By Bonny Burrows
Hundreds of past patients and local residents marched with St John of God Berwick Hospital staff to the healthcare provider’s new state-of-the-art facility on Kangan Drive at the weekend.
On Sunday 7 January, the new St John of God Berwick Hospital kicked off its open day with a symbolic walk aimed at farewelling the Gibb Street building which has provided healthcare to the local region for more than 100 years.
An estimated 250 participants clad in red caps walked the short distance between the hospitals before joining many others for a fun-filled celebratory event featuring food, entertainment, giveaways, dress-up characters, music and radio station KISS 101.FM.
Local community members were given a chance to tour the new $120 million hospital, to open later this month, and those who made the short trek were also presented with a small tile to become part of a mosaic at the new site.
The new premises will allow an expansion of health services currently offered at Gibb Street to include the region’s first intensive care unit and cardiac services with dedicated cardiac beds and a cardiac/vascular catheter laboratory.
Initially, the hospital will open with 110 beds, five operating theatres and one procedure room.
Intensive care and cardiac services, including the Cardiovascular Interventional Lab, will soon follow.
With the blessing of the founding family, the former site will be transformed into a private rehabilitation and mental health service known as the St John of God Langmore Centre after hospital founders and father and son duo Dr Percy Langmore and Dr Leonard Langmore.
The grandchildren of Dr Percy Langmore were on hand at the weekend’s event to officially farewell their grandfather’s and father’s former stomping grounds.
They spoke not only highly of the new facility, but of their appreciation their family’s legacy had been carried on throughout the past century.
St John of God Berwick Hospital marketing manager Lisa Carman said feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
“People were blown away by the new facility. We had lots of positive comments, but what surprised us the most, was that we had an endless flow of people coming up to us and sharing memories of their key milestones, such as births, that occurred at the Gibb Street site,” Ms Carman said.
“One of those was the Curtis family who have had 28 births with us. And another one is due next month at the new hospital.
“It’s very special and I think it really highlights how much of an integral part of the community St John of God Berwick Hospital has become.”
The new facility will officially open on 18 January.
