Merger Talks Underway

23rd of February, 2017

Merger Talks Underway

Plenty Valley Community Health and Dianella Community Health Boards are pleased to announce that we are investigating a merger.

Dianella Community Health and Plenty Valley Community Health provide health and community services to people living in Melbourne’s Hume and Whittlesea regions. Both provide over 30,000 individual client services each year. These services include dentistry, general practice, disability care, women’s and children’s health, mental health support, aged, cardiac and diabetes care, and care for the chronically ill amongst many others.

“This merger would deliver a more connected health service that would effectively respond to the escalating needs within our communities for a quality public health service in the outer north of Melbourne”, says Phillip Bain, CEO of Plenty Valley Community Health.

“We’re celebrating our 40 years of service this year, and this merger opportunity would simply be the next step in our proud history of local advocacy and providing quality care”, says Neil Cowen, CEO of Dianella Community Health.

The Board Chairs, Margaret Douglas (Dianella Community Health) and Marcia O’Neill (Plenty Valley Community Health), are committed to their communities, to improving services in the Cities of Hume and Whittlesea, and to working collaboratively with their staff. They said “Should the merger take place, this would be an exciting period of growth, with the potential to deliver more accessible and responsive services. 2

Mergers are not new to either organisation, as both Plenty Valley Community Health and Dianella Community Health have successfully succeeded with mergers in the past: Lalor Community Health and Whittlesea Community Health merged to form Plenty Valley Community Health in 1997; and Broadmeadows Community Health merged with Craigieburn Community Health to form Dianella Community Health in 1994.

For further information and progress updates please visit: www.dchpvch.com