The Commission’s new chair has a wealth of experience after running two of the country’s most prestigious hospitals.
Former CEO of the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO has been appointed as chair of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
Professor Kilpatrick takes over from outgoing chair Professor Villis Marshall AC who has been in the role since 2013. She has been a non-executive member of the Commission since July 2023.
“The Commission is delighted to welcome Professor Kilpatrick as chair, as we turn our focus to priorities such as clinical governance, reducing low value care and improving sustainability within the healthcare system,” said Commission CEO Professor Anne Duggan.
“Professor Kilpatrick brings to the Commission a deep understanding of healthcare from her breadth of experience, and we look forward to benefiting from her guidance and insights as we work together over the next five years.”
Professor Kilpatrick was CEO of RMH for seven years, after over nine years as chief executive of the Royal Children’s Hospital. In her clinical career she was a neurologist specialising in epilepsy, in both private and public practice.
She is also a board member of Healthdirect Australia and the Florey Institute. She has previously served on the board of HealthShare Victoria, the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Alliance and as chair of the Doherty Institute and the Victorian Quality Council. She is an enterprise professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler also confirmed the appointment of several Commission board members, effective from 1 April, including:
- Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite – a leading health services and systems researcher with a strong international reputation and with deep knowledge of innovation and system reform culture;
- Dr Alicia Veasey – a Torres Strait Islander obstetrician and gynaecologist with significant experience in First Nations advocacy in health care;
- Ms Leanne Wells – a respected health advocate and former longstanding CEO of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia, who brings consumer advocacy and extensive governance experience; and
- Dr Helena Williams (reappointment) – a longstanding Board Member since 2012 with expertise in general practice as a practising GP, which is critical to the Commission’s focus on Primary Care.
