AUSTRALIAN doctors are looking to virtual reality (VR) to change health care to better suit modern-day needs, thanks to home-grown startup company, Vantari VR.

Vantari VR is developing cutting edge technology to convert CT, MRI and other medical images into virtual reality, signalling the end of two-dimensional (2D) black and white medical scans.

The Australian-made technology is being tested by NSW doctors who are showing patients their scans using VR headsets, bringing medical imaging to life. The company is also exploring other ways to use this technology, including using virtual reality in surgical planning and to train junior doctors. 

Vantari VR was founded by two doctors, Vijay Paul and Nishanth Krishnananthan, whose combined experience in emergency medicine and surgery inspired them to solve a common problem.

“Health care professionals go through years of training to learn how to read standard medical scans,” Dr Paul said.

“There is no surprise that patients often struggle to decipher what the colourless blurs mean during a short medical appointment. We’ve worked at medical centres and hospitals across Australia, and noticed that this was a common issue at all of them, so we decided to do something about it,” Dr Paul said.

Knee surgery patients at Sydney’s Campbelltown Private Hospital will be some of the first to experience this technology during a six-month trial.

At Westmead Hospital in Sydney, Vantari VR is being piloted for procedural training where junior doctors and trainees are able to learn from immersive simulations hosted on a sophisticated VR platform.

Vantari VR is also being tested at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital where surgeons are turning traditional scans into virtual reality and using VR headsets to plan surgical procedures. According to research by Stamford University in the US, using virtual reality for surgical planning increases accuracy by 10 percent and decreases planning time by 40 percent.

HELPED BY HCF CATALYST

When Vantari VR was in its prototype phase, Dr Paul and Dr Krishnananthan participated in the HCF Catalyst program, an accelerator that helps health care startups and scaleups to develop their ideas into investment-ready businesses in 12 weeks.

The doctors’ program mentors encouraged them to look at different ways health care professionals could use virtual reality in patient care.

“The HCF Catalyst program helped us see the greater potential to use virtual reality to not only educate patients but drive better understanding across the health system,” Dr Krishnananthan said.

“We want to be part of the movement that progresses the Australian health system into today’s modern technological world. It is important that we encourage doctors to use technology that can improve patient outcomes.”

HCF and venture fund Slingshot select businesses that share a vision of making health care affordable, understandable, high quality and patient centric to participate in the yearly accelerator program. Program participants receive mentoring, marketing and infrastructure support.

HCF Catalyst gave both Vantari VR founders education on the business side of running a heath Startup.

“As doctors we had clinical acumen and a good work ethic, but we needed support to learn new business skills,” Dr Paul said. “The HCF Catalyst program taught us how to create a sustainable business model and fundamental professional business skills like sales and pitching.”

HCF chief executive officer Sheena Jack is the driving force behind the health care accelerator program. She believes Vantari VR is a great example of how technology has the power to make health care more understandable and high-quality for patients. 

“We run the HCF Catalyst program to support entrepreneurs like Dr Paul and Dr Krishnananthan, who are using technology to make complex health care processes easier for Australian patients to understand and have potential to improve patient outcomes,” Ms Jack said.

“We think there is significant opportunity for the health care system to be using more advanced technology, like virtual reality, as research continues to show that it can benefit Australian patients.”

hcfcatalyst.slingshotters.com

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JUST ONE YEAR after Recon Solutions’ 50 percent acquisition by People Infrastructure (PI), the recruitment company is increasingly dominating in the ICT recruitment sector – and since the purchase, PI shares have more than doubled, from $1 to $2.30.

Leading up to the acquisition, Recon Solutions consistently achieved 200 percent year-on-year growth over its six-year history. Recon was also recognised as the 12th fastest growing company by BRW magazine in 2016 and was awarded Growth Company of the Year at the annual Recruitment International Awards in 2017.

In recent years, the Recon brand has become renowned for its support of worthy sporting and community causes.

Director and CEO, Steve Scanlan, attributed Recon’s achievements to the company’s hunger to keep improving, as well as its robust culture.

“We’re driven by relationships, not transactions, and our focus is on openness and honesty in business,” Mr Scanlan said. “This is relevant more than ever now that we’re accountable to shareholders in addition to our clients.”

Recon Solutions is also making a name for itself as a good corporate citizen, supporting and sponsoring numerous worthy causes.

Perhaps most notably, Recon is now the major sponsor of Tonga National Rugby League. The investment has helped propel the national team, Mate Ma’a Tonga, to new heights and a level of professionalism which sees them ranked fourth in the world, and set to play Tier One nations in 2019.

It was further announced this week that Mate Ma’a Tonga is top seeded alongside England, Australia and New Zealand in the revamped 2021 World Cup. 

Also noteworthy is Recon Solutions’ early support of Brisbane-local and boxing champion, Jeff Horn. Five years ago, Recon’s sponsorship allowed Horn to train full time and ultimately go on to become a world champion.

Recon Solutions was there when Jeff Horn took on reigning world champion Manny Pacquiao and was also there 18 months later when he defeated Anthony Mundine on November 30 at Suncorp Stadium.

Recon Solutions further supports a wide variety of organisations including the Queensland Ballet, West Fiji Dolphins Club, Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Petero Civoniceva Foundation, and Rochedale State School, among others.

This past spring, Recon raised over $50,000 for the Starlight Children’s Foundation, of which Mr Scanlan sits on the state advisory board.

Most recently, Recon Solutions signed Irish-born and 2018 WBO Intercontinental Champion Dennis ‘Hurricane’ Hogan for a platinum sponsorship.

“He’s quickly becoming boxing’s rising star, and our team believes he’s on his way to a world title win,” Mr Scanlan said.

www.reconsolutions.com.au

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DATA security and compliance specialist Semafone is opening an Australian office to support its global contact centre customers.

The company’s third global customer support hub is in Canberra and Semafone CEO Tim Critchley said it would enable more efficient around-the-clock customer service and support while driving the company’s continued international growth.

“Opening our third office location is a testament to Semafone’s growth into a truly global organisation,” Mr Critchley said. 

“Our new Canberra office gives us the opportunity to provide around-the-clock customer service and support and to make critical updates to clients’ systems without any business disruption or inconvenience.”

Semafone is a leading provider of data security and compliance solutions specifically for contact centres. The Canberra office will serve as a customer support hub to customers based in Australia and Asia while assisting Semafone’s global customer base.

Mr Critchley said the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) requires merchants to regularly carry out updates and upgrades to payment software, such as Semafone’s Cardprotect solution.

However, in most instances, these updates need be completed at night to avoid workday interruptions and allow customers to continue business as usual. The Australian office would enable Semafone to perform time-critical security patches when it is most convenient for customers around the globe.

With Australia’s growing focus on data security standards, exemplified by the recent enactment of its Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) Scheme, Mr Critchley said Semafone was broadening its footprint in this region at the perfect time.

He said the Canberra office’s primary focus would be on customer support, but the its close proximity to partner SecureCo, a key player in Australia’s secure payments market, would provide additional in-region expertise and partner support.

“Semafone’s new Australian office will not only help strengthen our partnership but will also ensure our customers receive the best possible in-region support and expertise,” SecureCo chief operating officer, Peter McCormick said.

“We look forward to our continued partnership with Semafone as we work together to simplify PCI DSS compliance, keep data secure and uphold brand reputations.”

The new Semafone office at Braddon, ACT, has come just two years after opening Semafone’s North American headquarters in Boston.

Semafone was founded in 2009 and now supports customers in over 25 countries on five continents. Semafone’s extensive customer base includes companies such as AO, AXA, The British Heart Foundation, Rogers Communications, RNIB, Santander, Sky, TalkTalk and parts of the Virgin Group. 

Major investors of Semafone include Octopus Ventures and Business Growth Fund (BGF).

www.semafone.com

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BRISBANE’S CBD has been augmented by one of Australia’s most exclusive ‘co-working spaces’ with the launch of Christie Spaces’ $4.5m Common Ground facility.

Aimed at businesses requiring immediate access to a fully-equipped CBD base that can help drive innovation as much as introductions, Common Ground in Adelaide St acts as a centre for collaboration. 

The design and layout provides a hub for new technology and innovation, according to Christie Spaces national brand manager Fusun Batey, and will bring together "thinkers and doers" from all sectors under one roof, ”unlike anything Brisbane currently has to offer”.

Mrs Batey said Common Ground offered so much more thana stylish hi-tech office, with elite services and resources, digital platforms, space flexibility, networking opportunities, “and most importantly, a sense of community”.

“Collaboration and community have emerged as popular reasons that businesses seek out co-working spaces, and recent studies have also revealed that employees in a co-working environment are happier and more productive,” Mrs Batey said. 

She said co-working spaces had moved beyond the realm of just offering access to fast internet and good coffee and were now a global phenomenon, giving workers an advantage in a knowledge-based economy that was fuelled by an increasing need for information and connectivity.

COLLABORATION STATION

Common Ground was designed to be collaborative, Mrs Batey said, with spacious shared amenities such as bathrooms, kitchens, lounge areas and meeting rooms, as well as being contemporary in design with curved steel finishes, high ceilings, and luxe lighting throughout its 1750sqm..

“Sustainability is also a big factor in the decision-making processes with businesses not only able to cut costs on items like energy, data, printing and more, but also reduce their environmental footprint as a result,” Mrs Batey said.

“Another key factor in the rise of co-working is rapid advances in technology. Co-working facilities allow businesses to operate with up-to-the-minute digital trends they may not otherwise be able to afford. 

“With a spend of $250,000 on IT infrastructure alone, Common Ground provides an unparalleled tech offering, as well as ongoing support.”

Coworking spaces are also no longer just the domain of freelancers, startups and small businesses seeking to share costs and establish networking opportunities, with big corporations increasingly jumping on the trend, according to research by Christie Spaces.

“Large companies, particularly those geared towards the millennial generation of worker, see co-working as both a cost cutting measure as well as an opportunity to attract and retain talent by providing an environment that cultivates networking and idea generation,” Mrs Batey said,

“Common Ground is home to large project spaces ideal for collaboration, not to mention mod-cons such as a podcast room, a photo wall for video content creation, and even a wellness and relaxation area.

“With studies showing that co-working results in a significant increase in employee productivity and happiness, and with the flexibility and cost-cutting it offers businesses, the allure of co-working spaces shows no sign of slowing down.”

Common Ground will open in October at Christie Spaces – 320 Adelaide St – close to Central Station, with bicycle racks and end-of-trip facilities on the premises.

https://christiespaces.com.au/commonground

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