4b. A practice owner's guide to using AI.
Tracks
Stream 2
| Saturday, May 23, 2026 |
| 14:05 - 14:50 |
| Cockle Bay 1 |
Details
Four GP clinics across Canberra. Over 50 GPs and around 110 people in total, including a team in Malaysia. Early tech adopter. Not a coder.
About This Session
Until about 18 months ago, John Deery had never written a line of code. He ran four clinics, managed over 110 people, and used AI the same way most people did — as a slightly smarter Google.
This session is his honest account of what happened when he decided to take it further. Not a polished success story — a real journey through four distinct phases: from building a Facebook lead callback tool and rebuilding five clinic websites, to using AI for complex legal review during a practice acquisition and generating accreditation documents in hours. He calls it additional intelligence, not artificial.
Along the way, he found that the real skill is not writing better prompts. It is giving AI meaningful context about your business — your values, your org chart, your priorities, how you make decisions. Once you do that, the quality of everything it produces changes.
The session also covers leadership: why more AI in your practice should mean more human judgment, not less, and why the barrier to starting is not technical ability — it is the decision to start.
What You Will Leave With
A clear picture of the difference between using AI and using an AI agent, and why it matters for practice owners
Real examples of what AI has built for YourGP — tools, documents, workflows — with honest commentary on what worked and what did not
An understanding of context engineering: what it is, why it matters more than prompt writing, and how to start building a context layer for your practice
A view of how AI can support leadership — coaching, change management, accountability — without replacing clinical judgment
A concrete Tuesday morning action plan: five steps to get started this week, with a time investment of two to three hours
Who This Session Is For
GP practice owners and practice managers who are curious about AI but have not yet committed — and those who have started but are not sure what to build on. No technical background required.
Speaker
Dr Rodney (Rod) Aziz
Owner & Principal GP
Family Doctor
Chairperson
14:05 - 14:50
Graduate of the University of Melbourne in 1995 (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery). Now working in General Practice, I actually started my career in Emergency Medicine. Having worked as a Senior Doctor/CMO in Emergency Medicine for over eleven years, I ultimately decided that I wanted to move on to General Practice where I could build life-long relationships with my patients. In 2010, I obtained a fellowship with the Royal College of General Practitioners. I have also obtained a further fellowship with the Cosmetic Physicians College of Australasia, a Diploma of Skin Cancer Surgery, and am a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Family Doctor was founded in 2008, and I spearhead a team of dedicated professionals, fostering an environment where continuous learning and technological advancements are the cornerstones of our group of 114 medical and dental practices across Australia. Our mission is to provide exemplary services, ensuring that doctors can work in modern, supportive environments such that their patients feel heard, valued, and cared for. We’ve achieved significant milestones, including expanding our services, incorporating cutting-edge medical technologies, and enhancing our patient care models.
Significant achievements include:
• Leading Family Doctor through a period of unprecedented growth, doubling in size every 3 years while maintaining exceptional standards.
• Implementing innovative healthcare technologies that have streamlined patient management.
• Championing community health initiatives that have increased access to quality healthcare services.
Looking forward, my aspiration is to continue pioneering advancements in healthcare, focusing on sustainable practices that ensure the well-being of both patients and medical professionals. I am also passionate about mentoring the next generation of healthcare leaders, sharing insights and experiences to inspire and shape the future of healthcare.
Dr John Deery
Founder
YourGP
A practice owner's guide to using AI
14:05 - 14:50
Dr John Deery is the CEO of YourGP, a multi-site general practice group based in Canberra. He works closely with GP owners to build high-performing, values-driven practices that prioritise clinical excellence, strong culture, and sustainable profitability.
With extensive experience in practice growth, property development, governance, and contractor engagement, John focuses on creating systems that enable doctors to do their best work while improving patient outcomes. He is particularly interested in organisational health, leadership development, and the thoughtful use of technology and AI to enhance general practice operations.
John is passionate about helping practice owners think strategically, build cohesive teams, and develop businesses that are both financially sound and deeply aligned with their purpose.
