GPRA board members
Dr Sama Balasubramanian — President
Dr Sama Balasubramanian is a GP working in regional NSW in the town of Wagga Wagga and was appointed GPRA president in November 2018. He has a passion for registrar advocacy and wellbeing, and sits on the GPRA Board as the Registrar Director. He was a Registrar Liaison Officer (RLO) GP Synergy and is the registrar representative on the WentWest Primary Health Network Clinical Council. Sama was involved in multiple committees for GP Synergy, and was on the management committee for the General Practice Training and Education Conference 2017. He is also a member of the RACGP NSW&ACT Faculty Board.
Mr Scott Williams — Chair
Scott Williams is the Chief Executive Officer of the Police Health Group, a not-for-profit member-based private health insurance organisation for both the Police and Emergency Services community. Scott has worked within the healthcare industry for 28 years and, having commenced his career as a Registered Nurse holding many clinical and management roles in both the community and hospital setting. Scott has also held a variety of senior executive roles within public and private health across both Australia and the United Kingdom. His interest in the health service was nurtured at an early age by his grandmother who had held a long career in healthcare herself as an enrolled nurse from the 1950s.
In addition to his CEO role, Scott has been active in serving on several Boards at a local and national level which have included Ronald McDonald House Charities, HeartKids SA/NT and more recently completing two terms of office as an Appointed Director for the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Currently, he is serving as a Director on the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network Governing Council, and in 2018 accepted the role of Chair for the Joanna Briggs Institute Advisory Committee.
Ms Ingrid Williams
Ingrid has been a GPRA Board Director since September 2013 and is a member and current chair of the Nominations and Remunerations Committee. She is an advisory consultant within the aged care sector having recently sold her own aged care business. Ingrid has 30 years' experience in the health and aged care sector. Ingrid holds a Bachelor of Educational Studies, a Master in Health Administration and is a Fellow of the Williamson Community Leadership Program. She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has recently completed the INSEAD International Directors' Programme. Ingrid also sits on the board of Road Trauma Support Services Victoria, as the deputy chair.
Dr Eranthi Hettiarachchi
Eranthi is a GP Registrar in Queensland with GMT after spending four years in the hospital system including a year of locum work. Born in Sri Lanka and growing up on Pacific Islands, Eranthi completed her medical training in Australia and went on to work in regional and rural areas. Eranthi is passionate about addressing the issues that face future cohorts of trainees and considers the importance of GPs being viewed as an integral part of the health care system, recognising members’ training pathways with consideration to their well-being, exam preparation, remuneration and individual life experiences. Eranthi has a background in Psychology and Executive Leadership and her clinical special interest is in Paediatrics.
Dr Rebekah Hoffman
Rebekah is a new fellow of the RACGP, and works clinically in Mittagong, NSW, where she has special interests in dermatology, women's health and children's health. Rebekah also works as a clinical tutor and lecturer at the University of Wollongong. Rebekah has a keen academic focus, recently presenting and publishing her research from her academic year, looking at Junior doctor burnout. She is undertaking a PhD at the University of Wollongong, looking at the experiences of barriers and supports to women who juggle the dual roles of being a mother and a doctor. Rebekah is also the Chair of the NSW New Fellows Committee, and sits on the NSW RACGP Faculty. She is the co-host of the popular podcast, “Just a GP”, alongside faculty members Dr Ashlea Broomfield and A/Prof Charlotte Hespe. Previously, Rebekah was a GP Registrar and Registrar Liaison Officer with GP Synergy.
Xander Alpherts
Xander is a partner at Deloitte specialising in mergers and acquisitions. Xander leads the healthcare M&A team at Deloitte and has a personal and professional interest in the sector. He also leads Deloitte’s Financial Advisory practice in Victoria. Xander joined the GPRA board in July 2019 and chairs the Finance and Risk Management (FARM) committee. Xander has a BA from the University of Oxford, followed by a career in corporate finance at Shell, ABNAMRO, Investec and Deloitte. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a current director of Road Trauma Support Services Victoria.
Dr Melanie Smith — Immediate Past President
Melanie has attained Fellowship of the RACGP and has worked clinically at a practice in Happy Valley, South Australia. Melanie’s interests from a clinical perspective lie in palliative care, mental health and children’s health. Working collaboratively with GPRA members, supervisors and the professional bodies, Melanie is passionate about supporting GP registrars during training, and the profession as a whole, to ensure the future of general practice is a healthy one for patients and doctors alike. Melanie was previously a GP registrar and Registrar Liaison Officer (RLO) with GPEx. She is the immediate past president of GPRA.
The GPRA Advisory Council reports to the Board. The committees within the Board for governance are: audit, finance, succession planning, director and senior management evaluation and remuneration, risk management and strategic planning.
GPRA is governed by the GPRA constitution.
GPRA executive leadership
Dr Andrew Gosbell
Chief Executive Officer
Andrew is responsible for the overall working of the organisation and works closely with the GPRA Board, key stakeholders and government providing overall direction and management to GPRA to ensure the organisation delivers on its objectives and remains a strong voice for the next generation of general practitioners.
Andrew represents GPRA and its policies and issues at various external stakeholder meetings, and works collaboratively with key stakeholders to advance the GP training environment. Andrew also oversees GPRA's registrar programs including management of the Indigenous General Practice Registrars Network (IGPRN), policy development and member advocacy and support services.
GPRA network patron
Professor Michael Kidd AM
Professor Michael Kidd AM is the Patron of GPSN and GPRA. He is a past president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), and a past president of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). He has recently been appointed as the Director of the new World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Family Medicine and Primary Care.