Local health leader honoured

UPDATE  31 October 2016: BMDH Project Stage 1 Transition Manager Peter Rophail has won a prestigious NSW Government award for his outstanding leadership of the expansion projects at Blacktown Hospital and Mount Druitt Hospital.

The nomination for a NSW Health Collaborative Leader of the Year Award recognises exceptional individual contribution to health services in the state.




Glenbrook local Peter has worked in health for 20 years and is now director of operational design at Blacktown Hospital. He said he was “surprised and thrilled”.

“I’m honoured by the award, but it’s really been a team effort,” Peter said.

“I’ve been lucky to have supportive hospital staff and executive, a creative and dedicated project team, committed consumers representatives, and terrific project partners in Health Infrastructure who all wanted to do things differently,” he said. 

Blacktown Hospital general manager Sue-Anne Redmond said the award was well-deserved and recognises Peter’s commitment to making every decision in the best interests of patients, carers, staff and community.

“Peter always puts people first. He asked us to include patients, carers and community members in all our decision-making, and we did,” said Blacktown Hospital general manager Sue-Anne Redmond.

“The result was innovative carer zones, a more comfortable cancer centre, digital innovation and an unprecedented level of community involvement. I believe it was this ‘people first’ philosophy which enabled him to keep everyone focused on what was best for patients and staff.

“We’re immensely proud of our new facilities and of Peter for what he’s achieved,” Sue-Anne said.  

In his role as transition manager, Peter oversaw an extensive engagement program with more than 10,000 interactions with staff and community members to ensure the new facilities truly reflected their needs, and the cultural diversity of the local area. 

The project has now been recognised nationally and internationally with numerous awards, and attracts hundreds of professional visitors every year, keen to replicate the success of the consumer engagement, carer zones, arts program and digital innovation as well as the design itself.

BMDH Project delivered major new hospital facilities for Mount Druitt Hospital and Blacktown Hospital in Sydney’s west, including a new clinical services building which opened in 2016. At the time, it was the State’s biggest health infrastructure project. Stage 2 is now underway.  


Update: WSLHD wins People's Choice and Patients as Partners award for carer zones project. The quirky Being and Belonging renal centre arts program has been named runner-up in the arts health category.