Team VIVA! wishes to congratulate the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) for reappointing Dr Tony Hobbs to their Board today (February 1, 2019).

Dr Hobbs served on the APNA board in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

He most recently served as Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the Commonwealth Department of Health. He was previously Principal Medical Adviser at the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), and former Chair of the Australian General Practice Network (AGPN).

In an announcement issued today, APNA President, Karen Booth welcomed Dr Hobbs’ return to the Board, praising his high level of health policy expertise.

“Tony is not only a highly regarded health professional and former Deputy Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer, he is a highly skilled company director.

“Along with his extensive corporate governance experience, Tony brings high level health policy expertise with national and international perspectives to our board,” said Ms Booth.

Dr Hobbs has a strong track record for supporting nurses in primary health care.

For many years he has advocated for nurses in primary health care, including his contribution as Chair of the External Reference Group that in 2009 developed Australia’s first national Primary Health Care Strategy.

He also provided expert clinical advice to the National Chronic Disease Strategy in 2005.

“Primary health care nurses are central to enabling increased access to high quality care for our local communities, working collaboratively with others in the health team at the top of their scope of practice,” Dr Hobbs said.

“Inherent to the nurse role is a strong commitment to team-based primary care to best meet the needs of our ageing population with complex comorbidities.”

Dr Hobbs has returned to APNA’s Board at a time of considerable growth for the organisation, which includes the extension of the Commonwealth-funded Nursing in Primary Health Care Program for another four years.

“I’m impressed to see how much APNA has grown and evolved over the past six years, with a strong focus on supporting primary health care nurses’ educational needs and progressing innovations in service delivery,” said Dr Hobbs.

As well as a 20-year rural general practice career, Dr Hobbs has extensive Board, committee and advisory council experience, including the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), cancer, diabetes and kidney health advisory groups, and has worked with the National Prescribing Service on its diagnostic evaluation advisory group.

VIVA! Communications has a proud, long-standing working relationship with APNA, having worked collaboratively to promote community immunity via public health campaigns focusing on influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination, and Seqirus’ Championing Change Innovation Practice Nurse Grants campaign.

The Innovation grants recognise practice nurses’ contributions to public health by supporting the implementation of innovation adult immunisation initiatives designed to boost coverage rates of improve the quality use of adult vaccines.

We look forward to continuing our work with APNA and to spruiking the value of primary health care nurses to the medical and broader community.

For more information on APNA’s role in representing one in eight (640,000) Australian healthcare professionals (HCPs), visit https://www.apna.asn.au.