Northeast Health Wangaratta (NHW) is strengthening its perioperative services through a collaborative secondment program with Austin Health, welcoming eight perioperative nurses over a three-month period.

Four nurses commenced a six-week secondment this month, with a further four to follow in the coming months.

The program is supporting NHW to maintain theatre capacity, address short-term workforce gaps and continue delivering safe, high-quality surgical care.

NHW chief executive officer Libby Fifis said the initiative reflects NHW’s commitment to deliver exceptional healthcare to North East communities.

“Strong partnerships across Victoria’s public health system ensure regional communities can access the care they need, when they need it,” Ms Fifis said.

“This collaboration allows us to maintain surgical activity and service continuity while supporting our workforce and continuing to deliver exceptional healthcare to North East communities.”

Perioperative nurse Meagan Cornish said the secondment has been a valuable professional experience.

“It’s been a privilege to work alongside the team at Northeast Health Wangaratta and contribute to patient care in a regional setting,” she said.

“The team has been incredibly welcoming, and it’s been a great opportunity to share skills and learn from each other.”

Kristie Mackenzie, chief nursing officer at Austin Health, said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the public health workforce across Victoria.

“This is a great example of our nurses supporting regional health services when they need it the most," she said.

"These secondments provide valuable professional development for our nurses while helping ensure communities across the state continue to receive high-quality care.”

NHW’s perioperative team delivers a broad range of surgical services to Wangaratta and surrounding communities.