6 October 2025
When Helen Pollard stepped away from her CEO role in Tasmania’s aged care sector in 2024, she decided to swap boardrooms for backroads. Armed with a lifetime of experience in emergency care, aged care management and community services, she set off in a 50-year-old Volkswagen Kombi to explore Australia, one short-term role at a time.
Helen is part of a growing movement of experienced health professionals bringing leadership and care to Australia’s remote and under-served communities. After around 20 stints in Tasmanian aged care homes, she moved to the mainland, taking placements in Bendigo and Corryong before a LinkedIn connection led her to Broken Hill.
Originally signing on for six months as Residential Manager at our St Anne’s Nursing Home, Helen has extended her stay to more than a year. “I really feel like I’ve lived here, not just passed through,” she says.
For Helen, the difference in rural work isn’t just clinical, it’s cultural. “You don’t just go to work, you become part of the community, join the pub, the running club, support local fundraisers, and you get so much back. You’re not just a worker, you’re a neighbour.”
That community connection, she believes, is key to workforce retention and it extends to residents and families. “Aged care isn’t transactional. It’s about the whole person. Smaller communities let you really honour that.” Helen’s next stop is uncertain, and that suits her fine. Her Kombi isn’t just transport, it’s a symbol of purpose, portability, and a commitment to supporting aged care where it’s needed most.
