The WA Government has finally filled the position of director-general of the Department of Health, which has been without a permanent boss since March 2013.
The chief executive of Fiona Stanley Hospital, Dr David Russell-Weisz, will take up the position of director-general in August.
He will succeed Professor Bryant Stokes, who has been acting in the position after the resignation of Kim Snowball from the role in 2012.
Health Minister Kim Hames said Professor Stokes had led the department through big changes including construction of Fiona Stanley, the new children’s hospital, and the new hospital in Midland.
Dr Russell-Weisz will receive total salary package of $624,900 per year.
The Government spent at least $120,000 on the two-year search for a new health chief.
Dr Russell-Weisz said he would focus on consolidating the health system after a period of major expansion.
“We’ve got two other major hospitals to commission, that’s Midland Health Campus and Perth Children’s Hospital,” he said.
“Then we need to continue the focus on our elective surgery, our emergency department performance and our financial performance.
“We’ve had huge change in the system and change can, at times, be disruptive, but the staff have responded really well.”
The State Government has been criticised over its decision to privatise non-medical work at Fiona Stanley Hospital after problems emerged with sterilisation of surgical equipment and lack of porters.
Dr Russell-Weisz said people needed to remember constructing and commissioning Fiona Stanley Hospital was a huge project.
He said the 800-bed facility amalgamated two hospitals, drawing in new staff as well as staff from other smaller hospitals.
“It was a mammoth task and it was always going to have challenges and will have challenges going forward,” he said.
He said the hospital had succeeded in bringing its information technology online, employing 5,000 staff and commissioned the hospital’s clinical operations.
His predecessor, Mr Snowball, was accused by a parliamentary committee of being responsible for a $330 million cost blowout during the development of the Fiona Stanley Hospital.
Former treasurer Troy Buswell also attacked Mr Snowball for his handling of the project, an assertion Mr Snowball strongly rejected.
Dr Russell-Weisz said he believed his background as a practising doctor with experience in rural, regional and metropolitan WA, along with his senior management experience, would give him credibility in his new role.
He has held the position of chief executive of Fiona Stanley Hospital since November 2012.
Prior to that, Dr Russell-Weisz was the chief executive of Perth’s North Metropolitan Health Service for six years.