Building for a brighter future - GHA Central

Overview: Year in Review
Continuum of Care
This year we continued our focus
on developing and implementing
innovative programs to improve
access and service to the community.
Examples of this include the opening
of the clinic at Trafalgar for District
Nursing and podiatry services,
establishment of community kitchens
across Baw Baw Shire focusing on
nutrition, socialising and wellbeing, the
extension of the Aboriginal Best Start
project into 2007, the development of
health promotion programs to achieve
a more population health approach
with the Health Promotion team
concentrating their efforts on
physical activity and nutrition.
It was pleasing to receive funding from
Department of Human Services under
the Rural Patient Initiatives program
to employ an Elective Surgery Access
Coordinator to assist in managing the
elective surgery waiting list as well
as being allocated 75 WIES to help
reduce elective surgery waiting lists.
The Baw Baw Aged Care Strategy
was launched by the Minister for
Aged Care Hon Gavin Jennings at
Andrews House in December. The
recommendations from this plan are
being followed up by Fairview Homes,
Mawarra, Baw Baw Shire and West
Gippsland Healthcare Group through
the Baw Baw Integrated Planning
Network.
West Gippsland Healthcare Group
continues to participate in a range of
regional activities to improve service
delivery across the Gippsland region.
These include regional integrated
cancer services, regional palliative
Board President Peter Marx
(right) and Baw Baw Shire
Council Mayor Ian Clark
(left) acknowledge the
partnership between the
Shire and the Group at
the official opening of
the Trafalgar Podiatry
and District Nursing clinic
operating out of the
Council’s Maternal and
Child Health Centre
watched by Group staff.
The work of our volunteers, auxiliaries and community
supporters continues to play a vital role
in our health service and our appreciation is extended
to them for their wonderful support.
care, sub-acute care planning and the
Gippsland Health Services Partnership
aims to improve the health status for
residents of Gippsland.
Leadership and Management
The extensive capital works program
continues as we improve the facilities
and infrastructure at West Gippsland
Healthcare Group.
In December 2005, the extension of
20 high care beds and renovations
to the existing 30 low care beds to
Andrews House was opened by the
Minister for Aged Care Hon Gavin
Jennings. The redevelopment of the
Midwifery and High Dependency Units
at West Gippsland Hospital continued.
This project, funded from capital
reserves at a cost of $3ml, is due for
completion in July 2006. The $6.2ml
project to purchase and redevelop
the Old Clothing Company site in
Gladstone Street, Warragul for
Community Health and Community
Mental Health commenced in early
2006 and is due for completion in
November 2006. The $1ml expansion
to Warragul Linen Service which
included extensions to the building,
installation of a second continuous
batch washer and over head rail
system was completed in November.
The Government has allocated
$3ml to develop the Community
Rehabilitation Centre under Cooinda
Lodge. Expressions of interest were
called in June for builders to tender
for this project.
The Warragul Linen Service was
successful in retaining the linen
tender for Southern Health for a
further three years with a further
two year option. This outcome allows
Warragul Linen Service to plan for
the future with more certainty and
confidence.
To assist the Board in monitoring
the overall performance of the Group
a suite of key performance indicators
have been developed that will assist
the Board with its responsibilities in
monitoring clinical governance and
risk management.
Financial Performance
The Group is pleased to report a
net surplus of $310,000 after the
inclusion of capital, depreciation and
amortisation. It should be noted that
the previous years net surplus was
significantly inflated due to the
inclusion of capital funds associated
with the building project at Andrews
House.
Total revenues of $53.1m. were
received during the year with $39.9m.
received through a range of DHS and
Commonwealth Department of Health
& Ageing activity-based grants and
block funded programs. The strong
revenue performance of our business
units, the Warragul Linen Service
and generous community donations
continue to underpin the Group’s
sound financial position.
The growth in expenditure was largely
attributable to increases associated
with industrial awards and increases
in costs of clinical consumable items
and services.
The Group completed the transition
to report in compliance with the
Australian equivalents to International
Finance Reporting Standards (A-IFRS)
and adoption of the DHS mandated
Chart of Accounts.
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