| By Nicole Ferrie
St John of God to expand
By NICOLE FERRIE
ST JOHN of God hospital is planning a major redevelopment which will see the facility build over Lily Street.
The hospital has bought the road from Barnard Street to the former Raggatt’s Bakery and plans to move the front entrance into Lily Street.
The staged process, which could cost up to $40 million, will result in more private hospital beds, improved services and help change the focus of the health care provider.
The first stage of the project has started with construction of a $1.5 million cardiac investigation unit.
The second phase will be a $5 million development focusing on intensive care and surgical accommodation beds and the third phase will see significant structural additions to the present site and a re-build of the theatre complex.
That will include additional beds and an improved rehabilitation unit.
Entry to the hospital will be from Lily Street, where more car parking will be incorporated into the design.
The design also allows for a change in focus for service delivery at the hospital.
St John of God chief executive Michael Hogan said the facility planned to increase out-of-hospital services, including physiotherapy, speech pathology and diabetes education.
“The sort of chronic illnesses people have don’t need stays in hospital but need services and treatment,” he said.
“We can go to them but the challenge is we need space, and an accessible facility to cope with people who will be in and out and high volumes of people.”
It is hoped a business case of the master plan for the project will be considered by the St John of God Association in the near future, however Mr Hogan is confident the parent body will fund the project.
“We need to satisfy the demand for more beds and different services ... and for existing services to be improved,” he said.
“We’ll have a larger, more modern, more technologically advanced facilty that can meet the increasing demand of the community within Bendigo and north of Bendigo, with a strong focus on acute care, cardio, rehab and outpatient services.
“St John of God have a very positive attitude about Bendigo ... and they certainly have the funds there and available.”
St John of God recently committed $60million to Ballarat, $20million in Geelong, $6million in Warrnambool and $14million in Berwick.
The Catholic, non-profit organisation returns all profits to the communities it serves.
In Bendigo during the past year, $200,000 was given to social outreach projects, including $120,000 to Horizon House and $60,000 to the Seeds of Recovery post natal depression program.
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