RARMS appoints Ben Chiarella as its first Chief Nursing Officer

The CEO of Rural and Remote Medical Services (RARMS), Mark Burdack, today announced the appointment of its first Chief Nursing Officer for rural and remote health.

Mr Ben Chiarella is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of RARMS and holds a Masters of Nursing and MBA from the University of Sydney.

Mark Burdack said: "Nurses have always played a central role in the delivery of high quality and safe healthcare to rural and remote people. They are key members of independent primary health care teams supporting patients with chronic disease.

"As RARMS looks to grow into more regions, and into other States and Territories, we need to ensure that nursing care is delivered within the framework of evidence-based practice, with an emphasis on delivering the best possible quality of care.

"As Chief Nursing Officer, Ben will take a leadership role in standardising, developing, and ensuring the appropriate translation of evidence-based care into practice.

"Ben will lead the RARMS Nursing Forum in joint planning of activities to enhance professional nursing practice, set strategic health goals and ensure policies and procedures reflect best practice.

"Over the last 2 years RARMS nurses have taken a leading role in chronic disease management and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health care, with significant growth in health assessments and planning.

"Working with RARMS Chief Medical Officer, Dr Freddy Chafota, our goal is to ensure that rural and remote health remains at the forefront of quality and safety.

"High quality, team-based medical and nursing care is central to our vision for the future of rural and remote health and we are looking forward to Ben's contribution to evidence-based leadership of our nursing workforce" said Mr Burdack.

For further information please contact Mark Burdack on 0418974988.