Dr Jones is the Director Cancer Services and Innovation, providing management and coordination of Cancer Services across the Western NSW Local Health District. She has a depth of knowledge regarding the complexity and diversity of rural and regional health care issues having spent the last two decades living and working in regional NSW. She has experience in a range of large, complex health care organisations, both in Australia and the USA having performed at a senior level in both clinical and managerial roles leading teams to provide quality cancer patient outcomes. Her clinical practice included the nursing care and treatment of people with cancer across the care continuum – Medical Oncology, Haematology (including bone marrow transplant) through to Palliative Care. Ruth completed her PhD at Charles Sturt University which was a phenomenological study which aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the cancer journey in a rural context by exploring, articulating and analysing the unique challenges faced by people following a cancer diagnosis in the Central West of NSW.