Departmental Structure Chart

Executive Team

Back: Mary Murnane, Deputy Secretary; Professor John Horvath AO, Chief Medical Officer; Jane Halton PSM, Secretary; David Kalisch, Deputy Secretary.
Front: David Learmonth, Deputy Secretary; Philip Davies, Deputy Secretary.

Jane Halton PSM – Secretary

Ms Jane Halton has been Secretary to the Department since January 2002. She has responsibility for the efficient administration of the Department and for the corporate and strategic directions of the Department and portfolio. She also provides the most senior policy counsel on major and sensitive policy issues to the ministerial team.

Ms Halton currently chairs the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council, 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.

Ms Halton is the Chair of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Health Committee. She was an Executive Board Member on the World Health Organization (WHO) 2004-07 and President of the World Health Assembly (2007), and was Vice-Chair of the Executive Board 2005-06 and Chair of the WHO Program, Budget and Administration Committee 2005-07. Ms Halton was also Chair of the Australian Obesity Taskforce (2003-06).

Professor John Horvath AO – Chief Medical Officer

Professor John Horvath has been the Chief Medical Officer for the Government since September 2003. Professor Horvath provides support 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 has responsibility for the continuous development of professional relationships between the Department and the medical profession, medical colleges and universities.

Mary Murnane – Deputy Secretary

Ms Mary Murnane has been a Deputy Secretary with the Department since May 1993. Ms Murnane’s responsibilities in 2006–07 encompassed ageing and aged care, health protection and biosecurity, medical and biological research, and regulatory policy.

Ms Murnane oversaw the Department’s Ageing and Aged Care Division, the Office of Health Protection, the Regulatory Policy and Governance Division, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the Department’s offices in Tasmania and Victoria, as well as portfolio interests in the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Health Ministers’ Meeting in Sydney in June 2007.

Ms Murnane chairs the Australian Health Protection Committee and is a member of the Australian Government Counter Terrorism Policy Committee.

Philip Davies – Deputy Secretary

Mr Philip Davies has been a Deputy Secretary with the Department since 2002. Mr Davies’ responsibilities in 2006–07 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 offices in New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Mr Davies is an Honorary Fellow of the Health Services Research Centre at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand and has provided consultancy advice on health policy to the World Bank and the WHO.

David Kalisch – Deputy Secretary

Mr David Kalisch was appointed Deputy Secretary with the Department in June 2006. Mr Kalisch’s responsibilities in 2006–07 included acute care, mental health, health workforce and portfolio strategies.

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

David Learmonth – Deputy Secretary

Mr David Learmonth was appointed Deputy Secretary with the Department in June 2006. Mr Learmonth’s responsibilities in 2006–07 included population health and medical and pharmaceutical benefits.

Mr Learmonth oversaw the Department’s Population Health Division, the Medical Benefits Division, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Division, and the Department’s offices in the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland.

The Department’s Divisional Structure

The Department’s divisional structure in 2006–07, as outlined in the following Department Structure Chart, was based around the key sectors of Australia’s health and ageing system and a number of cross-portfolio functions.

Health and Ageing Sector	Cross Portfolio
Acute Care Division Ageing and Aged Care Division Medical Benefitsers Division Mental Health and Workforce Division Office of Health Protection Office of Aged Care Quality and Compliance Pharmaceutical Benefits Division Population Health Division Primary and Ambulatory Care Division	Portfolio Strategies Division Business Group Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Regulatory Policy and Governance Division

The Audit and Fraud Control Branch, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme, the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator and the Office of Chemical Safety also formed part of the Department.

Changes to the Divisional Structure

Following the creation of a new executive management structure in June 2006, which saw the appointment of two additional Deputy Secretaries, the Department implemented a new divisional structure on 1 August 2006.

The enhanced structure is designed to respond to the Department’s greater scope of responsibility in recent years, and to the increase in resources and responsibilities allocated in the 2006–07 Budget. The changes also ensure that the Department has the capacity to effectively deliver on the Government’s health and ageing agenda. They balance responsibilities across divisions and align related functions under the leadership of the new Executive team.

The number of divisions increased from 10 to 13. The Department established the Office of Aged Care Quality and Compliance to implement a major reform package to improve the quality of care for recipients of government-subsidised aged care.

The Medical Benefits Division and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Division were created from the former Medical and Pharmaceutical Services Division, reflecting the increasing challenges associated with the Department’s ongoing responsibilities in these areas. A new Mental Health and Workforce Division was created to continue to drive major Council of Australian Government driven reforms, while the work of the former Health Services Improvement Division is being continued by other divisions. The Regulatory Policy and Governance Division was created to coordinate the governance arrangements for health portfolio agencies and provide policy advice and support for consideration of regulatory and ethical issues associated with new and emerging technologies. This division also provides advice to Government on matters associated with the new Australia New Zealand therapeutic products regulation scheme. Finally, the National Health and Medical Research Council became an independent statutory authority within the Health and Ageing portfolio on 1 July 2006. Prior to this, the National Health and Medical Research Council was a business unit within the Department.

The Department’s State and Territory Offices

The State and Territory Offices play a significant role in the function of the Department. They represent the Department’s interests at state and territory 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 Government agencies and are well positioned to assist in identifying policy links. In 2006–07, State and Territory Office staff continued to work in partnership 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 at Part 6 – Department of Health and Ageing Contact Details.