Governance
ARHEN is a company limited by guarantee and operates on a not for profit basis.
ARHEN is governed by a Board of Directors comprising senior representatives from the University Departments of Rural Health.
ARHEN Directors come from a variety of professional backgrounds and have extensive experience in rural health education, research and service delivery.
ARHEN Executive
Chair
Associate Professor Leanne Brown
Chair
Associate Professor Leanne Brown
BHSc (N&D) GradCertPaed N&D GradCertSports Nutr PhD AdvAPD
Academic Lead, Teaching and Learning, University of Newcastle, Department of Rural Health, Tamworth NSW
Associate Professor Brown is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian with more than 20 years in the dietetics profession. After working as a clinical dietitian in metropolitan areas, Leanne made tracks back to the country, relocating to Tamworth in 2003 and moving into a rural-based academic role. Her experience spans diverse areas of clinical dietetics practice, health workforce research and practice-based teaching. Her current research is focused on health service delivery models and research translation in the rural context.
Deputy Chair
Associate Professor Geoff Argus
Deputy Chair
Associate Professor Geoff Argus
Bsc (Hons H1), MPsych (Clinical), MAPS, FCCLP, GAICD
Assoc Prof Argus is a Clinical Psychologist and has worked extensively across the public, private and community health sectors in senior clinical and management roles. He is passionate about evidence-based mental health service delivery in regional and rural communities, with a particular interest in the social determinants of health as they relate to chronic physical and mental health conditions.
Treasurer
Dr Pamela Harvey
Treasurer
Dr Pamela Harvey
BAppSci(Physio) MEd PhD FHEA
Rural Nursing and Allied Health Lead, Monash Rural Health, VIC
Dr Harvey is a physiotherapist with broad clinical and academic experiences in rural and regional areas. She has taught across physiotherapy and medical education; and has research interests in graduate attributes and end-of-life care in rural areas.
ARHEN Directors
Professor Robyn Aitken
Member
Professor Robyn Aitken
RN Cert Anaes. & RR B.Ed.St. M.Ed.St. PhD
Deputy Dean, Rural and Remote Health SA & NT
Prof Aitken is a nurse with record of achievement in the health service and university sectors, influencing nursing, midwifery and healthcare more broadly across a range of roles and responsibilities nationally and internationally. Her leadership, teaching and research spans acute care, primary health care and public and population health. She has expertise in remote and Indigenous health care delivery, teaching and research, health care in low resource settings, health workforce design and innovation and health professional regulation.
Professor Beth Armstrong
Member
Professor Beth Armstrong
B.App. Sc. (Speech Pathology), M.A. (Hons), PhD
Director, Edith Cowan University Department of Rural Health South West, Bunbury, Western Australia
From a Speech Pathology background, Professor Armstrong has worked in health and academic leadership roles for over twenty years. Her research interests focus on brain injury rehabilitation, with expertise in linguistic analysis of health interactions and aphasia and a focus on Aboriginal Australians’ experiences after stroke and traumatic brain injury and improving access to culturally secure rehabilitation services.
Professor Lisa Bourke
Member
Professor Lisa Bourke
BSc BSW MSc PhD
Director, UDRH, Department of Rural Health, The University of Melbourne, Shepparton VIC.
Prof Bourke is a rural sociologist and social worker who has worked in rural health for several decades. Her research focuses on rural health, rural communities, inclusive rural health care and the wellbeing of rural, remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. She is committed to empowering and giving voice to marginalised health consumers and educating the next generation of health practitioners to be innovative and inclusive.
Associate Professor Lisa Dalton
Member
Associate Professor Lisa Dalton
RN, MNg, PhD
Director, Centre for Rural Remote Health, University of Tasmania
Lisa is a Registered Nurse with an extensive background in rural and remote health care, public health, and nursing and allied health education. She works with the College Leadership Team to lead a multidisciplinary program of research, education and training to address the health and workforce priorities of rural and remote Tasmania in collaboration with colleagues across the College of Health and Medicine and the wider University.
Dr James Debenham
Member
Dr James Debenham
James has a background as a clinical and academic Physiotherapist. Having been with the University of Notre Dame Australia since 2010, James relocated to Broome in 2022 where he is now the Director of Majarlin Kimberley Centre for Remote Health. James’ clinical background is as a Sports and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and he has a wide range of research interests with a specific interest in ‘mechanisms research’, exploring diverse topics ranging from musculoskeletal injuries to broad professional practice issues, including those with impact on rural health and the rural health workforce.
Professor Fiona Doolan-Noble
Member
Professor Fiona Doolan-Noble
Professor Doolan-Noble has a background in nursing, health service management, primary health care and interprofessional education. Her research interests span multimorbidity; provision of primary health care, especially in rural areas, including implementation of lay models of service delivery; ageing well in rural; men’s health; the impact of disaster management processes on rural communities, and moral distress in both human and animal health professionals.
Associate Professor Catrina Felton‐Busch
Member
Associate Professor Catrina Felton‐Busch
BA, MPH, Grad Cert PHC Res, PhD (candidate), ARLF
Director Murtupuni Centre for Rural & Remote Health (Mount Isa), Division of Tropical Health & Medicine James Cook University, Australia.
Associate Professor Felton-Busch is a Yangkaal & Gangalidda woman from Mornington Island who currently lives and works on Kalkadoon country in Mount Isa.
Associate Professor Felton-Busch has an extensive academic career in Indigenous Health of over 20 years commencing her academic career at the Mount Isa Centre for Rural & Remote Health in October 2000. Associate Professor Felton-Busch is an experienced qualitative health researcher aligning her research with her personal commitment to improving the lives of her own people. She is currently a Chief Investigator on two NHMRC grants and a Centre for Research Excellence – CRE-Stride.
Associate Professor Felton-Busch is also undertaking a PhD on pregnancy and birth in her home community of Mornington Island. She is the Chair of the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Health Committee for General Practice Training at James Cook University and a long term advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and research having previously serviced as the Director of the Indigenous Health Unit within the Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University 2010 – 2015 and the Associate Professor Remote Indigenous Health and Workforce. 2016 – 2022. Associate Professor Felton-Busch was appointed as the Director of Murtupuni Centre for Rural & Remote Health (JCU) in February 2022.
Professor Vicki Flood
Member
Professor Vicki Flood
Head of Clinical School, Northern Rivers and Director, University Centre for Rural Health, Northern Rivers, with the Faculty of Medicine and Health, the University of Sydney.
Professor Flood has a background in nutrition and dietetics, epidemiology and public health, and her research areas include research capacity building, food insecurity, malnutrition, nutrition and disability, depression, and ageing, multidisciplinary research, chronic disease prevention, and community co-design approaches to research.
Christine Howard
Chair
Christine Howard
B.Soc.Sc., Dip.App.Sc., Mid
Position: Director Three Rivers Department of Rural Health, Charles Sturt University
Christine has over 32 years of regional health service experience in the Murrumbidgee which spans across private, public and not for profit sectors. She has a background as a Registered Nurse and Midwife, and has held executive roles with oversight of direct primary health service delivery, regional primary health service planning and commissioning of health services. Her current role as Director of Three Rivers Department of Rural Health at Charles Sturt University focuses on improving the recruitment and retention of health professionals across regional NSW. Christine is also a Board Director on the Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network and Regional Development Australia, Riverina.
Professor Deb Jones
Member
Professor Deb Jones
Director, Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health
Generalist Nursing Registration (Broken Hill Base Hospital), Bachelor Health Science Gerontology, Graduate
Diploma Aged Service Management, Master of Indigenous Health (with Distinction), Doctor of Philosophy.
Professor Jones has extensive experience in the co-design of health services and workforce innovations within rural and remote locations. Professor Jones’ research and leadership is focused on community engagement, cross-sector collaborations, complex health strategies, re-framing health professional education to ensure a future-fit and rural-ready health workforce and the development of comprehensive rural and remote career, as well as education and employment pathways for nursing and allied health professionals.
Associate Professor Martin Jones
Member
Associate Professor Martin Jones
RN MSc D’Proff
Director, UDRH, University of South Australia, Whyalla, SA
Assoc Prof Jones has worked in the UK National Health Service, having pursued a career in mental health. He has specialist experience leading and developing services for people with serious mental illness.
Professor Sabina Knight AM
Member
Professor Sabina Knight AM
RN MTH FRCNA FCRANA Plus FRLA
Director, JCU Central QLD Centre for Rural & Remote Health, Emerald QLD.
Prof Knight has an extensive background in remote and Indigenous primary health care, public health and education. She is a recognised leader in nursing, rural and remote health and education and health system reform.
Kim Pearce
Member
Kim Pearce
Kim Pearce holds a senior academic position with the leadership team of the Discipline of Rural and Remote Health in the College of Medicine and Public Health. With her Psychology background and 14-year career in rural and remote health, she has experienced a diverse career across general practice support and education, mental health operations and primary health service design and federal commissioning. She has expertise in First Nations People’s service design, and a passion to improve access to culturally appropriate health care services through consultation, collaboration, and advocacy.
Associate Professor Byron Perrin
Member
Associate Professor Byron Perrin
Associate Dean – Academic Partnerships, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University
BPod, MHlthSc, PhD
Associate Professor Perrin is the Associate Dean- Academic Partnerships for the La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University and Chair of Diabetes Feet Australia. From a clinical foundation of managing a high-risk foot service in a major regional hospital, he continues to devote his research and advocacy activities to the prevention of lower limb amputation in people with diabetes, and is committed to the health and well-being of people in rural areas.
Professor Sandra Thompson AM
Member
Professor Sandra Thompson AM
BSc(Med)(Hons) MB BS (Hons) PhD MPH FAFPHM Grad Dip Health Management
Director, Western Australian Centre for Rural Health, Geraldton, WA
Prof Thompson has worked in the health industry for over 20 years in a variety of roles – as a medical practitioner, laboratory-based researcher, public health researcher and epidemiologist, manager and public health practitioner.
Professor Vincent Versace
Member
Professor Vincent Versace
BSc (Hons, H1) PhD
Director, Deakin Rural Health, Warrnambool Campus, Deakin University, VIC
Professor Versace is committed to reducing rural health disparities. Collaborating widely with academic institutions, NGOs and government departments, he seeks to contribute to high-quality research through the robust application of biostatistics and spatial methods.