Epworth HealthCare marks 100 years of treating Victorians
A lot has happened in the medical industry over the past century, to which Victoria’s Epworth HealthCare can attest. Here’s how it’s grown from a 25-bed community hospital in 1920 to being at the forefront of robotic surgery in Australia.
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From a community hospital with just 25 beds and five staff members to pioneers in surgical technology, Epworth HealthCare has come a long way in the past 100 years.
The organisation was founded in 1920 through a philanthropic gift and now treats patients at sites across Victoria.
In 1988 the healthcare provider opened a world-first Sleep Disorders Unit, the first sleep laboratory based entirely on digital recording equipment.
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Epworth Richmond became the first hospital in Australia to acquire $3 million state-of-the-art
da Vinci surgical robots in 2003 and five years later the technology was used to remove a tumour from a heart valve.
And in 2009 Epworth hit an Australian-first milestone when surgeon Daniel Moon removed a kidney through a 2cm keyhole in a patient’s navel.
Today, Epworth provides more than 40 specialty areas of medicine delivered by 3000 affiliated doctors, more than 7000 staff members and hundreds of volunteers, with more than 200,000 patient admissions recorded last financial year.
The healthcare organisation is marking its 100th year on February 27 with celebrations including a documentary, historical timeline, events and staff scholarships.
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Epworth HealthCare chief operating officer, hospitals Nicole Waldron said the provider was honoured looked after patients for 100 years and to continue this tradition of care well beyond 2020.
“It’s really wonderful to see our hospitals celebrate the progress of Epworth HealthCare over the past 100 years,” she said.
“Our centenary is really about celebrating all the achievements of our staff and medical experts who are responsible for providing the very best of care to Victorians, every day.”
Epworth Freemasons will also unveil its $100 million redevelopment in coming months.