AHPI History

The Australian Health Policy Institute was originally conceived by Mr John Wyn Owen when he was Director-General of the NSW Department of Health (1994-97). Mr Wyn Owen observed that Australia lacked a broad-ranging independent institutional capacity dedicated to the analysis of domestic health policy and the promotion of debate on health policy issues. While numerous university departments throughout Australia had an interest in health-policy research, almost all concentrated on a particular disciplinary perspective, such as health economics or sociology. During his tenure as Director-General, Mr Wyn Owen explored options to establish a health policy centre in NSW. One option that he canvassed was to base the centre in a university.

In 1999, the late Professor John Young, then Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Health Sciences, took up this conception. With support from Mr Peter Burrows, then President of the Medical Foundation, and Professor Leeder, then Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Professor Young founded the Australian Health Policy Institute and provided limited initial resources for it. Professor Young directed that, in its start-up phase pending the appointment of a Director, the Institute should concentrate on stimulating informed debate on contemporary Australian health policy issues.

Professor Stephen Leeder commenced as Director of the Australian Health Policy Institute in 2004.