August 24, 2012
Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service Board Chairman Mike Horan will be visiting the South Burnett for three days next week to inspect local facilities and officially open the new Cherbourg Community Health Centre.
Mr Horan said the $1.8 million building project at Cherbourg had begun earlier this year and included the refurbishment of the old nursing accommodation building to house Cherbourg’s community health services in the “Christine Stewart Community Health building”.
“The old nursing accommodation building has been refurbished to become the new Cherbourg Community Health Centre containing mental health services, healthy hearing, chronic disease team and Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Service (ATODS),” Mr Horan said.
“We have named the building after a long-serving Cherbourg health staff member Christine Stewart. Christine has devoted 37 years to Queensland Health and has made significant contributions to her local community.
“Christine was instrumental in the establishment of the Cherbourg Health Action Group and we are pleased to name the community health building as a permanent tribute to her long and dedicated commitment to improving health in her community.
“The building will have two new interview rooms, two clinic rooms and office space for community health staff.
“The clinic rooms and interview rooms will also be named after influential Aboriginal elders – in memoriam of Mary Maud Davidson and Joseph Button Snr who have passed away but worked tirelessly for the Cherbourg Health Action Group.
“The other two rooms are named after Elizabeth Jacobs Snr and Rory Boney who are current members of the health action group.
“The refurbished building will bring a welcome improvement to health facilities at Cherbourg Hospital.”
The official opening will be held at the Cherbourg Community Health Centre at 2:30pm.
Mr Horan said prior to the official function he and DDHHS Chief Executive Dr Peter Bristow would tour two other South Burnett health facilities.
“We will be visiting Nanango Hospital at 10:00am, meeting staff members and looking at the buildings and equipment there. Then we will be visiting Murgon Hospital at midday to familiarise ourselves with that facility,” he said.
The following day they will visit Forrest View Nursing Home and Wondai Hospital before holding a DDHHS Board meeting at Wondai Hospital and meeting with Chamber of Commerce representatives, South Burnett and Cherbourg councillors, and visiting health staff, health practitioners and hospital auxiliaries.
On Wednesday morning, they will visit Kingaroy Hospital and Farrhome.
Mr Horan said he and the board members were very keen to travel throughout the whole DDHHS area, meeting health staff, community members and becoming familiar with each health facility.
“This is an important part of our role – to learn from and listen to local communities. I have always felt that health improvements must be made by finding out what the local needs are.,” he said.
“Our two South Burnett board members Cheryl Dalton and Terry Fleischfresser are looking forward to hosting our board meeting in their part of the DDHHS area.”
