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SECONDMENT PROGRAM
The Australian Centre for Value-Based Health Care offers an ongoing Secondment Program. It provides a rewarding and challenging opportunity for a high-achieving individual from a member or partner organisation to temporarily join the Australian Centre for Value-Based Health Care for a 6-month period with the option of a further 6-month extension to undertake a strategic program of work.
The Secondment Program has been designed to build leadership and knowledge in the areas of value-based health care and policy advocacy. It will provide opportunities for learning through introduction to a different working culture and exposure to new ideas, new contacts and diverse approaches to policy-making and the challenges and practicalities of advocating for policy and process change.
Secondments can be used for a range of purposes including providing career and professional development opportunities. The Australian Centre for Value-Based Health Care Secondment Program also offers member and partner organisations the opportunity to make a significant and important contribution to the development of the work of the Centre.
Two positions are currently open, an executive level position targeted towards an EL2 or executive team member and a policy analyst targeted towards an EL1 or manager level team member. Position descriptions for both roles are available below.
The secondment positions are not remunerated, the secondee’s employer must agree to meet salary and related costs during the secondment.
To apply, potential secondees should send a cover letter outlining their interest in the role, along with their CV and a letter of support from their employer indicating their willingness to support them and the program.
The Centre Executive will undertake an agreed strategic program of work which reflects the objectives of the Centre developed in consultation with the Australian Centre for Value Based Health Care Advisory Group and AHHA Chief Executive. This may involve leveraging their existing networks and building new relationships with policymakers and practitioners to understand their key issues, identify case studies and develop research opportunities in the area of value-based health care.
The Centre Executive may lead development of the Centre’s responses and written submissions on a variety of health policy, system and budgetary consultation processes where they relate to the program of work identified for the secondment role.
Key Duties:
In line with the identified program of work:
- Identify policy issues and case studies and lead development of written submissions and research in line with the centre’s objectives
- Lead health research policy projects undertaken by or commissioned by the Australian Centre for Value-Based Health Care
- Develop seminars, webinars and workshops to support knowledge and skill development in the area of value-based health care
- Build connections between policymakers, practitioners and administrators of health systems and organisations
Required Skills:
This role is targeted at EL2 or high-performing EL1 (or equivalent)
Essential :
- A solid and practical understanding of the principles of value-based health care or willingness and ability to develop these through professional engagement in this program
- Demonstrated leadership in health policy, health systems and/or health research
- Strong and senior networks across the health sector, including government, universities, peak and professional organisations, Local Hospital Networks (or equivalent), Primary Health Networks, and/or the private sector
- In-depth knowledge of the Australian health system, and interest in improving health in Australia and its region
- Highly effective communication and stakeholder engagement skills
- Strategic and innovative thinking expertise reinforced by a proven ability to deliver results
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively both autonomously and as part of a small team environment
- Ability to travel locally and interstate for short periods
Desirable:
- Relevant academic qualifications and high-level affiliations
Working in consultation with the AHHA senior leadership team and Australian Centre for Value Based Health Care Advisory Group, the Policy Analyst will undertake an agreed strategic program of work which reflects the objectives of the Centre. This may involve identifying and contributing to the Centre’s responses and written submissions on a variety of health policy, system and budgetary consultation processes.
Key Duties:
In line with the identified program of work:
- Identify policy issues and consultation processes, undertake analyses and prepare written submissions
- Contribute to, and/or support health research policy projects undertaken by the Australian Centre for Value-Based Health Care
- Assist the development of discussion papers, positions statements and submissions
- Support and maintain constructive relationships with members, government departments, and other stakeholders
Required Skills:
This role is targeted at EL1 or high-performing APS6 (or equivalent)
Essential
- A strong interest in and understanding of the principles of value-based health care or willingness and ability to develop this through professional engagement in this program
- Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the structure, funding, operation and political context of the Australian health system
- Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills to engage effectively with a broad range of groups including members, stakeholders in government and non-government agencies including being a networker and relationship builder
- Demonstrated high-level writing skills and strong ability to synthesise and present information and ideas in clear and concise ways
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively both autonomously and as part of a small team environment
- Ability to travel locally and interstate for short periods
Desirable
- Demonstrated experience in the analysis of health policy and development of policy responses, including excellent conceptual and analytical capability
- Demonstrated understanding of government and agency processes at national or state/territory level
- Relevant tertiary qualifications
To Apply:
Send a cover letter to value@ahha.asn.au outlining your interest in the role, along with your CV and a letter of support from your employer indicating their willingness to support you and the program and confirming their committment to meet your salary and related costs during the secondment.
TESTIMONIALS
My interest in value-based health care was sparked when I undertook a study tour to the US in 2019. As part of my work at the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA), I was investigating new funding models that would potentially see the Australian hospital system move towards a more flexible funding system allowing for more patient centric pathways of care.
The trip didn’t provide any shining success stories, in fact if anything, it showed that Australia was probably leading the way in many approaches to value-based health care. However, the trip gave me a much better understanding of how the Australian health system works compared to the US system and the barriers that would need to be overcome to enable a value-based system to work in the Australian healthcare setting.
With this in mind, I continued to work on IHPA’s future funding model policy and started to develop a number of contacts in the field. When I saw an advert to undertake a six-month secondment leading the AHHA’s Australian Centre for Value-Based Healthcare it seemed like my planets had aligned. I was very lucky in that my CEO supported the secondment as he saw how it would contribute to the work I was undertaking at IHPA.
It had been the intention that I would work remotely for the Centre which I was looking forward to as new challenge. Little did I know that a couple of months after starting we’d all be working remotely due to the COVID-19 lockdown. As all the AHHA team were working remotely we were all in the same boat and it enabled me to get to know the team much better than I probably would have otherwise. I got to meet and work with an amazing bunch of people that are passionate about healthcare in Australia and will certainly maintain the friendships that I made during what will always be a very memorable time of all our lives – especially those of us that were homeschooling.
The secondment allowed me to really push my writing skills and gave me the opportunity to set my own agenda – a rare luxury! Alison Verhoeven, CEO, AHHA provided an incredibly supportive environment giving me the freedom to explore my own thoughts and put them down on paper or talk to them in webinars.
Probably the most rewarding achievement during the secondment was working with the Value Institute for Health and Care at the University of Texas to develop an education program for Australian healthcare leaders. The opportunity to work with Alice Andrews, Elizabeth Teisberg and Scott Wallace, world renowned proponents of value-based healthcare thinking, was a rare opportunity and one I will never forget. I am lucky enough to be participating in the education program and am relishing the opportunity to meet likeminded people. I am also developing ideas and skills to take with me into my new role managing the NSW and ACT team at the Heart Foundation.
I thoroughly enjoyed my six-months leading the Centre and I hope to remain connected to the many inspiring health professionals I met during my time there. I am ever grateful to the leaders at IHPA and AHHA that allowed me this opportunity. I am now looking forward to a more hands on role hopefully implementing some value-based strategies to assist in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. I remain passionate about the goals of putting the patient at the centre of care and will continue to work on advocating for ways to achieve this.