St John of God Berwick Hospital Official Opening Ceremony

8 Mar 2018

8 March 2018

About 180 guests walked the red carpet at the official blessing and opening of St John of God Berwick Hospital on Thursday 8 March 2018.

Special guests and dignitaries joined together to formally celebrate the opening of the new Kangan Drive facility which has been caring for patients since 18 January this year.

Hosted by St John of God Health Care’s Board Chairman Tony Howarth and St John of God Berwick Hospital CEO Lisa Norman the event included a blessing of the building, as well as a ceremony that served to highlight the important roles that history, quality care, community engagement and the hospital’s Mission, Vision and Values have played in the overall design and redevelopment of the new facility.

“We’re committed to providing care closer to home,” Lisa said.

“We’re overwhelmingly proud to officially open St John of God Berwick Hospital in the company of distinguished guests and the people responsible for seeing this project through from conception to completion.”

The new $120 million hospital can accomodate up to 202 patients. It also provides the first Intensive Care Unit for the region, along with a range of cardiac services and a dedicated cardiac unit to serve Victoria’s eastern corridor.

As part of the celebrations a golden shovel, architect drawings and a hard hat were brought forward to symbolise the enormous commitment to provide a purpose-built, state of the art facility that caters specifically to local community needs and demands.

The symbolic items presented to chronicle the essence of St John of God Health Care and the journey that has seen healthcare evolve over the past 100-plus years in Berwick. Guests who have played a key role in the history and development of St John of God Berwick Hospital were also acknowledged and a plaque to commemorate the official opening was unveiled at the event.

“These symbols and this celebration is really important in ensuring that we continue to recognise and pay tribute to the legacy that is St John of God Berwick Hospital,” Lisa said.

“What started out as a tiny community hospital staffed by one medical professional has well and truly grown into a contemporary health care facility with over 600 caregivers that can adequately serve this ever-growing region of Victoria now and into the future.

“The day is about recognising our hospital’s humble beginnings and making sure the culture that is embedded in our history at Gibb Street transfers seamlessly over to Kangan Drive.

“It’s also important that we have these celebrations to recognise the enormous achievements of the design, construction and commissioning teams who have worked tirelessly to deliver this tremendous facility. It acknowledges the caregivers including our doctors who work hard delivering our distinctive style of health care to our community.”

While 8 March will forever mark the day that the hospital officially opened, it also coincides with another significant event on the Catholic calendar—St John of God Day.

Each year the hospital celebrates the day with a feast of Spanish inspired food for its caregivers, such as paella and churros donuts. The day serves to recognise the life and origins of our namesake, St John of God.