JCU leases land for second Cairns private hospital by Integrated Medical Services
Ambitious plans to build another hospital are coming to fruition following years of negotiations as a Cairns-based consortium of practitioners reach a deal to construct the facility.
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Ambitious plans to build a second private hospital are coming to fruition following years of negotiations as a Cairns-based consortium of practitioners reach a deal to construct the facility.
James Cook University has reached an agreement with Cairns-based Integrated Medical Services to build a private hospital at its Dugurrdja site – accompanying the Cains Tropical Enterprise Centre.
The new hospital, to be built on land leased by JCU which it previously acquired with a $60m federal grant, will be financed and designed by IMS, who will also oversee construction of the development it first floated in late 2022, with a then-estimated cost of $400m.
JCU vice chancellor Professor Simon Biggs said the IMS proposal was of the highest quality and would provide outstanding outcomes for the Far North in health, education and research.
“We wanted a proponent who would take a big-picture view of our region’s future, and IMS have done exactly that, putting together an impressive proposal that will be a real game-changer to health services, research and education.”
The IMS Group currently operate an integrated network of healthcare facilities in the Far North, and it will relocate all current services, infrastructure and staff to the new hospital, with additional local healthcare collaborators integrating on site.
It currently provides a range of surgical and medical specialties, including general surgery, urology, ophthalmology, oncology, gastroenterology, plastics, and ENT surgery.
Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service chief executive Leena Singh said the location of the new health facility would build on the services offered by the public provider.
“The proximity of this new private hospital to Cairns Hospital will create opportunities for joint research initiatives and the exchange of knowledge and expertise between medical professionals from both facilities,” Ms Singh said.
The IMS development will turn the Far North Health Innovation Precinct into a care powerhouse, with the completion of neighbouring CTEC and its multidisciplinary clinics and teaching and research facilities due by early 2025.
IMS chief executive Dr Stefan Antoniou said the collaboration in healthcare delivery between the three organisations was the first of its kind in northern Australia.
“This is a landmark collaboration, and we’re delighted to have been selected as the successful proponent for a precinct that will become the epicentre of health innovation for our region,” Dr Antoniou said.
“IMS is working together with JCU and CHHHS to see the expansion of current clinical services. This will result in the local delivery of highly specialised medical and surgical treatments with less patients requiring transfer out of our region.”
When plans were first publicly floated in October 2022, IMS’ ambitions were to build a similar reputation for Cairns’ healthcare services to that of its tourism offerings.
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Originally published as JCU leases land for second Cairns private hospital by Integrated Medical Services
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