Published on 8 July 2022
Many of our staff will know Sandy through her role as the General Manager for Bacchus Marsh and Melton and Director of Education and Learning at Western Health.
For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her, we thought we would take time to introduce you to our Acting Executive Director of People, Culture and Communications. 
Congratulations on the new role. It’s fair to say that you have made a career out of caring. Tell us about your journey from aspiring nurse and midwife to senior leadership at one of Victoria’s busiest and biggest health services.
Thank you- it is a real privilege for me to act in this role for the next few months and I have very big shoes to fill. Suellen Bruce was an amazing and inspirational leader and I am grateful for this opportunity.
My journey has been founded on the intrinsic drive to improve outcomes for our community members. This is not only within health but also in the work that I have done within communities through charitable organisations.
If there was just one thing you would like to achieve in your new role, what would it be?
I would like to continue build upon the wonderful culture we have at WH and ensure as we grow that this amazing culture is not diluted or lost.
We know that many of our staff have found the past few years difficult and the pandemic has challenged them, professionally and personally. What has been your experience and have you learnt any lessons that you think would be worthwhile sharing with staff?
Our staff have delivered exceptional care through challenging times. The one thing I have learned is that a timely short break offers an opportunity to self-restore and refresh. Having a planned break gives you something to look forward to and an opportunity to restore.
What motivates you?
Nelson Mandela once said, “It is in your hands to make a better world”
There is an enormous sense of responsibility attached to this statement. However, if we break this statement down to be about our WH world, then we all have a part to play in continuously improving our community’s experience as they receive their care in our facilities. That really motivates me.
What does wellbeing mean to you?
Wellbeing to me means living your best life at work life and home life, loving what you do and making a positive difference with all those you interact with.