May 19, 2016
The Lady Bjeke-Petersen Community Hospital has been given a tick of approval by Queensland Health and is on schedule to fully reopen by the end of July.
South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell told Wednesday’s Council meeting Queensland Health had recently conducted a full audit of the facility and had acknowledged the hospital met the Department’s expectations.
The day hospital is currently licensed to operate with five overnight beds but this will be increased to nine beds.
The hospital’s licence has also been expanded to include general children’s surgery. Children’s dentistry procedures will begin next week to help reduce the region’s public waiting lists.
Mayor Campbell told the meeting the hospital’s new operators, South Bank Day Hospital, are also exploring the possibility of introducing oncology services at the facility, and were working with Queensland health on other possible future offerings.
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A statement from South Bank Day Hospital said last Friday’s audit outcome was “reassuring”.
The first list of paediatric dental cases have been scheduled for next Thursday and Friday.
They will be undertaken by Dr Jonathan Pye and Dr Phuong Pye, from local practice Dental Essentials.
The surgical team will comprise a mix of staff, and include clinical staff from Kingaroy plus other health workers from South Bank Day Hospital in Brisbane.
South Bank Day Hospital representatives Prof Mark Radford and Mr Mark Sheridan will also travel from Brisbane to attend.
Manager Leith MacMillan and Chief Operations Officer Kelly Langdon spent three days meeting with GPs in Nanango and Kingaroy last week as part of the latest stage in the consultation process with key stakeholders.
Employment contracts are being issued, with some staff beginning work next week.
“We are delighted to be making such positive and timely progress with the opening of the new Lady Bjelke-Petersen Community Hospital and thank the local community for its tremendous support,” SBDH Executive Director Prof Radford said.
“As we continue to develop the plan for the hospital’s medical services, our focus will remain on providing high quality health care for the South Burnett region and delivering a repertoire of health care that truly works for all patients, in consultation with the community and its stakeholders.”
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Former South Burnett mayor Wayne Kratzmann was elected as chairman of the Hospital Foundation’s board on Tuesday night.
Mr Kratzmann was appointed as one of two community representatives to the board last month.
While Mayor, Mr Kratzmann spear-headed an eight-month search to find a new hospital operator after Pulse Health pulled out on June 30 last year.
Mr Kratzmann said he was particularly interested in leading fund-raising efforts for the board, which oversees the operations of the Community Hospital and provides it with working capital, where required.
Cr Terry Fleischfresser told Wednesday’s Council meeting all positions on the board were purely honorary and none of the people who sit on it received any money for doing so.
They also have to fund their own expenses for attending meetings.
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