The concept is not new, in 1991 Whanganui's General Practitioners formed the Progressive Health Incorporated to look after the regions primary healthcare needs.
The organisation did a lot of good but lacked population data.
Dr Nicholson was a member of the PHI when it was formed.
"You did your best at the time but we now have tools that gives us up to date information."
In 2003 the PHI received government backing, and reorganised to form the WHO, which became the WRHN 2013.
"It was a governmental change about how they wanted the primary care to be run, they decided they wanted to go for community input, and community governance and you can't do that as a group of GP's running your own show."
Dr Nicholson says new funding and population information allowed them to put resources where they were needed most.
"Primary health care has made great gains, we never used to look at population health, we never used to look at smoking, alcohol, family violence, we used to just deal with what was in front of us."
"Nintey percent of people now have had a cardiovascular risk assessment, we now have programmes to stop people smoking and drinking, for diabetes. These are the things that get me really excited."
The WRHN have 8 board member with specialities that include health, business and cultural advise.
The three members will be replaced by Michael Sewell, Dr Deon Hazelhurst and Alaina Teki-Clark.
The WRHN receives a yearly funding of twenty million dollars to coordinates the health for 55,722 patients in the region.
