Professor FitzGerald was previously the Director of the Emergency Department at Ipswich Hospital where he led the development of a modern Emergency Department. He was one of the founders of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine serving on the national Council for ten years, four years as national secretary and four years as Editor in Chief of the College journal.​

He was subsequently Medical Director and then Commissioner of the Qld Ambulance Service and led the modernisation of the QAS, upgrading of clinical standards, the development of professional paramedics and the national transition of education through vocational and subsequently university education. Prof. FitzGerald served as Chief Health Officer for Qld for three years and in that role held a number of national leadership positions.

 

Since joining QUT Prof. FitzGerald has led the development of the Master of Health Management program, a Graduate Certificate in Disaster Management. His principal research focus is on emergency healthcare systems and how they perform under both routine and non-routine pressures.  He has published over 180 peer reviewed articles, a text in Disaster Health Management, eight book chapters and more than 100 conference representations.  He has supervised more than 30 PhD students to completion, and obtained over $5m in research grants (including three ARC and three NHMRC grants).Health Management, eight book chapters and more than 100 conference representations. 

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