RETAINING A CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE IN MACRO LEVEL CHANGES
With
Dr Shona Sundaraj,
Group Medical Director
Medibank
PEOPLE IN HEALTH CARE SEGMENT
Filmed in Sydney | August 2026
Dr Shona Sundaraj BAppSc (Phty), MBBS, FRACGP, MBA is Group Medical Director at Medibank, bringing over two decades of clinical and systems experience to strategy, research and stakeholder engagement. She leads the Medibank Better Health Research Hub and Chairs the Health Research Governance Committee, guiding stakeholder engagement, competitive grant rounds and partnerships with universities, translational research centres and peak bodies to support evidence based improvement in care.
Shona combines frontline clinical insight with corporate experience across health, insurance and primary care. Shona was awarded an Imperial Excellence Scholarship and completed her MBA through Imperial College Business School. She has completed executive leadership study at Harvard University. Her previous roles include senior medical positions at Zurich Financial Services and TAL, where she contributed to product innovation, risk mitigation and preventative health initiatives. She has led primary care operations through COVID19 period in primary care.
Her work is shaped by a lifelong commitment to healthy ageing as a life course priority, and to translating evidence into accessible, person-centred models of care. She has chaired both Sustainability and Research Governance groups, driven AI-enabled prevention pilots, supported medical education and worked in community volunteer clinics for vulnerable people experiencing homelessness.
A Sydney native, Shona is a mother of two and enjoys running and walking her two dogs along the harbour and beaches. Her focus in her roles as Senior Executive leader at Medibank, non-executive director and invited speaker is the practical impact that collaboration can have on the health of Australia.
Source: Supplied
Media access credit: Women’s Health MedTech Summit Australia 2026 | Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA)
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Allied Health Building Leadership Experience in Tasmania
A notable program run by Hospitals South is the ABLE program, or Allied Health Building Leadership Experience. This program was created to address the challenge of allied health professionals being seen as a single entity, rather than as individual disciplines, when it comes to leadership and management opportunities. The program is delivered entirely internally, with seminars presented by senior staff and mentorship opportunities for participants to become more effective representatives of allied health in meetings and working groups.
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National Cancer Plan activates Australian Comprehensive Cancer Network
The landscape of cancer care in Australia is set to transform with the Australian Government launch in May 2024 of the Australian Comprehensive Cancer Network (ACCN) at the Innovations Showcase event, hosted by Cancer Australia in Sydney, Australia.
The ACCN is a nationally integrated system of cancer care, aimed at enhancing patient experiences and outcomes through coordinated and equitable access, by linking to comprehensive cancer services across Australia. Anchored by Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCCs), the ACCN strives to deliver evidence-driven prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and support to all Australians affected by cancer.
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Career advice from an Emergency Physician in Research
Associate Professor Viet Tran, an experienced emergency physician at the Royal Hobart Hospital. He spoke with Australian Health Journal about the crucial role of emergency departments as the frontline of hospitals, providing immediate care, diagnosis, resuscitation, and serving as a safety net for the healthcare system. Prof. Tran highlights the importance of understanding the daily responsibilities and core aspects of a specialty when choosing a medical career.
