The Chief Health Officer undertakes a variety of statutory functions under health and food-related legislation. They also provides expert clinical and scientific advice and leadership on issues impacting public health.
Responsibilities
The Chief Health Officer:
- provides expert advice on matters relating to the health and wellbeing of the people of Victoria to:
- the Minister for Health and Ambulance Services
- senior leaders in the Department of Health
- Emergency Management Victoria
- the broader Victorian health sector
- issues health alerts and advisories to inform Victorians about health issues that may affect their health and safety
- performs the functions or powers specified in the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 or any regulations made under that Act
- is the spokesperson for the Victorian Government on matters related to health protection, including public health incidents and emergencies
- engages with the community on public health matters
- publishes a comprehensive report on public health and wellbeing in Victoria every two years.
Find out more about our Chief Health Officers
- provides expert advice on matters relating to the health and wellbeing of the people of Victoria to:
Victoria's Chief Medical Officer is Associate Professor Andrew Wilson.
Associate Professor Wilson ensures that Safer Care Victoria and Victorian hospitals have the right systems, governance, and processes in place to support our health clinicians to deliver high-quality, safe care.
Emma Saddington is the Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer.
Responsibilities of the Chief Psychiatrist
Associate Professor Sophie Adams is the Chief Psychiatrist of Victoria.
The Chief Psychiatrist is an independent statutory officer with powers and responsibilities prescribed by the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 to oversee quality and safety in Victoria’s clinical mental health and wellbeing services.
About the Chief Psychiatrist
Associate Professor Sophie Adams is a Consultation Liaison Psychiatrist with dual fellowship of both the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and the Royal Australian College of Medical Administrators and a range of academic and professional interests.
Sophie has interests in leadership and culture, complex systems, clinical governance, quality and safety, ethics, workforce, supporting lived experience, youth mental health, neuropsychiatry and research. Sophie has a strong interest in building safe cultures, developing sustainable teams and enabling others.
Sophie has worked in Mental Health in public and private, primary and tertiary for over 25 years and has had senior leadership roles across the sector. Sophie is passionate about the importance of the mental health sector to thriving communities.
Sophie believes in putting people at the heart of her work and maintains personal optimism that we can make a difference to the health of our communities.
As Chief Psychiatrist of Victoria, Sophie will continue to assist with implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System to introduce a new quality and safety architecture in Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing system.
Related resources
Victoria's Chief Mental Health Nurse is Anna Love, Anna is part of the Clinical and Professional Leadership team at Safer Care Victoria.
Anna provides leadership and promotes collaboration between the government and the mental health nursing profession.
She represents the profession at all levels of government, and across all health service sectors, and promotes recognition of the mental health nursing profession.
Victoria’s Chief Officer for Mental Health and Wellbeing is Pam Anders. She is also Deputy Secretary of the department’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Division.
The role was created under the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022. Its purpose is to strengthen leadership of Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing system and raise the profile of mental health and wellbeing within the Department of Health.
Under the Act, the Chief Officer for Mental Health and Wellbeing shares responsibility with the Secretary of the Department of Health as the stewards and managers of the mental health and wellbeing system.
Together, they are responsible for:
- developing mental health and wellbeing strategy, policy, guidelines and codes of practice
- planning, developing and commissioning mental health and wellbeing services that meet the needs of Victoria’s diverse communities
- monitoring the performance, quality and safety of mental health and wellbeing service providers
- developing and supporting the mental health and wellbeing workforce
- setting and revising targets for reducing compulsory treatment, seclusion and restraint.
Visit the Victoria's mental health services annual report page for more information.
The Chief Paramedic Officer is Dr Leon Baranowski (MSc, MEd, CHE, SFHEA MACPara)
Responsibilities of the Chief Adviser on Cancer
Professor Robert Thomas is the Chief Adviser on Cancer. He provides advice on cancer matters within the department and works with groups interested in Cancer.
About the Chief Adviser on Cancer
Professor Robert Thomas is a clinician who has worked as a surgeon in the field of cancer for several decades.
Professor Thomas was instrumental in the development of the discipline of surgical oncology in Australasia and responsible for creating the Surgical Oncology Group within the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, having served as editor-in-chief of the ANZ Journal of Surgery and chair of the National Health and Medical Research Council panels.
He is currently chair of the international WISH (World Innovation Summit on Health) forum entitled 'Delivering Affordable Cancer Care' and Co-Chair of the National Cancer Expert Reference Group a COAG funded committee pursuing a national workplan for cancer.
He has ongoing research interests in the molecular pathology of gastrointestinal tumours.
In addition, Professor Thomas is actively involved in developing cancer reforms within Australia, serving as president of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia (COSA), Chair of the national committee creating the Colorectal cancer guidelines and a member of the Ministerial Taskforce on Cancer.
Professor Thomas has published more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and book chapters. He has been honoured by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons with the Excellence in Surgery Award.
Responsibilities
Dr Sharon Hakkennes is Victoria's Chief Digital Health Officer.
The Chief Digital Health Officer is responsible for working in collaboration with the sector and the Department of Health to set the digital vision for Victoria's healthcare sector.
The role provides leadership on system-wide strategies and governance for critical digital applications in hospitals, mental health, and community health services. This role also oversees the implementation of Victoria's Digital Health Roadmap, which includes delivering clinical, patient, and mental health solutions and national digital health programs.
For more information, see Digital health.
About the Chief Digital Health Officer
Sharon has over 25 years experience working in the healthcare industry. With a strong background in health informatics and digital transformation, she has been instrumental in leading various projects aimed at improving healthcare delivery through technology.
Prior to her current role she was a Vice President Research Analyst at Gartner, where she was responsible for advising health systems across the globe in the development of digital strategies and the implementation of technologies to drive improvements in clinical outcomes, operational efficiencies, health equity, and consumer and clinician experience. Sharon has a clinical background in physiotherapy and has completed a Doctorate and MBA.
The Chief Allied Health Officer is Rachel Elliott.
Rachel is part of the Clinical and Professional Leadership team at Safer Care Victoria.
She provides leadership and strategic direction for Victoria's allied health workforce.Find out more about the role of the Chief Allied Health Officer on the Safer Care Victoria website.
Responsibilities of the Chief Surgical Adviser
Professor Ben Thomson is Victoria's Chief Surgical Adviser.
The Chief Surgical Adviser works with the Surgery Recovery Taskforce to provide the Victorian Government with clinical expertise and advice.
About the Chief Surgical Adviser
Ben is a general surgeon that specialises in disorders of the liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile duct. He is the Director of Surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and works as a trauma and general surgeon and cancer surgeon at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. As part of his cancer work, he travels to see patients in rural Victoria (Wangaratta and Albury Wodonga).
Ben trained in Victoria and in Edinburgh, Scotland, and has worked for more than 25 years in Victorian public hospitals. He is also a clinical professor at the University of Melbourne and a board member of the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand Hepatic, Pancreatic and Biliary Association.
Dr Paul MacCartney is Victoria's Chief Addiction Medicine Adviser at Safer Care Victoria.
Paul is an experienced General Practitioner and Addiction Medicine Specialist who has worked in community health for the past 24 years. He has particular interests in addiction medicine, homelessness and mental health and is a strong public advocate for care and treatment of people who use drugs.
The Chief Addiction Medicine Adviser was introduced as part of the Statewide Action Plan to reduce drug harms. Paul oversees the development of policies and initiatives to support the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality care. He will also lead the development of Victoria’s Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy and provide advice on implementation of the Statewide Action Plan.
Associate Professor Mark Boughey is Victoria's first Chief Palliative Care Adviser.
He has more than 30 years' experience as a specialist palliative medicine physician, well known for his contributions to the sector, including as an Associate Professor at The University of Melbourne and senior leadership roles at St Vincent’s Hospital and their Centre for Palliative Care.
Associate Professor Boughey has mentored emerging sector leaders in developing countries through his previous role as the President of the Chapter of Palliative Medicine at the Royal Australian College of Physicians.
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