Mario Santilli retires

Staff gathered to farewell Director of Development and Improvement Mario Santilli in September.

Mario retired after 16 years with the health service, however, has been employed in the health sector for over 43 years.

He qualified as a psychiatric nurse in 1985 and moved from hospital-based care to community care in 1989.  Between 1990 and 2003 he completed further undergraduate and post graduate studies in clinical care, as well as a Graduate Certificate of Management.

Mario commenced working at EGHS in February 2008 as Quality and Risk Manager and completed his Master of Business Administration in 2014.

Chief Executive Nick Bush said as the Director Development and Improvement, Mario provided oversight for Clinical Governance, Organisational Risk, Education, Research, Occupational Health and Safety, Emergency Management, and Information Technology.

“Mario has led the health service to implement much improved quality and clinical governance systems to ensure the health service improves its performance for patients and staff,” Mr Bush said.

“This proactive approach has seen compliance with regulatory bodies as just routine business and always achieved. Mario was clear with everyone that accreditation requirements are the base requirement, and we want to be much better than that.”

Mr Bush said Mario was a significant reason EGHS won health service of the year in 2016-2017.  Some of his thinking changed the way clinical governance is undertaken in Victoria.

“I thank Mario for his great contribution to EGHS and the Victorian Health System.  I will miss his leadership but thank him very much,” Mr Bush said.

Mario will remain as a casual employee for the next six months, working one day per week to provide oversight of the Information Technology and Management Systems.

Mario was presented with a framed ‘caricature’ of himself on the occasion of his retirement, much to the amusement of everyone, including him!