News 23 June, 2022

Better Health Network Announces New Chairperson and CEO

Following the voluntary amalgamation of Central Bayside Community Health Services, Connect Health & Community and Star Health, Better Health Network today announced Janice Munt as the organisation’s inaugural Chairperson and Damian Ferrie as its first Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Announcing Damian’s appointment, Janice said “It’s important that we all remember why we set up Better Health Network and what should continue to drive us every day.  That is to be better for clients, better for staff and better for the community health sector”.

“Better Health Network will deliver on those principles every day. We will work in partnership with consumers, community organisations and stakeholders.  Together, we can deliver even better health outcomes for clients by reducing duplication in some areas and providing more focus on expanding service delivery,” Ms Munt said.

Newly appointed Better Health Network CEO Damian Ferrie said he is delighted and honoured to have been given the opportunity to be the first leader of Better Health Network.

“Community health services are part of the fabric of the communities that they serve. We will ensure that all services currently provided will continue. Over time we will be offering more services in more locations than ever before for the benefit of our clients,” Mr Ferrie said.

“Community health has quite a unique relationship with their clients.  This trust is not something that I take for granted.  It has been earned over many, many years based on the ethos of community health and every single interaction our people have with the community”.

“There is no better example of this than during the pandemic and the important role we had in assisting the vulnerable communities”.

“I am looking forward to leading our organisation to do more for the community every day,” Mr Ferrie concluded.

Biographies of the Chairperson and CEO are attached.

Janice Munt Bio – Chairperson BHN

Damian Ferrie Bio – CEO BHN

 

About Better Health Network:

Better Health Network provides access to a range of health, medical, social and disability services to over 600,000 people across 18 sites.

It has locations in: Parkdale, Chelsea, Clarinda, Mentone, Cheltenham, Edithvale, Clayton, Bentleigh, Sandringham, Parkville, Prahran, South Melbourne and St Kilda.

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT SIMONE GANDUR ON 0404 813 771

 

We are delighted to share the new brand for NewCo with you!

The three amalgamating organisations – Central Bayside Community Health Services, Connect Health & Community and Star Health – have undertaken an extensive brand consultation and design process. This consultation process involved staff, consumers, our leadership teams and the Boards. We are delighted with the outcome!:: Welcome to Municipal Council of Malindibest replica watch site reviewsjoff ellentheir website

 

Continue reading below to watch our brand animation which is also available at: www.voluntaryamalgamation.com.au

Background to our new brand

Name

  • The name takes a bold and confident position
  • It is inherently positive and uplifting with the promise of something ‘better’
  • The concept of a network gives a sense of size and the ability to offer more services in more locations

Logo

  • Use of capital letters in the logo denotes a solid, established and trustworthy entity
  • Colours are vibrant and positive rather than muted and flat
  • The intersection and overlap of colour in the font deliberately references the links in the ‘network’ – the multitude of overlapping services we provide in health, wellbeing and social connectedness, the connective tissue of the brand, its services and locations
  • Our multi-faceted colour palette is reflective of the diverse communities we work with and within. The colours are inviting, inclusive and uplifting.
  • We have deliberately chosen our primary and secondary colour palettes from the existing colours of the three original entities.

 

Please click this link to watch the video of our brand being launched.

We look forward to sharing more news with you again very soon,

Deb Stuart, Amanda Murphy and Damian Ferrie

 

A New Era In Community Health Services Begins

In March 2022 Central Bayside Community Health Services, Connect Health & Community and Star Health announced that they will voluntarily amalgamate following a successful vote at their respective Annual General Meeting.

This decision will see three of inner south, south and southeast Melbourne’s biggest community health organisations come together to form one of the largest community health services in Victoria.

Locals will benefit from increased integrated health and well-being outcomes, broader service delivery and a further coordinated network of community health services in the region. It is expected the new entity will provide access to services to more than 600,000 people across 18 sites, and beyond.

The new amalgamated organisation will build more specialised services in partnership with consumers, community organisations and stakeholders. This will allow the introduction of new services to the catchment area, and expand their offering to communities that do not currently have access to these services.

Clients of the respective services will not notice a change to their service, and there will be a job for anyone currently working for Central Bayside Community Health Services, Connect Health & Community or Star Health that wants to work for the new entity. The voluntary amalgamation will also provide all staff and volunteers with even more opportunity to develop new skills or build upon the ones they already have.

Over the last month, the Boards Chairs and CEOs of all three organisations have been speaking to members, staff, volunteers and the broader community about the voluntary amalgamation and received a positive response to the initial announcement made in late February.

In the coming months, all three organisations will work closely with stakeholders to develop a name for the new entity. A decision on what the new entity will be called is expected before its formal legal establishment in the 2022-23 financial year.

The three organisations will each nominate three directors to form the Board of the new entity. Once this transitional Board has been established it will undertake a process to appoint a CEO and in turn Executive team for the new entity. The CEO appointment, or an interim appointment, will be in place prior to the legal establishment of the new entity.

The three organisations are committed to helping the local community and have been an advocate for social justice for individuals and the communities in which they live for more than 40 years. The voluntarily amalgamated entity will continue that mission with renewed passion and greater ability to achieve a positive social impact.
In addition to the information found on this website stakeholders are invited to contact each organisation’s Information Line to find out more about the voluntary amalgamation:

 

Click here for more information.