The Board of the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) today announced the appointment of Dr Kathryn Zeitz FACN as the organisation's new CEO.
The announcement was made at the ACN National Nursing Forum (NNF) in Cairns.
Dr Zeitz is an accomplished and respected health administrator, academic, researcher, and nursing leader.
Dr Zeitz is currently the Deputy CEO of the Central Adelaide Local Health Network, where she has led the Clinical Governance portfolio since 2019. Central Adelaide Local Health Network is South Australia's largest network, incorporating the Royal Adelaide Hospital and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
As a key figure in healthcare management and research, her distinguished career is marked by her dedication to improving healthcare delivery and outcomes with a commitment to patient-centred care.
Upon graduation from Flinders University, she started her nursing career in Accident and Emergency at Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide.
Her extensive acute hospital operational management background has included many roles within Central Adelaide Local Health Network and at St Vincent's Health Network in Sydney.
She successfully completed her PhD thesis in clinical nursing at the University of Adelaide in 2003.
She has contributed to nearly 50 peer-reviewed publications from her research interests, which include mass gathering medicine, acute hospital capacity management, and patient-centred care.
Dr Zeitz is an Adjunct Associate Professor with Flinders University and an Adjunct Professor at The University of Adelaide.
Since 2017, she has been a nursing representative on the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority Clinical Advisory Committee.
Her commitment to patient-centred care is evident through her leadership in organisational development and service improvement programs that actively incorporate stakeholder engagement.
Outside her professional roles, Dr Zeitz is dedicated to community service. She has previously been the Chair of Variety SA and a Board Director for Variety Australia, for which she was awarded Life Membership in 2021.
She is a long-standing volunteer and leader within St John Ambulance Australia, where she is currently a Board Director.
Dr Zeitz is a Fellow of CRANAplus, the peak professional body for remote health, and was a Board Director from 2011-2017.
She has been a member of the Australian College of Nursing for over 30 years.
Dr Zeitz will commence at ACN in late September 2024.
