- WA Health Director-General Dr David Russell-Weisz PSM steps down after more than eight years at the helm of the State's biggest Government department
- Dr Russell-Weisz acknowledged for extraordinary contribution to public healthcare after 28 years of continuous service with WA Health, including the COVID-19 pandemic
WA Health Director-General Dr David Russell-Weisz PSM has been praised for his extraordinary contribution to public healthcare after announcing he will step down from the helm of the State's biggest public sector agency after more than eight years of service.
Dr Russell-Weisz first joined WA Health 28 years ago, and has been Director-General of the Health Department since August 2015. He is the last remaining Health Department Director-General in the country to have served throughout the entire COVID-19 pandemic.
A highly respected and experienced public servant, Dr Russell-Weisz was the commissioning chief executive of the Fiona Stanley Hospital and was previously the chief executive of the North Metropolitan Health Service.
Under his leadership, Western Australia achieved some of the best COVID-19 outcomes in the world, successfully minimising infections, and hospitalisations during the Omicron wave, along with delivering millions of vaccination doses.
Dr Russell-Weisz was recently awarded the Public Service Medal (PSM) for 'outstanding leadership and management of the Western Australian health system's response to the COVID-19 pandemic'.
WA Health is the biggest public sector agency in the State, with a Budget of $12 billion and workforce of more than 57,000 staff.
Dr Russell-Weisz will finish up his accomplished tenure with WA Health on 27 March 2024, and a comprehensive recruitment process will begin in January to find his replacement.
As stated by Health; Mental Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
"Dr David Russell-Weisz PSM has given the past 28 years of his life to improving the health and wellbeing of Western Australians, often at great personal sacrifice, and in that time has achieved some world-leading outcomes.
"It is with great sadness that I this week accepted Dr Russell-Weisz's resignation as Director-General, however I respect his decision, and he goes with my best wishes.
"With a huge depth of knowledge and unwavering commitment to the WA public health system, he has provided invaluable advice to many Health Ministers, including myself, and been instrumental in driving organisational change.
"Our public health system is better for his outstanding contribution, and he will be missed."
As stated by Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson:
"I commend Dr Russell-Weisz for the exceptional role that he has played as Director-General, and his passion for medical research and the benefits it can deliver to Western Australians.
"We have worked closely together to fund projects that improve outcomes for people experiencing ill health and his contribution to public healthcare in our State is extraordinary.
"Western Australia achieved one of the best responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the world and Dr Russell-Weisz was at the forefront of this incredible result.
"We thank him for all his outstanding work over the past 28 years."
