We know people prefer services and complex treatments as close to home as possible. The delivery of these services presents as both an opportunity and a challenge.

The state government funding increase will allow EGHS to offer 120 more operations to local people than last year. To provide this increase in service we need to ensure the availability of skilled staff. We employ just over 340 people, they are the most critical factor in running a high performing health service. 

The EGHS Building for the Future Foundation offers two $10,000 bursarships for our nurses to undertake skills based learning such as midwifery. Nursing workforce projections indicate that there will be a national shortage of nurses, we are at workforce shortage now.

This is why the health service developed Pyrenees House as an education and training centre. In conjunction with Federation University, EGHS brought nurse training back to the hospital in 2012. 

Many of the nurses who have been trained by Federation University at EGHS have remained in the area in meaningful employment with increased confidence and capacity.

Evidence indicates that communities that have higher levels of education and knowledge have higher levels of health and well-being. This is something a local health service needs to be involved in helping to achieve.

It is time to start a discussion about Ararat and district and its role in education and training. The three secondary schools in the Ararat Rural City have the responsibility to deliver the highest quality of learning to our young people. To achieve this our schools require the support of the community and that includes all of us.

As a CEO I look forward to playing my part and seeing an increased number of local students able to undertake study in the fields of medicine, dentistry and physiotherapy and hopefully one day take up the option of working locally.

Chief executive,

East Grampians Health Service