Joint Health Command (Australia)

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Joint Health Command
CountryAustralia
Branch Australian Defence Force Chief of Personnel
Role Military health
Garrison/HQ Campbell Park Offices, Canberra
Commanders
Current
commander		Rear Admiral Sonya Bennett
AbbreviationJHC

The Joint Health Command (JHC) is responsible for the delivery of military medicine and joint healthcare services to Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, including military psychiatry and rehabilitation services. The JHC is also responsible for providing strategic health policy, the development of the health preparedness of ADF personnel for operations, and the coordination of health units for deployment in support of operations. JHC is led by the dual-hatted Commander Joint Health and Surgeon General of the ADF.

Contents

The Commander Joint Health is responsible to the Chief of Personnel while deployed health units are responsible to the Chief of Joint Operations. The JHC is staffed by ADF active and reserve personnel, Department of Defence public servants, and contracted health professionals. [1] [2] [3]

History

Pacific Partnership

The Joint Health Command has contributed personnel to the United States Pacific Fleet's Pacific Partnership, a humanitarian assistance initiative, since 2005.

In 2010, 25 personnel of the Joint Health Command, supported by HMAS Labuan and HMAS Tarakan acting as forward operating platform for remote medical and dental clinics, deployed to North Maluku and assisted in medical treatment for over 5000 patients and 150 surgeries onboard USNS Mercy.

AUSMTF Uruzgan

In 2008, the health personnel from the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force provided two rotations of 10 surgical and intensive care personnel in support of the Dutch Role 2 (Enhanced) Medical Treatment Facility (MTF) also called the Uruzgan Medical Centre located in Kamp Holland within Multi National Base Tarin Kot in Tarin Kowt, the capital of the southern Uruzgan province known as AUSMTF teams. [4]

Role

Joint Health Command (JHC) provides health care to ADF members and ensures the health preparedness of ADF personnel for operations, and, deployable elements of JHC for deployment in support of operations. To effect this, JHC develops strategic health policy, provides strategic level health advice and exercises technical and financial control of ADF health units.

Structure

The JHC is staffed by medical, dental and allied health professionals. These staff may also provide garrison health services to ADF members while they are not on deployment. A total of 1699 health practitioners work in garrison health services comprising 403 public servants, 510 defence personnel, and 786 contractors working on a sessional basis. The Joint Health Command is made up of the:

Regional Health Services

The JHC's delivery of garrison health services is via a regional structure for medical facilities through Regional Health Services (RHS) that provide the basis for healthcare administration. JHC manages 104 garrison health facilities. [5]

Central New South Wales (JHU-CNSW)

Southern NSW ACT (JHU-SNSW)

Victoria and Tasmania (JHU-VICTAS)

Western Australia and South Australia (JHU-WASA)

Northern Territory (JHU-NT)

Northern Queensland (JHU-NQ)

South Queensland (JHU-SQ)

Northern New South Wales (JHU-NNSW)

Surgeons-General

RankNamePostnominalsServiceTerm beganTerm ended
Major General Colin Gurner AO , CBE , ED Army 19771979
Major General William Rodgers AO , OBE Army19851990
Air Vice Marshal Michael Miller AO RAAF 19901992
Major General David Rossi AO Army19921996
Air Vice Marshal Graeme Moller AM RAAF19961998
Major General John Pearn AM , RFD Army19982001
Air Vice Marshal Bruce Short AM RAAF20012005
Rear Admiral Graeme Shirtley RAN 20052008
Major General Paul Alexander AO Army20082011
Rear Admiral Robyn Walker AM RAN20112015
Air Vice Marshal Tracy Smart AO RAAF2015 [6] 2019
Rear Admiral Sarah Sharkey AM, CSC RAN20192023
Rear Admiral Sonya Bennett AM RAN2023

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Home: Defence Health : Department of Defence". Defence.gov.au. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  2. ↑ Main features of the medical services of the armed forces of Australia Medical Corps International Forum
  3. ↑ "An introduction to Defence health care" (PDF). Portal.aspenmedical.com.au. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  4. ↑ Dutch Role 2 (Enhanced) Medical Treatment Facility, AUSMTF, Uruzgan Medical Centre ADF Health December 2008 – Volume 9 Number 2
  5. ↑ "Regional Health Services: Garrison Health Operations". Department of Defence. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  6. ↑ "Biography Commander JHC: About Joint Health Command". Department of Defence. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
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