St Vincent’s Private Hospital Lismore will soon have a new Chief Executive Officer.

Brett Dennett will take over the reins from Steve Brierley, who is retiring after 15 years’ service with St Vincent’s, including eight years as CEO.

The Chair of the St Vincent’s Lismore Board, Damian Chapelle, was fulsome in his praise of Mr Brierley.
 
“On behalf of St Vincent’s Hospital Board, I have regrettably accepted Steve’s resignation,” he said.

“However, we understand his desire to retire after more than eight years in the role. He’s demonstrated strong leadership and personal dedication to the benefit of patients, St Vincent’s team members and the broader North Coast community.

“In fact, Steve delayed his resignation twice, in order to deal with the Omicron wave and the devastating floods, which significantly damaged the homes of more than 10 per cent of our staff.

“We sincerely thank Steve for his tremendous contribution throughout his tenure.
 
“St Vincent’s Lismore is unique in that it is Australia’s only hospital owned and operated by a Catholic Diocese. Being CEO of a stand-alone hospital is not easy, and I personally, and all of us at the hospital, are very grateful for his hard work, vision and support over the last 15 years.”  
 
Mr Chapelle said the hospital’s new CEO, who will start in the position with a hand-over period later this week, had impressive credentials.
 
“Brett Dennett has a long and successful history as a CEO of private hospitals in the Hunter region, maintaining their financial viability and improving clinical standards – no small task,” Mr Chapelle said.

“He studied through Southern Cross University to achieve his MBA and has held positions as a Director of Clinical Services and an intensive care nurse. He has a Masters of Health Management and a Bachelor of Nursing, commencing his career in health as a Registered Nurse.

“Brett’s also overseen major capital works programs, which will be crucial as St Vincent’s enters its second century as the hospital of choice for the Northern Rivers.
 
“There will be a suitable handover period to ensure a smooth changing of the guard and for everybody to personally farewell Steve. At the same time, I’m sure that all our staff and the Lismore community will give Brett a warm welcome.”