Why a $66,000 profit is a healthy sign

IT’S been a huge year for Bass Coast Health, the biggest and most challenging in the organisation’s history.

But even after all that’s happened in the 2020-21 year - from pandemic, to power failures, to the $115 million expansion project - the health service came up smiling after tabling a wafer-thin surplus of $66,000 at its annual general meeting recently.

That’s no mean feat on an operating budget of $116 million when you rely on input from 800 staff members and health professionals, while doubling the size of your operating base and spending an additional $8.1 million to “deliver services attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic”.

The financial stability and impressive development of health services in the last financial year were a highlight of the AGM but taking pride of place on the day were the contributions of Bass Coast Health’s volunteers, fundraising support groups and generous donors, closely followed by a staff that has gone above and beyond the call to deliver under such challenging circumstances.

And two of the volunteers who came in for the highest possible praise were 40-year volunteers Julie Kilgour and Frank Garry.

Chairman of the Bass Coast Health board, Don Paproth, opened the meeting on a sombre note, mourning the passing of the general manager of imaging at Monash Health, Tony Gabbert, a highly valued member of the BCH board who died of brain cancer in recent months.

But his address to the meeting soon became a celebration of the many great achievements throughout the year.

“We’re building a new hospital in Wonthaggi. You might have seen it coming in from Dalyston - you can’t miss it,” he said.

“Your hospital will be opened in August next year with all of the bells and whistles that are needed in a modern hospital, something that the community can be proud of for the next 50, 60, 70 years and beyond, fit for purpose in a growing area; they’re building on time and on budget - an amazing feat.

“The new hospital is the most obvious sign of what’s been going on at Bass Coast Health in this last year, and you could be forgiven for thinking that’s all we’re focusing on. But it’s not... I’ll just mention a few other things that are happening at Bass Coast Health that have made 2021 special.

“We designed, built and opened our new cancer centre. This is my favourite addition for the year. It was locally designed, federally funded and built by TS Constructions, a Wonthaggi company.

“That centre means patients can be treated locally by our team of highly qualified oncologists where previously, very ill people had to travel to Traralgon or Melbourne. We’ve got the oncologists, we’ve got the equipment, we have the specialisation right here in Wonthaggi.

“Secondly, we’ve trebled our specialist workforce, which we’re very pleased about, and all of the planning has been done for our hospital at Cowes and construction will begin in the New Year.

“We’re the designated sub-regional hospital for South Gippsland which has meant we have had to greatly expand the range of services and to this end, we’re improving our relationship with our neighbouring providers: Gippsland Southern at Leongatha, South Gippsland Hospital in Foster and the Koo Wee Rup Health Service. This ultimately benefits the whole South Gippsland area.

“Our emergency department has been expanded enormously. It’s had to cope with our rapidly rising population and to meet the needs of our sub-regional partners. We’re the only 24-hour ED in the sub-region.”

Mr Paproth went on to note the improved connection with major metro hospitals, including the Alfred, Monash and Peninsula Heath and the upgrading of a new maternity section while praising staff and the board for their commitment to service and care through the “incredibly arduous conditions of the past 18 months”.

The health service, he said, had a wonderfully bright future as a result of the great strides that had been made in the 2020-21 year.

Health service CEO Jan Child continued on with details about the organisation’s performance, challenges and achievements.

These included the opening of the L Rigby Cancer Centre, the addition of 80 staff members, the rapid expansion of specialist services on-site at Wonthaggi, the arrival of an MRI machine and the success of the COVID testing and vaccination programs, in partnership with the Bass Coast Shire Council and the community. Next steps, Ms Child said, included further expansion of the emergency department, introduction of respiratory medicine, a dermatology specialty, the arrival of break-through technology in the fight against melanoma, an aged care improvement focus and the opening of the new Wonthaggi Hospital by October next year.

It has been some sort of year for Bass Coast Health but, as Ms Child acknowledged, the battle against the pandemic is far from over.