KRISTIN MICHAELS, who last year proposed a management merger of Yea and Seymour Hospitals, has left the local Hospital Board.
She has been replaced as Yea and District Memorial Hospital Chairman by Ian Marshman. A number of new Board appointments have been made.
Leaving the Board are Kristin Michaels, Karl Anderson, Greg Chivers and Lyn Southurst.
The newly-constituted Board had its first meeting on Monday, July 30.
The Board now comprises Ian Marshman (Chair), Gary Pollard (Deputy Chair), Kirstie Fothering-ham, Dr Sarah Anderson, Kerry Stubbings, Del Leslie and Cindy Heath.
Lorina Gray, Director of Nursing/Manager at the Yea Hospital, on Friday (Aug. 10) issued a news release with details of the new make-up of the Board.
Outgoing Chair, Kristin Michaels, was in the local head-lines in May last year when she foreshadowed a possible merger between Yea and Seymour Hospitals, subject to due diligence.
Ms Michaels had indicated that the due diligence study was to have been completed by September last year.
The Local Paper has made ongoing requests for news of the possible merger, without reply being received by Ms Michaels’s Board.
Yea woman Jenny Keast (nee Purvis) last year resigned her membership of the Yea Hospital Board over the planned merger issue.
Ms Michaels has already removed reference to the Yea Hosp-ital Board role from her current online professional biography.

Yea and District Memorial Hospital Manager Lorina Gray has provided a pen portrait of the new Board, which met for the first time on July 30:
“Ian Marshman AM (Chair): Ian still spends some time in Melbourne, but is mostly at Limestone where he runs a small beef farm with his wife.
“He has a strong background in strategic risk management and reporting and corporate governance. “During his 40-year career Ian has previously served on two metropolitan hospital boards, and is currently Chair of Head-space Youth Mental Foundation and the Melbourne Dental Clinic.
“Locally Ian is Secretary of the Yea Water Discovery Centre Inc. and an active member of the Limestone Fire Brigade.
“Ian served the previous 12 months on the YDMH Board, and has been reappointed for three years.
•
“Gary Pollard (Deputy Chair): Gary also served for 12 months on the previous board, and has been reappointed for three years.
“Gary, from Yea, has worked as a community pharmacist for over 40 years and has been, and still is involved in many community groups.
“Gary’s strengths are in audit and risk management, community services and clinical governance. “Gary is a member of the Patient Care Review Committee, which is a sub-committee of the Board, overseeing quality and risk.
•
Kirstie Fotheringham (Chair Audit Committee): Appointed for two years, Kirstie is also from Yea and holds a Bachelor of Accounting degree and a Post Graduate Diploma of Teaching.
“Kirstie’s strengths are in audit and risk management, financial management and accounting, and corporate governance.
•
“Dr. Sarah Anderson Ph.D.(Chair Patient Care Review Committee).
“Sarah has been appointed for three years, lives in Surrey Hills and owns property in Toolangi.
“She holds degrees in prosthetics and orthotics, public health and ergonomics and lectures in these disciplines at La Trobe University with a special interest in disability.
“Her skills include clinical governance, patient experience and consumer engagement.
•
“Kerry Stubbings: Kerry has been appointed for two years, lives in Northcote and has strong family connections to Yea and Flowerdale.
“Kerry works as a senior executive in local government and has a special interest in promoting community health and wellbeing, early years, youth, aged services and social justice. “Kerry’s strengths are strategic leadership, community services, communications and stakeholder engagement.
“Kerry is a member of the Audit Committee.
•
“Del Leslie: Del has been appointed for two years and lives in Croydon but has family (the Drysdales) who have been residents of Yea since 1878.
“Del holds a Bachelor of Education and a Masters of Organ-isational Leadership qualifications and works at a senior executive level in Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training.
“Del is a member of the Audit Committee and brings to the Board strength in corporate governance, strategic leadership and financial management and accountability.
•
“”Ms Cindy Heath: Cindy has been appointed for
three years. A Registered Nurse and Diabetes Educator who began her career in Swan Hill, Cindy lives in Surrey Hills and has a small family property in the Strathbogie Ranges.
“She brings over 20 years of knowledge and experience in health and aged care, working in a number of senior roles, including in the Ageing and Aged branch of the Department of Health and Human Services Victoria.
“Cindy is passionate about high quality health care, with strengths in clinical governance, audit and risk management. “Cindy is a member of the Patient Care Review Committee.
•
“The Board is being assisted by Ministerial Delegates, Dr Peter Brennan and Dr. Marcus Kennedy, to implement the recently completed clinical services plan and to develop a strategic plan.
“In announcing these appointments the continuing members and senior staff of the Yea Hospital want to acknowledge the outstanding contributions of retiring Board members: Kristin Michaels, Karl An-derson, Greg Chivers and Lyn Southurst,” the statement said.
– Contributed