The Australian College of Nursing wishes to acknowledge the contribution departing Health Department Secretary, Martin Bowles, has made to health care in this country during his tenure.
“Martin’s career so far has spanned 40 years, and his dedication to public health is commendable,” Australian College of Nursing Chief Executive Officer, Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN, said.
“Mr Bowles has been committed to helping the community and making Australia better.
“During his time leading the Department of Health, Martin demonstrated a clear understanding of the important role nurses play in health care.
“On behalf of the nursing profession, the College met with Mr Bowles to advocate for improvements in health care services. Our input and ideas were always met with respect and helped inform policy development.
“While Martin oversaw many major initiatives, I must note his push to give consumers more say in and control of their own health and aged care. For example, the Health Care Homes model, which focuses on reforming how health care is provided to people with chronic and complex health care needs.”
The Australian College of Nursing welcomes the appointment of Health Department Deputy Secretary, Mark Cormack as Acting Secretary.
“Mr Cormack has a long and distinguished career in health. This includes leading ACT Health and helping develop Australia’s health workforce as the Chief Executive Officer of Health Workforce Australia,” Adjunct Professor Ward said.
“The College looks forward to working with Mark, and whomever takes on the role of Secretary permanently, as we continue to strive to ensure Australia has the best health care system in the world.”
