Barwon Health

Barwon Health Victoria's largest regional service, providing state-of-the-art treatment and care.

Barwon Health is established under the Health Services Act 1988 as a Schedule 5 public health service. Formed in 1998, Barwon Health is one of the largest and most comprehensive regional health services in Australia,
providing care at all stages of life and circumstance. With more than 8,758 staff, we are one of Australiaโ€™s
largest regional employers and the largest employer in Geelong. Barwon Health provides services for everyone who needs care, regardless of their financial status or the location of their usual residence. As a regional health service, we provide leadership and tertiary referral services across the
Barwon South West region. We provide services from the University Hospital Geelong precinct in central Geelong, the McKellar Centre precinct in North Geelong and other locations including the Sunrise Centre, a partnership initiative with the Geelong Football Club and the Transport Accident Commission that provides a contemporary community venue for specialist community rehabilitation programs. We provide community health services from Anglesea, Belmont, Corio, Newcomb, and Torquay and dental services from Belmont, Corio and Newcomb. Our newest sites include Barwon Health North in Norlane providing, amongst other services, child and family health services, renal dialysis, medical imaging and an urgent care service. Mental health, drugs and alcohol services are provided at the Swanston Centre at University Hospital Geelong, Prevention and Recovery Care (PARC) at Belmont Community Rehabilitation Facility, the McKellar Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre and Blakiston Lodge Psychogeriatric Unit at the McKellar Centre and 10 community-based locations including Belmont, central Geelong, Colac, Corio, Barwon Health North and Newcomb. We provide residential aged care beds across two sites: Alan David Lodge in Charlemont, and three lodges on the
McKellar Centre precinct in North Geelong these include Percy Baxter Lodge, Wallace Lodge and Blakiston Lodge. We provide a comprehensive range of health services including acute care (medicine, surgery, womenโ€™s health,
paediatrics, emergency and specialist clinics), mental health, alcohol and other drugs services, primary care,
community health, rehabilitation, geriatric medicine, palliative care, community nursing and hospital in the home. As a major teaching hospital, we have relationships with Deakin University, LaTrobe University, the Gordon
Institute and other tertiary education providers including the University of Melbourne and Monash University. We
provide teaching and training for all health professionals across all disciplines, at all career stages.

 ๐‚๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ ๐Œ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ž๐ฒ, ๐–๐š๐ซ๐ ๐œ๐ฅ๐ž๐ซ๐ค"As a ward clerk, Iโ€™m often the first point of contact for patients, families and staff. I man...
05/12/2025


๐‚๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ ๐Œ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ž๐ฒ, ๐–๐š๐ซ๐ ๐œ๐ฅ๐ž๐ซ๐ค
"As a ward clerk, Iโ€™m often the first point of contact for patients, families and staff. I manage admissions and discharges, coordinate patient flow, answer phone enquiries, support clinical staff and ensure the ward runs smoothly. I help organise transport, liaise with different departments and keep the ward environment calm, welcoming and organised. A big part of my role is providing reassurance and clear communication to patients and families, making sure they feel listened to and supported from the moment they arrive.

Iโ€™ve been working at Barwon Health for seven years and Iโ€™ve grown personally and professionally. Starting as a ward clerk has given me a solid foundation in how a ward functions, from understanding workflow and communication pathways to seeing the importance of multidisciplinary teamwork. Being immersed in the clinical environment reinforced my passion for healthcare and inspired me to progress into nursing. My journey as a student enrolled nurse has been shaped by what Iโ€™ve learned on the ward, and now Iโ€™m excited to continue that progression by stepping into a nursing role.

I enjoy meaningful human connection, being able to support patients and families during challenging moments and being a steady point of contact for the clinical team. Itโ€™s rewarding to know that even small interactions, problem-solving or clear communication can make a difference to someoneโ€™s experience.

The role can be challenging at times and many situations are unpredictable and require patience, resilience, and strong communication. But working in this environment has helped me become more adaptable and confident under pressure. These challenges have shaped me into a stronger team member and have directly supported my development as I move towards a nursing role."

๐Ÿ“บ The Barwon Health AGM 2025 is now complete and can be viewed below ๐Ÿ‘‡Watch as we reflected on the past year and highlig...
05/12/2025

๐Ÿ“บ The Barwon Health AGM 2025 is now complete and can be viewed below ๐Ÿ‘‡

Watch as we reflected on the past year and highlighted key achievements and milestones that have shaped Barwon Healthโ€™s journey.

Watch the recording here: https://vimeo.com/1143710520?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci =0

05/12/2025

Happy International Volunteer Day!
Not all volunteers are humanโ€ฆ some have wagging tails and very big hearts.

Andrea visits Barwon Health patients with her gentle therapy dog, Poko, by her side. Once a patient herself, she experienced the comfort and companionship volunteers, and their four-legged friends can bring during challenging moments. She promised that one day sheโ€™d give that kindness back.

Today, she fulfils that promise with every visit.
A calm presence.
A friendly smile.
And a tail that never stops wagging.

Thank you, Andrea, Poko, and all our incredible volunteers who make a difference one paw-print at a time. ๐Ÿพ

This yearโ€™s International Volunteer Day theme is โ€œEvery Contribution Mattersโ€ a reminder that every act of care, big or small, builds a kinder, more connected community.

Happy International Volunteer Day from everyone at Barwon Health!

Congratulations to Craig Harvey, recipient of the 2025 Peter Foyster Award.Established in memory of mental health nurse ...
04/12/2025

Congratulations to Craig Harvey, recipient of the 2025 Peter Foyster Award.

Established in memory of mental health nurse Peter Foyster, who tragically passed away in 2018, this award honours Peter's passion for safe, high-quality mental health care and his legacy as a role model dedicated to sharing his knowledge, skills and values with others.

The award recognises those who demonstrate outstanding coaching, mentoring and support for the development of others to enhance care and service. Staff across Barwon Healthโ€™s Mental Health, Drugs and Alcohol Service (MHDAS) were invited to nominate peers who:
๐Ÿ‘‰ Demonstrate a deep understanding of skilled mentorship
๐Ÿ‘‰ Foster high-quality learning environments
๐Ÿ‘‰ Act as role models and invest in current and future nurses and nurse leaders
๐Ÿ‘‰ Build and sustain strong relationships that support nurses

Craig celebrated the achievement alongside members of Peterโ€™s family and MHDAS co-director Bethany McClelland.

๐Ÿงณ๐ŸŒ ๐“๐ซ๐š๐ฏ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐จ๐ฏ๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ๐ž๐š๐ฌ? There has been an increase of measles cases in Victoria and around the world.Victorians planning...
04/12/2025

๐Ÿงณ๐ŸŒ ๐“๐ซ๐š๐ฏ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐จ๐ฏ๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ๐ž๐š๐ฌ?

There has been an increase of measles cases in Victoria and around the world.

Victorians planning to go overseas should make sure their routine vaccinations are up to date, including the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. If you were born during or after 1966 without documented evidence of receiving two doses of MMR vaccine, or if or you donโ€™t know, get vaccinated.

Seek advice from a health professional at least 6-8 weeks before travelling to determine what vaccinations you may need.

Travellers should ensure they receive two doses of the MMR vaccine before going overseas. Infants can receive a dose as young as six months old.

For more information on measles visit: https://bswphu.org.au/infectious-diseases/measles/

Free appointments are available at the Barwon Health Vaccination Centre in Belmont. Make a booking here: https://geelong.book.vitavo.com.au/available-appointments

CAR T milestone: Barwon Health delivers first infusionBarwon Health has reached a major milestone, delivering our first ...
03/12/2025

CAR T milestone: Barwon Health delivers first infusion

Barwon Health has reached a major milestone, delivering our first CAR T cell (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy) infusion; an important step forward for Cancer Services and for regional healthcare. CAR T-cell therapy is a complex cancer treatment, using cells of the immune system that have been modified to better recognise and fight certain cancers.

Funding from the Barwon South Western Regional Integrated Cancer Service (BSWRICS) has helped establish CAR-T capability at Barwon Health, a step towards improving access to advanced cancer care for patients across western Victoria.

Delivered as part of a clinical trial, this treatment expands access to cutting-edge therapy for a wider range of haematological cancers. It brings world-leading care closer to home and reduces the need for patients to travel long distances for highly specialised treatment.

This achievement was made possible through outstanding collaboration across our teams, including the CAR T Working Group (Haematology, Neurology, ICU and Infectious Diseases), A/Prof Philip Campbell, Dr Hannah Rose, CAR T Project Lead Sam van der Linde, the Clinical Trials team and Chloe Ristevski, Pharmacy, and the Nursing teams on Baxter 6, Andrew Love and ICU.

Their combined expertise has turned an ambitious goal into reality, delivering meaningful benefits for patients and families in our region.

Pictured: first patient, Shane Johnson.

This week, the following awards were proudly presented by the Medical Education and Training team and the Barwon Health ...
03/12/2025

This week, the following awards were proudly presented by the Medical Education and Training team and the Barwon Health Senior Medical Staff Group as part of our final Grand Round for 2025. Congratulations to the following award recipients and runner-ups:

๐Ÿ† HMO/Registrar Research Award
Awarded to: Dr Ahthavan Narendren
Runner-up: Dr Mitchell Simpson
๐Ÿ† The Richard Hallowes Prize
Awarded to: Dr Tom Reade
๐Ÿ† The Hasan Al-Khayyat Award
Awarded to: Dr Anna Dunn
๐Ÿ† Barwon Health Intern of the Year Award
Awarded to: Dr Linda Sahakian
Runner-up: Dr Ethan McGucken
๐Ÿ† Postgraduate Year 2 Doctor of the Year
Awarded to: Dr Gaju Anand

Dr Solveig Ober and Dr Irini Moutsatsos were acknowledged for their service in the roles of Doctors-in-Training Intern Representatives for 2025.

The Barwon Health Senior Medical Staff Group includes all senior medical staff appointed at Barwon Health as members. The purpose of the group is to support medical education, training and research, collaboration and communication amongst senior medical staff and the hospital executive as well as to advocate for staff welfare, service quality and service improvement.

The Senior Medical Staff Group supports medical education and research by funding awards and prizes via Barwon Healthโ€™s collaborative work with Deakin University.

01/12/2025

๐ŸŽจ ๐Œ๐ž๐ž๐ญ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ข ๐๐ข๐œ๐š๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฌ!

To celebrate works powering ahead on the more than $500 million Barwon Womenโ€™s and Childrenโ€™s, we asked primary schools across the Barwon South West region to get creative!

Students were asked to contribute artwork that reflects 'What makes me happy when Iโ€™m unwell'. The resulting artworks are inspired by nature, animals, healthcare heroes and hopes for the future.

Sixteen feel-good artworks by students from across the Bellarine, Greater Geelong and Surf Coast are now on display near the main entrance of the University Hospital Geelong on Bellerine Street.

Staff and visitors to the hospital will enjoy viewing the artworks on site fencing for the new Barwon Womenโ€™s and Childrenโ€™s.

Meet three of the students and their teachers, as they share the inspiration behind their artworks.

This week, the 2025 Barwon Health Deakin University Research Symposium brought together more than 140 researchers, clini...
28/11/2025

This week, the 2025 Barwon Health Deakin University Research Symposium brought together more than 140 researchers, clinicians and students for a vibrant celebration of science and community impact.

The event included presentations by Barwon Health researchers, Best Paper of the Year finalists, Senior Medical Staff Research Prize finalists and an exhibition of research posters. We also named recipients of the Barwon Deakin Business of Health Seeding Grant.

๐Ÿ† ๐๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐š๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐˜๐ž๐š๐ซ ๐€๐ฐ๐š๐ซ๐ - ๐Œ๐ฒ๐œ๐จ๐›๐š๐œ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐œ๐ž๐ซ๐š๐ง๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐Ÿ๐ž๐œ๐ž๐ฌ ๐›๐ž๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐ž๐ฆ๐ž๐ซ๐ ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ž ๐ข๐ง ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฆ๐š๐ง๐ฌ
- Dr Bridgette McNamara

๐Ÿ† ๐‘๐ž๐ฌ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐œ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐€๐ฐ๐š๐ซ๐ - ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐ž๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ž๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ž๐ง๐š๐›๐ฅ๐ž ๐œ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ-๐ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ž๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž, ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข-๐œ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ซ, ๐ซ๐š๐ง๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ž๐, ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐›๐ฅ๐ž-๐›๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐, ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐š๐œ๐ž๐›๐จ-๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ž๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ
- Dr Jessica Costa-Pinto

๐Ÿ† ๐‘๐ž๐ฌ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐œ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐€๐ฐ๐š๐ซ๐ - ๐‚๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐š๐ฌ๐ญ๐ก๐ฆ๐š ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ž๐ฏ๐š๐ฅ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ž ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐š๐ž๐๐ข๐š๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐œ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐๐ž๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ž ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐œ๐จ๐ซ๐๐š๐ง๐œ๐ž
- Rachel Morgan

๐Ÿ† ๐‘๐ž๐ฌ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐œ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐€๐ฐ๐š๐ซ๐ - ๐•๐ข๐œ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐š๐ง ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐›๐ฅ๐ข๐œ ๐ฌ๐ž๐œ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐š๐ฅ ๐š๐ ๐ž๐ ๐œ๐š๐ซ๐ž ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐œ๐ž
- Dr Susan Perlan

๐Ÿ† ๐‘๐ž๐ฌ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐œ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐€๐ฐ๐š๐ซ๐ - ๐๐ซ๐ž๐จ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž ๐š๐ง๐š๐ž๐ฆ๐ข๐š ๐ข๐ง ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ž๐œ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฒ
- Yves Charlesworth

๐๐‡ ๐ƒ๐” ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐‡๐ž๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก ๐’๐ž๐ž๐๐ข๐ง๐  ๐†๐ซ๐š๐ง๐ญ ๐ซ๐ž๐œ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ
- Dr Michael Muleme and Dr Bridgette McNamara
- Dr Sajal Saha
- A/Prof Anna Dunn

Read more - https://research.barwonhealth.org.au/about-us/research-symposium/

Barwon Health wins Victorian Public Healthcare AwardWeโ€™re proud to share that our Specialist Dementia Care Program has w...
27/11/2025

Barwon Health wins Victorian Public Healthcare Award

Weโ€™re proud to share that our Specialist Dementia Care Program has won the award category โ€œExcellence in public sector residential aged care servicesโ€ at the 2025 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards.

Based at Blakiston Lodge, the program provides tailored, evidence-based care for people living with severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Our dedicated team is helping residents regain independence, improve wellbeing, and live with dignity in a purpose-built environment.

CEO Frances Diver said: โ€œThis award is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our team. The program is transforming lives and weโ€™re proud to see this work recognised statewide.โ€

Learn more about the program here:
https://www.barwonhealth.org.au/service/specialist-dementia-care-program/

Join us for the Barwon Health Annual General Meeting.We invite our community to the 2025 AGM featuring guest speaker Jen...
26/11/2025

Join us for the Barwon Health Annual General Meeting.

We invite our community to the 2025 AGM featuring guest speaker Jenny Atta PSM, Secretary of the Victorian Department of Health.

Friday 5 December
2:00pm โ€“ 3:00pm
John Lindell Lecture Theatre, University Hospital Geelong

Canโ€™t make it in person? A Teams link will be sent upon registration, and the session will be recorded and shared on our channels.

Register here : https://events.humanitix.com/barwon-health-2025-annual-general-meeting?_gl=1*1e13n4y*_gcl_au*MjA4NTk2NjE5Ny4xNzYxNTE3NTg2*_ga*OTAzMjE4ODk1LjE3NjE1MTc1ODY.*_ga_LHKW5FR9N6*czE3NjE1MTc1ODYkbzEkZzEkdDE3NjE1MjAzNjQkajQzJGwwJGgw

26/11/2025

Weโ€™re so proud to celebrate four amazing Barwon Health volunteers recognised in this yearโ€™s Geelong Advertiser Future Geelong Leadership Awards!

๐Ÿ† Liveability Leader Award - Chris Kelsall
Chris has volunteered for many years as a Patient Transport Driver with the Andrew Love Cancer Centre and supports palliative patients with incredible care and compassion. His dedication and kindness truly make a difference.
๐Ÿ† Peopleโ€™s Choice Award - Isini Puhula Gamayalage
At just 20, Isini volunteers in our Emergency Department, mentors fellow students, leads as President of Girl Guides and even competes as a national athlete. A remarkable young leader and your community favourite!
โœจ Honourable Mentions - Ian Scott and Moira Donovan
Ian Scott has been a driving force in improving patient transport, volunteering since 2018 to help vulnerable people get to essential appointments safely and reliably.
Moira Donovan brings heart and creativity to our Palliative Care team, supporting patients and volunteers through her warmth, mentoring and beautiful โ€œpocket heartโ€ workshops.

Read the full story in the Geelong Advertiser: https://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/news/meet-the-geelong-leaders-celebrated-for-shaping-our-communitys-future/news-story/7a36b8c3aab731f249a3b57014a4acc5

Please join us in congratulating Chris, Isini, Ian and Moira; four incredible people who help make Barwon Health the caring community it is.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Watch Isini's story here:

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Geelong, VIC
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Our Story

Barwon Health is one of the largest and most comprehensive regional health services in Australia, providing care at all stages of life and circumstance. Health services available through Barwon Health cover the full spectrum from primary care, community services, aged care, rehabilitation, mental health, emergency and acute care. With the exception of neurosurgery and transplantation, virtually all other specialties are available through University Hospital Geelong.

Care is provided to the community through:


  • Community health services at key locations throughout the region.

  • Aged care through the McKellar Centre and its sites at North Geelong and Charlemont.