McGowan departs Silver Chain

After 11 years at its helm, Silver Chain chief executive Christopher McGowan will depart the community care organisation and return to his home in South Australia, taking up the role of SA Health chief executive in May.

Ranked eighth by revenue on the BNiQ Search Engine's list of not for profits, Silver Chain is one of Western Australia’s largest community  and aged care organisations, providing services to aid people within their homes.

Mr McGowan said that, after 11 years, it was the right time for the organisation to experience new leadership and for him to return to South Australia, where he would take up essentially the lead role for health in that state.

“I’ve been travelling across the country for 11 years now with family split over two cities and I always wanted to finished my career leading the health system in my home town,” Mr McGowan told Business News.

Mr McGowan said no other state had an organisation like Silver Chain, which had grown its revenue from about $80 million to $280 million across the duration of his role.

“More importantly, over time it has really focused down on some of society’s biggest issues in health and aged care, providing clinical care to people so they have the confidence to remain at home,” he said.

“Not only has it given people more control over their life but it has taken enormous pressure off our hospital system.

“Now we have half the number of palliative care beds per head of population than the rest of the country.”

Mr McGowan said he was pleased he would be present to witness Silver Chain’s first patient receive one of its VR headsets, developed in partnership with Microsoft, before he departed the organisation.

“The first patient is getting VR headset next week … that’s just the beginning of a journey of mixed reality,” he said.

The headsets will enable doctors to reach Silver Chain customers remotely, and provide opportunities to supervise and review nurses in remote locations.

“Silver Chain is an absolutely fabulous organisation now and I’m sure when they put the call out for a new CEO they’ll get applications from across the country who’ll come in and bring fresh and insightful eyes to the table,” Mr McGowan said.

Silver Chain head of strategy Lyn Jones will be acting chief executive while it undergoes the recruitment process.