Joint Health Command (Australia)

Joint Health Command
Joint Health Command
Active	2001-
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Defence Force Chief of Personnel
Role	Military health
Garrison/HQ	Campbell Park Offices, Canberra
Commanders
Current; commander	Rear Admiral Sarah Sharkey
Abbreviation	JHC

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.

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:

Garrison Health Operations Branch which is responsible for the delivery and management of healthcare to ADF personnel within Australia and on non-operational postings overseas.
Mental Health, Psychology and Rehabilitation Branch which provides mental health support across occupational psychology, rehabilitation services, and mental health clinical programs.
Health Capability Branch which oversees health resources and logistics, pharmacy, workforce development and training, and strategic health capabilities.
Strategic Health Coordination Branch which oversees family health, health and medical research, and eHealth data and information management.
Chair of Military Surgery and Medicine is a professional position held jointly at the University of Queensland, the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital and the Department of Defence to lead a research program in trauma medicine and surgery relevant to the Australian Defence Force.

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)

Albatross Health Centre
HMAS Creswell
Holsworthy Health Centre
Kuttabul Health Centre
Randwick Health Centre
Tobruk Clinic
Victoria Barracks Clinic Sydney
Watson Clinic

Southern NSW ACT (JHU-SNSW)

Butterworth Clinic
Duntroon Clinic
Duntroon Health Centre
Harman Clinic
Kapooka Health Centre
Kapooka Clinic
Russell Health Centre
Weston Clinic
Wagga Health

Victoria and Tasmania (JHU-VICTAS)

Albury Wodonga Health Centre
Anglesea Clinic
Cerberus Health Clinic
East Sale Health Clinic
Laverton Clinic
Puckapunyal Health Centre
Simpson Health Centre
Victoria Barracks Clinic Melbourne

Western Australia and South Australia (JHU-WASA)

Campbell Health Centre
Edinburgh Health Centre
Keswick Clinic
Leeuwin Health Centre
Pearce Health Centre
Stirling Health Centre
Stirling SUMU Clinic
Taylor Clinic
Woodside Clinic

Northern Territory (JHU-NT)

Darwin Health Centre
Larrakeyah Health Centre
Robertson Health Centre
Tindal Health Centre

Northern Queensland (JHU-NQ)

Cairns Health Centre
Lavarack Health Centre
Lavarack East Clinic
Porton Clinic
Townsville Health Centre
Tully Clinic

South Queensland (JHU-SQ)

Amberley Health Centre
Canungra Clinic
Cabarlah Clinic
Enoggera Clinic
Enoggera Clinic East
Enoggera Health Centre
Oakey Health Centre

Northern New South Wales (JHU-NNSW)

Glenbrook Clinic
Penguin Health Centre
Penguin SUMU Clinic
Richmond Health Centre
Singleton Health Centre
Tamworth Clinic
Waterhen Clinic
Williamtown Health Centre

Surgeons-General

Rank	Name	Postnominals	Service	Term began	Term ended
Major General	Colin Gurner	AO, CBE, ED	Army	1977	1979

Major General	William Rodgers	AO, OBE	Army	1985	1990
Air Vice Marshal	Michael Miller	AO	RAAF	1990	1992
Major General	David Rossi	AO	Army	1992	1996
Air Vice Marshal	Graeme Moller	AM	RAAF	1996	1998
Major General	John Pearn	AM, RFD	Army	1998	2001
Air Vice Marshal	Bruce Short	AM	RAAF	2001	2005
Rear Admiral	Graeme Shirtley		RAN	2005	2008
Major General	Paul Alexander	AO	Army	2008	2011
Rear Admiral	Robyn Walker	AM	RAN	2011	2015
Air Vice Marshal	Tracy Smart	AO	RAAF	2015^[6]	2019
Rear Admiral	Sarah Sharkey	AM, CSC	RAN	2019

References

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

External links

[defence.gov.au-1] "Home: Defence Health : Department of Defence". Defence.gov.au. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2018.

[mci-forum.com-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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