Founding Executive Director of the Taskforce, Professor Julian Elliott, this week stepped down as leader after 18 months at the helm.
Julian was instrumental in the establishment of the Taskforce in March 2020. With a vision to provide clear, unified and up-to-date evidence-based guidance for clinicians caring for people with COVID-19, he worked tirelessly with long-time collaborator Rhiannon Tate to bring together Australia’s leading peak health organisations and secure funding from government and philanthropy within the space of three weeks. A world leader in the development of living clinical guidelines, Julian is stepping back to focus on his role as Chair of the Australian Living Evidence Consortium (ALEC). The Taskforce pivoted out of ALEC at the start of the pandemic and will now formally join five other chronic disease areas to become a formal member of ALEC.
Julian is handing over leadership of the Taskforce to Associate Professor Steve McGloughlin, Director of The Alfred Intensive Care Unit and a founding panel member of the Taskforce.
Steve has already been an extraordinary and generous contributor to the Taskforce; co-chairing the Critical Care Panel, member of the Infection Prevention and Control Group and member of the Guidelines Leadership Group.
He is dual trained in infectious diseases and intensive care and has had a truly national career working in most Australian states. He has also worked in Cairns, Darwin and remote Queensland with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and has masters in both public health and health leadership.
As Head of ICU at The Alfred, Steve has cared for some of the nation’s sickest patients and is well-placed to understand the ongoing challenges faced by clinicians during the pandemic.
The Taskforce warmly welcomes Steve as Executive Director and looks forward to his leadership into the next phase.