Hospitals work to strength sector
SEVERAL signatures marked a new and exciting beginning for Toowoomba’s health sector.
Toowoomba Hospital, St Vincent’s Private Hospital and St Andrew’s Hospital yesterday officially partnered with Toowoomba Regional Council and Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise under a Health Industry Partnership Memorandum of Understanding.
The city’s three major hospitals will expand their state-of-the-art centres, collectively spending about $65 million.
The agreement states that all parties agree to work co-operatively to promote and strengthen the health-care sector in Toowoomba.
St Vincent’s Private Hospital Toowoomba CEO Ms Kathryn McKeefry described the hospitals as “trailblazers”.
“We’re doing this because although we agree to stick to our own individual light, to attract good conditions and good services and to expand services, it’s too difficult in a regional area to try and do that as a stand-alone entity.
“But between the three of us, we have nearly 1000 beds, a massive amount of employment and we can offer opportunities between public and private, education and offer extended pieces to our other areas as well.”
Mayor Paul Antonio said Toowoomba’s position as a regional health leader was well known.
“I think it’s quite unique and a clear indication of the importance of health in the economy,” he said.
“We are a centre of excellence in health and this is about building on that. This is just simply a MOU which is legally non-binding. There’s no financial commitment been made by anyone - it’s simply a commitment to work together to build the health industry in our region.”
TSBE executive chairman Shane Charles said the health sector continued to be a major area of business growth and was the region’s largest employer with 10,743 people working in health over 2014/15.
“We will be working together to not only to promote Toowoomba as a centre of excellence for health, and improve awareness of the extensive capability that exists, but also to attract the best and brightest health professionals to relocate here,” he said.