Leadership

The Victorian and Tasmanian PHN Alliance provides a platform for PHNs to engage in state-wide project coordination, work cohesively across the PHN sector, and streamline communications and engagement efforts.

The Alliance offers a point of contact for stakeholders and partners on issues of a state-wide focus, and mechanism for jurisdictional coordination.

VTPHNA leadership

The Chair is formally responsible for overseeing and leading the work of the Alliance and acts as the primary senior contact for the Alliance.

Chair responsibilities include leadership and oversight of jurisdictional efforts, including strategic engagement and development for the purposes of optimising collective levers. Key roles are formalised in the VTPHNA governance arrangements. Efforts are supported by a Deputy Chair. The PHN sector leadership role is a one year appointment, effective for a calendar year.

The Manager of the VTPHNA operates in a senior policy capacity working closely with the VTPHNA Chair and Deputy Chair.

Chair – Chris Carter

Chris Carter, CEO NWMPHN, is a broadly skilled leader in health and primary health care with extensive experience in managing complexity, driving transformational change and delivering organisational outcomes.

His experience encompasses strategic planning of services, service and system redesign, organisational development, redesigning and implementing new models of care or service delivery and building organisational capacity through collaboration and partnerships with a variety of organisations. Chris’ career has included work as an allied heath practitioner, an educator and policy maker, an international development and evaluation consultant, and as an advocate for young people and marginalised populations in a variety of roles.

Chris’ qualifications include a Master of Business Leadership, Graduate Diploma in Health Promotion, Bachelor of Social Work, and an Executive Certificate in Leadership and Management.

Deputy Chair – Craig Wilding

Craig Wilding, CEO WVPHN, has worked in health care for more than 30 years. He initially trained as a radiographer at RMIT and following the completion of his internship was employed at Ballarat Health Services. Craig spent five years as CT Team Leader at Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane before returning to Ballarat Health Services to operate Ballarat’s first MRI and later became the Deputy Director of Radiographer and Diagnostic Services.

Completion of his MBA led to further opportunities in management, initially working as the Director of Medical Administration and Junior Medical Workforce, which then led to an Executive role taking carriage of Primary and Community Care. During this time he was seconded to Rural North West Health as an interim CEO for six months whilst recruitment was undertaken.

The recent amalgamation that created Grampians Health gave Craig the opportunity to work as Chief Operating Officer of Community and Aged Care Services and as the designated Chief Allied Health Officer, managing aged care, mental health, allied health and ambulatory care and primary and community programs.

General Manager – Dr Danielle Couch

Danielle is an experienced and skilled leader dedicated to improving community health and social outcomes with an equity lens. She comes to us with a wealth of experience in public health, with her most recent position was at Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative, where she successfully led a series of strategic projects across sectors and portfolios.

Danielle has extensive experience across varied health and community sectors, including public health, digital health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, mental health and primary health. Her work has focused on supporting communities to achieve better social and health outcomes. Danielle is a board member of Bendigo Community Health Services, an Editor with the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, an Associate Editor with the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, member of the Public Health Association of Australia and The Australian Sociological Association, and holds an adjunct position with Monash University.

Her diverse career has honed excellent stakeholder skills and she has a talent for working effectively with and across a range of stakeholders. Her strong analytical and conceptual skills, as evidenced by many publications across multiple disciplines and topics is a wonderful asset to the Victoria Tasmania PHN Alliance.

Contact:

E: danielle.couch@vtphna.org.au

CEO Forum

The Chief Executive Officers of the Victorian and Tasmanian PHNs convene through monthly forum:

Janine Wilson, CEO, Eastern Melbourne PHN
Christopher Carter, CEO, North Western Melbourne PHN
Quinn Pawson CEO, South Eastern Melbourne PHN
Amanda Proposch, CEO, Gippsland PHN
Matt Jones, CEO, Murray PHN
Craig Wilding, CEO, Western Victoria PHN
Phil Edmondson, CEO, Primary Health Tasmania

LEADERSHIP

Statewide approaches is a shared priority of the six Victorian Primary Health Networks and the Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services. As part of this collaboration several shared senior lead positions have been established to support:

Leadership

VTPHNA leadership

Chair – Chris Carter

Deputy Chair – Craig Wilding

General Manager – Dr Danielle Couch

CEO Forum

LEADERSHIP

Statewide approaches is a shared priority of the six Victorian Primary Health Networks and the Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services. As part of this collaboration several shared senior lead positions have been established to support:

Mental health integration

Alcohol and other drug integration

Strategic data management and analytics

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