Nepean Blue Mountains LHD Board
Meet the people who make decisions about how the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District (LHD) operates.
Our board
The Nepean Blue Mountains LHD Board has overall responsibility for the strategic direction and operational efficiency of our services and facilities.
Our board brings together a wealth of experience and local knowledge, to make sure our decisions meet the needs of our local communities.
Our board communicates regularly with local and state public health stakeholders. Read more about the functions of the board.
The Hon. Peter Collins AM KC was a barrister and ABC journalist before his election to the NSW Parliament. Peter served for 22 years in senior roles including Minister for Health, Attorney General and Treasurer of NSW during his 7 years in the Greiner/Fahey Government, and a further 6 years as Deputy Leader and Leader of the Opposition, before leaving the Parliament in 2003.
Peter has been a Director of Industry Super Fund HOSTPLUS since 2006. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (FAIST); Chair of the Sydney Financial Forum; and Chair of Barton Deakin Government Relations which he established in 2009. Other appointments have included member of the Workers Compensation Insurance Fund Investment Board of NSW (2005 to 2012); Chair of St John Ambulance NSW (2007 to 2013); and Chair of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2004 to 2011).
For his civilian service, Peter was made a Member of the Order of Australia (2004); a Commander in the Order of St John (2012); and received the Centenary Medal.
Dr Nhi Nguyen is a staff specialist at Nepean Hospital in the Department of Intensive Care Medicine and a fellow of the College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand.
Nhi is also the Clinical Lead for the Nepean Redevelopment, a $1 billion investment in health infrastructure.
Since 2016, Nhi has held roles in the Agency for Clinical Innovation and the Ministry of Health, including Clinical Director Intensive Care NSW, Clinical Advisor for ICU during the COVID Pandemic and also as the Clinical Co-Chair of the Health System Advisory Council.
Nhi has had a long association with Nepean Hospital, starting as a medical student at the Nepean Clinical School in 1997 and as an intern at the hospital in 2000.
In her various roles, Nhi is committed to supporting the development of all aspects of health care delivery to enable clinicians to provide the best quality care for the community they serve.
Murray Austin brings skills as a senior manager with over 25 years of experience in the management of scientific and educational organisations. Murray started his career in health at Nepean Hospital Pathology however his career has ranged across diverse organisations from remote rural services through to senior management roles in very large, highly complex organisations. He now works at the University of Western Sydney in a scientific management role supporting teaching in the School of Science and Health.
Murray has a reputation for being very outcome-focused and believes that the key to personal success is personal integrity and hard work. He advocates that organisational success requires quality decision making and good strategic planning.
“This is predicated on effective and considered communication with stakeholders, and then later the implementation of operational systems that includes processes of systematic review and continual improvement.”
Murray has a particular interest in quality and safety and patient-focused service delivery.
Murray has sat on numerous State and Commonwealth committees and working parties and currently is a member of the NSW Health Pathology Board.
Murray has proudly lived in the Nepean Blue Mountains region for over 50 years and currently resides with his family at Kurmond in the Hawkesbury where he is an active member of the community.
Associate Professor Stephen Fuller is the Associate Dean and Head of Sydney Medical School (SMS) Nepean. He practises as a Clinical Haematologist at Nepean Hospital and is Deputy Chair of the Senior Medical Staff Council. Associate Professor Fuller is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia and The Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and is a member of a number of Learned Societies including the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand, the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia Australian Research Consortium and the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group. Associate Professor Fuller is a medical graduate of the University of NSW and has a PhD in Medicine from the University of Sydney. Since 2009 he has been Head of Academic Haematology at Nepean and is currently a member of the Nepean and Blue Mountains Local Health District Scientific Advisory Committee and the University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee.
Associate Professor’s vision for research and education at SMS Nepean is to develop multidisciplinary, cross-faculty mental health, infectious diseases, diabetes and cardiovascular disease and cancer Strategic Priority AReas for Collaboration (SPARCs) strategically located in Western Sydney. This research will be integrated with teaching, providing opportunities for MD students to participate in studies focused on research of local, national and international importance. This research will promote retention and recruitment of academic and research staff, including higher degree research students and postdoctoral fellows.
Dr Tony Rombola is a Hawkesbury General Practitioner working in Windsor since 1993. Tony has actively represented the health interests of the local community and of local health providers over this period. He is the immediate past Chair of the Wentworth Healthcare Limited Board, the provider of the Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network. Tony is an Adjunct Senior Clinical Lecturer with the University of Notre Dame Sydney School of Medicine and a Supervisor with GP Synergy, the regional GP Registrar training organisation. He is a member of the Hawkesbury District Hospital Medical Advisory Committee.
Tony is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Tony was recognised in 2020 as a Paul Harris Fellow by The Rotary Foundation for his contributions to the local community.
Pamela (Pam) Rutledge AM has a strong mental health, social policy and human resources background, and has successfully managed major programs and led change and reform in the health and community service sectors.
Pam is a part-time Deputy Commissioner of the Mental Health Commission of NSW, a part-time Member of the NSW Mental Health Review Tribunal, and a Director of Autism Australia (Aspect Australia) and Chair of their Governance Committee.
Pam has many years of experience managing and leading complex health, community services and mental health services, and has been successful in building values-driven cultures, engendering quality, continuous improvement and co-design. As well as her commitment to co-design with people with a lived experience, families and carers, Pam is a strong advocate for good governance and accountability, risk management and strategic planning.
In her early career, Pam worked as a social worker in frontline mental health service delivery. She also has extensive experience in senior roles in the NSW Government, including health, housing, and ageing and disability.
In 2009 Pam became chief executive officer (CEO) of Richmond Fellowship of NSW and then CEO of the merged Flourish Australia (RichmondPRA Ltd) until 2017. She led a team in several innovations and reforms such as the exponential growth of the peer workforce and the establishment of the successful Resolve Program.
In 2017 she was honoured as a joint recipient of a National Award (the TheMHS Award) for an Exceptional Contribution to the Mental Health Sector in Australia and New Zealand.
In 2021, Pam was awarded an Australia Day Honour (AM) for her significant service to people living with disability and other vulnerabilities.
Pam lives in the Blue Mountains with her family. She is also actively involved with the teaching of Primary Ethics in local public schools.
Professor Ian Seppelt is a senior specialist in Intensive Care Medicine at Nepean Hospital, Sydney and the University of Sydney Medical School, Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Adjunct Professor (Research) at Monash University and Conjoint Associate Professor at the University of NSW.
He is an active clinical researcher and teacher in intensive care medicine and is Honorary Professorial Fellow at the George Institute for Global Health, Sydney.
His research interests include critical care infection (including gut microbiology in critical illness), fluid resuscitation, complex airway management, and sedation and delirium in intensive care. He is the Australian lead for the multinational SuDDICU program (developing the 'definitive' trial of Selective Decontamination of the Digestive Tract in Intensive Care). Other interests include neuroanaesthesia and neurocritical care, and the ethics of clinical research in critical illness. He is senior horse transport technician and deputy assistant groom for his children and also part owner of a very nice vineyard near Orange in central NSW.
Board sub committees
The Nepean Blue Mountains LHD Board has several sub committees. They provide specialist advice that helps the LHD perform its functions.
The Aboriginal Health Governance Committee provides guidance about Aboriginal Health service delivery. This includes advice for services and facilities within Nepean Blue Mountains LHD on:
policy
programs
initiatives
performance reporting.
The Audit and Risk Committee provides independent advice to the Board and Chief Executive. The committee:
oversees and monitors Nepean Blue Mountains LHD’s governance, risk and control frameworks and its external accountability requirements
and monitors correspondence to Nepean Blue Mountains LHD management from the Auditor General.
The Finance and Performance Committee:
monitors the expenses and revenues to budgets of Nepean Blue Mountains LHD
reviews exposure to finance risks and how well they are being managed
monitors approved Capital program
reviews correspondence about financial matters from the Auditor-General, Minister for Health and NSW Health to LHD management.
The Health Care Quality Committee is the peak safety and quality body of Nepean Blue Mountains LHD. The committee:
- monitors the quality and safety of health care services provided by the LHD to ensure continuous improvement in the quality of health care and service provision
- advises the Board on issues of concern about the quality and safety of health care services provided within the LHD.
The Integrated Care Committee provides strategic leadership and direction about integrated care across the region.
This includes monitoring the achievement of agreed joint Nepean Blue Mountains LHD and Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network integrating care priorities.
The Medical and Dental Appointments Advisory Committee (MDAAC) provides advice to the Chief Executive on new senior medical and dental staff appointments.
In addition, the Credentials subcommittee of the MDAAC considers and advises the Chief Executive on the granting of clinical privileges to individual senior medical and dental staff.
The Research Committee supports our multi-disciplinary workforce to undertake research. The aim of our research is to meet the changing patient care and service delivery needs of our District.
The Strategy and Planning Committee ensures a strategic approach to significant and major clinical service developments across the Nepean Blue Mountains LHD.
The functions of the committee include:
overseeing the strategic development of significant and major clinical service developments
determining priorities and coordinating and monitoring their implementation
management of risks associated with adjustments to strategic priorities
ensuring the use of Ministry of Health/ NSW Treasury planning processes with appropriate representation on project governance structures.
The Workforce and Culture Committee provides assurance to the Executive Team and Board that the workforce and culture initiatives undertaken across the District align with our strategic goal of a talented, happy and engaged workforce.
The Work Health and Safety Committee track, review and make recommendations to the Board about the District’s health and safety systems compliance and governance including:
the LHD’s risk management systems to ensure that incidents, hazards and risks are identified and reported
the action taken in response to such matters
the adequacy, monitoring and update of these systems
Work Health and Safety and risk management Key Performance Indicators in performance agreements and annual performance reviews with the Chief Executive
the allocation of appropriate resources for the management of Work Health and Safety issues
reporting of Work Health and Safety and Risk Management data and information to the Board.
Board meeting minutes
See below for Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District Board meeting minutes from recent years. For older archived minutes, contact privacy and information.
File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 20 November 2024 (PDF 210.76KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 16 October 2024 (PDF 191.12KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 18 September 2024 (PDF 202.59KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 21 August 2024 (PDF 396.83KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 17 July 2024 (PDF 384.59KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 19 June 2024 (PDF 383.87KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 15 May 2024 (PDF 384.92KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 17 April 2024 (PDF 362.91KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 20 March 2024 (PDF 382.13KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 21 February 2024 (PDF 403.28KB)
File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 13 December 2023 (PDF 402.36KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 15 November 2023 (PDF 377.21KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 18 October 2023 (PDF 359.34KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes − 20 September 2023 (PDF 814.07KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes − 16 August 2023 (PDF 902.96KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes − 19 July 2023 (PDF 959.97KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes − 17 May 2023 (PDF 410.05KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes − 19 April 2023 (PDF 264.04KB)File
NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes − 15 March 2023 (PDF 256.16KB)- NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 15 February 2023
- NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 19 October 2022 (PDF 260.11KB)
- NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 21 September 2022 (PDF 306.75KB)
- NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 17 August 2022 (PDF 266.71KB)
- NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 20 July 2022 (PDF 266.48KB)
- NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 15 June 2022 (PDF 279.69KB)
- NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 18 May 2022 (PDF 417.55KB)
- NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 20 April 2022 (PDF 423.97KB)
- NBMLHD Board Meeting Minutes – 16 March 2022 (PDF 480.05KB)