88 New Beds for Expanded Hervey Bay Health Services
Hervey Bay residents will see St Stephen’s Hospital dramatically expand from an eight bed hospital to a 96 bed hospital thanks to a $47.1 million investment by the Gillard Government to be announced in the 2011-12 Budget.
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Joint release
The Hon Wayne Swan MP
Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer
The Hon Nicola Roxon MP
Minister for Health and Ageing
10 May 2011Hervey Bay residents will see St Stephen’s Hospital dramatically expand from an eight bed hospital to a 96 bed hospital thanks to a $47.1 million investment by the Gillard Government to be announced in the 2011-12 Budget.
Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swan said this project will greatly improve access to quality health care, while also stimulating the local Hervey Bay and region economy and creating jobs.
“Finding room in this very responsible Budget for expanded health services has been difficult, but shows what a high priority it is for the Gillard Government,’’ Mr Swan said.
Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, announced today that the Government would provide the funding for the hospital expansion and an e-health initiative at St Stephen’s Hospital.
“This project is part of Labor’s ongoing commitment to improving regional health services and helping regional Australians to see and contact a doctor closer to home,” Ms Roxon said.
“The St Stephen’s Hospital will grow from 8 beds to 96. Alongside this dramatic expansion in beds, will be two new operating theatres, six dialysis chairs and four oncology chairs.
“Importantly, the hospital will be fully digitalised to provide improved and efficient patient care.
“The revitalised hospital will also provide linkages to universities and metropolitan hospitals to provide access to training and additional specialist expertise.
“This investment is another example of how national health reform is helping to provide hospitals and health services with the resources they need to provide more beds and better care.”
Minister Roxon said the St. Stephen’s project had been selected by the Government for funding through the Health and Hospitals Fund (HHF) regional priority round, from the applications assessed by the independent HHF Advisory Board as satisfying the funding requirements.
“These new projects and many other projects around Australia being funded from the Fund’s Regional Priority Round will help strengthen regional health and hospital services and build a better system for the future,” she said.
“These projects are part of the Government’s $5 billion commitment to health and hospital infrastructure as part of its national health reform agenda.’’
For more information contact Ms Roxon’s office – 02 6277 7220
St Stephen’s project summary ($47.1m)
Important parts of the $47.1 million project include:
- expansion of the hospital from an 8-bed acute care facility to a 96-bed acute care bed hospital
- two operating theatres
- four oncology chairs
- two isolation bays
- six dialysis chairs.
- patient, community and medical portals
- information linkages with other parts of the health system including Hervey Bay Public Hospital, medical practitioners, other UCH hospitals, Universities and diagnostic (radiology/pathology) providers
- the latest in patient-centred clinical systems including:
- automatic feeds to the electronic medical record from monitoring systems and diagnostic providers
- automated care pathways based on international best practice which will results in fewer adverse outcomes and readmissions
- alerts for the likes of allergies and abnormal vitals or results
- medications management which reduces errors
- electronic orders to diagnostic providers
- availability of the record with up to date information to multiple healthcare workers in multiple locations.
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