Perth Auxiliary Bishop Nelson Po has this week prayed the newly completed St John of God Midland Private Hospital would continue the healing mission of Jesus.
Speaking Tuesday 25 August, Bishop Nelson blessed the new hospital following the transfer of private services from the existing St John of God Midland Public and Private Hospitals.
“Grant that in this hospital…the caregivers will receive with kindness all the patients who come here, and will tend to them with skill and care, so that those who come here sick will leave restored in spirit and in body,” Bishop Nelson continued.
“Grant Your wisdom and blessing to all who work in this hospital, providing support and assistance to those in need,” he added.
Located in the historic Midland Railway Workshops precinct, the standalone 123-bed hospital will increase access to private health care for people living across Perth’s eastern suburbs, the Perth Hills and the Wheatbelt.
St John of God Health Care Group Chief Executive Officer Bryan Pyne said the new hospital will bring important specialist services closer to home and will double local private hospital bed capacity.
“For the first time, private patients in the Midland area will have local access to interventional cardiology, alongside expanded surgical, critical care and inpatient services, reducing the need for many people to travel further from home for the care they need,” he explained.
Joining Bishop Nelson, St John of God Health Care Group Chief Executive Officer, Bryan Pyne and St John of God Midland Private Hospital Chief Executive Officer, Vanessa Unwin for the official unveiling of the plaque were St John of God Health Care Trustee Chair, the Hon. Neville Owen AO, St John of God Health Care Deputy Chair of the Board, Peter Prendiville, Minister for Health and Ageing and Minister for Disability and the NDIS, the Hon. Mark Butler MP and WA Minister for Health, Mental Health and Preventative Health, the Hon. Meredith Hammat MLA.
The ceremony included the presentations of symbols that held particular significance for the project including a Midland brick, hard hat, inaugural caregivers’ badge, a symbol of the Sisters of St John of God and a patient observation monitor.
In blessing the new hospital, Bishop Nelson prayed that God would shower love in a particular way on those who are in distress, on the sick, and on all who assist and minister to those in need.
“In every act of hospitality, compassion and love, we become instruments of Your grace, and we believe that those who come to us for healing are a special reflection of Your Son, Jesus Christ,” Bishop Po said.
“We ask for Your blessing on all those who will be patients here (and) may all who serve here be signs of Your healing presence,” he continued.
“Let the love and compassion that guide our mission be evident in every room, every conversation and every moment of connection.”
Serving the community
Mr Pyne highlighted that as a not-for-profit Catholic health care provider, St John of God Healthcare is committed to investing in services that respond to the changing needs of communities and support patients and families for generations to come.
“For more than 130 years, St John of God Health Care has responded to community needs with compassion and a strong sense of purpose,” he added.
St John of God Midland Private Hospital Chief Executive Officer Vanessa Unwin said the opening of the new hospital was an important milestone for the community.
“This is much more than a new building. It is a hospital designed to make private health care more accessible, personal and connected for people across Midland and the wider region,” she said.
Patient experience is central to the hospital’s design that features contemporary clinical facilities, expanded inpatient and surgical capacity, and welcoming spaces for patients, families and caregivers.
It includes eight operating theatres, a cardiac catheter laboratory and critical care unit, a day surgery unit, a comprehensive list of key services, and private inpatient rooms with on-demand dining through a hotel-style room service menu.
“Our caregivers, clinicians, project teams and partners have worked with great care to create a hospital where patients and families will feel welcomed and supported,” Ms Unwin said.
“We look forward to welcoming our first patients and beginning the next chapter of private health care in Midland.”
The opening of the new hospital will enable a seamless transfer of private services from the existing co-located St John of God Midland Public and Private Hospitals.
As part of the transition, 60 beds currently used for private patients and three operating theatres will become available for public services, expanding the capacity of St John of God Midland Public Hospital to 367 public beds.
St John of God Midland Public Hospital is operated by St John of God Health Care under a public-private partnership with the Western Australian Government.