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Our Board

The East Wimmera Health Service Board of Directors is appointed in accordance with The Health Service Act 1988 by the Minister for Health through the Governor in Council and have well defined legal and financial responsibilities. The Department of Health provides a dedicated support program to develop board capability.

Board appointments are held annually for public hospitals and where vacancies exist, suitably skilled and qualified people are invited to apply.

The Board is accountable to the Minister for Health for the service’s performance. Each health service board steers its entity on behalf of the minister and in accordance with government policy.

Board Directors do not participate in the day-to-day management of the health service. This is the role of the chief executive officer (CEO) and staff. Health service boards:


Julianne Clift – Chair

RN, MHA (UNSW), RM, BN (Nursing Administration), Dip Nursing, Certificate Intensive Care

Julianne Clift has extensive experience in Executive roles in Nursing and Midwifery. Julianne joined the Board in 2018 and has been Chair since July 2020. Julianne has previous experience and commitment to rigorous Clinical Governance and support to nurture and develop a skilled nursing workforce. Julianne is a previous chair of the Quality and Clinical Risk Committee and a member of Audit and Risk Committee. Julianne is currently volunteering with the Lions Cancer Foundation conducting free skin checks throughout Victoria and is a hospital Accreditation Surveyor with the Australian Council for Healthcare Standards.


Simone Christie – Deputy Chair

Simone grew up on a family farm in Birchip before leaving the area in 1984 to complete a Bachelor of Business at Victorian University. She worked in various roles in Hospitality & Management in Australia and London before returning to Birchip in 1993 to complete a feasibility study on setting up a Telecentre. Simone has been the manager of the Birchip Neighbourhood House for 27 years, which evolved out of the feasibility study. Simone’s focus has been on providing community development opportunities that enhance the health, wellbeing and quality of life for residents of small rural communities, particularly young people and families. Simone is also involved in a small farming enterprise with her family. Simone is married to Russell, an assistant Principal at the Birchip P-12 School and they have three adult children. Simone is a past and present committee member and executive of several sporting clubs, community organisations, youth and neighbourhood house networks and gender equity COP’s in the Birchip, North Central and Loddon Mallee Region. Simone joined the board in July 2017, is a member of the Audit and Risk sub-committee and Deputy Chair of the Board since December 2021.


Ruth Jabornik

Ruth studied therapy and diagnostic radiography at RMIT and then worked at Peter MacCallum and St Vincent’s hospitals in Melbourne. Later on, Ruth worked as a counsellor for Relationships Australia. Ruth lived in the Dandenong Ranges and worked there in an administration role for a community based palliative care unit and a Division of GPs. She came to live in the warmer climate of St Arnaud in 2001. Ruth joined the Board in July 2016 and is a member of the Quality and Clinical Risk Committee, Medical Staff Group and the St Arnaud & District Hospital Foundation.


Kylie Thitchener

BN, MHSM (Mon), MAICD

Kylie is the Director of Quality and Patient Safety at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. She works with Peter MacCallum stakeholders to implement strategies to reduce the frequency of preventable adverse events. She is also a Board Director of the Australian Quadriplegic Association – Victoria where she is the convenor of the Quality and Risk Committee. Kylie is a health care professional who specialised in clinical governance and enterprise risk management in the acute health sector. With extensive experience in both the clinical and non- clinical environments including project management, quality improvement, leadership and management of teams, Kylie strives to utilise teams to improve service delivery aimed at providing better health outcomes and experiences for patients. Kylie began as an emergency nurse before focusing on risk management. She holds a Masters in Health Services Management and has worked in hospitals in Australia and the United States. Kylie joined the Board in July 2021 and is currently the Chair of Quality and Clinical Risk Committee.


Deidre Missingham

Deidre Missingham is a highly experienced lawyer, leader, and adviser with a background in strategy, policy, operations and project management across the public, for purpose and private sectors. A graduate and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Deidre joined the Board of the East Wimmera Health Service in July 2022, and is a member of the Audit and Risk sub-committee.

As a Consulting Principal in a mid-sized national law firm, Deidre’s legal practice specialises in privacy and data protection, information, occupational and business regulation and governance. Before that, during 10 years in the public sector, Deidre co-chaired the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office’s Technology and Data Protection Practice Group and oversaw the legal aspects of establishment of Victoria’s new Labour Hire Licensing Authority, among other achievements. She is a former senior manager with organisations including the Governance Institute of Australia and CPA Australia.

For the past seven years Deidre has also served on Victoria’s Public Records Advisory Council (State Archives) and in 2022 was appointed to hearing panels by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) under the National Law 2009.

Deidre works flexibly and divides her time between Melbourne and Daylesford.


Philip Sabien

Philip has extensive experience as a Board Director within the Victorian health system that includes a Board Director with Wimmera health Care Group from July 2004 to June 2011 and filled a casual Board vacancy with Rural Northwest Health from August 2009 to June 2011.

More recently a Board Director of Edenhope & Memorial District Hospital from July 2018 to October 2021 and Board Chair from July 2019 to the November 2021 until the creation of Grampians Health from 1 November 2021.

Philip has been a Board Director of Community Axis Enterprises Inc. since 2018, based in Victoria and South East South Australia has successfully provided a range of government funded employment programs across these communities for the past 30 years.

He is currently employed by Grampians Health – Horsham for the past nine years in roles including the Executive Director Business Performance & Innovation and recently supported through Safer Care Victoria as the Improvement & Innovation Advisor.

His qualifications include: Bachelor of Applied Science – University of Western Sydney, Masters of Business Administration – Federation University, Professional Certificate in Health Systems Management – University of Melbourne and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Philip was appointed as a Board Director of East Wimmera Health Service in July 2022 and currently chairs the Audit and Risk Committee and is a member of the Quality and Clinical Risk Committee.


Ross McKenzie

BSc(hon), PhD

Ross has over 23 years experience within the medical research and health care system of Victoria including more than 13 years expertise in the public health sector supporting operational improvement, service model design and performance oversight of Victoria’s Metropolitan and Rural hospitals. He has extensive experience in health system investment analysis, strategy and priority planning as well as experience in supporting government across areas of state-wide elective surgery management and emergency department operational performance. He has also spent over 8 years at the laboratory bench as a senior research scientist examining a range of factors associated with infectious diseases and allergic airway inflammation.


Shane Molloy

Shane has had considerable experience as a CEO across the Victorian Public Healthcare sector and Disability Services sector for 38 years. 

Shane was the inaugural CEO of East Wimmera Health Service (EWHS) and prior to this held other CEO appointments at hospitals at Tallangatta, Edenhope, Korumburra, and St Arnaud. Whilst at EWHS he also undertook aged care facility audits for the former Commonwealth Aged Care Standards agency.

Shane transitioned to the disability sector as CEO at McCallum Disability Services (Ballarat) and also served as a Board Director, State National Disability Service (NDS). 

Shane has qualifications in Health Administration, Accounting and Human Resources with post graduate qualifications in Health Science (Administration). 

Shane has been a Board Director at Ballarat Hospice Care Inc, Board Director and Treasurer, at Ballarat Football Netball League and, Board President at the Ballarat Leagues Club.

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