New board chairman for Lutheran Homes
At the March meeting of the Lutheran Homes Incorporated (LHI Retirement Services) board, Chairman Richard Bartholomaeus announced his intention to retire, effective from the end of July 2015.
LHI Retirement Services is South Australia’s largest Lutheran retirement living and aged-care provider, employing 550 staff and caring for 1000 older Australians at two sites in the Adelaide suburbs of Glynde and Hope Valley.
Mr Bartholomaeus has served as a member of the board since 1978, an achievement unequalled in the history of the organisation. For 24 of those 37 years he has been the chairman. He also served as acting Chief Executive Officer in 1991–1992.
Through his voluntary work, Mr Bartholomaeus has also mentored and inspired management, staff, volunteers and people from the wider community. He was General Manager of the Lutheran Laypeople’s League of Australia Incorporated (1986–2007), and has served or continues to serve in many voluntary capacities within the Lutheran Church of Australia.
Following the announcement of his retirement, the LHI Retirement Services board has announced the appointment of his successor, Julie-Anne Burgess.
Ms Burgess comes to her new role with extensive experience in the health-care sector, having worked in Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland and now South Australia. She is a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, North Adelaide.
Ms Burgess has moved through various levels of health service delivery across the acute and primary care sectors during her career. Her employment in health includes being Director of Primary Health and Ambulatory Care (Townville Health Service District), Executive Director Acute Services (Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide) and Director of Medical Imaging Operations (SA Medical Imaging) before moving into the role of State Courts Administrator, Chief Executive, South Australia in early 2013. She is currently responsible for an annual recurrent budget of more than $100 million to deliver court services to the community of South Australia.
Ms Burgess was responsible for managing 1300 full-time equivalent staff at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and currently manages about 800 staff delivering South Australian court services.
She says that her goal as chairman is to assist the board of LHI Retirement Services to make positive strategic decisions regarding the delivery of excellent care to residents, within the facilities for which they are responsible.
Tim Gray is the Chief Executive Officer of Lutheran Homes Incorporated.
