On Thursday 5 May I was privileged to speak to close to 500 guests at the MCG, for the annual Epworth HealthCare Men’s Health Lunch.
It was my duty and honour to thank the sponsors and all those who attended to support the day, during which we together raised $230,000 - a record amount for this event. The funds will be used to further the education, development and leadership-training of Epworth nurses and midwives.
The importance of fostering leadership and expertise among a hospital’s nursing staff cannot be underestimated: they are the backbone of every hospital, and Epworth is no different.
Indeed, Epworth has a history of great nurses and midwives. The hospital opened in 1920 with five nurses who were praised in Melbourne for the excellent care they provided. Today Epworth benefits from almost 4000 highly-trained nurses and midwives, who care for more than 190,000 patients a year.
During the lunch we also heard from two of Epworth’s leading clinicians, Associate-Professor Yi Yang, who gave an inspirational presentation on spinal health, and Dr Peter Larkins, who presented on cardiac health and reminded us of the importance of being proactive with our health.
It was a great pleasure to be back at the Epworth Men’s Health Lunch, a regular event in the Melbourne calendar that has been sorely missed during the years of the pandemic.