Dr Hugh Bartholomeusz RFD, MBBS, FRACS
President and Surgeon Representative
Dr Bartholomeusz is currently Head of the Plastic Surgery Unit at Greenslopes Private Hospital. Since 1995 Dr. Bartholomeusz has also been the Chief Executive Officer of Tri Rhosen Day Hospital, the first multi-disciplinary freestanding Day Hospital in the Ipswich and West Moreton Region, Queensland.

He has served as Vice President of the Australasian Day Surgery Association and is past President of the Queensland Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. He is immediate past Chairman of the Queensland Branch of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and representative of the RACS and Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons on the Australian Day Surgery Council.

He is an Australian representative on the International Association of Ambulatory Surgery and Secretary of the Australian Day Surgery Council. He has recently been elected as a member of the Executive Committee of the International Association of Ambulatory Surgery.

Dr. Bartholomeusz takes great pride in his military experience, serving as a Commissioned Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force since 1972. He currently holds the rank of Air Commodore and is Director General Health Reserves - Air Force and Assistant Surgeon General ADF (Air Force). He currently chairs the Consultative Group in Burns, Plastic Surgery and Dermatology and has also been involved with the Australian Air Force Cadets for over forty years.

Ms Wendy Adams RN 1, MRCNA
Vice President and Nurse Representative
Ms Adams is the current President of the Australian Day Surgery Nurses Association. This is a voluntary national nursing body which supports the state associations and produces Best Practice Guidelines as well as 3 journals per year.

Her role includes representing day surgery nurses on the Australian Day Surgery Council which included a significant involvement in the 6th Australasian Day Surgery Conference as well as Convener for the 7th Australasian Day Surgery Conference in 2006.

She has represented the Australian Day Surgery Council at the International Association for Ambulatory Surgery Congress in Boston, 2003, and represented Australian day surgery nurses at both the IAAS General Assembly in Seville, 2005 and Amsterdam, 2007. Her role also includes representing day surgery nurses on a number of government projects regarding staffing and quality.

Professionally, Ms Adams has managed a private integrated Day Procedure Centre with three theatres before becoming a Director of Nursing of a private hospital which performed mostly day surgery. She is now a consultant and registered auditor for ISO 9001:2000 and the Private Sector Quality Criteria as well as lectures and presents education sessions in day surgery both around Australia and overseas. She has recently completed writing the day surgery component of a distance education package for a post graduate certificate in peri-operative nursing for The College of Nursing, Australia.

Dr Tony Bergin, FANZCA
Scientific Convener and Anaesthetist Representative
Dr Bergin is a specialist anaesthetist working in private practice in Brisbane. His interests include plastic surgery, BIS monitoring, sedation and regional anaesthesia.

He was the Anaesthetic Representative on the Organising Committee for the 7th Australasian Day Surgery Conference in November 2006 and is the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists representative on the Australian Day Surgery Council. Dr Bergin is the Scientific Convener for the forthcoming IAAS congress in 2009.

Ms Celia Leary RN, MRCNA
Nurse Representative
Ms Leary has extensive Operating Theatre and Management experience concentrating mainly in Day Surgery. She is currently working as a Surgery Centre Development Director as a Consultant. She is a member of the Australian Day Surgery Council representing the Royal College of Nursing, Australia and has represented the Council on the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards.

Ms Leary has presented a number of papers on Day Surgery Nursing at National and International Conferences and lectured at courses in Colleges and Universities. She is an active member of the Day Surgery Nurses Association Inc NSW and the Australian Day Surgery Nurses Association.

Ms Elizabeth Rankin
Management Representative
Over the past two years, Ms Rankin has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Victoria Parade Surgery Centre in Melbourne. During this time she set up the company and five theatre day surgery centres, staffed, equipped, licensed, accredited and established health fund contracts with all health funds. As the past Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Eye Centre, she oversaw the development of the organisation from three staff equipping and licensing the day surgery to the subsequent accreditation, growth, re-development and building of a 4 theatre complex at Spring Hill in Brisbane

As a past Chair of the Australasian Day Surgery Association, Ms Rankin has been and will continue to be committed to the ongoing development of day surgery in Australia. She has sat on a number of committees and taskforces including the Australian Day Surgery Council. Elizabeth’s background is in Accounting and Computing and qualifications include: Bachelor of Business (Accounting and Computing), Graduate Diploma of Business (Professional Accounting) and a Diploma of Company Directors. Elizabeth is currently acting as the Project Manager representing the interests of Australian Red Cross Blood Service in the construction and relocation from existing premises in Brisbane, Queensland to a new purpose built 8,000m2 facility.

Dr Elliot Rubinstein, FANZCA
Anaesthetist Representative
Dr Elliot Rubinstein graduated from Melbourne University. After completing his Fellowship in Anaesthetics in London, and working in Austria, Holland and Israel, he spent several years studying Sociology, Anthropology and Fine Arts and researching road traffic collisions for the Victorian Government. He was one of the founders of the first free standing day surgery centres in Australia.

He is currently the representative of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists on the Australian Medical Association Council (Vic Branch) and is Chairman of the Australian Day Surgery Council. Elliot is a long standing member of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists Council in Victoria and former chairman and is also on the executive of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists Day Surgery Special Interest Group.

He served for many years in the Royal Australian Air Force Reserve including two postings to Malaysia. Outside of his private practice and a commitment to the Public Hospital system, he has a wide range of interests including food, theatre and music, literature and travel.

Dr Lindsay Roberts, FRACS
Surgeon Representative
Dr Roberts was the major driver in the formation and establishment of high quality day surgery facilities across Australia. His involvement in a working party saw the publication of Day Surgery in 1981, the first manual of standards for organised high quality day surgery in Australia. Dr Roberts extensive career and experience is summarised below:

• General Surgeon 1962-1987
• Specialist Breast Surgeon since 1987
• Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons England, 1959
• Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, 1964
• Member of the Australian Association of Surgeons, 1971
• Member of the Australian Day Surgery Council since its formation in 1981 and Chairman of the Council, April 1990 – 2000
• Australian Association of Surgeons Gold Medal for Surgery – Day Surgery, 1987
• Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Medal for Surgery – Day Surgery, 1991
• Council and Executive (Foundation) Member International Association for Ambulatory Surgery, 1995
• Vice-President International Association for Ambulatory Surgery, 1997-1999
• President Elect International Association for Ambulatory Surgery, 1999-2001
• President International Association for Ambulatory Surgery, 2001-2003
• Fellow of the International College of Surgeons, 2004
• Undergraduate Medical Education Clinical Lecturer and Examiner, Sydney University for 25 years

Lucy Fisher
Lucy Fisher has 20 years experience as a Senior Association Executive in the health care arena with a major focus on political advocacy and industry liaison, policy & project development and implementation, strategic planning and business development.

She is currently Executive Director of the Private Hospitals Association of Queensland a position she has held since 1999. Lucy's prior appointments include Executive Director of the Private Hospitals Association of Western Australia, CEO of the Western Australia Hospice and Palliative Care Association, and Chief Executive Officer of the Western Australia Faculty of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management & Member of the Australian Society of Association Executives.

Lucy represents the private hospital sector on numerous State and National Industry Committees and has a comprehensive knowledge of contemporary health care issues both within Australia and overseas.