History
When the Australian Hospital Association (AHA) was founded in 1946-47 hospitals were in a desperate financial situation. They were facing a huge increase in the demands for their services as a result of the combination for the post-war baby boom and immigration program. These demands strained both the physical facilities and the manpower resources of the health system. The teaching hospitals had not only to treat more patients but to train more doctors. These teaching hospitals, feeling the strain more than others, were the founders of the AHA.
Dr Herbert Schlink (later Sir Herbert) of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA), Sydney was the founder of the AHA. He was a gynaecologist at RPA and became the Foundation President of the Association and remained in this position until 1958. In his foundational address Dr Schlink presented a theme that the Association maintains today:
‘The Australian Hospital Association wishes to serve the welfare of the nation by developing methods and programmes for making better hospital care available to all.’
The AHA joined the International Hospital Federation when it was founded in 1949. A National Secretariat was established in Sydney in 1974. In 1976 the AHA was incorporated under the Australian Capital Territory Companies Ordinance. In 1982, National Council resolved to move the National Secretariat to Canberra. The AHA joined the Asian Hospital Federation in 2000. The organisation changed its name to Australian Healthcare Association on 9 December 1996 and then to the Australian Healthcare & Hospitals Association in 2006.
The Beginnings
The second half of the 1980s
A synopsis of the first 40 years of the Association
The 1990s
1986–2000: National Reviews and Enquiries
The New Millennium
2000 - 2007: National Reviews and Enquiries
Association Presidents
Association Honorary Secretaries and National (Executive) Directors
Australian Health Review Editors
Recipients of the Sidney Sax Medal
Recipients of Honorary Life membership
The Beginnings
On 18 November 1946, Dr Herbert Schlink (later Sir Herbert), a gynaecologist and Chairman of the board of Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, convened a meeting of the Provisional Federal Council of the Australian Hospital Association (now the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association) at The Royal Melbourne Hospital.
This was followed, in February 1947, by the first Annual General Meeting, held in Sydney, at which membership of the Council was confirmed and a set of rules adopted. It is this date that signals the birth of the Association. Sir Herbert became the Foundation President of the Association and remained in this position until 1958. In his foundational address Dr Schlink presented a theme that the Association maintains today:
‘The Australian Hospital Association wishes to serve the welfare of the nation by developing methods and programmes for making better hospital care available to all.’
The Prime Minister of the time, Ben Chifley, had posited that the Government intended to introduce a full-time salaried medical service in Australia. Undoubtedly, one of the motivations for forming the AHA was the concern of the medical profession that a nationalised health scheme, similar to that being implemented in the United Kingdom, might be introduced in Australia.
Dr Schlink recruited teaching hospitals in Sydney and Melbourne as inaugural members of the Association because their boards were regarded as having considerable influence on Government decision making. Throughout his time as President, Dr Schlink restricted Federal Council membership to representatives of teaching hospitals.
An editorial in The Australian Modern Hospital, the journal published by the Association from 1949 - 1955 stated:
‘Due to rising costs and neglect in forward planning, the financial position of Australian hospitals has never been worse. An additional reason for their present difficult situation is the political difference of policy between the various Governments – Federal and State.’
Echoes of this early comment have resounded over the subsequent sixty years and still affect the Association’s policy positions today.
The story of the Association’s first forty years was admirably covered by Mary Dickenson and Catherine Mason in their book, published by the Australian Hospital Association in 1987, titled: Hospitals and Politics: The Australian Hospital Association 1946–1986. This story is encapsulated in the Appendix to their book, a Chronicle of Significant Events in the History of the AHA. For those who may not have had an opportunity to read the full text of this book, an amplified version appears as Appendix A. This booklet takes the history of the Association beyond 1986 and up to the present.
The second half of the 1980s
1983
After internal debate of unusual controversy, the Association finally moved to Canberra in 1983. This historic decision gave the Association much greater access to Government Ministers, their Opposition counterparts and Federal Departmental officers. The move also facilitated involvement with, or representation on, numerous bodies of national importance, such as the Australian Institute of Health, the National Health Technology Advisory Council, the Standards Council of Australia, the Australian Council on Hospital Standards and the National Health and Medical Research Council.
1986 - 1987
At the 1986 Annual General Meeting, Keith Bagley, a solicitor from New South Wales, was elected National President. Honorary Life Membership was conferred on Royce Kronborg, at the completion of his term as a councillor and President of the International Hospital Federation. Royce’s outstanding commitment to the AHA had spanned nearly 20 years, commencing in 1967 when he was appointed Honorary Federal Secretary and Treasurer. Dr Donald Child was nominated, and subsequently elected, to the Council of the IHF to fill the vacancy created by Royce Kronborg’s retirement.
At this meeting, the Association also made the first award of the Sidney Sax Medal, awarded to an individual ‘active in the health services field, who has made an outstanding contribution in the field of policy, organisation, delivery and nonclinical research’. The inaugural recipient was Dr James Lawson (who became Professor of Health Administration at the University of New South Wales).
In February 1987, Dr Errol Pickering resigned after nearly seven years as National Director to assume the position of Executive Director of the IHF in London. His successor, Dr John Morris, commenced in the following month.
Two notable publications were launched during the year, namely Hospitals and Politics: The Australian Hospital Association 1946 - 86, by Mary Dickenson and Catherine Mason and The Governance of Hospital Services, also by Mary Dickenson.
1988 - 1989
In 1988, John Blandford, Administrator of the Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide, was elected National President.
At that meeting it was resolved that the Memorandum and Articles of Association be altered to increase the effectiveness of the Association at state level. This was achieved by establishing a new category of State Association membership. It provided for incorporated state associations to join AHA in their own right and to take on the responsibilities previously held by an AHA state branch. Where no state association existed, or where the members of that state did not wish to utilise the option, a state branch would continue to function and to represent the interests of members at state level.
Following this decision, the New South Wales Branch Council resolved that it should amalgamate with the Hospitals and Health Services Association of New South Wales to form a new association. The South Australian Branch and the South Australian Hospitals Association also merged to become the Hospitals and Health Services Association of South Australia. In Victoria, the Victorian Hospitals Association was appointed the State Association member for Victoria, following the winding up of the Victorian State Branch and the transfer of its assets to the VHA.
These changes proved to be very effective, bringing extra members via the new category of State Association membership. As a result, membership of the Association increased by 30 per cent in 1988-89 and by a further 27 per cent in 1989 - 90.
The 1988 amendments to the Memorandum and Articles also gave legal effect to the existence of a National Executive and provided for the election of this Executive from among members of the National Council.
1988 was the year of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations and in this year the AHA collaborated with the Australian College of Health Service Executives and the Australian Association of Nurse Administrators to hold a joint Congress at Broadbeach in Queensland, attended by over 800 delegates.
AHA maintained a high level of industry information for members. As well as a revamped Hospital Brief, a twice yearly publication called Bulletin Board commenced. In addition, the Association’s video library had expanded to one hundred and forty titles.
In September 1989, John Morris resigned as Executive Director and was succeeded by Peter Read, who held the position until he was appointed Executive Director of Policy and Planning, Queensland Health, in 1991.
A synopsis of the first 40 years of the Association
The story of the Association’s first forty years is admirably covered by Mary Dickenson and Catherine Mason in their book Hospitals and Politics: The Australian Hospital Association 1946 - 1986. This story is encapsulated in the Appendix to their book and is titled Significant Events in the History of the AHA. An amplified version of that Appendix follows.
1946 Inaugural meeting of the Provisional Council of the AHA.
1947 First Annual General Meeting of the AHA. Dr H.H. Schlink elected President. In his foundational address Dr Schlink presented a theme that the AHA maintains today:
‘The Australian Hospital Association wishes to serve the welfare of the nation by developing methods and programmes for making better hospital care available to all.’
1948 Commonwealth benefit of six shillings per patient per day increased to eight shillings; but hospitals still consider this to be inadequate.
1949 International Hospital Federation (founded prior to World War II) resumed activities after a wartime suspension of activities and AHA joined. First issue of the Association’s journal Australian Modern Hospital published. Visit by Edna Huffman, a medical records expert from the USA. She provided a report to AHA, conducted a training program, and stimulated the development of training for medical record librarians.
1950 AHA submission to the Federal Government on the provision of a National Health Financing Scheme (the Earle Page scheme based on voluntary insurance). The Association endorsed voluntary insurance, sought direct Commonwealth capital funding and the establishment of a body to ‘control and standardise’ hospitals throughout Australia, but recommended that hospital boards be entirely independent of government. A scheme for rating of hospitals on a ‘points’ system trialled in Melbourne and Sydney.
1952 Visit by R.J. Stull, an expert in hospital administration from the University of California, sponsored by AHA, to report on teaching hospitals in Australia. Stull delivered a scathing report on obsolete equipment, overloaded electrical systems, sub-standard casualty areas, inadequacy of physical facilities and patient care programs, and deficiency of student lecture rooms. He recommended post-graduate training in hospital administration, abolition of the ‘honorary’ system of medical staffing and that capital funding be provided, in large part, by the Commonwealth Government. John Plant, Victoria, proposed that AHA embrace the interests of non-teaching, as well as teaching, hospitals and that a national secretariat should be established in Canberra, but these views were not encouraged by Herbert Schlink.
1953 Visit by A.E. van Steenwyk and W.S. McNary from the USA, sponsored by AHA and the Federal Government, to promote private, non-profit voluntary insurance. Visit by Dr M.E. McEachern, Director of Professional Relations of the American Hospital Association and Professor of Hospital Administration at North-western University, Chicago (known as ‘the father of hospital administration’) to report on the financing of medical education, establishment of post graduate training in surgery, other clinical specialties and hospital administration; as well as hospital accreditation. He favoured institutional autonomy; the development of professional, group-based accreditation and assessment of clinical performance; voluntary insurance; private practice in public hospitals; and tertiary training in hospital administration.
1955 Last issue of Australian Modern Hospital published.
1956 First issue of National Hospital published.
1957 After some years of negotiation a post-graduate program in hospital administration at the University of New South Wales was announced, following a visit by Professor Gerhard Hartman of the University of Iowa, who advised on the framework of the course.
1958 J.B. Plant, a board member of The Royal Melbourne Hospital, succeeded Herbert Schlink as President. Dr Edgar Thomson appointed Honorary Federal Secretary.
1959-60 Moves to establish hospital accreditation in Australia revived by the AHA Branches in NSW and Victoria.
1961 Hamilton Sleigh (later Sir Hamilton), also a board member of The Royal Melbourne Hospital, elected National President following the death of J.B. Plant. Dr Norman Rose, Medical Superintendent of Sydney Hospital, elected as AHA representative on IHF Council. Dr Rose died in office and was succeeded by Dr Edgar Thomson for the balance of the term.
1962 After many years of AHA lobbying, the Universities Commission initiated capital works funding for medical schools on a triennial basis and provided funds subsidising, to a minimal extent, identifiable running costs associated with undergraduate medical training.
1967 Royce Kronborg elected Honorary Federal Secretary and Treasurer. He remained Honorary Federal Secretary (later Executive Vice President) for seven years and made a major contribution to the revitalisation and development of the Association. Kronborg has noted that when he commenced as Honorary Federal Secretary, he was told by both Hamilton Sleigh and Edgar Thompson that there was such a mutual dislike between them that communication was virtually impossible - this was the probable reason for the lack of reported activity between 1961 and1967! Kronborg has also recalled that membership was small, total funds being a mere $15,000. Dr Edgar Thomson instructed him ‘not to squander [the funds] as it had taken a long time to accumulate’. The task confronting Royce Kronborg was daunting if he were to develop the AHA into a strong, creditable and effective organisation. A vastly increased membership was required, representing a wide spectrum of hospitals throughout Australia; no mean task because the state health departments generally were opposed to the concept of a hospital lobby group.
1968 Visibility, credibility and finances improved when two hundred and forty delegates attended the Association’s first national congress and trade fair, held in Sydney. Dr Edwin Crosby, Executive Vice President, and Dr George Graham, President of the American Hospital Association, spoke at the congress. A Joint Steering Committee on Hospital Accreditation formed with representatives of the Australian Hospital Association and the Australian Medical Association.
1969 Alastair Stephen, New South Wales, elected National President. Royce Kronborg elected to the Council of the International Hospital Federation.
1970 Robert Spivey appointed Office Manager. Membership base broadened considerably in the late 1960s. The International Hospital Federation Regional Congress was held in Sydney, with 840 delegates, including 120 from 24 overseas countries.
1971 Douglas Donald, Victoria, elected National President.
1972 AHA stimulated to develop new policy positions following election of Labor Government on a platform of major changes in health and social services.
1973 Sir Lincoln Hynes, New South Wales, elected National President. The newly established Hospitals and Health Services Commission provided $30,000 towards developing a system of hospital accreditation in Australia. AHA South Australian Branch established.
1974 Federal Council resolved to alternate the Presidency between board members and chief executive officers. Royce Kronborg, Victoria, elected National President. Trevor Elligett appointed as first Executive Director and a national secretariat established in Sydney. The Australian Council on Hospital Standards incorporated as a separate body, but with AHA representation on its Council. Errol Pickering appointed Executive Director of ACHS. A Bill was tabled in Federal Parliament to create a Health Insurance Commission to introduce universal health insurance. This was fiercely opposed by Opposition parties, ultimately resulting in an historic double dissolution and the Bill being passed by a joint sitting of both Houses. Royce Kronborg became a part-time Commissioner and ultimately Chairman in 1978 -80.
1975 Last issue of National Hospital published. It was succeeded by Australian Hospital.
1976 Douglas Davidson, New South Wales, elected National President. The Association incorporated under the Australian Capital Territory Companies Ordinance. The Australian Hospital Association Reference Centre established within the Biomedical Library at Monash University. Kellogg Foundation provided a three year grant of $149,000 in support of the Centre. This service continued until 1982 when AHA decided it was unable to continue external funding support. By then the Australian MEDLARS network had made on-line retrieval more available.
1978 Selby Steele, Victoria, elected National President. First issue of Australian Health Review published with Dr Barry Catchlove as founding editor. AHA Western Australian Branch established.
1979 Last issue of Australian Hospital with which AHA associated. Association makes major submission to “Jamison” Inquiry into the Efficiency and Administration of Hospitals.
1980 Dr Don Child, New South Wales, elected National President. Errol Pickering appointed Executive Director.
1981 International Hospital Federation Congress held in Sydney with attendance of some 1,000 delegates.
1982 John Gibbs, South Australia, elected National President.
1983 National Secretariat moved to Canberra. AHA Tasmanian branch established.
1984 Dr Barry Catchlove, Victoria, elected National President.
1985 Official opening of Association’s own building in Canberra. Following completion of this building, the Association’s total assets at 30 June, 1986 rise to $579,585
The 1990s
1990 - 1992
At the 1990 Annual Meeting, Jonathan Tribe, Executive Director of The Royal Melbourne Hospital, was elected National President and Peter Baulderstone was appointed National Director in June 1991.
1992 - 1995
Professor Mark Liveris, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Health Sciences), Curtin University and President of the Board of Royal Perth Hospital followed Mr Tribe into the Presidential position for 1992-93. Dr Diana Horvath, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Sydney Area Health Service, then held the position for the succeeding two years. In 1992, Allan Hughes was elected to the IHF Council, following the completion of Dr Child’s term. At 30 June 1993, the membership had grown to 638 institutional members, 162 personal members, 53 associate members (health industry organisations not directly involved in health service provision) and six honorary life members. This growth in membership prompted the Association, in 1993-94, to reduce its membership fees by 12.5 per cent for all institutional members, fulfilling a pledge to return financial gains to members.
1995 - 1997
Ron Tindale, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Western Sydney Area Health Service, was elected National President in 1995. In his 1996 Presidential Address he alluded to the implications of the changes taking place in health service structures.
‘Virtually all States are reorganizing the scale of their management and governance units. The increasing political significance of the health portfolio means that any government looks for board members who endorse their objectives and priorities. The same holds true for managers and anyone who is a senior government employee or appointee. The most knowledgeable, dedicated managers have the most responsible positions in their own organisations - with all the associated work pressures. Government needs their insights into health management, financing and delivery problems – either through bodies like AHA or as direct members of committees and working parties. These people have the breadth of knowledge; the grasp of detail; and the personal credibility to make a real contribution to improving the organisation of our health system. Government, and bodies like the AHA, must rethink how they build their input into decision making processes.’
He also recommended that AHA give greater consideration to collaborating with other representative bodies (including colocation) to achieve economies in sharing overhead costs and increasing utilisation of external consultants for specified research or policy development, concentrating on those issues deemed to be most significant to public hospitals and health services. On 9 December 1996, the Association’s name was changed to the Australian Healthcare Association. This move recognised that the nature of the public health service had changed, with the restructuring of hospitals and other entities as components of area or regional health services and networks. This new aggregation of services aimed to provide improved integration and co-ordination across a wide spectrum of health services for a designated population.
1997 - 1999
Peter Baulderstone resigned as National Director in June 1997, having occupied the position for six years. His replacement, Professor Don Hindle, commenced in October of that year. At the 1997 Annual General Meeting, John Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the West Wimmera Health Service in Victoria, was elected National President. From 17-21 November, 1997 Australia hosted, for the second time, an IHF Congress. The event was held in Melbourne and included eighty speakers and around 1,300 delegates. The Australian Organising Committee was chaired by Allan Hughes. In 1998, Ron Tindale replaced Allan Hughes on the IHF Council. At the 1998 Annual General Meeting, John Smith voiced some concern about the financial implications to the Association of the changing membership base:
’The aggregations of many hospitals and health services have resulted in fewer member entities with consequent pressure on State Associations to reduce membership fees for these larger services. In turn, these reductions impact on the AHA at a national level and the services that it can provide. National Council has worked hard to ensure that AHA responds appropriately to these pressures by establishing priorities, developing business and financial plans and working closely with the States to provide effective services and representation for the membership.’
1999 - 2000
Don Hindle, who had been National Director since October 1997, resigned in February 1999, being succeeded in June of that year by Mark Cormack. In November 1999, Allan Hughes, then Chief Executive Officer of Ballarat Health Services, but who had been the Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Hospitals Association from 1985 - 1995, became National President. That year it was reported that the Association had reduced its staffing and overhead costs, returning a modest surplus for the year and stressing the importance of finding a balance between affordable membership fees and a “value for money” range of membership products and services.
1986–2000: National Reviews and Enquiries
Throughout the years from 1986 to the end of the century, the Association participated in, or presented its policies to, numerous government reviews or inquiries, and made submissions to authorities on a diverse range of subjects of importance to members. Apart from those related to health service financing, some examples from the 1990s are:
1990 – 1991
Inquiry into the Export of Health Services by the Australian Industries Commission Pharmaceutical Benefits Safety Net Committee Review of Structure of Australian Council on Hospital Standards
1993 - 1994
Review of Funding of Clinical Training in the Health Professions Review of Public Pathology Funding
1994 - 1995
National Review of Nurse Education in the Higher Education Sector Council of Australian Government (COAG) Review of Government Roles and Responsibilities in Health Inquiry into the Supply of Medical Specialist Services National Strategy for Management Development in the Australian Health Industry
1996 - 1997
Submission to the Federal Government in relation to threats to the public benevolent status of health organisations
1997 -1998
Submission to the Federal Government on Indigenous Health
1999 - 2000
Senate Inquiry into Childbirth Practices National Electronic Health Records Task Force House of Representatives Inquiry into Substance Abuse in Australian Communities National Strategy for an Ageing Australia Review of National Rural Health Policy
The New Millennium
2001 - 2002
Early in 2001 the Hospitals and Healthcare Association of South Australia was incorporated into the AHA as a state branch. This followed a unanimous decision by members at the Association’s final meeting in May 2000. AHA maintained a staffed branch that would continue to provide direct service to South Australian members until 2004.
In September 2001, Deborah Green, Chief Executive Officer of the South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service, was elected National President. Dr Owen Curteis became the AHA representative on IHF, following the untimely death of Ron Tindale.
Also in 2001, the AHA began its affiliation with the Asian Hospitals Federation. Dr Curteis has taken on the responsibility for representing AHA on the AHF ever since.
During the succeeding months the medical indemnity scene in Australia reached a crisis point with the imminent collapse of Australia’s largest medical indemnity insurer, UMP. The Prime Minister called a national summit in April 2002, at which the AHA was a participant. The AHA’s major concerns in this area were the management of clinical risk, improvement of quality management processes, and a more open approach to the management of adverse incidents. This was intended to lead to a national education and training program and its eventual incorporation into accreditation and risk management protocols.
These years also saw a major focus on workforce issues, with two concurrent national enquiries into the shortage of nurses. These were the Senate Community Affairs Inquiry into Nursing and the National Review of Nursing Education. The AHA provided input to both emphasising, among other things, underlying demand issues, the need for nationally consistent workforce planning and training approaches and the importance of sound partnerships between the industry and the tertiary education sector.
AHA’s on-line services to members had increased with the expansion and accessibility of new technologies. Following a major upgrade of the web-site in 2002, a fuller range of information and services was made available, including up-to-date information on AHA activities and policies, breaking news, AHA publications on-line, a comprehensive listing of industry events and conferences as well as specialised services such as:
- Just Health Consultants, a consultancy network;
- Just Health Jobs, the health sector’s own jobs vacancies site; and • Just Health Tenders - Australia’s largest site for health tenders (no longer provided).
2003 - 2005
2003 was a year of radical change in the modus operandi of the Association. The apprehension concerning membership raised by Ron Tindale in 1996 now assumed the status of reality. All states were moving to amalgamate hospital and health services into larger regional governing bodies, resulting in a smaller number of members or potential members. With these amalgamations, boards were abolished in most states in favour of governance by CEOs, responsible directly to the state health department. Faced with ever tightening budgets and policy restrictions imposed by centralised bureaucracy, the capacity of CEOs to be active members of their industry association was threatened.
Furthermore, the level of membership fees previously received from individual hospitals and health services could not be sustained when aggregated into one fee from all services in the region. The necessity to discount created a revenue challenge for the Association, which was further exacerbated by growing competition from other representative bodies in niche areas of the Association’s market.
To adjust to this situation, the National Council decided to implement a major restructure in order to reduce costs and consolidate assets, including sale of the buildings in the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia. This was facilitated through reducing staff and outsourcing membership, administration and corporate support functions to state associations in New South Wales and Victoria.
On 30 June, 2003 settlement occurred for sale of the building at 42 Thesiger Court, Deakin and the National Office took a sub-lease in the premises of a Canberra-based firm, Client Solutions, at the same time engaging that firm in a consulting capacity for support in areas such as strategic campaign management, high level representation, specialist policy advice and media communications.
The underlying rationale behind the restructure was to consolidate operations by better coordinating all parts of the AHA family, harnessing the skills within the Association and creating greater capability to focus on policy development and high level lobbying. The aim, as always, was to influence the policy agenda of governments and bureaucracies in the interests of members.
During the year, Prue Power was appointed National Director (now titled Executive Director) following the resignation of Mark Cormack.
By the end of 2003, the Victorian Healthcare Association had received the AHA’s library material and the Health Services Association of New South Wales was working with AHA to set up a cooperative relationship on matters relating to Council, Congress and management of the AHR. Other smaller savings strategies were also implemented, such as reducing the number of face-to-face Council meetings.
Over the next year or so, AHA was able to rebuild its resources and the out-sourced functions were restored to the National Office. Consequently, additional staff members were gradually appointed necessitating a move to the Association’s current office at 99 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra.
2004 - 2005
In July 2004, the AHA gathered together a group of highly esteemed professionals in the health system and related areas, this being the inaugural meeting of what has become the AHHA Think Tank. The group’s purpose is to discuss, analyse and recommend innovative policy solutions relating to the health system, with a view to these proposals being presented to government. The group meets at four monthly intervals and is becoming nationally recognised and respected as an influential voice in the making of Australian health policy.
Several changes to the AHR saw a new Editorial Board established and a ‘new-look’ AHR published (30 September 2004) together with a matching webpage providing greater accessibility to users. An online manuscript submission and tracking system went live on the day of publication.
The AHA’s newsletter, HealthCare Brief, was also published in a new format during the year and the circulation of the popular weekly e-HealthCare Brief continued to expand.
The 2004 Federal Election (9 October) focused the AHA on developing a comprehensive policy position on behalf of the public health sector, including an Election Report Card which analysed the health policies of Labor, Coalition, Greens, Democrats and Progressive Alliance. During the campaign, AHA joined the Australian Medical Association, Catholic Health Australia, Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation, Australian Nursing Federation, Royal College of Nursing Australia, Australasian College of Emergency Medicine and Australian Society of Geriatric Medicine in calling on the Federal Government and the Opposition to set a course for the long-term sustainability and efficiency of the nation’s public hospitals. The groups sought greater cooperation between the Commonwealth and the states and territories to deliver better public hospital services to Australian communities and patients.
On 1 July 2005, the AHA took over direct responsibility for New South Wales members following a decision of the NSW Health Services Association to relinquish its State Association status.
At the 2005 Annual General Meeting, Deborah Green completed a four year term as National President and was succeeded by Dr Stephen Christley, the Chief Executive, Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service. In that year, Dr Owen Curteis completed his term of office on the IHF Council and was succeeded by Professor Helen Lapsley.
In 2005, AHA received a grant from the Australian Council of Safety and Quality in Health Care to undertake a project called the AHA Safety and Quality Communication Project which included a series of very successful workshops on the National Standard Credentialling and Defining the Scope of Clinical Practice. These were convened during October-November 2005 in every state and territory. The AHA worked in partnership with the state and territory health departments to conduct the workshops in each of the eight capital cities. Feedback received from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with over 90 per cent of evaluation responses rating the workshops overall as either good or excellent.
2006 - 2007
During the first half of 2006 both the Victorian Healthcare Association and the Healthcare Association of Western Australia also relinquished their State Association status. These moves reflected the widespread changes in the organisation of health services alluded to earlier and resulted in the Association, once again, radically altering its structure.
Consequently, as from 1 July 2006 the AHA, through the National Office and its state branches, has had direct responsibility for recruiting members in every state and territory, as well as for delivering the full range of services. The Association’s Constitution was changed to reflect this restructure.
Subsequently, the AHA activated an intense, and successful, recruitment campaign in 2006 – 2007 which resulted in a new statewide category of member. The Queensland Department of Health set the example and South Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory followed suit.
Thus the current membership structure once again resembles the original structure of the Association when it was founded sixty years ago, with the exception that many of the current institutional members are much larger corporate bodies, including area/regional health services and state departments.
With this 2006 Constitutional amendment, the Association also made important changes to its governance arrangements. The five-member National Executive became the governing body, now known as the National Board, legally responsible for the ongoing administration of the organisation, facilitating the National Council to concentrate on the Association’s policy agenda.
As this booklet goes to print, AHHA is once again actively engaged in two events that have galvanised the Association in the past. They are the 2007 Federal election campaign and planning for the 2008 Australian Health Care Agreements. AHHA has created Policy Think Tanks to ensure the expert views of members are reflected in our policies.
2000 - 2007: National Reviews and Enquiries
Since 2000, the Association has continued to participate in government reviews and inquiries and has made submissions on a diverse range of subjects of importance, including the following:
2000 - 2001
Australian Taxation Office - Health Industry Issues
Review of Collaboration of Primary and Community Health
2001 - 2002
Review of the Trade Practices Act and Doctors in Rural and Regional Australia
Review of Pathology Laboratory Accreditation Requirements
2003 - 2004
Submission on behalf of biomedical engineers for concessions under the Therapeutic Goods Act
Submission to ensure continued funding under the Medicare Benefits Schedule of certain Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatments
2004 - 2005
Productivity Commission Study on the Impact of Advances in Medical Technology on Health Care Expenditure
Senate Select Committee on Mental Health
Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council Review of Future Governance
Arrangements for Safety and Quality in Health Care
2005 - 2006
Productivity Commission Health Workforce Study
Submission on the proposed Australian Health and Social Services Access card.
2007
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Review of Accreditation
Association Presidents
1946 - 1958 Sir Herbert H. Schlink
1958 - 1961 Mr John B. Plant
1961 - 1969 Sir Hamilton M. Sleigh
1969 - 1971 Sir Alistair E. Stephen
1971 - 1973 Dr C. Douglas Donald
1973 - 1974 Sir Lincoln C. Hynes
1974 - 1976 Mr Royce H. Kronborg
1976 - 1978 Mr Douglas C. Davidson
1978 - 1980 Mr Selby K. Steele
1980 - 1982 Dr Donald S. Child
1982 - 1984 Mr John M. Gibbs
1984 - 1986 Dr Barry R. Catchlove
1986 - 1988 Mr Keith Bagley
1988 - 1990 Professor John Blandford
1990 - 1992 Mr Jonathan Tribe
1992 - 1993 Professor Mark Liveris
1993 - 1995 Dr Diana Horvath
1995 - 1997 Mr Ronald Tindale
1997 - 1999 Mr John Smith
1999 - 2001 Mr Allan Hughes
2001 - 2005 A/ Professor Deborah Green
2005 – 2007 Dr Stephen Christley
2007 – 2011 Dr David Panter
2011 - Present Dr Paul Scown
Association Honorary Secretaries and National (Executive) Directors
1946 Sir Norman Paul (Sydney) and J. Beacham Kiddle (Melbourne) (Honorary Secretaries)
1947 Dr H.O. Selle (Sydney) and Colonel R.E.Fanning (Melbourne) (Honorary Secretaries)
1956 Dr S. Hatfield (Honorary Federal Secretary)
1958 - 1967 Dr Edgar Thompson (Honorary Federal Secretary)
1967 - 1974 Mr Royce H. Kronborg (Honorary Federal Secretary - Executive Vice President)
1974 - 1980 Mr Trevor Elligett (first salaried National Director)
1980 -1987 Dr Errol Pickering (National Director)
1987 - 1989 Dr John Morris (National Director)
1989 - 1990 Mr Peter Read (National Director)
1991 - 1997 Mr Peter Baulderstone (National Director)
1997 - 1998 Prof Donald Hindle (National Director)
1998 - 2002 Mr Mark Cormack (National Director)
2002 – Present Ms Prue Power (National Director)
Australian Health Review Editors
1974 - 1980 Mr Allan Hughes
1980 - 1981 Dr Maureen Gleeson
1982 - 1983 Dr Fedora Trinker
1983 - 1984 Dr Johannes Stoelwinder
1985 - 1987 Mr Jonathan Tribe
1987 - 1993 Mr Chris Richards
1993 - 1994 Ms Ros O'Sullivan
1994 - 1998 Dr Roy Green
1998 - 2003 Prof Don Hindle
2003 - 2005 Prof Judith Dwyer & Dr Sandra Leggat
2005 - 2009 Dr Sandra Leggat
2009 - 2010 Dr Gary Day
2010 – today Prof Andrew Wilson, Dr Gary Day & Prof Simon Barraclough
Recipients of the Sidney Sax Medal
The Sidney Sax Medal is awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in the field of health services policy, organisation, delivery and research (excluding clinical research). The Sax Medal awards outstanding achievement in and contribution to the development and improvement of the Australian healthcare system. To be eligible for the award the individual nominee must still be active in the health services field. Click here to view the recipients of the Sidney Sax Medal.
Recipients of Honorary Life membership
Honorary Life Membership of the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association is precious, awarded rarely and in recognition of a significant, long-term contribution to the Association as well as to healthcare in Australia. Click here to view the reciepients of the AHHA Honorary Life membership.
