Maryann Hazard has had a lifelong involvement in primary care going back decades.
Growing up with a GP father and Theatre Nurse mother imprinted on her from a very young age the critical difference a good health care experience can have not only on individuals, but on their families and communities more broadly.
The early experiences of watching her father welcome and accept all walks of life into this practice, without judgement, and provide exceptional wholistic care well beyond just medical treatment is a lasting standard Maryann has taken into her professional life.
In her career Maryann has worked in and/or for governments across Australia, both as a public servant and a consulting partner.
In 2014 she established a design thinking consultancy to bring good inclusive process and practice into the worlds of policy, corporate strategy and service design. Her career has taught her that few problems can be solved alone, and the strength of a solution is a direct result of the quality of the process to get there.
It was this philosophy in the Healthy Communities Foundation Australia Ltd that drew Maryann to the organisation. The commitment to looking at sustainable viable models of care in partnership with communities, and the willingness to go beyond advocacy to actually get hands on and try and find better ways to do things, that compelled her to apply for the Board role.
In recent years Maryann has supported multiple organisations develop and realign around new theories of change and other impact frameworks, and has worked closely with remote communities on governance and organisational models to deliver economic independence and opportunity to First Nations communities.
Maryann is looking forward to being part of a Board that supports the Chief Executive Officer, management team and staff not only continue the great work to date, but expand their footprint and continue to pursue the goal of having enduring community led health and social infrastructure across non-urban Australia.
The Foundation CEO, Mark Burdack, said: "The Foundation is extraordinarily lucky to have someone with the experience, passion and judgment of Maryann join our Board.
"Over the last few years we have seen the board evolve and grow into one of the most outstanding groups of leaders and intellectuals in the health and social justice space.
"It is a testament to othe work of the Foundation that we have such high impact people who want to join with us because they hear what our communities are saying, and know that we need to change how we deliver health care if we are to ensure health equity in Australia" said Mr Burdack.
Maryann holds qualification in social science, public administration and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.