Diana Horvat

Professor Diana Horvath brings a distinguished record of more than 40 years of management and administrative experience with a range of key medical organisations to her role at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse.

Highly respected within the health sector, Diana’s extensive executive career led to her being the first woman appointed as CEO of a NSW Health Service (Central Sydney and later Sydney South West), a position she held for 14 years. She then resigned to inaugurate the Australian Commission on Safety & Quality in Health Care.

Concurrently, she also spent three triennia in a variety of senior roles with the National Health & Medical Research Council (NH&MRC), leading to her appointment as the Chair of Council and a member of the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council. She was also for many years a Commissioner of the Health Insurance Commission, during the period it was the board of Medibank Private as well as Medicare.

She was heavily involved in the Australian Hospital Association (now Healthcare Association) for 20 years, becoming its National President. She undertook significant international health services activities, with both the International Hospital Association and the International Fellowship of the King’s Fund.

Diana, an honours graduate of Sydney University, commenced her medical career in 1968 as an RMO at RPA Hospital. Together with her husband, Prof John Horvath AO, she spent two years on faculty of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Md, USA.

After establishing the Community Health Services in NSW and obtaining a Masters from UNSW, Diana returned to RPA as a medical administrator in 1977, becoming Medical Director and later General Superintendent in 1987.

Diana was made an Officer in the Order of Australia in 1995 for her contribution to health and health services management.

She has also been awarded the prestigious Sid Sax Medal for her ongoing roles in public health services; the International Hospital Federation award for Innovation in Health Management for establishment of clinical streams of care – which included the Sydney Cancer Centre; the Centenary of Federation Medal; and has been made an Adjunct Professor at the University of Sydney.

Given her extraordinary experience in the health sector, Diana was appointed to the Lifehouse Board in May 2009.