The Sun Country Regional Health Authority (SCRHA) has three new members.
The appointments of Marilynn Garnier of Redvers, Brian Romaniuk of Carlyle and Leigh Rosengren of Midale were announced on Monday. Garnier will be the SCHRA’s vice-chair. Marilyn Charlton of Weyburn will remain the chairperson.
“The RHA has operated with only six members for quite some time,” said Sun Country Health Region president and CEO Marga Cugnet. “It will be helpful to have a larger complement of members, as well as the different perspectives that come from different areas of the region.”
The SCHRA serves as the governing body for the health region.
Rosengren is a self-employed veterinary epidemiologist and cattle producer who believes serving on the SCRHA is an opportunity to understand how health care decisions are made. She looks forward to gaining the experience of working on a large governing authority.
“I was approached with the opportunity, and I think it’s important to be involved in our community and give back wherever we can,” Rosengren told the Mercury. “My opinion is that education and health care are the two most important things that our government gives us, so the opportunity to give back in health care was huge.”
She believes her medical background is one reason she will be a good fit with the authority. But it will be her first foray into a health board.
Rosengren wants to attend meetings and learn more about the health region before she tries to make any changes.
“My most important job will be to get on board and understand what their issues are, rather than to go in there with an agenda,” said Rosengren.
She looks forward to building a relationship with the board members, and learning from their experiences.
Rosengren spoke with Sun Country board chair Marilyn Charlton of Weyburn before the appointment was announced. Charlton stressed the value of having people from across the region at the board table, and her desire to have members with varied backgrounds.
“They want people who come from a background in accounting, some with legal experience and some with a medical background,” said Rosengren. “I hope to bring a different perspective to the board. I live in a rural community, and I think it’s important to make sure we can retain services across the region.”
Romaniuk is a general contractor, carpenter and councillor with Carlyle Town Council. He is particularly interested in facility use and the governing of health care.
Garnier recently retired as CEO of the Redvers Activity Centre, a program for adults with developmental disabilities. She has always been interested in health care governance and wants to learn how health decisions are made while contributing to the region’s governance.
SCRHA members who have been reappointed are Charlton, Robert Brickley of Kennedy, Derrell Rodine of Tribune, Karen Stephenson of Weyburn and Gary St. Onge of Estevan.
Health authority members are appointed by the lieutenant governor-in-council. Each member holds office for a term of three years, and then the member is reappointed or the appointment is cancelled. The lieutenant governor-in-council designates the chair and the
vice-chair.
