CEO Jodie Geissler with Peggy Finegan, After Hours Site Manager Talbot

28 November

This week, we celebrated our staff who have reached years of service milestones at Austin Health with our annual Years of Service Awards.

The group of employees who have served for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 years of service amounts to 743 people - and as a collective they have provided Austin Health and our patients a staggering total of 13,315 years of service!

We caught up with Peggy Finegan, After Hours Site Manager at the Royal Talbot, celebrating an impressive 45 Years of Service and asked her to share some memorable moments from her time at Austin Health.

What has kept you at Austin Health for nearly half a century?

What kept me here for almost half a century is the sense of purpose and the wonderful people around me have always given me the reason to stay.

What has been the biggest change you’ve seen at Austin Health during your time here?

Technology has been the biggest shift. When I started, everything was handwritten, including charts, medication orders, and even rosters. Now we have electronic medical records, automated systems, better equipment, and smarter ways to work. Technology has completely transformed how we deliver care and communicate.

Can you share a memory you cherish from your time here?

One memory that stands out is of a patient who came to rehab after a stroke and had significant memory loss. She had just separated from her husband, but he never stopped visiting. He supported her through every step of rehab, and by the end, they fell in love all over again. She regained her independence and continued her life with the man she once married.

It was a beautiful reminder that healing is emotional as well as physical. Moments like that are what make this work so meaningful.

Congratulations to all our people marking a milestone year!