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Anna McFagden, Chief Executive of , was in her early twenties when she knew she was destined for healthcare leadership.

Having studied a degree in economics, newly graduated McFagden had been toying with the idea of a bank internship.

But when she saw an advert for a graduate program in healthcare management, she had a light bulb moment.

鈥淚 felt called to pursue it. It just made sense,鈥� she said.

Years later, McFagden is flourishing in the sector鈥檚 highest ranking position.

Overseeing 4800 employees at one of Sydney鈥檚 best-known hospitals, the high-profile CEO is leading the health network into a new era, and adding weight to its reputation as a national innovation leader.

鈥淚nnovation is in our DNA at St Vincent鈥檚 Sydney. We have delivered the nation鈥檚 first heart transplant, the first Intensive Care Unit, the first Homeless Health Unit and the first long-COVID clinic. It鈥檚 exciting to be part of the next generation of innovation and clinical breakthroughs.鈥�

Tackling wicked problems

Leading this charge in an ever-challenging healthcare climate聽鈥� beset with 鈥渨icked problems鈥澛犫�� is a credit to McFagden鈥檚 leadership.

鈥淟ike the rest of the sector, we are dealing with an aging population and patients with increasingly complex comorbidities, so we need to continually innovate 鈥� and in a really creative way,鈥� she said.

With this in mind, St Vincent鈥檚 Health Australia recently overhauled its strategy, with a major focus on connecting care.

鈥淭he current healthcare system is still fairly disjointed and, while we鈥檝e made some inroads over the last few decades, we still have a way to go.

鈥淔or example, we need to sync up hospital-based care with aged- and home-based care; as well as primary with tertiary. This will really help us improve a patient鈥檚 journey across the system,鈥� she said.

In a testament to her character, McFagden鈥檚 strategy is also focused on community impact.

鈥淲e have a duty, if you will, to the public, to our community, and to our funders, to be strong stewards, financially.

鈥淎lso, from a governance perspective, to make sure we are doing the best we can for our communities with scarce resources, and really driving efficiencies through innovation.鈥�

To this end, McFagden is rolling out popular care models, like virtual health, to keep abreast with patient needs.

鈥淧eople want to be treated in their homes. It鈥檚 convenient, much more pleasant, and often safer, depending on your clinical condition.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we are partnering with our St Vincent鈥檚 Virtual and Home Healthcare Division and looking at what services we can provide 鈥� either in the home or closer to it 鈥� through remote monitoring, and other digital strategies.鈥�

In a similar vein, McFagden is committed to improving the interface between public hospitals and aged care.

鈥淏ecause most older Australians have multiple medical comorbidities, they often end up in hospitals, when they actually need to be in residential aged care settings.

鈥淭his isn鈥檛 great in terms of patient experience. So we鈥檙e working with our aged care division and exploring different models 鈥� for example, geriatric flying squads, where doctors are sent out to aged care facilities.鈥�

A positive outlook

Despite the challenges she is dealing with, McFagden is optimistic about the future of St Vincent鈥檚, and says its broad portfolio is more of a 鈥渟trategic advantage鈥� than a challenge.

鈥淏ecause we鈥檙e across public and private hospitals, aged care, home and virtual health, we鈥檙e sort of like a microcosm of the overall healthcare system. This gives us a unique perspective.

鈥淚t helps us see all the challenges and opportunities, how they intersect across subsectors, and how we can work together as a system to achieve healthcare excellence,鈥� she said.

McFagden also draws confidence from her earlier experience with the Victorian Department of Health, where she helped design 鈥榙iversion and substitution models鈥�, like virtual emergency wards.

鈥淭his taught me that, if the conditions are right, and if all parties are willing to take some risk, you can get innovation done very quickly.鈥�

This experience also helped inspire a 鈥榝ail fast鈥� philosophy at St Vincent鈥檚, where it is accepted that not all innovations will become long-term fixtures.

鈥淲e have a culture at St Vincent鈥檚 where we really encourage innovation and calculated risk-taking, in a supportive and controlled environment.

鈥淚t is really beneficial for us, and I believe it鈥檚 necessary in the current environment, where we 鈥� like everyone else 鈥� are dealing with workforce and funding constraints. We need to be creative in terms of how we use our workforce.鈥�

The approach might also be an echo from McFagden鈥檚 past, where, as a fresh graduate decades ago, she took a chance on health leadership.

鈥淚 took a risk and it gave me the most rewarding career聽鈥� one I continue to enjoy rain or shine.鈥�