Welcome to our Voluntary Amalgamation time capsule
We have encapsulated our amalgamation journey, bringing together three community health organisations to form Better Health Network (BHN). This time capsule records the purpose of our amalgamation, our approach, reflections from our leaders and staff, the wonderful ways in which we cherish our foundations, recognise our staff, remain centred and committed to our client impact and build our future together.
Purpose of our Voluntary Amalgamation
Throughout the Covid pandemic, Central Bayside Community Health Services, Connect Health & Community and Star Health worked together on many initiatives to deliver quality, coordinated service to support our communities.
This close partnership reinforced the idea for a Voluntary Amalgamation – to enable the three organisations to work as one to deliver better health and wellbeing outcomes for more people across a wider geographic catchment.
Click through the sections below to view the full story of our Voluntary Amalgamation.
Honouring our past and preparing for the future
Central Bayside Community Health Services, Connect Health & Community and Star Health were all not-for-profit health services that enjoyed distinguished histories of service in their local communities for nearly 50 years. They shared a commitment to those most in need, including the elderly, vulnerable and people with different abilities.
Central Bayside Community Health Services (CBCHS) was based in the City of Kingston, offering programs and services from sites in Parkdale, Chelsea, Clarinda, Mentone, Cheltenham, Clayton and Edithvale, as well as throughout the community.
Connect Health & Community supported residents in the south-eastern Bayside and Glen Eira council areas, with service sites at Bentleigh East, Cheltenham and Sandringham. It was the largest provider of gamblers’ support services in Victoria.
Star Health was a leading health service in the inner-south, offering programs and services across the southeast of Melbourne in Bentleigh, Prahan, South Melbourne, Port Melbourne and St Kilda.
As an amalgamated entity, Better Health Network, remains committed to the values of its foundational organisations.
The lived experience of our members, clients, families, carers and volunteers is at the centre of planning and delivery of our services moving forward. Just as each legacy organisation was committed to supporting its local community and an advocate for social justice, Better Health Network continues that mission with renewed passion and greater ability to achieve a positive social impact.
As a larger, united entity we have a stronger collective voice to pursue greater funding, investment and evidence-based policy outcomes at a local, state and federal level.
Why Voluntarily Amalgamate?
Central Bayside Community Health Services, Connect Health & Community and Star Health delivered similar, and often interconnected, services with the shared goal of providing better health, wellbeing and support outcomes for people in Melbourne’s inner south and south-eastern suburbs.
This commitment was a credit to the vision created by each organisation respectively. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the three health providers recognised their shared alignment, and often replication of services, as they worked together to support those most vulnerable in their communities.
Through strategic engagements, leadership at the three organisations recognised that a Voluntary Amalgamation would help reduce service silos and improve client access to vital services.
Today, combined, we support more clients and provide services in a larger geographic area, enabling better client access and making our voice stronger together.
Our vision
The Voluntary Amalgamation between Central Bayside Community Health Services, Connect Health & Community and Star Health was driven by the following three principles;
Our clients are our reason for being and were therefore considered first throughout all stages of our Voluntary Amalgamation process. As BHN, we amalgamated the services provided by the three organisations, and worked to ensure minimum impact for clients, with continuity of practitioners and access. Our vision remains to provide better access to services for clients, and give staff more career progression and experience opportunities. This aligns with a core objective of the amalgamation, to improve health and wellbeing services for our communities, whilst establishing a motivated workforce to help achieve that goal.
Our reach
For our valued clients and community, we remain focussed on offering more choice, better access and a wider range of services to meet their health and wellbeing needs. By combining our service locations, we are now more accessible, with more services at more convenient locations.
The story of our BHN brand
The BHN brand was developed to take forward the essence of our legacy organisations, blended and modernised for current times. The name Better Health Network and colours were chosen after extensive market analysis with the community and consultation with our clients, staff and volunteers who selected this brand from a suite of options.
Adopting a variety of colours from our legacy brands reflects the diversity and intersectionality that we support. Designing our logo to reflect a network of interconnected pathways is ruminant of our partnerships and multidisciplinary care to achieve holistic health outcomes. The confident colours with solid and overlapping bars reflect our stronger united voice for advocacy to achieve better policy outcomes with government.
The essence of our new BHN brand reflects our collective strength to achieve better health outcomes for our clients and communities.
Leadership reflections on integration
The Board and leadership team at BHN played a key role in steering our amalgamation journey – watch these videos to hear reflections and experiences from our Board Chair and leaders.
How we delivered our business integration
The process of merging three organisations into one required a carefully planned and coordinated strategy. Find out how we managed our integration and measured success using a digital-first approach.
Amalgamating three organisations and coming together as BHN was not easy – it was a challenge and a huge learning opportunity.
As we reflect on what we could do better, especially as a larger multi-site organisation, we commit to invest in our leadership, explore ways to collaborate better with our frontline teams, continue to improve our communications and change management capabilities, maximise our efficiency with well-functioning technology and ensure projects are adequately resourced with the required expertise”
Our digital integration platform
We used project management platform monday.com to embed efficiency, visibility and transparency in our integration program. This enabled our integration workstreams across the three organisations to collaborate online and deliver their workplans at a fast pace. This case study from monday.com tells the story.
Key moments during integration
This timeline highlights the key milestones and achievements through our amalgamation journey. It is a concise way to reflect and celebrate everything we achieved as we progressed towards becoming one BHN.
Mar - Jun 2022
- Voluntary Amalgamation (VA) of Star Health, Connect Health & Community, and Central Bayside Community Health Services announced
- BHN Board established
- BHN name and brand launched
- BHN legal registration with Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC).
Jul - Dec 2022
- BHN's first CEO appointed
- BHN's first Leadership Team Retreat at Werribee, to establish leadership approach
- Appointment of BHN as sole member of legacy organisations with the achievement of 75% member vote at legacy organisations Annual General Meetings
- Integration planning commences
- BHN's interim strategic plan launched
Jan - Jun 2023
- Business integration commences
- All staff from legacy organisations become BHN employees
- BHN achieves Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited (AGPAL) accreditation
- BHN Board's first strategic retreat to help formulate BHN's Vision, Strategic Plan
- Launch of BHN website and brand rollout
- BHN Consolidated Funding & Board Committee Reporting established
- BHN Executive Structure announced
Jul - Dec 2023
- Reporting as single entity for key funding streams - CHSP, HACC & CH services
- BHN's first staff engagement survey conducted
- BHN achieves NDIS Practice Standards Accreditation
- BHN achieves Social Services Standards Accreditation
- BHN's Organisational Values developed
- BHN's first Strategic Plan launched
- Smile Squad Dental Program rolled out across BHN
- Roll out of a centralised system, Better Impact, for recruiting & managing volunteers
- Staff across Business Enablement, People & Culture and Office of Transformation transitioned to new structure
- Novation of key Funding Agreements completed
Jan - Jun 2024
- BHN achieves National Safety & Quality in Healthcare Standards (NSQHS) Accreditation
- BHN achieves National Standards for Mental Health Service Accreditation
- BHN's first full day all staff event at Centrepiece, Melbourne Park
- Client Services staff and teams transitioned to new structure
- Completion of signage re-brand to BHN across all sites and fleet
- BHN's first Annual Report with Victorian Auditor General's Office (VAGO) signed-off
- BHN first Clinical Supervision Framework developed
- BHN's first consolidated budget prepared for FY24-25
- BHN's first Credentialing & Scope of Practice policy and procedures developed
Jul - Dec 2024
- Roll out of centralised BHN Human Resources Information System and Payroll systems completed
- All BHN staff migrated to one shared IT environment (One Domain)
- All Clients on My Medicare transferred to BHN
- BHN achieves Aged Care registration
- Full deployment of a centralised BHN Finance system
- BHN's first Data Strategy co-designed with staff
- BHN achieves Rainbow Tick Accreditation
- BHN's first Client Experience Strategy co-designed with staff and clients
- Single incident reporting system rolled out across BHN
- BHN launches its Intranet for staff collaboration
- Completion of integration of Policies and Procedures across BHN
- Unified contact centre system rolled out across BHN sites
- BHN's first Participation and Engagement Framework developed
2025
- BHN's first Digital Strategy co-designed with staff
- BHN's first all staff Service Expo
- Completion of design & implementation of BHN Cyber posture
- Assets, vehicles, property, leases and supplier agreements transferred to BHN
- Integration of Client Management Systems completed
BHN client impact stories
BHN’s vision ‘Your health, your choice, your way’ reflects our commitment to support our clients’ health and wellbeing in ways that are unique to clients’ personal circumstances. The following stories are testament to how we deliver this at BHN.
Collaborative integrated care in allied health and counselling
Jo*, a patient referred to BHN by her orthopaedic surgeon before a major hip operation, sought trauma-informed counselling to address her extensive medical and emotional history, which included systemic abuse and complex family dynamics.
Through tailored supports from BHN with therapy and practical tools, Jo managed her pre-surgery anxiety, enabling the successful operation that enabled her to stand independently for the first time.
Nurturing leadership through NDIS supports
Matt*, a BHN client participating in NDIS community access program, took the lead in planning an outing of go-karting.
Matt and his support worker researched the venue and planned the day out. After a thrilling session on the track - complete with helmet on and tyres squealing - Matt wrapped up the day with a meal at a local burger joint of his choice.
Inspired with his research and planning skills, Matt is now working with BHN’s Disability Day Programs team to plan group go-kart outings with other participants.
Safe and supported through RhED pathways
With all the stigma around sex-work, which is still rife in society, I never thought I’d find a place where I could just be me. My RhED worker held space in perfect non-judgement for me to safely open up about my experience. The emphasis being around my safety and consent. I have never felt safer and more supported than the space created by RhED and my beautiful worker; for that I am forever grateful.”
Meaningful connections bringing joy to life
BHN client Edith* doesn't usually participate in group exercises but gets involved if the Program Lead (PL) is there. PL said “It's lovely to see Edith smiling and moving, knowing she has a friend.” PL often stays and sits with Edith while she has her lunch.
Moved by the PL’s support, Edith reported, "Lunch is always better when you have a friend sitting with you."
The PL noted: “While I've seen the benefits of this program on many occasions, this was the most startling, because I saw the real impact that connection makes.”
Empowering resilience through counselling
Ben*, with a history of verbal aggression and extensive criminal involvement re-engaged with our services in 2022 after being banned in 2017.
Referred by his GP, Ben initially faced challenges, but with a new counsellor he was able to set clear goals to improve his parenting, disengaged from the justice system and enhanced his mental health.
In two years, Ben has successfully completed a Men’s Behaviour Change Program, regained unsupervised access to his sons, and improved his relationships and emotional regulation. BHN successfully supported Ben in transitioning away from the justice system.
Improving mental health through art
BHN Mental Health Team delivered a support group in partnership with the Linden Art Gallery in St Kilda. The group was co-designed with mental health consumers and community art partners, facilitated by skilled artists and supported by BHN mental health workers and peer (lived experience) workers.
With high participation rates and high ratings from participants, we received exceptional feedback including – comments from our clients “I’m not as scared as I thought I was being in public” and “We love the feeling that we can do things that we didn’t think we could do.”
Successful opiate replacement therapy with BHN GP services
Compared to other GP clinics and specifically community health clinics, you guys facilitate a far more non-judgmental, warm feeling and inviting environment than any other location I’ve ever attended.
I have no idea of the training the reception staff receive but you’d almost think they were healthcare professionals themselves in the way the deal with different types of patients and the challenges that come with that. Dr Benita* - obviously heaven sent - allowed me to finally live a normal life by simply believing in me and providing reassurances on top of her AOD specialty advice and treatment. The nursing staff are all incredible and I mistook many for doctors initially, due to their expertise and professionalism. Thank you for everything.”
Feedback from an NDIS client’s family on our disability services newsletter published by our clients
Just wanted to say, as we read over this newsletter a few times, we love the photos of Lucy* and clients with the blue fingernails, the visit to the Victorian Electoral Commission, the artwork of the clients, the Footy Day, the staff photos and the Christmas photos. It is so well done as everyone is important. This newsletter is so informative. It is enjoyable to read, comprehensive, and so thoughtfully and well presented.”
AOD harm reduction saving lives
BHN Program Lead was in the Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) in South Melbourne on a Tuesday evening when Susan*, a client, advised him that his insistence on providing naloxone at a previous visit, had in fact saved her husband’s life.
In the same period, another AOD Integrated Services worker walked their client to a pharmacy to get naloxone – which that evening was used to save someone’s life.
Reflections from our staff
Q&A
Our integration program was delivered through the hard work and dedication of many staff across BHN. This series of Q&As showcases the reflections of some of our integration workstream members, highlighting their key moments and learnings along the way.
Alexandra Axford
Marketing & Communications
Youna Kim
Strengthening Communities & Social Impact
Stephanie Hoffelner
Quality, Clinical Governance, Risk, Compliance
Evan Nathanson
Strengthening Communities & Social Impact
Linda Marsden
Primary and Aged Care
Labrina Triskelidis
Marketing & Communications
Natasha Athanasiou
Marketing & Communications
Fiona Baines
GPs & Specialists
Matthew Macaulay
Strengthening Communities & Social Impact
Christina Daulo
Access
Karyn Maslen
Quality, Clinical Governance, Risk, Compliance
Patty Morfis
Finance
What are you most excited about as we move from Integration into Transformation?
I am looking forward to our team being well resourced and being able to focus on providing resources to support our clients and colleagues
Tell us about the best aspects of the integration journey for your workstream
Bringing team members from the three legacy organisations together to work as a larger team has been the highlight. We all work to support each other as best we can.
Tell us about the best aspects of the integration journey for your workstream
The most rewarding aspect of the integration was the seamless collaboration across teams for cross-referrals and shared client support. Workstream actively exchanged ideas and knowledge, ensuring clients received tailored, integrated support. By leveraging the relationships staff had already built with clients, we were able to motivate engagement with additional services. This collaboration extended to joint client visits, reflective practice sessions, and robust peer support and supervision systems.
Tell us about your funniest moment from the integration journey
When a task was completed on Monday.com, we will see a green llama. Therefore the Workstream's excitement over green llamas was evident at each meeting, which often left other staff puzzled and wonder. We would enthusiastically mention green llamas to celebrate rewards and success, even creating and sharing GIFs and icons in Teams conversations, adding a fun and playful element to our discussions.
What are you most proud of over the last 2 years of integration?
I am most proud of our team and how we have come together and worked so collaboratively within the team, as well as with other teams throughout the organisation. We have achieved many things, like passing various accreditations, implementing one incident management system, and assisting with the development of the BHN Policy Library.
Tell us about the integration journey for your workstream and how you overcame challenges
Our integration journey started very early on. It has been very project based, but we have gelled as a team and are able to overcome any challenges that come our way. We have also solidified our place in BHN
What are you most proud of over the last 2 years of integration?
The degree of collaboration between workstream members, workstream lead and office of transformation coaches has been amazing and allowed us to achieve more than we thought was possible. Without that the sheer number of tasks seemed overwhelming.
What are you most excited about as we move from Integration into Transformation?
I am excited about realising some of the possibilities we identified at the beginning of the integration journey. Being able to move towards implementing some of these will be really rewarding. Along the way we have identified a lot of new possibilities and seeing some of these come into practice will change BHN and the way we provide services to our clients and communities.
What are you most excited about as we move from Integration into Transformation?
I am seeing a growing culture of collaboration, innovation and knowledge sharing across all BHN campuses. Our physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Podiatry, Dietetics and Nursing teams have formed strong professional relationships across sites. Allied Health and Nursing staff are increasingly functioning as one team. There are a number of instances where staff are working across sites according to demand and resources. I am looking forward to seeing this only strengthen.
Share your thoughts on BHN going digital with the use of Monday.com for integration - how was your experience?
I think Monday.com was a good project management tool however more education on its use and functionalities would benefit the organisation over-all. I am hoping it is a tool that can be used for projects at the program level as I like the accountability and time-line function, it really assists in achieving outcomes .
What is your top learning from the integration journey that you will incorporate moving forward with BHN?
My top learning from the integration journey is the critical importance of open communication across the organisation. Ensuring that all teams are aligned and informed fosters collaboration and helps to mitigate challenges. I also recognise the importance to maintain up-to-date communications and work plans. This proactive approach not only keeps everyone on the same page but also enables us to adapt quickly to changes and challenges. Moving forward with BHN, I will continue to promote collaboration across teams. This approach will help us stay aligned and effectively navigate any challenges together.
What are you most looking forward to in the future, operating in the BHN way?
I’m looking forward to seeing our teams work seamlessly together, sharing ideas and best practices that drive positive outcomes. I’m also excited about the opportunity to enhance our digital strategy and hopefully automate more of the M&C department! This is only the beginning, and I can’t wait to see how these changes will improve our efficiency and impact.
Integration meetings were run in an agile manner with standups and Monday.com boards w/o traditional meeting agenda and minutes - how did you experience this approach in maintaining Accountability?
I found that regular, shorter stand-up meetings kept our team up to date on our overall progress, helping us stay on track with tasks. We were able to give and receive immediate feedback and support, which kept our projects moving. Seeing everyone’s work meant we were all accountable for completing our individual tasks and helped us quickly identify and prevent any roadblocks from escalating.
What is your top learning from the integration journey that you will incorporate moving forward with BHN?
Establishing clear objectives and goals is essential to ensure everyone is working towards the same outcome. Keeping communication lines open and regularly seeking and incorporating feedback allows for early adjustments, making the journey to the desired result smoother.
What aspects of your workstream integration role have you enjoyed the most in the past 2 years?
I have enjoyed the whole project, from developing the plan for integration of the GP & Specialist services, to turning the llamas green when completing the tasks.
This transition has given us the opportunity to sort out some historical issues, such as starting fresh and setting up HPOS in PRODA from scratch, where we previously inherited it from Inner South Community Health. The HICAPS account is another example of something that had been set up a long time ago, and had limitations as a result, but now we have set up a new account as BHN and the limitations are no longer an issue.
Leading the GP team through the changes and keeping them informed of what was to come in our team meetings has also been very rewarding.
What are you most looking forward to in the future, operating in the BHN way?
I am very excited to be a part of the Practice Governance Committee and Chair of the Medication Management Sub-Committee because these forums will help us to develop the BHN way for client services. Having strong governance structures will ensure that we are able to deliver high quality, caring, safe, effective, responsive and efficient services for our clients across the many programs at BHN.
What is your top highlight / achievement from the Integration journey?
The collaboration and shared insights across teams have been a standout - everyone has been so generous with their time and has brought value to each and every conversation. Ultimately this has strengthened our services and created unified teams/programs to better support our community.
What are you most looking forward to in the future, operating in the BHN way?
I’m excited about where BHN is headed and the impact we're already seeing in client care. Although we are still laying down the foundations, the future for BHN and what we can achieve for the communities we work for is bright and gets me out of bed every day.
Tell us about the best aspects of the integration journey for your workstream
What truly excites me about our integration journey is witnessing our goals come to life! It's inspiring to see the dedication and effort put in each day, and celebrating these victories along the way makes every challenge we face so rewarding. Together, we’re creating something special!
What are you most looking forward to in the future, operating in the BHN way?
What I genuinely look forward to in the future is embracing the BHN way, where we operate as one cohesive team instead of three distinct legacies. Imagine the power of increased efficiency across all sites, working in unison toward a shared purpose: serving our community at the moment they need us, not just when we can deliver. I envision a workplace equipped with systems that truly support our team, empowering us to meet the immediate needs and desires of our clients. Together, we can create a responsive and service-oriented environment that makes a real difference.
What is your top highlight / achievement from the Integration journey?
The Quality team have supported BHN through 6 external accreditations in 2023-2024 and BHN has done so well in all of these audits, which is a testament to the hard work and dedication of every one of us at BHN.
Supporting BHN to achieve Rainbow tick accreditation was a highlight from our Integration Journey so far.
As much as I enjoy working on accreditations, Rainbow Tick felt different as a lot of this work is values based. Being a Rainbow Ticked organisation directly impacts the health outcomes of a community, who at times, needs person centred/trauma informed healthcare.
I have never worked in an organisation who is so open to including the needs of minority groups into their business like BHN is.
Rainbow Tick accreditation is just the start of our Diversity and Inclusion journey, and I cannot wait to see where we take this into the future!
What are you most looking forward to in the future, operating in the BHN way?
I'm looking forward to us operating as a unified organisation with everything working as it needs to and supporting the organisation's work on inclusion, with us leading best practices in this space.I cannot wait to work with staff to support BHN to be as inclusive as it can be!We are an organisation with so much drive, excellence, passion and energy to help our communities, our future is so bright!
Tell us about the best aspects of the integration journey for your workstream
The best aspects of the integration journey were the collaborative, cohesive and positive manner with which the team approached the huge change that lied ahead. For Finance, integration tasks were primarily core systems changes which challenged not only the current structural elements of the separate finance functions but also each task that was being performed across 3 different systems. The open communication and collaboration to agree to the single best approach forward for each element was definitely challenging at times, but the way the team worked together with mutual support and respect was the key to the overall success of the transition.
What is your top highlight / achievement from the integration journey?
The highlight was definitely collaborating with the team and the broader business on rolling out the new path forward. The biggest achievement was the removal of process and reporting triplication, streamlining the Finance function and positioning BHN Finance well for transformation and growth.
Stories
Our staff were invited to share stories of how the amalgamation to BHN has been better for them – either individually or collectively as a team. Hear the voices of some of our staff involved in this series of micro-stories and videos.
Karyn Maslen
Christina Daulo
Laura Cheeseman
Kate Fraser
Lisa Woolard
Marketing and Communications Team
Angela Schepis
ACO Team
Tayla Vorgiatzidis, Gabrielle Hitch
Anamica Raj Suresh
Tracey Elliott
P&C and Finance Team
Michael Tripicchio
Nicki Ursu
Tracey Millen
Rakhi Sanghvi
Rylee Cook
Paediatric Team
George Robinson
Nigel Joseph
Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Team
Elise, Kayla & Maddy
Health Promotion Team
Korieza Maloney
Karyn Maslen's Story
I joined BHN just before the amalgamation, coming back from parental leave. As a first-time mom, I was anxious about returning to work, worrying that my career might have to take a back seat to family responsibilities. However, from my initial application to this very moment, BHN has been incredibly supportive of my needs as a mother of a young child with a wife who works shifts.
I have found that I truly can have both worlds: an exciting career and the ability to be a wonderful mom to my beautiful daughter. The Quality team at BHN is inclusive, empowering and unwaveringly supportive. I feel truly lucky to work with such a fantastic team!
Continuous learning and expanding my skill set is deeply important to me. It keeps me motivated, engaged and always moving towards my goals. When I initially applied to BHN, I was drawn to the opportunity to learn new practice standards, and working in Quality during a merger has more than fulfilled these expectations.
At BHN, I've been exposed to opportunities I might not have encountered elsewhere. Watching one team member set up BHN’s VHIMS account and another develop an accreditation framework (things I hadn’t seen before) has made me feel part of something impactful. It’s empowering to work in a team that takes on large projects and achieves great results!
I’ve gained so much within my profession — unique knowledge and experiences. I’ve had the opportunity to become our Return-to-Work Coordinator and led the project to achieve BHN’s Rainbow Tick accreditation, a project that was personally and professionally important to me.
I’m surrounded by strong, brave and creative people at BHN. I won't forget these past two years, and feel really lucky to work here and work with you all.
Christina Daulo's story
Becoming BHN has enabled efficiencies for how the Service Access team operates. There are a couple of examples: normally, recording and updating Interactive Voice Response on our phone system is an arduous task that can take multiple weeks. However, as part of integration we used an AI solution making the process easier and agile - instead of weeks, it took us minutes to configure and align the entire contact centre. This was a huge success and greatly assisted the telephony rollout.
Secondly, visibility over clinician diaries has always been a challenge, demanding great amounts of administrative work. Having integrated into BHN, the Business Intelligence and Systems team automated this with PowerBI dashboards that gave us access to clinician diaries and, most importantly, their availability at a glance. This made a significant improvement on how we book clients in and maximised staff utilisation, which was only made possible because of integration.
Laura Cheeseman's story
Over the past 12 months, I have been fortunate to work with the Office of Transformation team on the NDIS Thrive Project which I believe would not have been possible before our amalgamation into BHN.
Before the amalgamation, taking on a project of this scope internally would have been a significant challenge. It would have demanded a lot of time and effort from our client services team, diverting them from the work that they do best. As BHN, we were able to appoint internal expertise and dedicated resources to undertake the project, without compromising the quality of service our clients expect.
Personally, it has been an honour to contribute to the NDIS Thrive Project. It provided me with the invaluable experience of working alongside multiple teams across BHN, to understand how each piece of the puzzle works and allow us to collectively create a roadmap for integrating and improving our NDIS services to better meet the needs of our clients.
The collaboration and dedication from all involved has been truly inspiring, and it’s exciting to see the positive changes that will follow as a result. I look forward to continuing our journey of growth and service improvement as we step into the transformation phase and continue our mission of better for clients, staff and community.
Kate Fraser's story
My Integration highlight was achieving a 100% success rate for transferring staff employment to BHN and supporting the business to develop an integration structure with a “job for everyone”. The 100% transfer of staff employment to BHN was a milestone in BHN’s amalgamation – it was the real start of the journey towards the development of the BHN culture and identity for staff.
Tracey Elliott's story
The integration of our HRIS (Connx) and Payroll Software was a big achievement for everyone involved. The integration was completed on time, ready for the start of the financial year. It involved a huge team effort from everyone in P&C and Payroll to have all of BHN on the one HRIS/Payroll system. Workflow processes, forms and approval processes were streamlined and it really did go a long way to feeling like we were all connected as one Organisation.
Michael Tripicchio's story
I am currently in the role of Senior Business Intelligence Analyst as part of the Business Intelligence Team within the Office of Transformation.
Before BHN, I was part Star Health, in the role of Data and Reporting Specialist for about 4 years. For most this period I worked as the sole Analyst supporting projects and the organisational-wide reporting. As the sole data professional in the organisation, my role was autonomous but lacked peer support.
The BHN merger gave me the opportunity to not only be part of a wider team of professionals, but also the responsibility to lead a team and contribute to the growth of capabilities of the function.Having access to a wider team of professionals has been instrumental to me. The varying experience and expertise within the team and function has provided the support and structure to navigate through both technical challenges and the day-to-day challenges of workload management.In conjunction to this collaborative benefit, the creation of BHN has also opened up opportunities for me to expand both my technical expertise and business acumen across wider range of community health services.
As part of the wider Business Intelligence Team, I am truly excited for what we have been able to deliver and future state plans to leverage both technology and data to support an insight driven culture and organisation.
Rakhi Sanghvi's story
Our journey transitioning from three distinct organisations to the unified Better Health Network (BHN) has been both exciting and transformative. This transition brought numerous changes across workflows and processes, marking a significant chapter for our organisation.
As part of this journey, Belinda Sanger and I collaborated on the Recruitment Integration Project, which became one of the first BHN-wide systems to be successfully integrated. This project involved extensive training sessions for Managers and Leads, enabling a smooth and seamless transition to the new recruitment process.
Additionally, the HRIS integration stands out as a major milestone. The P&C team successfully completed this project on time, ensuring a smooth rollout. Training sessions for employees played a key role in helping everyone navigate and confidently use the new HRIS system.
The integration process also required us to streamline and update several critical areas, including reference checks and interview processes, compliance-related documentation, Employee contracts and onboarding and offboarding processes.
This entire experience was both challenging and rewarding. It provided us with invaluable insights, strengthened our skills, and underscored the importance of collaboration and adaptability in achieving our shared goals.
Rylee Cook's story
The amalgamation process has allowed the Paediatric team across legacy sites to develop and implement a multi-disciplinary clinic, exploring development and movement concerns. By combining expertise from multiple disciplines, this service has improved accessibility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness for families. Operating across multiple sites, the clinic has expanded the scope of paediatric support - particularly for children with disabilities - while also creating opportunities to develop group therapy options in response to community needs.
Feedback from families has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the convenience of a single appointment where children are assessed by multiple practitioners in one session. Clinicians have also noted the benefits of this collaborative approach, which fosters joint communication and learning, ensuring comprehensive and efficient assessments. Close coordination with local Maternal and Child Health nurses further ensures that referrals are appropriate and targeted to those who need them most.
Looking ahead, further integration with the TRAK system and enhancements to IT, intake, and scheduling processes will support the clinic’s continued growth and impact. With these developments, the clinic will be able to provide even greater support to local families and strengthen its role as a vital healthcare resource in the community.We are excited to see this service continue to evolve, delivering lasting benefits for children and their families.
Nigel Joseph's story
The AOD Program consists of three teams within the legacy Star Health, including AOD Treatment and Harm Reduction Services. The integration process involved integrating the smaller AOD Program at CBCHS (Parkdale) with the Star Health program in St Kilda.
Parkdale previously had a small Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) team operating in isolation, lacking AOD leadership. After integrating with the larger AOD program at BHN, the successful recruitment of an experienced Program Lead brought about several positive changes within the Parkdale team, as well as improvements across the broader AOD program.
The integration of the AOD team into the broader BHN program created opportunities to streamline systems and processes, ultimately enhancing overall treatment services.
Benefits for BHN’s AOD Program:
- Stronger AOD Leadership Team: The addition of four experienced and capable leaders with AOD expertise has fostered greater collaboration and focused improvements in systems and processes across the AOD program.
- Reflective PracticeReflective practice group sessions have supported the clinical development of AOD staff across the program. The Parkdale team has now joined the AOD Counselling Reflective Practice group. Additionally, the Program Lead at Parkdale provides reflective clinical group supervision to the Intake and Assessment team and the outreach Case Management teams.
- Improved Integration across Mental Health and Other ProgramsThe integration has created opportunities for the Parkdale teams to collaborate more effectively with the Family Violence, Mental Health, and other programs within BHN. Meet-and-greet sessions have allowed teams to connect, fostering stronger referral pathways across programs.
- Improvements in Non-Residential Withdrawal (NRW) Clinical PracticeThe NRW service operates across both the Parkdale and St Kilda AOD teams. Integration led to joint clinical reviews of clients, enhancing risk assessment and management across the program. This collaboration has improved shared care arrangements, as well as referral sharing and distribution within the NRW program. NRW nurses from both teams also attend external nursing clinical supervision.
- Integration of Harm Reduction Education and SupportThe integration has enabled the Parkdale team to access Harm Reduction team education and support, including Naloxone training and overdose prevention.The Harm Reduction program offered Overdose Response training to all BHN staff in response to International Overdose Awareness Day.
Overall, the integration of the Parkdale and St Kilda teams into one AOD program has resulted in significant benefits for the whole program, providing improved clinical and operational support to staff, and enhancing the efficiency and quality of care for client.
Elise, Kayla & Maddy's story
Coming together to better promote healthy, equitable, and thriving local communities.
The Health Promotion team, a passionate group of ten, is working towards creating its first 4-year strategic plan as one integrated team. While the integration process has been gradual and challenging, the team remains focused on its core values: building authentic partnerships with communities, maintaining strong relationships with other organisations, promoting equity and social justice, and centering its work around best practices.
Integration prompted our teams to reflect on the work we do, the approach we take to health promotion as a practice, and the direction we wanted to take moving forward. From the outset, it was clear that all three teams were motivated to implement a style of health promotion practice which is progressive and grounded in utilising best practice to promote health equity within our local community. This style of health promotion required a level of bravery to leave behind previous ways of working, aligned with being open to continuously learning and developing our health promotion practice. A year into the journey, the team is confident in its new approach and acknowledges that previous ways of working will be left behind.
The team has also had the opportunity to expand and grow projects originally piloted by legacy organisations. The Being Equal program, which promotes gender equality in Early Childhood Education and Care services, is set to launch in Kingston in 2025. The Mealtimes Expectations project has already begun engaging services across the broader BHN catchment. These projects, along with others in local schools, sporting clubs, and community settings, have provided valuable opportunities for staff growth and skill development, while benefiting the wider community.
As the team looks ahead to its strategic plan, it is excited to continue the integration process and further develop its internal infrastructure. This will help support BHN as a contemporary leader in health promotion, focusing on staff health and wellbeing while leveraging its reach as a large employer to better serve the community.
To learn more about our work, visit the BHN website: https://bhn.org.au/services/health-promotion/
Integration Awards
To recognise the amazing work of our people who went above and beyond to support the Voluntary Amalgamation (VA), staff were invited to nominate colleagues and teams for ten different Integration Awards. From the many impressive nominations received, we are pleased to shine a light on the recipients of these awards.
Award
Winner
Adaptability Award
To recognise staff members who have demonstrated resilience, flexibility, and a positive attitude in adapting to new systems, processes, and structures.
Winner(s)
Business Intelligence & Systems Team
Behind-the-Scenes Hero Award
To honour staff in support roles who played a crucial role in ensuring the Voluntary Amalgamation’s operational success
Winner(s)
Payroll Team
Client-Centric Award
To highlight individuals or teams who maintained a strong focus on client outcomes throughout the changes.
Winner(s)
Jodi Edwards
Wellbeing Support Services for Older Adults
Collaboration Award
To recognise teams or individuals who exemplified strong teamwork and cross-department collaboration during the Voluntary Amalgamation.
Winner(s)
GP Services & Launching Housing Team
Patty Morfis
Ian Symmons
Community Impact Award
To recognise individuals or teams whose efforts during the Voluntary Amalgamation had a lasting, positive impact on the community.
Winner(s)
NDIS Thrive Project Team
Cultural Integration Award
To celebrate those who played a key role in aligning and integrating the different organisational cultures.
Winner(s)
Karyn Maslen
Innovation Award
To honour those who brought forward innovative solutions or ideas that helped navigate challenges during the Voluntary Amalgamation.
Winner(s)
Sam O’Brien & Sumayya Ebrahim
Leadership in Change Award
To acknowledge leaders or managers who supported and guided their teams effectively through the transition.
Winner(s)
Sam O’Brien
Amanda (Willo) Wilson
Outstanding Service Award
To honour those who consistently provided high-quality service to clients despite the challenges of the Voluntary Amalgamation.
Winner(s)
Lee Kelleher
Vision and Values Award
To recognise those who embodied the shared vision and values of the newly merged BHN throughout the process.
Winner(s)
Lisa Woolard
Artwork to acknowledge the past and welcome the future
A picture tells a thousand words. To acknowledge our past and welcome the future, a collaborative thumbprint artwork was developed by BHN staff. Our staff voted and chose the theme of a tree, with the roots representing the foundation of our legacy organisations and the leaves blossoming into BHN. This collaborative artwork was co-created at our all-staff event, BHN Service Expo, in February 2025, with individual thumbprints capturing the contributions and DNA of all who enabled the creation of BHN.
Acknowledging our foundations
Preserving the proud histories of our legacy organisations has been a priority from the very start of our amalgamation to BHN. To honour our past, large murals depicting the history of each former Community Health Service were created. These ‘history walls’ are proudly displayed in foyer areas at three of our larger sites. Click through to browse through our history.
1989
Mordialloc Cheltenham Community Health Centre Inc. (MCCHC) opens from the back of Minister for Community Services, Peter Spyker’s electorate office in Florence St, Mentone.
1989
The MCCHC officially opens in a converted church hall in Mentone. Centre opened by Minister for Health, Caroline Hogg and Minister for Community Services, Peter Spyker. Has six paid staff.
1990
MCCHC merges with Mordialloc Aged Services Committee, adding social support groups for older people.
1994
With 92 staff, services expand to include child development, and drug and alcohol services, with expansion of disability services.
1999
CBCHS moves into the refurbished former Mordialloc Cheltenham Community Hospital in Parkdale and is officially opened by Premier Jeff Kennett.
2020
Central Bayside Community Health Services, Connect Health & Community and Star Health collaborate to support vulnerable communities during COVID19 pandemic.
2021
Executives of the three organisations develop a plan to amalgamate into one community health organisation.
2022
Boards and members vote unanimously in favour of the amalgamation. The first Board, Chair and CEO appointed. BHN becomes one of the largest community health services in Victoria, serving more than 600,000 people across 18 sites in Melbourne’s southeast.
1973
Local doctors - Dr Jago, Dr Rose, Dr de Crespigny and Dr Fredman gain funding to build a community health centre o ering primary and allied health care for the local population, regardless of financial status.
1986
New premises officially opened.
1990
Hydrotherapy pool opens.
2006
New site at Sandringham Hospital opens.
2012
Gamblers’ support services expand to include drug, alcohol, mental health and family services becoming Victoria’s largest.
2016
Name changes from Bentleigh Bayside Community Health Service to Connect Health & Community.
2017
Sandringham Ambulatory Care created as a joint venture with Link Health and Connect Health & Community. Becomes wholly owned entity of Connect Health & Community in 2020.
2020
Central Bayside Community Health Services, Connect Health & Community and Star Health collaborate to support vulnerable communities during COVID19 pandemic.
2021
Executives of the three organisations develop a plan to amalgamate into one community health organisation.
2022
Boards and members vote unanimously in favour of the amalgamation. The first Board, Chair and CEO appointed. BHN becomes one of the largest community health services in Victoria, serving more than 600,000 people across 18 sites in Melbourne’s southeast.
1993
Inner South Community Health Service (ISCHS) formed from amalgamation of Prahran Community Health Centre, South Port Community Health Centre and St Kilda Community Health Centre to meet the rapidly changing needs of the community.
2017
Inner South Community Health becomes Star Health
2017
Receives Rainbow Tick Accreditation
2020
Central Bayside Community Health Services, Connect Health & Community and Star Health collaborate to support vulnerable communities during COVID19 pandemic.
2021
Executives of the three organisations develop a plan to amalgamate into one community health organisation.
2022
Boards and members vote unanimously in favour of the amalgamation. The first Board, Chair and CEO appointed. BHN becomes one of the largest community health services in Victoria, serving more than 600,000 people across 18 sites in Melbourne’s southeast.
Our values in action
Accountability, Collaboration, Courage and Respect - these are the values that are the foundations of our culture and how we work at BHN.
BHN leaders co-created the shared meaning of our values in action. As part of this, a series of icons and statements were co-designed to reflect the ‘BHN Way’. These are our shared beliefs and behaviours, guiding the way we work with colleagues and clients, now and into the future.
The vibrant artwork below was developed to show our values in action and is displayed on walls across BHN sites.
