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The Ramsay Way - April 2017

RAMSAY AUSTRALIA CEO MESSAGE Over the past six weeks, I have been traveling the country on a roadshow presenting to management groups at our hospitals. This has been a truly rewarding experience for me – meeting and speaking with managers throughout our company about the main issues and challenges, as well as the opportunities that face us. I hope that it has been of some value to those who I have met thus far. Our culture – The Ramsay Way – is what makes this company great, and I have found it evident wherever I go. I look forward to visiting the remaining hospitals on my schedule over the next few months. There is a lot happening around the Company in terms of developments and expansions and we look forward to some of these finalising over the next few months. Specifically, in April, we open The Southport Private Hospital, a new mental health and rehabilitation facility on the Gold Coast. This conversion of a former private surgical hospital, has been led by Pindara Private Hospital CEO Trish Hogan and her team. I want to congratulate them for the work they have put in to open what will be a fantastic new service for the Gold Coast community. Mental illness and the growing demand for mental health services in our community means this is a very important opening. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently released a study revealing that depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Time and again I meet people who have been treated themselves or their family members have been treated in our mental health facilities and they are ever appreciative of the treatment they received. I am delighted that the new health minister has made mental health a major initiative for this government. Ensuring that it is funded correctly and, in the private system, people with private health insurance can access treatment when and where they need it is critical. Public attention on private health insurance continues particularly given the recent rise in premiums (1 April). We are very fortunate to have a strong balanced private and public hospital system in this country delivering excellent outcomes for all Australians. We enjoy one of the highest life expectancies and our long term survival rates from cancer and other chronic illnesses are amongst the best in the world. Certainly some tweaks in our system are required to ensure access to this high quality healthcare remains affordable for all. I am confident that the sector, together with government, can work these tweaks out in the coming months and years, and as the President of the Australian Private Hospitals Association, I am making it a priority. The Ramsay Hospital Research Foundation (RHRF) and its new CEO (Nicola Ware) are announced in this edition of The Ramsay Way. We are very fortunate that the Paul Ramsay Foundation is providing financial support to the RHRF to allow it to focus on improving patient outcomes in our hospitals. The Board of this Foundation includes myself, Kate Munnings (Chief Operating Officer), Professor John Horvath AO (Strategic Medical Advisor), Carmel Monaghan (Chief of Staff), Katrina Cunningham (Company Secretary) and now Professor Kathryn North as announced in this edition. Please contact Nicola directly if you have ideas or suggestions for the new Foundation. Finally, our managing director and CEO for nine years, Chris Rex, has announced his retirement and the Board has appointed Craig McNally his successor. Chris has been with Ramsay for 22 years, after commencing as Chief Operating Officer. He has been an amazing and inspiring leader and many of us will be sorry to see him go, but wish him well in his retirement and whatever he decides to do next. Craig will now take the reins and, after serving in an executive role in the Company for almost 30 years and spearheading our successful growth for most of these years, he is a great choice. I look forward to working with him. I wish you all a happy and safe Easter with your families. Danny Sims CEO, Ramsay Australia 2 The Ramsay Way 2016 2017 || 03 01 Chris assumed the role of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer in 2008 after 13 years as Chief Operating Officer of Ramsay Health Care. In a note to staff, Chris said his reasons for retiring were quite simple: “I have reached an age when I need to think about how I am going to fit in all the things I want to do in the rest of my life and cannot do working full time. Equally, I think after nine years as CEO, it’s time to let someone else take the company on its next adventure.” Ramsay’s Chairman, Mr Michael Siddle, said: “Chris has been instrumental to our success. During his time as CEO, Ramsay has become one of the largest healthcare companies in the world operating 220 hospitals and facilities across six countries, and is a market leader in France as well as Australia. “He will leave us with a strong and robust company with an experienced and proven management team – one that has delivered excellent returns to shareholders over his tenure and will continue to do so because of the platform for future growth and success that he has created.” Chris thanked the organisation’s 60,000 staff for everything they have done, and will do for Ramsay Health Care and for the support provided to him over Mr Tehan visited the Brisbane facility, which is celebrating 75 years of caring for veterans and the community. Mr Tehan met special guests including RSL Queensland President Stewart Cameron at the hospital and heard about the Hospital’s important research which is being funded by the RSL into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other Veteran Mental Health research initiatives being undertaken at the hospital. “I was very impressed with the significant partnership between RSL Queensland and the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation. This is high-quality research which will help us to care for veterans into the future,” said Mr Tehan. On average, 190 veteran and war widow patients are cared for each day at Greenslopes Private Hospital. During a tour of the wards, Mr Tehan enjoyed meeting two war widows, Mrs Jean Pockett and Mrs Catherine Reed. Mr Tehan said he wholeheartedly supported the hospital’s direction: “We need to be sure we’re going to meet the needs of our veterans into the future.” the years. He said the Company was great because of the great people and the great culture within Ramsay. “I have absolutely no doubt that it will continue to grow and be successful and, as Paul Ramsay said at our 50th anniversary in March 2014, “The golden age is before us not behind us.” A lover of Churchill, he signed off his note to staff with Churchill’s wartime pronouncement: “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning”. Announces Retirement Chris Rex The Ramsay Health Care Board announced in February that after nine successful years as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Chris Rex intends to retire this year. Veterans’ Affairs Minister visits Greenslopes Federal Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Mr Dan Tehan witnessed the world-class health care services being provided to veteran patients during a tour of Greenslopes Private Hospital. Greenslopes Private Hospital patient Jean Pockett with Veterans’ Affairs Minister Dan Tehan Veterans’ Affairs Minister Dan Tehan, Ramsay COO Kate Munnings, Chair of GPH Medical Advisory Committee Dr Glen Wood, GPH Director of Medical Services Dr Sean Rothwell On average, 190 veteran and war widow patients are cared for each day at Greenslopes Private Hospital.


The Ramsay Way - April 2017
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