Sparked Bright Sparks: Federica Lanzo

We spoke to Federica about her involvement in the Sparked Community, here’s what she had to say!

❓What is your background?

I am a biomedical engineer under the class of Information technology and I specialised in Bioinformatics at the University of Pavia, in Italy. I did a lot data modelling and data science activities back then. I joined Orion Health more than 10 years ago, when I moved to New Zealand in search for a job that at least matched my industry, Health IT. I started as a graduate software tester,  moved onto to be a business analysts, then product owner and finally a product director.

❓ How did you first hear about Sparked and what made you want to become involved?

I am the director of Interoperability at Orion Health and our main focus is to enable our clients to participate in the open health ecosystem through standards, international terminologies and data exchanges. FHIR APIs are our favourite means for data sharing, therefore when I heard about the Sparked initiative during the Health Information New Zealand event in 2023, I jumped at the opportunity to learn how Australia intended to adopt and shape the specification.   

❓ What do you see as the best outcomes that Sparked has delivered or is working towards?

I have been really impressed by the way the Sparked programme has been managed and the outcomes it has produced so far: clear and extensive documentation artefacts, pragmatic implementation releases that reflect the community priorities and group sessions that are always great source of knowledge.

❓ How is Sparked different to projects you’ve been involved in before?

Sparked is different in the way it brings people together for a common goal. There is a strong focus on face to face meetings, and participants are always invited to share their input, weather they are novice or expert on the matter. You feel valued.  

❓ What is something you’ve learnt from being part of the Sparked community?

I learnt to trust my knowledge, because it is a fundamental piece of the puzzle. Diversity really leads to better outcomes.   

❓ Can you share one of your favourite or memorable moments from participating in Sparked?

The memorable moments I cherish are the ones where I felt heard and recognized as a contributor. Recently, Chris Moy acknowledged me with a quote during the panel conversation at the Sparked leadership event: Igniting the Nation with FHIR and it was quite thrilling.

❓ What excites you most about the future with Sparked?

I am excited about building a set of specifications that are implementable in the real world and can actually impact the delivery of care to people  

❓ What’s something unexpected that you’ve learnt/been a part of/connected with through Sparked?

I have realized that health information modelling is not just an intellectual exercise, it is has a significant impact on society and in the way care is delivered, therefore all interested parties need to be involved. 

I have found myself becoming an advocate for women’s health in this journey and I will try to stress and highlight the areas that require improvements on that topic.  

❓ How would you explain Sparked to someone not yet involved?

A vibrant collaborative programme that define FHIR specifications for the Australian use cases. It brings together all members of the health community, health professionals, vendors, government bodies, to ensure that priorities and challenges are discussed in open forums for everyone to contribute.    

❓ What piece of advice would you share to someone who may not yet be a part of Sparked?

If you are close to digital health and have heard about HL7 FHIR, you should definitely check out Sparked. There are high chances that you and/or the programme might benefit from your participation.

❓ If you had to describe Sparked in three words, what would they be?

Inclusive, industrious, fun

❓ If Sparked had a theme song, what would it be?

It has to be Firework by Katy Perry

❓ Describe Sparked using only emojis

🔥 🌻🤘