The enormous challenges the Coronavirus presented to Central Gippsland Health’s (CGH) health and aged care systems was met head on by its people as shown in the organisation’s Annual Report 2019 – 2020.
With this steadfast resolve to continue to serve the ever-changing health needs of its community, CGH Board of Management Chair, Tony Anderson, said CGH’s brave frontline workers and management teams stayed focused on their goals and strived to do better every day amidst the unprecedented pandemic
“In this challenging period, the CGH team has prudently dealt with the significant disruption to our hospital activity levels and the underlying funding that it brings,” Mr Anderson explained.
“They have worked hard to understand the clinical challenge, the risks and the ever-changing treatment and prevention protocols. This has been a significant investment in mental and physical energy.”
In his final year as Chief Executive Officer, Dr Frank Evans explained that in the spirit of doing better every day, CGH continued to invest in its people, operations and infrastructure.
Of particular note are the following:
- Completion of a fourth operating theatre to support Orthopaedic surgery, reducing the need for our community to travel outside the local region for this type of surgery;
- Commencement of a master-planning project for the Maffra Hospital;
- Completion of the significant refurbishment of the Special Care Nursery;
- Expansion of the Critical Care Unit, combined with the implementation of a Short Stay Unit;
- Partnering with Stretton Park to commence stage one of its redevelopment: an expansion of its aged care accommodation facilities, helping to secure $1M in Federal Government funding to support stage two of the project; and
- Taking further steps towards the construction of new medical student accommodation which will see the existing units on the corner of Elgin and Foster Streets demolished and replaced with modern accommodation.
Dr Evans highlighted the work being done to provide learning and employment pathways for people, and CGH’s commitment to supporting the most disadvantaged, vulnerable or marginalised in the community.
“This social justice value approach has been incredibly fulfilling as I have seen this highly complex process evolve over the last 12 years to become our guide to providing healthcare for the past 12 years,” he explained.
“It has been my quest to provide an environment where growth and development is part of our core business and where everyone is fully engaged in our vital mission to make a difference for our community and our work adds value to our lives, rather than just enabling us to put food on the table and a roof over our heads.”
Dr Evans said CGH’s Vision, Mission and Values would continue to provide its staff, volunteers and liaison groups across the entire network with a guiding light that would keep the organisation’s quest at the centre of its work, with a focus on embedding Values Based Healthcare even further into the future.