Master of Digital Health Student Spotlight: John Mellors
| 6 Min Read
After more than a decade of experience in healthcare, first as an allied health clinician and later in executive leadership roles across various organisations including HealthTech start-ups, John Mellors was ready to pursue a new pathway. This journey led him to co-found Almanac Health, a business that empowers healthcare ventures across Australia to build human-centred care models designed to scale. Central to the ethos of his new venture, John recognised that digital literacy was fundamental to lead other businesses through the complexities of changes in healthcare today. In this spotlight, John shares his experience in the Master of Digital Health and how his new skills are helping him bridge the gap to improve patient and provider experiences.
What motivated you to pursue a degree in Digital Health?
The decision was driven by purpose. I was in the process of founding Almanac Health, a next-generation group designed to empower healthcare providers to scale, innovate, and thrive – delivering the very best of both human-first care and digitally-enabled service models.
While I brought deep experience from my background as an allied health clinician – combined with extensive healthcare and business leadership – I recognised a specific knowledge gap in the higher-order elements of digital health: systems thinking, digital maturity models, next-generation technologies and implementation science.
I chose to undertake the Master of Digital Health to fill that gap – and ultimately, to ensure I could guide the business’s long-term strategy and future with rigour, confidence, and credibility.
The program’s tagline – Shape the future of healthcare with innovative digital solutions – deeply resonated with me. It mirrors our business’s own vision: to redefine healthcare growth by empowering providers to scale sustainably, innovate freely, and create meaningful impact. That alignment made the decision to pursue this pathway not just logical, but deeply motivating.
Please share a bit about yourself – what do you like to do in your free time?
When I’m not working (or studying!), you’ll usually find me at Suncorp Stadium, where my wife, kids and I are devout Brisbane Broncos fans and proud season pass holders.
I’ve always had a deep obsession with sport – it’s my passion, my essential form of professional escapism, and, at its best, a benchmark for the kind of inspired teamwork and alignment I strive for in business.
When I’m not watching sport or spending time with my beautiful family, I’m pretty much always working alongside the incredible teams that make up the our business network of ventures. We’re incredibly lucky to be involved with several sensational healthcare businesses – each doing something bold, necessary, deeply intentional and genuinely impactful.
Which subjects stood out to you, and what did you enjoy most about them?
The subjects that have resonated most have been those that have directly addressed the higher-order capabilities I set out to strengthen – systems thinking, digital maturity models, next-generation technologies, and implementation science.
- Strategic Digital Transformation of Health – This gave me the opportunity to apply my thinking in real-world contexts, including the development of a complex digital maturation strategy. It brought structure and depth to how I now approach transformation planning within the business.
- Digital Health Design and Implementation – A powerful exploration of how to build, iterate, and embed digital solutions in complex care environments. The emphasis on co-design and feasibility evaluation aligned strongly with our business’s approach to innovation.
- Systems Thinking and Leadership – This challenged me to reframe problems more holistically and offered new ways to lead and to conceptualise how to influence within health environments undergoing significant, rapid change.
Others like Virtual Care & the Internet of Medical Things were also valuable – for pushing my thinking around scalable remote care models, and for sharpening my ability to critically interpret data and evidence at an executive level.
Were there any aspects of the course that you found challenging, and how did you overcome them?
Without doubt, time management has been the main challenge – juggling study while running a business and making sure I stay present for my young family and the most important things in life. Without doubt, time management – juggling study while running a business and making sure I stay present for my young family, has been the main challenge.
I have approached study the same way I would any major transformation program: block time, protect space for deep work, and carve out moments to reflect and apply learnings – in my case, directly back into our businesses.
On the technical front, unfamiliar areas like coding and data modelling have definitely stretched me. But I have continued to lean into La Trobe’s support systems and found real value in collaborative peer learning.
How did the program help you develop your skills? Were you aiming to apply them in your current role, or were you considering a shift into new areas of healthcare?
It’s given me the frameworks and language to confidently lead conversations at the intersection of health, data, and technology – and apply those insights directly into our business’s operating model.
From shaping investment decisions to supporting digital adoption inside our partner businesses, I feel that the degree has elevated my ability to guide others through complexity, while staying anchored to what truly matters: patient and provider experience.
Do you think the skills you developed during the course are becoming essential for people working in healthcare today?
Without question. Digital fluency is no longer optional for leaders in healthcare – whether you’re running a hospital, a clinic, or a HealthTech start-up. What this course has taught me thus far is that it’s not just about the tech – like everything in life, it’s about understanding systems, behaviour change, integration, and design that serves real people in a meaningful way.
What kind of support did you receive from teaching staff or your peers?
La Trobe’s teaching team have been outstanding – responsive, supportive, and genuinely committed to helping students bridge theory and practice.
My peers have been equally outstanding and inspiring. Many are clinicians or professionals transforming care from the ground up, and the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives – combined with the collaborative energy – has been an absolute highlight.
Where would you like to be in 5 years’ time?
In five years, I hope to be continuing to grow Almanac Health into the best version of itself – a known, trusted, values-driven partner for healthcare providers, delivering on our vision and brand promise.
Almanac Health blends investment, mentorship, and strategic support to help providers move beyond traditional constraints and build digitally-enabled, human-first care models. That intersection – between innovation, connection, and purpose – and the opportunity to work alongside deeply focused, inspiring and quite remarkable individuals, is exactly where I want to be.
And personally? I hope I’m still learning, still asking big questions, and still energised by the future of healthcare.
Learn more about La Trobe’s online Master of Digital Health course or get in touch with our team of Enrolment Advisors via (+61 3) 9917 3009 or onlinecourses@latrobe.edu.au.