Agenda
Day One | Wednesday | 5th August 2026
7.45
Registration opens
8.30
Welcome to Country
8.50
Chairperson’s opening address
Emma Barritt, Chief Executive Officer, CRANAplus
9.00
Minister Address: Government commitment to improving healthcare systems and investing in solutions that improve patient outcomes in rural and remote settings
9.20
International Keynote: Building capability and culture in systems that are stretched
Preparing the future workforce for autonomy in remote settings
Building a workforce that is representative of the community
Embedding cultural safety capability in everyday practice
Riki Nia Nia, Chief Executive Officer, Te Rau Ora
Strengthening Frontline Services
9.50
Advocating for the rural and remote nursing workforce
Unpacking the CRANAplus workforce pipeline plan to deliver 1,000 nationally accredited nurses and midwives prepared for rural and remote practice by 2031
Promoting professional practice standards
Strengthening collaboration with peak bodies and the boarder rural health sector
Heather Keighley, Chief Remote Area Nurse, CRANAplus
10.10
Scaling regional response: Improving patient outcomes through paramedic workforce expansion alongside declining volunteer participation
Deploying additional paramedics across regional South Australia to reduce response times and improve coverage
Supporting existing crews to manage demand safely and sustainably.
Volunteer participation rates and expectations
Translating workforce growth into measurable improvements in patient care and clinical outcomes
Robert Tolson ASM, Executive Director, Country Operations, SA Ambulance Service
10.30
NSW Ambulance investment into emergency care in regional and remote NSW
Investing in additional staffing for regional and remote NSW
Unpacking innovative models of care to meet the needs of community
Dr Tom Evens, Executive Director Medical Services and Research, NSW Ambulance
10.50
Morning Tea
11.20
Opportunities in the Allied Health Rural Clinical Rotation Program
Exploring personal and professional impacts for Allied Health Professionals
Examining the contribution to rural and remote healthcare delivery
The potential for clinical rotation programs to address specific healthcare needs in rural communities
Scott Gibbings, Manager Allied Health Workforce Unit, Alfred Health; Vice president, SARRAH
Adopting Digital Healthcare
11.40
Reserved Sponsor
12.00
The intersection of technology and healthcare: Aligning with Victoria’s Digital Health Road Map
Supporting the Hume Rural Health Alliance with digital transformation
Building capability and improving service delivery
Ensuring accessible technology services in rural healthcare
Neelu Kaur, Chief Information Officer, The Hume Rural Health Alliance
12.30
Lunch
1.30
Panel: Digital integration in reality: Integrating, scaling and sustaining virtual care in rural and remote settings
What is needed to ensure digital innovations are effectively integrated to improve patient care in rural and remote settings
Integrating digital services into existing clinical workflows
Using digital tools to support small teams, reduce duplication, and enable virtual collaboration
Donna Parkes, Stream Lead Virtual Care, Agency for Clinical Innovation
Kelly Foran, Chief Executive Officer, Friendly Faces Helping Hands; Board Member, Virtual Care Taskforce, NSW Health
Daniel Best, Director, Virtual Care Improvement, Healthcare Improvement Unit, Clinical Excellence Queensland, Queensland Health
Bianca Mills, District Antimicrobial Stewardship Governance Pharmacist, Infection Prevention Service, Hunter New England Local Health District
Ian Treweek, District Director Digital Health, Mid North Coast Local Health District
2.20
Reserved Sponsor
2.40
Afternoon Tea
Workforce Recruitment and Retention
3.10
Growing our own: How the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training Program is building a sustainable rural health workforce
Unpacking the benefits of training health students in rural and remote communities
Why training in rural areas improves long-term retention not just recruitment
Building a pipeline of health workers through regional training hubs
Applying a cultural lens to recruitment and retention strategies to ensure the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce are reflected
Jennifer Gordon, Project Manager, SE NSW Regional Training Hub, Australian National University
3.30
Strengthening the sector through clinical and consumer engagement
Join Shellie Burgess, Rural Health Network Manager to hear how the Rural Health Network harnesses rural expertise, consumer voices and grassroots innovation to achieve meaningful, system‑wide engagement and drive statewide improvements in health service design and delivery.
Shellie Burgess, Rural Health Network Manager, Agency for Clinical Innovation
3.55
Panel: Beyond recruitment: Designing rural and remote health workforces that stay
The lived reality of managing small, stretched teams across distance and demand
What’s working to retain staff in rural and remote practice (and what hasn’t)
Designing roles, rosters and support systems that reduce burnout and enable safe care
Building cultures and career pathways that make people stay, not just start
Lacey Healy, Acting General Manager, Orange Health Services, Western NSW Local Health District
Adam Stephen, Workforce & Development Jurisdiction Manager, Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council
Brendon Cutmore, Director, Information and Performance Support, Regional Health Division, NSW Health
Colette Young, Executive Director People, Capability and Culture, WA Country Health Service
Lisa Baker, Acting Executive Director, Allied Health, South West Hospital and Health Service
4.50
Chairperson closing comments
5.00
End of Day