General News
28 November, 2025
Great care for great people
About 40 people attended the Rural Northwest Health AGM on Tuesday, November 25. The meeting was livestreamed for those who could not attend.
About 40 people attended the Rural Northwest Health AGM on Tuesday, November 25.
RNH Board of Directors chair Dr John Aitken addressed the meeting, emphasising that patient care is the organisation's priority.
“There have been lots of changes in the organisation and, as we look forward to 2026 and beyond, our mission remains to promote wellness, enhance health and support healthy ageing,” he said.
He said COVID-19 was still a challenge with several recent cases at the hospital.
He said one of the challenges of the pandemic had been the loss of staff and the difficulty recruiting new members.
This had resulted in having to recruit overseas, but as 2026 approached, local recruitment would be a priority.
Housing for staff remained a challenge, Dr Aitken said, but the Hopetoun project had provided two duplexes, which provided accommodation for skilled staff.
The duplexes were among the first projects completed under the Regional Worker Accommodation Fund. They had come in under budget, allowing the purchase of furniture and air conditioning that were not originally part of the plan.
Recognising just some of the health and wellbeing projects RNH delivered in the community, including the Home Support Program, the donation of bikes to St Mary’s School, and the various activities aimed at engaging our younger and older residents alike, he said the more of these initiatives RNH could do, the better the outcome.
Dr Aitken also discussed RNH joining the Grampians Local Health Service Network and how this has enabled RNH to access shared resources for our communities.
“I occasionally get asked about amalgamation and, for the foreseeable future, it’s not going to happen; and it won’t be our choice for it to happen,” Dr Aitken said.
“Rural Northwest Health has no plans to amalgamate, no plans to cede any control to anyone else.
“In fact, we’re working on bringing more services to our region."
Dr Aitkin said the future goal was to create a preventative healthcare system and to be a trusted, innovative, and equitably accessible healthcare close to home.
Chief financial officer Marivic Vix delivered her financial report, which included a $3.099 million increase in total operating revenue for the 2024-25 financial year.
An 11% drop in operating expenditure, largely thanks to the cessation of using agency nursing staff.
An operating surplus of $54,000; a turnaround of $1,839 million (or 5%) on the previous year, which recorded a $1.785 million deficit.
Outgoing CEO Jenni Masters said the RNH had continued to build capacity, capability and stability, while also strengthening the business side of the organisation in the past year.
She said the new Aged Care Act, due on July 1 2025, had been delayed, and in that time, RNH had implemented an aged care Steering Group and developed a program of work, allocating staff to groups such as policy and procedure development, food services changes and financial changes.
“The Act came in on November 1 2025. However, there is more to come and, even now, there continued to be regular changes and clarity that the team are leading in residential care. There are also further significant changes, particularly with Community Services," she said.
Ms Masters said some of the other changes in the coming year included gaining clarity on the expectations of financial responsibility and accountability.
“Quite simply, we must live within our means, whatever those means are in the future,” she said.
“We have been fortunate to engage the services of Dr Cathy Balding and her team to support us to ensure everything is in place and a clear, joint understanding to provide great care to the community.
“This is a vital project, embedded in the Strategic Plan with a simple, but profound, vision of Great Care -Every Consumer, Every Time”
“As this is my last AGM, I want to reiterate that it has been, truly, such an honour to be the CEO of this team.
"I wish RNH and the staff all the very best for the future and have great faith in the foundations we have built together the last two-three years.
"You guys have got this."
Dr Aitkin presented Ms Masters with flowers and a gift and thanked her for her service.