CEO & Board Chair Report

As we reflect on BHN’s first year, we remember the three promises which guided our decision to voluntarily amalgamate and transform into a new organisation. Our new organisation has been focussed on ensuring that everything we do will deliver better for our clients, our staff, and our community.

In our efforts, we are supported by the first BHN Strategic Plan. This plan will guide our work, our planning, and our aspirations for BHN, all under the Values of Accountability, Respect, Courage and Collaboration. These values say a lot about who we are and who we intend to be: honest, brave, attentive, innovative, and connected.

We hope you will take some time to explore our Strategic Plan, linked later in this Annual Report. It is the result of extensive conversations and consultations across our workforce, our clients, and our partners. It was a remarkable exercise in listening to and learning from the unique insights and ideas that will ensure BHN becomes an even better provider of community health and wellbeing services, and drive our effort to influence long term, positive health outcomes for everybody. Under this plan, we will pursue our Vision of delivering your health, your choice, your way.

2023 has been quite a year for our organisation. It has been a year of transformation, innovation, and achieving key milestones. Together, we established our inaugural Board of Directors and our governing Committees. These first Directors of BHN went above and beyond to provide support, advice, and governance to our organisation as we began our integration work. In February, we integrated our workforce from across three legacy organisations onto BHN employment contracts. We were delighted that 100% of staff chose to accept these contracts and join us at BHN. Once we were truly one workforce, we began the intensive project of designing our integrated organisational structure. This process was guided by principles of fairness, transparency, and equity, whilst ensuring that our design will enable the best service structure to deliver excellence. We are so proud of the knowledge, capability, experience and expertise that our BHN workforce represents.

While we work through the final actions of amalgamation, we have also been busy getting into the community and letting people get to know BHN. We have launched our website, social media profiles, site branding, and centralised contact channels - making access easier for clients. This has been especially useful as we continue to launch new programs, locations, and opportunities for our community to receive the care they are looking for.

BHN has also been undertaking its’ first cycle of accreditation. Our whole organisation, expertly led by our Quality team, showcased our new business for the accrediting bodies, and ensured that we continue to be fully accredited, compliant, and demonstrating excellence in our work. You can read more about these and other fantastic achievements later in this report.

The articles in this Annual Report represent a small glimpse into the hard work, focus, and achievements of BHN. As we bring our first year to a close, we know that these achievements were secured by the efforts and goodwill of our dedicated staff and volunteers. We are indebted to their expertise and their commitment to joining us in delivering on “better for our communities”. Thank you. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the first BHN Board of Directors. Establishing the new organisation was a significant task that has been both fulfilling and challenging. The existence of BHN is a credit to each of you individually and as a Board. Thank you.

Finally, we are so grateful to our clients, consumers and community representatives for continuing to trust us, choose us, and share your expertise with us. Thank you.

Damian Ferrie                 Janice Munt

CEO                                    Board Chairperson