This week’s appointment of Victorian Healthcare Association (VHA) CEO Tom Symondson as the inaugural CEO of the Aged and Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) represents a coup for the organisation as it seeks to deliver a united voice to the Government, bureaucrats, and the wider community.
With a background in public policy and advocacy and a history in working closely with government and stakeholders to achieve change, Mr Symondson appears perfectly placed to navigate the challenges facing the newly formed organisation.
Those in the sector familiar with the CEO and his representation of the Victorian healthcare sector have welcomed his appointment.
But the new CEO will have his work cut out for him.
With COVID-19, workforce challenges, regulatory reforms and financial pressures all hitting providers hard, the sector is facing a raft of short-, medium- and long-term problems.
The relationship between providers and the Department of Health and Aged Care also continues to be strained.
And despite the Labor Government’s seeming commitment to prioritising aged care, the sector faces competition from a host of competing concerns including disability, education, and business.
Stretched by two years of a global pandemic, the Government’s coffers will only go so far.
Will Mr Symondson be able to keep aged care in the political spotlight and address the sector’s sustainability woes?
Watch this space.
