Part 1: About the Department

We value commitment to quality, professionalism, accountability, innovation and flexibility.

You may download Part 1 of the report in PDF format:

PDF printable version of Part 1: About the Department (PDF 178 KB)

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

Departmental Overview

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 and Performance Reporting).

Role

In 2009-10, 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 2009-10 can be found in Part 2: Performance Reporting.

During 2009-10, the department operated under the Public Service Act 1999 and the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997. For details of the legislation administered by the department refer to the Administered Arrangements Orders, available at www.pmc.gov.au.

Executive Team

From left to right: Rosemary Huxtable PSM, Deputy Secretary; Graeme Head, Interim Chief Executive, Transition Office; Mary Murnane PSM, Deputy Secretary; David Learmonth, Deputy Secretary; Jane Halton PSM, Secretary; Professor Jim Bishop AO, Chief Medical Officer; Richard Eccles, Acting Deputy Secretary; and Kerry Flanagan, Acting Deputy Secretary.

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Jane Halton PSM – Secretary

Ms Jane Halton has been Secretary of the Department of Health and Ageing since January 2002. She is responsible for all aspects of the operation of the department including the provision of advice on and administration of Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Aged and Community Care, Population Health, regulation of Therapeutic Goods, plus hospital financing and Private Health Insurance. She also has responsibility for leadership on health security issues, including matters related to bioterrorism and sports policy.

Ms Halton is a member of the board of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, a board member of the National E-Health Transition Authority and a Commissioner of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and the Australian Sports Commission. She is also on the executive board of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and on the Advisory Boards of the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, and the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research.

Ms Halton chairs the Organisation for Economic Cooperation's and Development (OECD) Health Committee. She was an Executive Board Member on the World Health Organization (WHO) 2004-2007 and President of the World Health Assembly (2007), and was Vice-Chair of the Executive Board 2005-2006 and Chair of the WHO Program, Budget and Administration Committee 2005-2007. She is currently Chair of the WHO Intergovernmental Meeting on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness.

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

Ms Halton holds an honours degree in Psychology from the Australian National University, is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and an honorary fellow of the Australian College of Health Service Executives. She was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2002, and the Centenary Medal in 2003.

Professor Jim Bishop AO – Chief Medical Officer

Professor Jim Bishop has been the Chief Medical Officer for the Australian Government since February 2009. In 2009-10, Professor Bishop was the principal advisor to the Minister and department across a full range of professional health issues.

In 2009-10, Professor Bishop represented the department on a wide number of committees and organisations that relate to the broad activities of the department. He maintains a close association with Australia’s medical fraternities and researchers.

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Richard Eccles – Acting Deputy Secretary

Mr Richard Eccles began acting as Deputy Secretary in May 2009.

During 2009-10, Mr Eccles was responsible for heading the Football World Cup Bid Taskforce. The taskforce was created in December 2009, to work with state and territory governments and other sporting codes, to assist the Football Federation Australia’s bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Since June 2010, Mr Eccles has also led the Strategic Review Taskforce, which is supporting a review of the portfolio’s administrative structures and resource requirements to ensure it is well placed to deliver its work program.

Graeme Head – Interim Chief Executive, Transition Office

Mr Graeme Head joined the department as a Deputy Secretary in April 2010 and was appointed Interim Chief Executive of the Transition Office in May 2010 upon the office’s establishment.

The Transition Office was established to help coordinate the implementation of the National Health and Hospital Network reform agenda. Mr Head is responsible for leading the Transition Office; to help coordinate the department’s implementation responsibilities and manage reform matters through a single point of leadership, coordination and interface.

Mr Head will continue to lead the Transition Office, as it works closely with line areas of the department to ensure the effective implementation of reform initiatives to deliver better health and active ageing for all Australians.

Rosemary Huxtable PSM – Deputy Secretary

Ms Rosemary Huxtable joined the department in 2003 and was Acting Deputy Secretary from May 2009. Ms Huxtable was promoted to the position of Deputy Secretary in March 2010.

In 2009-10, Ms Huxtable was responsible for a number of the department’s portfolio areas including primary and ambulatory care, rural health, e-health, mental health, chronic disease and corporate administration. Ms Huxtable also provided oversight to the department’s work on the national health reform agenda considered by the Council of Australian Governments in April 2010. Ms Huxtable was also responsible for the New South Wales and Northern Territory offices.

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Kerry Flanagan – Acting Deputy Secretary

Ms Kerry Flanagan began acting as Deputy Secretary in the department in December 2009. Ms Flanagan was responsible for: acute care, including policy responsibility for hospitals; health workforce, including medical indemnity; and the strategic direction of the department by overseeing the department’s Portfolio Strategies Division, Health Workforce Division, Acute Care Division and the South Australian and Western Australian offices.

David Learmonth – Deputy Secretary

Mr David Learmonth has been Deputy Secretary with the department since June 2006. In 2009-10, Mr Learmonth was responsible for pharmaceutical benefits, medical benefits, population health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health issues and sport.

Mr Learmonth oversaw the department’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Division, Medical Benefits Division, Population Health Division, the Office of Sport and Physical Activity, the Office of Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Health and Audit and Fraud Control. Mr Learmonth was also responsible for the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland offices.

Mary Murnane PSM – Deputy Secretary

Ms Mary Murnane has a long history with the department and has been Deputy Secretary since 1993. In 2009-10, Ms Murnane was responsible for ageing and aged care, health protection including disease surveillance, immunisation, emergency planning and management, and food research, safety and quality, and regulation.

Ms Murnane oversaw the Ageing and Aged Care Division, the Office of Aged Care Quality and Compliance, the Regulatory Policy and Governance Division and the Office of Health Protection.

In 2009-10, Ms Murnane also had responsibility for the policy aspect of medical and biological research, blood policy and chaired the Australian Health Protection Committee. Ms Murnane is a member of the National Blood Authority Board and is the Australian Government representative on the Quality and Safety Inter-jurisdictional Committee. In 2009-10, Ms Murnane was the Department of Health and Ageing representative on the Australian Biosecurity Intelligence Network. Ms Murnane was also responsible for the Tasmanian and Victorian offices.
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Structure of the Department

The department’s structure in 2009-10 was based around the key sectors of Australia’s health and ageing system and several cross portfolio functions. A detailed structure chart is on pages 32-34.

Changes to Structure

During 2009-10, the department reviewed its structure to ensure that resources and responsibilities were appropriately distributed to deliver the Government’s priorities for health and ageing.

This resulted in the establishment of the Health Reform Taskforce to provide advice and analysis on possible health reform proposals, including specific initiatives and to manage effective communication and consultation across government and with all stakeholders. Health reform is designed to significantly improve and modernise Australia’s health system. This will mean the largest change to our health, hospitals and aged care systems since the introduction of Medicare. The department has also created a high level cross-agency taskforce to provide the intensive focus required to support the Football Federation of Australia in its bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

A Transition Office has been established to lead and coordinate the department’s responsibility relating to the National Health and Hospitals Network, and manage the interface on health reform matters with other Australian Government agencies, the states and territories, and key stakeholders.

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 appropriate integration of services on the ground with state and territory government agencies. The state and territory offices also work in cooperation with other Australian Government agencies and are well positioned to assist in identifying policy.

In 2009-10, state and territory office staff worked with local stakeholders to ensure services provided through departmental programs were responsive to diverse local community needs and conditions.

Contact details for each office can be found in Part 6.1.
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Ministerial Team

During 2009-10, the department was responsible to:

the Minister for Health and Ageing, The Hon Nicola Roxon MP;
the Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Service Delivery, The Hon Warren Snowdon MP;
the Minister for Ageing, The Hon Justine Elliot MP;
the Minister for Sport, The Hon Kate Ellis MP; and
the Parliamentary Secretary for Health, The Hon Mark Butler MP.

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

Departmental Structure Chart as at 30 June 2010

PDF printable version of the Departmental Structure Chart as at 30 June 2010 (PDF 59 KB)

Therapeutic Goods Administration and Statutory Office Holders as at 30 June 2010

PDF printable version of the Therapeutic Goods Administration and Statutory Office Holders as at 30 June 2010 (PDF 37 KB)
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