Ms. Leigh Rhode

Executive Director of Community and Integrated Care
RPN, B.HlthSc (Nursing), Grad Dip Bus Studs (Health)

Leigh joined GV Health’s executive team in 1998 as Executive Director of Community and Integrated Care.

Born and raised in rural Victoria, Leigh has lived in Shepparton since the 1970s. She holds a Diploma of Business and a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Nursing) from Latrobe University, and spent her early career working in mental health services.

Previously, she worked at the Goulburn Valley Centre Against Sexual Assault from its establishment in 1988 to 1995. She also worked as CEO of The Bridge Youth Service in 1997 after returning from a management post at Westernport Youth Accommodation Service in Melbourne.

At GV Health, she has driven a range of service innovations, including the rural dental undergraduate training and regional service model, which is now a prototype for the state.

She led the development of GV Health’s Chronic Illness Strategy and initiated new models of care to support this strategy, including the chronic disease self-management service.

In 2006, she received a Rural Health Professional of the Year Award for the Hume Region, in recognition of her contribution and achievements.

Leigh provides executive support to GV Health’s Primary Care and Population Health Advisory Committee, Aboriginal Health Task Force and Cultural Diversity Committee. She represents GV Health on a range of regional and state committees, including the Statewide Refugee Health Network and the Goulburn Valley Regional Settlement Committee.

She is a member of several professional associations, including the Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM); International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQUA), the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) and the Australian Health Promotion Association (AHPA).