Professor Swerissen is an expert on health policy and program development. He is Deputy Chair of Bendigo Kangan Institute. He has been Pro Vice Chancellor Regional and Dean of Health Sciences at La Trobe, a senior fellow at the Grattan Institute, a senior ministerial advisor on health for the Commonwealth Government and ministerial advisor to the Victorian Government on community services. Professor Swerissen has an extensive research record in the design and development of primary health and community services and he was one of the key designers of the Commonwealth COAG health reform process and an architect of the coordinated care trials. He was a non executive board director of Alfred Health, which is one of the largest public health services in Australia and was a non executive director of Dental Health Services Victoria from 2003-2006. He has published more than 100 books, articles, reports and conference papers on health and community services policy and programs.