1. Women in Leadership Elizabeth Koff Secretary, NSW Health
Calvary Executive Conference
1 November 2018
Elizabeth Koff Secretary, NSW Health

2. NSW Health System
NSW Health is the major provider of health services to 7.5 million people in NSW.
NSW Health’s expenses budget is 27% of total
NSW Government expenditure
($21.6 billion in 2017/18).
115,000 full-time equivalent staff
228 public hospitals providing services
A typical day:
17,000 people spend the night in a public hospital
6,500 people are seen in public hospital emergency departments
5,600 people are admitted to a public hospital
270 babies are born
1,000 patients have their surgery (emergency or planned) performed in public hospitals

3. Functions of the Secretary
Operates under the Health Administration Act 1982 and Health Services Act 1997
Provides strategic leadership direction and regulation of NSW Health
Reports to the Premier NSW
Reports to Minister for Health & Medical Research and Minister for Mental Health

4. Functions of the Secretary

5. Key Challenges
Power
Politics
Press

6. The men in suits

8. “Police hunt ‘fake’ doctor as Health Minister can’t say if the impostor performed surgery” JASON TIN and ROSE BRENNAN, The Daily Telegraph

9. The Pathway to this Role
Not linear, a couple of career cul-de-sacs
Deliver what you are asked to deliver and don’t be looking for the next position
Develop strong and enduring networks – mentorship and guidance are important
Ultimately you decide
“I am a great believer in luck,
and I find the harder I work,
the more I have of it.”
Thomas Jefferson

10. Personal Experience and Reflections
I think I can is good enough
What you think of me is none of my business
Shit happens - get over it and move on
Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is promised to no one, all you have is now
Nobody gets there alone
Don’t wear the coat too tight
There is no right way to do the wrong thing
Hope is not a plan
When you are going through hell, keep going
If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.

11. Personal Wellbeing