The Hatchery

Dr Nick Hartland is the First Assistant Secretary of the Home and Residential Division in the Department of Health.

Nick’s key focus is supporting greater independence and wellness for Older Australians, including the provision of aged care information and assessment of needs through My Aged Care, entry-level aged care assistance at home (Commonwealth Home Support Programme) and assistance for older Australians with more complex care needs (Home Care Packages Program).

Previous roles Nick has held include: Aged Care Policy Principle Advisor, Chief of Staff to the Hon Ken Wyatt, AM, MP, Minister for Seniors and Aged Care and Minister for Indigenous Affairs, First Assistant Secretary of the Health Economics and Research Division, and First Assistant Secretary of the Aged Care Policy and Regulation Division.

Prior to working in the Department of Health, Nick played a key role in the development of the National Disability Insurance Scheme in the Department of Social Services. In DSS he has also had responsibility for administering and advising on Commonwealth income support payments (Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment and Carer Allowance).

As the Assistant Secretary for the Support at Home Reform Branch, Nick has responsibility for reforms to in-home aged care that will replace existing in-home aged care programs (the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), Home Care Packages Program, and Short-Term Restorative Care).

Before commencing in this role in late 2019, Nick spent around two years overseeing of the CHSP and aged care assessments within the Department of Health. Prior to this Nick spent several years working for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C), where he participated in a range of whole-of-government policy reform projects.

Nick has also previously worked at other government departments and spent some time working as a professional photographer.

Joanne Fitzgerald has worked at the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA), now known as the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA) since 2012 and is currently acting CEO.

Her substantive position is Executive Director, Hospital Policy and Classification at IHACPA. In this role, Joanne oversees IHPA’s hospital pricing policy development and has responsibility for developing and managing the activity based funding classifications including the Australian Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (AR-DRG) classification system.

Joanne holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Health Information Management) degree from the University of Sydney and has over 20 years experience as a health information manager working with health classifications in both the public and private health sector.

Mike is Professor of Health Economics at the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE) at the University of Technology Sydney. He was recently on the Board of the Australian Digital Health Agency and on the Aged Care Financing Authority. Mike has had a long career in economics and public finance in the Commonwealth and the two Territory Governments. From 1998 to 2014 he was a Commissioner, then Deputy Chair, of the Australian Productivity Commission. He presided on over 20 national policy inquiries, including reports on the Australian Health Workforce, Caring for Older Australians and Science and Innovation. He was previously the Under Treasurer for the ACT and a member of the Australian Statistical Advisory Board. Mike has worked closely with national ministries in China on fiscal reform and similarly in Viet Nam on economic reform. Mike is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales.

Simon is the co-founder and CEO of Five Good Friends and has built a career focused on a combined enjoyment for building social enterprises underpinned by strong business practicality.

In 2016, Simon and his co-founder, Nathan Betteridge, together with Tim Russell and David Waldie, started Five Good Friends.

Prior to Five Good Friends, Simon co-founded Everydayhero, a pioneering Software as a Service, Peer-to-Peer fundraising platform. Everydayhero has facilitated over $700 Million in donations and was acquired by the NASDAQ listed US company Blackbaud (BLKB) in 2011.

Simon currently serves on the Board of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland. Previous Board positions include Edmund Rice Foundation, Princess Alexandra Research and Development Foundation and Queensland Music Festival.

David has an exceptionally strong background in both the Commercial and NFP sectors with over 30 years in senior leadership roles varying from CEO, COO, General Manager and Network Finance Manager. These roles combined with his strengths in strategic planning, sales, marketing, building successful teams provide a strong and experienced skills base. He has worked both domestically and internationally.

His current role is Chief Executive Officer for Community Care and Transport Incorporated on the Yorke Peninsula. Previously, David spent more than 30 years in the Commercial Radio Industry, where he was recognised with an Australian Commercial Radio Award as Metropolitan Station Manager of the Year in 2007 along with a stint as CEO for Variety the Children’s Charity of Queensland. He has been a board member for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal in Melbourne as well as the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation at Greenslopes Hospital in Brisbane, amongst others. As a result of his broad experience, David has a sound knowledge of corporate governance, finance, risk, legal and business operations.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Accountants as well as a Fellow of the Institute of Financial Accountants. Additionally, he is also a Certified Process Communications Facilitator.

Currently, David is the Chair for ACTA (Australian Community Transport Association – National Peak Body), SActa (South Australian Community Transport Association – State Peak Body), a Steering Committee Member for the Yorke and Mid-North Peninsula Collaborative Project, member of the Legatus Public Transport Reference Group in South Australia, YP Business / Industry Advisory Group, Steering Committee – Asthma Australia YP Project, amongst others.

As CEO of Access Care Network Australia, an organisation dedicated to the delivery of high-quality independent assessments for older people, people with disabilities, and those requiring assistance to discharge from hospital, Ricki leads a team of 200+ people across the country.

She believes that independent assessment with a strong focus on reablement is a valuable intervention in its own right, resulting in better outcomes for clients and supporting a sustainable aged care system. This belief was reinforced as a Churchill Fellow when, in 2017 she studied the implementation of reablement in the UK, Denmark and New Zealand and reached the conclusion that Australia has the policy, systems and value set to enable it to offer its older citizens the best ageing experience in the world. The Royal Commission report creates the impetus to see that come to fruition.

Ricki’s professional qualifications include a Bachelor of Business, Masters of Business Administration and a Doctor of Business Administration.

Dr Rachael Lewis is a Lecturer at the UNSW Business School and founding member of the UTS Ageing Research Collaborative (UARC). She conducts research into the role of management accounting in shaping managerial cognition. She specialises in understanding how managers think and make decisions, with a particular interest in the development of expertise. Her PhD research examined the use of performance measurement and other management systems in an aged care setting. Rachael is the lead author of the UARC report, Support at Home: a commentary on the design of the proposed unified program, and a contributing author to the UARC Australia’s Aged Care Sector series of reports.

Esther has more than 20 years of experience in the health and aged care sector, including 10 years as Director and Lead Consultant of Positive Practice, working in health care system design, product & service innovation, and research & education. With a Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) and hands-on experience providing clinical services in the community and residential care sector, Esther has proven skills in service delivery, development and innovation. Esther spent three years as Group Manager Business Excellence with Southern Cross Care, before moving into her current role where she provides strategic leadership and oversight for delivery of the organisation’s Health & Wellness and Home Care services.

Lorraine Poulos is the Managing Director of Lorraine Poulos and Associates, operating since 2009. Lorraine is a Registered Nurse with postgraduate qualifications in Health Service Management. She has worked at executive levels across health and aged care for most of her career. Lorraine is a member of two not-for-profit boards and was a Health Minister nominee on the NSW Medical Board for over 10 years. She is well-known in the sector for her expertise in home care.

Deborah is the Executive Officer for Community Options Australia. The primary objective of the role is to provide high-level executive, secretariat, and project support services to the Executive and the Board. Deborah brings over 30 years experience in a diverse range of sales, marketing and business management roles in the healthcare sector. Deborah is passionate about the development and implementation of well functioning out of hospital, community-based services to keep people well, help them to live independently and ease pressure elsewhere in the health system.

With 30+ years in nursing, leadership and consulting Louise’s experience spans a diverse range of organisations including public hospitals, aged care services and consulting. Louise has led the quality and business improvement team at the Ideal Consultancy for the past 10 years. Established in 2009, The Ideal Consultancy (Ideal) is a specialist aged care and senior living advisory business bringing a unique mix of clinical and operational knowledge with business acumen and experience.

Louise’s focus is on creating innovative care models, supporting organisations to deliver quality care services and enabling financially sustainable business models. With considerable expertise in strategic and business planning, business development, leadership, quality and risk management, she has successfully consulted with and supported aged care providers across Australia.

Anna has worked in community aged and disability care for 30 years and has championed Consumer Directed Care (CDC) through advocacy, research and best-practice service design. Following five years working at COTA Australia and a decade of research and project work to design, implement and evaluate CDC models in home care, Anna now supports providers to reimagine their service model with achievable, outcome-based actions.

Anna has specialised expertise in preparing providers for Quality Standards reviews as well as consumer engagement & communication strategies. As Founder of Home Care HQ consumer newsletter and Consultant with ACCPA, Anna collaborates with industry-leading organisations on a range of quality, training and service design projects.

Chris is the Manager of Tweed Community Support which is the Meals on Wheels service for the Far North Coast of NSW in the Tweed Shire area based in Kingscliff.

Chris has been involved with Meals on Wheels for over 15 years. He has managed the Kingscliff based Meals on Wheels service since December 2012 having previously being on the Board of Tweed Community Support.

Chris was elected to the Board of NSW Meals on Wheels in 2015 and has been President of Meals on Wheels NSW since 2017.

Since 2016 Chris has been the nominated delegate to the Board of Meals on Wheels Australia where he has been Vice President since March 2018. On the Meals on Wheels Australia board, Chris has been working toward increasing funding for all CHSP providers by assisting the team at Meals on Wheels Australia with their interactions with government.

Chris is married to Jenny and together they have two adult sons and reside in Banora Point.

Ms Fell is 93 years old and says she used to describe herself as a “retired mathematics teacher/ statistician who had worked in many fields including economics, media and advertising”. In recent years however, Val has made a significant contribution as a Dementia Advocate and is a current member of OPAN’s National Older Person’s Reference Group. Her work since 2012 has meant that people in Wollongong living with dementia and/or their carers have improved access to the information and resources they need. In 2020, she was awarded the City of Wollongong Senior Citizen of the Year for her volunteering with Parent and Citizen Associations, Eisteddfod, the Council on The Ageing, and Dementia Australia.This year Val was awarded an Order or Australia Medal for her advocacy and community work. Val is the 8th child in a family with 11 children and is now the eldest of 3 surviving family members. Over the years, she has watched her mother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister, 2 brothers-in-law, 1 sister-in-law and husband enter residential aged care facilities.

Steve Pretzel is Chief Executive of Technology for Ageing and Disability WA (TADWA), bringing to the sector over forty years of high level experience in marketing, technology and business building.

A pioneer of the internet era, Steve saw the potential for the computer as a communications medium and in 1992 established one of the first and most successful web development and e-Business companies in Australia.

In 2017, impressed by the many clever solutions TADWA has developed, he jumped at the opportunity to navigate the organisation through its next phase and the challenges of the changing disability and aged care landscape. His passion for innovation in assistive technology is now engaged in leading a team that is improving the lives of people with a disability, and providing safety and independence for older people.

When not exploring the latest technologies Steve enjoys snow skiing, trail bike riding, sim racing and hanging out with his wife, daughter and dog.

Cathy has 25 years’ experience working in healthcare, including 20 years specialising in quality and risk management. Her executive experience spans acute hospitals, rehabilitation, mental health and aged care services in both public and private sectors, with clinical qualifications in allied health and an MBA.

Cathy is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Board Director at Eastern Access Community Health (EACH).

Peter was previously a Partner and Senior Managing Director of Bankers Trust, a global financial institution. He ran operating businesses before founding and managing BT Venture Partners, their US venture capital business. He has managed businesses through regulatory and technology change in other industries and has witnessed first-hand the way technology can transform industries for the better and empower consumers. Along the way, he’s founded companies in financial services and hospitality and has served on the boards of several private and public companies. His initial interest in community aged care stems from family circumstances. Peter holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing Major) from the University of New South Wales.

Jade Alexander started her career as a trauma counsellor working with sex workers who had experienced violence at work. It was during this time that she developed an interest in human rights, social justice, and the biopsychosocial impacts of trauma.

With 18 years’ experience in clinical care provision Jade has worked as specialist consultant with NSW Police Detectives, the Department for Defence and numerous health organisations championing best practice innovation in healthcare.

In 2021 Jade became Chief of Clinical Care, Quality Assurance and Compliance at JewishCare NSW working across Aged-Care, Disability, Family & Community, and Mental Health sectors.

Jade presents regularly as a subject matter expert at conferences nationally and internationally, specialising in: Biopsychosocial Case Management, Mental Wellness, Organisational Resilience, Complex Trauma, and Vicarious Trauma Management.

Esther has more than 20 years of experience in the health and aged care sector, including 10 years as Director and Lead Consultant of Positive Practice, working in health care system design, product & service innovation, and research & education. With a Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) and hands-on experience providing clinical services in the community and residential care sector, Esther has proven skills in service delivery, development and innovation. Esther spent three years as Group Manager Business Excellence with Southern Cross Care, before moving into her current role where she provides strategic leadership and oversight for delivery of the organisation’s Health & Wellness and Home Care services.