industry & policy
During the transition process, we used a‘ boilerplate’ statement in Southern’ s advertisements and correspondence explaining that the organisation was merging with Mercy Health.
Sandra, you will be using $ 60 million over the next eight years to upgrade the facilities and services that Macedon Ranges Health provides. How will the money be used? SH: Benetas will invest $ 60 million-plus in MRH over the next eight years on:
• an up-front initial investment of $ 1.2 million in MRH’ s existing facilities and infrastructure over the next two years
• redevelopment of the Gisborne Oaks as a new, state-of-the-art 130-bed residential facility, expected to open in 2022
• building a best-practice residential retirement village
• growth of MRH’ s primary care, community and home care services
• growing the number of local jobs and employment opportunities in the community over time
• ensuring the delivery of high quality for‐purpose services for all, including those most vulnerable in our community.
Hills with Don Tidbury, former chief executive of Macedon Ranges Health. Tidbury will join Benetas as general manager primary care, which will see him continue to be part of the provision of services for the region. Photo: Supplied
Cornelissen with Mercy Place Keon Park service manager Nilu Morawaka and Knights of the Southern Cross state chairman Tom Brodie. Photo: Supplied
What does your organisation’ s footprint look like now? SC: In any one year, Mercy Health will now support and care for almost 3000 people who live in our 35 aged care homes, partner with more than 8500 home and community care clients, and maintain 409 retirement living units and apartments.
Mercy Health also offers acute and subacute hospital care, mental health programs, specialist women’ s healthcare, early parenting services and palliative care. SH: After less than one month into our amalgamation, Benetas and MRH are in the early stages of the integration, however the long-term vision is to build a best-practice residential aged care facility and retirement village for the Macedon Ranges region to support the growing number of people aged 80 and over.
Benetas will also be investing in and growing MRH’ s extensive primary care, community and home care services.
For Benetas, the amalgamation extends our suite of services of home care, retirement living and residential aged care to the northwest region and allows us to expand into the area of primary care as a service opportunity. We have an additional 160 staff and the same again in volunteers, and all are dedicated and experienced contributors to us achieving our joint vision for the amalgamation.
What does the merger signal in terms of where the two providers were at the time of the announcement and where the new organisation is heading? SC: In recent years, the aged care sector has been impacted by various government reforms and market changes in response to a rapidly ageing population as well as changing consumer behaviours and expectations.
Our combined scale gives us greater stability in the market, enabling us to continue our mission of caring for those in need and supporting people to age well, stay connected and fulfil their hopes and dreams.
Demand for aged care is set to surge in coming years, along with changing expectations of what it means to grow old. Mercy Health is well positioned to progress our shared mission to bring God’ s mercy to those in need, including our residents, clients, their families and communities.
SH: MRH is committed to providing services for the local area in the long term. Many small aged care and community health providers face an uncertain and challenging future. MRH chose to seek an opportunity with another values-based, for-purpose organisation to ensure the sustainability and continued growth of services to meet the current and future needs of the Gisborne and Macedon Ranges community.
In May 2017, MRH wrote to members informing them of the MRH board’ s decision to commence a due diligence process with Benetas to establish a best practice, integrated aged care community in Gisborne.
The process confirmed that an amalgamation best positioned MRH to achieve a shared vision of an integrated health and aged care community in the Macedon Ranges. With over 70 years’ experience in aged care, Benetas had the capacity, resources and history of honouring its undertakings, respecting community expectations and delivering world class aged care facilities.
Over the past seven months and more, our respective people have worked alongside one another, preparing for the amalgamation and the integration phase that is to follow.
Throughout this process, we’ ve seen firsthand that Benetas and MRH are truly united in our strong community values and our unwavering commitment to the care and respect of our residents, clients and staff. ■
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