ith eight years' experience as HA Chairman already under his belt, Anthony Wu was recently reappointed to his current position until November next year. According to an unofficial survey, HA colleagues have been greatly heartened by this development. HASLink interviewed our 'new' Chairman shortly after his reappointment to capture his early reaction to the news.

At the time the Government announced the news, I was flying to Europe that night. After landing, I switched on my mobile phone and was momentarily shaken as I had about 300 congratulatory messages waiting for me in WhatsApp, e-mail, SMS and voice mail. I was extremely happy to have received so many kind words of congratulation specifically from frontline colleagues in reaction to my reappointment, it goes without saying that I was delighted. But I just tried to take the news in my stride and adopt a 'business as usual' mentality.

I was a member of the Hospital Governing Committee of Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in 1997 before becoming a member of the HA in 1999 and then HA Chairman in 2004. My most unforgettable experience was meeting more than 1,000 doctors at Queen Elizabeth Hospital to discuss the issue of 'equal-work, equal-pay'. I was advised that I didn't need to go to the meeting, but I thought it would be a good chance to communicate with frontline staff, so I informed my advisors I would attend. As I walked into the hall, the doctors started booing - and kept it up for the next two hours! Fortunately, I later had the opportunity to clearly and sincerely explain the HA's position and the action we were taking, and eventually all the involved parties were able to reach a consensus.

I have two major priorities: one is to improve our service by shortening patient waiting times and the other is to strengthen communication with colleagues at all levels of the Authority and with various other stakeholder groups, such as Legislative Councillors, District Council Members, patient groups and trade unions. I absolutely believe that clear and honest communication is a crucial part of resolving issues and solving problems.

It helps that I am generally a happy person and have a positive, upbeat outlook on life. I believe that no matter what type of work you are engaged in, 99 per cent of your achievement will come from your own efforts and just one per cent is decided by fate. So I will always try my best and then wait for the result. In my experience, if you always strive to work hard, most of the time you'll be rewarded with good experiences.

edia veteran Frankie Yip has become the Chief Manager (Corporate Communication) with effect from 3 September.

Frankie attributes his new appointment in the Hospital Authority to his adventurous spirit. "I wanted to find out how an organisation with more than 60,000 staff works. Or it may be that my childhood experiences - when I always helped my mother to queue up for outpatient appointments with doctors - have led me to work in the healthcare field now."

Regarding the first challenge he faces in his present post, Frankie quips, "I think I should start by learning the ABC! Because, at the HA, the names of people, titles, departments, diseases and drugs are all abbreviated. I need to learn what all the acronyms stand for, so that I know what is being discussed."

He plans to strengthen the HA's communication with its stakeholders and establish mutual trust between them, with the aim of narrowing the distance between the HA and the public.

A graduate of the Department of Politics and Public Administration in the University of Hong Kong, Frankie worked in the media for many years, including Sing Tao Daily, Ming Pao and Hong Kong Economic Times, as a political and local news reporter and editorial writer. Until 2007, he served as Public Affairs Manager (External Relations) in the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and he was appointed as Political Assistant to the Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government in 2008.

ecilia Chu has been appointed as the Chief Manager of Human Resources, with effect from 23 April.

Cecilia has joined the Hospital Authority after working in the private sector. "It has been my goal to serve the community through my work. I have always respected healthcare workers, and I appreciate their selfless and heartfelt dedication. That was why I chose to join HA." she says.

As she admits, "In such a big organisation, I definitely need some time to get orientated in its environment, and to get to know my colleagues in different departments. Luckily, I am always referred to the right go-to persons whenever I encounter problems and need assistance! "

Cecilia believes that human resources are very important assets of HA. She hopes to strengthen staff's sense of belonging by organising staff activities of more varieties, such as sports and recreational events in the form of interest groups and crosscluster competitions. She wishes everyone of us will become a happy HA staff member.

r Eric Cheung Fuk-chi, a veteran in psychiatric services, has been appointed as the Hospital Chief Executive of Castle Peak Hospital (CPH) and Siu Lam Hospital (SLH).

He took up his new post on 26 July. Having joined the Hospital Authority in 1994, Dr Cheung previously worked in Queen Mary Hospital and CPH. He has also been engaged in a number of public services, and has played a key role in shaping the development of mental health services in Hong Kong.

Dr Cheung loves to work on the frontline. "Even now, I still try to find some time to do clinical work, such as ward rounds and patient consultations, with the aim of building better communication with my colleagues and patients." Although his workload is much heavier these days, he regards conducting patient consultations as a way to ease the pressure he is under.

In the future, he intends to review CPH's core values and encourage his colleagues to excel in their professions, in order to enhance the overall quality of the services they provide.