Queensland’s hospital and health boards have a fresh look after a raft of new appointments, including a Bronco great and a former State Health Minister who joined their ranks.
Former Bronco, Maroon and Kangaroo rugby league player Steve Renouf was appointed to the North West Hospital and Health Board courtesy of his work with the Deadly Choices program, while former Labor Health Minister Paul Lucas joined the South West Hospital and Health Board.
The state has 16 hospital and health boards which set the strategic direction and oversee the management of their respective health service.
Here’s a full run-down of the Board announcements.
Townsville:
Chair Tony Mooney was re-appointed.
New Board members are Professor Kunwarjit Sangla, Dr Erin Waters and Graham Pattel.
Professor Sangla is a practicing physician and staff specialist, providing his services to several outreach specialist clinics, including on Palm Island and several indigenous communities.
Dr Waters has extensive experience in research and education and is currently the Director of Medical Services at the Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service.
Mr Pattel brings significant business and senior executive experience to the Board. He is a local business owner and Director of the Wulli Wulli Disability Services.
The full Board is:
- Tony Mooney AM (Chair)
- Debra Burden
- Georgina Whelan
- Michelle Morton
- Nicole Hayes
- Professor Kunwarjit Sangla
- Dr Erin Waters
- Graham Pattel
- Luke Guazzo
West Moreton
Sue Scheinpflug is the new Board Chair.
Previously the Board Deputy Chair, Ms Scheinpflug has more than 20 years’ experience as a Chief Executive Officer in the human services and health sectors and is also the Chair of West Moreton HHS’s Research and Quality and Safety Committees and Health Translation Queensland, as well as a Board Member of the Ipswich Hospital Foundation.
New Board members are Darren Brown, Mike Bosel, and Temira Dewis.
Mr Brown is a paramedic and ministerial advisor, while Mr Bosel is currently the CEO of the Brisbane South Primary Health Network.
Mrs Dewis is currently Director of KALAN Enterprise and several Aboriginal Corporations and brings considerable experience and knowledge of the health service.
The full Board is:
- Sue Scheinpflug (Chair)
- Adjunct Associate Professor Deanne Minniecon
- Professor Gerald Holtmann
- Darren Brown
- Temira Dewis
- Stephen Robertson
- Lynette Birnie
- Professor Jeffrey Dunn AO
- Dr Cathryn Hester
- Mike Bosel
Central Queensland
Matthew Cooke is the new Board Chair.
Mr Cooke is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Gladstone Region Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Service Limited (trading as Nhulundu Health Service).
He has also spent more than 10 years serving the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Sector in Director and CEO roles.
New Board members are Dr Anna Vanderstaay, Kate Veach and Ryl Gardner.
Dr Vanderstaay is a rural General Practitioner, Mrs Gardner an experienced director and Ms Veach a former secretary of the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union.
The full Board is:
- Matthew Cooke (Chair)
- Dr Anna Vanderstaay
- Kate Veach
- Ryl Gardner
- Michelle Webster
- Tina Zawila
- Leann Wilson
Wide Bay
Chair Peta Jamieson was re-appointed.
New Board members are Emeritus Professor Helen Huntly OAM, Leanne Rudd, Stevan Ober and Gail Jukes.
Mr Ober is the current CEO of the Galangoor Duwalami Primary Healthcare and was also an Indigenous Health Manager at Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service, and Emeritus Professor Huntly has held various executive roles at the Central Queensland University over more than 30 years.
The full Board is:
- Peta Jamieson OAM (Chair)
- Emeritus Professor Helen Huntly OAM
- Karen Prentis
- Leanne Rudd
- Stevan Ober
- Gail Jukes
- Karla Steen
- Dr Christopher Woolard
Torres and Cape
Renee Williams is the new Board Chair.
Ms Williams is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Torres Health Indigenous Corporation.
Prior to that, Ms Williams was the General Manager Policy and Research and Operations Lead for the newly established Torres and Cape Health Care Commissioning Fund (TORCH), which will begin operations from 1 July this year.
There is one new Board member, Dion Creek, who is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Cape York Land Council, the Native Title Representative Body for Cape York.
The full Board is:
- Renee Williams (Chair)
- Dr Scott Davis
- Susan Hadfield
- Darren Thamm
- Karyn Watson
- Tara Diversi
- Kirstyne Davis
- Jason Ramsamy
- Dion Creek
South West
Chair Karen Tully was re-appointed.
New board members are Paul Lucas, Dr Tonia de Bruin, Ethan Capewell and Alison Zappala.
Mr Lucas was Deputy Premier of Queensland from 2007 to 2011 and held a range of ministerial appointments, including health, over an 11-year period from 2001 to 2012.
Dr de Bruin currently is Senior Manager of yourtown – a not for profit organisation that specialises in providing services and support to children and young people aged five to 25 years, and Ethan Capewell currently is Deadly Choices South West Regional Coordinator for the Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation for Health (CACH).
Alison Zappala is an experienced Registered Nurse with qualifications in business management and strategic leadership.
The full Board is:
- Ms Karen Tully (Chair)
- Claire Alexander
- Jan Chambers
- Ray Chandler
- Mark Waters
- Bruce Scott OAM
- Paul Lucas
- Tonia de Bruin
- Alison Zappala
- Ethan Capewell
Sunshine Coast
Dr David Rowlands is the new Board Chair.
A board member since 2022, Dr Rowlands brings a distinguished career to the role. This includes serving as a Medical Officer in the Royal Australian Army and working in accident and emergency care in the UK.
New Board members are Professor Jody Currie, Sandra McCullagh, and Dr Sue McAvoy.
Dr McAvoy comes from a policy and research background, and she is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Queensland’s Centre for the Business and Economics of Health (CBEH), and Ms McCullagh has a wealth of corporate experience across a range of sectors.
The full Board is:
- Dr David Rowlands OAM (Chair)
- Terrence Bell
- Professor Jody Currie
- Sandra McCullagh
- Dr Sue McAvoy
- Emeritus Professor Birgit Lohmann
- Debra Blumel
- Rodney Cameron
- Bruce Cowley
North West Chair
Cheryl Vardon was re-appointed.
New board members are Steve Renouf, Anne Pleash and Loretta Seamer.
Mr Renouf is currently the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health Deadly Choices Ambassador, a role he has held for more than a decade. He also launched the Get Active Queensland Schools program and previously had a successful rugby league career, representing both Queensland and Australia.
Ms Pleash is an accomplished strategist and advisor, and currently holds committee roles with Cancer Council Australia and National Seniors Australia. She also works as a consultant for several health-based organisations, including the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network.
Ms Seamer is an experienced Board director, health executive and finance professional, specialising in the healthcare sector.
The full Board is:
- Cheryl Vardon AO (Chair)
- Professor Eleanor Milligan (Deputy Chair)
- Bill Armagnacq
- Cath Brokenborough
- Steven Renouf
- Anne Pleash
- Loretta Seamer
- Fiona Hill
- Dr Marco Giuseppin
- Dr Mellissa Naidoo
Metro South
Chair Janine Walker was re-appointed.
New board members are Dr Muhammad Daniyal Mian, Dr Vu Tran, Gail Ker and Nadia Bromley who bring a wealth of experience across the asset management, law, multicultural services and general practice sectors.
The full Board is:
- Janine Walker AM (Chair)
- Colin Cassidy PSM
- Donisha Duff
- Michael Goss
- Dr Muhammad Daniyal Mian
- Dr Vu Tran
- Gail Ker OAM
- Nadia Bromley
- Associate Professor Helen Benham
- Matthew Ames
Metro North
Bernard Curran is the new Board Chair.
A member of the Board since 2018, Mr Curran previously chaired the Prince Charles Hospital Foundation. He comes from an accountancy and consultancy background, representing clients across medical practices, architecture, and civil construction.
He has also held directorships on private company boards and actively serves on not-for-profit boards.
New Board members are Linda Lavarch, Dr Peter Aitken, Dr Shea Spierings, Dr Poya Sobhanian, Aimee McVeigh and Jane Prentice.
Ms Lavarch and Ms Prentice bring a range of skills to the Board having played active roles in federal, state, and local government politics throughout their careers.
Dr Aitken brings extensive experience in disaster preparedness and management, having played a key role for Queensland Health during the pandemic, including serving as Chief Health Officer.
Dr Spierings, with a consultancy background in health, currently serves as Deputy Chair of Sunshine Coast Health Network and a Board Member of Health and Wellbeing Queensland. He is also a Research Fellow at the University of Queensland specialising in Indigenous health.
Dr Sobhanian brings considerable board experience from his recent appointment as member of the Central Queensland Hospital and Health Board and he is currently a board member, Gladstone Ports Corporation and member of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal’s Dentist Panel of Assessors.
Ms McVeigh comes from a legal background and is currently the CEO of the Queensland Council of Social Services.
The full Board is:
- Bernard Curran (Chair)
- Adrian Carson
- Linda Lavarch
- Nera Komaric
- Dr Peter Aitken
- Dr Shea Spierings
- Aimee McVeigh
- Jane Prentice
- Dr Poya Sobhanian
- Dr Meg Cairns
Mackay
Chair Helen Darch is re-appointed.
There is one new Board member, Monica McKendry who comes from an accountancy background, and is currently the Honorary Treasurer for the Community Accommodation Support Agency, as well as holding committee roles with Mackay Regional Council and the North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation Ltd.
The full Board is:
- Helen Darch OAM (Chair)
- Kerry Maley (Deputy Chair)
- Maureen Chapman
- Associate Professor Luke Lawton
- Dr Peter O’Mara
- William Cooper
- Monica McKendry
Gold Coast
Professor Cindy Shannon is the new Board Chair.
Professor Shannon brings a wealth of experience as an educator to the position. She has a life-long commitment to improving the lives of First Nations people and has been recognised several times for her contributions to Indigenous health.
She is the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Indigenous, Diversity and Inclusion) at Griffith University and an Emeritus Professor with the University of Queensland. Professor Shannon has led major reforms in health and played a key role in establishing the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health in South-East Queensland.
New Board members are Adjunct Professor Michael Hogan and Daile Kelleher.
Mr Hogan is an experienced legal practitioner, senior executive and educator and has extensive experience in government and statutory boards.
Ms Kelleher brings a wealth of experience in women’s health and is the current Chief Executive Officer of Children by Choice, a Queensland-based not-for-profit organisation.
The full Board is:
- Professor Cindy Shannon AM (Chair)
- Professor Judith (Judy) Searle
- Colette McCool PSM
- Professor Nicholas Zwar
- Adjunct Professor Michael Hogan
- Daile Kelleher
- Teresa Dyson
- Michael Kinnane
- Lucas Patchett OAM
Darling Downs
Dr Dennis Campbell is the new Board Chair.
Dr Campbell has transitioned from Deputy Chair to Chair.
He is also a member and/or chairperson of a range of other committees in the local community. He has extensive experience within the Queensland healthcare system and has been recognised on several occasions for his contributions to health services.
He has previously served in chief executive positions at Toowoomba’s St Vincent’s Hospital, Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital, and Maryborough Hospital.
There is one new Board member, Merrilyn Strohfeldt, who has an extensive career across healthcare and community services and previously served as CEO of the Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network.
The full Board is:
- Dr Dennis Campbell (Chair)
- Merrilyn Strohfeldt
- Professor Maree Toombs
- Patricia Leddington-Hill
- Dr Ross Hetherington
- Emeritus Professor Julie Cotter
- Marie Pietsch
- Terrence Kehoe
- Dr Stephen Harrop
Central West
Chair Jane Williams was re-appointed and the Board remains unchanged:
- Jane Williams (Chair)
- Kieran Chilcott
- Dr Clare Walker
- David Arnold
- William Ringrose
- Elizabeth Fraser
- Leisa Fraser
- Blake Repine
Children’s Heath Queensland
Heather Watson is the new Board Chair.
Mrs Watson has more than 30 years’ experience as a legal practitioner, specialising in the charitable and not-for-profit sectors. She has served on the Board since 2018.
New Board Members are Inmaculada Beaumont and Kara Cook.
Mrs Beaumont brings a wealth of experience as a senior executive across health, research, education, energy, and banking sectors and is also involved with various not-for-profit organisations focussing on disability, gender equality, and health.
Ms Cook has extensive legal, advocacy, public administration and governance experience. She is a member of Queensland Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Philanthropic Advisory Committee and previously a local Councillor for Brisbane City Council.
The full Board is:
- Heather Watson (Chair)
- Cheryl Herbert
- Inmaculada Beaumont
- Associate Professor Martin Byrne
- Professor Simon Denny
- William Fellowes
- Kara Cook
- Meredith Staib
- Suzanne Cadigan
- Karina Hogan
Cairns and Hinterland
Chris Boland is the new Chair.
Mr Boland has been a board member since 2017 and brings extensive senior executive experience, having served as the Chief Executive Officer of Far North Queensland Ports Corporation for the past 14 years.
Currently, Mr Boland also chairs the Cairns and Hinterland HHS Audit Committee and has been a member of the HHS Finance and Performance Committee since 2017.
New Board members are Dr Aileen Traves, Bevan Ah Kee, Louise Prychidczuk and Julia Leu.
Dr Traves brings a wealth of experience across general practice, research, and education.
Mr Ah Kee has experience in senior executive roles, particularly in the areas of health and social services of our First Nations people.
Ms Prychidczuk is an experienced legal practitioner and advisor to industry, local governments, and remote and indigenous communities, with a particular interest in the risk and audit fields.
Ms Leu, a local council veteran with over 25 years’ experience including Mayor of the Douglas Shire Council, also joins the board.
The full Board is:
- Chris Boland (Chair)
- Dr Aileen Traves
- Bevan Ah Kee
- Gregory Nucifora
- Louise Prychidczuk
- Julia Leu
- Fiona Jose
- Jodi Peters
