A Primary Health Network overseeing an area of 98,000 square kilometres and 10 local government areas is on the hunt for a new CEO, after its boss of four-years announced her retirement.
Merrilyn Strohfeldt was appointed to lead the Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN at the start of 2018 and announced on Wednesday she would be stepping down from the role at the end of the year.
Australia has 31 government-funded PHN’s, which are independent organisations set up to coordinate primary health care.
According to the federal Health Department, they aim “to make health services more effective and efficient, particularly for people at risk of poor health, and to improve coordination of care so people receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time”.
The Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN’s largest urban communities are those of Ipswich and Toowoomba, but it covers an area east to the Scenic Rim and Somerset, north to the South Burnett, west to the Western Downs and south to Goondiwindi.
Ms Strohfeldt’s tenure coincided with one of the most dire public health crises of the century and she was responsible for driving the PHN’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She said that, despite the difficulties that posed, it had been rewarding to see the health care sector respond collectively.
“I think all of us have learnt a lot over the past 18 months as we have responded to what seems like a once in a lifetime event, and one of the most important lessons I believe is that we all need to continue to work together collectively to make the biggest difference,” Ms Strohfeldt said.
A press release accompanying her announcement said that Ms Strohfeldt’s four-year tenure helped ensure millions of dollars was invested into primary health care in the Darling Downs and West Moreton region “to make a difference for some of the most vulnerable people in the community”.
“This includes reforming mental health care services funded by the organisation to the national stepped care agenda, leading the organisation’s response to communities impacted by drought and bushfires and overseeing the commissioning of over $123 million in primary health care services,” the release read.
