Annual Report - Part 1: Departmental Overview

Table of contents

Part 3: Management Arrangements

Part 4: Accountability Reporting

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Part 1 provides information on the Department’s role and its management arrangements.

About the Department

Vision

The Department of Health and Ageing’s vision is of better health and active ageing for all Australians. To achieve this, the Department delivers the key Australian Government priorities reflected in the Department of Health and Ageing Corporate Plan 2006–09 (accessible at www.health.gov.au), and the Department’s outcome structure (detailed in Part 2.2: Portfolio Outcomes, Departmental Outputs and Performance Reporting).

Role

In 2008–09, the Department developed evidence-based policy, managed programs and undertook research and regulation activities as part of its responsibility for achieving the Australian Government’s priorities. The Department also led and worked with other agencies, consumers and stakeholders. A detailed discussion of the Department’s activities in 2008–09 can be found in Part 2: Performance Reporting.

During 2008–09, the Department operated under the Public Service Act 1999 and the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997. The Department also administered a large number of Acts, as listed in Part 4.6 Freedom of Information.
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Executive Team

Jane Halton PSM – Secretary

Ms Jane Halton has been Secretary to the Department since January 2002. In 2008–09, Ms Halton was responsible for all aspects of the Department’s operation including the provision of advice on and administration of Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, aged and community care, population health, the regulation of therapeutic goods, hospital financing and private health insurance. She also had responsibility for leadership on health security issues, including matters related to bioterrorism and sports policy.

During the year, Ms Halton was a board member of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the National E-Health Transition Authority, and a Commissioner of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality and the Australian Sports Commission. She was also a board member of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, the Advisory Boards of the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, and a member of the Melbourne Institute Advisory Board. In addition, Ms Halton was Chair of the World Health Organization (WHO) Intergovernmental Meeting on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness, and the chair of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Health Committee.

Previously, Ms Halton was an Executive Board Member of WHO (2004–2007), President of the World Health Assembly (2007), Vice-Chair of the Executive Board (2005–2006), and Chair of the WHO Program, Budget and Administration Committee (2005–2007).

Ms Halton was also a Commissioner of the Health Insurance Commission from 2002 to 2005 and Chair of the Australian Obesity Taskforce (2003–2006). She also chaired the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council between 2002 and 2008, and was co-chair of the OECD Group on Health between 2002 and 2007.

Professor John Horvath AO – Chief Medical Officer

Professor John Horvath was the Chief Medical Officer for the Australian Government between September 2003 and January 2009. In 2008–09, Professor Horvath was the principle medical adviser to the Minister and the Department across the full range of professional health issues, including health and medical research, public health, medical workforce, quality of care, evidence-based medicine, and an outcomes-focused health system. He also had responsibility for the continuous development of professional relationships between the Department and the medical profession, medical colleges and universities.

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Mary Murnane PSM – Deputy Secretary

Ms Mary Murnane has been a Deputy Secretary with the Department since May 1993. In 2008–09, Ms Murnane’s responsibilities included ageing and aged care, palliative care, health protection and biosecurity, medical and biological research, food policy and regulatory policy.

Ms Murnane oversaw the Department’s Ageing and Aged Care Division, the Aged Care Office of Quality and Compliance, the Office of Health Protection, the Regulatory Policy and Governance Division, the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator. She was also responsible for the Department’s Tasmania and Victoria offices, and policy interests in the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Ms Murnane chaired the Australian Health Protection Committee. The committee: advises the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council on emergency preparedness; manages the emergency health component of national emergency planning; liaises with other Australian Government and state emergency handling organisations; and is responsible for undertaking exercises, leadership and coordination roles in national emergencies requiring a health response. Ms Murnane was also a member of the National Blood Authority Board.

Philip Davies – Deputy Secretary

Mr Davies was a Deputy Secretary with the Department between August 2002 and February 2009. In 2008–09, Mr Davies’ responsibilities included primary care, rural health, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. Mr Davies oversaw the Department’s Primary and Ambulatory Care Division, the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Business Group and the Department’s New South Wales and Northern Territory offices.

Mr Davies is an Honorary Fellow of the Health Services Research Centre at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand and has provided advice on health policy to the World Bank and the World Health Organisation.

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David Kalisch – Deputy Secretary

Mr David Kalisch was a Deputy Secretary with the Department between June 2006 and May 2009. In 2008–09, Mr Kalisch was responsible for acute care, mental health, health workforce and portfolio strategies.

Mr Kalisch oversaw the Department’s Acute Care Division, Health Policy Taskforce, the former Mental Health and Workforce Division, Portfolio Strategies Division, and the Department’s South Australia and Western Australia offices.

Mr Kalisch was on the National Blood Authority Advisory Board and attended the board meetings of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

David Learmonth – Deputy Secretary

Mr David Learmonth was appointed Deputy Secretary with the Department in June 2006. In 2008–09, Mr Learmonth was responsible for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health issues, population health, medical benefits, pharmaceutical benefits, hearing services and sport.

Mr Learmonth oversaw the Department’s Population Health Division, the Medical Benefits Division, the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Division, and the Department’s Australian Capital Territory and Queensland offices.

Changes to the Executive Team in 2009

Professor Jim Bishop AO – Chief Medical Officer

Professor Jim Bishop AO was appointed Chief Medical Officer in February 2009, at which time he became the principal medical adviser to the Minister and the Department of Health and Ageing, and assumed responsibility for providing support across the full range of professional health issues and continuing to develop professional relationships between the Department and the medical profession, colleges and universities.

In 2008–09, Professor Bishop represented the Department on a wide number of committees and organisations including: the Australian Government Advisory Committee (WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research of Influenza); the Australian Health Protection Committee; the Australian Medical Council; beyondblue; the Cancer Australia Research Advisory Committee; the International Agency for Research on Cancer; the Medical Services Advisory Committee; the National Health and Medical Research Council; and the Special Education Accreditation Committee.

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Richard Eccles – Acting Deputy Secretary

Mr Richard Eccles began acting as a Deputy Secretary in the Department in May 2009. Mr Eccles was responsible for acute care, health workforce issues, portfolio strategies (including monitoring progress on health reforms), and the portfolio’s involvement in the Federal Budget.

Mr Eccles oversaw the Department’s Acute Care Division, Health Workforce Division, Portfolio Strategies Division, and the Department’s South Australia and Western Australia offices.

Mr Eccles attended the board meetings of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and was a member of the Health Workforce Principal Committee.

Ms Rosemary Huxtable PSM – Acting Deputy Secretary

Ms Rosemary Huxtable began acting as a Deputy Secretary in the Department in May 2009. Her responsibilities include primary and ambulatory care, rural health, e-Health, mental health and chronic disease and the Department’s operational business.

In 2008–09, Ms Huxtable oversaw the Department’s Primary and Ambulatory Care Division, the Mental Health and Chronic Disease Division, Business Group, and the Department’s New South Wales and Northern Territory offices.

The Department’s Organisational Structure

The Department’s organisational structure in 2008–09 was based around the key sectors of Australian’s health and ageing system and a number of cross portfolio functions. A detailed structure chart is on pages 26–27.

Changes to the Divisional Structure

During 2008–09, the Department reviewed its divisional structure to ensure that resources and responsibilities were appropriately distributed to deliver on the Government’s priorities for health and ageing. This resulted in the establishment of the Health Workforce Division which is responsible for implementing major Council of Australian Government health workforce reforms, managing extensive health workforce programs, and assisting with the implementation of the new National Registration and Accreditation Scheme. The Department also created a new Mental Health and Chronic Disease Division, and made minor structural adjustments to the Regulatory Policy and Governance Division, the Office of Health Protection and Portfolio Strategies Division to ensure that the Department’s operational imperatives continue to be met.
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The Department’s State and Territory Offices

The Department’s State and Territory offices represent the organisation’s interests at a local level, and ensure integration of services on the ground with State and Territory Government agencies. The State and Territory offices also work with other Australian Government agencies and are well positioned to assist in identifying policy. In 2008–09, State and Territory office staff worked with local stakeholders to ensure services provided through departmental programs were responsive to diverse local needs and conditions.

Contact details for each office can be found in Part 6.1 Department of Health and Ageing Contact Details.

Ministerial Team

During 2008–09, the Department was responsible to:

the Minister for Health and Ageing, The Hon Nicola Roxon MP;
the Minister for Ageing, The Hon Justine Elliot MP;
the Minister for Sport, The Hon Kate Ellis MP; and
the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator the Hon Jan McLucas.

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of changes to the Ministry on 6 June 2009, the Department was also responsible to:

the Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Heath and Regional Services Delivery, The Hon Warren Snowdon MP; and
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing,The Hon Mark Butler MP, who replaced Senator McLucas following her decision to step down from her portfolio responsibilities to focus on her role as Senator for Queensland.

Mr Snowdon and Mr Butler’s portfolio responsibilities were finalised on 6 July 2009.

A full description of the Ministerial Team’s responsibilities can be found in Part 3.7 Ministerial Responsibilities.
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