Bairnsdale Regional Health Service is welcoming Board appointments that continue to strengthen the health service’s skills and connection to the community.
Well-known Paynesville resident and Acting CEO of Workways, Karly McCaskill, has been reappointed to the Board for another term, starting 1 July.
Since her appointment in 2019, Karly has shown her deep commitment to the growing needs of the community, also serving as Chair of the health service’s Community Advisory Committee, a diverse panel of local residents who provide additional advice and a valued voice to the Board and staff on community needs and service enhancement.
BRHS will also welcome a new Board member, Kieran Donovan, who brings a depth of expertise in advising and governing organisations in complex and heavily regulated industries. Kieran joins a strong skills-based local Board, all of whom have deep connections to the region and the community. The Board also comprises:
- Board Chair and Metung resident Professor Sandy Leggat
- Bairnsdale chartered accountant Chad Burrell
- Gippsland Paediatrician with Neonatology subspecialisation Dr Simon Fraser
- IT executive John Papatheohari, who specialises in digital health transformation for regional communities
- award-winning local journalist and author, and former Chair of Destination Gippsland, Sue Smethurst, and
- distinguished health executive and Adjunct Professor with Deakin University Amanda Cameron, who lived and worked in the region for 30 years and is now Chief Operating Officer of Barwon Health. Amanda joined the Board last year and is well known to many with four generations of the Cameron family involved in agriculture in East Gippsland.
“The combination of local representation, knowledge of best-practice health and governance systems, experienced governance of multimillion-dollar organisations and a strong passion to deliver the best health services to meet the ever-changing needs of a growing community has been a key to the success of the Board,” Professor Leggat said.
In the past year, the BRHS team cared for a record number of patients in the hospital or at home. On average, 60 people presented to the Emergency people each day, 270 babies were born and there were more than 10,000 inpatient admissions, with its aged care facilities at capacity for most of the year.
“BRHS was recognised for excellent care and sustainable operations as a finalist in the Premier’s Award for Medium Health Service of the Year, which makes BRHS one of Victoria’s top hospitals. East Gippsland has a health service we can all be proud of,” Professor Leggat said.