COMPREHENSIVE ROLE: Dr Louise Messara has been elevated to the role of director of medical services at Orange Health Service.
SOME may see the role as daunting and working in a pressure cooker environment, but Dr Louise Messara has taken on the role of director of medical services at Orange Health Service with enthusiasm and a wealth of experience required to discharge her complex and wide ranging duties.
Dr Messara came to Orange 18 months ago and says she’s loving the country lifestyle.
So it seemed a natural fit for her to step up and take on the new challenging role. Her duties include attracting the right mix of doctors and clinicians in the hospital which is regarded by health professionals as the largest rural hospital in the southern hemisphere.
One of her tasks will also be working with front line clinicians looking at innovative approaches to improve health care at the hospital.
“Securing the right work force is absolutely vital to what we are doing here at Orange Health Service,” she said.
“Part of my role is also looking at the way we can continue to develop services and what is required to be able to do that,” Dr Messara said.
Dr Messara says she’s always keen to hear from clinicians and nursing staff about new ideas and concepts that will contribute to better patient care.
“Our CYBER ward is an example of that - that’s the new model we have set up with an individual team of nurses and clinicians working with patients,” she said.
Dr Messara said she felt very supported in her role.
“The current state government is very supportive of innovative ideas which can improve health care,” she said.
She believes the new statewide program, which will involve Orange hospital helping patients to deal with chronic pain, was a perfect example of an exciting new program.
“We are in a strong position to drive this type of program from the ground here at Orange,” she said.
However, Dr Messara said she couldn’t carry out her demanding role without the team of professions at Orange hospital.
“We are all part of the team and there is very much a collegiate approach,” she said.
Encouragement from Sydney-based registrars, senior students and other clinicals who are an important middle tier of care delivered at the hospital has helped.
“They are making Orange their first choice now above other hospitals because of the comprehensive facility we have here and the reputation we’ve built,” she said.
“When we look at applications for jobs we are not just getting one or two to choose from - we are getting a huge number of applications for some of these roles here,” she said.
Dr Messara came to Orange after a stint with the Sony organisations.
“I really wanted to return to return to a clinical environment and I was so interested in the way people wanted to come and build services in a regional centre such as Orange,” she said.
janice.harris@ruralpress.com