Australian Healthcare And Hospitals Association
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The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA), founded in 1946, is the representative body for the
public hospital A public hospital, or government hospital, is a hospital which is government owned and is predominantly funded by the government and operates predominantly off the money that is collected from taxpayers to fund healthcare initiatives. In almost al ...
sector in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. It is one of 23 bodies funded from the government's Health Peaks and Advisory Bodies Program. The Deeble Institute for Health Policy Research is its research arm. Alison Verhoeven is the
Chief Executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...
. The members of the association are all major
health service Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is deliver ...
providers, including state health departments, local hospital networks,
public hospital A public hospital, or government hospital, is a hospital which is government owned and is predominantly funded by the government and operates predominantly off the money that is collected from taxpayers to fund healthcare initiatives. In almost al ...
s, community health services, primary health networks, primary healthcare providers, aged care providers, universities, individual
health professionals A health professional, healthcare professional (HCP), or healthcare worker (sometimes abbreviated as HCW) is a provider of health care treatment and advice based on formal training and experience. The field includes those who work as a nurse, physi ...
, and academics. The association is considered an independent, national voice for universal high-quality healthcare, benefiting the entire Australian community. It demanded more effective leadership of the
healthcare Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...
sector and better-coordinated government reform initiatives in May 2019. In particular it demanded reversal of the “massive” cuts to adult public dental services and
fluoridation Water fluoridation is the controlled addition of fluoride to public water supplies to reduce tooth decay. Fluoridated water maintains fluoride levels effective for cavity prevention, achieved naturally or through supplementation. In the mou ...
of the water supply. The association calls for an independent national health authority, which is distinct from the existing state and territory health departments and could tackle entrenched problems and support integrated care. In June 2019 it denied claims by
Scott Morrison Scott John Morrison (born 13 May 1968) is an Australian former politician who served as the 30th prime minister of Australia from 2018 to 2022. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, leader of the Liberal Party and was ...
that the admission of
refugees A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...
would disadvantage Australians in their access to hospital care. It makes an annual award, the Sidney Sax medal, to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in the field of health services policy, organization, delivery and research. It publishes a monthly
peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work ( peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...
journal, the Australian Health Review. In December 2023, the AHHA reviewed the National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA) Mid-term Review Final Report, which covered specific areas like
elective surgery Elective surgery or elective procedure is surgery that is scheduled in advance because it does not involve a medical emergency. Semi-elective surgery is a surgery that must be done to preserve the patient's life, but does not need to be performe ...
wait-lists, Medicare improvements, and support for the
National Disability Insurance Scheme The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a scheme of the Australian Government that funds reasonable and necessary supports associated with significant and permanent disability for people under 65 years old. The scheme was first int ...
(NDIS). AHHA acknowledged the report's recommendations for
digital health Digital health is a discipline that includes digital care programs, technologies with health, healthcare, living, and society to enhance the efficiency of healthcare delivery and to make medicine more personalized and precise. It uses informat ...
, alternative funding models, and patient-centric care pathways. These recommendations are part of a broader strategy to advance healthcare in Australia. AHHA recommends that
Health Ministers Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, pain ...
consider these proposals to enhance the national healthcare system.


References

{{reflist Medical and health organisations based in Australia