A crowd of 60 people gathered at our Hopetoun Campus on Friday to celebrate the 20th anniversary of RNH moving into its current facility in Mitchell Place.
Welcoming attendees, Hopetoun Campus Manager Angela Naylor thanked all for being a part of the journey, with Nurse Unit Manager Alison Fischer commenting that it was “a wonderful milestone with lots of both sadness and joy”.
Paying particular tribute to the beautiful gardens and surrounds, Alison thanked the volunteers who help to maintain the area commenting that the gardens are “one of the very best” and that “we couldn’t do it without our community”.
Starting with Corrong Village in 1999, former Hopetoun joint-supervisor and current Health Care Worker Deb Glenn reflected on some of the changes over the past two decades, including equipment upgrades, commenting that one thing that has remained a constant is the team all pulling together and helping each other.
“I remember a few challenges during construction of the new build including many of our residents taking themselves off to look at the new facility, as well as some staff who left tell-tale footprints when they went for a sneaky look but didn’t realise the concrete wasn’t quite dry yet,” Deb said.
“It was nice, however, having a nice new building to work in with staff ratios, bed mechanics and lifting machines,” she said.
“It has been a privilege to work here, and I am sure all will continue to do their best for the current, and future, residents.”
Administration Assistant Tahlia Durie then took to the floor to read a speech and timeline on behalf of Administration Team Leader Cheryl Reid, who was unable to attend the celebration:
1892: The first medical service in Hopetoun was a small infirmary, opened in Mandeville St by Nurse Cunningham.
1921: Sister Cummings opened a double-fronted brick building opposite the Church of England. This is now a duplex, with both houses occupied.
1942: Saw a very large public meeting held in Hopetoun with the outcome being to form and build a Bush Nursing Hospital. This would service the surrounding towns of Speed, Gama, Lascelles, Woomelang, and Yaapeet. The new Hopetoun Bush Nursing Hospital (HBNH) was opened on April 16, 1943, and quickly became known as “the hospital with a difference”.
January 1999: Saw another public meeting held in Hopetoun where it was unanimously voted to become a public hospital and amalgamate with Beulah and Warracknabeal Medical Services. Prior to this, the Hopetoun Bush Nursing Hospital had been a private entity that relied heavily on contributions from in-patient’s private health funds, as well as paying outpatient presentation fees. Due to Bush Nursing Hospitals struggling to survive, mergers were seen as the only way forward to ensure medical services were maintained in rural towns. Cheryl recalled that, in the latter few years, all HBNH staff donated 10-15% of their fortnightly wages back to help keep the hospital running.
February 1, 1999: This is when the amalgamation became official. Hopetoun Bush Nursing Hospital, Beulah Pioneers Memorial Bush Nursing Hospital, and Warracknabeal District Hospital joined together to become what it remains today – Rural Northwest Health.
May 1999: 10 Nursing Home Bed licences were transferred from Beulah to Hopetoun, giving the Hopetoun facility a total of 7 acute beds and 10 nursing home beds under the one roof. Prior to this, Hopetoun had 19 acute-only beds.
1999-2000: Funding was announced to undertake the design and building of the Hopetoun Campus, to redevelop aged care facilities.
March 16, 2000: At another large community meeting, it was unanimously voted that Corrong Village Hostel amalgamate with Rural Northwest Health.
January 1, 2001: Corrong Village Hostel and Landt Nursing Home in Warracknabeal officially amalgamated with Rural Northwest Health.
As a side note here: Corrong Village Hostel was the brainchild of Hopetoun’s then long-term doctor ADJ Stoutjesdijk (affectionately known as Dr Pete or “Stouty”). He campaigned for donations and funding to build a place for the ageing Hopetoun community. Many farmers were coerced by the friendly Dutchman to deliver truckloads of grain to the silos and donate to the cause; the result being the Corrong Village Hostel was built in 1974. This clinic is still in use today as a 3-bedroom home for nursing staff.
June 2002: Stage 1 of the new Hopetoun Campus commences.
November 16, 2005: All aged care residents, acute inpatients, and staff move into the new facility including team members Therese Bellinger, Kim Decker, Norma Decker, Jodie Malcolm, Deb Glen and Cheryl Reid. Whilst the move was an exciting time, it was also sad for some residents leaving the home that they had lived in for many years. Moving the residents and their belongings in a safe, reassuring manner was a busy time, but one in which both the residents’ families and even staff on their day off, helped with, settling the residents into their new home with as little disruption as possible.
December 2006: Stage 2 works – renovations to the existing Corrong Village – completed.
March 2007: The Ambulance station relocated to the new facility under the one roof.
2010: Dr Rahim and his clinic staff move from Strachan St to the new clinic at the northern end of the building.
“I can’t believe where the time has gone,” Cheryl said.
“The facility has evolved from a minimalistic building into what looks and feels like home, where our elderly can live life to their fullest being cared for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” she said.
Touching on some of the things that have remained the same throughout the 20 years, including Dr Rahim, the Murray to Moyne Team Outpatients cycling team, the Hopetoun Ladies Auxiliary, and the caring and compassionate staff who are committed to ensuring that every person in care feels safe, cared for, and supported to live a healthy and full life, Cheryl said she believes the strength of the community, joining with Rural Northwest Health to provide the best possible care and services needed in Hopetoun, has helped the service survive.
“Here’s to continually evolving to the needs of our community over the next 20 years”.
On behalf of the Hopetoun community, Daryl Burdett commented: “We all know how important it is to have a health service in rural areas. Well done and congratulations, RNH on this milestone”.
Guests were invited to celebrate with afternoon tea, including a cake made by Hopetoun Environmental Services Assistant Leonie Naylor.