General News
12 September, 2023
Start of new partnership
TERANG and Mortlake Health Service (TMHS) has begun welcoming new staff to accommodate an expanded list of surgeries under a new collaboration with Timboon and District Healthcare Service (TDHS).
TERANG and Mortlake Health Service (TMHS) has begun welcoming new staff to accommodate an expanded list of surgeries under a new collaboration with Timboon and District Healthcare Service (TDHS).
As Western District Newspapers reported in July, a regional collaboration between TMHS and TDHS was due to begin this month.
Surgeries performed through TDHS in Timboon ended as of last Friday and would now be performed at Terang through TMHS.
Patients from the Timboon community are expected to be received at the Terang campus from September 21.
As part of the partnership TMHS have begun welcoming a team of new theatre staff, who will be integrated over the coming weeks to compliment the increased demand.
The number of days the theatre at Terang operates will experience an increase, up to 60 days per year.
TMHS chief executive officer Julia Ogdin said the health service was in a strong position to offer the former Timboon theatre staff ongoing work.
She said the addition of the new staff would be a win for both communities.
“We are fortunate to be able to secure roles for such highly skilled nursing staff locally to work with our existing theatre workforce,” Mrs Ogdin said.
“The team can only grow stronger from this arrangement.”
The increase in surgical procedures performed locally is designed to ensure the needs of the community will continue to be met, preventing Timboon and district residents from being required to travel further afield.
TDHS chief executive officer Gary Castledine said making sure the service remains local was important to TDHS and “partnering with TMHS, which has the required infrastructure, was the perfect solution”.
“Currently local residents will still go through the same referral and pre-booking process and the procedure will be performed by the same TDHS theatre team they are familiar with; the only difference is that it is in Terang,” he said.
“This collaboration with TMHS enables us to continue to deliver optimal consumer centred care and embodies our mission statement of working together for a healthy community.”
The opportunity from TMHS to welcome new staff to complement its surgical team has been welcomed as TMHS prepares to run fortnightly theatre list for the Timboon community.
Acute nurse unit manager Liz Mioduchowski was among those to welcome the increase in staffing, meeting with incoming staff last week.
“At a time where many health services are facing workforce challenges, this opportunity has added security to our theatre service and has provided us with a sustainable way to grow our services for the community,” she said.