Cairns Hospital chief executive Tina Chinery to resign from role on June 30
After taking on the top job in the Far North’s healthcare service under challenging circumstances, the leading executive has revealed the factors that led to a bombshell decision on her future.
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THE Far North’s top health boss has made a bombshell announcement on her future just two years after taking on the job in unforeseeable challenging circumstances.
On Wednesday, Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health service chief executive Tina Chinery announced she will be returning to Western Australia to be closer to family following the birth of her first grandchild and the death of her mother in March.
Ms Chinery will finish on June 30 after more than two years in the role.
She joined the health service from Western Australia in 2016 and started the role of CEO in January 2020, as the Covid pandemic began to impact the state.
As the public face of the CHHHS response to dealing with the pandemic, Ms Chinery faced dozens of media conferences and was often in the unenviable position of reporting on deaths from Covid within the region.
Ms Chinery said she was most proud to have led the health service’s Covid response.
“As a regional centre, we were one of the few areas that had local transmission early in the pandemic,” she said.
“We were the only regional area to have international quarantine hotels, and in the past six months we have managed the highest rate of Covid-19 infections outside Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
“Our adaptability to take on new ways of working, linking with health partners, and think innovatively to care for people across our widespread catchment area made a real difference.”
CHHHS board chair Clive Skarott praised her leadership throughout the pandemic.
“We are sorry, very sorry to lose Tina’s services from our health service,” Mr Skarott said.
“Tina’s leadership and compassion will be missed, but we understand her need to be near her family in Western Australia.”
Mr Skarott said the CHHHS board would continue to progress the substantial plans in place for local health services including our transition to becoming a university hospital.
“Through her long experiences as a health practitioner, Tina has made a major contribution to health services in our region and we wish her well.” he said.
Mr Skarott said the board planned to begin a recruitment search for a new CEO shortly.
Barron River MP Craig Crawford said he felt Ms Chinery had done an excellent job.
“Being CEO of a health service during arguably the most challenging time in the history of that service with the pandemic and the influx of extra people and the pressure on the health service, she should hold her head up high,” he said.
“At the end of the day family should come first.”
Michael Healy MP also commented on the news of Tina’s resignation.
“Tina has executed her role with the utmost profesison and over the period of Covid and was instrumental to helping me help the community,” he said.
“She has worked very hard and I commend her. I cannot thank her enough for the hard work she has done and wish her all the best on her return to WA.”
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Originally published as Cairns Hospital chief executive Tina Chinery to resign from role on June 30
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