Caboolture Hospital celebrates 25 years of caring for community
During Caboolture’s Hospital’s 25th anniversary celebrations, 14 original staff who are still working at the hospital today were officially recognised for their dedication.
Staff, patients and the community are celebrating 25 years of caring and compassion at Caboolture Hospital.
The hospital welcomed its first patients on 25 October 1993 and has been an integral part of the community in the following 25 years.
Hospital Executive Director Dr Lance Le Ray said the milestone was an ideal opportunity to thank staff – both past and present – for the essential role they had in caring for the community.
“Staff are the backbone of Caboolture Hospital, working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, helping people in our community who need it most,” Dr Le Ray said.
“The best of Caboolture Hospital is not its physical spaces – it’s the people who work at the hospital and the community it serves.
“In 1993, the hospital opened with an Emergency Department, Medical Imaging, Medical Services, Paediatrics and Maternity, with surgical starting soon after.
“The surrounding area was mostly open pasture with kangaroos and other wildlife often seen on the grounds.
“Today, the hospital employs about 1100 staff with more than half the workforce – about 600 people – being nurses and midwives.
“In 2017, the hospital had more than 31,000 patient admissions, about 53,000 Emergency Department presentations, about 7,500 surgical operations and 95,000 specialist outpatient appointments for children and adults.
“Thank you to the doctors, nurses and hard-working staff in areas including operations, administration, engineering, education and food services, to name but a few.”
Several events were held at the hospital throughout the day for staff, patients and visitors to celebrate the occasion, sponsored by salary packaging provider, Remserv. Staff who have worked at the hospital since it opened 25 years ago were officially recognised.
Executive Director Dr Lance Le Ray said the anniversary was also a great opportunity to look forward to how the hospital would change in the next 25 years ahead.
“The interim expansion of our Emergency Department will significantly increase the floor space and will include more appropriate places for the management of children, mental health and elderly patients,” Dr Le Ray said.
“These works are expected to start in early next year and be ready for patients from mid-2019.
“Our attention will then turn to the large-scale redevelopment of the hospital, with detailed design to start early next year and construction from early 2020.
“Our new clinical services building will increase the number of beds by about 70 per cent, which will include hiring more doctors, nurses and support staff to care for the community.
“As we celebrate our first 25 years today, the community can be confident that their local hospital will continue to grow in line with the commmunity for the next 25 years and beyond.”
Dr Le Ray also thanked St Columban’s College and the Caboolture Hospital Auxiliary for their support of the 25th anniversary celebrations.
For more details on the anniversary celebrations, visit https://metronorth.health.qld.gov.au/caboolture/
