Order of Australia for Docklander

Order of Australia for Docklander

Long-term Docklander Alan Kinkade was on Australia Day appointed as a member of the Order of Australia for significant service to medical administration.

Mr Kinkade AM is proud of his career and is equally honoured to be nominated by his peers and to have his nomination accepted by the Governor-General.

The Dock 5 resident recently retired from a successful career running hospitals and establishing research institutes.

He brought his family to Docklands from interstate in 2006 when he was appointed group chief executive challenged with turning around the fortunes of the then ailing Epworth Hospital, which was losing $18 million per year.

Today, Epworth is Victoria’s largest not-for-profit private healthcare group, employing 6000 staff and recognised as an innovator in the industry.

“We’ve done some good things,’ Mr Kinkade said modestly. He said, among other things, the organisation had put money aside specifically for teaching, research and for scholarships to allow staff to achieve “extraordinary things”.

“These things are not just good for the people involved, they make the entire staff feel good,” he said.

He also proudly-pointed out that Epworth had been ranked number one in the country for patient satisfaction.

Mr Kinkade said the keys to successful administration were: understanding the needs and drivers of stakeholders; maintaining good relationships; integrity; honesty; good corporate culture; and good governance.

He is a Sydneysider but has worked in three states and has now established research institutes in NSW, Queensland and Victoria.

Like many others from north of the border, he recognised very quickly the value that Docklands offers as a residential area.

“Something like this in Sydney would be double the price,” he said. “And that will happen here too. You just have to take a long-term perspective.”

He said proximity to the CBD, great public transport, water views, freeway access and being five minutes from the supermarket, medical centres, pharmacies, etc were just some of Docklands’ attributes.

He says he doesn’t understand how others can disparage Docklands but suspects it’s because they don’t know what it’s like here.

Having led such a busy working life, retirement could be a challenge for Mr Kinkade.

The first six months are mapped out though and there’s no slowing down in sight. It includes a program of evaluation in Hanoi, a north-coast of NSW holiday, an Epworth fundraising trip to Sri Lanka, more time in Sydney and a two-month trip to the US to be with his daughter, son-in-law and new granddaughter.

After that, who knows? But it’s clear that he loves being in Docklands.

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