Deft touch from Duckett as Cohealth opens up board spots

Brevity is the soul of wit, said Polonius. Spot on.

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Esteemed health economist and all-round big-brained good bloke, Professor Stephen Duckett has a reputation for explaining complexity with language that is direct and accessible.

This week he excelled himself in the pithy comment department.

Professor Duckett, leader of the recent review into Melbourne-based community health hub Cohealth, has not held back in his criticism of the organisation’s board and senior management.

Quite apart from the review’s report itself, Professor Duckett kept it simple on ABC radio the next day: “They’ve had their chance. They’ve got to go.”

But on LinkedIn yesterday he put the cherry on top of the criticism cake.

Professor Duckett reposted an update from Michael Holdway, managing director of recruitment firm Searchlight Group, spruiking a job advertisement for new directors for the Cohealth board.

He added a four-word sentence of his own which summed up the whole situation:

“Competent people desperately required.”

Perfect.

By the way, the full job description for the Cohealth board positions can be found here.

“For the directors who join now, this is an opportunity to help lead a deliberate, well-supported reset to strengthen governance, rebuild trust and shape Cohealth’s next chapter rather than to inherit a problem,” it says.

“It is a board with a clear mandate, a candid culture, and a genuine commitment to the communities it serves.”

Remuneration is set at $20,462 per annum plus superannuation, with a commitment of one meeting a month between February and December, plus various strategy meetings.

Applications close on Friday 17 July.

Colleges and associations elect officers

High-profile neurosurgeon and former president of both the federal and NSW AMA, Professor Brian Owler has been elected to the chairmanship of the board of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Professor Owler joins fellow directors Dr Cathy Ferguson and immediate past-president Professor Owen Ung, who was appointed to a casual vacancy this year to help provide continuity. Recruitment is underway for a third independent director.

Professor Owler is also a non-executive director at Adventist Healthcare, a clinical professor at the ANU, and works as a surgeon at Norwest Private, Sydney Adventist and the Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

The Australian Clinical Psychology Association has a new president in Malinda Guest, who succeeds Dr Erika Penney.

“My vision is for ACPA to be an organisation that delivers meaningful value to members, represents clinical psychologists with strength and credibility, and continues to expand its influence across Australia so that every person can access quality mental health care,” said Ms Guest in her first president’s message.

Dr Helen Fraser, director of medical services (rural) at the Townsville Hospital and Health Service, has been elected as president of the Rural Doctors Association of Queensland.

“RDAQ will continue to delivery strong leadership and advocacy – focus on sustaining and strengthening healthcare delivery across rural, regional and remote Queensland,” she said on LinkedIn.

General Practice Supervision Australia has a new CEO in Kylee Hayward, the head of workforce advancement at Advanced Pharmacy Australia. She will start in the role on 14 July.

New commissioner for culturally safe aged care

As part of the federal government’s response to the interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner’s Report, the minister for aged care and seniors Sam Rae has introduced legislation to establish Australia’s first permanent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Commissioner.

The Commissioner position is an independent statutory role within the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. Jodi Cassar has just been appointed as interim Commissioner while the legislation makes its way through Parliament and recruitment is completed.

“Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more likely to need aged care, and more likely to need it earlier. We’re establishing a permanent Commissioner to help close that gap, and we’re listening to community to inform how we do it,” said Mr Rae.

“This Bill also strengthens protections for older people right across aged care, and keeps the reforms we promised running the way they should after listening to the experiences of older people right across Australia.”

Other appointments

Kym Arthur, director of co-design, consultation and communications at the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet, assistant deputy secretary of community public health at the Department of Health, and director of diversity engagement and strategy at Family Safety Victoria, is leaving the state’s public service after 28 years. “I’ve had the privilege of working on issues that truly matter, particularly in women’s health and family violence,” she said on LinkedIn.

Jarrod Coysh, most recently the CEO of REI Super, has been appointed as CEO of insurer GMHBA, replacing incumbent David Grieg some time this quarter.

Howard Trang has been appointed as chief digital officer at Service NSW.