District welcomes new cadets amid precinct’s place of culture

Welcome! It seemed fitting the first event hosted in Westmead Health Precinct’s Cultural Gathering Place repeated this key message during NAIDOC Week.

The gardens in the Central Acute Services Building (CASB) provided a perfect backdrop as eight Aboriginal cadets were welcomed into the Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) family.

“I’m so proud to have these new cadets joining the ranks of our workforce,” WSLHD Aboriginal health strategy director Braiden Abala said. 

“It’s great to have such a wonderful spread of clinicians. We have an occupational therapist, physiotherapist, radiographer, two speech pathologists, two nurses and a midwife.”

Braiden said improving the workforce to more accurately reflect the community in which it operated was a crucial step to further growing an organisation’s cultural capability.

“With the introduction of these eight cadets across Allied Health, nursing and midwifery, we are starting on that journey.”

WSLHD chief executive Graeme Loy urged the cadets to remember they weren’t alone on this journey.

“It’s important to grow and evolve as individuals, and as a team,” Graeme told more than 40 guests at the event.

“This is a fabulous, safe and welcoming environment.

“Enjoy it, learn from each other and create your own alumni. This is your work family.”

District director of Allied Health, Jacqueline Dominish, formally welcomed and introduced our new cadets:

Allied Health:

• Adam Doyle, Physiotherapy, Westmead
• Allysha Baker, Occupational Therapy, Westmead
• Eliza Jane Woollett, Radiography, (facility yet to be decided)
• Louise Edwards, Speech Pathology, Westmead & Integrated Community Health (ICH)
• Mariah Anne Reynolds, Speech Pathology, Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospitals (BMDH) & Integrated Community Health (ICH)

Nursing & Midwifery:

• Theresa Evans
• Felicity Lansdowne
• Katie-Lee King