Bill Brown, Board Chair of Grampians Health, said the appointment was a positive step forward for the health service, which was established in November 2021 to deliver improved quality, accessibility and sustainability of healthcare services closer to home.

“The Grampians Health board has gone through an open and robust market process to find the best person for this position,” Mr Brown said. 

“We are thrilled that Dale has accepted the role to lead the development and growth of the newest public health service in Victoria.

“Community members and staff alike should have great faith that Dale’s substantial experience and skills – particularly in rural Victoria – will guide Grampians Health towards a successful future.  That success includes, but is certainly not limited to, realising the benefits of the amalgamation that created Grampians Health in the first place.

“With this appointment we will really start to see Grampians Health come into its own, with a strong lead and clear direction.”

Mr Fraser said he was proud to take on this role, and would draw on his experience as Chief Executive Officer at Goulburn Valley Health and Ballarat Health Services, as well as his connections across the Grampians region to lead the new service.

“Bringing together four already well respected health services into one is a huge task,” Mr Fraser said.

“We have learnt so much in our first three months of operation, and are already seeing the strengths and opportunities of shared resources and working together.

“The ongoing impact of COVID-19 on our communities and services is a prime example of how we have been able to move swiftly to work together as one Grampians Health, ensuring our sites have the support they need during this critical time.

“It goes without saying that COVID has also had a huge impact on our staff, and one of our key priorities right now is employee wellbeing. We are committed to providing meaningful support through wellbeing plans to our Grampians Health staff as this pandemic continues to impact the workforce.

“Our next steps for moving Grampians Health forward include understanding how we can improve the health system and deliver more services closer to home, particularly in Edenhope, Stawell, Horsham and Dimboola. This will reduce the number of people travelling for care and ensure patients can remain close to their support networks and their own familiar environment.

“We are also recruiting for community representatives to be on our Community Reference Groups across Horsham, Dimboola, Stawell, Edenhope and Ballarat. These groups will provide a consumer voice to ensure our services are tailored to meet community needs.

“Along with this is our priority to establish professional development opportunities and enhanced career development for our staff across all our Grampians Health sites.

“Internally we have been developing a shared set of values for Grampians Health. These will be the backbone of the service we provide, the way we work and our commitment to communities.”

Mr Fraser said that, in line with the commitments made at the time of Grampians Health’s establishment, the Board has commenced an extensive planning exercise on both the strategic plan for the organisation and the clinical services needs of the community. 

“For the strategic and clinical services planning to be successful, we are looking to our staff and community to actively participate in a series of virtual and face-to-face opportunities over the coming months to provide input on what you see as your health priorities, both in the short term and the long term,” Mr Fraser said.

“If you would like to be kept informed on these opportunities to contribute to the future of Grampians Health, visit www.grampianshealth.org.au to register your details.”

BACKGROUND

Grampians Health was established on 1 November 2021, following approval from the Victorian Government to bring together Edenhope and District Memorial Hospital, Stawell Regional Health, Wimmera Health Care Group and Ballarat Health Services to form one united healthcare service for the Grampians region.