Member for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr, MLHD Board Chair Adrian Lindner and MLHD Director Paediatrics A/Prof John Preddy, thank MLHD Chief Executive Jill Ludford for her service following the announcement of her retirement. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
Murrumbidgee Local Health District Chief Executive (MLHD) Jill Ludford has announced she will be retiring from her position after nearly eleven years at the helm.
During her tenure she has headed the Wagga-based bureaucracy that makes decisions for 33 hospitals across an area bigger than Scotland.
Ms Ludford helped navigate the Wagga Base Hospital’s major redevelopment, the building of a new Griffith Base Hospital and the start of the Temora Hospital redevelopment.
She also oversaw the challenging COVID period when facilities grappled with staff shortages, and resisted a push for Griffith Base Hospital to split away from the MLHD.
MLHD said the veteran executive, who started her career as a nurse, was instrumental in introducing a singular employment model to the district in an attempt to keep more staff in the district.
Ms Ludford said she was proud of the work she had conducted during her tenure and hoped whoever succeeded her could continue to push regional health forward.
“I think retirement is a time when you do reflect and just step back for a moment. And I was doing that this morning,” she said.
“I went back and counted the hospitals that have had a redevelopment since I’ve been in the role.
“Seventeen hospitals have gone through infrastructure upgrades, which is over half of our facilities, but the really critical other half of that is that it upgrades the infrastructure to then bring all those hospitals to network together.”
Jill Ludford (centre) at the turning the first sod of the Temora Hospital redevelopment. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
Murray MP Helen Dalton believes the changing of the guard at the MLHD could assist in her push to break up the health bureaucracy.
“We thank Jill Ludford for her service and hope the next chief executive will be supportive of our objective to split from MLHD to form a Western Riverina Local Health District (WRLHD),” she said in a statement.
Ms Dalton has argued that smaller hospitals in the district are disadvantaged by a centralised Wagga-based bureaucracy and wants a new WRLHD to represent Balranald, Barham, Berrigan, Deniliquin, Finley, Griffith, Hay, Hillston, Jerilderie, Lake Cargelligo and Leeton.
Ms Ludford preferred to focus on the positives in her farewell speech.
“Even with how proud I am of the infrastructure, I think the thing that keeps me grounded is the people, over 5000 people who work in this magnificent organisation are so incredibly linked to their communities,” she said.
“The beauty of rural, I believe, is the fact that all the hospitals and services are loved and owned by the community and staff, not only are dedicated to working for the organisation, but they have that true dedication to their people and their community.
“They work 24 hours, seven days a week, and that’s a pretty tough call.”
MLHD said Ms Ludford’s replacement would be announced in the coming months.
