Two women were extra‐special guests at the 2021 Length of Service Awards.
The virtual ceremonies honoured our dedicated employees and volunteers, including Helen Gilbert and Marilyn Lewis who have reached a remarkable 55 years of service.
Monash Health did not exist when they started their healthcare journeys, and Helen and Marilyn began their careers at other hospitals that eventually became part of our organisation.
Helen Gilbert – Scientist, Haematology Laboratory and Blood Bank, Monash Medical Centre Clayton
Helen Gilbert started her career at the Queen Victoria Hospital on the same day decimal currency was introduced in Australia.
Helen was 19 and joined the hospital as a trainee medical scientist while she completed her RMIT Diploma of Laboratory Technology part‐time.
Helen saw a lot of changes in her field – she recalls that every task was manual when she started, but much is now done with instruments and devices. Lab scientists now work 24 hours, but for Helen, it was a 9 to 5 job.
Over the next 55 years, Helen worked with care and precision in labs across our hospitals, including biochemistry, microbiology, haematology, and histology. It was a work environment largely dominated by women, especially in the early years, and she has fond memories of some great mentors.
Helen’s last decade or so with Monash Health were spent in the Haematology Laboratory and Blood Bank, where she performed blood counts, coagulation checks, preparation of blood products for transfusion and the issuing of the products.
Helen, who retired this year, says she always enjoyed the satisfaction of doing her job well and she hopes the community understands the importance of the work that goes on in hospital laboratories.
Marilyn Lewis – Administration Officer, Allied Health, Moorabbin Hospital
In 1966, Marilyn Lewis replied to a job advertisement for a secretary at the Mordialloc and Chelsea Community Hospital, which served the bayside suburbs.
By 1995, when the hospital became part of Southern Health, Marilyn oversaw the consulting rooms.
The head physiotherapist at Mordialloc identified space at Moorabbin Hospital that could be used for their physio treatments and asked Marilyn to come along and be part of the team.
Marilyn is still at Moorabbin, serving allied health patients and helping colleagues every day. Marilyn is that essential person every department needs – the person who knows everybody and everything. And if she doesn’t, she’ll know how to find out!
During the pandemic, the allied health patient load in Moorabbin increased due to the reallocation of patients and space, making things even busier for Marilyn and her colleagues, but she always tries to take the time for a chat with patients.
Whether it’s a breast cancer patient needing lymphedema treatment, or somebody needing rehab after road trauma, Marilyn knows that visiting the hospital can be stressful and does all she can to help.
Marilyn is grateful for her talented colleagues and the strong friendships she has made over her 55 years at the organisation. She still works two days a week at Moorabbin Hospital – and thankfully, she has no plans to leave yet.
Congratulations to both Helen and Marilyn, for 55 years of service with Monash Health and for achieving this significant service milestone. Thank you for your hard work, commitment and dedication to your patients, the Monash Health community and to your colleagues during this time.
Approved by David Bloxham.