Vol. No. Vol. 2818No. 1827
FREE PUBLICATION
A FREE PUBLICATION FROM YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS 3WM AND MIXXFM
Wednesday, October January 29, 13, 2025 2016 Wednesday,
BRACE YOURSELF: MIXX FM’s second annual Halloween event will petrify, terrify and gratify people of all ages, this year with its haunted house theme of a cursed carnival. With entry by gold coin donation, the circus is open from 5.30pm to 7pm, and from 7.30pm to 9pm on Friday. A sausage sizzle is available, also by gold coin donation. All proceeds will go to Wimmera Against Cancer in Kids. While there is no parking at 2 Stawell Road, people can park at Horsham Greyhound Racing Track and walk across the bridge and under the highway. Pictured preparing for the scares are MIXX FM, 3WM and The Weekly Advertiser staff Danica Cutter, Issa Riches, Olivia Lenehan and Lily Olver. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Petitioning for CEO BY BRONWYN HASTINGS
R
ural Northwest Health will replace chief executive Jenni Masters as part of its strategic review when her three-year contract ends on January 30.
But staff are petitioning the board, with the signatures of more than 70 people showing support and solidarity for Ms Masters to remain in the job. The petition was anonymously sent to media outlets on Monday evening, and was also presented to the RNH board and leadership team at a two-day workshop on Monday and yesterday, where they were updating
the organisation’s goals and developing a new plan. “The board has chosen to not renew Jenni’s contract beyond the three years she had agreed to, despite Jenni’s willingness and eagerness to remain with us at RNH long-term,” the petition reads. “The decision made by the board has been perplexing and has left a devastating ripple effect of anxiety and uncertainty amongst all of us who work with her, particularly as this is the first period of stability RNH has had in almost a decade.” The petition listed a ‘small sample of the positivity and leadership’ that Ms Masters brought to RNH, in-
cluding: reopening Hopetoun campus urgent care; new staff duplexes at Hopetoun; recruiting and retaining new staff; managing of COVID-19 and gastroenteritis outbreaks; having the hospital retain its café; creating opportunities for sustained positive culture change across departments by fostering solid and lasting leadership; and bringing RNH’s budget back into the green. The RNH board sent an embargoed announcement to media on Wednesday last week, stating their intentions and thanking Ms Masters for leadership over the past three years. RNH chair John Aitken said the board was taking the opportunity to
‘test the market to see who’s available’ in the lead-up to the completion of Ms Masters’ contract. “As part of our strategic review, we felt it was an appropriate time to do that,” he said. “In terms of what we want to do in the future, that is probably the option we’d like to pursue. We know that there are some people available, but we don’t really know until we test the market as to who may or may not be applying for the job.” Mr Aitken said COVID-19’s impacts still affected rural health, and the board’s reviewed strategic plan would have a clear focus on community health and patient-centred care,
aiming to achieve the best health outcomes for community members. “We’re looking at developing partnerships with some organisations, particularly in alcohol and other drugs, and mental health,” he said. “Mental health has been a significant problem in our community, as it is right across Victoria, and we’ve also got other challenges. There are social determinants that have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of people in our community, and we’d like to focus on addressing those things as we move forward.” Continued page 3
IN THIS ISSUE • Preusker prepares to make history • Mental-health advocates finalists • Golds for Hill artisanHP950
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