Gippsland Southern Health Service, 66 Koonwarra Road, Leongatha (2026)

30/12/2025

For our staff and volunteers:
Staying connected as we become Bayside Health

As we prepare to become Bayside Health, clear and consistent communication matters more than ever.

From January, our GSHS social media pages will transition to new Bayside Health pages. These will become the primary place we share updates, local service information, and stories that reflect the care you deliver every day.

When the new pages go live, we encourage staff and volunteers to follow them.
Not as a task, but as a way to stay informed and aligned.

The new pages will:
Share clear updates on organisational changes and priorities

Continue highlighting local services across South Gippsland

Celebrate the people and teams behind our care

Provide a trusted source you can confidently point patients and community members to

We know change can add pressure, especially alongside busy workloads. That’s why we are committed to communicating clearly, recognising your contribution, and keeping information easy to access.

Together, we make a difference in healthcare.

29/12/2025

A small step to stay connected

As we move closer to becoming Bayside Health, we’ll soon be launching new Facebook and Instagram pages to replace our current GSHS pages.

When those pages go live, we’ll let you know.

Following the new Bayside Health pages will be the easiest way to:

Keep receiving local updates from South Gippsland

Stay informed about services at Leongatha and Korumburra

See community notices, health information, and local stories

Get timely updates as changes roll out

Nothing you need to do right now.

We’re sharing this early so the change feels familiar when it happens, not confusing.

When the time comes, we’d love you to follow the new pages and continue the journey with us.

Because staying connected to your local health services matters.

29/12/2025

Your local health news isn’t going anywhere

As we prepare to become Bayside Health, we want to reassure you.

Local stories and updates will still be shared.

Even as our name and social media pages change from January, staying connected to local information continues to matter in South Gippsland.

You will still see:
Updates about services at Leongatha and Korumburra

Local health information and community notices

Stories about the people who care for you

Changes that affect South Gippsland, explained clearly

What WILL CHANGE is where you see these updates.
From January, local news will be shared through the new Bayside Health social media pages, alongside updates from across the region. This helps ensure information is consistent, easy to find, and reaches people when it matters.

What WON’T CHANGE is our commitment to keeping you informed about your local care.

We know clear communication builds trust. That’s why we are being upfront now and will continue sharing updates as we move through this transition.

Because staying informed about your local health services matters.

28/12/2025

Why GSHS is becoming part of Bayside Health

We know that when change happens in healthcare, the first question is often why.

The move to Bayside Health is happening so local health services can work more closely together, share expertise, and strengthen care for our communities now and into the future.

Across South Gippsland and regional Victoria, people have told us the same things matter most:

Getting care closer to home

Spending less time travelling for appointments

Knowing services will be there when they are needed

By joining with other public health services, we can do more of this together. It allows doctors, nurses and specialists to work as one team across the region, making it easier for patients to access the right care at the right time.

This is about building stronger connections between services so care feels simpler, more coordinated, and more reliable for patients and families, while keeping local services and teams in place.

We also know healthcare needs are changing. People are living longer, managing more complex conditions, and needing care across different stages of life. Working as part of a larger health service helps us respond to those needs while continuing to deliver care close to home.

We will keep explaining what changes, what stays the same, and what improves over time.

Because your continued access to local care matters.

23/12/2025

GSHS care is growing with Bayside Health

We want to share something with you clearly, and with care.
From 1 January 2026, Gippsland Southern Health Service will become part of Bayside Health, a new regional health service bringing together trusted public providers across Melbourne and Victoria’s south.

This includes Alfred Health, Bass Coast Health, Kooweerup Regional Health Service, Peninsula Health and us. Together, we will care for people across their whole lives, from newborns to older Victorians.

What matters most for our community to know right now:
Your local hospitals and services are staying where they are

The same staff will continue caring for you

Care will still be delivered close to home

Local leadership remains, supporting our rural health services

Over time, you will also notice some changes in how we communicate with you.

From January, our social media presence will transition to new Bayside Health pages, with a new name and look. We are sharing this now so it feels familiar when you see it happen.

This change is about strengthening local healthcare, improving access to specialist services, and making it easier to get the right care at the right time without unnecessary travel.

We know healthcare is personal. That’s why we are committing to open, practical updates as we go.

Because your health is our priority.

18/12/2025

At GSHS, safer care closer to home is not achieved in isolation.
It’s built through listening, partnership, and genuine community voice.

Our Community Advisory Committee (CAC) has played a vital role in shaping how we do this.

Through their time, insight, and advocacy, committee members have helped ensure our services reflect the diverse needs, experiences, and expectations of communities across South Gippsland.

From strengthening relationships with local groups, to challenging us to see care through a community lens, their contributions have ensured GSHS service provision is responsive, inclusive, and grounded in lived experience.

Their voices have informed decisions, improved safety, and reinforced what matters most to our community. Care that is accessible, respectful, and delivered as close to home as possible.

We extend our sincere thanks to every CAC member for their commitment, honesty, and care for this community.

Gwen Scheffer (Chair)
Lyn Yeomans
Noel Owen
Sue Fleming
Marion Dewar
Athina Georgiou
John Davies
Evan Romer
Tony Peterson
Linda McCrorey

To each of our valued CAC members, your partnership has made our service stronger and our care better. Thank you for playing such an integral role in our organisation.

18/12/2025

🎄A Little Christmas Magic in Midwifery

This Christmas, the Midwifery Department at Leongatha Memorial Hospital has been filled with warmth, imagination, and a touch of magic.

A Harry Potter themed display now welcomes families, created to bring a little extra comfort and joy during this very special time of year.

At the heart of the decorations is a handcrafted fireplace, filled with carefully written letters, each addressed to a baby born in the unit throughout the year.

It’s a thoughtful and personal gesture, honouring the beginning of each child’s story and the families who started that journey here.

Created by the midwifery team, the display invites parents, siblings, and visitors to pause, smile, and share a moment together during the busy and emotional days of welcoming a newborn.

Small acts like this reflect the care, kindness, and heart our teams bring to their work every day.

From our GSHS family to yours, we wish you all a very merry Christmas.

17/12/2025

Honouring Leadership, Care, and Commitment at GSHS

At last week's Annual General Meeting, we proudly recognised the exceptional contributions of our people through the GSHS Awards. These awards celebrate the leadership, dedication, and values that strengthen our service and support safer, high-quality care for our community.

🏆 Emerging Leader Award: Dr Elle Woolveridge
Dr Elle Woolveridge was recognised for her exceptional clinical leadership and compassionate approach to care, particularly in palliative and respiratory settings.
Elle consistently demonstrates clinical excellence and a deeply patient-centred ethos, supporting patients and families through difficult moments with dignity, empathy, and respect. Her steady presence and thoughtful engagement make a meaningful difference across our service.

🏆 Safety and Quality Award: Sonia Basten
Sonia was acknowledged for her strong contribution to safety and quality at GSHS. When illness impacted the project team, she stepped up without hesitation to lead the Safe Wards, Safe Homes project. From coordinating the work to delivering our first Safewards/Safe Homes workshop, Sonia demonstrated visible leadership and commitment, helping create safer environments for both consumers and staff.

🏆 Demonstrating Our Values Awards
Recognising staff who live our values every day.

Non-Clinical Category Winner: Vicki Riley
Vicki was recognised for her leadership in strengthening community connection. Through her work with Leongatha Secondary College students, she revitalised the maternity garden space, creating a welcoming environment for families and staff and highlighting the value of partnerships and community engagement.

Clinical Category Winner: Karen Wynne
Karen was acknowledged for her exceptional leadership and commitment to safety and quality in the theatre environment. Her advocacy, persistence, and attention to detail have ensured theatre safety and service quality remain at the highest standards.

Congratulations to all award recipients. Your contributions reflect the very best of GSHS and the values that guide how we care for our community.

16/12/2025

🔥 Extreme Heat Awareness — Stay Safe, South Gippsland
With soaring temperatures ahead, it’s important we all look out for ourselves and each other.

Here’s how to stay safe as summer heats up:
🥛 Stay hydrated — drink plenty of water even if you don’t feel thirsty

🧣 Stay cool — wear light, loose clothing and a wide-brimmed hat when outdoors

🏠 Stay out of the heat when you can — limit outdoor activity during the hottest
hours and find shade or a cool spot

👶 👴 Check in on others — keep an eye on vulnerable people, especially older adults, babies, or people with health conditions

☀️ Avoid overheating — never leave children or pets unattended in a car, even for a short time

If you start feeling dizzy, weak, nauseous or unusually warm, take action — get to a cool place, sip water and seek help if needed.

Let’s pull together as a community. Share this post to remind friends, family and neighbours to stay safe and look out for one another.

For trusted advice on how to prepare for extreme heat and protect your health, visit betterhealth.vic.gov.au/extreme-heat.

15/12/2025

Keep your energy and focus flowing throughout the workday with fresh tap water.

Keeping a reusable bottle of water within reach is an easy way to remind yourself to stay hydrated and drink more water throughout the day.

Pictured here is Kirri, Primary Health Reception & Administration Support.

15/12/2025

🎄Christmas Cheer at Alchera House 🎄

Celebrating the festive season, Alchera felt like home in the fullest sense of the word.

Families gathered.
Hands were held.
Stories were shared.
Laughter carried across the room.

Our Alchera Resident and Family Christmas Party was both a celebration and a reminder of what truly matters.

There is something deeply powerful about family connection in aged care.
When loved ones come together, it brings comfort, belonging, and reassurance.
It tells our residents they are surrounded by people who care, who know them, and who walk alongside them.

That sense of home is felt long after the decorations come down.

With a beautiful meal prepared by our Hotel Services team, Christmas carols filling the space, and smiles everywhere you looked, the room was alive with warmth and joy.

Thank you to our much-loved residents, their families, and the many staff who made today so special. Moments like these stay with us, and they are at the heart of what we do.

Wishing our residents, families, and friends a Christmas filled with love, connection, and togetherness.

15/12/2025

Honouring the People Behind Our Care

Our 33rd AGM was a moment to pause, reflect, and honour the people who have carried Gippsland Southern Health Service to where we are today.

As we prepare to enter a new chapter in 2026 as part of Bayside Health, this AGM marked the closing chapter of our 2021–2026 Strategic Plan.

We extend our sincere thanks to our Board, led by Chair Athina Georgiou, for their stewardship, discipline, and commitment to governance that listens, learns, and leads. Their leadership has ensured GSHS enters the next phase from a position of strength.

To our staff, across every campus and service, thank you. Your professionalism, care, and quiet determination sit behind every statistic, every improvement, and every positive experience shared by our community.

To our volunteers and auxiliary, your contributions cannot be overstated. The time, energy, and heart you give strengthen our service and remind us what community truly means.

We also proudly acknowledge those formally recognised at the AGM for their invaluable contributions. Your work reflects the very best of our organisation: empathy in action, excellence in practice, and accountability to the people we serve.

Every achievement shared at our AGM comes back to one truth. A health service is only as strong as its people. Thank you for shaping a service our community can rely on, today and into the future.

Gippsland Southern Health Service

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