Diversity and inclusion at MDHS: taking the next step

It’s Nickola here, Maryborough District Health Service CEO (I’m in the photo above, taken on IDAHOBIT day, on the far left).

It’s an exciting time at our health service and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come on providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone who comes through our doors.

Here at MDHS, we have an ongoing commitment to living and breathing inclusion and diversity every day.

We’ve taken many steps at a strategic and practical level to create the supportive and inclusive environment we enjoy today.

While we know there’s still room for improvement, I am proud that we have already achieved many actions in our new:

• Gender Equality Action Plan
• Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Plan and
• Reconciliation Action Plan

We continually encourage our team members to express themselves and celebrate a range of events on our calendar which foster inclusivity, equity and equality such as:

• Pride
• Wear It Purple Day
• IDAHOBIT Day
• Aboriginal Children’s Day
• NAIDOC
• 16 Days of Activism

At a service level we are focused on providing consumer-centred care and improving the patient experience.

Some of the things we have done to help break down barriers and provide a safe place of care include:

• A commitment to making MDHS a welcoming environment for everyone including our LGBTQIA+ community.
• Appointed two Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officers to increase cultural understanding and help families navigate the health service.
• Embedded our response to family violence through the implementation of the family violence multi-agency risk assessment and management (MARAM) framework.
• Working in partnership with The Orange Door and other family and non-violence services co-located at our Maryborough Campus.

Working towards achieving a Rainbow Tick is on our agenda!

But we know there is a missing link and are seeking a dedicated team member to drive inclusion and diversity to take us to the next level.

And so I am delighted to say we are invested in finding the right person to be our Diversity and Inclusion Lead in a brand new position at MDHS.

Are you the change agent we are looking for to help embed inclusion and diversity within our organisation?

This is a senior level role who will:

• Consult and engage leaders on diversity and inclusion, gender equality and workforce transformation initiatives.
• Implement the strategies we have created to weave gender equality, inclusion and diversity into the organisation’s fabric.
• Develop change management processes and tools to support integration and engagement with change management principles.
• Take us beyond compliance to embed equality in our day-to-day.
• Make inclusion part of who we are, not just what we do.
• Work towards our Rainbow Tick accreditation.

Why MDHS?

In this role you have the ability, authority and freedom to enact rapid change and make meaningful impact, without the red tape.

Our Executive team is fully on board with the strategic direction, so you can get on with the job, with fresh ideas to lead us to the next stage of our journey.

Due to our size and structure, we are a nimble, dynamic and innovative workplace.

With a $115 million Maryborough Hospital redevelopment underway to expand our programs and services this is an exciting time to join our team.

We would love to hear from you if you think you’re the dynamic leader we need for this new role.

For more information follow the links from our careers page.