For Dr Emma McCahon, Chief Executive of the Central Adelaide Local Health Network, the Health Roundtable has always been more than a platform . It’s a community of peers, a trusted source of data, and a driver of real change across the health system.
Reflecting on her experiences with the Health Roundtable, Dr McCahon describes it as a unique space where leaders can step away from the daily pressures of their roles and gain perspective.
“It’s a safe environment where you can share openly the challenges, the mistakes, and the wins,” she notes.
One of the Health Roundtable’s most valuable contributions, according to Dr McCahon, is the benchmarking data. For leaders navigating complex organisations, the ability to measure performance against peers provides a powerful starting point.
“When you come into a new role, you want to know where the service stands, what’s going well, and what needs attention. The Health Roundtable data helps you see that clearly, and it’s consistent across services,” she explains.
This consistency doesn’t just help individual leaders, it can drive system-wide improvement, through collaboration and innovation sharing. By highlighting common issues and shining a light on successful strategies, the Health Roundtable ensures progress is shared rather than siloed.
Dr McCahon’s reflections also highlight the critical role of the Health Roundtable during times of pressure and transformation. The health sector has faced unprecedented challenges in recent years - from workforce strain to rising demand and the continuing impacts of the pandemic. Having a forum for collaboration, where leaders can exchange solutions and strategies, has been invaluable.
“You realise you’re not alone, others are facing the same challenges, and together you can find a way through,” she says.
What makes the Health Roundtable truly distinctive, Dr McCahon argues, is its collaborative ethos. “It’s not about competition, it’s about collective progress,” she reflects.
By working together, health leaders can achieve outcomes that no single organisation could accomplish alone. This spirit of collaboration, sustained over three decades, is what continues to make the Health Roundtable such an influential force in the sector.
As the Health Roundtable marks its 30th anniversary, Dr McCahon sees its role as more vital than ever. In an era where health services are under pressure to innovate, adapt, and deliver more with less, the Health Roundtable remains a place where leaders can find not just answers, but inspiration.
“The challenges will keep evolving, but the Health Roundtable gives us the tools, the data, and the connections we need to keep improving care for our communities.”
Watch the full video from Emma below.
