Celebrating a new era in health care
20 Fitzgerald St, Shepparton Phone: 5832 1200 E-mail: spp@ramsayhealth.com.au Website: www.sheppartonprivate.com.au
PAGE 2 — ‘Shepparton Private Hospital’, January 2016
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‘Shepparton Private Hospital’, January, 2016—PAGE 3
Celebrating a new era in health care
$12m expansion of vital health services A $12 million expansion of Shepparton Private Hospital, which began last year, will provide the community with improved access to vital health services. Major improvements incorporated in the redevelopment include a 14-bed inpatient mental health unit and a purpose-built rehabilitation unit. The expansion will be completed in three stages: stage one included the rehabilitation unit; stage two is the mental health unit due to open at the end of January; and stage three is the refurbishment of existing shared accommodation in Banksia Ward into private rooms.
In 2014, the hospital’s operating theatres underwent a major refurbishment and in 2012, a day-procedure building, with a 12-bed procedure room and a 10-chair departure lounge, was constructed.
“A lot of privately insured people needing rehabilitation or mental health services in the past were either missing out, travelling to Melbourne, or using the public sector.”
Stage three is due to begin next month and expected to be completed by April.
Sheryl Keir
Rehabilitation services, which are completely new to the hospital, opened at the end of November and include 12 inpatient beds, a gymnasium and other amenities.
“We are working hard to bring this aged facility into 2015 … it’s one building project after the other,” Mrs Keir said.
Shepparton Private Hospital chief executive officer Sheryl Keir said the new services would provide local care to hundreds of people who needed inpatient mental health or rehabilitation services and outpatient services to those who required ongoing support. Mrs Keir said despite having private health insurance, nearly 500 patients were unable to access private care in Shepparton in the year prior to the commencement of the development. “A lot of privately insured people needing rehabilitation or mental health services in the past were either missing out, travelling to Melbourne, or using the public sector,” Mrs Keir said. Shepparton Private Hospital’s redevelopment includes new maternity facilities in Kingfisher Ward which opened in November. Pictured are the first mother and baby to be accommodated in the new ward Carlyn and Niiah Giles with midwife Cheryl Learmonth.
aiming to develop and improve its facilities and services.
After applying for funding at the beginning of July, the hospital was granted $12 million from hospital operator Ramsay Health Care. Mrs Keir said the hospital was always
Clinical services director Margot McGrath said the rehabilitation services would expedite the recovery time for patients and the hospital was looking forward to providing the additional facilities. “It’s really exciting to see the services evolve because they are much needed,” Mrs McGrath said. The expansion will create a handful of new jobs and provide development opportunities for current staff.
Development in progress Stage one: Rehabilitation unit opened in November. Stage two: Mental health unit due to open at the end of January. Stage three: Refurbishment of Banksia Ward due to be completed by April.
Redevelopment a bonus for local jobs A large portion of the $12 million Shepparton Private Hospital expansion and redevelopment spend will remain in the region. Hospital chief executive officer Sheryl Keir said the expansion had already boosted the economy through the use of local tradespeople and she expected “millions of dollars” would continue to flow through the region in coming years. “Additional hospital staff will be employed and existing contractors and suppliers will have their scope of work and supplies expanded,” Mrs Keir said.
Clinical services director Margot McGrath said where possible local suppliers and contractors were sourced to supply linen, food, furniture, landscaping and preventative maintenance. At least 20 additional staff positions for the new rehabilitation and mental health services are expected to be created, which Mrs Keir said allowed for existing staff to develop new skills and for the recruitment of external staff. Additional allied health and support services staff will be sought as the project develops.
Shepparton Private Hospital staff member Franzi Cullen delivers a meal to Kingfisher Ward patient Peg Armstrong.
PAGE 4—‘Shepparton Private Hospital’, January, 2016
Celebrating a new era in health care REHABILITATION UNIT
Melissa Nicoll is a physiotherapist in the new rehabilitation unit.
Rehab a win for hospital “It becomes a burden to the community if we send people out who aren’t ready because then we have to rely on others to care for them.”
The new rehabilitation facility at Shepparton Private Hospital is fully equipped and ready to provide highquality services to patients. Nursing unit manager Erin Sinclair is excited about the new facility and said it had been a long time coming for the hospital.
The new rehabilitation services, equipped with a state-of-the-art gymnasium and an ‘activities of daily living’ kitchen, aims to encourage patients to be independent before they are discharged.
Signs direct visitors to the new rehabilitation facility.
The Activities of Daily Living kitchen will enable “It’s an enormous benefit to the community staff to assess how well prepared patients are . . . there has not been a private rehabilitation able to manage indpendently at home. service between Albury-Wodonga and “We want to optimise patient outcomes and get Melbourne so it’s long overdue,” Ms Sinclair said. them back to functioning at their absolute best The new service includes 12 private rooms for and regain a certain level of independence,” Ms rehabilitation patients. Sinclair said. Physiotherapists and occupational therapists Ms Sinclair anticipated that the rehabilitation will be working closely with the facility, which Ms services would be busy due to a huge demand Sinclair described as “fast-stream rehab”. for physical rehabilitation. In the past year more than 300 privately insured people requiring rehabilitation services have been referred elsewhere.
“Initially rehabilitation services will be utilised by inpatients with outpatient services commencing in the near future,” Ms Sinclair said.
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Erin Sinclair is the nurse unit manager of the new rehabilitation unit.
‘Shepparton Private Hospital’, January, 2016—PAGE 5
Celebrating a new era in health care SHERBOURNE CLINIC
New services vital
More help for mental health Private patients seeking treatment for mental illness will no longer have to travel to Melbourne with the development of facilities at the Shepparton Private Hospital. Chief executive officer Sheryl Keir said in the past year alone more than 200 people from the area requiring inpatient mental health care were referred elsewhere. Ms Keir said those requiring inpatient mental health care spent on average 21 days in hospital and seeking treatment away from home led to separation from their family and regular doctors. Nurse unit manager Jason Campbell said the former Kingfisher Ward had been gutted and completely refurbished to accommodate the mental health facility. It contains 14 inpatient beds, a patient lounge
area, gymnasium and two rooms for day programs, group therapy and occupational therapy. To be known as the Sherbourne Clinic Mr Campbell said the mental health unit would be a “light, bright and modern” facility with less emphasis on a hospital environment and more of a homely feel. “Our clients will be here voluntarily, programs will be individualised for them and they will be supported in their treatment at their own pace,” Mr Campbell said. He said the present team of three consultant psychiatrists will work with the nursing team and allied health staff to assist clients living with a variety of mental illnesses including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, phobias and schizophrenia. Clients will generally be referred by their GP and following an assessment
Jo Montgomery and Alison Holland are part of the friendly reception team at Shepparton Private Hospital.
and discussion with a psychiatrist a treatment plan will be formulated. Mr Campbell was appointed to the nurse unit manager’s role in early November 2015 and said he relished the opportunity to work with the psychiatrists and executive to establish programs and services. He said the new unit was modelled on state-of-the-art facilities found at some metropolitan hospitals and the day rooms and gymnasium were important elements. “All research indicates that people who remain physically active recover more quickly,” Mr Campbell said. “The mental health unit will be very client focused; they are here voluntarily to seek treatment, get well and get on with their lives.” The Sherbourne Clinic is expected to open mid-January.
The need for private inpatient care for people living with mental illness in the Shepparton region has been identified by health officials. In an interview with News journalist Thomas Moir in October 2015 Shepparton Private Hospital consultant psychiatrist Indranil Chakrabarti said up until four years ago he was the only psychiatrist in Shepparton offering private treatment. “There has been a real lack of access to inpatient psychiatric care,” Dr Chakrabarti said. He said the public system had been shouldering most of the region’s care needs. Dr Chakrabarti said patients having to travel distances created serious disruption in the continuity of care needed, which could lead to patient deferral of treatment, to relapse and ultimately readmission. “To those in Shepparton it could be two hours away. “To those in Jerilderie it could be three to four hours away, taking them away from their family.” He described the additional services as absolutely necessary.
The Shepparton Private Hospital expansion will soon include a mental health facility.
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PAGE 6—‘Shepparton Private Hospital’, January, 2016
Celebrating a new era in health care KINGFISHER WARD
Shepparton Private Hospital midwife Cheryl Learmonth and nurses Liz Eliason and Rebecca Healy in the new nursery.
Spacious ensuites are attached to each of the 24 single rooms in the new Kingfisher Ward.
Flexible patient care Shepparton Private Hospital’s new 24-bed medical, surgical and postnatal facility — Kingfisher Ward — has been designed to offer flexible patient care. Nurse unit manager Jenny Wilkie said the purpose-built precinct incorporated 24 single rooms equipped with ensuites and televisions, a patient lounge area, two nurses’ stations, storerooms and a newborn nursery.
than the former Kingfisher Ward because patients could be conveniently accommodated in nearby rooms, depending on their care requirements. “We won’t be as restricted; in the old building we only had five beds for post-natal care and the nursery was among the other surgical and medical rooms near a busy corridor,” Mrs Wilkie said. “Now if we have an influx of babies we will be able to designate more rooms close to the nursery.”
Mrs Wilkie said from an operational perspective the new building had greater flexibility
The hospital offers care for about 120 newborns annually who are transferred to the Shepparton
Private Hospital with their mothers after being born at other regional hospitals. Mrs Wilkie said new mothers generally stay four to five days and dedicated staff help families to bond, establish feeding and support newborn care. She described the ward as “light and bright” with new quilt covers, chairs and artwork enhancing the modern design. The former Kingfisher Ward wing is now undergoing refurbishment to house the mental health unit and associated services.
One of the new modern Kingfisher Ward rooms.
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‘Shepparton Private Hospital’, January, 2016—PAGE 7
Celebrating a new era in health care BANKSIA WARD
Patients to have more single rooms Patients will benefit from the upcoming refurbishment to Shepparton Private Hospital’s Banksia Ward. The refurbishment is stage three in the hospital’s expansion and will see five four-bed rooms and nine single rooms completely remodelled. The 18 redesigned single rooms will each have an ensuite and provide space and privacy for patients and their guests. Similar to the new Kingfisher Ward rooms, Banksia’s new private rooms will be designed with modern fittings. Banksia Ward nursing unit manager Tony Neilly said while some people liked the four-bed rooms because of the ability to interact, most were looking forward to the refurbishment. “The facilities will be very good to offer patients,” he said. “The first thing patients ask for is a single room, so to be able to provide everyone with a single room will boost the hospital’s reputation for providing quality services.” Mr Neilly said four-bed rooms could be beneficial in terms of supervision so ward operations would change following the refurbishment. One four-bed room, the highdependency unit, will remain for patients needing extensive care. Patients are constantly under supervision in the high-dependency unit as a nurse is always present. The refurbishment will also see alterations made to the Banksia nurses’ base, providing a handover room and a new manager’s office. The news of the private single rooms has been met with praise from private patients who have witnessed stage one and two of the hospital expansion. During the refurbishment Banksia Ward will merge with Kingfisher Ward in the new modular buildings.
Shepparton Private Hospital staff members Rebecca Healy and Robyn Riddington in the Day Procedure Unit when it opened in 2013. Project overseer of the present redevelopment Erilyan was also involved in the delivery of the day surgery facility.
Business as usual during build Maintaining medical services in the middle of a construction site was a unique challenge for Shepparton Private Hospital staff and expansion project overseers Erilyan. During a staged timeline 36 modular units were manufactured off-site and craned into place to form the new 24-bed Kingfisher Ward and 12-bed rehabilitation unit.
For all appointments and enquiries please phone (03) 5831 5591 20 Fitzgerald St, Shepparton Ph: (03) 5831 5591
at Shepparton Private Hospital and took great pride in its ability to build in and around sensitive areas of an operating hospital. Mr Lewis said Erilyan was engaged early in the concept stage of the development and heeded input from the community in the design and surrounds of the new building.
“Following several open forums we came away with numerous ideas from the public which were incorporated into Erilyan director John Lewis said the the design such as the building’s overall project was staged to ensure maximum height, roof design, external colours, bed numbers remained available to meet landscaping and fencing,” Mr Lewis said. hospital demands, hence the on-site Natural light inside the building was an timeframe stretched to eight months. important architectural consideration and He said the firm had extensive was achieved by installing light wells and experience in the health-care sector; floor-to-ceiling windows. in 2013 Erilyan was involved in the delivery of the new day surgery centre
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A crane lowered modular units into place for the expansion project at Shepparton Private Hospital in October.
Mr Lewis said the co-ordination,
placement and bringing together of the finished product was assisted by Goulburn Valley tradespeople and businesses, many of them existing suppliers to Shepparton Private Hospital. “We have been fortunate to be working with a great team of tradespersons, many of them are incumbent trades to the hospital with vital knowledge of the existing services infrastructure,” Mr Lewis said. He said those tradespeople prepared the site for the modular buildings, provided in-ground services and connections as well as refurbishment works. Mr Lewis estimated about 25 workers were on-site daily during the build. Works to be completed include a carpark to accommodate 50 vehicles and landscaping.
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PAGE 8—‘Shepparton Private Hospital’, January, 2016
Celebrating a new era in health care
Sheryl Keir
Margot McGrath
Chief executive officer
Director of clinical services
Originally from Yarrawonga, Sheryl Keir completed her nursing training at Wangaratta in 1981. Additional training enabled Mrs Keir to specialise in intensive care and perioperative nursing, infection control and nurse education.
chief executive officer/ director of clinical services of that hospital.
Mrs Keir has held both clinical and management positions throughout her career and after completing tertiary studies in business administration returned to the region in 2003.
Mrs Keir said she enjoyed her position and providing quality services for patients.
In 2005 Mrs Keir became the director of clinical services at Wangaratta Private Hospital and three years later, in December 2008 was appointed to the dual role of
In 2011 Mrs Keir became the chief executive officer of Shepparton and Wangaratta Private Hospitals, dividing her time and travelling between the two sites.
“It’s about building relationships, ensuring long-term viability of the hospitals, whilst meeting the needs of the local communities,” Mrs Keir said. “It’s about looking at what services are missing in the community and trying to provide them.”
Margot McGrath commenced general nursing training in Ballarat in 1976 before moving to Melbourne and completing midwifery at the Royal Women’s Hospital. Originally from Derrinallum, Mrs McGrath has worked throughout Australia and has also completed human resource and management education along with various clinical-based courses. She has worked in public and private hospitals as well as community nursing in the Northern Territory. Mrs McGrath commenced at Shepparton Private Hospital 20 years ago after purchasing a farm in the area. She has held
Nurse unit manager, medical, surgical and post-natal ward
Nurse unit manager, mental health unit
Caring for people at all stages of life and ensuring patient satisfaction is what Jenny Wilkie most loves about her job.
Recently appointed mental health unit nurse unit manager Jason Campbell has spent almost his entire working life in the psychiatric care field.
She is now the nurse unit manager for Kingfisher Ward, the 24-bed medical, surgical and post-natal unit. “I ensure the patients get good care while they are here and that they are going home to a safe environment with a good understanding of any medications they
have to take,” Mrs Wilkie said. “I love working with the doctors and have a good rapport with the staff; it’s a happy, cheerful ward.” Although Mrs Wilkie’s role incorporates some administration she continues to be hands-on and involved in day-to-day ward activities. “It’s lovely to pick up a baby for a cuddle as well as support patients and their families at end of life,” Mrs Wilkie said.
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“I thoroughly enjoy the diversity of my current role, including overseeing the dayto-day clinical management,” Mrs McGrath said. Mrs McGrath said she strived to ensure the workforce was equipped to provide current and future patients with the best possible quality care in an environment conducive to healing.
Jason Campbell
Jenny Wilkie
Mrs Wilkie has nursed since 1975, completing her training in Geelong and midwifery in Devonport, Tasmania. She joined the Shepparton Private Hospital team as a night-duty nurse 16 years ago.
the roles of out-of-hours co-ordinator and unit manager before becoming director of clinical services four years ago.
ES TA BL IS HE
Mr Campbell has been in Shepparton for “The best part about nursing is interacting the past 18 years, including stints with and working with the clients,” Mr Goulburn Valley Health and co-ordinating Campbell said. the Navigating Life team of psychologists “Being able to have a positive influence for Medicare Local. on the client’s life and helping them He studied a mental health nursing achieve their own goals is very satisfying.” course at La Trobe University, Bendigo and has worked as a mental health nurse since 1993. Mr Campbell said he was excited about his new role and the opportunity to
Mr Campbell said his role included ensuring there was adequate staff to cover shift rosters and that the highest possible standards were maintained.
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‘Shepparton Private Hospital’, January, 2016—PAGE 9
Celebrating a new era in health care
Olivia McMullen
Tony Neilly
Perioperative services manager
Banksia nursing unit manager
Olivia McMullen studied nursing in her hometown at the University of Ballarat.
Tony Neilly became a registered general nurse in his home city of Glasgow, Scotland.
She worked at the Ballarat Hospital in her graduate year and undertook a diploma of perioperative nursing through Deakin University in Ballarat. In 2000 she moved to Mildura where she completed a masters in health administration while working as a clinical nurse specialist in the operating suite. “Because Mildura is quite a small rural hospital I had to be a specialist in a lot of areas,” Ms McMullen said. In 2010 she moved to the Goulburn Valley and eventually stepped into her current
role as perioperative services manager at the Shepparton Private Hospital. “My role is taking care of the day-to-day running of the theatre department; adding extra cases, staffing — there’s always some kind of challenge to solve,” she said. “I enjoy how variable the work is, it’s always something new every day.” She said the current expansions were exciting for the hospital and she was happy to provide Shepparton with such great services.
developed countries.”
He worked at St Thomas’ hospital in London as a nurse and then as the nurse unit manager. Mr Neilly made the move from London to Shepparton and took on the position as nurse unit manager at the Shepparton Private Hospital, which he described as a “bit of a change”. “Australian health care is on par with the health care in the UK, the main difference was drug names,” he said. “Nursing is pretty standard across
In his current role Mr Neilly is responsible for managing the care of patients on the Banksia Ward. He said his days were always different and he enjoyed the contact with patients, being involved in the decision making, finding out what was wrong with a patient and seeing them go home. “It’s the type of job you need to enjoy doing so you can do it well.”
Erin Sinclair
Providing an alternative
Nurse unit manager, rehabilitation unit Rehabilitation unit manager Erin Sinclair has worked as a nurse since 2003 and been employed at the Shepparton Private Hospital for more than 10 years. Ms Sinclair completed her nurse education at La Trobe University in 2002 and after completing a graduate year at Cabrini Hospital relocated to Shepparton and commenced work as a Division 1 registered nurse in Banksia Ward. Ms Sinclair has completed additional rehabilitation education and is looking forward to developing her team. “The culture at Shepparton Private Hospital is great and enables staff to
In 1979 a group of local doctors opened the Shepparton Private Hospital with the goal of providing Goulburn Valley residents with a private hospital alternative.
have a positive work-life balance and turnover is very low,” Ms Sinclair said. Ms Sinclair is looking forward to continuing her role at the hospital and developing the rehabilitation services and said the most enjoyable aspect was helping patients return to optimal health. “I love seeing people walk out much better than when the came in,” Ms Sinclair said.
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Primarily a surgical hospital, and then called the Sherbourne Clinic, its group of founding fathers were doctors Allen Coates, John Dyson, John Gibb, Ian Gunn, Bruce Sterling, Graeme Jones, Roger Key, Peter King, Peter Levin, Ron Tomkins, William O’Hare, John Pedrotti, John Hetherington and John Mackellar. The hospital has grown over the years and changed hands to multiple owners including Health Care of Australia, Mayne Health and Affinity Healthcare. In 2005 the hospital was procured by Ramsay Health Care, the largest Australian private hospital operator, as part of its purchase of the Affinity Health Portfolio. Ramsay Health Care was founded by Paul Ramsay in 1964 and originally operated out of a guesthouse Mr Ramsey purchased on Sydney’s North Shore. Currently, Ramsay Health Care operates 151 facilities worldwide, employs more than 30 000 staff members and is in the top-five private hospital operators in the world.
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PAGE 10—‘Shepparton Private Hospital’, January, 2016
Celebrating a new era in health care
High-tech treatment for prostate problems New technology acquired by the Shepparton Private Hospital will treat benign prostate obstructions.
of the availability there,” Mr Mortensen said. Shepparton Private Hospital peri-operative services manager Olivia McMullen said the GreenLight laser was a great new system to have and should bring other surgeons to the area to operate.
GreenLight laser treatment will be used in surgery by Shepparton urologist Peter Mortensen to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. “The prostate can cause obstruction to urine flow,” Mr Mortensen said. “GreenLight laser is one method to treat it.” Historically these obstructions would be treated with medication or a trans urethral resection of the prostate. Now, under a general or spinal anaesthetic, the minimallyinvasive treatment uses a laser to vapourise prostate tissue. The laser is delivered through a fibre, which is inserted into the urethra through a cystoscope. Previously unavailable in the Goulburn Valley, its introduction to the region should see less patients travelling in search of GreenLight laser treatment. “Some patients no doubt have gone to Melbourne because
She said with this new technology the hospital would not have to use glycine in surgery, which can cause adverse affects, instead they will use normal saline. Advantages from using the GreenLight laser treatment included a shortened stay, less bleeding and less pain for the patient. Ms McMullen said at the end of a usual trans urethral resection of the prostate, a catheter is put in and bags of saline are administered through it for days. With GreenLight laser treatment there is a chance to eliminate the use of a catheter altogether. The method is set to be introduced to the surgical ward soon, with Mr Mortensen and nurses currently undergoing simulation training and laser safety courses.
Mr Peter Mortensen training on the GreenLight Laser simulator.
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He currently splits his time between the Shepparton Private Hospital, GV Health and his consulting room on Wyndham St. Mr Mortensen spends one afternoon a week operating at the Shepparton Private Hospital.
He said his role working at the Shepparton Private Hospital was rewarding. “It means patients who are able to use private health are not having to worry about waiting,” he said. “It’s a nice hospital.”
Congratulations to Shepparton Private Hospital on the completion and occupation of their new ward.
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‘Shepparton Private Hospital’, January 2016—PAGE 11
20 Fitzgerald St, Shepparton Phone: 5832 1200 E-mail: spp@ramsayhealth.com.au Website: www.sheppartonprivate.com.au