Healthdirect Australia appoints new directors

Healthdirect Australia has appointed three new directors — Dr Stephen Duckett, Professor Christine Kilpatrick and Richard Taggart — from 1 January 2023.

The term of the current Chair of the board, Jane Muirsmith, has also been extended for an additional year to steer Healthdirect Australia through the implementation of significant new capabilities and efficiencies, while ensuring its ability to respond to national health emergencies.

The new directors have been appointed for a three-year term following a merit-based recruitment process endorsed by Healthdirect Australia’s shareholders, comprising the Australian Government and all states and territories, except Queensland. The directors bring extensive experience in public health policy, digital health, change and risk management, clinical governance, technology and innovation.

Outgoing board members are Dr Helen Nott and Gayle Ginnane, who both served on the board and sub-committees from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022.

New board members

Dr Stephen Duckett AM

Duckett has been a leader in healthcare operations and policy in Australia and Canada, including as a past Secretary of the Australian Department of Health. An economist by profession, he is renowned for evidence-based innovation and reform in areas ranging from the introduction of activity-based funding for hospitals to new systems of accountability for the safety of hospital care.

Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO

Kilpatrick has been Chief Executive of the Royal Melbourne Hospital since 2017 and is a member of several boards including WEHI, the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, HealthShare Victoria and the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) Alliance. Prior to her executive career she was a neurologist working in both public and private practice.

Richard Taggart

Taggart has more than 20 years’ experience as a transformative leader in digital health. He is currently the Chief Information Officer with Sydney Local Health District and Independent Chair of Australian Stroke and Heart Research Accelerator, which brings together researchers and industry investors to translate research into new benefits for patients. He has extensive experience in digital health, innovation and operation of large-scale service delivery.

Continuing board members

Jane Muirsmith, Chair

Muirsmith is a digital and marketing strategist, having held several executive positions in Sydney, New York, Melbourne, Singapore and Perth. She is Managing Director of Lenox Hill, a digital strategy and advisory firm, and is a Non-Executive Director of Cedar Woods Properties Ltd, the Australian Finance Group (AFG) and the Telethon Kids Institute.

She is a member of the University of Western Australia Business School’s Ambassadorial Council and a former President of the Western Australian Women’s Advisory Council to the Minister for Women’s Interests.

Professor David Ashbridge

Ashbridge has held senior roles in health in both state and Commonwealth governments. David was CEO of Barwon Health and previously worked for 22 years in the Northern Territory, where he practised initially as a remote area medical officer in Aboriginal communities. David moved into health administration and was CEO of the Northern Territory Department of Health from 2006 to 2010. Most recently, he was an advisor to the National Disability Insurance Agency. He is a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP).

Louise McElvogue

McElvogue is an expert in strategy and consumer technology who has worked leading digital change for corporate and government in the US, UK and Australia. Her current board roles include listed educational technology company Cluey and the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ NSW Council.

She has delivered more than 30 digital strategy projects, including the first video streaming services for the UK broadcasters the BBC and Channel 4, and products for McDonald’s, British Gas and Diageo. She served as Industry Professor at UTS Business School curating the online Master Digital Marketing and teaching on MBA and Futures Academy programs before her appointment as an Adjunct Professor. She was appointed to the Convergence Review which reviewed regulation of media and technology for the federal government. Previous board roles include Cybersecurity platform WhiteHawk and NSW Government’s Sydney Living Museums.

She has taken a leave of absence from Healthdirect Australia’s board of directors until June 2023.

Peta Jurd

Jurd is the Chief Commercial Officer and Company Secretary of digital health technology company Smartz Limited. Prior to this, Peta was executive director at Technology Enabling Healthcare and head of Hills Health Solutions at Hills Limited. She has also held senior management positions at Telstra, Veolia Environmental Services and Mayne Nickless Health Care. She has more than 18 years’ experience in health care and has substantial board experience in a variety of roles, including nine years as a board director for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Image credit: iStockphoto.com/Kirill Gorshkov