Changing of the guard for Brisbane North PHN Board following 2022-23 AGM

Following the Brisbane North PHN Annual General Meeting (AGM) held early November, the PHN Board farewells the wealth of experience and knowledge of one longstanding director, and welcomes the fresh, local perspective of another.

Dr Jennifer Schafer, Mr Mark Henley, Ms Jane Schmitt and Dr Jared Dart are joined by returning directors Professor Jodie Currie, Ms Kathy Campbell and incoming director Dr Kelly Lai to form the Brisbane North PHN Board.

The following Board positions for 2024 were also confirmed:

• Board Chair – Dr Jennifer Schafer
• Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee (FARM) Chair – Mr Mark Henley
• Governance Committee Chair – Ms Jane Schmitt

Dr Schafer, Mr Henley and Professor Currie will also serve on the Joint Board Committee, which provides shared governance of the Brisbane North PHN and Metro North Health (MNH) Health Alliance. Ms Campbell will Chair the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), and Dr Schafer our Clinical Council (CC), which in concert provide further strategic input to the PHN Board.

Dr Kelly Lai was welcomed to the PHN Board with over 15 years’ experience as a General Practitioner and Practice Managing Director within the North Brisbane and Moreton Bay region, bringing with him a deep understanding of our regional healthcare landscape.

Dr Lai is also a contributing member of the Brisbane North PHN Clinician’s Advisory Group (CAG), which brings together a representative group of clinical stakeholders from across the region to help shape the development of new initiatives, strategies and projects that will have impact on the delivery of patient care.

He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds a Masters of Health Administration and has held advisory and surveyor roles within one of Australia’s foremost GP accreditation bodies – providing him with additional and valuable insight into the health sector’s funding and operational challenges.

Following his appointment, Brisbane North PHN CEO Ms Libby Dunstan welcomed Dr Lai and noted this year’s changing of the guard, as the Board farewelled longstanding director and former Chair Dr Anita Green.

Across 20 years of service to the PHN “Anita has championed primary care, and had a strong focus on building relationships with our members, stakeholders and commissioned providers,” said Ms Dunstan.

During this time, Dr Green has provided expert leadership to calmly and diligently steer the Board through many challenges and opportunities, including most recently the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The conviction with which Anita has offered her clinical expertise and guidance for more than two decades has left an indelible mark on the PHN, our community and Australian primary care,” said Dr Jennifer Schafer, Brisbane North PHN Board Chair.

Echoing the sentiments of the Board, Brisbane North PHN CEO Ms Libby Dunstan on behalf of all staff and stakeholders also thanked and acknowledged the significant contributions of Dr Green.

Reflecting on her long service, Dr Green thanked the “superb leadership” of PHN CEOs, Ms Libby Dunstan and Dr Abbe Anderson, and the Brisbane North Division, Medicare Local and PHN Boards, all of whom “have always had the courage to be leaders in health system reform.”

Following the AGM, these successes and other notable milestones from the past financial year have now been published as part of the PHN’s annual Year in Review.

“Our Year in Review is an opportunity to reflect on our achievements, and the numerous ways that our PHN values have been put into action by our Board and our program teams to deliver the best possible health and community care system for the people of our region,” said Ms Dunstan.

“This work, as always, is underpinned by the strong partnerships we share with our valued stakeholders and our community.”

The review outlines significant progress made across 2022-23 towards system reform and achieving better outcomes for the North Brisbane and Moreton Bay community in the primary care, community and aged care, and mental health spaces.

Brisbane North PHN’s 2022-23 Year in Review, including a series of impactful stories from the programs we commission across our region, is available to download and view online.