On Sunday, 28 March, Acting Premier James Merlino MP and Minister for Health Martin Foley visited the newly-operational Emergency Department at Monash Medical Centre.
Head of Emergency Medicine at Monash Medical Centre, Dr Rachel Rosler, led them on a tour of the new state-of-the-art resuscitation bays, children’s area, diagnostic imaging facilities, and adult area. They spoke with Nurse Manager Dawn Macrae and Sarah Strahan, mother of seven-week-old Hannah Strahan, who was in the Emergency Department (pictured with the Acting Premier, James Merlino MP – main image).
The facility began treating patients on Wednesday, 24 March, and Chief Executive Andrew Stripp said the new facility marks a significant milestone for the broader Emergency Department Redevelopment Project.
“For our patients, this new space will be brighter, lighter, and a much more welcoming environment,” Andrew said. “As we know, an emergency department can be a high-stress environment, and this new space will make a significant difference in how our teams provide care and ease undue anxiety for our patients.”
Dr Rosler said, “The new space will allow for more contemporary models-of-care at the site. The old emergency department was quite dated and restrictive in how we utilise its limited space. We’re very pleased to have moved into a much more versatile space that means we can provide the best possible care at a difficult time for our patients.”
The next stages of the overall project will see the existing Emergency Department space closed off while a comprehensive internal refurbishment is completed to match the new facility.
When the project is complete in early 2022, Monash Medical Centre will have a significantly larger Emergency Department and improved pedestrian and ambulance access. It will feature a dedicated paediatric emergency facility and a separate crisis hub for more vulnerable patients.
“We recognise that this has been a disruptive project, and we appreciate the patience shown by our employees, patients, and community while we deliver these upgrades,” Andrew said.