Denham decade ends at KDHS

Long-serving Kyabram District Health Service director Dale Denham has ended a decade long tenure on the board.

He and Kyabram Regional Clinic medico Robert Brun were both honoured by the organisation last week for long-standing contributions to the organisation.

Dr Brun will stand down from full-time responsibilities with Kyabram Regional Clinic and its outreach service at KDHS’ Stanhope Health site after almost four decades of working in the role.

Mr Denham, among Kyabram’s most active community members, held positions with the Kyabram P-12 College, health service and Kyabram Community Bank earlier this year.

He remains a member of the Community Bank board, but has stepped down from his other two roles, with legislation introduced five years ago forcing him to retire from his role with the health service.

KDHS chief executive officer Anne Mcevoy said it was now protocol that health service board directors could not do more than three terms.

“Dale had an exemption for a further year, but now has to retire,” she said.

“Before then there was no expiry date regards renominating and in some health services someone may have stayed for 30 or 40 years.“

Mr Denham, Andrew Fletcher and Fern Summer have all stepped down from the board and three new members — two with strong Kyabram connections — have been added to the governing body.

Ms Summer resigned from the board in February this year, citing work commitments as the reason for her resignation.

Samantha Rodriguez, a lawyer originally from the Mornington Peninsula who is now contracts and procurement manager at Campaspe Shire, has been added to the board.

She arrived in the area five years ago and has worked at Dawes and Vary Riordan, along with Greater Shepparton City Council.

City of Greater Bendigo senior business services officer Jacqueline Murphy is the second addtion to the board.

She was born and bred on a dairy farm at Kyabram, but has spent the past 11 years at the Bendigo local government organisation.

She is a tourism graduate of La Trobe University.

Award winning Elmore occupational therapist Harley Hayes is a third addition.

Educated in Elmore and Rochester, Mr Hayes was

named a rising star at the 2020 Victorian Rural Health Awards.

He is also an accomplished footballer, having been an under-age best-and-fairest with Elmore a decade ago.

Mrs Mcevoy said the three new directors started officially on July 1, but had the opportunity to attend the June board meeting as observers.

“The three new directors give us a further diversity on the board,“she said.

“We have a demographic that is highly unusual (being so young), but great.”

Mrs Mcevoy said Mr Denham’s contribution to the board had been extremely high, having served as chair and deputy of the board as well as on several sub-committees and as a leader on numerous project control groups.

“He saw a lot of the capital

developments in his time and considering the roles are predominantly volunteer, his commitment was amazing,” she said.

Mr Denham was a key driver of the Sheridan re-development and new urgent care centre, including the significant redevelopment of the previous maternity area into a clinical education centre.

“He was also on the board when the renal dialysis and cancer oncology units were set up and had roles to play in the co-location of Aldara Yenara, along with the Stanhope health development,” Mrs Mcevoy said.

As for Dr Brun, Mrs Mcevoy said he would not be totally lost to the health service.

“He remains a doctor of Kyabram Regional Clinic, which is separate to KDHS,

and will continue to do some locum work for the clinic and us,” she said.

She said during his 38-year tenure, Dr Brun had done everything from delivering babies to completing emergency surgeries.

“There is no maternity here any more, but he still does some procedural work,” she said.

“He is a very long-standing and highly regarded professional who will, after a break, provide some reduced capacity at Kyabram Regional Clinic, however will no longer be servicing at Stanhope Health.”

Dr Brun was farewelled at a Monday lunchtime event at Stanhope Health and Tuesday evening event at KDHS.

He has also serviced Warramunda Aged Care Service for many years.

Former KDHS board member Dale Denham, Stanhope Health Community Committee chair Annette Armstrong, KDHS medical services director Ka Chun Tse, retiring doctor Robert Brun and KDHS chief executive officer Anne McEvoy.