The Melbourne Health Executive Management Team consists of the Chief Executive and Executive Directors. Melbourne Health operates as the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
The nine Executive Directors each hold an executive portfolio. The Executive Management Team meets twice a month to consider operational decisions, review performance and steer the strategic direction of Melbourne Health.
Download the The Royal Melbourne Hospital Organisational Structure.
Our Executive team
Christine Kilpatrick has been Chief Executive of Melbourne Health since 2017. Previous appointments include Chief Executive, the Royal Children’s Hospital from 2008 – 2017, Executive Director Medical Services, Melbourne Health and Executive Director Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne Health 2004-2008. Prior to these appointments she was a neurologist, specialising in epilepsy.
Christine is a member of several boards including Orygen, National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI), The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC). She was awarded a Centenary medal in 2003, in 2014 was included in the Victorian Honour Roll of Women, in 2017 was a recipient of the Inaugural Distinguished Fellow’s Award, Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators, in 2018 inducted in the top 50 Public Sector Women and in 2019 appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.
Professor Braitberg was elected to fellowship of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine in 1988 and undertook further training in medical toxicology at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix Arizona. He became board certified in Emergency Medicine and Medical Toxicology in the US and in 2005 was made a fellow of the American College of Medical Toxicology.
Since then, he has held a number of senior positions in medical toxicology and emergency medicine.
In 2014 he pursued his interest in health services management and clinical governance by completing a Master of Bioethics (2014), Master of Health Services Management (2017) and in 2017 became a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators.
He has been a Board member of Ambulance Victoria and Barwon Health and remains on the Board of St Johns Ambulance Victoria and the Israeli Institute of Emergency Medicine Research.
He most recently completed a secondment as Senior Medical Advisor to Safer Care Victoria and remains a medical advisor to Ambulance Victoria and a member of the Victorian Clinical Council.
He is Professor of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine Royal Melbourne Hospital and University of Melbourne and the Emergency Medicine Head of the Centre for Integrated Critical Care (CICC) Medicine.
Research interests include toxicology, pre-hospital care and health system redesign .
Ellen joined Melbourne Health as the Executive Director People and Culture in October 2017. Her career commenced in the Industrial Relations field before moving into Human Resources at Fairfax Media, where she worked for many years in Sydney and Melbourne. She has also consulted in and led the People function in other industries, including hospitality, legal and accounting services and aged care.
Originally graduating from The University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Economics, Ellen undertook a Masters of Labour Law and Relations. She has completed a change management qualification at the Australian Graduate School of Management. And in 2016, she graduated in Law.
Ellen is the author of three books, two of which are career guides.
A/Prof Heinjus trained as a general nurse at Albury Base Hospital and as a midwife at Preston and Northcote Community Hospital in Melbourne. Denise has a Graduate Certificate in Law and Management and a Masters (Honours) in Health Science Management. Denise commenced her role as Executive Director Nursing Services with Melbourne Health in 2007.
Previous nursing leadership positions include Executive Director, Nursing & Midwifery at Southern Health (Monash Health), Area Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Northern Sydney Central Coast Health Service; and Area Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Illawarra Health Service.
A/Prof Heinjus has a keen interest in workforce planning, clinical governance, organisational change and disaster management.
Cate was appointed as Chief Medical Officer, Melbourne Health in February 2016 and has significant experience in multiple academic, tertiary health services.
Cate received her basic medical degree from the University of Sydney. She also holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons - Pharmacology), a Masters of Health Administration and a Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators.
Her long term interests are in clinical informatics, clinical governance of new technologies and medical education. She has published multiple papers about health system management and leadership with a focus on medical education and new technology / clinical practice.
Jackie McLeod has been the Chief Operating Officer of Melbourne Health since November 2020. Jackie has over 25 years of experience in Victorian public hospitals and most recently has been the Executive Director, Parkville Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Program. Jackie led the rollout of the EMR across the four Parkville health services, as well as the implementation of the full EMR at the Royal Children’s Hospital’s in 2016. She has been responsible for the successful implementation of $235 million large health service transformational digital health programs that have delivered improved patient and operational outcomes.
Prior to these digital health leadership roles Jackie worked in several health services as the Director, Health Information Services and gained an extensive knowledge of health service operations, funding models, regulatory requirements and health strategic priorities. She understands the role of digital innovation in transforming health care and her unique skillset will support us in the delivery of our new strategic priorities, as outlined in our Toward 2025 Strategic Plan.
Paul commenced as Director Finance and Logistics in September 2019. Paul is an experienced finance and enterprise leader, working with large corporates both in Australia and internationally. He had a 10 year history with KPMG in Sydney, London and Melbourne specialising in the natural resource sector. During this time he worked on both audit and Corporate Finance activity.
On leaving KPMG, he joined Australia Post and lead finance and corporate teams over a 14 year tenure concluding with the role of Group Deputy CFO between 2016 and 2019. During this time Paul was a board member of various subsidiary companies and a trustee of the Australia Post Superannuation Fund.
Paul also supports the development of the accounting profession and was appointed the Australian representative on the International Federation of Accountants, Professional Accountants in Business Committee in 2016 and has been a member of a number of panels within the Chartered Accountants of Australian and New Zealand including chair of the CAANZ Members in Business, Advisory Panel.
Paul has a Commerce (Honours) degree from the University of NSW and is a fellow of the Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), and CPA Australia. In addition Paul is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).
