Catherine Upcher has seen a lot of change for Gateway Health over a period of 16 years on the Board, six of those as Chairperson.
What has stayed with her is the dedication of staff and the importance of community health in keeping people well.
“I was very fortunate to be part of Gateway Health for so long and my interest never waned. It’s such an interesting and eclectic organisation,” Catherine recalls.
“I discovered an enormous amount about health – which is not my background – and learning, listening and contributing was a privilege for me.
“One of the huge values of Gateway Health is its staff. These are people who just get up every day and do the most amazing work for the community and I’m full of admiration for them.”
Catherine was the inaugural chair of the newly merged Gateway Health in 2014, having first joined what was originally Upper Hume Community Health Service in 2007.
Upper Hume Community Health Service which became Gateway Community Health Service had a small geographic footprint, servicing Wodonga with limited outreach to Corryong and Mt Beauty.
Ovens & King Community Health Service, which formed in 1994 with an amalgamation of the King Valley and Ovens-Alpine community health services, operated out of Wangaratta with centres in Myrtleford, Bright and Benalla as well servicing smaller towns like Moyhu and Whitfield.
“Bringing the two organisations together to form Gateway Health was considered quite a brave move. I It took a lot of thought, a lot of work and discussion to determine whether it was a good cultural fit as well as being a good thing to do in terms of the services we could offer to the community,” Catherine said.
Catherine said that while the merger was seen as a success, it took time for the community to accept the new entity.
“I think it took a while for the community to come to grips with the new organisation and the fact that the name had changed. It also took time for staff to adjust to the new arrangement and for synergies to develop.”
“But what that merger did was bring together what were two geographically recognised organisations, with broad allied health services, giving a larger footprint and much greater impact.”
The combination of medical practices and allied health services in both centres made Gateway Health a one-stop health offering.
“Gateway Health has always had a very person-centred approach. The merger provided an enhanced opportunity to provide holistic responses, the ability to address the whole person rather than just treating the presenting issue,” Catherine said.
The importance of health promotion has resonated with Catherine from her time spent in the community health sector.
“One of the really wonderful things Gateway Health took a leadership role in was health promotion and we’ve seen a lot of evidence of how this has made a significant impact in people’s lives, right across the community,” she said.
“Through early intervention and prevention, Gateway Health is well-placed to educate people about their health and ways of looking after themselves to prevent that slide into acute care.
“The impact of health promotion has been demonstrated over the past 10 years but I don’t think its well-resourced. Health promotion funding is crucial if we are to keep people well and living in community.”
Looking forward, Catherine says she hopes community health continues to be an important part of the whole health sector.
“The role of community health is critical in keeping the pressure off the acute care system. Its ability to provide wrap-around care is unique,” she says.
“My concern is that there are programs that make a difference and clearly have a positive impact on people’s lives but are only funded for a short period of time.
“The value of these programs must be recognised, demonstrated and funded long term.”
This July marks the 10th anniversary of the merger of Gateway Community Health Service in Wodonga and Ovens & King Community Health Service in Wangaratta.
Today, Gateway Health is a charitable, not-for-profit community health organisation providing affordable healthcare, support services, community programs, and outreach initiatives across North East Victoria and parts of southern NSW.
The needs of rural and regional people and communities are our priority when delivering quality care across sites in Wodonga, Wangaratta, Myrtleford, Benalla and Shepparton.
