Heidi Matkovich

The new Climate Health Victoria unit – role and goals

Heidi Matkovich is currently Director, Climate Health Victoria in the Department of Health. Heidi has over 15 years experience in the state and federal public service, with roles spanning strategic policy development, program delivery and governance in infrastructure, water, land management and health. Heidi was a member of the federal Climate Change Authority and previously worked in communications and knowledge translation for health services research in Canada. Heidi has a BSc (Hons)/BA and a Masters in Environment (Climate Change).

Dr Jess Davies

Barriers and enablers to implementing sustainable healthcare changes

Dr Jess Davies is an anaesthetist at Austin Health, Honorary Lecturer in the Department of Critical Care and co-founder of the TRA2SH Research Network, empowering others to make real-world changes to reduce the carbon footprint of healthcare. Jess is starting a PhD to explore how we can implement environmental sustainability into operating theatres, which are one of the highest carbon areas in hospitals. There is already plenty of research about the environmental and financial benefits of reducing, reusing and recycling in operating theatres so she wants to explore how we can actually overcome the barriers to deliver high quality healthcare that doesn’t cost the earth.