Alison Verhoeven the Chief Executive of Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) talks about the partnership.
Coordinated and integrated care is a critical part of a fit for purpose 21st century healthcare system that meets the 21st century needs and expectations of Australians. The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) has worked extensively with members and the broader health sector to articulate a vision for value-based, outcomes-focused and patient centred care, and we have outlined a series of short, medium and longer-term reforms needed to realise this vision in AHHA’s blueprint for health system reform. Better governance arrangements between the Commonwealth and states would result in better coordination of, and better value for, Australia’s $180 billion healthcare bill. Consumers must be also be genuinely engaged in co-designing services and how the entire health system functions across hospitals, primary healthcare and prevention activities. We also know we need intelligent data and a modern health workforce with changes in scopes of practice and models of care to meet public need. We know what we need to do to achieve this vision, and AHHA will continue to challenge the sector to step out of our comfort zones and transform fragmented healthcare in Australia.