Exciting Leadership Announcement: Dr. Peggy Brown AO Joins Medilinks as Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Brown brings an exceptional depth of expertise in psychiatry and mental health advocacy, including her recent role as a commissioner on the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Her profound dedication to improving mental health outcomes and extensive experience in driving systemic change make her an invaluable asset to our executive team.
Medilinks was founded with a mission to address the mental health needs of Australia’s veterans and Defence personnel, with firsthand experience of the challenges they face informing our approach. We began by tackling the critical shortage of psychiatric assessment services, laying a solid foundation to ensure timely and comprehensive care. Our services, having been delivered primarily through a telehealth model to maximise accessibility, will now expand into a mixed model, with the addition of new clinics offering face-to-face consultations to support personalised access based on individual needs and preferences. As we embark on this new chapter, we are set to expand our services significantly, enhancing the scope and quality of our psychiatric care to better serve our community.
Under Dr. Brown’s guidance, we are committed to translating the Royal Commission’s findings into tangible actions that improve lives. This includes expanding access to mental health services, developing cutting-edge support programs and treatment pathways, collaborating with government and community partners, and advocating for systemic reforms. Alongside these initiatives, we will actively engage in research to contribute to the evidence base in the mental health field, ensuring that our services remain at the forefront of clinical innovation and best practices. We aim to set new standards for mental health care, providing innovative, evidence-based services that empower individuals to achieve healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Together, we are excited to build upon our strengths, enhance existing services, and pioneer new approaches to meet the evolving needs of the community. Dr. Brown’s arrival marks a pivotal moment in our journey as we strive to establish Medilinks as a leader in delivering world-class mental health care and support to current and former serving members of our Defence community.
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Professional Summary
Dr. Brown was appointed as one of three Commissioners on the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide that commenced on 8 July 2021 and concludes on 9 September 2024.
She formerly held roles including Senior Clinical Advisor at the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care; Chief Executive Officer of the National Mental Health Commission; Director-General, ACT Health; Chief Psychiatrist/Director of Mental Health in Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory; and an NHS International Fellow in the United Kingdom.
She has also served as a Member of the Agency Management Committee of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), a Member of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), Co-Chair of the Council of Clinical Leads for the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership (IIMHL), Chair of the Research Advisory Council for Clear Thinking Queensland, Board Member of Health Workforce Australia, Board Member of the National eHealth Transition Authority, Advisory Board Member of Healthscope, and Patron of the Australian BPD Foundation.
In January 2018, she was admitted as an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to medical administration in the area of mental health through leadership roles at the state and national level, to the discipline of psychiatry, to education and to health care standards.
