Critical care and rehabilitation units open

5 Feb 2018

5 February 2018

The new Critical Care Unit accommodates Casey-Cardinia’s first intensive care service, offering care for patients who may need to be monitored very closely following major surgery or for those who have become unexpectedly very ill.

This purpose-built facility provides privacy and normal daylight exposure which is very important in aiding recovery, and is also equipped with the necessary resources to assist our caregivers in delivering the quality care required to get you or your relative back to good health as soon as possible.

The opening of the Critical Care Unit marks a new chapter in our long-standing history of delivering exceptional care to the region.

“It can be a very anxious time for families with loved ones in critical care, so we aim to create an environment of reassurance, calmness, confidence and open communication,” explains Debbie Sage, Critical Care Nurse Unit Manager.

Along with intensive care is our cardiac/high dependency care service which assists patients who have experienced a cardiac event such as a heart attack or patients with heart rhythm disorders who might require the insertion of a stent, pacemaker or internal cardiac defibrillator.

The 10-bed high acuity Cardiac Unit will have access to a cardiovascular interventional laboratory which allows cardiologists to look inside your heart to enable them to diagnose and treat heart conditions.

New rehabilitation services 

It was also identified during the hospital redevelopment that rehabilitation services were needed in the local area.

The original Gibb Street hospital, now vacant, will transform into a purpose-built rehabilitation centre opening in mid-2019. In the meantime, to ensure continuity of care for patients, a rehabilitation unit has opened on level four of the new hospital.

It offers rehabilitation services that will be tailored to meet the individual needs of each patient and will respond to the differing levels of physical function depending on a patient’s health condition following surgery, injury or illness.

The overall aim of offering this service is to maximise our patient’s recovery and independence.

This means patients are more likely to return home and engage in their normal daily activities sooner.

Kylie Peterson has been appointed to the position of manager for the unit.

Kylie brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience and was recruited some months ago to play a pivotal role in overseeing the recruitment of caregivers and the commissioning of the new unit. She has spent time getting to know current processes to ensure that the hospital’s rehab programs integrate seamlessly with its current services.

“Kylie’s appointment has paved the way for bringing on board a fantastic team of new caregivers who can provide exceptional service in the area of rehabilitation for our community, said Lisa Norman, CEO of St John of God Berwick Hospital.

“We are very excited to be offering this new speciality to the entire Casey-Cardinia region.”