Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network Board

The Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network (RMCLHN) supports approximately 70,000 people living in the Riverland, and the Murray River, Lakes and Coorong areas of South Australia, extending east to the Victorian Border. This includes the towns and surrounds of Renmark, Paringa, Berri, Barmera, Waikerie, Loxton, Pinnaroo, Lameroo, Karoonda, Mannum, Murray Bridge, Tailem Bend, Meningie, Tintinara and Coonalpyn.

The governing board is responsible and accountable to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing for local decision making.

The role of the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network governing board includes setting strategies and priorities for health services in the region, as well as ensuring the LHN achieves the performance indicators in its Service Agreement.

Membership

Elaine Ashworth — Chair

Elaine Ashworth

Elaine Ashworth has had a longstanding career in allied health and worked as a physiotherapist, spending many years in a range of clinical and health service management positions in Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia and the United Kingdom.

She was appointed the Principal Allied Health Advisor for CHSA until 2015 and worked as an allied health management locum and consultant until 2022.

Elaine has been a board member of Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH) and served as Honorary Secretary. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy), a Graduate Diploma of Health Administration and Information Systems and a Graduate Certificate in Remote Health Management.

Elaine brings a clear understanding of the requirements of clinical governance for the safety and wellbeing of the community, and the clinicians who serve the community.

Dr Peter Rischbieth AM

Dr Peter Rischbieth AM worked as a General Practitioner (GP) in Murray Bridge for 37 years before retiring in 2024. During this time, he worked at the Bridge Clinic, and Murray Bridge Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (MBSMH) in obstetrics, inpatient care, anaesthetics and emergency medicine. He was the MBSMH Principal Medical Officer from 1991-2006 and 2014-2020. 

Dr Rischbieth has held significant roles on statewide and national medical associations, including two years as President of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) and 14 years as President of the Rural Doctors Association of South Australia (RDASA). Dr Rischbieth was also the RDASA’s lead negotiator for GP industrial contracts for 15 years.

Dr Rischbieth has served on regional and statewide credentialling committees, and was on the Country SA Primary Health Network (PHN) Board from 2017-2024. He also supported the Murray Bridge community through his roles on the MBSMH Health Advisory Council (HAC) and former hospital board from the 1990s through to the 2020s.

Dr Rischbieth has won numerous awards, including the Australian Medical Association’s (AMA) President’s Award in 2005 and the RDAA Rural Doctor of the Year Award in 2022 for his contributions to rural medicine and improving access to quality healthcare for the community.

Dr Rischbieth is a passionate rural generalist who is committed to developing the rural medical workforce in our region to improve access to healthcare in the community.

Claudia Goldsmith

Claudia Goldsmith

Claudia Goldsmith has extensive experience working in a range of management consultancy roles focussed on financial management, governance reviews, and risk identification, and has held a number of non-executive director board positions.

Claudia is a qualified Accountant, graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and an experienced Board Director. Her board appointments have covered a range of sectors including, community banking, disability, financial counselling and Surf Life Saving SA.

Claudia brings finance and governance experience to the Governing Board.

Mel Ottaway

Mel Ottaway

Mel Ottaway is an experienced executive manager with a history of working in the not-for-profit sector. She is a Registered Nurse and holds a Master of Nursing and a Master of Business Administration.

Mel is currently the Executive Manager Community Services, Resthaven Inc, a former Executive Manager for Aged Care at Uniting Communities and a Board member of Multicultural Aged Care and the South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS).

Mel has also held the role of Group Manager Residential Services for Southern Cross Care and previously served on the Nursing and Midwifery Board of SA.

Mel brings aged and community care experience to the Board, and is skilled in negotiation, operations management, coaching, and quality management. She is passionate about the future of health services and ensuring a high standard of care is delivered to rural communities.

Fred Toogood

Fred Toogood

Fred Toogood is a former small business owner, a true Murray Bridge local and elected member of the Rural City of Murray Bridge Council, where he has served on the Audit Committee, Safe Taskforce and Strategic Planning and Policy Committee.

Fred has supported the Murray Bridge community through various roles for more than 30 years, including on the Murray Bridge Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital Health Advisory Council and former hospital board, the Hills Mallee Southern Regional Health Board, and volunteered with Mobilong Rotary Club and the local Chamber of Commerce.

Fred has strong community connections and is passionate about finding new opportunities to improve our health services.

Sonia Waters

Sonia Waters

Sonia Waters is an Aboriginal woman from Adelaide experienced in the delivery of effective and sustainable services within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and assumes the Aboriginal Health member position on the RMCLHN Governing Board.

Sonia is the Executive Manager Workforce, Lowitja Institute, and brings knowledge and experience in leadership and management, community service development, community engagement and participation, strategic planning and implementation, stakeholder relations management, project and program development, cultural capability and cultural safety, policy development and implementation, advocacy and representation.

Richard Hearn AM

Richard Hearn

Richard Hearn AM is a former Chief Executive Officer with Resthaven Incorporated and provides expertise in commercial and aged care management to the RMCLHN Governing Board. Richard has been involved in aged care within the not-for-profit sector since the 1980s and worked in the education sector prior to this.

He brings to the Board extensive experience on governance committees with organisations such as Resthaven Incorporated, Meals on Wheels Australia and St Johns Ambulance SA, and is currently on the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) Medical Managerial Appointments Committee.

He is also an active volunteer with Fred’s Van food service, something he has been doing for more than 30 years. Richard has been involved with RMCLHN, having been appointed an independent member to the Governing Board Aged Care and Disability Governance Committee from its introduction in September 2022.

Robin Valentine

Robin is a highly qualified and accomplished medical imaging professional who currently works as a Business Manager for a farm in Parilla and manages a craft distillery with her partner on their property.

Prior to this, Robin worked as the Manager of SA Medical Imaging (SAMI) at Murray Bridge Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital for 12 years following a year working in various roles with the Murray Mallee Community Health Team.

Robin was also the Assistant Chief Radiographer and Head MRI Radiographer at the Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide for more than a decade from the mid-1990s. During this time, she was a visiting lecturer and postgraduate course writer at the University of South Australia (UniSA).

Robin holds an Associate Diploma in Medical Radiations from the SA Institute of Technology (UniSA), a Postgraduate Certificate in MRI Technology and Short Course in Cardiac MRI from the University of Queensland and a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Ultrasound from UniSA. In addition to her medical imaging studies, Robin also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Administration from Flinders University.

Robin has served on various advisory bodies, including the UniSA Medical Radiations Advisory Board and the Australian Sonography Association Work Health and Safety Advisory Group. She was also the state representative and secretary for the Australian Institute of Radiography MR Advisory Panel, who are responsible for establishing the MR radiographer accreditation and overseeing biannual exams.

Robin brings a wealth of statewide and local expertise and leadership to the Board and is dedicated to advancing healthcare practices and standards.

As someone who lives and works in the heart of the RMCLHN catchment, Robin can ensure the Governing Board engage with our communities to deliver the best possible health outcomes for our region

Download a copy of the RMCLHN Governing Board membership poster.

Riverland Mallee Coorong LHN agendas and minutes

For previous Governing Board agendas and minutes see the Riverland Mallee Coorong LHN archive page.

Agendas

Minutes

Travel and entertainment expenses

Public meetings

The Annual Public Meeting is a great opportunity to meet the Governing Board and hear about what has occurred across the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network over the past 12 months.

The Annual Public Meeting is an excellent opportunity to connect, ask questions, and provide feedback about health services in our local communities.

All members of the public are welcome to attend.

2019-20 public meetings

For the 2019-20 year, two public meetings were combined with Health Advisory Council Annual General Meetings with meetings held in Berri 26 October 2019 and in Murray Bridge 27 October 2019.

2020-21 public meeting

For the 2020-21 year, the first publicly live streamed annual public meeting was held 25 November 2021. Participants attended in person at linked venues in Berri and Murray Bridge and via Facebook Live with the recording accessible on the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network Facebook page.

2021-22 public meeting

For the 2021-22 year, the annual public meeting was held 26 October 2022 and was again publicly live streamed and also combined with Health Advisory Council Annual General Meetings in Tailem Bend. Participants attended in person and via Facebook Live with the recording accessible on the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network Facebook page and YouTube channel.

2022-23 public meeting

For the 2022-23 year, the annual public meeting was held on 2 November 2023 and was again publicly live streamed and also combined with the Health Advisory Council Annual General Meeting in Mannum. Participants attending in person and via Facebook Live with the recording accessible on the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network Facebook Page and YouTube channel.

Annual reports

Contact us

If you would like to contact the RMCLHN Board, please email HealthRMCLHNConsumers@sa.gov.au