Carol Altmann – The Terrier

A grassroots action group has formed to challenge Lyndoch Living over plans to build a $22m medical clinic that some fear may send it broke.

I have written dozens of stories these past 18 months about concerns around Lyndoch Living and every time there is the same response from readers: what can we do?

Well here is the answer – you can support this action group.

The group – “Keep Lyndoch living” (follow them on their new Facebook page here) – is being led by local people who are prepared to speak up on behalf of the community, and you can stand with them.

The co-chairs are heavy hitters in Professor James Dunbar, who has had a long and distinguished career as a health researcher in Australia and overseas. He moved to south-west Victoria from the UK to become the first Director of the Greater Green Triangle University Department of Rural Health.

Prof Dunbar taught Clinical Governance and Risk Management for Flinders University in Adelaide, Singapore and China, and is an Honorary Professor with Deakin University.

The other co-chair is Jim Burke, a former naval officer and a senior investigator for the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security until his retirement in 2009.

They are the public face of what they hope will be a united community voice seeking answers from Lyndoch on two broad questions:

how is the medical clinic being financed?

how will it benefit the residents of Lyndoch?

Last month, Lyndoch’s former Acting Chief Financial Officer Allan Conway revealed that, on the information available to him, he had formally advised Lyndoch CEO Doreen Power that he didn’t support the medical centre as proposed.

Mr Conway added that, as a private citizen, he also held fears for the viability of Lyndoch.

Despite this fire alarm from a former, well-respected CFO, the public response from the Lyndoch board has been silence.

In a media release today, Prof Dunbar said the community group had to move quickly, as construction was due to start on the clinic any day.

“If the medical centre resulted in serious financial issues for Lyndoch, the viability of Lyndoch could be threatened,” he said.

“As the community has funded and built Lyndoch over the past 70 years, it is imperative that the medical centre is based on a sound business plan and full transparency.”

Mr Burke said the group will seek a meeting with Lyndoch board.

In the interim, the group has contacted State Minister of Ageing Luke Donnellen, Federal Member Dan Tehan and State MPs Roma Britnell, Bev McArthur and Andy Meddick, to raise the following, specific concerns:

i. The cost of the centre;

ii. How the centre is to be funded;

iii. How loans and interest are to be repaid.  Borrowing would be at the current low interest rates, but this cannot be guaranteed in the future;

iv. Whether proper business modelling has been done for the clinic (including full business and operational plans), together with an associated risk management plan;

v. Details of prospective tenants.  Whilst an unknown number of GPs from The Health Spot and Warrnambool Medical Clinic have been secured, an advertisement in the Warrnambool Standard on 1 May, 2021 raises concerns about whether an adequate number of tenants in total can be secured where there are general GP shortages in rural areas;

vi. The effect of the Royal Commission into Aged Care and whether this could cause other financial pressures on Lyndoch.

To me, the launch of this group is significant, as I have learned that it’s incredibly difficult for people in Warrnambool to publicly question the decisions of those in authority.

People, I have learned, are often fearful to speak up individually.

Strength, however, lies in numbers and a unified voice.

Whether this group succeeds as a unified voice now hinges on how many people are prepared to stand alongside them as they speak up on behalf of the community.

If you want to stand with them, you can like/share/follow the “Keep Lyndoch living” Facebook page, which will provide updates to the community on its progress.

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

Yes, Lyndoch Living has a corporate tent at the May Races this year.

Yes, there is a gorgeous marquee decked out with stunning plants and there are goodie bags promoting the Waterfront Living apartments, because, well, how else could you possibly spend aged care funds in the wake of a Royal Commission into Aged Care?

On something meaningful and lasting? Sadly, no.

And why not have a corporate tent for three days at the races when there was a confirmed scabies outbreak in Lyndoch less than a week ago?

Far away from that itchy mess, the only scratching to be seen in the corporate tent is that on the form guide.

And why not spend aged care funds setting up a corporate tent when Lyndoch has recorded a string of deficits these past five years?

The estimated cost of the tent and catering is $40,000 for three days, which is on top of the $200,000, three-year sponsorship of the Grand Annual Steeplechase.

And heck, why shouldn’t Lyndoch corporates and invited guests be able to let their hair down after the stress of hearing Lyndoch’s former acting Chief Financial Officer say he doesn’t support its proposed $22 million medical clinic and, as a private citizen, he fears for Lyndoch’s financial future.

Nobody has a problem with Lyndoch residents enjoying a day out in the bus, placing a few bets and having a glass of bubbles, before retiring home for a cup of tea.

But the community is not stupid: this whole race-week get up is not about the residents.

The residents are a shield for the blatant fact that Lyndoch is spending tens of thousands a year on the horse racing industry.

Drink up! Eat up! Go you good things!

Does any other aged care home in Australia do such a thing? I doubt it.

As a community, do we accept it?

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

Lyndoch Living has another outbreak of scabies.

The fresh outbreak in the Garden View wing comes four months after confirmation of an outbreak in the Audrey Prider Centre.

That confirmation in December came after months of complaints from residents and Lyndoch staff about a nasty rash coming and going through APC.

I am unsure about the scale of this latest outbreak, but families of residents in Garden View have been notified and all residents in Garden View are now being treated.

Lyndoch Living was contacted for comment today, but has not responded.

The scabies outbreak comes amid questions over the priorities and direction of Lyndoch Living as it prepares to build a $22 million medical clinic on site to replace the current Warrnambool Medical Clinic in Liebig St.

It also comes amid questions as to why there has been a string of resignations from Lyndoch in recent weeks, including senior executive Dr Ed Rhodes on Monday, and four members of the finance team in the past month.

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

A senior executive at Lyndoch Living resigned today amid mounting concerns over a $22 million medical clinic that will be built by next year.

Dr Ed Rhode (BScMaths, BCompSc, MSME, PhD) was Lyndoch’s Director of Technology, Strategy & Transformation, and a key figure in the Lyndoch executive team.

Dr Rhode had been with Lyndoch for less than two years, despite – according to well-placed sources – being head-hunted for the position from northern Victoria.

His partner, also a Lyndoch employee, has also resigned today.

Prior to Lyndoch, Dr Rhode’s work history included a senior position in the health industry in the Goulburn Valley, where he worked professionally with the now CEO of Lyndoch Living, Doreen Power, in her former role as CEO of Seymour Health.

It’s not clear precisely why Dr Rhode resigned and I have not been able to contact him for comment tonight.

His resignation, however, comes a week after the resignation of two staff within the finance area of Lyndoch, including a senior staff member.

It also comes nine days after Lyndoch’s former Acting Chief Financial Officer Allan Conway went public (via The Terrier) with serious concerns over the proposed $22 million medical clinic and broader fears about Lyndoch’s viability.

Dr Rhode’s resignation also comes a month after that of board member, Percy Eccles, who had been on the Lyndoch board for almost 10 years.

In light of the legal precautions I must operate under when reporting on Lyndoch Living, I am reluctant to join the dots.

I – again – can only hope the board which, to date, has been stony silent, is across all of these resignations, that it is asking why senior people are leaving, that it has followed up with Mr Conway and his concerns, and that it is 100 per cent confident with the medical clinic project as it stands.

The board are the community’s eyes and ears for what is a community owned asset.

To wipe all of this away as being “operational” doesn’t cut it.

Just ask the former Warrnambool City councillors.

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

I have learned that two staff – including a senior staff member – within the finance area of Lyndoch Living resigned today.

Another two resigned earlier this month.

In light of the legal precautions I must operate under when reporting on Lyndoch Living, you can make of that what you will.

But these resignations follow the former Acting Chief Financial Officer Allan Conway notifying the Lyndoch CEO Doreen Power of his serious concerns regarding the financial viability of a proposed $22 million medical clinic.

Mr Conway, who finished his 12-month contract in March, last night went public with those concerns.

Based on the information available to him, he does not support the medical clinic as proposed.

As a citizen, he holds fears for the future of Lyndoch Living.

And now the resignations from the inside keep coming.

When does this become a full blown crisis?

We have heard nothing from the board, who are chosen to represent the community that owns Lyndoch Living.

We have heard nothing from the chair, hairdresser and former Warrnambool City Councillor, Sue Cassidy.

We have heard nothing from the vice chair, the CEO of MPower Kerry Nelson.

We have heard nothing from the treasurer, Sinclair and Wilson accountant Kane Grant, who – surely – must be taking another, closer look at the numbers.

And we have heard nothing from any of the remaining five board members: Prof Rob Wallis, Andrew Paton, Ron Page, Suzanne Coulson and Lorraine Mielnik.

We have no independent members of Lyndoch who can speak on our behalf, as nobody outside of the board or Lyndoch has been accepted as a member in the past 18 months, and that includes our now Mayor Vicki Jellie AM.

In summary, the community has lost control of Lyndoch Living by stealth, aided and abetted by those who have blocked any involvement at every turn.

The consequences of that exclusion and obsequiousness are now, I fear, becoming clear.

I keep asking the questions in the public interest and below are the ones I sent last Friday lunchtime so the Lyndoch CEO and board knew what was going to be published Sunday night and had every opportunity to respond.

They have chosen not to.

In the face of this silence, I can only keep raising the alarm and hope that the community decides it has had enough and a group of community representatives demand the board hold an emergency meeting, with a full report back to the community they serve.

Email Friday 16 April, 1.25pm:

Dear Lyndoch Media Unit, Ms Power and board members,

I am writing to offer the opportunity for comment on the following matters for a piece I am preparing to publish this Sunday night.

I have received confirmation that the immediate former Chief Financial Officer of Lyndoch Living, Allan Conway, does not support the construction of the proposed Medical Clinic at Lyndoch Living and that Mr Conway has expressed his concerns directly to the CEO.

Further, in his capacity as a private resident of Warrnambool, Mr Conway has also expressed a broader concern over Lyndoch’s future viability.

Given the seriousness of a CFO raising such concerns and the governance responsibilities of Lyndoch Living, my questions to the CEO, to the board chair and to the board treasurer are as follows:

1. Has the CEO notified the board of Mr Conway’s concerns in writing?

2. Has the CEO notified the Department of Health and Human Services Victoria of Mr Conway’s concerns in writing?

3. Has Mr Conway been contacted by the CEO and the board in response to his concerns and to discuss them further?

4. What action/s does the CEO and board intend to take in response to Mr Conway’s concerns?

5. Given the limited surplus funds of Lyndoch Living, can the board outline where the funding is coming from for the $22 million Medical Clinic project?

6. Is the board comfortable with the level of risk associated with the Medical Clinic project?

7. Has a complete business plan been prepared and presented to the board for the Medical Clinic project?