New head for community health centre

Bendigo Community Health Services has welcomed a new chief executive officer.  

New CEO, Mandy Hutchinson, comes from a background in community health and was the head of Northern District Community Health covering Kerang and its surrounds.  

Prior to this, Ms Hutchinson was the Shire of Gannawarra’s first director of community wellbeing. 

BCHS board chair Melanie Eddy said Ms Hutchinson leadership experience gave the organisation the confidence that she was the right person for the job. 

“We believe Mandy’s background, passion, and connections with regional health services will enable us to grow a community health service to serve the aspirations of the next generation,” said Ms Eddy. 

Ms Hutchinson said it was clear the community health ethos was strong at BCHS. 

“There is tangible passion about the work we do, the responsibility to do our best to reduce health inequity and improve health and wellbeing through the social determinants of health,” she said. 

“Our commitment to reach people who need us the most by building trusting relationships with our community and by responding with agility in times of need, coupled with an investment in upstream health prevention, is clear.  

“I can’t wait to get to know the community and work with the wonderful BCHS team to strengthen the place of community health across the region.” 

Aside from her new CEO role, Ms Hutchinson is a founding member and current chair of the Alliance of Rural and Regional Community Health which advocates for gender equity in rural and regional Victoria.