Health Service Board

Dr Neale Fong

Board Chair

Dr Fong is a registered medical practitioner with over 35 years' experience in a wide range of leadership roles in the private and public hospital systems. He is currently Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Bethesda Health Care and is the outgoing Chair of the WA Country Health Service Board, President of the Australasian College of Health Service Management, and Chair of the International Hospital Federation Global Management Special Interest Group. Dr Fong has also previously been the Director General of the WA Department of Health, CEO of St John of God Hospital Subiaco and Director of the Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute at Curtin University.

Prof Eli Gabbay

Chair, Safety and Quality Committee

Prof Gabbay is a respiratory physician at St John of God Hospital Subiaco, where he is Deputy Director Clinical Services, Head of the Department of Respiratory Medicine and Head of Respiratory Research.

In addition, he holds academic positions as a Professor of Medicine at the University of Notre Dame, and Adjunct Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at the University of Western Australia.

Prof Gabbay undertook specialist training in Respiratory Medicine at Royal Perth Hospital following completion of his medical qualifications.

Mrs Meghan Maor

Chair, Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee

MBA, BSc

Mrs Maor is a healthcare leader with experience in consulting, project management and clinical audit. She has managed and consulted on multiple, complex healthcare projects and programs both within Australia and the United Kingdom, including providing in-house consultancy to the Office of the Chief Medical Officer at the WA Department of Health.

Mrs Maor is also a national committee member of SOS Fracture Alliance (Australia), and board member of the National Health Service National Falls and Fragility Audit Program (United Kingdom).

Mr John McLean

Chair, Finance Committee

Bsc (Econ) Hons, CA (ANZ), F.FINSIA, GAICD

Mr John McLean is a Chartered Accountant and experienced non-executive director. He is currently the Director and Consultant of Red Jacket Consulting which provides management consultancy services in strategic planning, business improvement, people development, procurement processes, and training and risk management.

He has extensive executive management and board experience, with former executive roles including CEO of Jackson McDonald and General Manager of Coopers and Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers).

As part of Mr McLean’s current role, he provides advisory services to companies in relation to risk management, strategic planning and governance issues (including advisory boards).

Mr McLean holds board roles with the Neurological Council of WA and the Aboriginal Arts Centre Hub Western Australia.

Dr Peter Steer

Board Member

Dr Steer is a paediatrician with extensive Australian and international experience. Appointed as CEO of the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne in March 2025, Dr Steer was previously the Group Chief Executive of Mater Misericordiae Ltd in Brisbane, leading Mater’s services across Queensland. Other past roles include being the CEO of Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, President of McMaster Children’s Hospital in Canada, and CEO of Children’s Health Queensland.

Professor Karen Strickland

Chair, People, Capability and Culture Committee

RN, PhD, MSc, PGCert, BSC, FHEA, FEANS, MACN

Professor Strickland has extensive clinical, academic and research experience across health, higher education and social service sectors, most notably as Executive Dean, School of Nursing and Midwifery at Edith Cowan University and Head of School, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Canberra.

Professor Strickland has consulted internationally in education and health-related curriculum development and is a Registered Nurse Academic Accreditation Assessor with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council.

Professor Strickland is acknowledged as an expert in the field of cancer, palliative and aged care, with two Visiting Professor appointments at international universities in New Zealand and Scotland. Professor Strickland is an experienced board member at local, Commonwealth and international levels, including Chair of the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery in Australia and New Zealand.

Ms Kelly Worlock

Board Member

Ms Worlock is the Chief Operations Officer at Brightwater, a position she has held since 2021. Formerly the Executive Director of Governance and System Support Directorate at the WA Department of Health, she led and directed WA health’s system governance and assurance, including health board appointments, and provided advice to the Minister for Health, the Director General and senior executives across the WA health system. Ms Worlock holds a Bachelor of Laws as well as a Bachelor of Commerce (Human Resources Management and Industrial Relations).