The interim Health Service Board chairs for each of WA Health’s Health Services, including the new East Metropolitan Health Service, have been announced:
- Professor Bryant Stokes AM (North Metropolitan Health Service), a highly distinguished neurosurgeon with three professorships at WA universities and a former Acting Director General of WA Health.
- Mr Robert McDonald (South Metropolitan Health Service), who has held senior leadership roles with WA Police, the Department of Treasury and the State Supply Commission and is former Chair of the North Metropolitan Health Service Governing Council.
- Ms Deborah Karasinski (Child and Adolescent Health Service), the Chief Executive Officer of disability service provider Senses Australia, former Chief Executive Officer of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of WA, and experienced Board member.
- Dr Neale Fong (WA Country Health Service), the president of the Australasian College of Health Service Management and a former Director General of WA Health.
- Mr Ian Smith PSM (East Metropolitan Health Service), who has held senior roles in WA Health including Chief Executive of WA Country Health Service and South Metropolitan Health Service, and more recently Chief Executive, Commissioning at Perth Children’s Hospital.
Interim Health Service Boards will act in an advisory capacity to Thursday 30 June 2016 in the lead-up to Health Services being established as separate statutory authorities.
Under soon-to-be introduced legislation to replace the Hospital and Health Services Act 1927, Health Service Boards will be legally responsible and accountable for the oversight of hospital and health service delivery for a network of public hospitals rather than individual public hospitals as existed in the past.
Interim Chairs will work closely with the Chief Executive of their Health Service and the Department of Health to support the transition to new governance arrangements.
It is anticipated that interim members of Health Service Boards will be appointed early in 2016.
More information can be found in the
Interim Health Service Boards fact sheet (external site).