CEO Blog

  1. Home
  2. Latest News
  3. CEO Blog
Michele Smith Chief Executive Officer Michele Smith is a respected leader in the South Australian health sector with a proud track record of innovation in acute and aged care gained over a professional career spanning more than 30 years.

Adelaide born and raised, Michele completed her nursing studies at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the late 1980s and worked as a registered nurse in private and public hospitals – including the Repatriation General Hospital, Stirling Hospital and Lameroo District Hospital – across both metropolitan and regional South Australia.

She moved into health administration and management some 15 years later, serving in various executive positions with the Country Health SA Local Health Network (CHSALHN) and developing strong financial, staff and project management skills.

After initial periods as Executive Officer and Director of Nursing for Eastern Eyre Health and Aged Care and Chief Executive Officer for Mid-West Health and Aged Care Incorporated, she was appointed Regional Director, Eyre Far North in 2007, with responsibility for 11 hospitals, 10 aged care facilities, two medical centres and a range of community-based services over a vast area of some 200,000 square kilometres.

She was also the driver behind the introduction of a range of new services across the region, including elective surgery, renal dialysis, chemotherapy, residential aged care, community care packages and Aboriginal Health programs, and counts among her major achievements the successful $42m and $36m redevelopments of the Port Lincoln and Ceduna Hospitals respectively.

Her passion for health planning, innovation, quality and safety saw her lead Eyre Far North to the CHSALHN’s top performer in the 2016/17 financial year.
An Associate Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Managers and an Australian Council on HealthCare Standards (ACHS) Surveyor, Michele looks forward to guiding NECH through an exciting new growth phase, where its patient-first philosophy and unique connection with the community will lie at the heart of a drive to entrench the organisation’s envied standing as a provider of healthcare excellence from birth to aged care.

Confessions of an Undercover Boss

Published: 26/09/2017   Category: CEO Blog

The ‘Undercover Boss’ narrative has always intrigued me, especially as in my capacity as a CEO, much of my focus and efforts are on working on the business. There’s growth to consider, competitors and the market to understand and potential new threats to identify and address. But this TV series is a healthy reminder of […]

Being the Winner in Winter

Published: 23/08/2017   Category: CEO Blog

Whoever said spring is just around the corner probably uttered the words over the weekend just passed, when beautiful sunny weather teased us and allowed our thoughts to drift to temperatures of a more balmy nature. From where I sit right now, tapping out this month’s blog, it’s grey, bleak, miserable, wet and every inch […]

Mum's the Word

Published: 12/05/2017   Category: CEO Blog

I had been racking my brain over the past few days trying to think of my next blog topic when, I’m embarrassed to say, a colleague pointed out it’s Mother’s Day on Sunday… Sorry mum! For a brief moment, I forgot that one day in the year where we pay homage to the women who […]

LED there be light!

Published: 08/12/2016   Category: CEO Blog

Like the overwhelming majority of workplaces, the North Eastern Community Hospital used to be lit by fluorescent tubes. They were an unquestionable advance compared to the incandescence light globes of old in both lifespan and use of energy, but the times… they are a-changing… North Eastern has once again gone one step beyond by replacing […]

Partnering for the future

Published: 11/08/2016   Category: CEO Blog

North Eastern recently welcomed medical students Laura and Tom who are currently attending Flinders University’s Onkaparinga Clinical Education Program or OCEP for short (We all love a good acronym). They will be with us throughout their community semester placement and during that time will acquire valuable experience for their future professional life. Tom and Laura […]

International Nurses' Day

Published: 12/05/2016   Category: CEO Blog

Well our Midwives were celebrated and revered last week for International Midwives’ Day, however today is all about our nurses. So step forward fellow nurses and take a bow for the amazing work and care you provide every day. Although nursing may not have had a past weaved with persecution that midwives experienced, it is […]
Categories
Share this page

Take a look for yourself

Contact Details

Hospital

Address:
580 Lower North East Road Campbelltown SA 5074

Phone: (08) 8366 8111
Fax: (08) 8365 1139
Email: exec@nech.com.au

Aged Care

Address:
Cnr Lennox Street & 580 Lower North East Road Campbelltown SA 5074

Phone: (08)8366 8111 Ext 338
Fax: (08) 8366 8260
Email: exec@nech.com.au

Contact Us