LHAC members come from all walks of life and have varying interests, but what unites them is that they are strong and vocal advocates who have their community's best interest at heart.

Their opinions, concerns and ideas about what matters most to local people contributes enormously to health service planning and sustainability.

LHAC members share a desire to ensure successful and sustained health services that will meet the future needs of people in their region.

"It's really important that LHAC volunteers have a wide and varied range of interest that they bring to the table," MLHD Community Engagement Manager Setchen Brimson said.

"We are particularly looking for people who are well connected in their local area and can speak with people from all different backgrounds to get a real sense of what's going on in their community, and where the needs and gaps are.

"What's most important is that LHAC members can give consumers in their region a voice that is heard, and they can play a pivotal role in informing health providers in making changes to future services."

There are 33 LHAC across the Murrumbidgee region, including Boorowa

Each LHAC plays a role in helping to inform decisions that are made in primary and acute care by advocating for health consumers in their area.

LHAC members meet once monthly and consist of around seven community members, a clinical representative and a staff representative from MLHD.

The committees are supported by the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) and the Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) and are provided with funding opportunities to work on projects which align to the strategic direction of both organisations.

LHACs work with the MPHN in areas such as understanding the primary care needs of people in their region.

They participate in health needs analysis, community led planning, conversations on the couch and other co-design opportunities to ensure that community interested and concerns are taken into consideration when planning to provide service delivery.

LHACs also work with the MLHD on providing feedback on acute care services offered in hospital settings, as well as other public health services including aged care and community nursing.

More information about the role of LHAC is available on the MLHD website.

Applications for new LHAC members close in January.

For more information visit: https://www.mlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/get-involved or call Setchen Brimson on 0477 359 764.

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