8 | Growth plan a win-win Churchill Hospital General Manager Belinda Watkins: “Our co-location with the public hospital is unique and special; it works really well.” Churchill Private Hospital T T Kim Newth “What I really like about Churchill Hospital is how committed it is to the community. That has been a big drawcard for me... ” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Fresh from celebrating its 30-year anniversary milestone last year, Churchill Hospital is poised for further growth to meet rising demand for specialist surgery in Marlborough. Churchill Hospital, Marlborough’s only private surgical hospital, is located on the grounds of Blenheim’s public hospital, Wairau Hospital. Both work closely together in a mutually beneficial way, complementing each other to meet local patient needs. “Our co-location with the public hospital is unique and special; it works really well,” says Churchill Hospital General Manager Belinda Watkins. “For example, we pay to maintain and refurbish an operating theatre that we built on site in 2018, which is used by us and the public hospital. We also gifted a recovery room to the public hospital. Similarly, the public hospital supports us with post-operative complications if needed.” For surgical specialists, being able to work across the public and private health spheres makes Marlborough an attractive choice. “In turn, it means we can give people here more scope and choice in the surgical services they can access without them having to travel outside the local area.” Churchill Hospital is dedicated to providing first class healthcare for patients in a respectful, kind, purposeful way. Their 30-strong nursing team are known for their friendly, professional care and service. As well, Churchill Hospital consistently invests to have the best equipment, including robotics (for joint replacements) and laser technology (urology). Owned by a registered charitable trust, Churchill Hospital gives back to the community and supports health and wellness through donations, NMIT for nurse scholarships and other initiatives. The Churchill Private Hospital Trust is a major sponsor of Hospice Marlborough, as well as The Whale Trail between Picton and Kaikōura, and also supports Sports Tasman, the Tasman Rugby Union and Garden Marlborough. Belinda only joined Churchill Hospital late last year, with her previous roles having been with Access Community Health as national operations manager and as a Hospice CEO in Northland. “What I really like about Churchill Hospital is how committed it is to the community. That has been a big drawcard for me, along with having grandchildren in Blenheim too.” This year, Churchill Hospital is in expansion mode, with construction underway to take inpatient capacity from nine beds to 15 beds. That growth is largely being driven by the need to increase their capacity to cater for the growing aged population and the increased volume of Health New Zealand outsourced patients being referred to the private health sector for elective surgery to help alleviate pressure on public waiting lists. “In fact, we’re currently on the lookout for new surgical specialists,” says Belinda. “Blenheim is a great place to live and work, and we have a fantastic team here. The quality of care is exceptional. We get really good feedback from our patient satisfaction surveys.” As is the case across New Zealand, Marlborough has an ageing population. Much of the additional elective surgery being undertaken at Churchill Hospital is for joint replacements and cataract/ophthalmology along with general surgical procedures, but the hospital is also aiming to build its capabilities in specialty areas like endoscopy, ENT, urology and plastic surgery. “We do gynaecological procedures here as well. All the surgeries we do make such a difference to patients’ quality of life.” Churchill Hospital is currently in negotiations with Health New Zealand to extend their current lease beyond 2043 to give certainty and confidence to carry out their additional plans to expand Churchill Specialist Centre. “With growth in procedures and growth in demand for private hospital services, we’re bursting at the seams. “We really need more consultation rooms for our specialists as we look to build our volume. “‘Our plan is to expand our specialist centre capacity by another third.” Belinda says Marlborough Medical Imaging, which sub-leases space in the Churchill Specialist Centre, is also backing the expansion as it would free up space for their own plans that include adding another much-needed CT scanner for Marlborough. URBAN FARE BAR • CAFE • CATERING Food that brings people together. Thoughtful catering with the finest local ingredients. Contact us ANA OXOBY Catering Manager 8 Scott Street, Blenheim 021 023 86246 info@urbanfarewairau.nz Passionate about delivering quality innovative designs WWW.HAWKINSARCHITECTURE.CO.NZ Proudly Supporting Churchi l l Private Hospital PROTECTING YOUR FAMILY AND PROPERTY FIRE PROTECTION IQP INSPECTIONS BUILDING WOF Nelson: 03 548 2640 office@ffpnelson.co.nz ffpnelson.co.nz Proudly supporting Churchill Pivate Hospital 03 578 0931 admin@robinsons.co.nz www.robinsonconstruction.co.nz Delighted to be working alongside Churchill Private Hospital
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