New Chair appointed for Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association

MedTech News: The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA), the voice of public healthcare in Australia, is pleased to announce the appointment of the Hon. Jillian Skinner as Chair of its Board.

‘Jillian Skinner is an outstanding health leader who has made a significant contribution to the Australian community as a former NSW Health Minister, and as a long-time advocate for a strong public health system that aims to achieve the best possible health outcomes for all Australians’, said current AHHA Board Chair Dr Deborah Cole.

As Health Minister, Mrs Skinner advocated for reforms to support better integrated care across the primary and acute sectors, for equity issues, and for strong and effective regional governance in the NSW public hospital system.

Since retiring from politics, Mrs Skinner has continued to contribute very actively to improving healthcare for Australians, including through academic appointments and as a member of the Board of the Children’s’ Cancer Institute Australia, and of the Cancer Australia Advisory Council.

She is also Chair of the Advisory Board of OUTBREAK, a consortium of 26 researchers across 13 organisations that has received a Medical Research Future Fund Frontier Grant to address antimicrobial resistance.

‘I am delighted to accept the role of Independent Chair of the AHHA, an organisation for which I have considerable respect’, Mrs Skinner said. 

‘I share AHHA’s vision and priorities for our health system and so take up the role with great enthusiasm.

‘I believe that we can learn lessons from changes necessitated by COVID. The AHHA is well-placed to advocate for new ways of delivering healthcare that can be of great benefit to our community.

‘I thank Dr Deborah Cole for her wise stewardship of AHHA over the past 4 years, and look forward to working with the AHHA, and its members and stakeholders, to continue ensuring Australia has the best possible health system.’

Mrs Skinner takes up her role as AHHA Board Chair on 1 July 2020 for a three-year term.