Benalla Health is undertaking a workforce redesign project which will enable the organisation to align its organisational and committee structures with state and federal health policy directions and our current Strategic Plan and Clinical Services Plan.
The three new Operational Directors have been recruited to develop and implement contemporary models of care so that we can best meet the needs of our community now and into the future. They will report directly to Sue Wilson, Executive Director Clinical Services.
This is a very exciting time for Benalla Health and we will be working very closely with our community to keep them informed and gain their feedback on how we need to proceed.
The Operational Directors are:
Heather Betts, Operational Director - Healthy Communities
Heather grew up in Melbourne and moved to Wangaratta when she was 15 years old, completing her schooling there. She then completed her general nursing training at Northeast Health Wangaratta. She has had a long and successful career in nursing, maternal and child health, social work, diversity and ageing. Her work has included clinical and management roles in the health sector and local government. Heather leads a range of innovative community health programs, supported by interdisciplinary teams inclusive of nurses, dieticians, physiotherapists, speech therapists, podiatrists and occupational therapists.
Anne-Marie Kerr, Operational Director - Performance Improvement
Anne-Marie is responsible for leading patient safety, quality of care, risk and education. She was born in Benalla and has moved back to be closer to her family after spending many years working in outback Australia. She is a trained nurse and midwife and for the past 20 years, has been based in Far North Queensland, where she worked primarily with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, providing primary health care services and working with the Royal Flying Doctor Service on medical retrievals. Anne-Marie’s major focus at Benalla Health will be on helping to continue the work on patient safety and quality of care.
Lisa Pryor - Operational Director - Continuum of Care
Lisa is operationally responsible for the acute care, midwifery, Urgent Care Centre, Morrie Evans Wing (MEW) theatre and day procedure units. Lisa is a registered nurse and midwife and has lengthy experience in rural and regional health. She says that the move to Benalla Health from Beechworth Health Service was prompted by the service’s excellent reputation for providing quality care, as well as the opportunity to further enhance her skills. Lisa has held a number of nursing positions in health services and says her focus at Benalla Health will be on working with staff and consumers on providing quality, safe healthcare for all.
