CEO Update – 18 July 2022

The Health System Winter Response (HSWR) was developed, by the Victorian Department of Health, to ensure high quality COVID-19 and non COVID-19 care (including elective care) can be delivered through the tricky winter months.

As reported in the media, the HSWR was escalated to Stage 3 yesterday. As a result, our management team have met this morning to work through the implications of a stage 3 declaration and our next steps.

This update is provided to keep you informed.

• There will be no change to our surgery service at this stage.
• Visitor access will be restricted again to previous levels, akin to other surge events. (please see below).
• We will remain a tier 2 COVID-19 hospital only, which means looking after our own community, within our capability and limited physical capacity.
• Community Care will return to telehealth for appropriate services, and we will ask clients in our respite care program, and social support group, to undertake RATS.
• Many internal strategies have also been activated, such as: expansion of the RAT surveillance program to all staff (not just patient facing), working from home if possible, and all our meetings/interviews will return to virtual.

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience the above steps may cause. We are making these decisions to ensure we can protect our patients, clients, visitors and staff to our best ability.

Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding.

Paul Greenhalgh

Visiting hours and restrictions

Patients are restricted to TWO visitors for up to TWO hours strictly between 0930 to 1130 hours and 1700 to 1900 hours (7 days per week).

All visitors to provide evidence of a negative Rapid Antigen Test prior to entry

Exemptions may apply.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in keeping our patients and community safe during this time.

Expression of Interest – Indigenous Art Project

South Gippsland Hospital wish to engage the services of a local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artist to create an outdoor installation, representative of the traditional custodians of the land on which the hospital sits.

Please see link below for more details:

Outdoor Indigenous Art Project brief June 2022

Enquires to Samantha Park Director Community Care, via email Samantha.park@sghs.com.au or on 0428 391 700

Wonderful place to work!

Clink the link below to see why people choose South Gippsland Hospital

https://vimeo.com/715416938