Wodonga mayor Anna Speedie has been appointed to the Albury Wodonga Health board of management as her latest term as a councillor draws to an end.
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Cr Speedie is one of two board additions ticked off by the Victorian Government with the other being Charles Sturt University podiatrist, Dr Kristy Robson.
The AWH board is also mourning the sudden death of Dr John Moran, aged 74, last Saturday..
He served almost 30 years on the Wodonga Regional Health Service, including a stint as chairman between 1986 and 1991.
Dr Moran had been on the AWH board for six years before retiring recently.
Matt Burke will takeover as AWH chair from Nicki Melville and deputy chair Phil Williams is also departing at the expiry of his allowable nine years on the board.
Ms Melville is leaving after 11 years with the state government granting her two additional years with the chief executive change from Lee McJames to Michael Kalimnios.
Ms Melville was part of the inaugural board for the cross-border health service.and replaced former state and federal MP, Lou Lieberman, as chair in 2017.
"It's only proper and correct I be replaced," she said.
IN OTHER NEWS
Cr Speedie played down any conflict of interest concerns between her council and AWH board role beginning on July 1.
"There is no requirement that I need to leave and I don't see any conflict, but of course if there are discussions (relating to Wodonga Council) I will leave the room, she said.
Cr Speedie said she was excited about her AWH role.
Cr Speedie said she wouldn't be making up her mind about seeking another term on council for another "couple of months" with her six other council colleagues also yet to publicly reveal their intentions about wanting to stay on.
The Victorian Government only recently agreed to elections going ahead this year with the COVID-19 pandemic response improving.
Ms Melville paid tribute to Dr Moran's contribution to AWH and the wider community.
"John leaves an amazing legacy," she said.
"As well as his role on health boards, he was the doctor who worked with forensic services and was regularly called on by police to assist them.
"He has also been a long-term member of the Wodonga Cemetery Trust.
"In addition to being a well-loved and respected GP with a very loyal cohort of patients, he has also been a very pro-active contributor to the well-being of the whole community."
A maternity ward and new theatre block were added to Wodonga hospital when Dr Moran was board chairman.
He also successfully lobbied for further significant funding for a major redevelopment in the late 1990s.
Dr Moran was also the chief medical officer at Winton Motor Raceway for two decades.
"It is not an understatement to say that Dr John, in conjunction with Simon Maas and his RACESAFE team, revolutionised the medical response at Winton in the late 1990s," Benalla Auto Club chief executive Chris Lewis-Williams said.
"Dr John became a fixture at Winton events, displaying enormous commitment as a motorsport doctor.
"He was highly supportive of the practice of having a doctor quickly 'on scene' at a trackside incident, at a time when such a practice was revolutionary."
Mr Burke has been on the health service board for seven years and has headed up two of AWH's sub-committee including the community advisory committee.
"It's an honour to be appointed as chair of the board, particularly as AWH heads in to an exciting development phase with the redevelopment of the emergency department at Albury hospital, the implementation of a new model of care in mental health and the development of a new service and master plan," he said.