February 26, 2016
Businesswoman Gina Rinehart has pledged $600,000 to ensure the future success of the Lady Bjelke-Petersen Community Hospital in Kingaroy.
South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann, who made the announcement on Friday morning, said he was awestruck by Mrs Rinehart’s gesture.
The money will be used over three years to ensure the hospital runs at no cost to ratepayers.
“I am completely overwhelmed by Mrs Rinehart’s kindness and generosity,” Mayor Kratzmann said.
“Gina is an amazing individual and one who does so much to help people in need.
“This donation will form part of the business plan that will guarantee not only the re-opening of the hospital, but also its longevity.”
Mrs Rinehart has friendships and business interests in the Kingaroy community, and said she was delighted Council had renamed the hospital in honour of her long-time friend, Lady Flo.
In January, the South Burnett Regional Council voted to allocate $150,000 for the development of a business plan to ensure the hospital could be re-opened and run at no cost to ratepayers.
Soon afterwards it engaged health consultant Leith MacMillan to work on the project.
This business plan is expected to be completed by mid-March and Council would like the hospital to re-open on September 1.
The hospital’s licence, which is currently held by former hospital managers Pulse Health, will be transferred prior to March 31.
Ms McMillan said that she has been pleased by the great support from local doctors she had met.
She was also pleased to report that all the specialists she had contacted so far were eager to come back once the hospital re-opens.
Mayor Kratzmann said his next step would be to talk to Queensland Health officials.
“While I firmly believe Kingaroy needs a new public hospital, I recognise that this might not be possible for the State Government at the present time,” he said.
“However, re-opening the community hospital will add extra capacity to our region’s health services that we haven’t had since last July, and I will be suggesting to Queensland Health we explore ways to share the heath care burden between both facilities.”
The Mayor said he envisages the way the hospital will be run would be through a non-profit foundation, run by a volunteer board made up of two Council representatives, four local medical representatives, and two community representatives.
The hospital’s CEO would report to the Board, and profits from the hospital’s operations, along with fundraising efforts, would be ploughed back into maintaining and expanding the facility.
“At the moment Council allocates around $100,000 a year to maintaining the hospital building,” the Mayor said.
“This new model would transfer maintenance responsibility to the hospital foundation, effectively relieving ratepayers of a significant cost.”
* * *
Friday’s announcement has put an end to a massive 11-month effort by Mayor Wayne Kratzmann to find a way to re-open the community hospital’s doors.
Former hospital operators Pulse Health gave notice in March last year they would cease to operate the facility on June 30, 2015.
While the hospital had run at a modest profit for 12 years after it was acquired by the former Kingaroy Shire Council in 2002, changes in the way health services were funded had pushed Pulse’s Kingaroy operation into the red in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
To determine the level of community support for keeping the hospital open, the Mayor launched a #saveourhospital petition campaign in mid-July with the aim of collecting 5000 signatures.
But the campaign exceeded all expectations, gathering almost 10,000 signatures in little more than a week.
After this – backed by overwhelming community support for his efforts – the Mayor travelled repeatedly to Brisbane, Toowoomba and interstate in search of another operator.
But frustratingly, while several large hospital operators expressed interest in taking on the project, the timing was unsuitable for their own business plans.
By late last year, the Mayor decided the only way to re-open the facility was for the Council to take over running the hospital itself.
But unwilling to see ratepayers carry any losses from the project, he persuaded fellow Councillors to back a proposal to hire a hospital specialist to develop a business plan with the aim of ensuring the hospital re-opened as a profitable operation.
A motion for the Council to take over the running of the hospital and to allocate $150,000 towards the development of a business plan was passed 5-2 at a special Council meeting on January 21.
Related articles:
- Consultant Inspects Hospital Building
- Council Appoints Health Specialist
- Deputy Mayor Speaks Out On Hospital
- Mayoral Candidate To File Formal Complaint
- Council Votes To Save Hospital
- Candidate’s Solution ‘Laughable’: Tessmann
- What You Voted For
- Views From Two Candidates
- More Delays Likely Over Hospital
- Hospital Meeting Now On Thursday
- Brown Blasts Council Over Hospital
- Hospital’s Fate Decided Next Week
- South Burnett Private Hospital Decision Delayed
- Hospital Decision Soon
- Council To Vote On Running Hospital
- Council Candidate Claims ‘Ego, Emotion’ For Hospital Decision
- Talk Of ‘Plan B’ Angers Mayor
- Doors Still Open At Private Hospital
- Mayor Hits The Road
- What More Can We Do?
- Huge Response To Hospital Campaign
- Why I Want To Be Mayor
- Mayor Appeals For Public Support
- Council Still Looking For Hospital Operator
- Still A Glimmer Of Hope For Hospital
- Hospital Deadline Looming
- Council In Talks With Qld Health
- Why We Need Our Private Hospital
- Closure Would Be ‘Absolute Disaster’
- Fingers Crossed For Private Hospital
- Mayor Off To Brisbane For Hospital Talks
- Mayor Gutted Over Hospital Closure
Thank you Gina – your generosity and willingness to help a community in need is greatly appreciated.
Thank you Wayne for the hard work you have undertaken on this difficult project. A great legacy to retire on, but equally a great achievement for the future of the South Burnett to now build a bolder future on. Please don’t retire your incredible relationship building skills, and keep on keeping on building this great South Burnett after March 19.