Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer
RN Dip PMAN AdvDip BUS MGT.
As Board Director for the Nursing and Midwifery Health Program, Leanne is passionate about the health and wellbeing of nurses and midwives, and the need for ongoing investment in this space. Her advocacy makes her a role model and mentor to junior and senior teams, who respect her down-to-earth and caring nature, and her understanding of the significant challenges faced by those who care for the community.
Leanne grew up on a dairy farm at Bacchus Marsh, and spent significant time with family and ‘hanging out’ with cousins in Minyip and Manangatang during the school holidays before commencing training in 1984 at the Royal Children’s Hospital. Country born and city trained, Leanne recognised early on the unique differences between regional and metropolitan healthcare.
While she was able to specialise in paediatric and adolescent medicine, the breadth of clinical skill required by regional nurses and midwives was – and is – quite extraordinary. She is excited to continue development of health care in the Grampians region, and believes health funding discussions need regional representation at the table.
Leanne has continued her professional development through the Australasian Institute of Clinical Governance, and the Governance Institute of Australia, and has more than 20 years’ experience in managing and coaching public health sector teams.
Those who know her, describe Leanne as a great listener who empowers teams to focus and get on with the job at hand; she brings out the best in others, and recognises that all people carry degrees of complexity in both their professional and personal lives.
“In working closely with our nurses and midwives across the region, we can ensure patients, residents, and staff experience the exceptional, contemporary care expected by those who come to us. I strongly believe in empowering teams, and nurturing local talent to pursue careers in health so communities can thrive well into the future. I still live where I was born – on the family farm – but it is the community all around me that makes it ‘home’.”