West Moreton Health appoints Chief Executive

West Moreton Health has appointed its new Chief Executive, Hannah Bloch, to lead the health service through its health prevention, capital works, research and transformation agenda.

Ms Bloch joined West Moreton Health as Interim Chief Executive in July this year, bringing valuable executive leadership experience from neighbouring Gold Coast Health, including acting as Chief Executive.

She said the many similarities between Gold Coast and West Moreton health services attracted her to the role.

“While every region is unique, both region’s host growing populations and ever-increasing demand for sustainable health services, along with a drive for harnessing healthcare opportunities into the future,” Ms Bloch said.

WMH CE Hannah Bloch with WMH Board Chair Michael Willis
WMH CE Hannah Bloch with WMH Board Chair Michael Willis

“Working with our talented and dedicated health care staff and partners, I know we have the foundations to drive innovation and leadership in delivery of the best possible healthcare for our residents.”

Board Chair Michael Willis said Hannah’s appointment was the outcome of a four-month global search, led by an external recruitment agency.

“That process included interviews with high calibre candidates from around Australia and overseas. Hannah emerged as the clear standout applicant in the selection process,” Mr Willis said.

“To ensure we found the right candidate for the role, we spoke to staff across the business, to our health partners and to our consumers and stakeholders about the attributes our next chief executive should have,” he said.

“We also ensured our health partners were represented on the interview panels, to give an outside perspective and voice. It was clear from these discussions, including with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Elders, that Hannah was the right fit, both for her professional experience and with her alignment to our West Moreton Health values.”

Mr Willis said Hannah had earned the respect of staff, the community, and her healthcare peers, and she was ready to lead the service through an exciting period of development.

“In Hannah’s role with West Moreton Health as Interim Chief Executive, she has demonstrated a deep understanding and contributed actively to the delivery of some of the key elements of our health service’s vision, including our revised Strategic Plan, our Health Equity Strategy, our Local Area Needs Analysis and the work on our capital and service planning across our region and at Ipswich Hospital.”