NICK Bush has returned to the helm at East Grampians Health Service saying the organisation\u2019s staff have done an amazing job keeping the community safe during the pandemic.<\/p>\n
Mr Bush served as Chief Executive at East Grampians Health Service from 2010 to 2018 before taking up the position of at Chief Executive Officer at Echuca Regional Health.<\/p>\n
He told the Advocate last week he was delighted to return to an organisation he loves.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is certainly great to be back, the staff have been excellent with many friendly faces welcoming me back, it\u2019s really good to be here,\u201d Mr Bush said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a great health service with really good and committed staff and volunteers. I\u2019ve been away for three and a half years and its really good to be back in a health service that\u2019s very supportive and in a community I enjoy living in,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Bush said he was delighted to see a number of projects come to fruition during his absence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe planning process was underway for the extension of the theatre services to take some of the load off Ballarat Health Services and do some of the elective theatre and we had lobbied the state government and got the first initial grants to do up the theatre.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAndrew Freeman\u2019s done a great job as the CEO in the time that I was away in getting the building projects underway and completing the community health centre upgrade,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Bush said there are a lot of new faces at East Grampians Health Service, which now employs 550 people across the region.<\/p>\n
He said like most health services, staff have worked tirelessly during the pandemic and he admits some are fatigued.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt (the pandemic) has gone on so long now, we thought we had an end in sight then we had Omicron so we haven\u2019t got an end in sight. We\u2019re trying to roster people off, give staff breaks, ensure people can get away. But then with the lockdowns across the state, many people have gone away on leave and then found the communities they\u2019ve gone to have been locked down which really isn\u2019t a holiday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCertainly we are working with our staff trying to ensure people do get a break and it (the pandemic) could go for a fair bit longer. Our staff, like the community are sick of it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Bush said he has had early discussions with the EGHS board about priority projects, with a state election due in November.<\/p>\n
He said an upgrade of facilities at the Willaura campus was a top priority.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe health service at Willaura is a crucial part of East Grampians Health Service and the facilities out there are in need of a makeover and one of the main priorities will be to talk to government and the opposition about funds for a refurbishment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Bush, who officially commenced his duties on Monday, \u00a0also thanked Peter Armstrong for filling in as Interim Chief Executive in the weeks before his arrival.<\/p>\n
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