THE BAYS ANNUAL REPORT 2014 · 2016. 8. 26. · THE BAYS ANNUAL REPORT 2014 5 T B Hospit Gr y 2013/14, vir h w at. O h k essur t . Pvat ance a t Feder ver equir easonab contribut

THE BAYS ANNUAL REPORT 2014 1

THE BAYS ANNUAL REPORT 20142

We achieve these objectives by:-

• Providing a workplace environment and encouraging a culture that allows us to attractand retain the best people

• Meeting the service expectations of our patients, residents, doctors and family members• Maintaining the highest ethical standards in our dealings with all stakeholders• Operating within a framework that allows the best possible environmental outcome• Generating sufficient funding to maintain payment of a community dividend and

appropriate levels of investment in our buildings, equipment and people

The Bays is a community owned health care organisationproviding quality acute hospital and residential aged careservices to the residents of the Mornington Peninsula anddelivering a material community dividend.

Mr Adrian Wischer ChairmanMr Peter Wickenden Deputy ChairmanMr Robert Anderson Dr Graham Cato OAM Mr Paul Clayton (until 11 July 2014)Mr Mark Featherby Ms Eileen Hannagan (from 11 July 2014)Mrs Belinda Lawson Dr Mark Renehan Mr Nicholas Roberts

Board of Directors Executive Staff

Mr Allan Boston Chief Executive Officer Ms Nova Godley Acting Residential Care ManagerMr Chris Keegan Chief Finance Officer Mrs Ingrid Trebels Human Resource Manager Mrs Anita Woods Director of Nursing

Mr David Szepfalusy Shepard Webster & O’Neill

Auditor

Front Cover: Iain Murdoch RN and Asher Rafeld, age 3


Chairman’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

CEO Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Maternity and Midwifery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Community Nursing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

New Business Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Aged Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Food Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

A bright Future at The Bays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Key Performance Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Annette Burton RN


Cody Austin-Mills Barista, Carol Railley and Joy Kohn Volunteers, Denise Buchanan Payroll Officer and Rachel Knight human Resources Co-Ordinator, Doug Patullo aged Care Resident and June Johnson eeN

Bottom theatre photo from left to right Chris Graha m Theatre Technician, Di Book eN Technician,Jeena Jose RN, Linda Gonzales RN, Paul Buckley eN and Annette Burton RN


The Bays Hospital Group enjoyed another successful year in2013/14, despite many changes in the environment in whichwe operate. Our hospital and aged care service are bothsubject to market pressures including funding changes andthe past year has evidenced this. Private health insurancefunds are seeking to minimise any increases in payments madeto hospitals and the Federal government has introduced newlegislation that requires individuals of reasonable means to contribute substantially towards the future cost of aged care.

Despite the challenges of the past year, ourfinancial performance remains sound.Operating revenue increased 2.5% to just over$33million. The Group has managed to lift theoperating profit from $2.69m to $3.36m, an increase of 25.1%, despite only modestrevenue growth.

Both our Aged Care Service in Hastings and ourHospital in Mornington continue to achievequality certification from the relevantauthorities. Our Hospital was recently assessedand passed all 10 of the National Standards setdown by the Australian Commission on Safetyand Quality in Healthcare. This was a year inadvance of requirements and reflects ourongoing commitment to quality of service.Similarly, The Bays Hospital in Mornington alsonow publishes quality outcome data on theFederal government MyHospitals website.

The new Aged Care funding model, known asthe Living Longer Living Better (LLLB) programhas completely overhauled funding for ourAged Care Service in Hastings. Full details of ourservice and associated charges are nowpublished on the Federal GovernmentMyAgedCare website, together with details ofour quality certification standards.

BOARD OF DIRECTORSWe farewelled Paul Clayton after 16 years as a Director. Paul has served The Bays withdistinction, particularly in the area ofOccupational Health & Safety.

Eileen Hannagan filled the casual vacancy thatPaul’s retirement created. Eileen is currently theCEO of the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse in Sydneyand is the past Executive Director of EpworthHospital, Richmond.

Having originally trained as a nurse, Eileen hasheld a number of senior executive roles and hascompleted an executive MBA. Eileen’sappointment brings health administration skillsto the Board and ensures the continuation ofour orderly Board renewal process.

I thank all of the Directors for their efforts overthe year. Each Director has specificresponsibilities and sits on at least one Board orExecutive committee. The strategic planningprocess, coupled with an ambitious buildingprogram, means that the Board will continue tobe busy in 2015.

As many of you would know, Dr Graham Cato –Director and Chairman of our Medical AdvisoryCommittee - became a member of the Order ofAustralia (OAM) this year. He was recognised forhis services to Life Saving and the localcommunity. Graham is a deserving recipient ofthis Honour and we are grateful for his serviceon The Bays Board.

EXECUTIVE STAFFOur CEO, Allan Boston, has completed his firstyear at The Bays. He and his management teamhave acquitted themselves admirably inproducing the financial result. They havemanaged the growth that has come from ourbuilding program from 2011-2013.

Helen Page, the manager of our Aged Careservice, resigned this year to move toMelbourne. Helen has done a great job inimproving the aged care service to the extentthat it justifies us spending significant capital torenovate and expand the buildings. We are in the process of recruiting a replacement forthis role.

Ingrid Trebels joined the executive team thisyear as the Human Resources Manager, fillinga vacancy from 2013. Ingrid has a solidbackground in human resource managementfor large commercial organisations. She bringsstrong technical skills to the role, as well as astrategic perspective in managing our mostimportant group – our people.

Our Director of Nursing, Anita Woods andChief Finance Officer, Chris Keegan have againperformed extremely well in a very busy year.

VOLUNTEERS

We now boast 163 volunteers, up from 148 lastyear. They serve in many roles, from the PinkLadies at Hastings to patient liaison atMornington, the Mornington gift shop andgarden maintenance.

The volunteers give The Bays its uniquecommunity feel and are greatly appreciated bythe Board, staff and patients. They make adifference. On behalf of the Board, I would liketo thank them all for their contribution.

DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS

We were blessed to receive $447,000 indonations and bequests in 2014. The largestwas a bequest of $334,000 from the estate ofWilliam Brown. William had been a regularpatient and friend of The Bays for many years.His bequest will enable us to progress ourdevelopment plans faster than wouldotherwise be the case.

Significant donations and bequests werereceived from Bernie Taylor and the GrandHotel ($20,500), the estate of Vera Male($10,000), and Westernport Tourism ($5,649).

The Bays golf day was again a success, withrecord attendance of 163 and funds raised of$41,322. I would like to thank MelbournePathology for their Gold Sponsorship andSilver Sponsor, MIA Radiology.

STRATEGIC PLANNING

2013/14 could be characterised as a year ofconsolidation and planning. With the recentrebuilding program at Mornington complete,our attention has now turned towards thefuture. Our Board, Executive, Managers andStaff are currently developing a new 5 yearstrategic plan that will be finalised prior toChristmas.

In tandem with our Strategic Plan, sitedevelopment plans have also been preparedfor both Hastings and Mornington to ensurewe develop both sites in an orderly fashion tomeet the future needs of our Community.This planning has considered what the likelydemands of our Community will be for thenext 10 to 15 years and how best we mightrespond. It will guide our investments in bothexisting and new services.

This planning process led to the decision topurchase the “tennis court” land in MainStreet, Mornington from the Mornington ShireCouncil to provide an adequate land bank forfuture service developments includingconsulting suites, car parking, diagnosticservices and hospital facilities.

Services that we have already committed to inprinciple are;

• Relocating midwifery into new premisesabove the Theatre complex that will allowan increase in the number of rooms. We willalso renovate the three birthing suites. Thetotal cost of this is over $5 million and willbe the focus of our fund raising drive in thecoming year.

• Building a 6 chair chemotherapy unitadjacent to Briars Ward.

• Refurbishing our existing 30 bed hostelresidence at Hastings.

• Developing the first stage of the aged careservice at Hastings which will see 60 newbeds at a cost exceeding $10 million.

CONCLUSION

The Bays has had another exciting year. We have expanded our services and arecontinuing to become even more relevant to our community.

The Board thanks all of the executive teamand all of the staff for their contributiontowards the successful year that we have had.

Adrian Wischer


BOARD OF DIRECTORS:Top left to right: Mr Peter Wickenden, Mr Nicholas Roberts, Ms Eileen Hannagan, Dr Mark RenehanBottom left to right: Mrs Belinda Lawson, Dr Graham Cato, Mr Adrian Wischer, Mr Robert Anderson, Mr Mark Featherby

At the conclusion of my first year as CEO of The Bays, I am immenselyproud of and privileged to lead this organisation. Community-ownedhealthcare organisations operating on a not-for-profit basis are anincreasingly rare part of the healthcare system in Australia. However, in my view, they continue to play a vital role as they focus directly ondelivering the services requested by local communities at the highestpossible standards of quality.

Our staff, volunteers, doctors and service partnershave made outstanding contributions to our successover the past year and it is worthwhile reflecting onwhat has been achieved.

At Mornington, our hospital commenced the yearhaving completed major building works to expandservices and enjoying the honour of being rated theBest Private Maternity Service in Australia asdetermined by members of Medibank Private.

A review of our activity illustrates the increasing rolewe play in service delivery to the community:

• The number of admissions to our hospital increasedby 8% on the previous year to just under 11,300;

• The number of operations performed increased by10% to 9,400; and

• Our births continued the upward trend seen overthe past two years with nearly 500 babies delivered.

Of interest, it now costs an average of $960 per day todeliver hospital care to each patient. Our hospitalsalary costs are approaching $16m per annum andwe spend $0.5m per year on food and the same againon laundry.

Our service mix is also changing with increases inobstetrics and gynaecology, gastroenterology,ophthalmology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, plasticand reconstructive surgery and cancer services. Medical admissions under our six Physicians remainstrong and will continue to be a focus of The Baysinto the future. Urology remains our largest discipline.

The past year has been challenging in relationto health insurance payments, with all fundsapplying intense pressure to contain fees paidto hospitals. Fee increases below CPI havebecome a worrying feature of health insurancenegotiations while cost increases continue toexceed CPI.

A major initiative launched during the past year hasbeen to expand the range of specialist doctorsconsulting at the hospital. This has seen us refurbisha number of on-site rooms to welcome newconsultants in areas such as Obstetrics, Paediatrics,Urology, Orthopaedics and General Medicine. The Bays has also leased additional floor space in a new building at 328 Main Street Mornington whichis currently being fitted-out to provide additionalconsulting rooms. It is anticipated that many ofthese doctors will eventually relocate into purpose-built rooms in a future development on the tennis court land.

On a sadder note, during the past year we have alsofarewelled two specialist practitioners who have beenlong term supporters of The Bays. Dr Doug Johnson(Obstetrician) and Dr Ted Lowther (Paediatrician)have managed the delivery of thousands of babies atThe Bays over their careers and are now movingprogressively towards retirement. While we still seeboth at the hospital from time to time, we wish themall the best in the next stage of their lives.


THE BAYS ANNUAL REPORT 20148 THE BAYS ANNUAL REPORT 20148

Relationships with our two major on-site diagnosticpartners, Melbourne Pathology and MIA Radiologyremain very positive. As our hospital expands, so toodoes the range and volume of diagnostics serviceavailable from the hospital. Our objective is toensure as many diagnostic services as possible areavailable locally to avoid people needing to traveloutside the Peninsula. Both MIA and MelbournePathology have been long term partners andsupporters of The Bays contributing to ourcommunity in a variety of ways. This year, bothcompanies have entered into 3 year arrangementsto be joint Gold sponsors of our Golf Day andsupport a variety of educational and staffdevelopment initiatives, well beyond what we couldsustain ourselves. We are truly grateful for theircontinuing generous support.

Our campus in Hastings supports us to deliver a large residential aged care service and a renaldialysis service. Our Aged Care Service continues toenjoy very high levels of demand with a waiting listfor a room being the general rule. Our 75 bedscontinue to run above 99% occupancy and this hasled to the decision to expand our capacity as part ofthe rebuilding program. Stage 1 will see an increaseto 90 beds, with a further increase to 120 beds tofollow in Stage 2.

Funding for our Aged Care Service has been a particular struggle over the past year. Even withfull occupancy across the year, we did not enjoy anygrowth in overall revenue. Against this backdrop, we faced increases in salaries and wages, food,general and medical supplies and energy costs. As a consequence, our operating profit from agedcare services declined by nearly 20%.

A new funding model for aged care commences on1 July 2014 and while the complexity of the newmodel is daunting to both residents and providers,we are optimistic it may address some of theunderlying issues surrounding the funding of thesector. Demand for aged care services is expandingrapidly, both for community and residential services.Without a sound funding base, it will be impossiblefor the sector to increase capacity to service theneed. By way of example, the replacement of ourbuildings at Hastings to provide 120 new singlerooms with ensuites will cost in excess of $20m.

Like all residential aged care services, The Bays issubject to continuous audit by the Aged CareStandards and Accreditation Agency. Over the pastyear this has included both planned andunannounced visits.

We are very pleased to advise we were found to befully compliant with all 44 standards and receivedvery positive feedback regarding the quality of ourservices and the caring and inclusive approachtaken by our staff. We look forward to rewarding ourteam by providing them with a beautiful new facilityto work from in the coming years.

Hastings is also home to our Renal Dialysis servicewhich continues to play a vital role in supportingpeople with chronic kidney failure on theWesternport side of the Peninsula. Our clients usethis service three times a week for about 4 to 6hours at a time. As a consequence, they almostbecome members of the family, as they share manyhours a year with us. The service also supports theinflux of visitors to the Peninsula over the warmermonths, allowing people requiring dialysis to enjoyholidays with family and friends.

Our dialysis service accepts both public and privatepatients and operates as a community service.Funding for renal dialysis is complex and limitedand our service in Hastings operated on a breakeven basis over the past year as a consequence ofan 11% decrease in treatments delivered. We continue to work with the Victorian HealthDepartment and Monash Health to secure a morecertain funding and referral stream for the future.

Staffing levels across our two locations haveremained very stable over the past year with a mix of full time, part-time and casual employees.

Equipment purchases and staff training efforts over the past few years have been rewarded by a significant decrease in staff injury rates and lost-time injuries. Our WorkCover premiums reflectthis and are amongst the lowest in the sector,reflecting our ongoing commitment to injuryprevention and management. Our greatest staff injury risk remains manual handling injuriesrelated to the movement of our patients and residents.

During the year, The Bays has implemented anemployee assistance program to provide allemployees with free and confidential access tocounselling support services through an externalprovider. Staff can access this service on their owninitiative to assist them to deal with any challengethey may be experiencing in their life, work relatedor otherwise.

In the coming year, an expanded salary packagingarrangement will also be introduced to allow ourstaff to access the full range of benefits madeavailable by the Australian Taxation Office foremployees of not-for-profit organisations.

THE BAYS ANNUAL REPORT 2014 9THE BAYS ANNUAL REPORT 2014 9

Volunteering at The Bays remains alive and well.The numbers of people volunteering their time andeffort at each of our locations continues to growand is a joy to behold. 163 people regularly arrive atour services to assist in whatever capacity they can.This may vary from visiting the patients or residentsto guiding patients around the hospital, deliveringnewspapers and magazines, operating the gift shopand maintaining the gardens.

The Pink Ladies of Hastings provide a similar level of support for our aged care service and in additionare very active in the community with their annualraffle and fund raising efforts to directly support our residents.

Without the ongoing efforts of all of our volunteers,The Bays could not continue to deliver the servicesit does today. We are truly appreciative of theirefforts and welcome their ongoing involvement aspart of our team.

In the year ahead, The Bays will be actively workingto increase the membership base of our Association.Our membership numbers at 30 June 2014 stood at178 which in itself is a significant increase from theprevious year. Ideally, members will play a strongerfuture role as our window into the community andan increased membership base will provide agreater opportunity for our services to gain youropinions in relation to existing and proposedservices. In this manner we hope to remain moreclosely aligned to community need.

In conclusion, I would like to thank everyoneassociated with The Bays for contributing to oursuccess over the past year and in particular I woulddraw attention to outstanding efforts of our staffand volunteers. Thank you.

Allan Boston

CAPITAL INVESTmENT

The organisation continued its commitment to the ongoing upgrading of infrastructure andequipment replacement during the year. In addition, management and the Building Committeeworked on a number of projects including master planning at both the Aged Care and Acute Care sites.Early developments will include the replacement of the Aged Care residence at Hastings andexpanding consulting room capacity and upgrading Maternity services at Mornington.

Our expenditure on “routine” capex continues to mirror our depreciation allowance.

Total capital expenditure was $1,328,476 and was expended in the following broad categories:-

• Medical equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$927,304 • Fixtures and Fittings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $160,683• Computer and office equipment . . . . . . . . . . .$99,208 • Plant and machinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$50,683• Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$50,451 • Motor Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,137

Some of the major items of capital expenditure and commitments included:-

• Telephone System - $120,000• Plasma Coagulation Unit - $46,000• Endoeye Video Laparoscopes - $35,700• Bed Mover - $24,000• Vital Signs Monitors - $19,200• Refurbish Bathrooms - $11,800• Nurse Call Upgrade - $7,900• Kitchen Equipment - $7,500

At year end, the Group has cash reserves of $1.5m. During the year borrowings from NAB have beenreduced to zero. In part, this is explained by the delay in settling the purchase of the tennis court landacquired from Council.

Left to Right: Mrs Ingrid Trebels, Mrs Anita Woods, Mr Allan Boston, Ms Nova Godley, Mr Chris Keegan

• ENT Microscope - $61,000• Wireless Cardiotocograph - $40,990• Neo natal Isolette - $25,000 • Birthing Bed - $21,630• Eye Surgery Stretchers - $20,200• Sonic Irrigator - $16,950• Floor Line beds - $11,500• Patient Equipment - $7,600


Offering choice to patients and residents at The Bays

In this year’s annual report we hear firsthandfrom some of the people who put their hearts,minds and souls into making The Bays a trulyoutstanding provider of health services andresidential aged care. Some of them haveworked here for more than 30 years andthey’ve seen The Bays evolve into a muchlarger hospital with 19 key specialty areas andover 150 specialist doctors. Others have beenactively involved at The Bays since birth. Thehospital is a central facility on the MorningtonPeninsula with a loyal network stemming outinto the community and across generationsreaching right back to its origins as a modestbush-nursing hospital.

The sheer numbers of volunteers, sponsorsand benefactors who generously donate timeand resources to the hospital speaks volumesfor the quality of care given to its patients andresidents. Often it’s people who have had apositive personal experience with the hospitalor a loved one has been well cared for by TheAged Care Service who want to give back.

The Bays Hospital remains the only not-for-profit and community-owned hospitalin Victoria. There’s a high level of awarenessfor the hospital locally and people know thatwhen you give back it’s not to the hospital per se but to the members of the communitywho might need The Bays tomorrow or inthe future.

In the following pages we cover everythingfrom the nourishing meals that patientssavour, to specialist cancer nursing initiatives,to the joyous environment at The Bays AgedCare Centre. You’ll see that a common themeacross every aspect of The Bays is: offeringchoice to patients and residents. The customer service orientated culture at The Bays is driven from the Board andexecutive team and every area of theorganisation. This is a hospital and aged careservice that is on the front foot to gracefullymeet growing demands of the Peninsula’sresidents and exceed their expectations.

Ann Chalupa


An intimate and highly experienced team deliversoutstanding maternity services

When maternity unit manager, Marg Joycereceived the news that The Bays had beenranked the best maternity hospital in Australiain a survey conducted by Medibank Private shejust thought, “wow, isn’t that wonderful.” “The award is a glowing endorsement of thecaring nature and capabilities of our team.Parents leave here with their new baby andhave such a positive impression of the wholeexperience,” she said. “It really makes youwonder why women on the Peninsula, or even Bayside, would ever consider headingto the city to have their babies when they have Australia’s top rated maternity unit ontheir doorstep.”

Marg originally planned to become a theatrenurse at St Vincent’s but after moving to thePeninsula in 1980, where her husband had setup his business, she discovered midwifery washer true calling. Her 34 years at The Baysdemonstrates this. Everything in the maternityunit flows seamlessly with such an experiencedhand in charge. She is astute in her midwiferyknowledge and exudes the calm and composeddemeanour of someone well suited to theirposition. It comes as no surprise to learn thatMarg had her own children at The Bays andwent on to become the midwifery unitmanager in 2004.

The Bay’s experienced team of midwives andmothercraft nurses provides support during thebirth of nearly 500 babies delivered each yearat the hospital. The Bays is also the only privatehospital in Victoria holding “Baby Friendly”accreditation with the World HealthOrganisation which acknowledges that the

hospital has in place the highest standards tosupport and promote breastfeeding. “Mostwomen go home confident that they will beable to support their baby and succeed withbreastfeeding. They know that even if it’s twoo’clock in the morning they can call us and getadvice, or pop back in,” Marg said.

The hospital has three well equipped birthingsuites to provide a safe and relaxed birthingenvironment. If required, sophisticated medicalequipment, theatre facilities, anaesthetists andpaediatricians are on hand 24 hours a day todeal with the unexpected. To provide care forpremature or unwell babies the nursery isequipped with the latest medical facilities andhas a team of specialist paediatricians available.

“When we go to seminars in town, we hearmidwives concerned about not getting duerecognition from medical specialists. We findthat difficult to relate too, as our midwives arewell respected by an excellent group ofobstetricians, paediatricians and anaesthetists.Healthcare today requires high calibre teams ofprofessionals, each with their own roles to play,but fully coordinated across the team. At The Bays, we have that team, so it’s nowonder people leave here with such a positiveimpression.”

“The real testament to our maternity care ispeople returning for subsequent births andeven women who were born here excited to be coming back to have their own babies here. I wouldn’t want to tell you how many instancesI have had of women telling me they were bornhere in my time at The Bays,” Marg said.

Sharnee and Tony Harrisonwith Maternity Unit Manager, Marg Joyce

The Bays supports mornington Peninsula’s breast andprostate cancer patients

Breast cancer nursing has been a forerunnerin cancer care and now prostate cancernursing is a new initiative at The Bays. Eachyear in Australia, close to 3,300 men die ofprostate cancer – and 2,700 women will diefrom breast cancer annually. One in 11Australian men will develop prostate cancerby age 70* and on the Mornington Peninsula,with its ageing population and large numbersof retirees moving here, there’s an even highernumber of prostate cancer diagnosed.

Dynamic duo, Jo Lovelock and MeredithStuddert, based at The Bays, form acommitted team that provide breast andprostate nursing support, respectively to bothprivate and public cancer patients across theentire Mornington Peninsula.

Some of the most challenging aspects ofcancer include understanding the treatmentoptions, how to manage side effects and waysto deal with feelings of hopelessness andisolation. “When you’re confronted with acancer diagnosis and treatment options, it’sdifficult to absorb all the information. We helppeople clarify what different doctors have saidand guide patients through the entire cancerexperience starting with diagnosis,” Jo said.“We provide a point of contact and support topatients and their families and if requireddirect them to other health professionals suchas psychologists, physiotherapists, sexualhealth professionals, wellbeing and lifestylesupport groups,” Meredith said.

After a decade working as a nurse at The Baysin the high dependency ward, Meredith has alot of familiarity with supporting men andtheir families before and after prostate surgeryand with planning for brachytherapy orradiotherapy. Jo, an experienced nurse, is awell seasoned active campaigner for cancersupport. She knows how to navigate thesystem. After her own personal breast cancerexperience in 2003, with a young family, Jorecognised the gaps in psychosocial support.

Jo has been instrumental in obtaining fundingvia the McGrath Foundation for the newlyestablished breast care nurse position with thesupport of The Bays Hospital, specialistmedical staff and the Mornington PeninsulaCommunity.

Earlier this year The Bays management alsosecured the federal government-fundedProstate Cancer Foundation’s new program at The Bays and Meredith has become one of only 26 prostate cancer specialist nurses in Australia.

Jo’s program is based on Cancer Australia’sguidelines and its recommended model ofcare for breast cancer nursing. It’s a busy roleand everyones experience is different. Jo hasseen some 70 breast cancer patients withmore than 260 consults at the Morningtonand Hastings sites since March 2014. “With thehelp of The Bays and a local football club weprovide supportive programs includingpamper days, art therapy, meditation andnutritional education,” said Jo.

“The unique contribution that nurses make tominimising the effects of cancer on a person’slife and improving the patient experience isnow well established and Australian cancernurses are recognised as leaders in the fieldinternationally. Nurses have achievedimproved outcomes for people affected bycancer as part of a multidisciplinary team.”*

Cancer is complex; the treatment iscomplicated and crippling. The Bays is pleasedto be able to facilitate these vital roles in ourcommunity providing a single point of contactwho is informed and can help navigate thewhole system for patients.

“We’re here for people with early or advancedbreast and prostate cancer, linking them intoservices, to the Cancer Council Victoria, tosupport groups, including online groups forrare cancer types and generally demystifyingcancer and getting people into the righttreatment and support streams,” Jo said.

Jo and Meredith think the staff at The Bays areexcellent at what they do. With these specialistnursing programs and the planned expansionof cancer services at the hospital they expectThe Bays will become a centre for excellencefor cancer care in Victoria.

*www.prostate.org.au*www.cancerforum.org.au

THE BAYS ANNUAL REPORT 201412 Jo Lovelock (left) and Meredith Studdert (right)

New Business Development

Donna Waters joined The Bays almost 12 months ago as Business DevelopmentManager from a similar position at a large cityhospital. In that short time, she has become aninvaluable liaison between a group of morethan 150 doctors who are actively treatingpatients across some 20 specialty areas at The Bays, the executive and seniormanagement team and the general practitionercommunity. “The level of genuine respect and care our specialists have for each other is impressive. This attitude has real flow onbenefits for staff and patient outcomes,” she said. Donna attributes the inclusive andservice-orientated culture to The Bay’s deepcommunity roots and its active and involvedmedical advisory committee.

Another advantage of this open and genuineculture is the responsiveness of local generalpractitioners (GPs) towards the hospital’soutreach and feedback initiatives. “I amfacilitating connections and three-waycommunications between the hospital, ourspecialists and our GPs. The GPs are receptiveto understanding and strengthening what isoffered locally. They feel a sense of ownershipwhen the hospital invites their input andfeedback and it has been clear from this thateveryone has the best possible pathway forpatient management in sight,” Donna said.

Bolstering the already impressive variety ofspecialties offered at The Bays is a key part ofthe growth strategy.

“We’re using a combination of anecdotalfeedback from our specialists about whatthey’re experiencing in practice, knowledgewithin our team, our own historical records andtrend analysis data to determine where andhow to support our community’s health needsfor the future. This ensures we meet futuredemand and provide services locally wherepossible, so that our patients don’t need to bereferred for treatment in the city,” Donna said.

In the future, The Bays will see more local and new doctors move onsite, to facilitate and encourage multidisciplinary care and peer-specialist networks at the hospital. The proximity of admitting doctors to patientcare areas will obviously benefit clinical staffand our patients. There will be morecomprehensiveness with sub-specialtydevelopment, practice groups forming and theintroduction of new services across many areas. Already this is being seen across general medicine, ear nose and throat,orthopaedic, plastic surgery, gastroenterologyand oncology and cancer services.

Ophthalmology, gynaecology, general surgeryand care of higher acuity patients across theboard are likely to expand. We don’t know yetexactly what the master plan will deliver.However, a willingness to expand in acollaborative and pragmatic manner withadvanced patient care while upholding thevalues of the hospital is guaranteed.


Donna Waters

Volunteering at The Bays is the gift that keeps on giving

Trish King’s head is spinning with The NationalGolf Day, the biggest fundraising event in TheBay’s calendar fast approaching. There aresponsorships and signage to approve,registration details to confirm and players’names and handicaps to note. The entire teamis working hard to top the $45,000 raised in2013. Trish is relatively new in the role ofvolunteer coordinator at The Bays and it’sundoubtedly a busy time but with such a passionate volunteer base, she has herself a dream job!

The greatly anticipated golf day, started byChairman of the Board, Adrian Wischer, is in its 12th year and attracts up to 200 players.“One local businessman plays with his threesons each year and it’s become an annualcustom for their family,” said Trish. Localcompanies that support the hospital includinggeneral practitioners, pathology,superannuation, health funds, medicalsuppliers, surgeons, The Grand Hotel, The National Golf Club, Progress Signs; silver sponsors, AMC Cleaning and BrightonMercedes Benz and gold sponsors: MIA Radiology and Melbourne Pathology are all repeat associates. “With tremendouscamaraderie, a magnificent course anddelicious smorgasbord dinner it’s always a greatday. We’re so grateful for all the contributionsthat fund our major development projects inMornington and Hastings,” Trish said.

In addition to the support garnered from theannual golf day, The Bays Hospital has 138registered volunteers. These include the giftshop, knitted wares for sale, trolley round andadministration and patient liaison officers. With so many people involved and fundraisingbeing such a vital part of the hospital themanagement decided to create a role forsomeone who focuses on volunteers’ needs,fielding their concerns and ideas.

“Our approach is to be open and appreciativeand to have a presence in the communitythrough markets, Probus, Lions and bowls,to make it easy for interested people to getinvolved,” said Trish. It’s great to see a group ofyoung nursing students who live locally gettinga feel for the hospital environment (becausethey train in university not in hospitals now)by working in the admissions area.

FORmER PATIENTS GARDEN FOR PLEASUREAND PHILANTHROPy AT THE BAyS

Former Mornington couple, Yvonne and RayHocking hit a rough patch a few years backwhen they were both diagnosed within a fewyears of each other with breast and prostatecancer respectively. “The Bays looked after usbeautifully and we decided to put a bit back,”said Ray. The couple now live in Cranbournebut every Tuesday rain, hail or shine come tothe hospital, Ray attending to the garden andYvonne helping in administration. The centralcourtyard at the hospital is an oasis for patients,staff and visitors. After Ray’s gardening sessionsit just sings and brings a lot of joy to them andthe whole hospital community.

PINk LADIES AT HASTINGS - 43 yEARS OF COLOUR AND jOy

Janice Danaher was born in the Hastings BushNursing Hospital (now The Bays Aged Care) in1939. Her grandmother was one of the originalmembers in the auxiliary support group andboth her parents were on the hospital Board. As a kid she collected money during appeals for the hospital so when she retired it camenaturally to dedicate some of her time to The Bays. Janice leads a group of some 25Pink Ladies who run an annual raffle that funds“extras” at the facility like outdoor furniture andequipment for the lifestyle program. The PinkLadies also continue the joyous ritual ofdelivering fresh flowers to residents’ rooms and common areas which has been runningsince 1971.

Originally, the Pink Ladies ran errands and didflower arrangements for patients. When theMornington and Hastings hospitals wereamalgamated the Pink Ladies continued at The Bays Aged Care facility in Hastings. Threetimes each week (on a roster) two ladies makeup flowers from their own and other localgardens. Janice tells me that one colourful latePink Lady explained to her adult children whenleaving at dark to walk her dog and collect forarrangements, “that flowers hanging overfences were fair game” especially whenMother’s Day the following day demandedsuperior posies at The Bays.

You can’t put a value on the pleasure ofconversation, friendship and the window intothe community the Pink Ladies share with theAged Care residents.


Trish King with Ray Hocking

Hastings Residential Aged Centre - a lovely place to be

“How much does a beer cost you these days?”enquired some of the ‘boys’ (being 85-year-old-plus residents) of two nurses who wererecapping on their night out. The ‘boys’ nearlyfell over laughing when the nurses explainedthat they like to drink vodka when they go out -at $15 a pop! It’s these fun interactions betweenstaff and residents that gives The Bays such a wonderful vibe. While the ‘boys’ have relocatedfrom their own homes to The Bays, they stillenjoy being part of the community.

Originally operated as a Bush Nursing Hospital,the current service was established in 1971 as a hostel and nursing home of 75 beds andcontinues to be a central hub in Hasting’sVictoria Street. Today, The Bays employs morenurses than any other residential aged facility onthe Peninsula, allowing us to review the needs ofall residents and professionally delivercontemporary clinical care with anindividualised approach for each resident. NovaGodley, acting manager, of The Bays ResidentialAged Care Service says “Our top priority willalways be the care and support of our residents.”

The Mornington Peninsula, being a highlyattractive location for retirees, will bringincreased demand from older people to accessservices and social connection. The Bays AgedCare Service is gearing up for this with theredevelopment and refurbishment of the facilityto become a purpose-built home withinnovative use of community and garden spaceswhilst providing single rooms and ensuites.

Maintenance of community links is an essentialcomponent and a responsibility that The BaysAged Care Service takes seriously. “We areforging friendships with nearby retirementvillages which allows for interaction betweenresidents of both places to share commoninterests. This aspect of our lifestyle programallows residents to maintain community tieswhile establishing a natural pathway toresidential care. Ensuring that local people arefamiliar with our home, our staff and ourwillingness to serve our residents is important tous. We’re striving to make the transition from thefamily home to residential care as easy aspossible,” said Nova.

The Bays is also working towards meeting theincreased demand to deliver community care topeople in their own homes. In future, the staffwill be able to provide care at home including;showering, wound care, assistance withmedications, shopping and meals.

The same nurses and carers that work in thehome currently will also be given the opportunityto work out in the community. “Our staff willbenefit from knowing future residents and gainingan understanding of their care and social needsbefore they need to relocate. For future residents,knowing our carers and nurses eliminates muchof the anxiety that people have when theytransition into residential care,” Nova said.

Over the next 12 months The Bays Aged CareService will select a new computer-based caremanagement system to assist in the preparationof clinical documentation and allow forresidents to participate in eHealth and telehealthservices that facilitate access to specialistmedical services when required. IT infrastructureupgrades will improve access to the internet andSkype, allowing residents to maintain greatercontact with family and friends.

This year, the federal government removed thedistinction between low and high care whichchanges the ‘dynamics’ of the home. “Residentswith varying care needs can now be locatedthroughout our facility instead of a particularwing. This can be a fantastic opportunity forfamily groups such as husband and wives to belocated next door to each other even thoughtheir care requirements may be extremelydifferent. It changes the way that we now staffour home; with staff now required to care forresidents who are both independent and thosewho require full assistance during their shift,”Nova said.

In essence, it all comes back to the relationshipsbetween the staff and residents and it’s thatwhich gives The Bays its glowing reports by theAustralian Aged Care Quality Agency. Theextensive involvement from our volunteersgroup, The Pink Ladies has helped build a senseof family. The Ladies are constantly inattendance to assist with group activities butwhere we value them the most is their ability tofind a resident to talk to and to ensure that ourresidents and staff feel supported and valuedmembers of our home.

“This sense of family reflects the values of ourorganisation. We use a simple litmus test here: ‘If it was your parent would this be ok?’ If theanswer is yes, we are doing well,” said Nova.Residents consistently gush that, “it feels likehome, I feel safe, they are my family.” Thisspeaks volumes and is why the The Bays willcontinue to deliver services to the Hastingscommunity.


Doug Patullo, Tibby White and Volunteer Sean Morrison (clown)


The Bay’s food service caters for both personal taste and health benefits

Mornington local, Pam Butterworth, The Bay's'Food Services Manager has worked in andaround the kitchen for 27 years. “The hospitalhas expanded from about 30 to 100 beds andthere are many more specialist medicalofferings now. It’s such a dynamic place, I never get bored,” she says. Advances inmedicine, greater diet awareness and oureating-out culture have demanded a lot fromhospital food services. With qualified chefs,pastry chefs, dieticians, baristas and veryexperienced people like Pam on staff, patientsat The Bays can expect high-quality food thatsuits their preferences as well as their medicaland dietary needs.

“The one thing that’s remained constant is thequality of the meals here,” says Pam. All thefood is sourced locally and cooked fresh. Weprefer to buy locally where we can, as this isone way we can continue to support our localcommunity and businesses. “We have alsofound over the years that our local supplierspay real attention to quality and assist us toproduce excellent meals,” she says.

Pam was involved with the introduction of newmenus some 15 years ago at The Bays and sheworks with head chef, Aaron Armstrong anddietician, Sally Tilli to refresh the daily, seasonalmenu on a regular basis. “When I started,diabetes was really the only dietary concern.Today, there are coeliac, cardiac, fructose-free,lactose-free, renal diets or a combination ofthese to consider.” The hospital strives to meet

patients’ preference and deliver the healthbenefits of food. Tuesday’s roast pork withvegetables and apple sauce, a menu item theycan “never make enough of” is served manyways, with some people preferring no applesauce, steamed not roasted vegetables andothers absolutely no crackle!

Food is a critical element of wellbeing andrecovery. “It’s one of the main things patientslook forward to. The meal trolley service is a non-medical bedside visit. Our patients lovethe meal variety, its presentation and a chat.Food is so important for healing. It has thepower to get people back on the road afterillness or a procedure. Over the years nursingstaff have commented that they notice adifference in patient’s recovery after a few dayseating the meals we serve. Our dieticians followAustralian dietary guidelines and scrutiniseeverything so that only the right ingredients areused and there’s a healthy balance,” says Pam.

There aren’t many hospitals that bake their own dinner rolls today, but we do. We can alsooblige when a patient expresses that “they’dreally just love a chop and three veg.” Being a maternity hospital, we also need to supportnew mothers to eat well and regain theirstrength, this often requires specialised mealsand irregular meal times.

All of this variety adds to the challenge andkeeps us continually searching for better waysto serve our food.

Pam Butterworth


The Bays, having opened its doors on each side of thePeninsula in the 1930s, has experienced another dynamicand successful year in 2014.

In the foreword of “The Bush - The Story ofthe Mornington Bush Nursing Hospital,” Mt Eliza resident, Jess White wrote: “Thatname in itself conjures up for me an aura ofdignity, competence and caring.”* It’s quiteastounding, over almost eight decades ofdramatic growth and change in the localpopulation, a culture of dignity, competenceand caring continues to thrive at The Bays.

Meeting the needs of the community anddelivering the highest standards of careremain central to our purpose and thesevalues form the foundation for the futuredevelopment of the hospital.

This time next year we expect to be reportingon further growth of our specialist doctorgroup of 150. We’ll see an expansion ofexisting, and the introduction of new,speciality areas.

We are moving towards a deeper service mixwith more capacity for diagnostics and morespace to accommodate patients, doctors andhospital operations. Hastings will get a muchdeserved and needed upgrade to betterservice clients requiring residential andcommunity aged care.

There’s a lot of growth on the horizon at The Bays but the dedication of the staff,involvement of volunteers and thecommitment of the medical, managementand operational team is unwavering. All of our employees, volunteers, doctors and service partners are united in a shared set of values and vision.

* The Bush - The Story of the MorningtonBush Nursing Hospital, Hilary Abeyaratne

Sarah Hopcroft with baby Mia



Linda Gonzales RN


Documents

THE BAYS ANNUAL REPORT 2014 · 2016. 8. 26. · THE BAYS ANNUAL REPORT 2014 5 T B Hospit Gr y 2013/14, vir h w at. O h k essur t . Pvat ance a t Feder ver equir easonab contribut