Grampians Health honours Stawell resident Peter Martin with a Life Governor award

Pictured: [L-R] Grampians Health CEO Dale Fraser, Board member Rhian Jones,
Stawell Life Governor award recipient Peter Martin and Grampians Health Board Chair Bill Brown.

Peter Martin, an active community member and former board chair of Stawell Regional Health, was presented with Grampians Health’s Life Governor Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the local hospital over the past few years. 

Rhian Jones, a Board member of Grampians Health, presented Peter with the award on 22 February at the Annual General Meeting, held in Stawell.  

Accepting the award from Ms Jones, Peter said: “Thank you for the honour you’ve given me today. I thought the pinnacle of local acceptance and honour was when I was asked to join the Board here 22 years ago. Because I was not a local and being asked to join the board of a local hospital was an honour.  

“Eventually they made me a chair [of the Board] and it was one of the proudest achievements of my professional career. It still is. To join the ranks of those who have been made life governors … I think it is really far and above from where I thought I would ever end up.” 

The Life Governor Award aims to highlight the outstanding contribution made by a volunteer, staff member, philanthropist and/or community member to Grampians Health. Nominations are assessed on the basis of their impact, reach of their contributions and how they have positively impacted the health service. 

Over the past years, Peter has dedicated his time and efforts for the betterment of the local health service. He was a board member at Stawell Regional Health for 18 years, out of which he spent four as the chair of the organisation. 

As a current member of the Consumer Reference Group, Pete’s knowledge of clinical governance is proving invaluable in helping the group to be more effectively involved. A well-known member of the Stawell community, Peter has enthusiastically participated in the hospital Christmas party annually and has always taken great pride in being involved at the health service.  

His links to Grampians Health’s Stawell campus is even deeper since many staff members at the health service have also attended a local school where he was the principal. 

Grampians Health Board member Ms Jones, who also attended the school where Peter served as the principal said: “Peter is well known in both the health service community and the wider community and is always using positive language to promote the service even during difficult times.” 

In addition to being a member of a service club, Peter’s ever generous and helpful nature has also led him to involve as a consumer with Safer Care Victoria in the adverse event review team. 

Over the past four months, Grampians Health has conducted functions in each of our sites to honour a number of special people as Life Governors.  

Long-time volunteers Cecily McFarlane and Cynthia Knight were honoured with a Life Governor in Edenhope and Horsham respectively. Meanwhile, Barry Nixon, Bernadette O’Loughlin, Patricia Fisken and the Queen Elizabeth Centre (QEC) Ladies Auxiliary for their valuable contributions to the Ballarat hospital.