly digital health news, events, jobs, partner updates and Pete’s take on what matters across the sector: talkinghealthtech.com/newsletter