Hello and goodbye at AAA
Founding editor of Australian Ageing Agenda, Keryn Curtis leaves the position this week after eight and half years and welcomes Darragh O’Keeffe to take over the editor’s desk.
“If you want people to feel pride and respect for their work and their profession then it helps to have professional resources that are not just useful and relevant but thoughtful and that set a high bar…”
The Intermedia Group has appointed Darragh O’Keeffe as the new editor of Australian Ageing Agenda following the decision of founding editor, Keryn Curtis to move on after eight and a half years.
Darragh who commenced in a handover role with Keryn this week, has extensive experience in health and aged care journalism having spent five years as editor of another publication, Aged Care Insite and the last year with Faircount Media, editing its healthcare publication, Transforming the Nation’s Healthcare.
“I’m very excited to be covering aged care again, and at such an important time,” said Darragh. “With the change of federal government, and numerous ageing and health policies playing out at the state level, it’s really important that the sector has a robust and independent industry publication like Australian Ageing Agenda.
“Under Keryn’s editorship, AAA has become a key platform for in-depth coverage, analysis and commentary on the issues affecting the sector and those who work within it. I look forward to continuing that tradition and ensuring AAA provides a space for all stakeholder voices to be heard; highlights innovation and best practice; and fosters discussion and debate.
Darragh said he was also delighted to be working again with former colleagues Linda Belardi, AAA’s deputy editor and journalist, Natasha Egan.
“Both Linda and Natasha share my approach to journalism and we will be working very hard to provide the best coverage of the policy, the programs and the people who make up aged care.
“I’ve already penciled ACSA’s national conference in my diary and I look forward to meeting and speaking with AAA readers and indeed the wider industry in the coming weeks and months,” he said.
A new beginning
Keryn said the decision to move on from AAA had been a difficult one, motivated by a growing interest in exploring some new directions in the ‘ageing agenda’, rather than a desire to leave the role or the issues behind.
“It’s not easy leaving a job you love but sometimes you just need to make a move and experience some change,” said Keryn. “I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in this evolving and exciting sector over the last eight and half years and I hope to continue to participate and contribute in new ways in the future.”
Keryn commenced as editor of the then ‘National Healthcare Journal’ in March 2005 after it was purchased from its previous publisher by The Intermedia Group. However, Keryn had been a freelance contributor to National Healthcare Journal under the previous publisher since 2001.
Keryn said the vision for Australian Ageing Agenda, which was first launched in 2007, was to move beyond the traditional purview of the ‘trade publication’, and provide the aged care sector with a professional, high quality, independent platform for reflecting and sharing news, knowledge, opinion and debate on a wide range of topics across the ageing agenda.
“If you want people to feel pride and respect for their work and their profession then it helps to have professional resources that are not just useful and relevant but thoughtful and that set a high bar, both in terms of the content but also the way the information is produced and presented.
“I hope that by insisting on high standards of journalism and ethics and maintaining those standards over time, AAA has helped to not only provoke and stimulate thinking and encourage innovation and best practice in this sector, but to inspire people and build pride in the work they do,” she said.
“I am also very grateful to all the stakeholders across the sector including aged services providers, health professionals, peak bodies and advocacy groups which have generously given their time and encouragement, including ensuring we have had a seat at all the major events over the years and access to the key commentators.
“I’d like to make a special mention of the research community – and in particular the Australian Association of Gerontology which is doing outstanding work. Like any maturing professional sector, research and knowledge translation is a vital foundation for strategic thinking and informed best practice and it has been great to see a much closer, collaborative and mutually rewarding relationship evolving in recent years between the research community and the aged care services sector.
“It’s really been an important and transformative period for me personally. I know that Darragh and the team, like former members of the AAA team, share my passion and the same sense of privilege in being able to play a part in an endeavour that is shaping a world that we can all be happy growing old in ,” she said.
Darragh O’Keeffe can be contacted by email at dokeeffe@intermedia.com.au and from Tuesday 8 October on 02 – 8586 6183. If you would like to contact Keryn Curtis in the future, please email Darragh O’Keeffe for details.
Well done Keryn on a brave move. Doing your own thing can be daunting but, if you are like Ideal, the best move you could ever make. I am sure you will bring enthusiasm and integrity to your next phase. Welcome Darragh – looking forward to a new AAA future!
Thanks Keryn for all the good work done at AAA over the years and for the resultant benefits that all Senior Australian have enjoyed. Congrats Darragh on taking up the cudgel. Big shoes to fill but I’m sure you’re up to the job. Onwards and upwards for AAA!
Thanks Keryn for your outstanding contribution to aged and health care media and your comprehensive but also nuanced understanding of the sector. You are right, professional journalism of high standards does help provoke thought and innovation and provide accountability. So it is good to see that this will continue with Darragh and the AAA team. We at HammondCare wish you well Keryn, and Darragh, I’m sure I’ll be in touch about the next big story soon enough…
Best of luck, Keryn, in your new endeavors! I hope we’ll still see you at AAG events – including the National Conference in November.
All COTA Australia staff want to put on record our immense appreciation for the commitment, vision, wisdom and high quality of Keryn’s work as Editor and creative driver of AAA which makes a major contribution to improving this sector. We wish you all the best in the future.
We welcome Darragh and look forward to working with you once again with warm anticipation and confidence.
Best wishes for the future Kerryn. Have really enjoyed your articles, and your thoughtful and challenging questions. Look forward to working with you again some time in the future
Kerryn,you have shown tremendous leadership while Editor of AAA. Best of luck and wishes in your new endeavours
Best of luck Keryn. I’ve really enjoyed working with you over the last few years. I hope we get to work together again soon.
Hello Darragh.
Congratulations Kerryn on achieving that admirable combination of professionalism and warmth in all your work at AAA and for the wider aged care industry.
And personally thank you for your encouragement and enthusiasm for my upcoming book.
I wish you all the best in your new endeavour and a big welcome to Darragh.
Kerryn – thanks for the great coverage you provided of issues relating to sexuality and ageing. and all the best for the future. Looking forward to continuing the good work with Darragh. Catherine
Keryn I sincerely wish you all the best in your future endeavors and thank you for your substantial contribution to the debate and publishing of all that is aged care. Darragh good to have you back and contributing to the challenges facing aged care, we need AAA to continue to be fearless in taking on the voice of all stakeholders involved in this very dynamic and challenging industry.
Keryn congratulations on your outstanding work with @AustAgeAgenda . It has become the go to source for what’s happening right now in aged care and your positioning on social media has seen you become a leader on the #agedcare hashtag. Thank you for your advice and encouragement, as well as the drinks. On that point it your buy when next in the West. Stephen @stephenkobelke
Best wishes Kerryn you have done a great job in the time that you have ‘steered the ship’ at AAA.
We at ACS SA&NT have appreciated the opportunity to have a forum to present our views.
Looking forward to working with Darragh.
Keryn, sincere thanks for your stewardship of the ‘conversation’ evolving in aged care. AAA has been in great hands and you have made many strong connections in the sector. Well done and look forward to you keeping in touch
SummitCare looks forward in working with Darragh but we will miss you
Keryn, You’ve done a fantastic job representing the views of the aged care industry, making AAA the must read publication. Best wishes for your future endeavours.
No doubt that you will continue to be hugely successful, Keryn. Thank-you for your passion for older Australians. Pressure’s on you Darragh!
Congratulations Keryn on all you have achieved and will continue to achieve. We will miss you and hope to see you around soon. Congratulations Darragh on your appointment and catching up again real soon! @AgedCareChannel
keryn, you should be very proud of what you have achieved. I have very much enjoyed working with you and have learned much from your style and approach which has been fresh and innovative.Good luck Keryn in all you do. Darragh, welcome back to you . What a fab appointment ! I look forward to working with you. best wishes to you both .
Dear Keryn, what a fantastic legacy you are leaving behind. Your passion for innovation, pushing for and reporting in the aged care sector on stories that are outside normal ‘boundaries’ has been inspirational. You have left a think tank publication well positioned to be picked up and led by Darragh O’Keefe. We wish you all the best with your exciting new venture. Darragh – I shall be in touch soon! Congratulations on the fantastic new job!
Kerryn – we will miss you greatly from AAA. Thanks for your devotion to the sector and all the best for the next phase of your working life. Darragh – it will be good to work with you once more with this new hat on!
Keryn, thanks for your initiative, vision, enthusiasm and leadership over the years, looking forward to this continuing in new ways! Welcome Darragh