Buderim Private Hospital is celebrating its 40th year of caring for the Sunshine Coast community.
Officially opening on 5 July in 1980 as a small community hospital with 48 patient beds, 40 years later the hospital has grown to include 190 patient beds, eight operating theatres, two cardiovascular theatres and a range of other specialised services such as cardiac, mental health, maternity, surgical, rehabilitation as well as the Sunshine Coast’s first private Emergency Centre.
General Manager, Karen Clark, said the hospital was proud to celebrate this important milestone and reflect on its growth and remember the many people cared for over the years.
“Over the past 40 years we have remained committed to partnering with our patients and providing them with high-quality and compassionate care each and every day and we are incredibly proud of the contribution we have made to the Sunshine Coast community,” Ms Clark said.
“The timing of our anniversary is especially poignant given the World Health Organization has declared 2020 the Year of the Nurse and Midwife to recognise the important contribution they make to the communities they serve.”
Part of the hospital’s anniversary celebrations will include the opening a new Chapel in a more accessible and central location for patients, staff and doctors.
“This Chapel is a gift and resource for all and will be available as a place of refuge, rest, reflection and perhaps renewal,” Mrs Clark said.
The hospital also has a number of events and activities planned to celebrate with the hospital team, respecting COVID-19 social distancing restrictions.
Buderim Private Hospital cares for more than 25,000 patients every year, has delivered more than 15,000 babies and employs almost 800 local people.
The hospital was the vision of a local GP’s wife, Mrs Elsa Wilson, who dreamed of establishing a community hospital in Buderim. In 1977 Mrs Wilson hosted a dinner party in her home and pitched her idea to her guests, which included an architect and two surgeons. Her idea was received with considerable interest, a committee was formed and plans developed.
Unfortunately, Mrs Wilson passed away from cancer in 1982 shortly after the hospital opening. As a tribute to the remarkable woman, the hospital now stands on ‘Elsa Wilson Drive.’
As part of UnitingCare, the Buderim Private Hospital is owned by the Uniting Church and is the only not-for-profit provider of private hospital services on the Sunshine Coast.