Australia's national health CIO to exit

Australia’s national health chief information officer Ronan O’Connor has resigned after more than three years at the Australian Digital Health Agency.

O’Connor, who joined the agency responsible for the country’s My Health Record system and other national digital health systems in January 2017, will leave the top job on October 16. 

His departure was first reported by Pulse+IT.

A spokesperson told iTnews that O’Connor has been appointed vice president, analytics international at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).

Former ADHA chief Tim Kelsey, who resigned last December, has also joined the not-for-profit organisation to become senior vice president, analytics international.

“Ronan will lead the international acceleration in digital transformation using HIMSS products and plans to return to the UK in 2021,” the ADHA spokesperson said.

O’Connor moved to Australia from the UK to join the ADHA executive team in January 2017 following an international search.

He had previously worked with the UK’s National Health Service, where he gained “deep experience running national health reforms programs and infrastructure”, the spokesperson said.

As national health CIO, O’Connor leads the ADHA’s infrastructure operations division, which is responsible for the operation of digital health systems, including the My Health Record.

He also oversaw the implementation of My Health Record’s opt-out model last year.

Interim ADHA chief Bettina McMahon said O’Connor was “instrumental in the planning and delivery of the My Health Record opt out program, including the management and integration of multiple complex workstreams”. 

“Ronan has been an important figure in the executive team, whose respectful nature and level-headed reaction to challenges has created a positive culture in the Agency,” she said.

Earlier this year, O’Connor revealed that the My Health Record was the subject of an attempted hack in September 2019.