By Bonny Burrows
An integrated health hub, housing clinical and counselling services, is now operating from Cardinia Shire Council’s former offices.
The $6.21 million Pakenham Health Centre, located on Henty Way and operated by Monash Health, has been spruiked as a “one-stop shop” for community-based health and welfare services.
The old council headquarters have been gutted and replaced with brightly coloured consulting suites and office space.
Maternity care, a pathology centre, rehabilitation facility and a pharmacy are just some of the health care services housed in the hub.
Monash Health chief executive Andrew Stripp said the centre would make it easier for families to access integrated facilities without the need for travel.
“We see this as an important part in streamlining our community health services, our allied health services, into a single location,” Mr Stripp said.
“Casey Hospital may seem like it’s not far away, but it is quite a drive down the road.”
Health Minister Jill Hennessy, who officially opened the centre on 18 May, said the centre offered “sensational” model of care.
While there were similar integrated health centres in other areas in Victoria, Ms Hennessy said the Pakenham hub’s focus on individual community needs did set it apart.
There was a real struggle, she said, to build health systems around people and not bureaucracy.
“It is a great frustration to me when particular patients are being pushed from pillar to post for each and every service that they need,” she said.
“So the fact you can go from a maternal child health appointment to perhaps have some counselling to get mental health support, they will assist you if you need some legal advice, it really is a model that we will be looking at for the health and safety hubs that were a recommendation of the Royal Commission on Family Violence.
“It’s brilliant, it’s innovative and we absolutely need more models of care like this.”
