Portland District Health\u2019s new Director of Medical Services Dr Andrew Walby wants to ensure everyone has access to high quality local healthcare.<\/p>\n
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Dr Walby has been acting in the role for the past six months and brings 38 years of healthcare experience to Portland.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to using my knowledge and experience in healthcare and working with the Portland team to improve the care delivered to the community,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s why you become a doctor; your focus is on safe and timely quality care.\u201d<\/p>\n
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PDH CEO Samantha Sharp welcomed Dr Walby\u2019s appointment. \u201cAndrew brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role and has shown during his interim appointment that he has a passion for providing the best possible healthcare for people in our region,\u201d Ms Sharp said.<\/p>\n
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Dr Walby says he is enjoying his first experience in a regional health service and his first role as Director of Medical Services.<\/p>\n
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After graduating from Monash University in 1984, Dr Walby initially pursued a career in surgery but later switched to emergency medicine, completing his training in 2000 and working as an emergency physician at Western Health from 2001-2011.<\/p>\n
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He was Director of Emergency Medicine at St Vincent\u2019s Hospital Melbourne for 10 years before stepping down from the role last year and has experience in emergency medicine in the private sector at John Fawkner Hospital 1996-1997 and 2000 and Epworth Hospital since 1999.<\/p>\n
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Dr Walby completed his Associate Fellowship with the Royal Australian College of Medical Administrators in 2021 to give him the skills and knowledge needed to fill a Director of Medical Services role.<\/p>\n
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His appointment as Acting Director of Medical Services at PDH came about from his desire to gain experience in a regional hospital.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s very different to working in a major metropolitan hospital but there are similarities in the emergency and medical services roles. They\u2019re both responsible for managing medical staff and broader management as part of a team, but this position has broader responsibility for all medical and pharmacy staff.<\/p>\n
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Dr Walby will continue to work one day a week at St Vincent\u2019s Hospital to maintain his clinical skills while working three days a week in Portland.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI like a challenge, managing people and improving systems to make sure patients get timely and quality care, and I like the size of PDH compared to working in a major tertiary hospital. It has more of a community feel and I particularly like the staff I\u2019m working with.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Dr Walby, 61, says his long experience in the public healthcare system has given him strong skills and knowledge around how healthcare works.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI bring a strong sense of social justice and knowledge about what we deliver in healthcare,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have a responsibility to the community to provide them with safe and accessible healthcare, but at the same time the community needs to have realistic expectations about what healthcare we can deliver locally and we need to encourage people to also take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing.<\/p>\n
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\u201cPeople turning up to Urgent Care Centre need to understand what healthcare PDH can provide. One of our roles is to help people on their journey and direct them to appropriate care.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Dr Walby said PDH was well positioned to provide care to the region but, like all health services, has to deal with workforce shortages.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThere are workforce challenges everywhere, not just in healthcare, but Portland is even more challenged because of its geography. We have workforce needs across the board but will continue to recruit and show that PDH is a good place to work.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Dr Walby has been involved in Victoria\u2019s Health Disaster arrangements as a Field Emergency Medical Officer since December 2006.<\/p>\n
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