Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network Board

The Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network (RMCLHN) supports approximately 70,000 people living in the Riverland, and the Murray River, Lakes and Coorong areas of South Australia, extending east to the Victorian Border. This includes the towns and surrounds of Renmark, Paringa, Berri, Barmera, Waikerie, Loxton, Pinnaroo, Lameroo, Karoonda, Mannum, Murray Bridge, Tailem Bend, Meningie, Tintinara and Coonalpyn.

The governing board is responsible and accountable to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing for local decision making.

The role of the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network governing board includes setting strategies and priorities for health services in the region, as well as ensuring the LHN achieves the performance indicators in its Service Agreement.

Membership

Dr Peter Joyner —  Chair OAM

 Peter Joyner OAM

Dr Peter Joyner OAM worked as a General Practitioner (GP) in Mannum for more than 40 years. During this time he has also worked at Country Health SA Local Health Network (CHSA) as Chief Consultant in Accident and Emergency, Director of Medical Services for Riverland General Hospital, and Clinical Director Emergency Services.

Dr Joyner has held many significant roles on statewide medical associations over the years, including past President and Vice President of the Rural Doctors Association of South Australia (RDASA) and Chair of the South Australian Postgraduate Medical Education Association (SAPMEA). Dr Joyner was also a Designated Aviation Medical Examiner, and provided advice and support on medico-legal cases from a rural GP perspective as an accredited Coroner’s Expert.

Dr Joyner has won numerous awards, including from the Australian Medical Association SA, RMCLHN’s 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award, and received the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2005 for his community service to medicine and rural health.

Peter is community-focussed and dedicated to providing inclusive care for people from all walks of life.

Elaine Ashworth

Elaine Ashworth

Elaine Ashworth has had a longstanding career in allied health and worked as a physiotherapist, spending many years in a range of clinical and health service management positions in Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia and the United Kingdom.

She was appointed the Principal Allied Health Advisor for CHSA until 2015 and worked as an allied health management locum and consultant until 2022.

Elaine has been a board member of Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH) and served as Honorary Secretary. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy), a Graduate Diploma of Health Administration and Information Systems and a Graduate Certificate in Remote Health Management.

Elaine brings a clear understanding of the requirements of clinical governance for the safety and wellbeing of the community, and the clinicians who serve the community.

Claudia Goldsmith

Claudia Goldsmith

Claudia Goldsmith has extensive experience working in a range of management consultancy roles focussed on financial management, governance reviews, and risk identification, and has held a number of non-executive director board positions.

Claudia is a qualified Accountant, graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and an experienced Board Director. Her board appointments have covered a range of sectors including, community banking, disability, financial counselling and Surf Life Saving SA.

Claudia brings finance and governance experience to the Governing Board.

Mel Ottaway

Mel Ottaway

Mel Ottaway is an experienced executive manager with a history of working in the not-for-profit sector. She is a Registered Nurse and holds a Master of Nursing and a Master of Business Administration.

Mel is currently the Executive Manager Community Services, Resthaven Inc, a former Executive Manager for Aged Care at Uniting Communities and a Board member of Multicultural Aged Care and the South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS).

Mel has also held the role of Group Manager Residential Services for Southern Cross Care and previously served on the Nursing and Midwifery Board of SA.

Mel brings aged and community care experience to the Board, and is skilled in negotiation, operations management, coaching, and quality management. She is passionate about the future of health services and ensuring a high standard of care is delivered to rural communities.

Fred Toogood

Fred Toogood

Fred Toogood is a former small business owner, a true Murray Bridge local and elected member of the Rural City of Murray Bridge Council, where he has served on the Audit Committee, Safe Taskforce and Strategic Planning and Policy Committee.

Fred has supported the Murray Bridge community through various roles for more than 30 years, including on the Murray Bridge Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital Health Advisory Council and former hospital board, the Hills Mallee Southern Regional Health Board, and volunteered with Mobilong Rotary Club and the local Chamber of Commerce.

Fred has strong community connections and is passionate about finding new opportunities to improve our health services.

Sonia Waters

Sonia Waters

Sonia Waters is an Aboriginal woman from Adelaide experienced in the delivery of effective and sustainable services within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and assumes the Aboriginal Health member position on the RMCLHN Governing Board.

Sonia is the Executive Manager Workforce, Lowitja Institute, and brings knowledge and experience in leadership and management, community service development, community engagement and participation, strategic planning and implementation, stakeholder relations management, project and program development, cultural capability and cultural safety, policy development and implementation, advocacy and representation.

Richard Hearn AM

Richard Hearn

Richard Hearn AM is a former Chief Executive Officer with Resthaven Incorporated and provides expertise in commercial and aged care management to the RMCLHN Governing Board. Richard has been involved in aged care within the not-for-profit sector since the 1980s and worked in the education sector prior to this.

He brings to the Board extensive experience on governance committees with organisations such as Resthaven Incorporated, Meals on Wheels Australia and St Johns Ambulance SA, and is currently on the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) Medical Managerial Appointments Committee.

He is also an active volunteer with Fred’s Van food service, something he has been doing for more than 30 years. Richard has been involved with RMCLHN, having been appointed an independent member to the Governing Board Aged Care and Disability Governance Committee from its introduction in September 2022.

Download a copy of the RMCLHN Governing Board membership poster.

2022-2023 Riverland Mallee Coorong LHN Agendas

2022-2023 Riverland Mallee Coorong LHN Minutes

    RMCLHN archived meeting papers

    Travel and entertainment expenses

    Public Meetings

    The Annual Public Meeting is a great opportunity to meet the Governing Board and hear about what has occurred across the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network over the past 12 months.

    The Annual Public Meeting is an excellent opportunity to connect, ask questions, and provide feedback about health services in our local communities.

    All members of the public are welcome to attend.

    For the 2019-20 year, two public meetings were combined with Health Advisory Council Annual General Meetings with meetings held in Berri 26 October 2019 and in Murray Bridge 27 October 2019.

    For the 2020-21 year, the first publicly live streamed annual public meeting was held 25 November 2021. Participants attended in person at linked venues in Berri and Murray Bridge and via Facebook Live with the recording accessible on the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network Facebook Page.

    For the 2021-22 year, the annual public meeting was held 26 October 2022 and was again publicly live streamed and also combined with Health Advisory Council Annual General Meetings in Tailem Bend. Participants attended in person and via Facebook Live with the recording accessible on the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network Facebook page and YouTube channel.

    For the 2022-23 year, the annual public meeting was held on 2 November 2023 and was again publicly live streamed and also combined with the Health Advisory Council Annual General Meeting in Mannum. Participants attending in person and via Facebook Live with the recording accessible on the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network Facebook Page and YouTube channel.

    Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network (RMCLHN) Annual Reports

    Contact us

    If you would like to contact the RMC LHN board, please email Health.RMCLHNBoardGovernance@sa.gov.au