WHILE others are shivering through another Warrnambool winter, Trevor Matheson is enjoying an almost balmy change of scene.
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The new St John of God Warrnambool chief executive officer has arrived in the city from Orange, where snow is not uncommon.
"It's almost the tropics here," he joked.
Mr Matheson previously served as CEO at Dudley Private Hospital in Orange as well as a 15-year stint in a number of senior roles at Mildura Base Hospital.
"This was a chance to become involved in a very good organisation in Warrnambool," he said.
"It's also a return to country Victoria, I was originally born and raised in the Stawell district."
Since arriving earlier this month, Mr Matheson has seen plenty to like.
"I've already been very impressed," he said.
"St John of God Warrnambool has a good presence in Warrnambool and close ties with the community.
"The biggest thing is to make sure we have good private and public services.
"I'm a great supporter in quality care in the community."
Mr Matheson said one of the biggest challenges would be attracting and keeping quality staff.
"I will continue to work on recruiting and retaining expert staff in the Warrnambool district and work with South West Healthcare to make this happen," he said.
"I'm committed to creating and maintaining a great workplace culture and excellence in patient care."
Mr Matheson also hopes to build closer ties with the community and increase community involvement.
He said he had found the Warrnambool community "warm and welcoming" and said he and his family were settling in well.
"It's a wonderful place to be," Mr Matheson said.
While at Dudley Private Hospital, Mr Matheson was responsible for establishing a hydrotherapy centre, which expanded the hospital’s rehab facilities. He also helped establish new theatres and recovery areas.
In his time at Mildura, Mr Matheson served as acting chief executive officer, director of nursing and director of mental health services.
Mr Matheson holds qualifications in health science and health leadership and comes to Warrnambool with extensive operational, strategic and clinical expertise.
