Aged care provider helps women rise to the top
Nine high-performing women from HammondCare will further their leadership skills under a new program worth $170,000 a year.
Nine high-performing women from HammondCare will further their leadership skills under a new program worth $170,000 a year.
The provider’s Women in Leadership program provides a 12-month scholarship and through a partnership with Monash University allows the recipients to undertake leadership studies without the full commitment of postgraduate study.
The successful applicants come from a range of occupations including nursing, medicine, pharmacy, people services, occupational therapy and nutrition services, at three Sydney suburban hospitals.
HammondCare’s general manager of Health and Hospitals Stewart James said the selected women performed at a high level in their leadership roles and displayed both the requisite compassion of care and the skills and capabilities to advance as future leaders in the organisation.
“The essential qualifications for effective leadership are imagination and courage, and these women exhibit those key criteria in their work,” Mr James told Australian Ageing Agenda.
He said the Monash program was grounded in the principles of authentic and values-based leadership and was selected because it equipped participants with the skills and insights needed to develop their careers and strengthen the performance of their teams.
The benefits will also flow on to other staff, Mr James said.
“These women will become mentors to the next generation of women progressing through nursing, medical, allied health and admin ranks of HammondCare and assist them to realise their full potential at work.
“Strong, capable and competent women in strategic leadership roles will ensure that HammondCare can continue to attract and retain quality people into our workforce into the future,” he said.
To assist these women with their studies and help them realise their leadership potential, Mr James said HammondCare would support a new study network that the recipients were forming, as well as course attendance.
“HammondCare will also offer external coaching and internal mentoring by senior executives to reinforce the learning outcomes and each of the women have been positioned for future growth opportunities,” he said.
Scholarship recipients:
- Aroha Sakaria – nurse unit manager, Braeside Rehabilitation Unit
- Sarah Brown – head dietician, Braeside Hospital
- Felicity Burns – nursing unit manager, Braeside Hospital’s Palliative Care Unit
- Dr Josephine Clayton – associate professor and palliative care staff specialist, Centre for Learning and Research
- Kate Needham – head of occupational therapy, Greenwich Hospital
- Kate Thomas – chief pharmacist for health & hospitals, Greenwich Hospital
- Pauline Luttrell – people services business partner to health and hospitals, Greenwich Hospital
- Michelle Wreyford – leader of the community palliative care team, Neringah Hospital
- Rachel Mapariwa – registered nurse, Neringah Hospital’s Inpatient Palliative Care Unit
Read more in AAA’s special report on women in aged care:
