Strategic Plan 2016 - 2020

OUR VISION

A healthy Australia, supported by the best possible healthcare system.

OUR MISSION

To conduct research, educate and influence the healthcare system to achieve better health outcomes, improved patient and provider experience, greater equity and sustainability.

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Healthcare in Australia should be:

• Effective
• Accessible
• Equitable
• Sustainable
• Outcomes focused

OUR GOALS

In partnership with our members, we aim:

• To enhance the health and wellbeing of Australians through improved standards in primary, acute, community and aged care
   
• To improve health service provision and health outcomes by developing, providing, disseminating and promoting research and education
   
• To support the delivery of high quality healthcare by promoting evidence-informed practice and advocating for funding models that support primary, acute, community and aged care services
   
• To support the health sector through the provision of business, education, advisory and consultancy services by connecting the diverse contributions of health practitioners, researchers, policy makers, and consumers
   
• To promote and support universally accessible healthcare in Australia for the benefit of the whole community
   
• To focus on innovation that enhances integration of care, including development of new models of care, and funding models that support health reform that responds to emerging issues.

WHAT SUCCESS WILL LOOK LIKE

In successfully achieving our vision, mission and goals, we will:

• Have an engaged membership that is broadly representative of Australia’s health system
• Be an independent, national voice for universal high quality public healthcare
• Be a conversation initiator rather than a commentator
• Influence health debate to ensure members’ issues are on the national policy agenda
• Ensure that research and evidence underpin advocacy and policy activities
• Partner with members to support translation of research, evidence and policy into practice
• Be a primary source of comment and advice to government and the media
• Anticipate and respond in a timely way to member needs and current and emerging issues
• Collaborate with like-minded organisations to advance shared goals.

HOW WE WORK

AHHA brings perspectives from across the healthcare system together to advocate for effective, accessible, equitable and sustainable healthcare focused on quality outcomes to benefit the whole community.

Achieving our vision, mission and goals as well as meeting the needs of our members is at the centre of all AHHA activities.

We inform, advocate and influence health debate and policy development by undertaking and promoting research, highlighting evidence-informed practice, and effectively communicating issues and ideas.

We acknowledge the changing roles and responsibilities of primary care and work for its closer integration with other parts of the health sector.

While the risk of managing potentially diverse and/or conflicting views of members exists, AHHA’s broad and diverse membership facilitates an authoritative voice across the healthcare sector, and promotes an integrated health system.

AHHA’s activities (policy, advocacy and education; business and consultancy; research including the Deeble Institute and the Australian Health Review) are complementary and each component adds to the credibility of the others and to the AHHA brand and function.

The revenue stream of the business arm is critical to AHHA’s financial viability, which like other not-for-profit peak bodies is challenged by fiscal constraints in the public and not-for-profit sectors.

The overlap among the various activities of the AHHA strengthens our capacity, credibility, influence and effectiveness.

OUR CULTURE

AHHA’s culture is:

• Built on partnerships
• Proactive
• Open and transparent
• Balanced and evidence-informed
• Respectful and inclusive
• Responsive and collaborative
• Mindful of membership interests, investments and trust

WHAT WE OFFER OUR MEMBERS

Our value proposition for our members includes:

• Capacity to influence health policy
• A voice on national advisory and reference groups
• An avenue to key stakeholders including governments, bureaucracies, media, like-minded organisations and other thought leaders in the health sector
• Access to and participation in research and knowledge translation
• Access to networking opportunities, including quality events
• Access to education and training services
• Access to affordable and credible consultancy services
• Access to publications and sector updates, including:
  • Australian Health Review
  • The Health Advocate
  • Healthcare in Brief
  • Evidence Briefs and Issues Briefs