BASS COAST HEALTH SET TO GROW WITH OUR COMMUNITY Bass Coast Health Deputy CEO Louise Sparkes is proud to be part of a progressive team at the health service.
“We know that one of our key gaps is the lack of after-hours general emergency surgery provision, so we will introduce a 24-hour general surgery service at Wonthaggi over the coming years with the support of local and metropolitan surgeons,” Louise said. “Higher level maternity services are also planned with a special care nursery cot to be part of our maternity services upgrade in the next few years. Whilst the Phillip Island and Wonthaggi Hospital expansion have been supported exceptionally well through funding from the Department of Health, like we did with our Cancer service, we will fundraise with our community to create an expanded Maternity service. “Our future BCH plans also include the expansion of chemotherapy, dialysis and dental services at Cowes with planning already underway for a new Community hospital – set to open its doors in 2024. Cancer services in particular are predicted to continue to grow and as part of the ongoing development of our cancer services, BCH is starting Access to Clinical trials, beginning with world first trials in melanoma screening. “We will also work alongside Latrobe Regional Health to address another important gap, and expand mental health services in both acute and primary care settings,” Louise said. “Most importantly, all of these services require skilled and passionate people who want to make a difference for this local community. As part of an innovative workforce strategy to support the additional 120 EFT required by 2025, BCH will expand partnerships with local education providers and higher education providers to grow our future workforce,” Louise said.
Bass Coast Health Deputy CEO Louise "Lou" Sparkes is entering what could be the most exciting phase of her career yet. Having led the Clinical Services team for several years, building BCH as a sub-regional service and supporting the nursing profession as Director of Nursing, Louise, a Registered Nurse herself, is one of the Executive team at BCH now leading BCH through one of its most exciting phases of growth. “BCH has an incredibly ambitious few years ahead that will see more people treated locally. Both the Wonthaggi Hospital Expansion Project and Phillip Island Community Hospital will provide more space and points of care for service expansion and new services,” she said. “The new services planned will reduce key service gaps and increase the self-sufficiency of our sub-regional health service.
“An example of this is the commencement in 2022 of a Bachelor of Nursing training on-site in conjunction with Federation University and the Country Universities Centre in Wonthaggi, to minimise travel and facilitate learning close to home for local undergraduate nursing students. I am particularly passionate about doing everything we can to develop our future workforce and to inspire local people to create a fulfilling career in health. “Nursing has allowed me to work in a job where I can truly help people and make a difference. Nursing has also provided great collegiality in good and bad times. There are experiences that you have in health that are incredibly rewarding and others that are really sad and some that stay with you forever, but through all this, you are part of a team that is supportive and kind,” she said.
“The expanded hospital at Wonthaggi will include a much bigger Emergency Department with a dedicated space for patients with behavioural concerns. There will be a dedicated, purpose-built Paediatric inpatient area for children under 12 years of age, dedicated disability and Bariatric inpatient rooms and programs, high acuity inpatient care and state-of-the-art inpatient areas to accommodate more medical and surgical patients, all of which will be supported by more medical and surgical specialists. These spaces and programs will allow BCH to treat patients with more complex care issues and ensure we can treat a greater number of people locally.” BCH will develop a sub-regional Better At Home program, which will see an expanded Hospital In The Home program and a Geriatric Evaluation Medicine and Rehabilitation at home program that will see patients receiving more care in their own home.
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Federation University Bachelor of Nursing students, from left, Puja Paudel, Dipsina Gurung and Michelle Mattey are gaining experience in the Acute Ward at Wonthaggi Hospital.
