A nurse with a passion for caring for others is the new CEO at Maryvale Private Hospital (MPH), which is owned by Latrobe Health Services.

Lee Garwood, whose mum was also a nurse and inspired him to pick up the uniform, started with MPH in November, relocating from Melbourne to Morwell in the heart of beautiful Gippsland.

Mr Garwood, who has 14 years nursing and health care leadership experience in both the private and not-for-profit sectors, comes to MPH from Healthe Care Australia, where he was CEO of Brunswick Private Hospital.

And though his new role as executive leader of Gippsland’s only acute medical and surgical private hospital means he’s not nursing patients every day, his passion is such that he intends to ‘keep his hand in’.

While responsible for stewardship of the hospital, he is also committed to working alongside his team to deliver patient care, develop services for the community, and train the next generation of health care workers and leaders.

Making a difference

“What keeps me motivated and inspired is the ability to make a difference to people’s lives,” Mr Garwood said.

“Despite being in executive leadership roles, I work clinically every so often to maintain my skills and to understand patients’ and caregivers’ experiences.”

Closer ties with the community will be a feature of Mr Garwood’s leadership, with strengthened relationships and contemporary ways of interacting with the community - including new website and social media - to be rolled out alongside new services.

Quality care and good, old-fashioned service

But there will still be an emphasis on the things MPH is known for - quality care and good old-fashioned service.

“I’m excited to work with the Maryvale Private team to bring safe, quality care to Gippsland and strengthen our links with the community,” Mr Garwood said.

“We’ve already made a start on growing the existing services to provide new services for our community to access.

“Our goal is for the people of Gippsland to recognise Maryvale Private as a great place to receive treatment and a great place to work.”

Mr Garwood’s career includes strong involvement in the training and development of clinical and non-clinical staff. This includes roles as a health care mentor at LaTrobe University, a Conjoint Senior Lecturer for the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Newcastle and an industry advisor to universities, TAFEs and other training organisations.

In his spare time, he studies, is involved with Rotary and loves a chat. He is looking forward to exploring scenic Gippsland with family and friends.