Cynthia Payne

Cynthia joined SummitCare as the Chief Executive Officer in October 2002. Having worked in the aged care industry for a period over twenty years she brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to her role. Her key responsibility is to provide sound leadership to the organisation as a whole and to ensure SummitCare is an industry leader for excellence in residential aged care.

She is a Registered Nurse who holds a Diploma of Applied Science (Nursing) which was converted to a Bachelor of Applied Science (Nursing) with the University of Sydney. Between 1992 and 1994 Cynthia part completed a Master of Nursing (specialising in pain assessment got people with Dementia) before commencing and completing a Master of Business Administration through the Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of New England - major in Human Resource Management.

She is a Fellow of The Australian Institute of Management (AIM), Associate Fellow of the Australian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM), Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Member of the Women on Boards (WOB) and long time Member of the College of Nursing.

Cynthia is a regularly sought after public speaker and she holds a strong interest in leadership, management, quality systems, and resident focussed solutions for aged care providers. To keep her self professionally up to date Cynthia advocates the benefits of her 7 years membership with The Executive connection (TEC).

In here personal life Cynthia is Mum to four children (Jack - 14, Andrea - 10, Nicola - 3 and Grace - 1), and is ever grateful for the unwavering support of her partner in life - Neville.

Representations on Committees / Boards and Industry Leadership include

July 2011 - Current

Chair - Arts and Health Institute (AHI)

June 2011 - Current

Member - Financial Benchmarking Reference Group. Commonwealth Department of Health & Ageing Chair - Bruce Cutting

November 2010 - Current

President - Glenorie Preschool Association Inc

November 2004 – Current
Elected Director and Treasurer - ACAA – NSW Board of Management (previously known as ANHECA-NSW)

January 2007 - 2008
Governance & Accreditation Reference Committee
Aged Care Standards & Accreditation Agency

2006 - Current
Industry Interview Representative for RABQSA

November 2004-2007
Member - Technical Reference Group
Australian Government, Department of Health & Ageing
“Evaluating the impact of accreditation on the delivery of quality of care and quality of life to residents in residential aged care facilities’

2005 - Current

Mentor - Lucy Mentoring Program. Office for Women, University of Sydney & University of Western Sydney

2005

Awarded the Abena-Sanicare Study Tour Scholarship to Denmark and Norway where for over 2 weeks studied Scandinavian aged care delivery

2004-2009
Professional Referee for National Geriaction Journal

2004
Member - 2006: Expert Panel - National Clinical IT in Aged Care Project
Australian Government- Department of Health and Ageing
Member - Reference Group - National Volunteer in Palliative Care Support Project
Australian Government – Department of Health and Ageing

October 2003
Represented Australia at the Ninth Annual Commonwealth Study Conference
Auspiced under the Duke of Edinburgh, hosted by Australia and New Zealand
Theme: People First in the Global Community
Study Tour sites- New Zealand North Island

2001- September 2002
Member - National Industry Liaison Group for the Residential Classification Working Group
Chair - Mr. David Graham First Assistant Secretary
Commonwealth Department of Health & Ageing
Member on behalf of Baptist Care Australia

1999 - 2001
Member - (By Ministerial appointment) National Aged Care Worker Qualification Working Group
Producing the National review of Enrolled Nurse Education

1998 - 2001
Director - NSW Community Services & Health Industry Training Advisory Body

1998-2003
Member - Nursing and Management Professional Advisory Committee (NAMPAC) formerly NIAC with ANHECA-NSW

1996-2001

Director & Treasurer (1998-2001) - Alzheimer’s Association Australia - NSW