New CHHHS chair, Chris Boland, reveals vision in path towards uni hospital

The new health service board chairman has called for a key piece of the puzzle in Cairns Hospital reaching tertiary status to be delivered “as soon as possible”, as the institution looks to become a healthcare leader across the Pacific.

The new health service board chairman has called for a key piece of the puzzle in Cairns Hospital reaching tertiary status to be delivered “as soon as possible”, as the institution looks to become a healthcare leader across the Pacific.

A growing health precinct with more specialist services and an innovation centre are the future focus for the new Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service board, as they march towards tertiary health status for the hospital.

In an exclusive interview, incoming chairman Chris Boland outlined the board’s vision for the hospital to accommodate the needs of the region for the next 20 to 30 years.

“Our long term goal for the future is becoming a tertiary hospital with a new acute services building,” Mr Boland said.

“We are uniquely positioned to capitalise on our existing expertise, our tropical location, and our links with the Pacific and South East Asia.

“We will expand our specialist services and grow our reputation as a leader in tropical medicine, research, education of the health workforce, and First Nations health and research.”

Mr Boland said planning of the $160m Cairns Hospital Innovation Centre, a cornerstone in the university hospital project, had reached a new milestone.

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service Chair Chris Boland. Picture Emily Barker.

“The CHIC building business case is completed and we are now going through the master planning process to place it within our larger plan,” he said.

“This planning will be happening over the next three to six months.”

The State Government is yet to allocate funding for the project, having left it off last year’s budget with Mr Boland calling for the CHIC to be delivered as soon as possible.

“From our side we need to have a clear pathway and plan moving forward, absolutely we need the CHIC to be delivered as soon as possible in that process,” he said.

“When we finish the master plan we will see what it is going to look like and how it will fit in with the other clinical needs.”

Mr Boland said the CHIC will be integral to one of the challenges of the future – the building of a larger skilled health workforce.

“We will have a significant demand going forward,” he said.

“What we have got to do is attract, retain, and grow our own workforce.

“The Innovation Centre will help educate our staff and attract specialists.”

Another key challenge will be meeting a huge demand for services in the region.

“Cairns’ population continues to grow, we have an ageing population and our community is not the healthiest in the world with a high burden of disease,” Mr Boland said.

“Cairns Hospital is bursting at the seams.

“Our immediate challenge is a high number of long stay patients, on any given day we have 100-160 long stay patients who are waiting for the likes of NDIS supported accommodation or aged care services.”

Addressing the demand will require key infrastructure upgrades Mr Boland said, with a new acute services building a top priority.

“A new acute services building adjacent to the hospital will enable some critical infrastructure such as the emergency department, helipad, and X-ray department to move from its vulnerable location on the ground floor,” he said.

“It will also provide for our growing population with more specialised services, acute wards, and operating theatres.”

Mr Boland said the process will take time but the board was committed to building Cairns Hospital into a centre of excellence.

“The planning and construction of hospital buildings take many years but when complete will help us to attract the best clinicians, train and retain highly experienced and specialised staff, expand our research and deliver highest quality healthcare services for the people of Far North Queensland.”

Mr Boland was previously the long-serving CEO of Ports North, an organisation he spent 33 years working for.

Originally published as New CHHHS chair, Chris Boland, reveals vision in path towards uni hospital