St Vincent’s looks to future

Refurbishment underway for Toowoomba’s iconic maternity wing at St Vincent’s Hospital

Rachael Reuter and her partner Ryan Holznagel welcomed little Margaret Belle into the world on Mothers Day, Sunday May 14. Rachael says her experience at St Vincent’s Private Hospital Toowoomba was amazing, but having a family suite in the maternity ward would have made a fantastic experience even better. “My partner is very tall and struggled to be comfortable on the fold out lounges here in the rooms,” she says. “A larger bed would have made it even better and would make the dad be able to be more of a part of the process too. “It would also be great for families who have come in from out of town, we live only 30 minutes away but even that was difficult at times.” The current maternity wing of St Vincent’s Private Hospital Toowoomba is 20 years old — the Dorothea Divine Ward — and provides a premium quality service. However, to ensure the service continues to meet demand, plans are in place to refurbish the unit. Also under-way is further expansion and modernisation of the hospital as a whole, with the recent commencement of construction of the Clive Berghofer Theatre Suite. This expansion project will add six new, state-of-the-art operating theatres, a new day-surgery unit and a 16-bed recovery area as well as a new kitchen. Since St Vincent’s is a private not-for-profit hospital with strong links to the community, it relies on community support to fund these expansions. As Toowoomba and the surrounding region enter an exciting era of growth, St Vincent’s looks to the future with confidence and commitment that generations will continue to receive care within its walls and, in turn, will give their support to ensure the best is available for the generations to come. St Vincent’s Private Hospital aims to raise $4 million to refurbish the Dorothea Divine Maternity Unit and will soon be launching a major fundraising appeal. Details will appear on the hospital website at www.svpht.org.au.