Governance
Management & Staff
The AOA National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR) is an initiative of the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA). At the time it was established, the Federal Board of the AOA nominated a AOANJRR Committee to develop policies for the operation of the AOANJRR. This committee reports directly to the AOA Board of Directors.
Members of the committee include the Chairman (who is nominated by the AOA Board of Directors), the AOANJRR Director and Deputy Directors, an orthopaedic surgeon from each state and territory, representatives of specialty groups, the Chief Executive Officer and Advocacy and Governance Manager of the AOA. The current members of the committee are:
Mr D Hale, Chairman
Professor S E Graves (Director)
Professor R de Steiger (Deputy Director/Victoria)
Mr P Lewis (Deputy Director/South Australia)
Professor Ian Harris (Deputy Director)
Mr R Brighton (NSW)
Mr J Radovanovic (Queensland)
Mr A Burns (ACT)
Mr S Williams (Western Australia)
Mr R Furzer (Tasmania)
Mr M O'Sullivan (President, Arthroplasty Society of Australia)
Mr R Page (Shoulder & Elbow Society Representative)
Mr A Beischer (Foot & Ankle Society Representative)
Mr J Cunningham (Spine Society of Australia Representative)
Mr N Bergman (AOA Representative AOANJRR Consultative Committee)
Mr A Cosenza (CEO, AOA)
Ms K Hill (Advocacy and Governance Manager, AOA)
The Director of the AOANJRR, who is appointed by the AOA Board, is responsible for the day to day management with the assistance of the Deputy Directors and Assistant Deputy Directors (also appointed by the AOA Board). In addition, the AOA employs an AOANJRR Manager who is involved in maintaining liaison with hospitals, surgeons and the government as well as implementing new strategies and coordinating the preparation of the annual report.
The AOANJRR Consultative Committee is an external committee appointed and administered by the Commonwealth. This Committee was established by the Commonwealth to provide a forum for industry, government and consumer representatives to provide guidance on the overall strategic direction of the functions and operations of the AOANJRR. The Committee meets quarterly or as required.
Membership of the Committee comprises representatives from the following stakeholder groups:
Commonwealth of Australia | Chair |
Department of Health (DoH) | one representative |
AOA National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR) | one representative (Director) |
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) | one representative |
Prostheses List Advisory Committee (PLAC) | one representative |
Private Healthcare Australia (PHA) | one representative |
Consumer Health Forum (CHF) | one representative |
Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) | one representative |
Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) | one representative |
Orthopaedic sponsors/suppliers | two representatives (one of whom must be a member of MTAA) |
The South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), is currently contracted by the AOA to provide data management and analysis services to the AOANJRR.
The AOANJRR Management Group which comprises the Director, Deputy Directors, Assistant Deputy Director, and Manager meet weekly to discuss the day to day operation of the AOANJRR with the data management consultants contracted by the AOA.
AOANJRR Staff
Director
Professor Stephen Graves
segraves@aoanjrr.org.au
Deputy Directors
Professor Richard de Steiger
rdesteiger@aoanjrr.org.au
Mr Peter Lewis
plewis@aoanjrr.org.au
Professor Ian Harris
iharris@aoanjrr.org.au
Assistant Deputy Director
Mr James Stoney
jdstoney@aoanjrr.org.au
Mr Bill Donnelly
bdonnelly@aoanjrr.org.au
Manager
Ms Cindy Turner
cturner@aoanjrr.org.au
Federal Quality Assurance Activity Legislation
The AOANJRR was first declared a Quality Assurance Activity (QAA) in 1999. The declaration was renewed in 2001, 2006, 2011 and for a further five-year period in 2016. It is necessary for the AOANJRR to renew the declaration every five years however the information collected is protected by the QAA legislation indefinitely.
The Quality Assurance legislation is part of the Health Insurance Act of 1973. This act was amended in 1992 to include quality assurance confidentiality. The Act operates on the underlying assumption that quality assurance activities are in the public interest. A declaration as a quality assurance activity by the Commonwealth Minister of Health and Aged Care prohibits the disclosure of information which identifies individual patients or health care providers, that is known solely as a result of the declared quality assurance activity. It is not possible to provide identifying information to any individual or organisation including the government.
To encourage efficient quality assurance activities "Part VC-Quality Assurance Confidentiality" contains the following provisions:
a) Prohibiting:
1. The disclosure of information that became known solely as a result of those activities;
or
2. The production to a court of a document that was brought into existence solely for the purposes of those activities; and
b) Protecting certain persons engaging in those activities in good faith from civil liability in respect of those activities.
The protection provided by the declaration assures patients, surgeons, hospitals and government that information supplied to the AOANJRR remains confidential and secure.