CEO and Chair appointed to lead new no-gap private hospital development in Melbourne

The joint venture between a group of specialists and Medibank to operate a new no-gap private hospital in Melbourne’s inner east has appointed a CEO and a Board Chair to lead the design and commissioning of the new hospital and the models of care it will offer patients.

The joint venture today announced the appointment of Louise O’Connor as CEO of the new no-gap private hospital to be built in Kew.

A group of 45 doctors led by respected vascular surgeon Professor Michael Grigg has a 51% share in the joint venture, with Medibank a minority partner at 49%.

Through this new hospital, the joint venture partners are committed to providing the community with greater control of the cost they pay for healthcare, and greater choice in where and how they receive care.

Professor Grigg said Louise O’Connor has more than two decades of hospital leadership experience, including as a Chief of Health Operations and an Executive Director.

“The joint venture partners are pleased to appoint Louise to oversee the design and construction of the new no-gap hospital,” Prof Grigg said.

“Louise will work closely with the specialist partners to help design the short-stay, no-gap models of care, and will also recruit the hospital’s management team and senior clinical team.

“As well as extensive hospital leadership experience, Louise has a strong clinical focus from her nursing background. Louise knows the challenges and demands of private hospital care well.

“This new private hospital is a significant investment in Australian healthcare. The joint venture is committed to delivering short-stay models of care where clinically appropriate, across many surgery types, with reduced or no gaps for eligible patients,” Prof Grigg said.

The joint venture has also appointed a new Chair of the Board, Martin Day. Martin is currently a Board member of Mercy Health, previously a Board member for Cabrini Health and previously the CEO of the Private Hospitals Division of St Vincent’s Health Australia before his retirement. Martin is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has an MBA.

The joint venture is working with real estate investment group Centuria Healthcare to acquire the land and develop a new facility on a site in Kew. The joint venture will take a long-term, 15-year lease of the new hospital.

The facility is planned to offer four operating theatres and a procedure room, 30 beds, radiology, an infusion (chemo) clinic and 90 basement car parking spaces. The facility proposes to provide services in orthopaedics, ENT, vascular, plastics, urology, general surgery, gastroenterology, anaesthetics, oncology, and radiology. The development of the facility is subject to completion of the acquisition and obtaining all necessary planning and licensing approvals.

The joint venture between the group of doctors and Medibank will invest approximately $22 million to establish the new facility, to support start-up operations and equipment.