Grampians Health held its annual general meeting on Wednesday, November 29, and took the opportunity to recognise the organisation's achievements over the past year and commitment to further develop the health service.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
"Our goal is to continue investing and developing health services, and so far, we have witnessed remarkable dedication by our workforce to achieve this, resulting in growth and innovation," said Grampians Health Chair Bill Brown.
"Earlier this month we passed the milestone of two years as Grampians Health, and what an immense two years it has been. We have laid a very solid foundation for the years to come.
"Over the next twelve months we will renew our strategic priorities; which will retain a singular vision: to make healthcare for our communities more accessible."
Grampians Health was formed on November 1, 2021 following the amalgamation of Edenhope & District Memorial Hospital, Stawell Regional Health, Ballarat Health Services, and Wimmera Health Care Group with the goal of providing high quality and safe care to people across the Grampians region.
Over the past few months, Grampians Health has witnessed several milestones including the initiation of robotic surgery in Ballarat, reintroduction of student nursing placements across Stawell to boost our workforce, increased community health services in Edenhope and an expansion of maternity services in Horsham, which now boasts of a lactation service as well in addition to the Maternity Outpatients Clinic.
Next year, maternity capabilities in Horsham will be enhanced further through the appointment of a Regional Director of Obstetrics.
In the coming months, Horsham's High Dependency Unit is also expected to benefit with increased medical support from our Ballarat Intensive Care Unit, and the addition of an onsite anaesthetist intensivist.
In Stawell, a second operating theatre will be operational later in the year, while oncology services will continue to expand across the region.
In addition to the tangible achievements, Grampians Health has also successfully introduced newer models of care including new nurse training models, home-based cancer care services, improvements to timely emergency care, and a review of how we care for patients experiencing mental health episodes, to reduce instances of seclusion or restraint.
As Australia's largest provider of public sector residential aged care, we have also overhauled service delivery across our fifteen Aged Care Communities, to support every resident's right to live a meaningful and purposeful life.
While we provide life-saving care to our communities, we also recognise the need for continued investment in the health and wellbeing of our most valuable assets: our people. Over the past year, we have introduced several initiatives to enhance staff culture and well-being, including our Gender Equality Action Plan, and Reconciliation Action Plan.
We will also be delivering a Disability Action Plan in coming weeks, and each of these plans outlines how Grampians Health will meet education, training and support requirements for our workforce and the communities we serve.
"Globally, the healthcare landscape is evolving to meet challenging community needs, and Grampians Health is committed to embracing modern solutions," said Mr Brown.
"We are committed to making care more accessible to regional Victorians in the Grampians region and will continue to deliver improved services to help our communities live a meaningful life."
Do you want to read more local news? Click HERE
