The Order of Australia recognises Australians who have demonstrated outstanding service or exceptional achievement. Adj Prof Fisher has been appointed for significant service to medicine, to health care management, and to nursing.
Silverchain Group Chair Anne Skipper AM said Adj Prof Fisher’s leadership over three decades has enabled many Australians to access state of the art health care, revolutionising the way care is provided and transforming the way it is received.
“Dale’s expertise is contributing to the modernisation of Australian health and aged care. With a focus on innovation and building strategic capability, Dale has expanded the reach of major Australian health and research institutions,” Ms Skipper said.
Adj Prof Fisher said her appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia is a significant honour.
“For more than three decades, I have worked alongside many outstanding and committed professionals within the Australian health system, including exceptional nurses and other clinicians, and dedicated researchers and innovators,” Adj Prof Fisher said.
“I worked my way up from the pan-room to the boardroom, and my years as a clinician have informed my strategic approach to improving the quality of and access to the health care system. I am motivated by the ambition to improve the health and wellbeing of vulnerable communities.”
Prior to joining Silverchain, Adj Prof Fisher was the Chief Executive of Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, establishing Peter Mac as Australia’s largest cancer centre and a world leader in translational cancer research. During her five-year tenure, with the ambition to create an international network to improve collaboration and research links, Adj Prof Fisher introduced formal agreements with the world’s leading cancer centres, including Dana Faber in Boston, Fudan Medical Centre in Shanghai and MD Anderson within the Texas Medical Centre. Adj Prof Fisher was also a board member of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre during this time.
Adj Prof Fisher was also previously the Chief Executive of the Royal Women’s Hospital in Victoria, where she re-established the identity of the Women’s as a standalone specialist hospital and was instrumental in creating the first Centre for Women’s Mental Health in Australia.
Ms Fisher is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine at Monash University, an Adjunct Professor at Swinburne University (Research), a former Registered Nurse, and holds an MBA.
In recognition of her achievements throughout three decades of leadership in health care, Adj Prof Fisher is a member of Chief Executive Women, which represents Australia’s most senior and distinguished women leaders. Adj Prof Fisher has been inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll and has been honoured as one of the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence.
In 2020, Adj Prof Fisher was appointed to the Advisory Council for the Western Australian Future Health Research and Innovation Fund. In 2023, she joined the Future of Health, a community of international health leaders, academics and policy makers created to help shape the future of global health.