Dr Lance Emerson is the Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Agency for Health Information (VAHI). Lance works with the VAHI team to drive improvements in safety and quality in Victorian health services through the provision of high quality health service performance information.
Lance has a passion for development and maintenance of information systems to improve consumer care, and has a PhD in the use of clinical indicators to guide better care and improve health outcomes. He has extensive experience in running specialist health organisations, having most recently been CEO of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and prior to that, CEO of the Australian Research and Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY).
Lance is currently a Board Director of Australian Red Cross Lifeblood (formerly Red Cross Blood Service).
Kate has extensive experience in analytics and health data and brings her leadership and advocacy skills to advance VAHI’s work across data analytics in healthcare. Kate specialises in digital health transformation, with a focus on data driven disruption.
Kate is passionate about contributing to a future where Victorians are the healthiest people in the world. She’s motivated by the opportunity to contribute to a world-class healthcare system that ensures every single Victorian can access safe, quality care that leads to better health outcomes for all. I am excited about the opportunity for us all to work with Kate to help achieve our shared goals.
Kate has worked across the clinical and research sector and has previously consulted to the health industry with Deloitte. Kate most recently served as the inaugural Director of the Centre for Health Analytics at the Melbourne Children’s Campus for the past three years. During this time, she built a specialist team of over 50 data experts, delivering a data transformation project for the Royal Children’s Hospital, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne. Over that time, Kate has seen the direct benefits to patient care, operations, education, and research that analytics has delivered.
Kate has a Global Executive MBA from Monash University, a Masters in Information Systems from The University of Melbourne, a Bachelor of Science (Honours), and is a Certified Health Informatician (Australasia). She has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Telstra Health Brilliant Women in Digital Health in 2022 and a Monash Global Executive MBA Program Alumni Sponsorship in 2021.
Adina Hamilton is the Director of Survey, Safety and Quality Insight unit, a role which oversees the development of data and dashboards to support safe and person-centred health care, as well as clinical improvement.
She has worked in policy and analytics roles in the Victorian Government for nearly two decades, most recently as the Director of Health Services Insight at VAHI.
Adina is passionate about using data and evidence to improve people’s healthcare outcomes, and also their experiences throughout their healthcare journeys. She has a Master of Public Health degree from Melbourne University.
Find out more about Adina and the work of the Analytics Branch here.
As Director, Data and Digital, Steve is responsible for supporting electronic access to timely, high quality health service performance information.
This role will ensure that the data received by VAHI is managed and accessible so that meaningful information is returned to health organisations to inform better policy and services.
Prior to joining VAHI, Steve was the national information manager for the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from RMIT, is an Associate Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders and is a certified Prince 2 Practitioner and Agile PM.
Rosangela Merlo is Director of the System Performance Insight unit, which delivers authoritative business intelligence, analysis and reporting of health system and health service performance to government, health services, researchers, and the public.
Rosangela has worked in the Department of Health since 2007 in a range of information, analytics and policy roles. She has previously worked as a consultant to government and has led the Housing and Homelessness unit at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. She has graduate qualifications in Demography from the Australian National University and an Executive Master of Public Administration from ANZSOG/University of Melbourne.
Rosangela is passionate about using data and analytics to promote transparency and accountability of publicly funded services, and to make a real difference to our communities and the people we serve.