KATRINA RONNE’s loyalty and commitment to the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists have been recognised in her appointment as the new CEO. A host of issues await her, as she fights for the interests of her members and patients.
Protect the status quo, protect the ophthalmologist-patient relationship.
The aims of the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists’ (ASO) new CEO sound simple enough, but under the hood there’s a quagmire of critical issues for her to address – each threatening the way ophthalmologists go about their business.
“The turbulence within the private health insurance space is particularly concerning right now,” says Ms Katrina Ronne, who took the reins on International Women’s Day (8 March 2025).
“We’ve seen that build, peak and trough over the last 15 years, but the intensity is reaching a boiling point. We’re now seeing health insurers vertically integrate and showing a strong interest in purchasing or setting up hospitals, heading further down the road of ‘managed care’.”
There’s also tension between health funds and private hospitals, some who are scaling back or closing in the face of rising costs. Elsewhere, the ASO and other bodies are perplexed over the way overseas-trained specialists are being funnelled into the country, and the general health of public ophthalmology services.
It’s clear there’s plenty for Ronne, the ASO’s first female CEO in its 43-year history, to sink her teeth into. But there’s arguably no one more equipped after serving as the ASO’s general manager of policy and strategy for much of the past decade.
She’s always had a keen focus on medico-political issues, having previously worked for the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation Queensland and Salaried Doctors Queensland.
It means she has compiled countless submissions, driven campaigns and spent a lot of time in Canberra fighting to have the ASO’s voice heard. She’s gleaned a lot from outgoing CEO Mr Kerry Gallagher AM, who will stay on the ASO Board as executive vice chair.
“He has many strengths, one of those being his leadership. They are obviously big shoes to fill,” Ronne says.
She joined the ASO at a crucial time following the infamous 2009 ‘Grandma’s Not Happy’ campaign that prevented a Medicare rebate cut to cataract surgery. There’s been many more victories along the way, including preventing health funds from forcing specialists to confirm if a procedure is medically necessary (pre-approvals), and securing a Medicare item for minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS).
“For me, making a practical difference in the way ophthalmologists practise and the subsequent impact on patients is what I am really proud of. Some of the more meaningful work has been about protecting the status quo of Australian healthcare,” Ronne says.
“Fostering that relationship between ophthalmologists and their patients is a primary goal of the ASO, and it always will be. We’ve been willing to get out there and engage and present those issues affecting our patients, and the credibility we have built continues to give us a seat at the table on a variety of policy issues.”
The ASO has been at the roundtable of many discussions about the state of private health in Australia.
It has been pushing for the Federal Government to establish a private health commission or independent authority, and after launching an e-petition with 268 signatures, met the threshold for Health Minister Mark Butler to respond.
The standoff between the Healthscope hospital group and health funds (now partially resolved), along with hospital closures and reduced surgical lists, all need urgent attention.
“We’ve seen a lot of regional hospitals close and now we’re seeing a lot of hospitals say to our doctors they’re not interested in certain procedures that don’t deliver as much income back into the hospital,” Ronne says.
“Oculoplastics procedures are one example; they’re being given less priority than higher paying surgical procedures, which is scary for patients who can’t access the care they need. If nothing is done now, it’s only going to get worse.”
Increasingly, health funds are “interfering” in the patient care pathway, while tightening government budgets are eating away at public ophthalmology lists. In turn, there’s fewer opportunities for trainees.
Now, Ronne says the government is trying to patch this up by fast-tracking overseas trained specialists into Australia, with ophthalmology earmarked for some point in 2025.
“There is an ongoing risk our trainee doctors won’t receive enough surgical experience to pass their training, and we’re concerned by the government’s approach to cherry-pick doctors from overseas settings.
“We have a distribution problem, but these doctors aren’t being directed to those areas where we need them; they’re free to go anywhere, there’s no limitations.”
Gallagher described Ronne’s appointment as “historic” for the ASO, reinforcing that the organisation continues to evolve.
It’s something Ronne is equally proud of.
“I’m honoured to be the first female CEO of ASO. It comes as we continue to work to elevate women in ophthalmology.
“We are upholding the RANZCO Women in Ophthalmology tick for events with female representation exceeding 35%, the ASO recently appointed another female ophthalmologist to the ASO Board (Dr Tricia Drew), and we’ve also celebrated achievements of our female members through International Women’s Day.
“These are small steps, but they all encourage and inspire women in ophthalmology.”
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