Spotlight, Board Chair, Mike Lomax 🔦
As Board Chair of Quirindi Care Services (QCS), Mike Lomax discusses his role within the organisation, highlighting his appointment to the position in November 2021 after joining the board in December 2019.
After returning to the family farm after 42 years, Mike was determined to give back to the community that meant so much to him!
Mike is exceptionally proud of the teamwork and accomplishments achieved at QCS during his tenure, emphasising the improvements in care quality, community communication, and media presence as some of the proudest achievements.
Mike’s favourite part of his work with QCS is interacting with the dedicated team of board members and management, fostering a sense of passion and commitment toward their mission.
He believes that QCS makes a significant difference in the community by providing essential care services to the elderly, many of whom contributed to building the nation.
Reflecting on his background, Lomax shared his transition from the international energy business to returning to the Quirindi district in 2014. He felt a sense of obligation to contribute to the community and became involved in various consultative committees.
Inspired by his father's stay at Eloura, he joined the board to make a positive impact on residents' well-being. Lomax also expressed his love for the local community, citing Dorothea Mackellar's poem "My Country" and the beauty of the Liverpool Plains.
He also acknowledges the various challenges facing the aged care industry, particularly the shortage of local GPs and skilled labor. These challenges have affected QCS's financial viability and occupancy rates, necessitating creative solutions such as hiring staff from overseas.
Mike’s insights shed light on the dedication of QCS to provide quality care to the elderly in the community while navigating various challenges within the aged care industry.
Mike Lomax (far left) enjoying the staff Christmas Party at Eloura, 2023 🎅🏽🎄
1. Please advise what your role is at QCS/ Eloura and how long you have been involved in the organisation?
- I am currently the Chair for QCS, having been appointed to the position in November 2021. I joined the Board in December 2019.
2. What are you most proud of about your role at QCS?
- The ability to work with a motivated and passionate team on the Board and Management at QCS in order to "make a difference." While on the Board, I feel the team has made a significant difference in the quality of care for the residents and improved the respect of the facility in our community. We have improved communication with the community by issuing quarterly updates to members and through improved media coverage on our website and Facebook pages. As a result, the community is much more aware of our accomplishments and challenges in running an Aged Care Facility in a rural and remote area.
3. What is your favorite part of working for QCS?
- Interacting with a dedicated and passionate team of Board members and Management through monthly board meetings and catchups with management.
4. Please tell us how you feel QCS makes a difference in the community?
- By operating Eloura with a focused management team, we will continue to provide an essential service that cares for the elderly in our community. Many of the residents are those who helped build our nation to be the "lucky country" that we all now enjoy.
5. Please share a little background of your working history/involvement in aged care and the local community in Quirindi.
- I returned to the family farm in 2014 after spending 42 years in the International Energy business operating projects across the globe in the exploration of Oil and Gas, mainly in Offshore waters. In returning to the Quirindi district, I felt a need to contribute to the community that I had been away from for so long. I joined various consultative committees including with Council, Whitehaven Coal, and the local church. In 2019, my father was admitted to Eloura on respite, and in visiting him while there, I was empowered to play a part in making a difference in the well-being of the residents. I joined the Board one month after Dad returned to his home on the farm. While on the Board, we have established a stable management team, improved the quality of care to the point of achieving a 4-star rating, rebranded QCS, and improved our standing in the community through improved modes of communication.
6. Please share something you love about the local community, including a little about your history living here...
- As Dorothea Mackellar wrote in her poem "My Country," "I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains..." This poem depicts the Liverpool Plains up to the edge of the great dividing range, a community I have come to greatly enjoy and respect. I feel privileged to have been brought up here from birth and feel it is only right that I should make a contribution to those who played a part in establishing it.
7. What are some challenges facing the Aged Care industry/in particular Aged Care Facilities and how is QCS tackling these challenges?
- The most significant challenge at this time is the lack of GPs servicing the local area and our residents. This lack of a critical service to our community and the residents of Eloura has had a significant impact on our financial viability. Without a GP, residents are unable to be admitted, and as such, we have struggled to maintain an occupancy above 85%. We need to operate at 92% to be viable. As part of a rural and remote community, we are challenged with employing local labor with the skill set to support our enterprise, particularly Registered Nurses. In the current financial year, we have expended over $380K in agency fees bringing in personnel from as far afield as Perth. We have also contracted five staff from the Pacific Islands and Timor Leste on a four-year contract to support our operation. To ensure the ladies are comfortable and their tenure is secured, we have purchased a residence to accommodate them.
