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The Ramsay Way Spring 2013

SPRING 2013 TRW 3 Work has commenced on a half-million dollar upgrade of Mildura Base Hospital’s cancer treatment facilities. The project represents a major advance in cancer treatment in Mildura, through allowing more patients to be treated locally instead of being transferred to Bendigo, Melbourne or Adelaide. Mildura Base Hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Dane Huxley said he was pleased to have work underway. “It’s a huge step forward, and will provide really important improvements to services for many people who are going through the upheaval that a cancer diagnosis brings,” Dane said. “Apart from improving the general environment for patients with cancer, this project will triple the physical size of the Oncology Department and will allow us to double the number of chemotherapy chairs to eight.” The development will also include an isolation room, a treatment room, a consultation room and a dedicated patient waiting room. “It will keep more patients in their own environment where they are best-supported with family and friends, and will mean they can have their treatment without the added stress of having to travel up to 600 kilometres,” Dane said. “Travelling, being isolated from support networks and the added financial costs of treatment away from Mildura is an extra burden patients have to endure during what is already a very traumatic period for them and their families.” He said the expanded service would better meet the particular needs of the Mildura region. “We service an area population of 60,000 people who are hundreds of kilometres from the nearest tertiary health facilities in Bendigo, Adelaide and Melbourne. The Victorian Cancer Registry estimates there are 3000 cancer patients in Mildura, with 300 new cases diagnosed each year. It says chemotherapy treatments for Mildura patients are also typically more complex and have a longer average length of treatment. The Oncology project is jointly-funded by the Victorian Government and Ramsay Health Care, with the State Government contributing $430,000 and Ramsay Health Care making an additional contribution of $50,000. More than $100,000 of new medical and support equipment will be purchased to support the expanded service. Work on the project is due to be finished in October. A $7.6 million redevelopment at Lake Macquarie Private Hospital was approved by The Ramsay Board in August 2013. The redevelopment will see construction of six new intensive care beds creating a new single ICU. A new operating theatre will be constructed as part of the project increasing the hospital’s capacity to seven theatres. Significant retrofitting of CSSD and replacement of equipment will form part of this project and will enable the sterilising service to more adequately support the increasing surgical work at the hospital. New staff facilities for theatre, ICU and CSSD staff will also be delivered including new change rooms, staff room and improved sterile stock room facilities to support the level of high technology services at the hospital. Work has progressed on the Development Application to Lake Macquarie Council which could see internal construction commence over Christmas and continue progressively. A high priority will be placed on minimising disruption to clinical services. The development of the Hunter Cancer Centre is already underway on the Lake Macquarie Hospital campus and expected to open early in 2014 Donvale redevelopment gets underway. L-R: Mayor of Manningham, Councillor Jennifer Yang, CEO Donvale Rehabilitation Hospital Gerard Kennedy & Ramsay Chief Operating Officer Danny Sims. L-R: CEO Dane Huxley, Director of Corporate Services Julia Morgan and Director of Clinical Services Simone Heald inspect the plans on the new oncology development at Mildura Base Hospital Donvale Rehabilitation Hospital starts expansion Oncology upgrade commences at Mildura New developments for Lake Macquarie Private A multimillion dollar expansion and redevelopment of Ramsay’s Donvale Rehabilitation Hospital is underway after the first sod of the development was turned by Ramsay Chief Operating Officer, Danny Sims and the Mayor of Manningham, Councillor Jennifer Yang, in July. Donvale Rehabilitation Hospital is a specialist rehabilitation hospital in Melbourne, providing inpatient, day only and outpatient services. The development project, costing nine million dollars, will include the construction of a new ward of entirely private rooms with ensuites, as well as the conversion of shared rooms to private rooms in the existing wards. On completion the hospital capacity will increase to 90 beds, 82 of which will be private rooms. Donvale Rehabilitation Hospital Chief Executive Officer Gerard Kennedy said the development would significantly expand and improve the hospital’s facilities and allow it to continue to provide quality rehabilitation services. “This new development will assist Donvale Rehabilitation Hospital to meet the ever-increasing demand for rehabilitation services in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne,” Gerard said. “With these new state-of-the-art accommodation facilities we will be able to continue to provide a premier healthcare service to the Melbourne community well into the future.” “Our staff and doctors are very excited about the development and we are also very pleased to be investing in a project that will inject funds into the local economy and create jobs in the area.” The hospital already has a full-sized hydrotherapy pool, gymnasium and fully-equipped therapy areas. With specialist staff, the hospital is able to provide a full range of services for patients requiring neurological, cardiac, orthopaedic and reconditioning rehabilitation services. Donvale Rehabilitation Hospital began its existence humbly in 1968 as a small community facility. In 1989 major works transformed the hospital into an 80 bed dedicated rehabilitation facility and the hospital has since developed an excellent reputation in the area for its rehabilitation services. “This will be the most significant development at the hospital since it was converted to a rehabilitation hospital in 1989. It will ensure that the private accommodation at Donvale Rehabilitation Hospital will be second to none.” The redevelopment will be managed by ISIS and will take approximately 6 months to complete, with a scheduled opening time of April 2014.


The Ramsay Way Spring 2013
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