On July 1st Great Ocean Road Health will be marking its first anniversary under the amalgamation between Lorne Community Hospital and Otway Health. New CEO, Sandy Chamberlin has been heavily invested in ensuring the amalgamation has progressed as planned, since she arrived at GORH in November 2019. From establishing connections in the community, building a strong workforce across the two campuses, working on organisational culture, recovering from a cyber-attack and leading the COVID-19 response, Sandy has certainly ‘hit the ground running’.

Sandy recently took the time to answer some questions about Great Ocean Road Health.

When you look back over the last year, what are some of the things you are proud of?

The response to the pandemic, the quick infrastructure changes at Apollo Bay Campus, the planning and in particular the innovations with a different approach to delivering group activities. The increased wellness/mindfulness and resilience focus, and the implementation of coaching circles.

What new services/facilities can the Apollo Bay and Lorne community expect?

Further use of telehealth, in all areas, access to specialists, continuation of allied health group activities on line, access to better medical imaging equipment and training and the list goes on. We are very excited about what the future holds for Great Ocean Road Health.

Do you think the amalgamation has been successful?

Absolutely. In-fact, it is not even a question I would consider. We are ‘Great Ocean Road Health’, we are better together and this have been evident throughout the pandemic. The major benefits of the amalgamation has been building a sustainable workforce, financial sustainability and a platform for growth.

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