Ruth is raising the bar at STARS

Having joined STARS in October 2024, Director of Safety and Quality Ruth King oversees the day-to-day operations within the Safety and Quality Unit.

“STARS provides a different opportunity to work more closely with service lines and clinicians to ensure safety and quality in healthcare delivery for patients,” she said.

“The Safety and Quality team perform a number of roles including maintaining readiness for accreditation and clinical governance systems.”

STARS and the Oral Health Centre were assessed against the eight National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards and the National Clinical Trials Governance Framework in February 2025.

The NSQHS Standards are a quality assurance process where health service organisations are reviewed by external independent reviewers to ensure they are providing safe, high-quality care.

“STARS received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the assessment team with highlights including our commitment to partnering with consumers, the newly designed quality activities framework, and the integration of clinical governance for the Oral Health Alliance and STARS.”

“I was actually on a long-planned trip to Fiji to celebrate my 10-year wedding anniversary when the assessment occurred. It is a bit like missing the Grand Final really.”

Outside of work, Ruth also competes in weight-lifting competitions several times a year.

“I really enjoy the mechanics of bringing together the different parts of the body to be able to successfully lift a weight.”

“The strength of my body and how much I can lift often surprises me.”

Ruth also enjoys an annual family trip to K’gari with her family.

“We love four-wheel driving and my favourite location on K’gari is Central Station, an old logging camp which is a beautiful, relaxing spot.”