On 3-4 April, the city of Darwin played host to the 42nd Australian Private Hospital Association (APHA) Congress, bringing together leaders, experts and representatives from across Australia's private healthcare system. For Pacific Commerce, it was an opportunity to connect with healthcare executives and gain deeper insights into the sector's operational hurdles.
More than just attendees, we crafted a memorable experience with our unique breakfast session, "Health Meets Hollywood". This interactive event encouraged delegates to envision the future of healthcare without constraints. By channeling the imaginative possibilities of medical TV dramas like House M.D. and Grey's Anatomy, we explored the potential of automation, digital transformation and sustainability in hospital settings, free from the usual limitations of cost and regulation.
5 key insights from private healthcare leaders
These "blue sky" conversations revealed five critical themes that are shaping the future of healthcare operations, summarised below:
- Automation to support staff, not replace them – a strong recurring theme across all tables was technology should reduce the burden on staff, not eliminate roles.
- Focus on small, achievable wins – focus on low-disruption digital solutions that could serve as catalysts for broader transformation.
- Smarter inventory & procurement – delegates strongly advocated for leveraging AI to enhance inventory management and minimise waste.
- The importance of a strategic technology roadmap – hospital leaders emphasised the need to move beyond reactive toward developing strategic roadmaps built with active staff involvement.
- Ethical integration of artificial intelligence – though promising in its applications across many areas, delegates were united in their view that AI integration must be approached ethically, ensuring it supports rather than supplants human expertise.
To read the full report, click here to download.
Connecting insights to industry trends
These insights from Darwin align remarkably well with broader industry trends across multiple sectors. According to the Institute of Financial Operations and Leadership (IFOL) "Accounts Payable Leaders' Priorities in 2025" research, increasing efficiency (84% of leaders), improving reporting and analytics (54%) and full automation of processes (41%) are the top priorities for finance leaders in 2025.
Beyond finance, organisations across industries are prioritising digital transformation initiatives that enhance operational efficiency while supporting rather than replacing human expertise. The focus on ethical AI implementation, strategic technology roadmaps and staff-centric automation reflects broader industry recognition that successful digital transformation requires careful change management and stakeholder engagement.
The private healthcare sector's emphasis on strategic, staff-supporting automation reflects these same priorities, adapted for the unique requirements of patient care environments where safety, compliance and care quality remain paramount. This philosophy was at the heart of every conversation in Darwin and it was great to see.
Access the full breakfast summary report
The insights and conversations from our "Health Meets Hollywood" breakfast session have been compiled into a summary report.
Download the "Health Meets Hollywood" Summary Report to access more detailed findings from our discussions with hospital executives, including specific recommendations for implementing each of the five key takeaways in your organisation.