March 2017

APAC / March 2017 117 , Bruce Hall, CEO of QNS, talks about the sector and how it fares within the APAC region. Optimal Patient Care Queensland Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery is private neurosurgery group comprising a small group of world class specialists committed to providing the highest quality of neurosurgical care in a context of holistic medical treatment. QNS neurosurgeons assess and manage patients with complex conditions of the brain, spine and peripheral nervous system. Bruce Hall tells us more about the company and its mission. “The practice began in 1996 as a solo practice and gradually expanded,” he says. “The guiding principal has always been based upon service delivery. The challenge of any group is finding like-minded colleagues with whom to work. I am very fortunate to have Richard Laherty and Rumal Jayalath to work with. I hold them both in the highest regard as they are highly trained and talented neurosurgeons who have much to offer. “Our mission statement is “QNS aims to combine neurosurgical excellence and cutting edge technology to provide optimal patient care in all aspects of intracranial and spine surgery”. The most important components are holistic patient care, highly developed neurosurgical expertise with a commitment to ongoing training and utilizing trusted technological advances to achieve best practice.” Bruce is passionate about ongoing progress in neurosurgery in order to continually improve patient outcomes. He tells us more about his background. “I have trained several generations of neurosurgeons, actively pursue research interests and am a board member on the council of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. I am fortunate to have had many opportunities to be part of pioneering work in neurosurgery in Queensland, most recently with the use of intraoperative CT scanning technology at Greenslopes Private Hospital, and the Gamma Knife unit at Princess Alexandra Hospital. It is this collegiate atmosphere in the various spheres of work in QNS, PAH, RACS which I enjoy. “I have a background of extensive links within the Asia-Pacific region. I was a Rotary exchange student to Japan in high school. I enjoyed it so much I returned on a Queensland University Medical School exchange and took the opportunity to further my language studies. I have family links with both Thailand and Taiwan. I have been vice president of the Asian Neurosurgical Society and I have been able to travel throughout many parts of the Asia-Pacific region giving lectures, mentoring and teaching in areas of need. Australia has a small population with a very high level of neurosurgical expertise. Having language and cultural exposure has made it easier to communicate effectively with colleagues in the Asia-Pacific region and understand how we can work together to achieve mutual goals.” There are certain key attributes which Bruce posseses, which he believes have helped lead to his success as an award-winning CEO. “I have a commitment to excellence in all aspects of neurosurgery, ongoing professional development and mentoring,” he states. “I work in both public and private neurosurgery. The various positions I hold have provided me with the framework to understand the business environment we work in from local, national and global perspectives.” Bruce embellishes on how working within the APAC region affects the sector, and what changes he has seen over the years. “Australia is geographically within the APAC region. We have long established links at all levels with many key players in the region. We regularly participate in both professional dialogue at meetings and more directly via research exchanges. It is culturally extremely diverse, and this presents both challenges and great opportunities. “There have been many changes within the industry. When I commenced my neurosurgical career it was usual to be in solo specialist practice. Stereotaxy was an exciting area just beginning to be expanded to increase the scope of its relevance. MRI scanners were in their infancy. There is a constant pressure to change and evolve to meet the needs of the field. “The rapid pace of technological advancement has necessitated many changes, and required careful professional judgement and prudence in applying these advances. With instant communication and information widely available to patients, it is even more critical that we assess new modalities of treatment rigorously to ensure we make the best choices from all of the options available. The rate of development in key areas such as stereotaxy, intraoperative scanning and the increasingly sophisticated and accurate engagement of radiosurgery are quietly revolutionizing my field. It is exciting to be part of the development of the application of these advances in my field. In my roles leading hospital departments and as part of the college, I also have the opportunity to participate in decision making relating to the relevant guidelines to ensure optimization of these new tools.” With regards to the future, Bruce foresees QNS continuing to function well and expanding with the recruitment of more top quality neurosurgeons to retain its position as a market leader. “I hope to be fostering stronger links via research, teaching and other collaborative endeavours with our APAC colleagues. “I would like to see QNS expand its scope steadily, continuing to grow with like-minded colleagues.” K Company: Queensland Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery Name: Bruce Hall Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.qns.com.au Address: Suite 325 Ramsay Specialist Centre, Newdegate Street, Greenslopes Qld 4120 Australia Telephone: +61 7 3421 6000 1701AP40