Bendigo Health

Home
Australia
Bendigo, VIC
Bendigo Health

Bendigo Health is a leading regional health service with 5000 staff covering the Loddon Mallee region

Bendigo Health is a 664 bed service that treats over 43,000 in-patients, deals with over 50,000 emergency attendances and where more than 1,400 babies are born each year. These services are complemented by a 60-bed rehabilitation unit, 12 bed critical care unit and 11 operating theatres where around 12,500 surgical procedures are performed annually. The organisation provides services in emergency, maternity, women's health, medical imaging, pathology, rehabilitation, community services, residential aged care, psychiatric care, community dental, hospice, palliative care, cardiology, cancer services and renal dialysis to the people of the Loddon Mallee region. The three main campuses of Bendigo Health are based in Bendigo, with many services extended to regional settings including areas such as Mildura, Echuca, Swan Hill, Kyneton and Castlemaine. Demand on services is increasing rapidly with Bendigo being one of Victoria's fastest growing regional cities. We would like to acknowledge that we work on Dja Dja Wurrung, Yorta Yorta, Baraba Baraba, Wemba Wemba, and Latje Latje country and pay our respects to the people who are the Traditional Custodians of the land. We would also like to pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

29/12/2025

The 2025 Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards shone a light on the outstanding care, leadership and commitment of our nursing and midwifery teams across Bendigo Health.

Congratulations to all recipients.

Graduate Of The Year : Alyssa Woolley
This award recognises the outstanding performance of a graduate nurse or midwife in their first year of clinical practice, based on their professionalism, clinical skills and demonstrated strong commitment to Bendigo Health’s core values and beliefs.

Intensive Care Auxiliary Excellence : Merlin Mathai and Megan Hilario
Scholarships are awarded to nurses who demonstrate exemplary commitment to postgraduate studies in critical care.

Gerry Rudkins Blue Ribbon Foundation Scholarship : James Kervin
The Gerry Rudkins Blue Ribbon Foundation Scholarship honours nurses who save lives, commemorating police officers killed in the line of duty. Named for Inspector Gerry Rudkins, a dedicated Bendigo officer and Blue Ribbon Foundation President, it celebrates his commitment, integrity, and lifelong passion for helping others.

Julie Macdonald Excellence Award : Dylan Gartland
Honouring the memory of Julie Macdonald, this award recognises a postgraduate critical care nursing graduate who demonstrates excellence in patient care, academic achievement, and contributes to the professional development of colleagues, reflecting the values Julie championed at Bendigo Health and La Trobe University.

Lyn Gale Award : Tristan Pusa
The Lyn Gale award recognises excellence in academic achievement, group participation and clinical application of knowledge and putting skill into practice.

Jenny Morton Nursing Excellence Award : Emily Fitzgerald
This award recognises an outstanding enrolled nurse who provides compassionate, safe, and culturally appropriate care, advocates for better mental health services, and embodies Bendigo Health’s values of Caring, Passionate, and Trustworthy, continuing Jenny Morton’s legacy of dedication and support to colleagues and patients.

Judy Chapman Award of Midwifery Excellence : Maree Lines
In memory of Judy Chapman, a passionate Bendigo Health midwife who inspired colleagues and championed excellence in care. Tthis award recognises a midwife who demonstrates outstanding practice and makes a positive impact on the women and families in our community.

Jan Lorimer Award for Quality Improvement : Grace Ingram
The Jan Lorimer Award recognises a nurse who demonstrates a passion for improving quality and nursing standards. Jan was admired for her empathy, compassion, and dedication to excellence. This award celebrates her nursing career and continues her legacy of exemplary leadership in providing high-quality patient care.

Matron Martha Farquharson Award for Nursing Excellence : Najem Aldorki
This award celebrates a nurse who embodies the legacy of Matron Martha Farquharson, recognising outstanding dedication to patient care, nursing education, and contribution to the community, continuing her century-long tradition of excellence at Bendigo Health.

26/12/2025

The Bendigo Health Hall of Fame and Excellence Awards recognise individuals across Allied Health, Medical Imaging, Oral Health and Pharmacy who go above and beyond, demonstrating outstanding leadership, impact and excellence in their roles at Bendigo Health and across their professions.

Allied Health Hall of Fame Award – Susie Ellis
Susie is an outstanding leader in hand therapy and lymphoedema management, shaping services locally and regionally. She supports therapists through education, mentorship, and upskilling, ensuring high-quality care for clients. As a respected member of national and state professional committees, she contributes to workshops, initiatives, and community events, raising awareness and advancing best practice. Susie drives innovation, including integrating AI into clinical documentation, while maintaining exceptional patient care and supervision. Her expertise, compassion, and leadership make her a truly deserving Allied Health Hall of Fame Award winner.

Allied Health Excellence Award – Danielle White
Danielle is an exceptional senior occupational therapist whose leadership at Bendigo Health is inspiring. A strategic leader and passionate advocate, she drives innovation, collaboration, and excellence across the OT profession. Danielle mentors emerging professionals, coordinates student placements, and enhances service planning, creating inclusive, high-quality learning and care environments. Her dedication empowers colleagues and ensures staff and students thrive. Through her vision, integrity, and compassion, Danielle has shaped OT services, championing initiatives that improve outcomes for patients and clinicians alike, exemplifying excellence in allied health.

Allied Health Student Supervisor Award – Daniel Atkinson
Dan has shown exceptional dedication and leadership in physiotherapy student supervision, creating a supportive and professional learning environment on the acute orthopaedic ward. He goes above and beyond, offering extra placement days, supporting vulnerable learners, and ensuring patient safety. Dan inspires students through evidence-based practice, co-supervises final-year projects, and promotes Allied Health careers in the community. His integrity, adaptability, and commitment make him an outstanding role model and a truly deserving award recipient. Congratulations, Daniel!

Allied Health Early Career Clinician Award – Ella Sutton
Ella has quickly become an invaluable member of the OT team, demonstrating flexibility, maturity, and emerging leadership beyond her years. She supports student learning, supervises placements, and drives quality improvement initiatives, including updating resources and trialling Allied Health Assistants on acute wards. Ella embodies Bendigo Health values, supporting her team, volunteering for improvements, and delivering exceptional patient care. Her dedication, professionalism, and impact make her a truly deserving award recipient. Congratulations, Ella!

Narelle Siakew has been named the 2025 Medical Imaging Hall of Fame inductee.
An XR Supervisor and Tutor Radiographer, Narelle is a respected role model who consistently goes above and beyond for patients, students and colleagues. She lives the Bendigo Health values every day and is deeply committed to best practice, education and continuous improvement.
Her leadership is reflected in outstanding student feedback and the many graduates choosing Bendigo Health. A well-deserved and fitting first Hall of Fame inductee. Congratulations, Narelle.

2025 Medical Imaging Excellence Award – Gen Holland
A quiet achiever within the Medical Imaging team, Gen consistently demonstrates a positive attitude and exceptional knowledge across the department. Always willing to help, she supports colleagues wherever needed, from troubleshooting in CT to assisting with complex paediatric imaging and leading weekend shifts with fairness and care.
Described as caring, passionate and trustworthy, Gen’s reliability and compassion make her a standout example of excellence in action. Congratulations, Gen.

Oral Health Hall of Fame Award - Lee Daykin
Lee Daykin has been part of Bendigo Health for 15 years, starting her career as a Dental Assistant 25 years ago. As Clinic Coordinator, Lee leads with care, fairness and professionalism, creating a culture of safety, respect and support for her team. She mentors staff, drives process improvements, and ensures everyone feels confident and valued. Lee embodies Bendigo Health values in every aspect of her work, upholding high standards of patient care and infection control, and helping build a positive, inclusive team culture.

Oral Health Excellence Award - Nicole Scullie
Nicole is a highly skilled dental technician who combines precision and professionalism with mentorship, guiding an apprentice with patience and care. She goes above and beyond to support her team, organising events, fostering unity, and lifting morale with her positivity and energy. Nicole also drives innovation, improving workflows and efficiency in the Dental Lab to benefit staff and patients alike. Her dedication, collaborative spirit, and forward-thinking approach make her an invaluable member of the Dental Department and a true example of Bendigo Health values.

Pharmacy Excellence Award - Caillan Welton
Caillan has been instrumental in improving medication safety and hospital accreditation, leading initiatives across ePR, Pyxis systems, and the pharmacy robot. He has driven audits, governance, and system improvements, while always stepping in to support clinical and dispensary roles whenever needed. His dedication, expertise, and leadership make him a standout. Well done to Caillan and all our nominees.

24/12/2025

The festive season has been made a little brighter in our residential care facilities with a very special visitor spreading Christmas cheer.

Santa stopped by to share smiles, laughter and a touch of Christmas magic with residents, families and staff.

We wish everyone in our community health and happiness this Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

23/12/2025

We are pleased to support Bendigo Foodshare's Christmas Food Drive. Food from this fantastic initiative will be distributed to community at Bendigo Foodshare's Pop-Up Christmas Pantry, from December 22-30. Thanks to our generous staff who donated items. Pictured: Acting CEO David Rosaia with Bendigo Foodshare CEO Michelle Murphy. More info: https://bendigofoodshare.org.au/

21/12/2025

Bendigo Health’s values of Caring, Passionate, and Trustworthy have guided our work and culture for over 10 years.

In September 2024, monthly peer-nominated Values Awards were launched to recognise both clinical and non-clinical staff who live these values in their daily work.

Across the year, 51 staff have been celebrated for their positive impact. Your work, your attitude, and your values make us proud. You help build a culture people want to be part of and help shape a workplace where people thrive.

Caring
Winner – Kate Monotti
Earlier this year, Kate was recognised for her caring approach in photographing patients in sensitive environments. From palliative care to chemotherapy, she consistently goes above and beyond to ensure photos reflect patients and their families in the best way. One memorable example saw her capturing a young boy finishing his last round of chemotherapy and taking additional family photos for their personal collection. Kate’s skill, compassion, and generosity bring joy not only to patients and families, but also to staff, documenting meaningful moments that will be treasured for years to come.

Passionate
Winner - Monique Bonney
Monique always approaches families and residents with patience, kindness, and a calm presence, even in busy or stressful moments. She goes above and beyond to personalise care, such as creating individual name plates for each resident’s room with photos of their cherished memories. For one 96-year-old resident, she even tracked down an image of him from a private health advert and included it alongside memories of his horse racing days. Monique’s thoughtfulness and care bring joy to every resident she supports, making a meaningful difference every day.

Trustworthy
Winner - Naomi Roberts
Naomi, a Paediatric Clinical Educator with the Learning, Education and Development (LEAD) team, brings Bendigo Health’s values of Caring, Passionate, and Trustworthy to life every day. She goes above and beyond to provide compassionate, personalised care for children and their families, including those with complex medical conditions or additional needs. Naomi also develops innovative training programs for new nurses and clinical staff, inspiring her team and enhancing care quality. Her integrity, reliability, and empathetic approach make her a trusted mentor, colleague, and advocate, creating a supportive environment where patients and families feel genuinely valued.

Congratulations Kate, Monique and Naomi.

Bendigo Health is also proud to celebrate the incredible work of our non-clinical and support services staff, whose dedication keeps our hospital running smoothly and supports patients, families, and colleagues every day.

To recognise their outstanding contributions, the inaugural Bendigo Health Week introduced four awards honouring staff who go above and beyond: Excellence in Operational Support, Heart of Service, Quiet Achiever, and Hall of Fame. We thank this year’s recipients for making a real difference in our hospital and our community.

The Quiet Achiever – Switchboard Team

Excellence in Operational Support - Gigi Sadanghan (Patient Services)

Heart of Service - Jenny Arnold (Occupational Health and Safety) and Jan Furness (Palliative Care and Evaluation Unit)

Non-Clinical Hall of Fame – Dianne Price (Emergency Department)

Congratulations.

19/12/2025

We recently celebrated our senior medical workforce at the inaugural Bendigo Health Senior Medical Excellence Awards, recognising exceptional leadership, compassion, and patient-centred care.

Congratulations to all winners and nominees.

Teaching Award: Dr Diane Kelly – transforming ICU education with a calm, collaborative approach.

Research and Academic Excellence Award: Dr Sam Harris – advancing oncology research nationally and internationally.

Leadership and Impact Award: Dr Emma Broadfield (absent) – shaping every corner of the organisation.

Unsung Hero Excellence Award: Dr Andrew Mahony and Dr Rob Blum – recognised for patient-centred service and dedication to staff wellbeing.

Lifetime Service Award (posthumous): The late Mr Rodney Mitchell – honoured for decades of leadership, mentorship, and contributions to patient care. The award was proudly received by his wife, Dr Diana Badcock, and son, Harry.

18/12/2025

Bendigo Health Week 2025 saw the launch of the Digital Services Awards, a new way to recognise the people who quietly keep Bendigo Health running.

Directors and executives nominated colleagues, and recipients were selected for their outstanding contributions.

These awards highlight the incredible work happening every day, often without fanfare.

Innovator Award - Ben Free
Ben is a quiet contributor whose work touches almost every part of Digital Services. His deep understanding of the organisation guides his decisions and support for others. He led Digital Services’ involvement in the CSSD development and tackled complex sourcing challenges, creating affordable 3D-printed parts for Pyxis machines, dock mounts, video units, blind brackets, and more.

Unsung Hero - Leanne Wan
Leanne has a gift for making everyone feel supported. From managing travel, payroll, and supplies to arranging thoughtful gestures in record time, her quiet care keeps everything running smoothly. She even keeps the Tech Centre coffee machine fully stocked. Leanne’s attention to the little things makes a big difference every day.

Collaboration Champion - Leonard Robson (Robbo)
Robbo takes initiative, getting out on the wards to see how clinicians use the system. He spots issues, offers practical guidance, and suggests improvements, ensuring ePR truly supports their work. His hands-on approach and willingness to meet clinicians where they are make a real difference every day.

Above and Beyond - Trent Knight
Trent is humble but skilled at cutting through complexity to get things done. During the Mobicall outage, he came onsite, rolled up his sleeves, and helped restore systems. His dedication and hands-on approach make a real difference.

Congratulations to all award winners.

17/12/2025

Extreme heat is dangerous.
Stay safe and keep cool.
Here’s how to protect yourself and others.
https://www.bendigohealth.org.au/heat-health/

16/12/2025

For generations, Bendigo Health auxiliaries have quietly made a big difference. Recently, members gathered for their Combined Auxiliary AGM to celebrate another year of service.

We thank the hardworking teams from the Gibson Street Complex, Intensive Care, and Palliative Care, whose combined commitment represents an incredible 305 years of service.

We also proudly recognise long-standing members Val Robbins (20 years), Marie Dean (35 years) and Valerie Truant (10 years) for their dedication and ongoing contribution.

Meeting monthly and fundraising year-round, our auxiliaries make a real difference across Bendigo Health. Their much-loved stalls in the hospital atrium are always filled with delicious baked goods, condiments and handmade crafts.

If you are interested in joining one of our auxiliaries, please email bhfoundation@bendigohealth.org.au to learn more.

15/12/2025

If the tragic incident in Bondi is having an impact on you or someone you know, there are services available to help and support.

Talk to your doctor or mental health professional about what you are experiencing or talk to the following support services:

Lifeline: 13 11 14
Griefline: 1300 845 745
Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636
Partners in Wellbeing: 1300 375 330
Yarning Safe ‘N’ Strong: 1800 959 563

It is normal to have strong reactions following a distressing or frightening event, but there are things you can do to cope with and recover from trauma.

For more information, visit:
https://go.vic.gov.au/4q2YEE2

12/12/2025

Dr Jaimee Warren has been named Bendigo Health’s 2025 Emergency Department Registrar of the Year, receiving the prestigious Charles Kerr Memorial Award.

Voted by senior medical and nursing staff, the award recognises the Emergency Department Registrar who best exemplifies clinical excellence, compassion and teamwork.

The award honours Dr Charles Kerr, a much-loved Senior Emergency Doctor who worked in the Bendigo Health Emergency Department and passed away in August 2019.

Charles was known for his passion for medicine and his exceptional kindness to both staff and patients. Jaimee was selected as the registrar who most embodied these qualities.

Charles' daughter, Georgie, was onsite to present the award.

Congratulations Jaimee.

Address

100 Barnard Street
Bendigo, VIC
3550

Telephone

+61354546000

Website

http://www.bendigohealth.org.au/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Bendigo Health posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Bendigo Health:

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Bendigo?