Advisory Committee

Dr. Charlotte Hespe is a General Practitioner (GP) and a Practice Owner in Glebe, where her clinic stands as a leading general practice in the Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network. The clinic garnered the prestigious title of RACGP Practice of the Year, NSW/ACT in 2018. Dr. Hespe's influence extends beyond her clinical practice, as she also serves as the Head of GP and Primary Care Research for the University of Notre Dame Australia. Moreover, she holds the distinguished positions of Chair of the NSW/ACT Faculty Council RACGP and RACGP National Board Director. Dr. Hespe is known for her passion for improving health outcomes for her patients and the broader Australian community. Throughout her career, she has been actively engaged with the RACGP, GP Networks, medical education (including undergraduate, postgraduate, and Registrar student teaching), and GP research. She recently completed her PhD on the topic of "Implementing quality improvement strategies in real-world general practice - a study focused on cardiovascular disease." Dr. Hespe's passion is grounded in enhancing the delivery of patient-centered primary healthcare, which includes promoting improved access and utilisation of digital health tools.

Dr. Kean-Seng Lim is a seasoned General Practitioner (GP) and Practice Principal at the Mt Druitt Medical Centre. With over 24 years of experience as a practicing GP, Dr. Lim's commitment to delivering integrated healthcare has been unwavering. He is passionate about addressing the healthcare needs of the community and developing innovative models of service delivery to enhance patient outcomes. Dr. Lim's extensive interaction with patients dealing with chronic diseases led him to develop CareMonitor, a cloud-based care sharing and patient-provider partnership platform. This platform links healthcare professionals and teams with patients, with a focus on preventing and managing chronic conditions to mitigate avoidable hospitalisations. His dedication and innovative contributions have been acknowledged through accolades such as the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners GP of the Year (2015) and induction into the Australian Medical Association (AMA) Roll of Fellows (2020). Dr. Lim's qualifications include an MBBS from the University of Sydney, FRACGP with the RACGP, FAMA, and GAICD from the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Edweana Wenkart brings a wealth of experience to her role as Chief Executive Officer of PenCS, a company recognised as Australia's market leader in providing patient-to-population health informatics technology solutions in primary care. PenCS collaborates with 90% of the Primary Health Networks across Australia, serving more than 5,000 General Practices and Aboriginal Medical Services. Wenkart holds the title of Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Digital Health and is a member of the Medical Software Industry Association. Notably, she was a member of the Department of Health's National PIP QI Advisory Group, where she provided guidance on data capture and inclusions/exclusions for the ten Quality Improvement Measures for evaluating the Practice Incentive Program Quality Improvement (2019 to 2020). Under Wenkart's leadership, PenCS has received accolades such as the Australian Digital Health Agency Innovation Award (2020), the NSW Investment District Innovation Challenge winner (2020), and inclusion in the AFR Boss Most Innovative Companies List (2021).

Dr. Jaspreet Saini serves as the principal General Practitioner (GP) at Rosedale Medical Practice. With a background that involves supporting practices within Western Sydney in their transition towards becoming Patient-Centered Medical Homes, he now leads this transformative journey within his own private practice. Dr. Saini has been an influential figure in healthcare, having previously served as a Councilor for the Australian Medical Association (NSW) and the Clinical Director for WentWest; Western Sydney Primary Health Network. He approaches his professional endeavors with personal values of compassion, integrity, and innovation. Dr. Saini firmly believes that data and technology play a crucial role in advancing healthcare, shifting the focus from episodes of care to proactively addressing care gaps, promoting equity, inclusivity, and diversity. Beyond his professional life, Dr. Saini is a dedicated husband and father. These roles have inspired his passion for driving change in the way primary care is delivered in Australia.

Dr. Penny Abbott (MBBS Hons, PhD, MPH, CF, GAICD, RACGP) holds the Peter Brennan Chair of General Practice at Western Sydney University. Her comprehensive career spans teaching, research, clinical practice, and professional interests in high-quality and accessible primary care, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, and the health of justice-involved individuals. After her full-time general practice career, Dr. Abbott took on a part-time academic appointment at Western Sydney University in 2010. She has thrived as a clinician-researcher, showcasing expertise in clinical trials, qualitative research, and mixed methods research. Additionally, she engages in extensive research supervision, covering a broad range of primary care topics. Dr. Abbott has also been a long-term visiting GP in Justice Health NSW and has worked in the Aboriginal community-controlled health sector in western Sydney for over two decades. Her professional involvements include membership in the General Practice Advisory Group at the Agency for Clinical Innovation NSW, as well as roles on the Clinical Council and GP leaders' group at the Western Sydney Primary Health Network. She currently serves as a Board member and chairs the Patient Safety and Clinical Quality Committee at Justice Health NSW.

​

Dr. Phyllis Lau is a Senior Lecturer and Research Lead at the Department of General Practice at Western Sydney University. Her research interests encompass Indigenous health, chronic disease management, inter-professional collaborative care, and healthcare communication. Her contributions to the field aim to inform primary health care policy reform, particularly with regard to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and disadvantaged population groups. Dr. Lau holds joint appointments at the University of Melbourne, where she is an Honorary Associate Professor at the Melbourne Dental School and a Senior Lecturer at the Department of General Practice. Furthermore, she serves as a research adviser for Hong Kong Tuen Mun Hospital Family Medicine Department and is a visiting academic at the University of Malaya. She actively participates in national advocacy and leadership roles, serving as the President of the Australasian Association for Academic Primary Care (AAAPC), which advocates for high-quality primary care research, education, and practice. She is also a founding member of the Pharmacy Oral Health Alliance, an organisation that advocates for accessible oral health care through non-dental health professionals on a challenging political platform.