Reception in support of the 2024 RACMA Conference

Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators President, Dr Helen Parsons CSC, President-elect, Professor Erwin Loh, Fellows and Members of the College; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to any First Nations people here this evening.

Graeme and I are delighted to welcome you all to Government House, and while I will attend the Conference’s official opening on Thursday, I’m aware that activities have already begun, with today’s members-only workshops and masterclasses setting the tone for what I’m sure will be an incredibly interesting few days ahead. 

As a doctor, medical administrator and Fellow of RACMA, I am thrilled to be amongst colleagues, and friends—and in my Vice-Regal role, I remain deeply committed to supporting and promoting better health outcomes for all.

Back in May 1968, at the very first meeting and convention of the newly formed College, Sir Abraham Fryberg—public health physician, army medical officer, Queensland’s state health officer, and Director-General of health—gave the opening address.

He spoke of his experiences as a Medical Administrator in Queensland, at a time when a doctor “received no training in business control or any other function of the hospital other than treating the sick”.

He essentially learned to perform the requirements of his management roles as he went along, quickly realising that “if a department was to function efficiently, all officers, both medical and lay, must work together as a team”.

This same spirit of unity and cooperation is fundamental to the success of RACMA itself, which over the past 50 years has encouraged medical professionals to become health leaders—providing the education, training and knowledge they need to make a genuine and positive difference to patient outcomes, particularly in the face of growing complexity.

While your individual roles and responsibilities differ, the overarching constant is your passion for ensuring that our public institutions harness the power of research, technology and scientific advances to drive improved standards, with care and compassion at the heart. 

You are valuable leaders—making tough decisions and facing diverse difficulties with incredible courage and immense capability.

Over the next few days you will be informed, challenged and inspired.

You will meet old friends and make new ones, and you will learn from each other’s experiences. And beneficially, you will take this important knowledge back to the institutions that will shape our health sector into the future.

I take this opportunity to thank outgoing RACMA President, Dr Helen Parsons, for her dedication and service to the organisation, and for ensuring it remains ever-true to its foundational principles. I welcome Professor Loh to the role, and wish him all the best for a pandemic-free term!

Please enjoy this evening’s opportunity to celebrate your shared commitment to public service, in Australia and around the world.

And for those of you who have not visited Brisbane before, we hope you have time to enjoy some of our amazing sights while you are here.