Greenslopes Private Hospital’s Expansion Gets Underway

Greenslopes Private Hospital’s $72-million expansion and redevelopment is now underway. The expansion will provide medical care and service that will cater to the increasing demand for healthcare needs. 

Greenslopes Private Hospital has provided healthcare needs for numerous patients since it started operating in 1942, as the 112th Australian General Hospital during World War II years. This 78-year-old heritage-listed site has commenced with its expansion and redevelopment worth $72 million – one of the hospital’s largest redevelopments — with the project expected to be completed by December 2021. 

The redevelopment involves the construction of a three-storey infill building, to be located next to the existing administration area, which will expand the existing services with more bed numbers and increasing the hospital’s capacity to cater for future growth in day surgery procedures, including some cosmetic and plastic cases, theatre cases and expanded intensive care unit. 

Greenslopes Private Hospital

Photo credit: Greenslopes Private Hospital / Facebook

Level one of the expansion will include three new rooms for day surgery procedures, including some plastic and cosmetic cases. There will also be a shell room for future expansion whilst the existing day surgery recovery area will be refurbished to improve the admission and discharge experience for patients.  

Level two will see an expansion of the intensive care (ICU) unit, adding two new beds along with space to cater for five new ICU beds in the future. Level three will have the total number of operating theatres (OT) increased to 22 with the addition of three new theatres. Also, a room will be allocated for a fourth OT feature to be constructed in the future.

Moreover, one of the existing OTs will be converted into a hybrid theatre; a surgical theatre equipped with medical imaging equipment, enabling both open and minimally invasive procedures. 



“This work will take Greenslopes Private Hospital into the future with the ability to grow and maintain an environment which will provide a positive experience for all in our community,” Hospital CEO, Chris Went said.

“There is currently a high demand for inpatient beds, and with both the expansion of the emergency department and the additional operating theatres, the new beds will allow us to service this increased capacity.”  

Also included in the expansion is the second building comprising 64 private en suite rooms over two levels that will be constructed on the southern side of the Greenslopes Private Hospital.

The emergency department of the hospital will also undergo refurbishment – adding seven new bays providing patients more access to the healthcare workers. The expansion in the emergency department also offers additional rooms for medical imaging services.

About Greenslopes Private Hospital

Greenslopes Private Hospital is the largest private teaching hospital in Australia, operated by Ramsay Health Care and is renowned as a world-class tertiary medical facility.

Greenslopes Private Hospital has one of Brisbane’s largest private emergency centres with expertise in handling cardiac cases, stroke patients and people with sporting injuries. Greenslopes Private Hospital was awarded as Australia’s Best Private Hospital in 1999 and the Australian Private Hospital Association’s Hospital Quality of Excellence Award in 2004. 



Greenslopes Maternity Celebrates Fifth Year with Their ‘First Borns’

Greenslopes Private Hospital opened its maternity service five years ago, in February 2013. The hospital has since provided hotel-style facilities through its 26 luxurious single private rooms, all built for the utmost comfort of mothers and newborns.

Greenslopes Maternity, in celebration of their fifth anniversary, recently invited their “first borns” — the first babies born on 26th February for each year that has passed since the maternity service started in 2013.

The staff at the hospital – doctors, midwives, and nurses – had an afternoon tea party with 5-year-old Mia, 4-year-old Lachlan, 3-year-old Isla, and 2-year-old Ava and their parents to celebrate the maternity’s anniversary and the children’s birthdays as well.

Credit: Greenslopes Maternity Facebook

“Thank you to Mia (5 years old), Lachlan (4 years old), Isla (3 years old) and Ava (2 years old) for coming along with your mums and dads to say hello and celebrate your birthdays! We were so excited to see midwives, nurses, obstetricians, chaplain & executive staff – thank you for helping to make Greenslopes Maternity wonderful,” Greenslopes said in its announcement.

This year saw more than 5,000 babies born at Greenslopes Maternity within the five years since its opening.

Patrick Deane, a baby born on 7th of February, became the 5,000th baby born at the Greenslopes Maternity. Obstetrician Dr Melissa McKenzie said it was an honour to be involved in the milestone moment.

Baby Patrick Deane and his parents Credit: Greenslopes Maternity Facebook

“It’s a privilege to care for every family who sees me during their pregnancy journey and it’s always an incredibly special time when any baby is born,” Dr McKenzie said.

“I love being a part of the Greenslopes Maternity team. It’s a team which offers the highest standard of care whilst also keeping the service personalised and friendly. I continue to look forward to caring for my patients and being there for future landmarks at Greenslopes!” the doctor added.

Olivia, Oliver Top Most Popular Baby Names 2017 List From Greenslopes Private Hospital

Olivia was the most popular name for baby girls in 2017, according to data released by Greenslopes Private Hospital based on the birth occurrences in its maternity ward. Olivia’s counterpart for the opposite sex, Oliver, also landed in the top spot but had tied with three other names: Harrison, Henry and William.

Most of the girls from more than 1,000 babies who were born at Greenslopes Private Hospital were named Olivia, followed by Zara, Zoe, Addison, and Ava. Other popular names that made it to the list were Amelia or Emilia, Charlotte, Matilda, and Chloe. For the boys, Liam, Charlie, Jacob, and Thomas had also made it to the list aside from the four which tied at number one.

Greenslopes Maternity Ward has only been open since 2013. The ward boasts of luxurious hotel-like amenities and the highest standards of care. A total of 26 single rooms are fitted out with flat screen TVs and coffee machines. There are also four birth suites and 16 special care and night nursery cots. The Special Care Nursery staff is made up of skilled midwives and neonatal nurses aside from paediatricians and neonatologists.

How popular are the names Olivia and Oliver in Australia?

Both Olivia and Oliver are derivations of Latin word “oliva” or “olive”. In the Bible, olive trees symbolise fruitfulness, beauty, and dignity, hence, “extending an olive branch” signifies an offer of peace. Olivia, additionally, was first popularised by William Shakespeare in the “Twelfth Night”.

Credit: Photo credit: CCO Public Domain / Natural Pastels / Pixabay

Olivia and Oliver have actually always been ranked in the list of top baby names across Australia.

Olivia was the top girl baby name in 2014, according to McCrindale. McCrindale is Australia’s group of social researchers analysing the trends through surveys on communities and societies.

Whilst Charlotte exceeded Olivia from number one for 2017, Olivia held the top rank in NSW for this year. Elsewhere, aside from Charlotte and Olivia, parents in most of the states and territories in the country also named their babies Ava, Mia, and Amelia.

On the other hand, Oliver has maintained the top spot for boys’ names for three years in a row. There were 2,145 babies named Oliver across the country last year. In the territories however, there were more babies named Jack and William.

For the complete list of top 50 names for both baby boys and girls at the Greenslopes Maternity, click here.

New Scanner in Greenslopes Private Hospital to Help in Cancer Treatments

Greenslopes Private Hospital (GPH) has just installed the new Siemens Biograph mCT Flow 64 PET/CT scanner early this month. GPH is the first private hospital to install this kind of scanner in South East Queensland. The scanner and associated equipment are now housed in the new Queensland X-Ray facility on the GPH’s lower ground level.

 

Modern Scanner to Benefit the Patients

Photo credit: Siemens Healthcare

Siemens Biograph mCT Flow 64 is built to reduce imaging time for patients. It is not a typical “one-size-fits-all” scanner that uses complex approach. Other scanners usually take a longer time to perform scans due to their “stop-and-go” technology. Siemens Biograph mCT Flow 64 uses FlowMotion technology that can standardize imaging protocolos, whilst ensuring personalized scans in a single, continuous, and fast scan.

In Queensland, there is one person diagnosed with cancer every 20 minutes. According to the data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, cancer (lung cancer, specifically) is one of the top five causes of death in Australia, accounting to 8,410 deaths.

The new technology in GPH can help in the early detection and treatment of cancer. The scanner will be used to stage and restage most cancers, such as prostate, colorectal, breast, and lung cancers.

Photo credit: Siemens Healthcare

The scanner can also detect some indicators of Alzheimer’s Disease. Queensland X-Ray PET/CT Coordinator John Barlow mentioned that some PET tracers can detect osteoblastic processes and amyloid presence in the brain. The scanner can measure how active a tumor is.

“The most common PET study involves an injection of a radioactive glucose which is metabolised by tumour cells. The PET/CT scanner is used to measure how much of the tracer is metabolised and therefore how active the tumour is,” Mr. Barlow said.

 

More innovations and developments to come

Posted by Greenslopes Private Hospital on Wednesday, June 14, 2017

The site where the new scanner are located is also fitted with real-time radiation monitoring system, which means that GPH will be able to track radiation levels using an advanced technology.

GPH is also planning to move one of its Nuclear Medicine departments to the same location later this year. Once the plan commences, patients will be able to access dozens of additional tests in GPH, such as bone scans, gastrointestinal studies, myocardial perfusions scans, and thyroid scans.

Photo credit: Greenslopes Private Hospital/Facebook

Today, GPH is busy developing and constructing the Nicholson Street Specialist Centre. The specialist centre is foreseen to provide 30 additional medical consulting suites, all of which are expected to open late next year.