Service awards were presented to many staff including, Bruce Pigdon OAM (30 years) Fiona Young (40 years) and Jacqui Moon (35 years) who are pictured here with Interim Chief Executive Officer Robin Haberecht.
An increase in funding support from the Department of Health has led to a favourable operating result for 2022-23 by Yarrawonga Health.
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Yarrawonga Health’s operating result before capital and specific items for 2022-23 was a surplus of $178,000.
The net result for the 2022-23 financial year was a deficit of $1,108,000 after capital and specific items, including a net capital surplus of $961,000 and depreciation of $2,118,000.
The Statement of Priorities operating budget was for a nil surplus and the result is favourable by $98,000.
The major factors which led to this favourable operating result include an increase in funding support from the Department of Health, which was used to support increased salaries and wages expenditure according to board chair as advised by board chair David Rokesky.
He told Yarrawonga Health’s Annual General Meeting at Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort on Monday, January 29 there were significant changes in its executive team throughout 2023.
“However I am very pleased that we now have a stable and very capable executive team who are very committed to Yarrawonga Health and our community,” Mr Rokesky told the 60 attendees at the AGM.
Yarrawonga Health Board Chair David Rokesky welcomed the 60 attendees to the AGM at Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort.
The board chair expressed his thanks to all Yarrawonga Health Staff for their dedication to the difficult work of health care which is constantly on show for the public. “We can proudly say that the best staff in health work right here at Yarrawonga Health,” Mr Rokesky said.
The board chair thanked Erin York who concluded her tenure as board chair. “Erin has been board chair for five years and has led the strategic vision of the hospital and the board with the people of Yarrawonga’s best interests at heart. Erin’s drive and passion for Yarrawonga Health and the broader community has been a great asset to us all,” Mr Rokesky said.
Ms Robin Haberecht, who commenced as Interim CEO Yarrawonga Health in mid-November 2023, said she has quickly recognised Yarrawonga Health’s great opportunity for service growth “to meet the needs of this rapidly growing population which includes Mulwala, Yarrawonga and their surrounding communities”.
In December 2023 Yarrawonga Health was awarded three years full accreditation under the National Standards for quality and safety which is a requirement of all public and private hospitals across Australia.
“Compliance with accreditation is a very complex and difficult process and it’s a worthy achievement for the health service to obtain full accreditation,” Ms Haberecht said.
“This year we will commence aged care accreditation under specific aged care standards set by the Commonwealth Government. We have a very committed aged care team who provide high quality care and I’m sure we will be successful in that assessment process also.
“During 2023 we recruited additional specialist palliative care nurse practitioners to support palliative and end-of-life care for people across the Moira Shire, which includes the people within the Mulwala community and broader Federation Shire.”
Corporate Governance Officer Andrew Whiteside.
She advised that Yarrawonga Health progressed a formal partnership with NCN Health to increase palliative care services and on average are now supporting 10 – 13 people per month to receive specialist nursing palliative care in their home with our palliative care nurse practitioners.
“While we have do have inpatient palliative care we aim to support people to be cared for in their place of choice which often includes their home,” Ms Haberecht said.
“Maternity services both pre and post natal continue to grow and it’s pleasing to note that our younger adult population demographic continues to increase, and women are actively seeking the support of our program on both sides of our border. While we no longer provide birthing at YH it’s important we do provide comprehensive ante and post natal care in partnership with our general practitioners and specialist visiting obstetricians. Our local GPs are very supportive of this program and are actively involved in our maternity clinics.
“Our Urgent care centre which supports emergency/urgent presentations is seeing significant growth particularly in the holiday seasons, which we know is predominately at least six months of the year and most weekends of the year. In the past financial year we saw 5,344 presentations and in this financial year we are expecting well over 5,500. We continue to plan budget and resourcing for acute services including urgent care, with the department of health to support continued service growth and funding.
“Like most health services we are challenged by recruitment of nursing, allied health, medical and other support positions. We are in a destination location which is affordable and very appealing for lifestyle choice. We will progress a range of recruitment and promotional strategies to increase our employee base and reduce the use of a locum/agency workforce. We are also partnering with our other regional health services across the Hume, Ovens and Murray to facilitate education and professional development opportunities to continually upskill our workforce and develop professional career pathways.”
An acknowledgement of the wonderful contribution to health and the newspaper industry in respect of John Richards OAM was given by board chair David Roskeky.
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La Trobe University
The acting CEO commended local general practitioners “who have highly regarded GP training programs within their practices which support our health service and also enable doctors to return back to our community and/or choose to make their family and career life here”.
Capital works on Yarrawonga Health’s $10.8 million operating theatre, post operative recovery unit, central sterilising department to support surgery and new main entrance to acute services began two weeks ago.
“This has been a long-awaited project and is expected to conclude in February 2025,” Ms Haberecht said.
“This will see a major positive shift in provision of surgery at Yarrawonga Health and support people to have necessary procedures closer to home.”
Yarrawonga Health Board’s corporate governance officer Andrew Whiteside gave his summation of 2022-23. “This past year was another challenging time, however, despite these challenges the team at Yarrawonga Health have continued towards innovation and collaboration with our community and our partners,” he said.
Ms Haberecht praised all employees. “We are so proud of all of our Yarrawonga Health staff – from those who’ve recently started to those who’ve been here for decades,” she said.
Staff with milestone years of service were named, as follows, 10 years: Marg Galvin, Nedean Clarke, Dee Ferguson, Jane McMahon, Elizabeth True, Kerryn Hilet, Ashlee Tufvesson, Amy Jury, Zoellen Way; 15 years: Sharon Franklin, Chelsea O’Brien, Murali Ooruthiran; 20 years: Leanne Tanner, Christine Pieper: 30 years: Bruce Pigdon OAM (A former board director of the Yarrawonga Health Board, Bruce is Life Governor of the health service and currently a Consumer Advisory Committee member): 35 years: Pauline Rosmulder, Jacqui Moon: 40 years: Fiona Young.
Presentations of service awards were made accordingly by Mr Rokesky and Ms Haberecht who congratulated and thanked staff and volunteers, saying their long-term commitment to the health service is outstanding.
Dignitaries at the AGM were Aunty Iris Troutman from Many Mobs Cultural Connections Group who delivered an Acknowledgement of Country, Tim McCurdy, Member for Ovens Valley; and John Tanner AM, Moira Shire Administrator.
The AGM concluded with the amazing and magnificent contribution to the health industry throughout north-east Victoria by Yarrawonga District Health Board’s inaugural president and board member for 22 years, known as “a rural Australian champion” John Richards OAM being referred to by Mr Rokesky. The highly credentialled Mr Richards sadly passed away on April 28, 2023.
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