Associate ProfessorNeil Orford

Neil Orford is Associate Professor of Intensive Care Medicine at Deakin
University School of Medicine. Neil has been an intensive care specialist at
University Hospital Geelong since 2003, and the Director of Intensive Care at
Barwon Health for a decade. During this time, he has developed interests and
expertise in clinical leadership, end-of-life care and shared decision-making,
long-term outcomes following critical illness, and clinical research.

His interest in improving clinical leadership arose when he became Director of
Intensive Care, and he has since completed the Harvard International
Leadership Development Program for Physicians, and training with the Cognitive
Institute, Monash University, and the Burlington Group. The University
Hospital Geelong Intensive Care Unit has led major innovation programs under
Neil's leadership, including the development of the largest non-transplant
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) unit in Victoria, the development
of paediatric critical care in Geelong, and a focus on person-centred care.

Neil is the clinical lead for the i-Validate program (identifying values,
listening, and advising high-risk patients in acute care). Developed by a team
from Barwon Health and Deakin University, i-Validate aims to improve patient-
centred care through communication training and clinical implementation.

Neil is actively involved in research, particularly long-term outcomes after
critical illness. He has collaborated and published with the Deakin University
Geelong Osteoporosis Study and continues to lead international research on
critical illness related bone loss. He has strong philanthropic interests
including as an Intensive Care Specialist for Open Heart International Fiji,
and until recently was a Board Member of the Intensive Care Foundation.

Finally, over the last two years he has contributed to the public conversation
about health issues with pieces published in The Age newspaper ("Give death
it's due in a system focused on life", "mothers: respect the strong selfless
women in your life"), the ABC Drum, and participation in a Lateline program
about end of life conversations.