Kalkadoon and Waanyi man Dallas Leon has been appointed Chair of the Western Queensland Primary Health Network playing a lead role in commissioning health initiatives for an area twice the size of Spain.
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The former CEO of Gidgee Healing is the first Indigenous person to be appointed a PHN Board chair, an honour he wears with pride.
"I was born in Mount Isa, moved to Brisbane as a young fellow but have maintained links and connections to the North West and beyond," Mr Leon said.
"After I finished school I won a Rural Health Scholarship which took me out west to Roma, and that's where I developed a passion for health care and what can be achieved in terms of genuine, life-changing outcomes for people living in remote communities.
Twenty-years on and Mr Leon has now been appointed Chair of the Western Queensland Primary Health Network.
"It's an immense area of land to cover and each region has its own specific health challenges that need to be addressed, but I have the support of a very talented Board that has a comprehensive knowledge of the health system in Queensland, particularly in rural and remote areas," he said.
"Having spent the past four and a half years living and working in Mount Isa as the CEO of Gidgee Healing, as well as having family connections to the area, I think this gives me a good platform to commence the Chair role.
Funded by the Commonwealth Government, Australia's 31 Primary Health Networks aim to improve population health by commissioning targeted health services in rural and remote regions.
The WQPHN is the 4th largest PHN in terms of geographic area, making up more than 55% of Queensland's total land mass, with the second highest Indigenous population of all PHNs.
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
