New appointments to Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency
The Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot has announced five new appointments to the independent Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency. The appointments are:
* Ms Kate Carnell AO, a pharmacist who served as ACT Chief Minister from 1995 to 2000. Ms Carnell was chief executive officer of the Australian General Practice Network and is currently the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Australian Food and Grocery Council;
* Dr Sally Goold OAM is a registered nurse and leader in Indigenous health care. Dr Goold is the executive director of the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and was Senior Australian of the Year in 2006;
* Dr June Heinrich OAM is CEO of not-for-profit Baptist Community Service NSW & ACT in Sydney;
* Dr Andrew Refshauge served as NSW Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Health, Planning and Education Minister over 10 years from 1995 to 2005.; and
* Dr Mike Rungie is CEO of Aged Care and Housing (ACH), in SA.
The 10 year-old Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency oversees the accreditation of Australia’s nursing homes and hostels. As of 30 June, there were 2,830 nursing homes and hostels in Australia caring for more than 170,000 older Australians.
The new board members will be involved in the ongoing Review of Accreditation Standards being undertaken by the Department of Health and Ageing, overseeing the Accreditation Agency’s comprehensive program of 7,000 announced and unannounced visits and the upcoming accreditation round for all of Australia’s nursing homes.
Accreditation Agency board chairman, James Harrowell and Mark Brandon, who has been CEO since November 2002, have also been reappointed.
The new board appointments are effective from 10 December, 2008 to 9 December, 2011.
