Following on from our highest ever intake of 63 Lifetime Support Scheme (LSS) participants last financial year, we have started the 2023-2024 financial year with a lower participant intake of 12, in the first four months. As of 31 October 2023, we have a total of 352 active LSS participants in the Scheme.

I am pleased to acknowledge 2 new Board members, Dr Sian Goodson and Nicole Sykes, who were appointed effective from 8 October 2023 and replace retiring Board members George Potter and Ken Williams.

Dr Sian Goodson is a GP and is Director of Clinical Services for Better Medical, a corporate general practice group. She is the Chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) SA Faculty and on the national RACGP Board. She is also the inaugural chair of the SA Women in General Practice Committee, which aims to address inequalities such as the gender pay gap for women in medicine.

Nicole Sykes is the CEO of the Australian Medical Association, a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a registered practitioner with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and a committee member for the Bedford Group.

I would like to thank George and Ken for their exceptional service to the LSA as Board members for 10 years, overseeing the Scheme grow from inception to its current position.

LSA staff members and I recently attended the Adelaide White Ribbon Breakfast. This year’s event featured keynote speaker Micaela Cronin, Australia’s first Commissioner for Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence. Ms Cronin is a passionate advocate and is deeply committed to ending violence against women. The LSA is proud to be an accredited White Ribbon Workplace and supporter of the Adelaide White Ribbon Breakfast.

I also recently had the pleasure of joining more than 80 relevant stakeholders at the inaugural LSA Innovate Forum, a collective showcase of outcomes from our Research, Education and Program grants. The highly successful evening generated many fruitful discussions about applying research findings and continuing to develop cutting-edge strategies which could ultimately support the treatment, care and support of LSS participants. You can read more about it in this edition of the LSS News.

Regards,

Rick Howe

Chief Executive, Lifetime Support Authority

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