IHEA National Conference 2026: Speaker Highlights

The IHEA National Conference 2026 promises to deliver a rich program of insights, innovation, and practical learning for healthcare engineering professionals. From cutting-edge air quality solutions to climate resilience strategies and sustainability in health infrastructure, this year’s presentations showcase leadership across Australia’s healthcare sector.

Adrian Duff – Metro North Hospital and Health Service

Adrian Duff will present on air quality challenges in clinical settings and the engineering solutions Metro North Health has implemented. Metro North is Queensland’s largest healthcare service, with over 2,200 beds across four hospitals, including Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and The Prince Charles Hospital. Adrian will provide a Healthcare Infrastructure Owner’s perspective on addressing air quality issues, highlighting lessons learned and practical solutions.

Mark Hooper – Echuca Regional Health

Mark Hooper, Executive Project Manager at Echuca Regional Health, will discuss a transformative approach to hospital ventilation systems. Collaborating with UniSA and PlasmaShield and funded by RACE for 2030 CRC, Mark’s project compares conventional 100% outdoor air systems with PlasmaShield air decontamination units that deliver “Equivalent Clean Air” (ECAi) while significantly reducing energy consumption and emissions.

Preliminary modelling shows:

• Energy savings: ~78,660 kWh per AHU per year

• Emissions reduction: ~77 tonnes of CO₂ per AHU per year

• Annual cost reduction: ~$19,700

Importantly, these improvements maintain clinical safety and air hygiene, offering a sustainable and resilient ventilation model that could be scaled nationally.

Kellie Williams – Metro North Health

Kellie Williams, Environmental Scientist and Environmental Health Officer, will share Metro North Health’s approach to climate resilience across hospital facilities. With climate pressures increasing on healthcare infrastructure, her presentation will cover a structured ISO 31000-aligned risk assessment methodology that identifies vulnerabilities in critical systems such as HVAC, power, ICT, water, and medical gases.

Kellie will outline cross-cutting lessons for operational planning, workforce resilience, and system design, providing practical insights for facility managers and engineers aiming to future-proof healthcare assets in a changing climate.

Dr Ramsey Awad & Elissa Klinkenberg – NSW Health & Hunter New England Health

Dr Ramsey Awad, Group Director of Infrastructure & Strategy at NSW Public Works, will present on embedding sustainability into health infrastructure. Alongside Elissa Klinkenberg, senior sustainability leader, the session will highlight major initiatives at Hunter New England Local Health District, including:

• Solar PV installation at John Hunter Hospital (largest in Southern Hemisphere for a hospital)

• LED lighting, EV chargers, water and waste projects

• Innovative AI-driven waste sorting

• Tracking KPIs via a real-time sustainability dashboard

They will explore how to engage staff, patients, and communities, secure funding, overcome regional infrastructure challenges, and deliver measurable environmental and financial outcomes.

This year’s conference offers an unmatched opportunity to hear from leading healthcare engineers and sustainability experts, learn from innovative projects across the country, and connect with peers tackling the complex challenges of healthcare infrastructure.

Don’t miss out! Early bird pricing is ending soon, so register now to secure your spot and hear these riveting presentations from Australia’s leading healthcare engineering experts.

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