In conversation with Julia Stevens, Alcidion Chief Operating Officer

Julia Stevens has been with Alcidion for over two decades, starting as the first employee at MKM Health, which later merged with Alcidion in 2018. Julia holds an Honours degree in Computer Science, as well as a Masters of International Law and is a Graduate of the AICD.

With a background in Computer Science and extensive experience across multiple roles within the organisation, Julia brings a unique blend of technical expertise and operational leadership to her role as Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Throughout her tenure, Julia has played pivotal roles in major projects, including leading the Australian Defence Force contract. Her journey from developer to COO exemplifies the depth of specialist technical expertise she brings to Alcidion’s operations.

Q: Can you tell us about your journey with Alcidion and how you came to be COO?

A: I joined when the Company was MKM Health, about 21 years ago. I was their first employee after some senior managers and partners from Deloitte decided to transition into healthcare full-time and create their own company. When MKM Health was acquired by Alcidion five or six years ago, it brought together Alcidion’s product expertise with MKM’s service delivery and sales capabilities.

My journey has been quite varied – I started as a developer and report writer, then moved through project management and account management roles. After the merger, I became Director of Product, responsible for engineering, testing and product delivery. I then led our largest sale to date with the Australian Defence Force before moving into my current role as Chief Operating Officer.

Q: What drives your commitment to healthcare technology?

A: It is quite personal for me. I have a genetic heart condition that was diagnosed after experiencing cardiac arrests at 17 and again at 28. These experiences showed me firsthand the importance of having the right information available to healthcare providers at the right time.

Too often, patients must be their own advocates and repeatedly share critical health information. Our goal is to ensure healthcare providers have access to the most important information when treating patients. Whether it’s in a standard hospital setting or a remote setting, it’s about making sure the right information is available at the right time to make informed decisions.

Q: How is Alcidion managing operational efficiency while pursuing growth?

A: Success comes down to having excellent people and clear processes. While we have separate teams for engineering, delivery and other functions, they understand they need to work together to achieve our goals. We focus on creating processes where teams can communicate effectively and understand how their work contributes to the bigger picture. It’s about having capable people operating at every level and ensuring they have the support they need to succeed.

Q: How does Alcidion’s global presence influence its operations?

A: We have around 135 full-time staff across operations in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The geographical spread allows us to service different markets and healthcare systems. Our ability to deliver solutions globally while maintaining local market understanding is a key strength.

We’ve structured our operations to be incredibly flexible. Even in locations where we maintain smaller teams, we’re able to deliver major projects by leveraging our broader network of expertise. I think this speaks to the strength of our processes and the capability of our people – we’ve created frameworks where teams can collaborate seamlessly regardless of their location, allowing us to maintain strong customer relationships while delivering solutions through our integrated teams across multiple regions.

This model has proven particularly effective as we’ve grown, allowing us to maintain our high standards of service delivery while expanding our presence across different markets and healthcare systems.

Q: What role does diversity play in Alcidion’s success?

A: At Alcidion, we focus on what people contribute and how they add to the conversation, celebrating their various backgrounds and perspectives. We’re fortunate to have strong female representation in leadership, from our Chair and CEO to many members of the senior leadership team. But more importantly, we’ve created an environment that values diversity in all its forms – whether that’s gender, cultural background or different viewpoints. It’s about harnessing the best in our people and the unique capabilities and perspectives they bring to the table.

Q: What excites you about Alcidion’s future?

A: The work we’re doing with the Defence Force is particularly exciting because it demonstrates how our technology can work in the most challenging environments. Healthcare delivery fundamentals remain the same whether you’re in a traditional hospital or a deployed setting. In a field hospital, you still have radiology, pathology, imaging, ICU and theatres. Our system needs to work in geographically dispersed environments where it can be switched on or off as needed. This could be due to military requirements, but it could equally apply to humanitarian situations or major disasters and weather events where network connectivity is down.

What really drives me is seeing how our work impacts people’s lives. The future is about ensuring fair and equitable healthcare access through better information sharing. We’re working toward a future where healthcare providers have immediate access to the critical information they need to make informed decisions, while maintaining appropriate security and privacy protocols. It’s about reducing the burden on patients to be their own advocates and ensuring continuity of care across different healthcare settings.