Christine Gee - keeping secrets and giving back

Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) President, Christine Gee, is an excellent secret keeper.

Awarded an AM (Member of the Order of Australia) in the recent King's Birthday Honours List, Chriss (as her friends and colleagues know her) had to keep it under wraps, and she did – even from those closest to her.

"It was such a surprise and a real honour," she said.

"But I had to keep it secret, as an award recipient you are requested to maintain strict confidentiality, and I did, I didn't even tell my children. Even knowing about it myself for a couple of weeks before, waking up on that Monday and seeing it in print made it very real.

"And my children were very proud of their mum."

The Toowong Private Hospital CEO started as APHA president last year. It's her third time in the role.

"I have such a passion for this industry, and I think when you have an opportunity to contribute it is incumbent on you to grab that opportunity and work hard to give something back," Chriss said.

"I must say, I do love working with the APHA, the secretariat is just amazing, and it's a real pleasure and an honour to work with the Board and Council on behalf of all our member hospitals and therefore all of those people who depend upon our care and services.

"Being able to contribute to the health of the country is so vital and private hospitals particularly have an enormous opportunity now to step in as never before. It is imperative that the private hospital sector remain strong and in a position to contribute to the balanced health system that we have, and that we need here in Australia."

Chriss added the industry was facing several challenges.

"The public feel like we're out of the pandemic, but in hospital land, we're still very much in it," she said.

"We continue to have a lot of patients with COVID, and there are still extra precautions we need to take, we have seen significant increases in costs due to this and then when you add inflation to the mix, it is an extremely challenging time.

"It's a difficult operating environment, and of course, like many industries, we're dealing with workforce shortages. And that's across the private and public system.

"There are certain things that only trained professionals can do – and they're tired, it's been a difficult few years. Lots of staff haven't had annual leave; there is still a lot of sick leave due to COVID or flu, there have been the floods and others natural disasters, and with workforce shortages impacting, staff sometimes feel like they will never see an end to these difficult times."

She said one challenge was simply convincing staff to stay in healthcare.

"In the wake of the pandemic, lots of healthcare workers have chosen to finish their health career," Chriss said.

"We've had staff re-evaluate things – some staff who were here on visas and then during COVID couldn't get home, have now chosen to move home to be closer to family.

"Some medical professionals in some specialities have chosen to reduce how much they work to get that work/life balance.

"And I think during that first year of COVID-19, healthcare workers felt very appreciated, like absolute heroes. But now I think the public have moved on, and healthcare workers might feel they're not getting that same level of respect or recognition for the significant work they do.

"It's a testament to the resilience of health workers; I look at the staff here at my own hospital and they're just awesome people – which is why I love my job."

Despite her many years in healthcare, Chriss has had to overcome one serious fear to keep working – she has a phobia of hospitals.

"I have a fear of being a patient," Chriss said.

"I was admitted to hospital when I was around 15 and it was awful - I behaved very badly, my poor parents!

"It's an overwhelming feeling of, 'I just have to get out'. Even when I had my children, I stayed in hospital the absolute bare minimum of time.

"I'm very comfortable in hospitals, just not being in hospital, if that makes sense."

She added that she believes that that fear has given her a level of empathy and compassion for patients and their families.

"Hospital can be a confronting, lonely environment and it takes people out of their sense of control," Chriss said.

"I think that's why I became involved so early in my career in patient quality and safety. We really need staff to always remember that being in hospital is a challenging time for most people.

"But I like to think I would behave better as a patient now, than I did as a teenager," she added, laughing.

"Fifty-five-year-old Chriss has much better control of herself than 15-year-old Chriss."

Despite claiming she's already had "enough excitement" for one year, Chriss said she was looking forward to formally receiving her AM at Government House later this year.

"That will be a very proud day," she said.

"Although perhaps the most rewarding aspect has been receiving the wonderful messages I have, from family, friends and colleagues, past and present. I have been overwhelmed by getting messages from people I've known a long time but not necessarily heard from for a while, and in some cases years. Everyone has been so generous with their well wishes.

"It's honestly all been really lovely."

Read more: APHA President honoured in King's List

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