Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) is pleased to announce the appointment of new Directors to the Board who bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to our strategic direction - EMPHN is embarking on a dynamic five-year Strategic Plan to transform the primary health system in eastern and north-eastern Melbourne.
Prof Jane Gunn has been reappointed for a final three-year term. She is the Foundation Chair of Primary Care Research, the current Head of the Department of General Practice and Deputy Head of the Melbourne Medical School at The University of Melbourne. She is a General Practitioner, an Expert Primary Care Advisor to the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme.
Terry Symonds has held senior leadership positions in government and worked closely for over a decade with Boards of public health services across Victoria. He is the Deputy Secretary, Health and Wellbeing at the Victorian Government’s Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr Caroline Johnson is a practicing General Practitioner, Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne’s Department of General Practice and provides vocational training for GP registrars. She is actively involved in mental health advocacy work through the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
Tim Flowers has extensive expertise in financial reporting, enterprise management and governance and a passion for supporting organisations to successfully work within the NDIS. He has extensive experience working with the disability and community health sector as well as peak bodies, funders and government departments.
Taryn Rulton joins EMPHN as Independent Member of the finance sub-committee of the Board, bringing experience in finance and ICT transformation.
EMPHN Chair Dr Stephen Duckett welcomed the directors to the Board at EMPHN’s AGM on Monday 18 November.
“These appointments will strengthen EMPHN’s innovative and dynamic Board as we work toward achieving our transformative vision.
“The breadth of knowledge and high calibre of experience that each of the directors brings is greatly valued.
“Thank you to Lindsay McMillan and Peter Trye who retire from the Board for their contribution to the formative years of EMPHN, particularly in finance, governance and engagement with general practice and other stakeholders,” Dr Duckett said.
EMPHN’s Strategic Plan includes a transformative vision, which aims to:
improve the health and care experience of people with multiple chronic conditions and/or significant mental health problems
create a primary care system that delivers person-centred, team-based, holistic, comprehensive and effective care
deploy digital health and other technologies to enhance care, support evidence-informed decision making, increase self-management and monitoring capabilities and improve communications
work with partners to create a true system with unity of purpose and focused on person-centred care.
EMPHN Board:
Chair – Dr Stephen Duckett
Robyn Batten
Tim Flowers
Prof. Jane Gunn
Dr Caroline Johnson
Dr Leonie Katekar
Elizabeth Kennedy
Tony McBride
Terry Symonds
For all media enquiries: Claire James claire.james@emphn.org.au 0425 887 397
Eastern Melbourne PHN is a Primary Health Network primarily funded by the Australian Government to improve the care and support people receive from health services. We aim to improve the health of our community by ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
EMPHN’s community of almost 1.5 million people live through eastern and north-eastern Melbourne, from the inner-east municipality of Boorondara, to beyond the growth areas of Whittlesea as far as Kinglake in the north and east to the Yarra Ranges. Services include mental health, alcohol and other drugs, aboriginal health, chronic disease, digital health and general practice support.