Several Australians who have made significant contributions to aged care were recognised in this year’s Australia Day honours.
Professor Susan Kurrle
Professor Susan Elizabeth Kurrle was appointed and Office of the Order of Australia for her services to medicine as a geriatrician and to her research into dementia and cognitive function.
Professor Susan Kurrle practices geriatric medicine at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital and Batemans Bay Hospital. She is on the Aged Care Quality and Safety Advisory Council (Advisory Council) and holds the Curran Chair in Health Care of Older People at the University of Sydney. She leads the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre, which focuses on the care aspects of dementia.
Susan has served on the Board of Alzheimer’s Australia (NSW) in the past and continues to work with them in the education of health care professionals and family carers issues.
Sue appeared and was an advisor on the ABC’s Old Peoples’ Home for Four Year Olds and Old People’s Home for Teenagers.
Mary Patetsos
Mary Patetsos, Chair of ACH Group, was recognised with a Member of Order of Australia for her ‘significant service to multicultural affairs, and to aged care through board positions’.
“It is a great honour to be named on the Australia Day Honours List,” Mary said. “My dedication to the aged care industry is driven by the desire that the care older Australians receive meets their expectations and changing needs. I am passionate about enhancing aged care services and how this can be achieved through innovative ways, such as providers engaging in cross-sector partnerships with education, government, and health.
“I believe life is not an opportunity to be missed, regardless of age, gender, culture, and capacity. This outlook is reflected in my commitment to amplifying the voices of older people and culturally diverse communities.”
Mary joined the ACH board in 2008 and became Chair in 2018. She is an Advisory Council Member on the National Aged Care Advisory Council. She is also Honourable President (Immediate Past Chair) of Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA), a peak body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Mary is on the board of Can:Do Group, Glenelg Community Hospital, and the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) Governing Board. She is presiding member of the South Australian Housing Trust Board and a council member of the University of South Australia.
Stephen Cornelissen
Stephen Cornelissen was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to community health. Stephen worked for nearly two decades with Catholic not-for-profit aged and health care provider, Mercy Health. He was Group Chief Executive Officer from 2011 to 2022.
Stephen was also on the board of former industry peak body, Aged & Community Services Australia. Stephen was director of Catholic Health Australia, the peak body for Catholic aged care, health, and community providers.
Mary Lyttle
Mary Lyttle was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for ‘significant service to aged care, and to community’. Mary was chief executive officer of Elder Rights Advocacy from 1991 to 2017. Since 2018, she has served as a volunteer aged care advisor for Australian Multicultural Community Services.
She is also a former board member of the Australian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care at La Trobe University and a member of the Code of Conduct for Aged Care Working Group.
Professor Edward Strivens
Professor Edward Strivens PSM was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his “significant service to geriatric medicine, and to professional organisations.”
Emeritus Professor Stephen John Duckett was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for “significant service to public health policy and management, and to tertiary education.
