Team COVID-19 Profiles
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Team COVID-19 profiles These articles were published by The Mandarin between March and July 2020. They were written and compiled by Croakey editors Jennifer Doggett and Melissa Sweet, with the exception of the profile of James Downie, which was written by a staffer at The Mandarin. Jennifer and Melissa acknowledge the assistance of health departments and colleagues, and all those who gave time for interviews. The profiles are supported by the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas. We pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians of the country where we live, work and travel upon, and to Elders, past, present and future. Contents Introduction ............................................................ 1 NSW Kerry Chant .......................................................... 52 National Dawn Casey .............................................................3 VIC Nick Coatsworth ....................................................5 Brett Sutton ..........................................................54 Simon Cotterell ......................................................7 Lucas de Toca ........................................................ 9 TAS James Downie ....................................................... 11 Fran Tiplady .........................................................56 Jenny Firman ........................................................ 13 Gabi Willis .............................................................58 Chris Gatenby .......................................................16 SA Paul Kelly ................................................................ 18 Nicola Spurrier ....................................................60 Michael Kidd .......................................................... 21 Alison McMillan ...................................................24 WA Brendan Murphy ................................................. 27 Robyn Lawrence .................................................62 Jeff Smith ..............................................................30 Liz MacLeod .........................................................65 Mark Veitch ........................................................... 32 Andy Robertson ................................................. 67 Alison Verhoeven ............................................... 35 David Russell ........................................................69 James Ward ......................................................... 37 Leanne Wells ........................................................39 ACT Kerryn Coleman ................................................... 71 NT Hugh Heggie .........................................................41 Dianne Stephens ................................................43 QLD Sonya Bennett .....................................................45 Vonda Malone ...................................................... 47 Jeanette Young ...................................................50 Introducing the ‘Team COVID-19: pandemic policy advisors making a difference’ series Adobe TEAM COVID-19 — PANDEMIC POLICY ADVISORS MAKING A DIFFERENCE: With the help of specialist health policy reporters from the Croakey Health Media team, this short series will introduce a few advisors at a time over the course of the next few weeks. In the fight against COVID-19, Australian governments are helped by numerous policy advisors to formulate this country’s response efforts to the pandemic. The federal government, as well as state and territory governments, rely heavily on these skilled advisors and the counsel they bring to the table. Some of these advisors have public profiles, while most do not. Australia has, to-date, enjoyed good measures of success and progress with its coronavirus response strategies. At the federal level, the tactics are working. At most state and territory levels, results are outstanding. Today, The Mandarin launches a short series of profiles of some of the people advising Australia’s governments during this crisis. With the help of specialist health policy reporters Page 1 from the Croakey Health Media team, this short series, Team COVID-19 – Pandemic policy advisors making a difference, will introduce a few advisors at a time over the course of the next few weeks. Except for the nation’s chief medical officer, they will be presented in no particular order or priority. This article is part of the Team COVID-19 series, available here. Page 2 Dawn Casey: pandemic policy advisor making a difference Dawn Casey (AAP Image/Alan Porritt) TEAM COVID-19 — PANDEMIC POLICY ADVISORS MAKING A DIFFERENCE Name: Dr Dawn Casey Title: Deputy CEO of the National Aboriginal Controlled Community Health Organisation (NACCHO), the national leadership body for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled health sector. Role in responding to COVID-19 Co-chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group on COVID-19 Previous roles Dr Casey has worked as a political adviser and at senior executive levels in both federal and state government bureaucracies, including for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. She has represented Australia on the Development Board for Commonwealth Countries and on several overseas delegations. Prior to her role with NACCHO she was director of the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. Page 3 Notable previous policy experience Dr Casey has played a leadership role in a number of policy areas including health, family and community services, education and the arts. She has particular expertise in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policy, including helping to establish the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation and initiating the joint Commonwealth and State Government response to the Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Report. Notable achievements/contributions during this crisis Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are at high risk for harm from COVID-19 due to existing inequalities in health and living standards, institutional racism within the health sector and poorer health care infrastructure in regional and remote areas. As Co-chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group on COVID-19, Dr Casey has played a leadership role in successfully managing the response to COVID-19 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and communities, including: • Developing and advising on the implementation of a National Management Plan on COVID-19 for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, specifically highlighting the need for a community-led response • Ensuring the Australian Health Sector Emergency Response Plan for Novel Coronavirus included issues specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities, • Providing advice to the chief medical officer, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), its standing committees and the Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) on the importance of working collaboratively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to develop effective responses • Assisting in the dissemination of information to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health sector and ensuring communication materials were developed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people Quotes “Whilst working on the response to this extremely deadly disease comes with a huge responsibility, it has also been an honour and an amazing experience to work with our Aboriginal medical directors, Aboriginal community controlled health services and CEOs and others. It is great to see innovative solutions produced in the response to COVID-19, together with the agility they have demonstrated in an environment which is changing daily.” This article is part of the Team COVID-19 series, available here. Page 4 Nick Coatsworth: pandemic policy advisor making a difference Nick Coatsworth TEAM COVID-19 — PANDEMIC POLICY ADVISORS MAKING A DIFFERENCE Name: Dr Nick Coatsworth Title: Deputy chief medical officer Roles in responding to COVID-19 • Supporting the chief medical officer in providing advice on COVID-19 issues • Briefing the minister for health, the prime minister, cabinet, the national security committee and other government bodies • Working with the presidents of medical colleges and other medical organisations to inform and support medical professionals • Dealing with stage governments and the hospital sector to prepare hospitals for treating COVID-19 patients safely • Liaising with state/territory deputy medical officers, other commonwealth departments and international organisations • Communicating with the Australian public via mainstream and social media as one of the government’s key spokespeople on COVID-19 Page 5 Previous roles Dr Coatsworth is a consultant physician in infectious disease medicine with extensive experience in humanitarian and disaster relief programs. He has worked with Medecins Sans Frontieres in Congo-Brazzaville, the Republic of Chad and the Sudan and is a past President of MSF Australia. Dr Coatsworth led an Australian medical assistance team to the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, and was executive director of Australia’s National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre from 2014 – 2016. Notable previous policy experience In his leadership roles in disaster and emergency medicine organisations, Dr Coatsworth has had input into the development of health policies and programs on infectious diseases, health service delivery, population health and health