December 19, 2025#WeAreNorthern
Meet Bec van de Paverd, Divisional Director, Medicine and Cancer Services – pictured here with Marley and Maverick, keeping everything pawsitive.
Q: What’s your go‑to coffee order, Bec?
A: At work just a latte, on weekends I do love an affogato.
Q: You’ve held senior leadership roles at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and Kilmore District Hospital. What sets Northern Health apart for you?
A: I’ve loved all my previous roles and the organisations I’ve worked in, but what sets Northern Health apart for me is the rapid growth and service development opportunities, the incredible diversity of the community we service and the genuine passion and care of the staff. There’s a real sense of momentum here and it’s great to part of this and make a meaningful contribution.
Q: You successfully managed the clinical integration between Northern Health and Kilmore District Hospital. What key lessons from that experience continue to guide your leadership style?
A: Being part of the amalgamation was a unique privilege, and I feel fortunate to have experienced it while in a leadership role. I learnt so much, especially how critical it is to really listen to people and to keep patients at the heart of decision making. It also taught me the importance of staying flexible and being open to shifting my own view when new perspectives are shared.
Q: How have your diverse experiences across metropolitan and regional health services shaped your vision for Medicine and Cancer Services here at Northern Health?
A: I’ve been lucky to work across so many areas – elective surgery access, gynae and fertility nursing, Hospital In The Home (HITH), aged care, COVID response and then as Site Director of Nursing at Kilmore. The metro roles gave me broad clinical experience and a great understanding of how different departments connect and how much can be achieved when we work in alignment.
Working in a regional service gave me an additional perspective that enhanced my leadership and sharpened my understanding of governance, helping me make informed, system-wide decisions focused on risk and safety for both patients and staff.
Q: Reflecting on your time at Northern Health, what achievements stand out as highlights?
A: There’s so much amazing work that is always happening in the Division but what has been a highlight for me is the work we are doing in relation to progression of care which is evolving to become a great shared achievement. The impact to patients, having their care actively moving forward every day is something I feel really proud to lead alongside the teams who are involved in these initiatives.
Q: Looking ahead, what do you see as the most exciting opportunities for Medicine and Cancer Services in the coming years?
A: In 2026, we’ll be scaling up our progression of care initiatives and developing a weekend strategy aimed at reducing length of stay and improving access and flow for General Medical patients. We’re also finalising our cancer service plan, which we expect to complete next year, and commencing work on expanding the voluntary assisted dying service, a deeply important offering for our patients and community, and one I feel privileged to help shape over the coming twelve months.
Q: Finally, can you share something about yourself that colleagues wouldn’t discover from reading your résumé?
A: I have become quite a big sports fan since COVID and as my kids get older and into their own sports. I have started fantasy league in English Premier League this year (not doing too well, so a lot to learn) I’m still getting over Melbourne Storm losing the Grand Final two years in a row and I have been known to be up late watching F1 and Tour de France.
I really enjoy deep diving in the teams I follow – docos, podcasts, post-game interviews and stat analysis – it could be another full-time job and it’s how I unwind from the busyness of life!
