Saying Goodbye to WVPHN
Just under two weeks ago, I announced my resignation as Western Victoria Primary Health Network’s (WVPHN) CEO. I’ve accepted a new role as the dual CEO of Western District Health Service and Casterton Memorial Hospital.
As I said to WVPHN staff when I announced my resignation, I am really proud of what we’ve all achieved at WVPHN. One of the things I am most proud of has been the opportunity to lead and represent the most amazing group of staff – they are intelligent, innovative and passionate about the health and well-being of their communities.
It has also been an incredible privilege to be an advocate for the people of western Victoria, the place that I live and love. As an organisation we work and collaborate with so many different organisations in our region and across Australia, and it’s been a delight to meet and share ideas with so many people who are so expert and passionate about health care and their communities.
My role with WVPHN will continue until the end of the year, while my new role will start on 1 February 2024.
Royal Flying Doctors Service Community Transport Program and our 2024 Needs Assessment
Last week I attended the official launch of the Royal Flying Doctor Service’s new Community Transport Program in St Arnaud and Warracknabeal – just two of ten sites across rural Victoria that are home to the program.
Our last Needs Assessment indicated that availability of transport was a key determinant of access to health care in these regions, so it’s been wonderful to see these services, which have been running since July 2023, come to fruition. Hearing the stories of people who have been able to utilise the service, and the difference it has made to their lives, has been really uplifting.
It’s also a great reminder of the importance of our Needs Assessment.
Every three years we do a Needs Assessment, and we’ve just launched our latest one. It’s a key tool in making decisions about how and on what we spend our budget. Last year, this amounted to more than $58 million worth of services delivered.
To ensure that this funding meets the needs of the communities that we serve, we are asking the people that live and work in our communities about the health issues they face, and what services they need to feel healthier. We’d love your feedback, which you can give here.
Western Alliance Symposium
As part of our recognition that WVPHN needs to support the generation and translation of research that improves primary health care, we are a partner of Western Alliance, a regionally-based research translation institute. Every year, Western Alliance hold a symposium to share the best regional research from universities and health services. This year, WVPHN had a dedicated session, Primary care research showcase, discussing seven pieces of research and research translation looking at innovative approaches to the delivery of primary health care in the western Victoria region. To read the full article and abstracts of presentations, click here.
WVPHN Networking Events
Finally, a big thank you to everyone who’s made it to one of the series of networking events that we’ve been holding across our region. So far, we’ve hosted events in Ballarat, Horsham, Portland, Warrnambool and Hamilton, with just one remaining event – Geelong – on tonight. It’s been amazing to see so many people turning up to meet for the first time or reconnect post-pandemic and celebrate as we come towards the end of another really busy year in primary health care.
Thank you again.
Rowena Clift, CEO WVPHN
29 November 2023