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 established an AOA Registry Committee with the aim to maintain and enhance the quality of the core activities of the AOA National Joint Replacement Registry. This committee is a standing committee of and reports directly to the AOA Board of Directors.
Members of the committee include the Chair (who is nominated by the AOA Board of Directors), the Registry Clinical Director, the AOA President, Vice President, 2nd Vice President, AOA Research Committee Chair, an orthopaedic surgeon from each state and territory, representatives of specialty groups, the Chief Executive Officer and Registry Executive Manager of the AOA. The current members of the committee are:
| Neil Bergman | Committee Chair |
| Paul Smith | Clinical Director AOANJRR |
| Peter Lewis | Deputy Clinical Director/South Australia |
| Richard Page | Clinical Advisor, Shoulder & Elbow Society Representative |
| Peter Stavrou | Clinical Advisor, Foot & Ankle Society Representative |
| Annette Holian | AOA President |
| Chris Morrey | AOA Vice President |
| Michael Schuetz | AOA Research Committee Chair |
| Rob Kuru | Spine Society Representative |
| Peter McEwen | Knee Society Representative |
| Bill Walter | Arthroplasty Society Representative |
| Joshua Petterwood | TAS |
| David Wysocki | WA |
| Adrian Cosenza | CEO AOA |
| Kathy Hill | Registry Executive Manager |
Observers to the Committee are:
The Deputy Clinical Directors, Assistant Deputy Clinical Directors, Second Vice President
The Clinical 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 Clinical Directors and Assistant Deputy Clinical Directors (also appointed by the AOA Board). In addition, the AOA employs a Registry Executive Manager who manages the corporate, administrative and business functions of the Registry.
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 Registry Working 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
Clinical Director
Professor Paul Smith
Deputy Clinical Directors
Associate Professor Peter Lewis
plewis@aoanjrr.org.au
Professor Chris Vertullo
cvertullo@aoanjrr.org.au
Adjunct Professor Michael McAuliffe
mmcauliffe@aoanjrr.org.au
Assistant Deputy Director
Mr James Stoney
jdstoney@aoanjrr.org.au
Associate Professor Chris Wall
cwall@aoanjrr.org.au
Associate Professor Catherine McDougall
Dr David Gill
Registry Executive Manager
Ms Kathy Hill
admin@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, 2016 and for a further five-year period in 2022. 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.