NEW YEAR, NEW ERA FOR ST VINCENT’S

The new year heralds the beginning of an exciting new era for St Vincent’s Private Hospital with the first surgical procedure to be performed in the Clive Berghofer Operating Theatre Suites in mid-january.

The $30 million theatre complex — which added six new state-of-the-art operating theatres including a cuttingedge hybrid theatre, a new kitchen and a new main reception area for the hospital — has been completed two months ahead of schedule and the end result has exceeded all expectations.

Hospital chief executive officer Kathryn Mckeefry said the theatre complex build had been a great success from the first day of construction, and delivered much more than new facilities for the hospital.

“Hutchinson Builders managed the build so well they were able to hand back the space to us before Christmas, which enabled us to undertake the monumental task of commissioning the theatres and orientating our staff and the surgeons in December in preparation for the first case in January,” Kathryn says.

Kathryn says the individual theatres function well but are also really beautiful spaces.

“Theatres are not usually aesthetically pleasing places — but our new ones are spacious and contemporary and equipped with the latest equipment, which will not only enhance the experience for our staff and surgeons but also for our patients.

“From a clinical perspective, the inclusion of a hybrid theatre has enabled us to introduce a new cardiac diagnostic service in partnership with Heart Care Partners.

“This new service will be delivered with the support of local cardiologists Dr Bob Ayres and Hearts 1st and will develop into full interventional services later in the year.”

But the benefits of the build do not end with the introduction of new clinical services and an aesthetically pleasing environment.

The new kitchen, completed as part of the theatre build, has enabled the hospital to introduce room service for all patient meals — an innovation that has proved very popular. With the theatre build now complete, Kathryn says the main hospital entrance will revert to Entrance One and carparking arrangements at the front of the hospital will return to normal as well.

“2017 was a big year for St Vincent’s, and we thank our patients and the community for bearing with us during the disruption of the theatre build,” she says.

“I’d like to say that work on-site is now over — but there will be ongoing refurbishments in 2018, which will unfortunately involve some degree of noise — so stay tuned as there is more development to come at St Vincent’s.”

The Clive Berghofer Theatre Suites will be officially opened on Thursday, February 22.