Dr. Malcolm Thatcher, the chief technology officer (CTO) of the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA), has left his position after serving for over two years. His departure follows the resignation of CIO Ronan O’Connor.
Dr. Thatcher announced his decision to leave in a LinkedIn post, subsequent to Pulse+IT reporting the news. He stated that while it was a difficult decision, he believed it was the right time for him to pass on the responsibility as the agency embarks on the next significant phase of national digital infrastructure modernization.
During his tenure, Dr. Thatcher played a pivotal role in the My Health Record modernization project, which was allocated AUD 429 million over two years in the federal budget. In his post, he acknowledged the agency’s past criticism but expressed optimism about the future of the My Health Record system and the national digital health infrastructure, highlighting the progress towards modern, standards-based, web services-driven interoperability of health information across healthcare settings.
The ADHA spokesperson commended Dr. Thatcher’s contributions, noting his involvement in initiatives such as the Health API gateway, the migration of My Health Record to a secure cloud platform, and the development of the agency’s cybersecurity strategy. They confirmed his resignation to pursue other opportunities, effective from July 7, and wished him success in his future endeavors.
The spokesperson downplayed reports linking Dr. Thatcher’s departure to a recent agency restructure, stating that only minor organizational changes were made to align with government priorities, particularly the connected care (interoperability) agenda and the advancement of data analytics capabilities.
