Yarram & District Health Service

11/03/2026

Well done to the team at Yarram Secondary College on this fantastic initiative.

✔️ More healthy options for local students.
✔️ Free fresh fruit and fruit cups.
✔️ Using produce and ingredients directly from the kitchen garden.

🌟 Monthly member highlight: Yarram Secondary College! 🌟

Fruit and veg are taking centre stage at Yarram Secondary College and we’re loving it!

The canteen team has introduced more fruit and veg based snacks, using fresh produce straight from their kitchen garden. Options like zucchini slices, mini apple and pear muffins and vegetable soup have been big favourites with students.

Fresh fruit and fruit cups are also available in the canteen for students to grab for free, giving everyone easy access to a nutritious bite. Any extra garden produce is frozen for future meals or used in classes as part of their Paddock2plate program, helping the school make the most of every harvest.

👏 Well done, Yarram Secondary College. We’re celebrating all the great steps you’re taking!

Schools can join Vic Kids Eat Well for free here: https://bit.ly/3CLwtSZ

Cancer Council Victoria
National Nutrition Foundation
Healthy Eating Advisory Service
Victorian Department of Health
Yarram & District Health Service

07/03/2026

Today on International Women’s Day (and everyday), we proudly celebrate the incredible and inspiring women of YDHS and more broadly across Yarram.

We’re incredibly lucky to work with some of the most extraordinary women - our patients, families, carers, and the remarkable women across our health service - who show strength, compassion and leadership every single day.

From our nurses and clinicians to our volunteers, support staff and leaders, your dedication keeps our community healthy, connected and cared for. Your impact reaches far beyond the walls of our service and today we say thank you.

This year’s theme, Balance the Scale reminds us of the importance of creating spaces where every woman feels valued, respected and empowered. In regional communities like ours, that sense of inclusion and support is especially powerful - and it’s something we’re committed to strengthening every day.

When women and girls stand equal, families are stronger, workplaces are fairer, communities thrive and society becomes safer for everyone.

This International Women’s Day let's Balance the Scales together.

The Bridge -Local News

05/03/2026

We’ve found a set of keys at the Yarram Medical Centre.

So if you’ve lost a set of keys and have been at YDHS in recent days, we might have them.

They have a distractive branded key ring on them and to ensure they’re returned to their rightful owner, you’ll be asked to identify the brand of the keyring.

You can collect them from the Yarram Medical Centre reception.

The Bridge -Local News

04/03/2026

This week, we bid farewell to Jo Scimone.

If you’ve had a blood test at the Yarram Medical Centre over the last couple of years, chances are it’s been Jo that’s done it.

Jo has been at Monash Pathology at YDHS for the last seven years and in that time has become a valued member of our healthcare team.

So, from all of us at YDHS, a big thanks to Jo for all of her efforts and her commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of the local community in her time here.

And if you’re wondering where Jo is going, she’s shared the below message with us before she clocks out for the final time. It seems Jo’s enjoyed her time here just as much as we have valued having her as part of the team.

From Jo:

Hi Yarram and surrounds community,
Jo here from Monash Health Pathology at Yarram Medical Centre. I just wanted to let all my patients know that I’m finishing up working in pathology. Just wanted to say thankyou to everyone I’ve gotten to know and taken blood from over the last seven years working there. I will miss our chats and getting to know you. My hubby and I are opening up a cafe in Rosedale so it’s time for me to move on and work with my family and do something different. Wishing everyone that I’ve crossed paths with all the best in life. Always be kind.

Also, to all the staff at Yarram Medical Centre, thank you for always being kind and making me always to feel welcome. I will miss all your faces and chats too.

Regards

Jo Scimone

The Bridge -Local News

24/02/2026

The Board, Executive Team and staff at YDHS extend their deepest respect and sympathy to the family of Bill Bodman OAM after his passing on 23 February 2026.

Bill was a past President of the Committee of Management of YDHS.

He was well-known by many around Yarram and surrounding districts, was respected within the agriculture sector and was for many years an active member of the Yarram Historical Society.

Vale Bill.

BODMAN William (Bill) Thomas Hayes OAM
30.03.1934 - 23.02.2026
Darling, beloved and loving husband of Marg
Loved and loving father of Bill, Sally, Jane and Tony
and father-in-law to Paul, Dale and Lisa
Adored grandfather (Bibbo) to Alysha, Stella & William, Sarah, Ned & Lily, Alex, Elena & Laura and their partners
Great grandfather to Isla, Airlie and Samuel
A man of his community, his family and the land.
Cherished and held in our hearts forever.

A celebration of the life of William (Bill) Thomas Hayes Bodman OAM will be held at The Regent Theatre, 210 Commercial Road Yarram at 2:00 PM on MONDAY (2 March, 2026). Privately cremated.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Yarram & District Health Service.
For those unable to attend, a live stream will take place https://vimeo.com/event/5753587

23/02/2026

February is Heart Health Awareness Month and one of the key ways in which you can reduce your risk of heart disease is by eating a heart healthy diet.

So what does a heart healthy diet look like? Follow these five steps to below to kickstart your heart healthy eating patterns.

🌽 1. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and wholegrains. These contain plenty of essential vitamins and minerals, fibre and antioxidants and have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

🥜 2. Include a variety of healthy protein-rich foods. This includes legumes, nuts and seeds, as well as fish and seafood.

🥛 3. Choose unflavoured milk, yoghurt and cheese. While these foods don’t decrease your risk of heart disease, they are an important source of calcium, protein and other minerals. Unflavoured varieties with no added sugar are the healthiest option.

🥑 4. Include healthy fats and oils. Eat foods with high amounts of healthy fats like avocados, olives, nuts and seeds and use healthy oils for cooking like olive, canola, sunflower, peanut and soybean.

🧄 5. Use herbs and spices, rather than salt for flavour. Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, which results in an increased risk of heart disease.

The Bridge -Local News

22/02/2026

YDHS is proudly supporting Wellington Shire Council's Kids Day Out in Yarram on 4th March 2026.

Come on down with your family to say hello, have a go on our popular smoothie bikes and join in the fun activities facilitated by the YDHS community health team.

There’ll be plenty of activities to keep the kids entertained including face painting, a jumping castle, a bubble blowing display and a petting zoo.

Kid’s Day Out is a Parks Week event, celebrating the vital role parks and open spaces play in promoting physical health, mental wellbeing and community connection.

The Bridge -Local News

18/02/2026

Did you know we offer a range of services at YDHS to help you to be your best self physically?

This includes a range of rehabilitation services to help you recover from an injury, or regain movement and mobility after surgery.

We have a dedicated and experienced team of physiotherapists and occupational therapists that are here to help.

They’ll work with you to diagnose your needs and implement a tailored program to support you in achieving your goals.

Give us a call on 5182 0222 to learn more about our physiotherapy and occupational therapy services.

The Bridge -Local News

15/02/2026

We’re thrilled to once again be supporting the Tarra Festival in 2026.

The festival sees the streets of Yarram come alive over the Easter long weekend and it’s always a fabulous event.

So many of our staff, volunteers and residents also love getting involved in this wonderful community event; whether that’s preparing props to support the street parade or turning up over the weekend to participate in the festivities.

We can’t wait to see what this year delivers!

GOLD SPONSOR ANNOUNCEMENT 2026 ✨

For the second year in a row, we are incredibly proud to announce Yarram and District Health Service as our Gold Sponsor for the Tarra Festival 2026 💛

Their ongoing support means the absolute world to our committee and our community. Sponsorship like this is what helps bring the Tarra Festival to life, from the planning stages right through to festival weekend.

We truly couldn’t do this without you.
Thank you, YDHS, for backing our community once again 🌈✨

13/02/2026

Love is in the air today with many across the world celebrating Valentine’s Day.

And while red might be the colour of love and you’ll no doubt be seeing plenty of it, you might see people dressed in red today for a slightly different reason (although it still has to do with matters of the heart).

Today is Wear RED Day, where Heart Research Australia is encouraging us to wear red to raise awareness of heart disease.

1.3 million Australians have one or more conditions related to heart, stroke or vascular disease and heart disease remains the number one cause of death worldwide.

In 2024, 16,275 Australians died from heart disease, while every nine minutes, someone suffers a heart event. That’s 157 heart events per day!

So today, think about your own heart heath and of those around you. Chances are you know someone that’s been touched by heart disease.

And while you’re at it, think about the practical steps you can take to manage and improve your own heart health – from eating a balanced diet, to exercising for 30 minutes a day to managing stress – all of these contribute to lowering your risk of heart disease.

The Bridge -Local News

12/02/2026

YDHS operates two residential aged care facilities right here in Yarram.

St Elmo’s includes residential care services and dementia-specific capacity, while Crossley House also provides residential services as well as carer respite.

Both facilities provide a home-like environment with access to YDHS’ acute care, medical and allied health services.

Our nursing and care staff are supported by an experienced and dedicated leisure and lifestyle team that deliver a diverse range of activities to ensure residents remain engaged and stimulated.

And we’re pleased to share that our aged care capacity is growing, with plans underway to add five additional beds to Crossley House.

It’s all part of our commitment to providing high-quality health and residential aged care services to residents of Yarram and surrounding communities both now and into the future.

The Bridge -Local News

09/02/2026

Did you know we often have same day GP appointments available at the Yarram Medical Centre?

It seems this individual wasn’t expecting to get an appointment either when they popped in last week looking to get a replacement script.

However, we were able to get their script sorted with a midday GP appointment on the same day.

Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback with us and we’re so pleased we were able to help.

You can share your feedback with us too, by visiting our website here - https://www.ydhs.com.au/compliments-complaints/

The Bridge -Local News