Central Highlands Rural Health

Central Highlands Rural Health Central Highlands Rural Health provides acute, community health and aged care services to communities across the Hepburn Shire and Macedon Ranges.

Central Highlands Rural Health has facilities in Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford, Kyneton and Trentham. Central Highlands Rural Health has been providing healthcare to its local community for over 160 years. Although we have had a number of name changes over the years, our mission remains the same – to deliver high quality healthcare for our communities. Central Highlands Rural Health provides acute, community health and aged care services to people across the Macedon Ranges and Hepburn Shire. We work collaboratively with medical professionals and regional healthcare partners to provide a breadth of services for you and your family, plus seamless transitions between hospital and the home. We can provide or connect you with the services, programs and expertise you need. The intention of this page is to inform the community of the services, program, activities, events and health promotion information provided Central Highlands Rural Health. It does not replace professional health advice. It is not a resource for emergencies, raising health concerns or seeking professional advice. Our Urgent Care Centres in Kyneton and Daylesford are open 24/7 or in a life threatening emergency you can 000. We welcome friendly and authentic engagement but expect people to be respectful, constructive and legal. We reserve the right to remove comments. Central Highlands Rural Health has no control over shared posts and comments made on those posts. If you’ve got a specific issue, we’d prefer to resolve your concerns in ways that respect privacy. Formal feedback or complaints can be sent confidentially to ceo@chrh.org.au. We expect that users will not post content that falls into the following categories and reserve the right to remove postings that are:
• off-topic and not appropriate for discussion in this forum
• in violation of another’s privacy
• vexatious, fraudulent, deceptive or misleading
• abusive, defamatory, threatening, harassing, discriminatory or otherwise offensive
• of a political nature or promote particular services, products, or political organizations
• illegal or advocate illegal activity
• in violation of another’s intellectual property or infringe upon copyrights or trademarks

Meet Jenny 👋Jenny is one of our wonderful Meals on Wheels volunteers in Creswick. She chose to volunteer as a way of giv...
20/12/2025

Meet Jenny 👋

Jenny is one of our wonderful Meals on Wheels volunteers in Creswick. She chose to volunteer as a way of giving back and honouring her Grandma, who needed support with meals years ago.

Jenny loves how flexible volunteering is. You can choose the day and how often you help, and it only takes a couple of hours. If life gets busy, there is always someone happy to step in.

For Jenny, the most rewarding part is seeing how grateful clients are, especially on cold and wet days, and having a friendly chat along the way. With a car provided and support to get you set up, it is an easy way to make a real difference close to home.

“Come and give it a go,” Jenny says. “You never know, one day it might be you waiting for that knock at the door and a friendly face.”

Thinking about volunteering? Our Meals on Wheels team would love to hear from you. All ages, all diversities are welcome. A smile and a quick check-in can mean the world to someone.

If you're able to help, please contact Di Connors - Volunteer Coordinator on
0493 284 755 or email: Di.Connors@chrh.org.au

It was a privilege to host Dr Niki Vincent, Commissioner for Gender Equality in the Public Sector at our Daylesford camp...
19/12/2025

It was a privilege to host Dr Niki Vincent, Commissioner for Gender Equality in the Public Sector at our Daylesford campus.

Dr Vincent spoke to a packed room of staff (any many joining virtually) about her work as Commissioner and the role the Gender Equality Act plays in driving real, lasting change across the public sector.

The discussion covered key challenges including the gender pay gap, leadership representation and the importance of looking at how our policies and services impact people differently.

It was a valuable opportunity for our team to hear first-hand why gender equality is not only a workplace issue, but a public health issue that influences safety, wellbeing and the care we provide to our community.

Thank you to Dr Vincent for sharing her insights and for the important work she continues to lead across Victoria.

📷 Photo captions:
1. Dr Vincent speaks to staff at Daylesford Health
2. CHRH Community Volunteer & Diversity Engagement Coordinator, Di Connors with Dr Vincent

Christmas and New Year service changesOver the Christmas and New Year period, some Central Highlands Rural Health servic...
18/12/2025

Christmas and New Year service changes

Over the Christmas and New Year period, some Central Highlands Rural Health services will pause or operate on reduced schedules.

Please see the details below to help you plan ahead.

All other services will continue to operate as normal.

📍 Kyneton

Treehouse
◾ Last day of program: Monday 22 December
◾ Program returns: Monday 5 January

Kyneton Allied Health (Healthy Mind and Movement)
◾ Group programs have paused and will resume on Monday 12 January
◾ All acute, sub-acute and community services will continue as normal

📍 Daylesford

Community Health
◾ Closed to the public from Monday 22 December
◾ Re-opens Monday 5 January

Social Support
◾ Last day of program: Tuesday 16 December
◾ Program returns: Tuesday 20 January

Treehouse
◾ Last day of program: Friday 19 December
◾ Program returns: Friday 9 January

📍 Trentham

Community Health
◾ Closed to the public from Monday 22 December
◾ Re-opens Monday 5 January

Social Support
◾ Last day of program: Thursday 18 December
◾ Program returns: Thursday 15 January

Treehouse
◾ Last day of program: Tuesday 16 December
◾ Program returns: Tuesday 13 January

📍 Creswick

Community Health
◾ Closed to the public from Monday 22 December
◾ Re-opens Monday 5 January

Social Support
◾ Last day of program: Wednesday 17 December
◾ Program returns: Wednesday 21 January

Treehouse
◾ Last day of program: Wednesday 17 December
◾ Program returns: Wednesday 7 January

📍Clunes

Community Health

◾ Closed to the public from Monday 22 December
◾ Re-opens Monday 5 January

Social Support
◾ Last day of program: Thursday 18 December
◾ Program returns: Tuesday 6 January

If you need to access immediate mental health support during the Christmas closure period, please contact your local 24/7 Mental Health Triage service (Ballarat 1300 247 647 or Bendigo 1300 363 788) or contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

For any physical health concerns, contact your nearest Urgent Care Centre or Emergency Department.

If you have questions about a specific service, please contact us or speak with your care team.

📣 Note: Our Urgent Care Centres in Daylesford and Kyneton are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including public holidays.

We’re pleased to share that we’ve passed again! Central Highlands Rural Health has successfully passed the Healthy Choic...
18/12/2025

We’re pleased to share that we’ve passed again!

Central Highlands Rural Health has successfully passed the Healthy Choices: Policy Directive for Victorian Public Health Services once again.

This ongoing achievement reflects our continued commitment to providing healthier food and drink environments and ensuring the healthy choice remains the easy choice for staff and visitors. Maintaining compliance takes consistent effort, collaboration and a shared focus on wellbeing.

Thank you to everyone involved in keeping our food and drink environments aligned with the Healthy Choices Guidelines.

Today the Population Health Team at Central Highlands Rural Health (CHRH) had the pleasure of hosting a Christmas party ...
16/12/2025

Today the Population Health Team at Central Highlands Rural Health (CHRH) had the pleasure of hosting a Christmas party for the Creswick Friendship Shed at the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre. It was a wonderful afternoon filled with good food, great company and plenty of festive cheer.

A big thank you to the CHRH kitchen for preparing a delicious Christmas lunch, including turkey, ham, mixed vegetables and roast potatoes — all finished off with a classic Christmas pudding and custard.

Thank you to everyone involved in making the day so special, and to the Creswick Friendship Shed members for celebrating with us.

Summer is finally here — and with it, a fresh burst of colour at Kyneton Health! Our friends from Windarring have been ...
08/12/2025

Summer is finally here — and with it, a fresh burst of colour at Kyneton Health!

Our friends from Windarring have been busy planting on the hospital mounds they’ve been caring for over the past year.

The team added a beautiful mix of native shrubs and groundcovers, including Philotheca Winter Rouge, Callistemon Endeavour, Veronica Digger’s Speedwell, Scaevola Mauve Clusters and Correa Alba Prostrate.

With the backdrop of the gumtrees, planted by the community in 2015, the space contributes to making our hospital grounds such a welcoming place for patients, clients, staff and visitors to enjoy.

In the photos we have Fabrice, Bradley and Brendan from Windarring planting with local horticulturalist, Jen.

We had a great day at our AGM yesterday, taking a moment to reflect on a busy and productive financial year. Presided ov...
05/12/2025

We had a great day at our AGM yesterday, taking a moment to reflect on a busy and productive financial year. Presided over by our Board Chair, The Hon Mary Delahunty, the meeting looked back on the work of 2024–25 and gave us the chance to recognise some outstanding staff achievements.

This year we introduced a new set of staff awards to celebrate the everyday wins that help create a connected, engaged and proud workplace. Whether it’s a quiet act of kindness, a smart idea that makes someone’s day easier, or consistent everyday excellence, celebrating our people matters.

A big congratulations to our inaugural award recipients:
◾ There When It Counts – Susan Whitfield
◾ Project of the Year – Home Support Team
◾ We Are the Champions – Education and Training
◾ Positive Leadership – Taletha Rizio
◾ The Extra Mile – IT Team, Hotel Services Team and Darren Rose

We also recognised the Trentham Hospital Auxiliary with a Lifetime Service Award. This award celebrates volunteers who’ve shown long-term commitment, and the Auxiliary couldn’t be more deserving. The group has supported Trentham Health since before the hospital even opened in 1934, raising funds and offering hands-on help for residents and patients.

Accepting the award on the day were:
◾ Cath O’Connell
◾ Kit Manning
◾ Margot McKinnon

Thank you to everyone across CHRH for the hard work, heart and community spirit you bring to your roles every day.

Happy International Volunteer Day!Today is a chance to recognise the huge contribution volunteers make in communities al...
05/12/2025

Happy International Volunteer Day!

Today is a chance to recognise the huge contribution volunteers make in communities all over the world, and we’re proud to celebrate the incredible people who give their time and heart to Central Highlands Rural Health.

To all our volunteers across CHRH, thank you. Your support brings warmth, connection and care to our patients, residents, staff and visitors every day.

It has also been lovely catching up with our dedicated teams in Trentham and Daylesford over the past couple of days to thank them in person for everything they do.

We’re always on the lookout for more volunteers across our campuses in Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford, Kyneton and Trentham. If you’re curious about getting involved, we’d love to hear from you.

Get in touch with our Community Volunteer and Diversity Engagement Coordinator, Di Connors, to find out more.
📧 di.connors@chrh.org.au

Today is the International Day of People with Disability, a chance to recognise the contributions, stories and strengths...
03/12/2025

Today is the International Day of People with Disability, a chance to recognise the contributions, stories and strengths of people living with disability in our community.

We were thrilled to have local disability advocate Tate Kemp visit our Kyneton campus to talk about his experiences.

Born with cerebral palsy, he has spent his life challenging assumptions about what people with disability can do. Through his program All Abilities Public Speaking, Tate regularly shares his lived experience with schools, workplaces and community groups to build understanding and confidence around inclusion.

As a health service, hearing directly from people with lived experience is essential. It helps us deepen our understanding, challenge assumptions and make sure the care we provide is respectful, accessible and truly centred on the needs of our community.



All Abilities Public Speaking

We’re holding our Annual General Meeting on Thursday 4 December and everyone in our community is welcome to join us.This...
01/12/2025

We’re holding our Annual General Meeting on Thursday 4 December and everyone in our community is welcome to join us.

This year we’re pleased to have Professor Hal Swerissen as our guest speaker. He’ll be chatting about artificial intelligence, what’s real, what’s hype and the risks and opportunities ahead.

The AGM will run from 3 pm to 4.30 pm at Hotel Bellinzona in Hepburn Springs.

Last night we attended the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards, celebrating alongside so many dedicated teams from across...
27/11/2025

Last night we attended the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards, celebrating alongside so many dedicated teams from across the state.

Hearing about all the projects delivered across Victoria is always inspiring and a reminder of the incredible work happening in every corner of the sector.

Central Highlands Rural Health was recognised as a finalist for the Premier’s Small Health Service of the Year, alongside Beaufort and Skipton Health Service and Heywood Rural Health. It was a real honour to stand with our peers.

A huge congratulations to Heywood Rural Health for taking out the award.

Being named a finalist reflects the passion and effort our staff and volunteers bring to caring for our communities across our five campuses. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made this year and grateful to everyone who helped get us here.

You can see the full list of finalists and winners on the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards below.
👉 www.health.vic.gov.au/victorian-public-healthcare-awards/winners-finalists

Today marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.This global campaign has been running sin...
25/11/2025

Today marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

This global campaign has been running since 1991 and brings people together to call out violence, raise awareness and support safer communities for everyone.

The campaign runs from today, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, through to International Human Rights Day on 10 December.

At CHRH, we’re using this time to reflect on the work we’ve done so far and what it’s meant for our staff and community. We’ll be surveying teams about the Online Learning Hub and Maram training to see what’s been helpful, what’s changed in day-to-day practice and where we can keep improving.

It’s a chance to recognise our progress and make sure we’re building a workplace that’s safe, informed and confident in responding to family violence.

To learn more, please visit the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence 2025 page on the Respect Victoria website.
👉 www.respectvictoria.vic.gov.au/campaigns/16-days-activism-against-gender-based-violence

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Daylesford, VIC

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Our Story

Central Highlands Rural Health has been a part of the Macedon Ranges and Hepburn Shire for over 160 years.

Although we have had a number of name changes over the years, our mission remains the same – to deliver high quality healthcare for our communities.

We provide acute, community health and aged care services to people across Hepburn Shire and the Macedon Ranges. We work collaboratively with medical professionals and regional healthcare partners to provide a breadth of services for you and your family, plus seamless transitions between hospital and home. We can provide or connect you with the services, programs and expertise you need.

In November 2019, Hepburn Health Service amalgamated with Kyneton District Health to establish a new entity – Central Highlands Rural Health. The primary goal of Central Highlands Rural Health is to continue to provide the best possible integrated health services for our communities across a broader region.