After 20 years at Bendigo Health, initially as a physiotherapist and then in managerial roles in allied health, community programs and acute hospital management, Ms Lindsay joined ERH in November after the resignation of Nick Bush.
Ms Lindsay, who grew up in Mildura, has experience on boards including Heathcote Health, Be.Bendigo and Girton Grammar School and said it gave her a good feel for governance and how organisations were run.
COVID-19 would continue to be a focus for the health service but Ms Lindsay said it would become more embedded in what it did, rather than in addition to its usual routine.
“We will still have a role in testing, vaccinations, and our emergency department will still need to have appropriate pathways for those who might present with COVID symptoms,” she said.
“We’re obviously part of a bigger system, so for our region working with Bendigo on the streaming of patients.
“The important role residential aged care plays will be very front and centre for ERH as well.”
Ms Lindsay’s first two weeks in the role were when ERH was in the middle of COVID-19 outbreak management, and she said the community doing the right thing had helped the control the outbreak quickly.
“Coming in on the tail end, my observation is everyone did what they could to make sure particularly the vulnerable members of the community remained safe,” she said.
“Double vaccination levels are over 95 per cent, testing rates were higher when they needed to be, and people are taking the care they need to to socially isolate.
“As a health service, while you hope that would be the case, you don’t take it for granted.”
COVID-19 has had an impact on healthcare workers during the past two years with the increased intensity of work, particularly during the recent outbreak, but Ms Lindsay said ERH was doing all it could to help lessen the burden for staff.
“Making sure our staff are being well supported to maintain their health and wellbeing and feeling as resilient as they can, is probably one of the highest priorities,” she said.
The health service is expecting an increased volume of activity — already evidenced through its emergency department for non-COVID-19-related presentations.
“There’s also been more births over the past year and the demand for community services like dental, NDIS, appears to have grown quite significantly during the past 12 months,” Ms Lindsay said.
“It’s certainly a priority to ensure we’re prepared for that growth as well.”
