In The News | Harvard links central to Dr Molnar's creative disruption

By Ruth Stein

Dr Rowan Molnar is a man of many parts, not only one of Australasia's leading commentators on creative disruption in medicine and healthcare, but also an award-winning author, professional speaker, consultant and someone who still loves working in his many roles.

"It's quite a paradox," he says. "I find myself in many different circumstances where I have to take the lead, but at the same time, I'm responsible to and for my patients, my colleagues and staff and all the other people I work with in my varied roles."

He says his time spent at hospitals and universities in the USA has been a particular highlight. He is a Harvard Macy Scholar from Harvard Business School and Harvard Medical School, and is also a speaker at Harvard Macy's project on "Leading Innovations in Healthcare and Education".

Dr Molnar says the Macy Institute combines the work of Harvard's medical and business schools to incorporate lessons learnt in the business world into the medical industry.

"It's a huge honour and a massive privilege to be up with the very, very, very cutting edge people involved in innovation in healthcare." 

Currently a senior specialist anaesthetist with extensive clinical experience at a tertiary referral hospital level, he is Head of Discipline, Anaesthesia, at the University of Tasmania, and also Staff Specialist Anaesthetist at Launceston General Hospital. He is an ECronicon Anaesthesia Editorial Panel Member at ECronicon. In addition, he maintains close relationships with Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston and John Hopkins Medical Centre, Baltimore, and the University of California.

Not only is he an internationally known anaesthesia specialist, he has also specialised in cardiac surgery, orthopaedic surgery, tumour surgery and reconstructive surgery.

Dr Molnar has recently written a new book titled "Creative Disruption in Medicine and Healthcare", based on healthcare practices and approaches. Dr Molnar believes that currently Australian healthcare systems have largely failed to adapt to the issue of creative disruption.

He explains that creative disruption is a principle of innovating products or services which may not initially be efficient and cost-effective, but will quickly reach the kind of lower-cost quality the community needs.

In his latest role, he is looking forward to improving health systems across Australia in general, pointing out that he seeks people to help him come up with innovative procedures, products and services. He points out that he can draw on the entire network of the Harvard Medical School.

"If you want to influence, you must speak up."

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Dr Rowan Molnar MBBS (Melb) FANZCA MSCHPEd (Harvard) MAICD, is Harvard Macy Institute scholar and faculty member and the Staff Specialist anaesthetist at Launceston General Hospital, Australia. In addition to being a clinical practitioner he has been instrumental in leading world class medical simulation education in three continents including the ever changing disruption facing medicine and the medical world.