Velda Mitchell bids ERH farewell after decades of service

By Emily Donohoe

Jun 21, 2024

Nurse unit manager Craig Frew, Velda Mitchell and Karlie Stevens. Photo by Aidan Briggs

Echuca Regional Health hosted a farewell for Velda Mitchell to celebrate her retirement after decades of service on Wednesday, June 19.

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Mrs Mitchell began her career at ERH in 1994 and is retiring after 30 years of dedicated service.

Initially working as a ward assistant at Lumeah nursing home and later as a personal care attendant at Glanville Village, Mrs Mitchell transitioned to an administrative role in the emergency department when it was located on Francis St.

Mrs Mitchell has seen ERH transform during her time, expanding its services significantly when the new hospital was built.

“We have so many more patients coming into ED now, and I don’t know how the staff ever worked in the smaller department,” she said.

Her contributions have been significant, including training numerous new administration staff, she has even trained the children of those staff members.

Velda Mitchell loves the people she works with. Photo by Aidan Briggs

Mrs Mitchell said she would miss her colleagues the most, cherishing the relationships she had built over the years.

During her professional career, Mrs Mitchell was also in the Australian Army Reserve, working as a clerk in the 4th/19th Prince of Wales’s Light Horse and later the 8/7 Battalion Royal Victorian Regimen.

As she embarks on her retirement, Mrs Mitchell and her husband, Steve, plan to travel around Australia and spend quality time with their children and grandchildren.