Thursday 17 October

Business Sustainability

The looming threat of rising State Taxes has pushed many medical practices to take a hard look at their finances. But why wait for a crisis to examine your business? Regular financial check-ups are crucial to not only surviving but thriving. By routinely reviewing your practice’s financial health, structures, and doctor arrangements, you can lay the foundation for long-term success.
In This Session, We’ll Explore:
• The key financial challenges facing medical practices today.
• How the right strategies can boost your practice’s profitability.
• Practical tips for improving the sustainability and growth of your practice.

Presented by Stuart Chan, Cutcher and Neale

This session is targeted for all practice types.

Your online presence: What today’s patients really want

Over 80% of Australians say they find new healthcare providers by Google Search? We know, because we asked them! This year, HeartBeat Digital conducted a large scale patient survey, and will share the results with you in this revealing presentation about what today’s patients actually want online. Join host Mick Carney as he unpacks comprehensive real data around what patients are searching for, what they’re engaging with and how they’re interacting online—and how your practice can pivot to benefit.

Presented by Mick Carney, Heartbeat Digital

This session is targeted for all practice types.

Concurrent Session A | Rethinking Recruitment

Achieving recruitment success, the four quadrants of hiring decisions and pregnant candidates… they’re not what you’re ‘expecting’!

Presented by Simonne Sigston, MPJ

This session is targeted for all practice types.

Concurrent Session B | Leveraging you Practice Indemnity Policy – Making the most of your policy entitlements

Did you know that you can get access to assistance around workplace issues from your indemnity provider?
Explore the main areas of concern that are causing issues for our Practice Manager clients.
What resources can you access around Unfair Dismissal claims and other key areas of support?

Presented by Joel Tuccia, MIGA

This session is targeted for all practice types.

Concurrent Session C | Conversations that Connect

This action-based workshop for multidisciplinary teamwork will provide practical tips and approaches to patient centred care that will facilitate positive and high performing teamwork, improve patient outcomes, increase referrals and patient retention.
Increased empathy and collegial relationships calm the patient, build trust and relationship and this leads to better problem-solving conversations with the patient and their families. This workshop provides you with emotionally intelligent approaches, questions and scripts to help collaboratively work with the patient and their families to design their future self and so better manage the transition and change that occurs as a part of medical support.

Presented by Jenny Sewell, UNE Partnerships

This session is targeted for specialist and allied health practices.

Concurrent Session A | Practical business planning

A solid business plan is the foundation of any successful medical practice. A business plan is the key document that assists Directors and Managers to plan for success and to identify potential opportunities and threats to profitability upfront. This ten, is used to devise strategies to manage each situation appropriately.
Planning is designed to facilitate realistic goals for the business and design positive actions that will see the business remain competitive in the changing business and medical landscape. Grants, funding and capital loans are also dependent on a solid and measurable business plan.
This fast-track introduction to business planning takes you through the key areas. You will take away a business canvas that contains the talking points to get you collaborating and engaging the right people to design your business to suit your objectives, lifestyle, sustainability and success.

Presented by Jenny Sewell, UNE Partnerships

This session is targeted for all practice types.

Concurrent Session B | What is digital health, why does it matter and how is it supporting consumers, practices and providers?

Supporting better access to health information is critical to supporting better care outcomes. The Australian Digital Health Agency is supporting many programs and services to connect people and providers with health information, including the mandatory upload of pathology and diagnostic imaging reports to My Health Record, along with the continuing support and broader roll-out of electronic prescribing and Provider Connect Australia. As a central part of the primary care team, practice managers have not only an important role in managing and understanding patient records, helping their patients access those and also in identifying where administrative efficiencies can be improves through digital solutions.

Presented by Laura Toyne, Australian Digital Health Agency

This session is targeted for all practice types

Concurrent Session C | The Practice Manager’s playbook for 2025

Learn how to strengthen your practice by annually reviewing key legal matters.

_ Find out what these matters are and what impact they have on the efficiency, growth, protection, and planning of your practice
_ How to incorporate an annual review into your practice and how to maintain and continually improve this process to enhance your practice
_ Change from being a reactive user of services to a proactive user and save time and money.

Presented by Craig Hong, Hillhouse Legal Partners

This session is targeted at specialist and allied health practices.

Navigating Psychosocial Hazards in Practices

Healthcare practices face unique psychosocial hazards, from high patient demands to the emotional toll on healthcare staff. In this session, we’ll explore the hidden risks that can harm both staff wellbeing and practice productivity. Drawing from real-world examples and the latest research, we’ll discuss strategies to create a psychologically safe workplace, reduce stress, and comply with new regulatory obligations. Practice Managers will walk away with practical tools to identify, assess, and address these risks, ensuring a healthier, more resilient workforce.

Presented by George Sotiris, Health Industry Employment Services

Concurrent Session A | Payroll Tax and Service Agreements Update

 The current state of play with payroll tax:
_ What is known? What is up in the air?
_ Dealing with amnesties – don’t forget about ongoing requirements
_ Key considerations and documentation required when contracting service providers and practitioners
_ Action plans for practices.

Presented by Craig Hong, Hillhouse Legal Partners

This session is targeted for all practice types

Concurrent Session B | High priority exposures in your practice – Follow up systems

We know the importance of follow up in a medical practice, but are we are of the obligations that the practice entity has in relation to having in place adequate follow up systems?
How are your systems tracking? Do you know what you might be missing and the potential legal consequences?

Presented by Joel Tuccia, MIGA

This session is targeted for all practice types.

Concurrent Session C | Medicare Compliance for Specialists: Navigating Recent Updates and Best Practices

Join Medical Billing Compliance expert Loryn Einstein to explore the latest developments in Medicare and Health Fund compliance, highlighting key updates and their implications for Specialist Practices. Attendees will gain insights into compliance requirements, strategies for mitigating risks, and practical solutions for ensuring adherence to Medicare and Health Fund guidelines in a constantly changing landscape. Whether you’re new to Medical Billing compliance or looking to stay current with recent changes, this session will provide valuable takeaways for maintaining compliance and avoiding unnecessary DoH, PSR, and Health Fund audits and compliance actions.

Presented by Loryn Einstein, Medical Billing Experts

This session is targeted for specialist and allied health practices

Concurrent Session A | The Future of Patient Experience in General Practice

After surveying patients over the last 12 months, we discovered that over 50% haven’t been able to get an appointment with their regular doctor, referencing cost as a barrier to accessing healthcare. Let’s discover Australia’s changing relationship with primary healthcare and the obstacles patients may encounter when trying to achieve continuity of care. We will take the data from our latest patient survey and explore:
• Challenges in primary care and the patient experience.
• Patient expectations around quality of care.
• Changing trends in the primary healthcare landscape.
• Predictions around the future state of care in Australia.

Presented by Agnes So, HotDoc

This session is targeted for general practices

Concurrent Session B | Financial Management and Payroll Tax: Practical tips to implement your advice

• Common structural changes
• Implementation challenges and learnings
• Implications for Costs of providing Bulk Billing vs Private billing in some states
• Passing on a “Payroll tax” surcharge to patients
• Tips and tricks from managers and advisors that have been through the changes

Presented by Marcus Wilson, Surgical Partners

This session is targeted for all practice types

Concurrent Session C | Profitable Practices Stay Online

In today’s digital age, uninterrupted connectivity is crucial for the success of medical practices. Join us for “Profitable Practices Stay Online,” where we’ll dive into the essentials of safeguarding your clinic’s operations with failover technology. Discover how implementing robust solutions like Cradlepoint can ensure seamless internet connectivity even if your primary connection fails. We’ll also cover strategies for maintaining a reliable phone system, so you never miss a call or appointment. Learn how these technologies can keep your practice running smoothly, enhance patient satisfaction, and protect your bottom line. Don’t let connectivity issues disrupt your workflow-empower your practice with the knowledge to stay online, stay productive, and stay profitable.

Presented by Richard Boothby, Switch Telecom

This session is targeted at all practice types

Keynote Presentation | Combatting Burnout in Healthcare through self-reflection

Burnout is a significant challenge in healthcare, undermining both team effectiveness and patient care quality. In this keynote, Dr. Natalie Flatt will guide you on a journey of self-reflection to uncover the root causes of burnout.
Focusing on three key burnout indicators—Emotional Exhaustion, Decreased Sense of Accomplishment, and Depersonalisation – this session will help you identify your unique burnout triggers through nine essential self-reflection questions. These questions are designed to reveal how burnout manifests in your lives. You will gain valuable insights and actionable strategies to complete the stress cycle, safeguard your wellbeing, and sustain professional effectiveness.

Presented by Dr Natalie Flatt, Connect Psych Services