Goulburn's Beth Hoskins takes reins of Southern NSW Local Health board

Ms Hoskins, the board's interim chair since mid 2022, brings a vast array of experience to the role.

She is an associate director of Boyce Chartered Accountants. Ms Hoskins has had a long-term executive career in business advisory service and extensive involvement in the not-for-profit sector, according to the Health District. In the latter she focused on governance, strategy and implementing financial control systems.

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She has worked for not-for-profits including the Country Education Foundation of Australia, the Country Education Foundation of Goulburn and District, Country Universities Centre, and Beyond the Orphanage.

Ms Hoskins joined the board in 2017 and was appointed deputy chair in 2019.

"Together with my Board colleagues, we are looking forward to continuing our journey towards Southern becoming the leading regional LHD in NSW," Ms Hoskins said in a statement.

"I would like to congratulate our new Board members on their appointment and thank them for their commitment to contribute to the Board's oversight of health services for our local communities now and into the future."

She said she was delighted that fellow Goulburn woman, Jennie Gordon had also joined the board, along with Doctors Megan Keaney and Vennassa Wong.

Former Goulburn Mulwaree mayor, Geoff Kettle, is also a member.

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Mrs Gordon has spent almost 50 years in the health sector. She is a proud Ngunnawal woman raised in and around Goulburn, on Gundungurra/Ngunnawal Country.

She started her nursing career as a 17-year-old at Kenmore Hospital in 1976. The registered general and psychiatric nurse has worked in aged care, Corrections health, community services, the Aboriginal and disability sectors. She also has an Adult Education degree, majoring in human resource development and a Masters in health service management. Previously, she sat on a community liaison committee for local health.

Currently, she is the ANU Rural Medical School's southeast NSW regional training hub manager.

Mrs Gordon said she was motivated to join the board after sitting on several community committees.

"We have a fairly large Aboriginal population and my passion is actively encouraging people to follow up on their health. I want to be an advocate in that space," she said.

"I also want to be a voice for people with disabilities and special needs, as well as those with literacy (challenges). People use medical jargon and it is not always understandable."

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In addition, she wants to encourage health professionals to work in rural areas. There was little point having enough doctors if there weren't sufficient nurses, Mrs Gordon told The Post.

This would require work with secondary and tertiary institutions.

"I think people don't see health as a sexy career but there are good financial rewards," she said.

The incumbents have been appointed for a three-year term.

Meantime, Dr Wong is also of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) heritage and is one of only 500 Indigenous medical practitioners in Australia, according to the Health District.

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She works as a clinician providing health services in GP settings including Aboriginal Medical Services and in hospital settings as a GP anaesthetist/emergency Visiting Medical Officer and forensic sexual assault examiner.

At the Charles Sturt University School of Rural Medicine she is responsible for the oversight and delivery of the ATSI health curriculum.

Dr Keaney is a medical practitioner, formerly employed in a senior policy and program management role in the Commonwealth Department of Health.

They join existing board members, deputy chair Terry Clout, Geoff Kettle, Ken Crofts, Margaret Lyons, Narelle Davis, Leanne Barnes and Duncan MacKinnon.

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