Professor Mark Cormack

Professor Mark Cormack was appointed to the Australian National University (ANU) College of Health and Medicine in 2020, following a long career in the Commonwealth, Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and New South Wales (NSW) Government services. His professional background covers early work as an allied health professional, and health services manager.  Mark has served as a Chief Executive (ACT Health ; Health Workforce Australia) and Deputy Secretary (Commonwealth Departments of Health, Veterans’ Affairs and Home Affairs) and has had portfolio responsibilities covering a wide spectrum of public policy. In national health policy these included mental health, health financing, primary health care, workforce, public hospitals, health technology assessment, research, and health provider compliance.

As Deputy Secretary Australian Department of Health he managed intergovernmental relations at the Commonwealth, State, and Territory levels, working on National Health Reform Agreements and numerous National Partnership Agreements. In the area of national program delivery, his work spanned Medicare, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, National Blood Supply, Primary Health Networks, Public Hospitals, Private Health Insurance, and the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

In the area of national health workforce, he led policy, planning, clinical training and workforce reform as the CEO of Health Workforce Australia. In international health, Mark was Australia’s delegate to the OECD Health Committee and WHO Western Pacific Region.

He worked as Deputy Secretary in the area of border security, detention and visa compliance at the (then) Department of Immigration and Border Protection (now Home Affairs). He was also responsible for Australian Defence Force workers compensation, veterans’ policy and program delivery through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Mark is Professor (in the Practice), Health System Policy, at the National Centre for Health Workforce Studies (NCHWS) at the ANU since 2023

Current / recent appointments include

·       Independent Review Lead, Unleashing the Potential of our Health Professionals -  Scope of Practice Review – 2024. (Appointed by Minister for Health and Aged Care)

·       Professor in the Practice, Health System Policy, National Centre for Health Workforce Studies, ANU

·       Principal at MCA Consulting

Mark’s areas of interest include public policy and administration; health system governance; health services program management, financing and delivery; health workforce and intergovernmental relations and agreements.

Qualifications

Master of Health Management, University of Wollongong,

Bachelor of Applied Sciences, University of Sydney,

Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.