Media Releases

For more information and photographic opportunities, please contact:

Marketing and Public Relations Manager
St John of God Hospital Ballarat
(03) 5320 2902
Email: info.ballarat@sjog.org.au

20 September 2009

The third annual St John of God Medi Marathon will be held on September 20th on the shores of Lake Wendouree.

The Medi Marathon includes a 21 km, 10 km and due to popular demand a 5 km event. Competitors can walk or run any of these distances.

Teams of four will compete for the Medicine Cup in the 21 km event. Last years winners Mulcahy & Co are very keen to keep the cup in their care.

In 2007 the inaugural St John of God Medi Marathon was introduced to Ballarat as a community event to increase camaraderie in the work place and improve health and well being.

Event organiser Genevieve Martin said that each year we have heard different stories about the trials and tribulations that participants of the Medi Marathon have been through to make it to the start line.

"For 2009 the changes to some participants' lives has been remarkable so that come September 20 they will have Ticked their Target," she said.

There will be lots of entertaining surprises around the Lake and refreshments available after the event.  Each competitor will receive a badge/medal for completing the course. There will be spot prizes at the end of the event including an Avanti bike from Navajo Cycles and Family passes to Sovereign Hill.

August 2009

Hospital staff are eagerly attending to their moments as part of the St John of God Healthcare Group Infection Control Services and Divisional Infection Control Coordinators participation in the National Hand Hygiene Australia initiative (NHHAI) - 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene. 

Improving hand hygiene compliance is currently the single most effective intervention to reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections in Australian hospitals.

St John of God Hospital's Infection Control Manager said that education sessions and quizzes have commenced across the hospital.

"Staff are eagerly attending to their hand hygiene moments."

"Our official launch day will be held Monday 24 August with a trade display by Johnson and Johnson and the 'Glitter Bug' equipment will be set up which enables our staff to look at their hands under a microscope," she said.

Hand Hygiene Australia Project Co-ordinator Paul Simpson will also be making an appearance to support our organisation in joining this national initiative.   Paul was instrumental in developing the 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene program.

28 May 2009

St John of God Hospital Ballarat will host an 'evening of art' on Thursday 28th May 2009 in recognition of the contribution made by the community in developing artwork for the new hospital.

Local Ballarat art group, Ratartat, was commissioned to work with community groups to produce three art works.  The individuals in the groups were allowed to exercise their creative freedom to develop ideas and were assisted by the members of Ratartat with techniques to create the final art work.

Each artwork depicts a different theme with each one being positioned on a different level of the new hospital.

'From the Goldfields' is located on Level 1 and reflects the connection of the hospital to the Ballarat goldfields, Bailey's Mansion and the growth of a city.  This piece was created by members of the Ballarat community.

'Culture Crossing' is located on Level 2 and was inspired by the journey and inspiration of St John of God and his work in Granada, Spain and also the epic voyage of the Sisters of St John of God from Ireland to Australia.  This piece was created by members of the St John of God community.

'Message Sticks' is located on Level 3 and tells of the journey through health with a series of symbols on the message sticks telling a story reflective of the hospital services, incorporating symbols of new life, family, welcoming and good health.

St John of God Hospital Ballarat's Chief Executive Officer John Fogarty said that the Hospital is exceedingly pleased with the quality of the artwork and the thanked members of the community for their contribution.

"We have also purchased a number of works by local artists which proudly hang on the walls on each level of the new ward block."

"We are pleased to have the opportunity to recognise the contribution by the community and local artists to enhance the experience of patients and their families and which act  to promote healing and wellness," he said.

12th May 2009

St John of God Hospital nurses will be joined by other hospital staff to celebrate International Nurses Day on Tuesday 12th May at 10.30 am in the hospital's cafeteria.  Morning tea will be provided to all staff in recognition of the contribution nurses make.

International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12.  This day is celebrated to remember the contributions nurses make to society. 

The International Council of Nurses has celebrated this day since 1965.  In January 1974 they accepted the decision that the day will be commemorated each year on the 12 May.  The date was chosen as the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale (1820-1920), who is widely considered the founder of modern nursing. 

Director of Nursing Donna Walter said, that International Nurses Day is an opportunity to recognise the great contribution to distinctive care that is provided by all of our nursing caregivers at Ballarat.

"The day is dedicated to recognising the contribution of nurses worldwide to the development of health care services and, provides us with an important opportunity to reflect on the contribution of our nurses to the care provided here at St John of God Hospital Ballarat, which commenced with the Sisters 94 years ago," she said.

28 April 2009

Cardiac angioplasty and stenting procedures are now performed in the hospital's cardiac and vascular catheter laboratory - a first for Ballarat.

Until now patients requiring a cardiac angioplasty and stenting procedure have had to travel to Melbourne or Geelong.

The state of the art $2.2 million Cardiac and Vascular Catheter Laboratory was established in June 2007 and is part of the hospital's $65 million redevelopment. 

The Catheter Laboratory provides operators with the opportunity to perform a range of procedures including angiograms, pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, and vascular repairs with cardiac angioplasty being the latest procedure added.

The hospital's Chief Executive Officer John Fogarty said that the introduction of cardiac angioplasty enhances the cardiac services offered by the Hospital to the people living in Ballarat and surrounding regional areas. It means that the Hospital now provides almost the entire range of cardiac procedures using state of the art technology with the convenience for patients of remaining close to home and loved ones.
 "There is a huge need for this service with Ballarat and surrounding region having one of the highest rates of coronary artery disease in Australia."

 "The procedure involves the use of a small catheter inserted via the groin into the heart which is then used to widen a blocked coronary artery to allow the placement of a stent enabling more normal blood flow to occur to the heart. The procedure can potentially be life saving for some people and will certainly enhance the quality of life for patients with significant coronary artery disease."

"Both privately insured and public patients can access the service," Mr Fogarty said.

Since commencing cardiac and vascular services in the new catheter laboratory in June 2007, 762 procedures have been performed.  90% of these procedures were cardiac angiograms with the remaining 10% being made up of pacemakers and vascular procedures.

A total of 12 cardiac angioplasty procedures have been undertaken since the initial procedure  in December 2008.

March 2009

The event will be launched on Wednesday 11 March at 6 am.  St John of God Hospital staff and with St Patrick's and Loreto College students and local running group the Tann Clann, will kick off their training in preparation for the Medi Marathon.  The more serious will undertake a gentle 8 to 10 km run whilst others will walk a lap of the lake.  Breakfast will be served at the Canoe Club at 6.45 am at the conclusion of the training session.

The moto for this year's event is TICK YOUR TARGET.  Participants will be encouraged to set a target and follow the online 6 month training program prepared by marathon runner Shane Nankervis, or join local early morning running group the Tann Clann every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 am, leaving from Canoe Club on the East side of Lake Wendouree.

Event organisers Genevieve Martin said, the St John of God Hospital Medi Marathon commenced in 2007 with over 400 people participating in the inaugural event, in 2008 this increased to over 600.

"It is anticipated that this number will increase in 2009 and provide the community of Ballarat and beyond with a healthy target to work towards," Genevieve said.

"Participants have a choice of entering the 21 km,10 km or 5 km run /walk events, so get some friends or work colleagues together and 'Tick your Target' and happy training!"

For more information visit www.medimarathon.com.au

26 October 2008

Built in 1883 by William Bailey, Bailey's Mansion was acquired by the Catholic Church in 1914 and opened on 9 May 1915 as the first St John of God Hospital.

By 1927 the numbers seeking admission to the hospital greatly increased, this resulted in a new wing being added in the same style as the mansion.  This addition increased bed capacity from 30 to 50 beds.   Patients continued to be cared for in Baileys until 1959.

Just as Bailey's mansion is a splendid reminder of Ballarat's fascinating past it is also a permanent reminder of the origins of St John of God Hospital in Ballarat.  More especially, it is a reminder of the people associated with the inspiration to establish a Catholic Hospital in Ballarat.

Hospital Chief Executive Officer John Fogarty said this is a great opportunity for the members of the Ballarat community to experience an important part of St John of God Hospital's history.

"Bailey's Mansion was the original hospital, wards and operating theatre," he said.

Tours on the hour will be conducted, memorabilia will be on display, St John of God Auxiliary will have a stall and sausage sizzle and devonshire tea will be available.

Bailey's Open House has been organised by staff participating in the St John of God Health Care's Mission Mentoring Program.

Entry is by gold coin donation with all proceeds going towards the new hospital Chapel.

All welcome

October 2008

The hospital's Auxiliary recently held its 55th Annual General Meeting.  Outgoing President Yvonne Watson presented Chief Executive Officer John Fogarty with a cheque for $40,000. 

The donation has assisted the hospital to purchase 13 combination Auroscopes/Ophthalmoscopes for Emergency Medicine.    The combination Auroscope/Ophthalmoscope is used for examining ears and throats and eyes.

St John of God Hospital's Chief Executive Officer said the hospital is extremely grateful to receive another major donation from the hospital Auxiliary.

"Their fundraising efforts have always been strong and they are so generous in their contributions."
 
"Every examination bay in Emergency Medicine now has a combination Auroscope/ Opthalmoscope," he said.

Funds were raised from various fundraising activities held throughout the year along with proceeds from 'Gifts n Things' gift shop sales.

September 2008

Mrs. Donna Walter has been appointed as the hospitals' new Director of Nursing., after an extensive search process and an extremely rigorous and thorough selection process.
Chief Executive Officer John Fogarty said, Donna is well known to Ballarat where she has spent the majority of her nursing career.
"Most recently she has been the Assistant Director of Nursing - Day Coordinator/Human Resources."
"She has been a committed member of the nursing team here at Ballarat for many years and clearly models the values of the organisation in her work."
"In the past three months as Acting Director of Nursing, she has made a significant contribution to the rebuilding of the nursing team as well as contributing meaningfully to our deliberations at an Executive level," he said.
Donna's appointment is effective immediately.

12 August 2008

All hands will be on deck to move equipment and supplies across to the new department on the morning of the 12th.  Patients will be received in the new department from 2 pm on the day.

The new Emergency Department will have 13 treatment rooms, four more than the current department and is estimated to have cost around $8m million.

Chief Executive Officer John Fogarty said, more treatment rooms will give us the capacity to see more people than the current 17,000 presentations.

"Hospital staff have been involved in the design of the department and are very excited to be moving into the new area."

"The Department is designed with treatment rooms arranged in a semi-circle around the nurses station for maximum supervision," he said

The department is the first stage of the hospital's $65 million two year redevelopment.  The hospital's new wards are expected to open in January 2009 with the entire project set to be completed by July.

10 September 2008

St John of God Hospital in conjunction with Loreto College will host a Women's Health Night on Wednesday 10th September at Loreto College commencing at 7.30 pm.

The evening is open to all women, their daughters, mothers, aunts, grandmothers and their girlfriends in our community. It is a great opportunity for sporting teams, social friends and families to join in a night of discussion while enjoying female companionship.

Event organiser Genevieve Martin said, the focus of the night is on the physical and psychological changes women experience through their journey in life.

"Women are usually very good at talking and sharing stories but there are times when they feel completely alone, that no one will understand them or that what is happening to their bodies is too embarrassing to discuss."

"The evening will provide an opportunity to hear from health professionals and discuss some of the issues that face women as they 'grow up'," she said.

Presenters on the evening include Miss Ruth Bollard, General Surgeon specialising in breast surgery; Miss Jeannette Lim, Urogynaecologist; Ms Gillian Hehir, Psychologist specialising in women's health; and Ms Marie Degrazia from Ballarat Community Health will discuss 'Alcohol and Women'. 

Mr Peter Ford from Peter Ford Catering will provide a cooking demonstration focussed on healthy eating habits. Participants in the evening will be able to sample the dish created by Peter Ford and wine from Dulcinea.

A fantastic door prize of lunch for six at Eclectic Tastes will be given to six happy girls.

The Women's Health Night is part of the hospital's PACE (Public Awareness and Community Education) program which highlights various health related topics throughout the year.

Admission is free.  Numbers are limited and we strongly recommended you book on 53202 398.

25 August 2008

The Domiciliary Service provides extended care by a specialist midwife within a few days of the mother being discharged.  The new service offers greater flexibility over five days Monday to Friday within a 35 km radius.

The role of the domiciliary midwife is to continue the care and support received in hospital within the home environment.

Midwife Lisa Oro, meets the mothers prior to discharge and arranges the visits.  "This helps build a relationship and maintain consistency of care, which is important for new families," Lisa said.

"All families within a 35 km radius are eligible for a domiciliary visit and telephone support is also available for those families living outside this area."

The domiciliary service provides support and advice for both mother and baby, including breastfeeding, settling, safety and if required, referral to other healthcare providers.

22 May 2008

St John of God Hospital's staff will be participating in the Global Corporate Challenge (GCC) commencing on Thursday 22nd May 2008. 

The GCC is a corporate health and wellbeing event combining exercise, fun, team-based challenge, and 'virtual' interactive experiences in some of the most amazing places on earth.

The hospital is supporting 12 teams in the event.  Each team consists of 7 staff challenging each other to see how far they can walk around the world.

For the 125 days of the challenge each team member enters their daily step count (or bicycle kilometres) onto the GCC website.  The website converts the steps to distance, and takes the team member on a virtual tour of the world.  During the journey staff can 'interact virtually' with each location, its customs, facts, foods, politics and even famous locals.

St John of God Hospital's Chief Executive Officer John Fogarty said the Global Corporate Challenge is a health and fitness initiative designed for the corporate workplace.

"It was created to address the emerging health crisis resulting from the triple threat: longer working days, sedentary occupations and little or not exercise."

"For four months, team members will be trying to walk at least 10,000 steps a day on their virtual tour around the world, against several other St John of God Health Care teams and up to over 6000 teams (40,000 participants) world-wide."

"It is pleasing to see our staff's enthusiasm with 12 teams being entered and look forward to monitoring their progress," he said.

Each team member receives a starter pack consisting of a backpack, 2 pedometers, water bottle, cap, wristband, mouse mat, socks, welcome guide and health passport.

21st May 2008

St John of God Hospital in conjunction with St Patrick's College is holding a 'Men's Health Night' on Wednesday 21st May commencing at 7.30 pm at St Patrick's College. 

There is a growing concern among those who work in the education, health and welfare areas that poor eating habits, lack of sleep and alcohol misuse may add to the stress of everyday life, decreasing our performance in the things we do.

Co-ordinator, Genevieve Martin said, the evening is open to all men, their sons, fathers, grandfathers and mates in our community.

"Presenters on the include Dr Wayne Spring; General Physician, with a special interest in sleep study; Mr Brett Valance from Ballarat Community Health will speak on drug and alcohol issues;
Dr Charlie Flynn from Newington Physiotherapy will discuss how we can stay fit and prevent injury;
And Mr Peter Ford from Peter Ford Catering will provide a cooking demonstration focussed on healthy eating habits. Participants in the evening will be able to sample the dish created by Peter Ford and wine from Dulcinea."

"It is a great opportunity for sporting teams, social friends and families to join in the night and focus on the balance of life while enjoying male companionship," she said.

The Men's Health Night is part of the hospital's Public Awareness and Community (PACE) education program which highlights various health related topics throughout the year.  A women's health evening will be held at Loreto College in September.

Admission is free but numbers are limited and we strongly recommended you book on 53202938.

May 2008

St John of God Hospital, Ballarat is the only private hospital in Victoria to win an inaugural grant from the Victorian Cancer Agency, a grant it will use to assist in developing Australia's first Outpatients Oncology Rehabilitation Program.

The Victorian Cancer Agency was established by the Victorian Government in April 2006 to enable cancer patient care, outcomes and survival rates in Victoria to be amongst the best in the world, through the rapid translation of cancer research to clinical care.

The $70,000 grant will fund a specialist oncology nurse and psychologist as part of the pilot Oncology Rehabilitation Program team, which aims to facilitate maximum physical, psychology and social recovery of outpatient oncology patients.

The hospital's Chief Executive Officer, John Fogarty, said the grant and the program were particularly important given the lack of any documented formal, structured and multidisplinary outpatient oncology group rehabilitation programs in Australia.

"This is despite the growing need for ongoing maintenance of health and functional independence while patients are undergoing the complex and physical taxing treatments required of the," John said.

St John of God Hospital, Ballarat is proposing to run its pilot program on an outpatient basis consisting of group education and discussion sessions, and an individualised structured exercise program run in a group setting.

"The development, piloting and evaluation of this program will provide a model of care that could be used in many health care settings, such as acute hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals and community centres," John said.

The program team will include oncologists, rehabilitation physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, dieticians and specialist oncology nurses.  The program will support a more comprehensive cancer care plan for patients and their families at all stages of treatment.

17th April 2008

St John of God Hospital's Post Graduate Education Foundation will host the Jim Pryor Gala Medical Tribute Dinner on the evening of Thursday 17th April, 2008 at the Ballarat Lodge.

The purpose of the evening is to pay tribute to members of the medical community who have made a significant contribution to health care in the Ballarat community, and to award postgraduate scholarships to the successful applicants.

Retired medical practitioners being honoured on the night are Dr David Alexander, Respiratory and General Physician, Dr John Garner, General Practitioner, Dr Syd Giddy, Specialist Anaesthetist and Dr Stan Pilbeam, Pathologist.

The successful scholarship applicants being presented with certificates are Johanna Niedra for the Sr Verna Haugh Scholarship, Kylie Cross, Fiona Fitzsimmons and Amanda Kinniburgh for the Sr Perpetua Downes Scholarship.

Chairman of the Post Graduate Education Foundation Dr Andrew Dean said this is a significant event on the St John of God Hospital calendar.

"It is an opportunity for members of the medical community to joint together in a night of reflection and laughter with guest comedian, Marty Fields, contributing to the entertainment." 

14th February 2008

Mother Louise Tilley delivered baby Isabella Eve at 0303 hours Thursday morning under the watchful eye of Mr Ian Mayes.  Louise herself was delivered by Mr Mayes. 
St John of God Hospital's Director of Medical Services Dr Andrew Dean said
Mr Mayes has served the community of Ballarat as an obstetrician and gynaecologist for approximately 37 years and has delivered over 10,000 babies. 
"Although he is retiring from the obstetrics part of his practice he will continue consulting gynaecology patients and surgically assisting his medical colleagues," Dr Dean said.
Mr Mayes graduated from a Queensland university with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 1963.  He travelled overseas and graduated as a Member of Royal College of Obstetrics/Gynaecology in London in 1969.  Following further studies he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh in 1971.
Mr Mayes commenced practice in Ballarat in 1972 at Ballarat Base Hospital where he was appointed as an Assistant Obstetrician/Gynaecologist on 17th July 1972.  He was later appointed as Senior Staff Specialist in Obstetrics/Gynaecology in 1976.  In 1980 Mr Mayes became a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

6th February 2008

St Kilda Football players will visit St John of God Hospital on Wednesday 6th February 2008 between 11 am and 12 noon.
Players Jason Gram, Samuel Fisher, Aaron Fiora, Leigh Montagna and Shane Birss will meet and talk with patients and staff during their visit.  The visit is part of the Telstra Corporate AFL Community Camp being held in Ballarat over 3 days from Monday 4th February.  Other AFL teams visit various locations across Australia as part of the community camp.
Chief Executive Officer John Fogarty said the hospital is happy to support the players during the community camp and their visit to Ballarat.
It's also good opportunity for the football fans amongst our patients and staff to meet and talk with the players? one on one?, he said.
The players will also be involved in clinics at regional schools and a super clinic at the Ballarat North Football Club.  Players will also attend community forums and an official function.

17th December 2007

Eight graduate nurses will be presented with graduation certificates in recognition of the completion of their graduate year. 
The nurse graduates undertook their graduate year at St John of God Hospital and gained experience in the orthopaedic unit, medical and oncology unit, surgical unit, theatre, intensive care and emergency department.
All nurses on each ward have been involved in assisting the graduates through this first year of practicing as a division one registered nurse.  
The hospital has doubled its intake next year with 17 graduate nurses participating in the program in 2008 at St John of God Hospital.
Director of Nursing Therese Johnstone said the group of graduates have been committed to offering patient care of a high standard.
"They are well prepared by the universities and our program helps consolidate their theory into practice with the support of a preceptor and their clinical educator and several of the graduates have accepted positions with the hospital in 2008," Ms Johnstone said.
Nurses graduating are:  Stewart Shedden, Bernadette Gladman, Teresa Kalinowska, Naomi Smith, Leigh Macdonald, Jia Zheng Song, Shahram Mohammadsaeedi and Kim Taylor.

28 November 2007

Outpatient Rehabilitation Services will be offered to patients requiring help to promote and maintain functional independence following orthopaedic and joint surgery, stroke, and the resultant debility that may accompany medical/surgical conditions.  The availability of outpatient rehabilitation services will complement St John of God Hospital's excellent inpatient rehabilitation program 

The hospital has appointed a Consultant Rehabilitation Physician, who has commenced consulting 2 days per week and who will be the consultant to Outpatients Rehabilitation services.

Acting Chief Executive Officer Therese Johnstone said, a multidisciplinary team including physiotherapy, exercise physiology, occupational therapy, hydrotherapy and speech pathology has been set up to provide patients with individual programs of rehabilitation care in an outpatient environment. 

"This is an important complementary program to our inpatient rehabilitation ward."

Orthopaedic, neurological, restorative musculoskeletal rehabilitation programs may now be conducted on an outpatient basis through a coordinated sessional therapy approach," she said. 

The hospital has secured support for this initiative from most of the major health insurers with the service being covered by the patients' Hospital Cover (Extras cover is not required).

Volunteers Celebrate - International Volunteers Day
A day early!! - Tuesday 4th December 2007

4th December 2007

St John of God Hospital Volunteers will celebrate International Volunteers Day a day early on Tuesday 44h December.  Around 70 volunteers will attend a celebration and luncheon in the hospital's function rooms as a small token of our appreciation for the wonderful contribution they make to St John of God.

National winner of Australian Idol 'My Mum Rocks' competition Dani Fry will perform for the volunteers as they enjoy a delicious luncheon.  Dani will be performing at the hospital, fresh from her performance at the final of the Australian Idol competition held at the Sydney Opera House recently.  Dani is also an Acapulco singer with local choir - Sweet Monas.

Director of Mission Maureen Waddington said volunteers assist in many areas of the hospital.

"They provide patient support by giving assistance with patient meals, reading and companionship.  Other areas include a mobile library, flower arranging, meet and greet in the front foyer, and patient transport."

"In addition, the auxiliary volunteers will run a new enterprise, a dedicated gift shop titled Gifts 'n Things. 
Funds raised from the sale of these items will assist in the purchase of equipment and will be officially opened at 2 pm on Tuesday 4th December to coincide with the Volunteers Day celebrations."

"Located in the hospital foyer, the gift shop will stock a wide variety of hand picked quality merchandise, including gifts and cards for the new baby, for birthdays, weddings, special occasions, and of course for Christmas. People will be able to drop in, purchase a gift, have it gift wrapped - all in a matter of minutes."     

"This valuable support assists the hospital to provide the range of excellent services that exist today," Ms Waddington said.

13th August 2007

To celebrate the commencement of the construction of the hospital's major redevelopment, a "blessing of the site" ceremony will be conducted by The Most Reverend Peter Connors DD DCL, Bishop of Ballarat on Monday 13th August 2007.  The celebrations will take place on the new hospital site, on the Mair Street side of St John of God Hospital campus at 3.30 pm. 

Director of Mission Maureen Waddington said the blessing ceremony is conducted to ask for God's blessing to bring the construction to a successful completion and to keep those who work on the site safe from injury.

Chief Executive Officer John Fogarty said, the new building is Stage 3 in the $57m hospital redevelopment and will comprise of new reception, chapel, cafeteria, gifts, pharmacy, hydrotherapy pool, emergency medicine, 5 new wards and day procedure centre. 

"The building will transform the campus and provide excellent facilities for patients, clinicians and caregivers ensuring that the Hospital remains at the forefront of medical and surgical health care provision to Ballarat and Western Victoria," he said.

8th August 2007

St John of God Hospital Ballarat's state-of-the-art Stryker i-Suite operating theatre is now fully operational.  The operating theatre is a highly efficient and responsive surgical suite that utilises voice command technology and optimised ergonomics by taking surgical equipment off the ?oor.  The i-Suite is the 3rd theatre to be refurbished as part of the hospital's $57m redevelopment.

This technology, the first for Ballarat, will positively impact the care of surgical patients from Ballarat and surrounding region and provide surgeons and the operating room teams with an optimum work environment.

St John of God Hospital's Acting Chief Executive Officer Therese Johnstone said the room incorporates advanced technology, and utilises voice control systems to enable surgical teams to control any piece of equipment with a simple voice command.

"The surgeons will have greater surgical precision, better visualisation and improved ergonomics.  It sets the stage for introducing new surgical approaches and enhanced image guided systems," she said.

Director of Medical Services Dr Andrew Dean said the integrated Stryker i-Suite allows the surgeon to work in a more ergonomic environment, while doing advanced, minimally invasive image-directed procedures.  Both the surgeon and the operating theatre staff benefit greatly as the entire operating theatre staff can be involved in the surgery, rather than just the surgeon and assistant.  This is also a powerful teaching tool for  health care professionals involved in the surgical treatment of disease.  Our patients will continue to benefit from minimally invasive surgical techniques.

"The Stryker i-Suite technology benefit the entire region and also enhances the Region's opportunities to recruit and retain highly skilled surgeons and surgical staff," Dr Dean said.

29 June 2007

The hospital's Chief Executive Officer, John Fogarty, said the new Catheter Laboratory, which opens on  Monday July 2nd, will enable the hospital to significantly increase the number of diagnostic and interventional cardiac and vascular procedures it performs.

"Cardiac and vascular disease are still a leading cause of death in Australia and there is therefore a huge need for this equipment, which will help diagnose and treat people living in Ballarat and surrounding regional areas," Mr Fogarty said.

"It will be another service that people can now access locally removing the need to travel to Melbourne."

"This equipment can potentially save people's lives and will certainly enhance the quality of life for patients with cardiac and vascular disease."

Catheter laboratories provide operators with the opportunity to perform a range of procedures including angiograms, pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, and vascular repairs.

During coronary and vascular angiography, a contrast dye is injected into the patients' arteries, veins and heart chambers, and images are captured using x-ray. These images help to identify the locations of blockages in the vessel which impair blood flow, so that they can be opened, using balloons and stents (small lattice shaped metal tubes) that are inserted permanently into the artery.

The Catheter Laboratory currently performs vascular stenting of major arteries in the body, but patients requiring a coronary stent have previously had to travel to Melbourne for the procedure. The new laboratory will have the capacity to perform these percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in the near future.

The new equipment which uses digital images to provide far better, sharper images of a person's arteries enables images to be stored and transported via DVDs and CDs. The new Catheter Laboratory has been established within the hospital's existing operating theatre complex.

5 June 2007

St John of God Hospital Ballarat today announced the launch of a new event for the Ballarat community - a half marathon and 10 km run/walk on the shores of Lake Wendouree. The inaugural event will be held on September 23, 2007. 

St. John of God Hospital CEO John Fogarty said "this is an event for the entire Ballarat community and is part of our commitment to promoting health and well being in our community. We look forward to it becoming a feature of Ballarat's sports calendar each year."

Members of the medical community, their families and friends participating in the event will be vying for the "Medicine Cup".
 
The run will be a loop course of Lake Wendouree incorporating the Moneghetti track and the inside parking and bike lane of Wendouree Parade.

Ambassador for the event, Ballarat marathon runner Shane Nankervis, will be running in the event which will no doubt attract many high calibre runners wanting to challenge him.

The involvement of Australia's premier marathon runner in this event will show the running world once again what a great base Ballarat is for running success.

Event organiser Genevieve Martin said that both the half marathon and 10 km event provide the community with a fantastic opportunity to not only enjoy a day out but also to increase their health and fitness along the way.

"It will be a perfect course for those who are after a slick time, and for those attempting their first half marathon or 10 km they can enjoy the pleasant view, a festival atmosphere with lots of people to cheer them on."

"The layout of the course allows runners to see the race unfold as they run - everyone is in for a great experience," she said.

The run will incorporate a team event. Teams of four can enter either event with those in the 21 km half marathon to vie for the "Medicine Cup".  To be eligible to win the cup two of the team members must have a medical or para-medical background and each member of the team must complete the course.

The winning team of four in the 10 km run/walk will receive the "City Oval Hotel &  Cafe" Cup. 

Every participant who completes either the 21 km or 10 km run/walk will receive a medal and a t-shirt.

Through the generous support of local businesses, great spot prizes will be given on the day and early bird entries will receive an event t-shirt. 

Any funds raised from staging the event will be donated to cancer research.

Entries now open.  Entry form can be downloaded from St John of God Hospital website www.sjog.org.au/ballarat.  Go to News and Events/Activities.

13 June 2007

St John of God Hospital's Chief Executive Officer Mr John Fogarty will formally recognise the hospital's partnership with the Wendouree West Community in the purchase of their community bus, on Thursday 14th June at 4 pm at 14 Violet Grove, Wendouree West.

The community bus will provide a much needed service which will increase opportunities for the community to become involved in activities that are available in Ballarat but are outside the Wendouree West area.

The bus will provide transport for the residents to access things such as the Men's Shed program, health and wellbeing activities, St Vinnies budget grocery shopping, visits to maternal and child health services, sporting activities and youth club to name a few.

St John of God Hospital's Chief Executive Officer Mr John Fogarty said, the hospital is extremely pleased to be able to give it's support to the Wendouree West community with this contribution to the purchase of the bus. 

"This donation was funded through the hospital's social outreach and advocacy program which supports identified unmet needs in the community," he said.

Department of Human Services Project Manager of Neighbourhood Renewal Gerardine Christous said, access to the bus has already assisted the community in participating in health and wellbeing initiatives.

"In particular the programs for young people have been really supported.  The bus enables us to transport children around to various activities and creates important links in the wider community," she said.

The bus was originally fitted out and used during the Commonwealth Games.  These buses are now being made available for community- based groups to purchase at a greatly reduced figure.

25 May 2007

St John of God Hospital today announced that Ballarat based firm H. Troon Pty. Ltd., are the successful tenderer for the contract to undertake the redevelopment of the hospital.

Troon was selected after a rigorous tender process carried out over the past 3 months by the Hospital.

St. John of God Hospital Chief Executive Officer, Mr John Fogarty, said that he was delighted that a local company would be undertaking the development.

"It was a highly competitive tender process but at the end of the day Troon came out in front.  To their great credit they were able to demonstrate capability that matched some larger Melbourne builders.  Their passion for the project was just fantastic," Mr. Fogarty said.

"We know that Troon will deliver the quality we are looking for with the redevelopment.  The added bonus will be that the work be carried out by locals, which is great for us and great for Ballarat."

Managing Director of H. Troon, Mr Steve Troon, said that H. Troon Pty Ltd is a Ballarat based 4th generation family business employing 340 staff and has considerable experience in the development of projects of the St John of God proposed redevelopment.

"Having worked on large projects in the past, H. Troon Pty Ltd is aware of the importance of understanding the needs of the client and the sensitivities of the day to day running of the hospital," Mr Troon said.

The new building is Stage 3 in the $57m hospital redevelopment and will comprise of new reception, chapel, cafe, gifts, pharmacy, hydrotherapy pool, emergency medicine, 5 new wards and day procedure centre.  The building will transform the campus and provide excellent facilities for patients, clinicians and caregivers ensuring that the Hospital remains at the forefront of medical and surgical health care provision to Ballarat and Western Victoria.

30 April 2007

St John of God Health Care and Western Medical Imaging (WMI) have signed an agreement in relation to the sale of St John of God Health Care's general imaging business and WMI's angiography business, both operating out of St John of God Hospital, Ballarat.

The sale of St John of God Health Care's general imaging service to a dedicated imaging service provider will allow Western Medical Imaging the scope to develop the business to ensure a consummate radiology service for the Ballarat community.

Additionally, St John of God Health Care's purchase of Western Medical Imaging's angiography business will see the service being relocated, in July 2007, to a new state of the art angiography suite that will be established as part of St John of God Hospital, Ballarat's $57m redevelopment.

Transfer of ownership of the imaging service is targeted to take place from St John of God Health Care to Western Medical Imaging on 21 May 2007.  The transfer of ownership of the angiography business from Western Medical Imaging to St John of God Health Care will take place on 2 July 2007.

The general imaging service in Ballarat was St John of God Health Care's only remaining imaging service across its 11 hospitals, having progressively exited its other imaging services in recent years.

St John of God Health Care has substantially grown through the acquisitions of hospitals and pathology services in recent years, and is now Australia's third largest private hospital operator and fourth largest pathology service provider. The organisation's prime focus and energies will continue to be directed to these areas of clinical activity.

Western Medical Imaging already provides a comprehensive service opposite the Hospital as Ballarat Radiology and has several other comprehensive sites in Melbourne as well as operating the Imaging services at Stawell and Ararat Hospital's.

The relocation of the Ballarat practice into St John of God Hospital, Ballarat will allow full integration of its comprehensive services and enable state of the art electronic imaging and reporting facilities to be available to the whole Ballarat community.

Western Medial Imaging's radiologists have been associated with medical imaging services at St John of God Hospital, Ballarat for many years and are looking forward to a continued relationship with the hospital particularly in its new phase of redevelopment.

16 February 2007

With growing public awareness of health and medical issues and the community's desire to learn more, St John of God Hospital Ballarat today announced a new initiative with its Public Awareness & Community Education (PACE) program.  The program will consist of five FREE education sessions for members of the community covering a broad range of topics including heart disease, cancer, obstetrics and gynaecology, rehabilitation and surgery.

St John of God Hospital, Ballarat, Chief Executive Officer John Fogarty said the PACE program will provide a unique opportunity for the community to interact and learn from members of the St John of God Team including Doctors, Nurses and Allied Health professionals. 

"The program is designed to raise the public's awareness of various health and medical issues that may affect people's lives.  The information will be presented by professionals from the relevant medical field."

"Those attending will also hear personal insights from patients who have experienced the care given by our Team," Mr Fogarty said.

The sessions will be held at St John of God Hospital Drummond St Nth Ballarat, Function Room 1

5 February 2007

Equipped with 'state-of-the-art' theatre equipment, along with the latest air conditioning hepa filter air curtain system, the theatres will allow Doctors and staff to have a more comfortable working environment whilst ensuring the utmost care for our patients. 

The two revamped theatres will be opened and operating on 5 February 2007 with the remaining three theatres being refurbished in January 2008.

St John of God Hospital Ballarat's Chief Executive Officer, Mr John Fogarty, said the theatres are equipped with modern equipment and designed and built to meet the demands of current surgery as well as having the infrastructure in place to embrace future advances in technology.

The air conditioning is in line with International best practice and exceeds Department of Human Services Standards in the provision of sterile clean operating rooms. The control system also provides energy savings reducing the amount of power consumed per annum therefore reducing CO2 emissions.

Monitors, cameras and electrosurgical equipment no longer have to be wheeled in and out of the theatre, thus creating more floor space and provides for optimum positioning of the monitors for ergonomic surgeon viewing.

"The theatres have highly advanced features and have been designed to provide the best functionality for our Doctors including new operating lights and suspension of all equipment on motorised ceiling mounted pendants," Mr Fogarty said.

St John of God Hospital Ballarat is the largest private not-for-profit hospital in regional Victoria and providing an extensive range of advanced surgical, medical and specialist services demonstrate our commitment to providing city services for residents living in Ballarat and Western Victoria. The Hospital is currently undergoing a major $57 million redevelopment. This major reconstruction of the campus will ensure it continues to provide the highest quality private health care to patients in an accessible, modern facility.

The multi-million dollar redevelopment will include a new building housing five new wards, a new day procedure centre, new emergency medicine department, new chapel, new reception area and gift shop/cafe and a new hydrotherapy pool.

Local contractors were employed to undertake the theatre works and there will be opportunities for local contractors to be involved in the construction of the hospital ward building.

"This is an exciting new chapter in the hospital's rich history and will enable us to continue providing the best in contemporary private health care in a state-of-the-art facility to the people of Ballarat and surrounds," he said.

16 January 2007

St John of God Health Care is investing $2.85 million to construct new offices and a warehouse in Ballarat to service its seven hospitals and pathology business in Victoria.

The not-for-profit Catholic health care group, Australia's third largest private hospital operator, is building a shared services complex in Grandlee Drive, Wendouree, which will house 30 staff working in the supply, payroll, finance and information technology areas.

The Chief Executive Officer of St John of God Hospital, Ballarat, Mr John Fogarty, said the decision by St John of God Health Care to further invest in Ballarat was significant recognition that the city was a great location for business services.

"We are helping to keep local jobs local," Mr Fogarty said. Ballarat based builder Resicare won the building tender and is expected to complete work in August 2007.

"This investment in Ballarat and its community comes on top of the decision by the group's Governing Board to approve the $57 million hospital redevelopment, which is now well on its way," Mr Fogarty said.

"The need for a separate complex to house shared services and a warehouse for our Victorian hospitals and pathology business became critical with St John of God Health Care's rapid growth across Victoria over the last four years and the Ballarat hospital's redevelopment."

Up until four years ago, the group operated three hospitals in Victoria - St John of God Hospital, Warrnambool; St John of God Hospital, Geelong and St John of God Hospital, Ballarat, which was established in 1915, growing to become Victoria's largest regional private hospital.

Since then, St John of God Health Care has acquired two more acute hospitals - St John of God Hospital, Bendigo and St John of God Hospital, Berwick - a specialist rehabilitation hospital in Frankston, St John of God Nepean Rehabilitation Hospital; and a psychiatric and drug and alcohol services hospital, St John of God Pinelodge Clinic in Dandenong. The group also acquired PathCare Consulting Pathologists in Geelong, expanding its pathology business, which already operated across Victoria.

The new facility in Wendouree includes 900 square metres of warehouse and 600 square metres of office accommodation.

9 March 2006

The appointment of the consultant team for St John of God Hospital's $57m redevelopment has been announced.
 
Following the appointment of Project Directors, Johnstaff Higgs, a tender process followed to appoint the consultant team.

The Team includes architects - Silver Thomas Hanley, quantity surveyors - Padgham and Partners, mechanical engineers - S2F, electrical engineers - Bassett and hydraulic engineering services - CLG Plumbing Design.

St John of God Hospital Ballarat CEO John Fogarty said, all consultants have extensive experience with large and complex health care projects.

"Architects Silver Thomas Hanley have a wealth of health project experience having recently completed the Epworth Eastern Hospital and Austin Repatriation Mercy in Melbourne. 

Mechanical engineers S2F have a local and personal link with the hospital.  Director Mr John Byrne, was the hospital engineer 20 years ago and resides in Ballarat. S2F have an office located in Ballarat.  Electrical engineering services Bassett will work with Jim Nugent, from local Ballarat firm Invertech," Mr Fogarty said.

The full consultant team commenced on Thursday 9th March which involved detailed site tours and orientation to the project.

4 November 2005

Ballarat's St John of God Hospital will undergo a $57 million redevelopment. This major reconstruction of the campus will ensure it continues to provide the highest quality private health care to patients in an accessible, modern facility.

The multi-million dollar redevelopment will include a new building housing five new wards, a new day procedure centre, new emergency medicine department, new chapel, new reception area and gift shop/cafe and a new hydrotherapy pool. In addition, the operating suite complex will be refashioned to incorporate two new and three refurbished theatres. 

"This is an exciting new chapter in the hospital's rich history and will enable us to continue providing the best in contemporary private health care in a state-of-the-art facility to the people of Ballarat and surrounds,'' he said.

The largest investment in the Victorian private hospital sector since the development of the Epworth Eastern Hospital in Box Hill, the $57 million being invested by St John of God Health Care will modernise the hospital while improving access to, and availability of, facilities and services for patients, doctors, caregivers and visitors.

"This development will ensure the hospital is in the best possible position to meet Ballarat and region's private health care needs now and well into the future,'' Mr Fogarty said.

The project will enter a detailed design and planning phase in February 2006 with building expected to start in 2007 and finish in 2009. The majority of the redevelopment will occur towards the Mair Street frontage and will also result in improvements to parking and better views of the heritage listed Bailey's Mansion from Drummond St.

All existing services and facilities are expected to remain generally unaffected during the redevelopment process.

Once completed, the redeveloped Hospital will provide patients, doctors and staff with a more practical, well-designed and accessible hospital, capable of meeting emerging trends in health care and adapting and developing services as new issues and opportunities arise.

"This redevelopment will benefit all hospital users and the general Ballarat community by drawing patients and their carers from across the region to the city," Mr Fogarty said.

"It is an exciting development which further strengthens the proud tradition of excellence in health care first started in Ballarat by the Sisters of St John of God 90 years ago."

Ballarat will also benefit during the redevelopment process as all work will be open to tender. Significant employment opportunities are expected to become available during the construction phase.

8 November 2006

Press Ganey Associates conducted the survey throughout July and August this year. The Emergency Department achieved the highest satisfaction ranking when compared to all other private hospital Emergency Department's surveyed, improving on its stellar results of the previous year.

Of the 103 Emergency Departments, public and private, who participated in the survey only 5 hospitals achieved higher satisfaction scores.

According to Dr. Andrew Dean, Director of Medical Services at St. John's and Director of the Department the areas of greatest improvement throughout this year were waiting times for patients and communication by staff with patients and their families.

"These improvements can be attributed to an increased focus on the patient and their needs and a sharper focus on communication both within and outside the department," he said.

Nurse Unit Manager, Cheryl Pretty, said that the results can be attributed to the teamwork within the department and the attitude of the staff.

"After a great result last year our team was even more motivated to show that we could improve even further and this result is testimony to the team's approach to patient care" she said.

Chief Executive Officer, John Fogarty, echoed these thoughts.

"This is a fantastic result and it shows the dedication of the Emergency Department team to excellence in care and continuous improvement. The fact that they undertake their work in quite cramped working conditions is just a further testament to their commitment. We are extremely proud of our Emergency Department staff!" he said.

Mr. Fogarty added that once the Hospital's $57 million redevelopment was complete the Emergency Department would be able to provide even better service in a first class facility.

St. John of God Hospital's Emergency Department treats over 17,000 patients annually. It operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and provides emergency services to both adults and children.