WentWest appoints inaugural chief data officer

Western Sydney Primary Health Network (WentWest) has appointed Paul Nicolarakis as its inaugural chief data officer.

Dr Nicolarakis, a qualified medical doctor, will focus on developing and implementing a new information strategy covering data governance and infrastructure.

He was most recently in a similar position for the federal Department of Veterans’ Affairs following stint heading up Lorica Health, a spin-out from one of the cooperative research centres, specialising in data analytics to identify medical claims fraud and waste.

WentWest CEO Ray Messom said the addition of the position to the WentWest senior executive team was part of its commitment to driving health data reform in the region and supporting the PHN program across NSW and Australia.

“It is a testament to the longstanding success of our Health Information Unit (HIU) and WentWest’s leadership in the secure and respectful use of sensitive health data to inform the coordination, integration and commissioning of care services and in support of our role as a primary care steward driving innovation and reform,” Mr Messom said in a statement.

Dr Nicolarakis said he looked forward to working collaboratively with NSW Health and Commonwealth partners for data-driven, value-based care that improves the lives of individuals, families and the wider community.

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