The Theatres in the new Wonthaggi Hospital now offer patients innovative medical technology thanks to a partnership between Bass Coast Health (BCH) and medical technology company, Stryker.
Stryker was awarded the tender to design and fit-out the Theatres with technology that enables a greater variety of complicated surgeries to be undertaken at Wonthaggi, saving more people from having to travel to Melbourne or the Latrobe Valley for surgery.
Lighting, pendants, operating tables, and audio-visual integration and camera systems were installed in the three theatres and procedure room. This includes the digital theatre that enables surgery to be broadcast to metropolitan health services for support and staff education purposes.
BCH CEO Jan Child said the new Theatres are fantastic for the community that BCH so proudly serves.
“We are thrilled to be able to bring world class, exceptional equipment and care to Bass Coast and our sub-region,” she said.
“The Theatres and equipment will help us offer patients access to the latest technology to provide high quality care.”
BCH Operations Director Fiona Christensen said the Stryker team acted as a “one-stop shop”, working with the BCH Operating Suite team to not only design and equip the Theatres but also to train BCH staff to maximise the surgical capacity offered by the Stryker equipment.
BCH’s Learning and Development team worked with Stryker to develop training modules that Theatre staff were required to complete prior to working in the new Theatres.
“To have a system that is intuitive and easy to use was crucial, especially while our surgical team was running business as usual while transitioning into our new Theatre complex,” Fiona said.
Stryker equipment will assist the health service to eventually expand its surgical capacity to operating 24/7 and undertake more advanced procedures.