Service celebrates doctors
East Grampians Health Service has celebrated the contribution of regional doctors to the Ararat district community with its annual visiting medical officers dinner at its Pyrenees House reception centre.
The health service has developed a close partnership with doctors at Ararat Medical Centre, which provides medical support for obstetrics, surgical, acute and aged-care services.
Health service chief executive Nick Bush said many of the doctors provided around-the-clock on-call support for the hospital and urgent care centre, for people who required medical attention for serious health problems.
“We thank the doctors and their families for their commitment to East Grampians Health Service,” he said.
Mr Bush said it was through the doctors’ support that East Grampians Health Service managed to provide treatment for 4231 individuals through the urgent care centre and provide on-call maternity services to support the birth of 116 babies in the past year.
Professor Euan Wallace, the inaugural chief executive of Safer Care Victoria – an independent government body which focuses on positive reform for the quality and safety of health care in Victoria – was guest speaker at the dinner.
Professor Wallace was the Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Services at Monash Health, which oversaw the largest maternity service in Victoria.
He spoke about reforms to the Victorian Health Sector, which aimed to adopt an improved ‘safety culture’ and the potential for future collaborations with East Grampians Health Service.
Four medical students undertaking internship training were also invited to the dinner.
During their training, they work with health-care staff and patients and experience health care in a rural setting.
“The health service is very supportive of our students and we encourage all staff to adopt a learning culture approach,” Mr Bush said.
Chief backs service
Mr Bush has expressed his pride in the organisation despite it missing out on a hat-trick of ‘medium-sized’ Premier’s Health Service of the Year awards.
While missing out at Victorian Public Healthcare Awards this year, Mr Bush said the board, doctors, staff, more than 150 volunteers and five auxiliaries could be proud the health service was one of three out of 18 organisations shortlisted for this year’s award.
“Our nomination and shortlisting in this year’s award is recognition of the work of all involved in the organisation,” he said.
“Their devotion to providing the best care to our patients, residents and clients and their commitment to achieving higher standards is reflected in our nomination for the third consecutive year.”
Mr Bush said East Grampians Health Service had developed a reputation as an innovative and progressive rural health service and a leader in the delivery of safe, high quality integrated acute, residential and primary health care.
He said the health service continued to meet the needs of communities throughout Ararat Rural City.
“Our nomination for the third time is a wonderful achievement and demonstrates that our organisational values continue to be integrated into the planning and delivery of care we provide to our community by creating exceptional experiences for our patients, residents and clients and importantly, for each other,” he said.
Now in their 12th year, the awards recognise organisations providing the best care and support for Victorians.
Other finalists in the medium-size category included Echuca Regional Health and Benalla Health, with Benalla Health winning the award.