The private healthcare system in Victoria is excelling, with local hospitals dominating a national program recognising commitment to innovation, safety and quality in healthcare.
Thirteen of the 38 hospitals to receive grants from the 2008 Medibank Private Safety and Clinical Improvement program hail from Victoria, an exceptional effort recognised today at an official presentation function in Melbourne.
The grants are designed to fund projects that make a tangible difference to patient safety and clinical quality, and will inject over $322,000 into the private hospital system for this purpose, almost a third of the total funding made available in the current program.
For some of the recipient hospitals it is the second year in a row that they have received funding from Medibank Private for their quality and safety projects. Cabrini Hospital, St Vincent's & Mercy Private Hospital, Peninsula Private Hospital, Knox Private Hospital and The Valley Private Hospital all fall into this group.
Medibank Private's Group Manager for Health Services, Julie Andrews, praised the local projects as being of a particularly high standard.
"Quality and safety is emerging as the number one issue in Australian health care, so it is inspiring that local private hospitals are now being recognised for their effort and innovation.
"Australia has some of the best quality hospital care in the world, but there is always room for improvement, and improvement and innovation should be supported. Medibank Private is proud to be working with hospitals to improve health outcomes, not just for our members, but for everyone.
"And its great to see some real innovation coming not just from the big, metropolitan hospitals, but also from some of the regional facilities and niche providers, such as Geelong Private, and the Victorian and Dorset rehabilitation centres. It is this sort of commitment that is keeping Victorian private hospitals at the forefront of innovation and safety," Ms Andrews said.
The other Victorian hospitals to receive funding in 2008 are Elsternwick Private Hospital, John Fawkner Private Hospital, Malvern Private Hospital, Mitcham Private and St John of God's Nepean Rehabilitation Hospital.
Types of projects funded range from the practical such as falls prevention and medication management, through to the development of new clinical techniques.
Importantly, the lessons learned from the various quality and safety projects funded over the last two years will be shared throughout the health sector, extending the value of individual projects far beyond the hospitals in which they are run.
More than one million dollars has been granted by Medibank Private to hospitals around Australia this year. In the last two years Medibank Private has provided $1.9 million in funding for 73 quality and safety projects across Australia.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
James Connors - T. (03) 8622 5163 or 0433 992 677
E: james_connors@medibank.com.au