Redeveloped Geelong Hospital Officially Opened

St. John of God Geelong Hospital (Geelong, Australia) has been officially opened following an AUD 65 million expansion project.

The expansion project included the addition of 64 patient beds, increasing the total number of beds to 250, three new operating theatres, a hydrotherapy pool and rehabilitation center, an angiography suite, and a new chapel. The project also added a new emergency department (ED), three levels of underground parking, and renovation of staff amenities. Part of the expansion included a new six-storey specialist medical center to enhance day surgery services in a range of specialties including ophthalmology, plastic surgery, endoscopy, and dental surgery.

The redevelopment, with the new specialist medical center that was constructed on the site of the former Geelong Hotel, provides the first private ED in Geelong, taking pressure off the existing public emergency service in the area, which is operated by Barwon Health (Geelong, Australia). Privately insured patients who used the new ED could be admitted directly into St. John of God if they needed further treatment, while major trauma patients would still be taken by ambulance to Barwon Health.

“The opening of the emergency department capped off a period of rapid expansion at the hospital since building works started in 2012. This has been a fantastic project for our community,” said Stephen Roberts, CEO of Geelong Hospital. “Despite the very challenging nature of the extensive redevelopment we have been able to continue to achieve outstanding patient satisfaction. These results are a true testament to the commitment of the Geelong team to excellence in care.”

“The completion of this expansion is great news for health care in the Geelong community and has created 175 construction jobs and more than 130 ongoing full time jobs,” said Dr. Denis Napthine, Premier of the State of Victoria. “This significant investment by St. John of God complements the more than AUD 200 million in public health infrastructure projects currently underway in Geelong; this is part of more than AUD 4.5 billion being invested across the state in new health infrastructure.”

St. John of God Geelong Hospital, a division of St. John of God Health Care (Perth, Australia), provides services that include emergency, day surgery, medical, surgical, maternity, critical care and a catheterization lab. The hospital also provides on-site diagnostic and support services such as medical imaging, pathology, medical consulting suites, and a pharmacy.

Related Links:
St. John of God Geelong Hospital
Barwon Health
St. John of God Health Care