Meet the Sparked Technical Co-Chairs: Tim Panoho
Meet Tim Panoho – Branch Manager Architecture at the Australian Digital Health Agency
Tim joins us from the Australian Digital Health Agency, leading the Architecture Branch. He boasts an extensive career, holding leadership positions across a multitude of organisations, both private and public, delivering integration and EMR projects. With a keen interest in FHIR standards and national interoperability, Tim works alongside the Sparked community and Technical Design Group to understand the needs and integrate these within the work of the TDG. We are grateful to have Tim as a member of the Sparked community!
🤔 What is your working background?
My career spans delivering transformative changes in healthcare across Australia, backed by international experience. I’ve held leadership roles within the private and public organisations delivering integration and EMR projects. Currently, I lead the Architecture Branch for the Australian Digital Health Agency, strongly influencing standards that support national interoperability initiatives.
🤔 How did you become involved with Sparked?
I have a longstanding interest in FHIR standards, recognising their potential to enhance data exchange. The Sparked Accelerator program is particularly exciting, fostering industry and government collaboration to drive innovation in healthcare interoperability. I joined from public health to gain insights from the collaboration and incorporate them into the health service.
🤔 What is your role within Sparked?
I am a co-chair in the technical design working group and an active member of the working groups. I try to help facilitate and support the other chairs whilst organising community/stakeholder contributions and feedback.
🤔 What does Sparked mean to you?
I am optimistic that it will lead to groundbreaking methods for integrating and dynamically developing solutions to enhance patient and provider care scenarios. Additionally, it involves engaging in open conversations with a collaborative and supportive community of industry, government, and practice.
🤔 What is something that you hope to achieve within the Sparked program?
I hope to see growth in the community that leads to innovative solutions, it would be great to see these standards such as, AU core, being used in practice.
🤔 How is the Sparked program different to projects you’ve been involved in before?
The community it touches is vast, with active participants from various areas all contributing to the standard. The collaboration, along with the support from both the government and industry, is truly exceptional.
🤔 What’s been your favourite part of working within the Sparked team?
My favourite part of working within the Sparked team has been the passion, pride, and patience that everyone brings to the table.
🤔 What would you tell someone wanting to learn more about the Sparked project?
The Sparked project brings together a collaborative community of government bodies, domain experts, technology vendors, practitioners, provider organisations, and peak bodies—we need You!
🤔 How will the goals and outcomes of the Sparked Program impact your field/industry/profession?
I believe the outcomes will seamlessly integrate with healthcare platforms for data sharing, following a validated standard. This will unlock new solutions and ways of working, reducing administrative burdens and allowing healthcare professionals to focus more on patient care.
🤔 What’s your favourite Sparked/FHIR pun?
No puns per se – but do wonder if there is a name for a group of sparked team members i.e. FHIR brigade or FHIRFighters jump out 🙂