Vanessa McColl takes the helm at Anam Cara House

ANAM Cara House Geelong (ACHG) has welcomed Vanessa McColl as its new CEO, bringing with her 35 years of experience as a registered nurse, predominantly in the public health sector.

Ms McColl’s extensive career spans multiple health organisations in Victoria and internationally, building a fundamentally strong platform in health economics, operations management, assessment, statistical analysis and application, health policy, and organisational change.

“My mother was a nurse. Healthcare is something that has been part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Ms McColl said.

“After finishing my nursing training, I was lucky enough to receive a scholarship to undertake postgraduate study in the oncology and haematology field.

“After working in this sector with very sick people of all ages and backgrounds, it became glaringly obvious to me that dignity and quality of life were paramount in the provision of exemplary healthcare.”

McColl joined ACHG as Director of Nursing 12 months ago in a part-time capacity and was immediately captivated by the facility’s surroundings.

“Aesthetically, this is the most beautiful hospital in the state, possibly in the country,” she said.

“ACHG is blessed with abundant nature, animals, state-of-the-art equipment and furnishings, coupled with the extraordinary views our guests and our staff experience every single day.”

In her first year as Ms McColl aims to ensure the entire team is aligned with the Board’s vision.

“It is important to me that the entire team at ACHG are paddling in the same direction, using the same current as the board of management.

“Vital to the ongoing sustainability of ACHG is our relationship with external stakeholders such as primary care clinics, GPs, specialists, community palliative care services, and our colleagues at SJOG, Epworth, and Barwon Health.

The Centre for Care at ACHG, which opened in January 2024, has seen high occupancy rates and sustained demand.

“Since the opening of the Centre for Care (inpatient beds) in January 2024, we have seen a consistently high occupancy rate, coupled with ongoing and sustained demand for access.

“The immediate challenge for us is to further increase our capacity for admissions into the Centre of Care, and to do this we rely on the community’s support,” Ms McColl said.

McColl says palliative care was not like other areas of healthcare.

“To be able to contribute towards a dignified death, free of sufferance is hugely satisfying as a clinician,”

she said. “People have often asked me how I do my job, when I see people dying every day.

“It is such a privilege to be invited into the lives of guests and their families at this incredibly intimate time.

“To walk away, knowing that I may have contributed to a fellow human being’s peace at the end of their life is the most rewarding experience.”

“To know that you have respected their choices, relieved their pain and advocated for their dignity – there is nothing else like it.”