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The Ramsay Way - Autumn 2014

1978 – 1980 In 1978 and 1979, Ramsay Health Care diversified into the medical/surgical business and built its first surgical hospitals: Baringa Private Hospital in Coffs Harbour opened in 1978 and Albury Wodonga Private Hospital opened in Albury in 1979. They were instrumental hospital in their regions and today continue to provide valuable healthcare services to their communities. For the first 14 years, Ramsay Health Care expanded its psychiatric hospital business, building Evesham Clinic in 1967, Lynton Private Hospital in 1972 and Northside Clinic in 1973. Of these hospitals, Evesham Clinic (now known as Northside Cremorne) and Northside Clinic, are still in operation today and regarded as Sydney’s most respected private psychiatric hospitals. 1964 Ramsay Folklore Paul Ramsay purchased his first facility Warrina House at Mosman in Sydney for £9200 pounds in 1964. Renovated it, cut the ribbon and no-one came. Paul celebrated at the local pub after the first patient was admitted to his newly completed hospital. The following morning, the hospital phoned to say that his first patient had died overnight! 2 The Ramsay Way - 2014 | 01 Warrina House was intended to be a subacute facility but it was extremely unsuccessful. Paul remembers cycling around Sydney till he found a hospital bulging at the seams. He employed the matron from this hospital, and she brought with her the facility’s first doctor – John Ellard. When Sydney psychiatrist Dr John Ellard first met Paul at Warrina House, he said: “Paul, if you don’t interfere in the medical side of things here I think this will go extremely well.” It ended up being a great partnership. At the handover ceremony for Hollywood Hospital in 1994 which was held on the front lawn of the hospital, then DVA Deputy Commissioner David Watson was upset because the lawns weren’t cut short enough, so he cut them himself with the hospital’s lawnmower. At the formal ceremony to handover Hollywood Hospital to Ramsay Health Care, Paul Ramsay approached the lecturn with what was described by then CEO Roger Snell as a “daggy old bag”. Partway through his speech Paul reached into the bag and pulled out a piece of spitfire propeller blade from a plane that had come down during the war and told the audience that his father was a veteran and the significance of the part. He held the memento out to show the veteran community of his sincerity. They needed no further convincing that they were in safe hands. After taking over Greenslopes Hospital in 1995, Ramsay management was shocked to find out just how much the veterans considered Greenslopes ‘their hospital’. At the first indication of cool weather, veterans would arrive at the hospital’s front door with their luggage and declare: “I am here for winter”. Opened by Paul Ramsay in 1979, Albury Wodonga Private Hospital started out as one ward with 35 beds & two operating theatres. Over the years it has grown to become the region’s largest & most comprehensive private hospital facility boasting 103 beds, five operating theatres, a day surgery centre & mental health unit as well as offering a wide range of diagnostic & support services. 4 6 Baringa Private Hospital New Farm Clinic Adelaide Clinic Early Hollywood Private Hospital Northside Cremorne Clinic Northside Clinic 1980s During the 1980s Ramsay Health Care developed hospitals in the United States: Dallas, Texas; Many, Louisiana; and Winter Park, Florida. The Company took over Health Services of America Incorporated in 1987, which had owned approximately 24 hospitals across 12 states. Ramsay further expanded its business in the US by acquiring a Health Management Organisation (HMO) based in Miami, Florida. On two occasions in the ensuing years, the Company was recognized as one of Fortune Magazine’s 100 fastest growing companies in the country. In recognition of his development of private facilities in the US, Paul Ramsay was presented with Florida’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1990. Ramsay divested its US interests in 2002. In Australia, Ramsay Health Care continued to expand its psychiatric business. It acquired East Terrace Psychiatric Clinic in 1982 in Adelaide and soon opened South Australia’s first purpose built psychiatric clinic The Adelaide Clinic in 1988. In 1986, Ramsay opened New Farm Clinic in Brisbane. By this time, Ramsay Health Care had several successful psychiatric hospitals and had developed a strong profile in mental health care providing valuable input to the industry through representation on lobby groups and associations. During this period, Ramsay Health Care also purchased two hospitals in Tamworth – Allambie and Tamara Private Hospitals. Very soon after this the Company set about building an extension to the hospital which included two new operating theatres, a recovery unit, high dependency unit, more beds and a new x-ray area. Tamara Private Hospital Development 1994 & 1995 These years were arguably the turning points for Ramsay Health Care. The Company was successful in its bid to privatise two former repatriation hospitals – Hollywood Hospital in Perth and Greenslopes Hospital in Brisbane. These large metropolitan-based medical/surgical hospitals provided a major boost to the Company’s existing portfolio of regional medical/ surgical hospitals. It also launched the Company into medical teaching and research as both Hollywood and Greenslopes hospitals had affiliations with university departments of medicine. The subsequent success of these privatisations demonstrated Ramsay’s health management expertise. The Handovers The official handover of Hollywood Hospital by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to Ramsay Health Care occurred on 24 February 1994 on the front lawn of the hospital. Ramsay Health Care assumed responsibility for Greenslopes Hospital on 24 January 1995 in a ceremony with then DVA Minister Con Sciacca. Ramsay vowed to retain many of the unique features existing at the hospital for veterans. (at Listing on ASX) • 11 hospitals • 2000 staff • 1,351 beds • 70,000 patients per annum Early Greenslopes Private Hospital In the beginning IN 1964, PAUL RAMSAY, FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN OF RAMSAY HEALTH CARE, PURCHASED A GUESTHOUSE CALLED WARRINA HOUSE ON SYDNEY’S NORTH SHORE & CONVERTED IT INTO A PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL IN THE EARLIEST DAYS OF THE PRIVATE HOSPITAL INDUSTRY IN AUSTRALIA. WARRINA HOUSE, FORMERLY A GUESTHOUSE, BECAME A 16 BED PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY.


The Ramsay Way - Autumn 2014
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