Byron Central Hospital celebrated its tenth anniversary yesterday by bringing staff and supporters together for a morning of celebration in acknowledgement of their dedication to healthcare in the Byron community.
In a media release, organisers said, “Staff and community members gathered to mark 10 years since the hospital opened at the greenfield site on Ewingsdale Road on 7 June, 2016”.
“The new hospital brought together teams and services from Byron Bay District Hospital and Mullumbimby and District Memorial Hospital, as well as Community Health centres in Bangalow, Brunswick Heads and Ocean Shores.
“Since opening, the Byron Central Hospital has provided care to more than 213,000 people within the region.
“Built at a cost of $88 million, Byron Central Hospital brought higher level services to the town, including a better equipped emergency department, inbuilt birthing baths in the maternity unit, enhanced x-ray and medical imaging services, and a new sub-acute mental health inpatient unit.
“The hospital was also designed to the highest environmental standards, with motion-activated internal lighting, and a 720kW solar PV array which has delivered around half a million dollars in savings in electricity costs and a reduction of 2000 tonnes of greenhouse gases.
Northern NSW Local Health District Chief Executive Tracey Maisey praised the supportive team culture and compassionate care delivered across the campus, from clinical staff to administration, wards people and cleaning staff.
“The staff here work very well as a team and you can see the shared vision in action, with everyone working together to ensure patients receive the best care possible,” Ms Maisey said.
“We also know from independent surveys, patients at Byron Central Hospital overwhelmingly rate the care they receive here very highly, and the cleanliness of the facility is also ranked highly on a regular basis.”
“Community Health services remain a vital component of the Byron campus services, including Community Nursing, Child and Family Nursing, Diabetic Education, Cardiac and Respiratory Rehab, Wound Clinic, and Adult and Paediatric Community and Allied Health services.
“A strong Specialist Palliative Care Service, delivered through nurse practitioners and clinical nurse consultants, has grown over the past 10 years, while Hospital in the Home services, caring for patients in their homes, are also delivered out of Byron Central Hospital.
Byron Central Hospital Executive Officer/Director of Nursing Tracey Sheehan thanked all the staff who had contributed so much over the past 10 years.
“We are grateful for the incredible team we have here at Byron Central Hospital, whose dedication, compassion and commitment to excellence have shaped our service and made a lasting difference to the community we serve,” Ms Sheehan said.
“I would particularly like to thank those members of staff who have worked with us for more than 20 years, whose exemplary care and incredible knowledge has paved the way for others to follow.”
Staff members noted for long service included:
- Rosemary O’Brien, Registered Nurse, 50 years’ service
- Julie Walker, Registered Nurse, 30 years
- Kerry Morrow, Clinical Nurse Specialist, 40 years
- Paul Pattison, Chronic Disease Manager – 30 years
- Vicki Milgate, Allied Health Assistant – 30 years
- Donna Bonomi Casai, HealthShare food services – 40 years.
“Plus, many other staff who have worked for the service for 20 years or more”.
Ms Sheehan was also excited to announce the introduction of a volunteer program on site, with community members interested in offering their time and energy to support the hospital invited to sign up.
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