“I’ve always held Calvary Kogarah in high regard, particularly in terms of palliative care. In my previous role I’d often reach to the team at Calvary Kogarah for advice in this space,” Ms Ness said.

“When the opportunity came up to join the Calvary leadership team, I was so excited to take on the new challenge. It is inspiring to be part of a facility that plays such an important role in the local community.”

A couple of months in the new job and it is the staff that Andrea credits for making the role so enjoyable.

“Calvary Kogarah is a family and you can really feel that when you walk through the doors. When I do my rounding you can tell that people love working here. There’s a lot of staff that have been here a long time and they’re so proud to work here.”

“We see a lot of people who have built their whole career at Calvary Kogarah. I was speaking to one of our after hours nurse managers the other day and she has been here for 35 years, starting as a registered nurse on the floor,” Ms Ness said.

Becoming a nurse was a natural step for Andrea, who always had a desire to help people.

Her extensive career has seen her work as a frontline nurse in Scotland and Singapore. She has studied and upskilled to become a clinical nurse specialist and Nurse Practitioner in cardiology and cardiothoracic care, and recently undertook a Masters in Health Service Management.

“I really wanted to understand more about the health system. I use the knowledge I gained every day to help build high performing teams and leading health services in what is a really complex environment,” Ms Ness said.

Moving forward, Andrea’s focus is on ensuring Calvary Kogarah remains a hospital for the local community.

“We want to continue to be a valued part of this region, so we need to make sure that we’re continuing to understand what our community needs,” Ms Ness said.

“Calvary Kogarah was built for the community and it is clear that our staff and patients really value that concept.”

“I’m really looking forward to helping drive the conversation about what Calvary Kogarah looks like in the next five to ten years, and how we are able to continue to support our patients on their journey.”