Dr Emma McCahon has been appointed the new chief executive of CQ Health

A doctor with more than 20 years of experience caring for children has been appointed the new chief executive of Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service. Full details here.

A doctor with more than 20 years of experience caring for children has been appointed the new chief executive of Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service.

She replaces Steve Williamson who left the role to return to the UK at the end of November after five years of service.

Dr Emma McCahon worked as a general paediatrician at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead for 21 years before making the move to Central Queensland.

Dr McCahon was also the executive director of medical services of Western Sydney Local Health District for the past three years.

Making the move from Sydney to Rockhampton two weeks ago, she said things were already seeming very familiar.

CQ Health’s new chief executive Dr Emma McCahon. Picture: Aden Stokes

“People are very welcoming, to the point where the fridge was stacked with food when I first turned up which was just lovely,” she said.

“I have visited a few of our sights in Rockhampton and yesterday I spent the day in Gladstone.”

She said CQ Health was an amazing health service that stretched across a large area with a diverse population.

“For me it is all about the patient and everything needs to be centred around the people we care for,” she said.

“We are put in a very privileged position in the health care service to care for someone’s loved one and we need to do our best job when doing that.

CQ Health’s new Chief Executive Dr Emma McCahon. Picture: Aden Stokes

“For me the focus is on patient care, ensuring we have the right staff and looking after our staff to look after the patients, which I am already seeing right across the system.”

She said challenges CQ Health faced included trying to meet the needs of the diverse population over a large area and attracting and retaining high quality and highly trained staff.

“Although, I have to say the ones I have met so far I have been really impressed with and I am excited to meet the people here,” she said.

“We have opportunities to partner with a lot of organisations in the community who are keen to look after the community.

“I think the challenges we see are also our opportunities to step up and do something amazing.”

CQ Health’s new Chief Executive Dr Emma McCahon. Picture: Aden Stokes

CQ Health announced on social media that Thursday would be the last day that vaccinations would be delivered at the Rockhampton Community COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on Yeppoon Road.

Dr McCahon thanked the staff that had been “working hard to keep communities safe” in the clinics.

“It has been a real challenge trying to deliver all our normal health, plus vaccination, plus testing, plus looking after areas where there has been Covid outbreaks,” she said.

“Although we are closing our big vaccination clinics it is a transition back into the community, back to our GPs where we used to get our vaccinations.

“Having those staff back in their usual roles will be very exciting for us.”