Why publish the annual review online?

For us, the notion of sustainability is very important, not just on an organisational level but as human beings. Personally, we’re interested in it. So we like to, wherever possible, try to provide our information online.

Rather than produce a 60 page document that we can distribute to those people who are interested, perhaps in some elements of the organisation, we can create this website to provide a broader range of information which is more accessible, more broadly distributable, and which can be extended; so that just because what I’m talking about or what the annual review is covering is 2007, doesn’t mean that people can’t click through to find out more what we’re doing in the future.

Mater has a very strong condition of moving forward, taking advantage of technology, for the benefit of the community. And I think the web, and the way we communicate our annual review now, is a good example of how we’re moving forward again.

What’s different about this job?

Mater Health Services comprises seven hospitals—public and private—they also run a pathology business and a pharmacy business, a health and wellness clinic, breast care unit, and a number of other services so as a department we provide information about those services to patients, doctors, nurses, potential staff and the general community, through things like media activities, brochures, general information, patient information, obviously our websites.

It’s very different to trying and sell something that somebody may or may not want. I mean, we’re selling something that nobody ever wants, and we know absolutely that anytime someone spends in hospital is time they would rather be somewhere else. So the marketing challenge is unique and some people like it, some people don’t, and I love it.