Community Board of Advice
REPRESENTING THE VIEWS OF THE COMMUNITY
HANDOVER TO NEPEAN BLUE MOUNTAINS LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT
As St John of God Health Care prepare to handover operations of Hawkesbury District Health Service to Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District on 30 June 2024 , members of the Community Board of Advice , an advisory committee of Hawkesbury District Health Service met for the last time to formally disband . Although the advisory committee will not exist in its current structure after 30 June 2024 , members of its committee have been working collaboratively with Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District to ensure that the Hawkesbury community continue to be represented in local healthcare matters .
During the final meeting , Hawkesbury District Health Service Chief Executive Officer Strephon Billinghurst and Community Board of Advice members Barry Adams , Colin Ellis , Jenny Gilder , Jill Reardon , Allen Bouveng and Alison King ( apologies from Jamie Butler ), reflected on their past years of service . They acknowledged the achievements of former members including Vivienne Beggs , whose memory lives on through the Vivienne Beggs scholarship . The scholarship program was established in 2022 to support nursing and midwifery caregivers in their professional development .
Established in 1996 , the Community Board of Advice facilitated community participation and provided feedback to the health service concerning local health issues . Over the past 28 years , they conducted multiple community consultations and advocated for service improvements . Some of their achievements include :
• Opening of the Chemotherapy Unit which provides regular cancer treatment for patients who previously had to travel to the Nepean Cancer Care Centre in Penrith .
• Installation of a bus stop located at the front of the health service , greatly improving accessibility to health services for those requiring public transport .
• Installation of bench seating throughout the hospital grounds to provide patients and visitors with a safe space to take a break inbetween walking from one area to another .
• Acting as the conduit between the health service and community by participating in The National Safety and Quality Health Service Standard meetings , providing valuable feedback which helped to shape healthcare in the Hawkesbury .
The Community Board of Advice thank Hawkesbury District Health Service Chief Executive Officer Strephon Billinghurst , the Executive Team and those who provided secretariat services over the years , for all their valued support . Members of the Community Board of Advice were privileged to represent the health service on many official occasions and as an advisory committee , act as the “ watchdog ” for the Hawkesbury community .
Helpful tips from the Community Board of Advice
If your doctor is CLOSED to find a service near you visit : www . doctorclosed . com . au or www . healthdirect . gov . au or phone the National healthdirect after-hours GP helpline on 1800 022 222 .
For life threatening medical emergencies , the Hawkesbury Hospital Emergency Department is OPEN 24 hours a day , 7 days a week .
2 DAY STREET , WINDSOR NSW 2756
18 ISSUE 169 // JUNE 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT