Thousands of surgical patients benefit from $2.5 million dollar donation

There is now a backlog of patients due to elective surgery restrictions over the last two years and this money will assist us to accelerate that work.

Key facts:

• $2.5-million donation from La Trobe Financial Charitable Foundation
• Improved care in theatre, at the bedside and in the community
• Backlog of patients due to elective surgery restrictions

A multi-million dollar donation from La Trobe Financial will help Epworth HealthCare ensure thousands of Victorian patients can have surgery that has been delayed, as Victoria once again emerges from significant COVID-19 restrictions.

The latest $2.5 million donation from La Trobe Financial Charitable Foundation will fund upgrades to operating theatres and equipment, expand Australia’s first private Hospital in the Home Unit and provide accommodation near Epworth Richmond to support regional patients and their families.

Dr Lachlan Henderson, Group Chief Executive, Epworth HealthCare says this additional donation builds on a long-standing partnership between La Trobe Financial and Epworth.

“We accept this donation with immense gratitude, as it will enable Epworth to prepare our hospitals for increased surgical activity and help alleviate the significant backlog of surgical cases,” Dr Henderson said.

“When Epworth was preparing for the challenge, as the pandemic hit Victoria in 2020, La Trobe Financial’s President & CEO Greg O’Neill OAM was the first to pick up the phone to ask how he could help the public who may require hospitalisation. Without hesitation, La Trobe Financial donated $1 million to buy extra PPE and HALO powered respirators that helped keep our patients, staff and doctors safe.”

“There is now a backlog of patients due to elective surgery restrictions over the last two years. Some patients have struggled while they wait for their operations and this money will assist us to accelerate that work.”

Dr Henderson said all Epworth hospitals are ready to increase surgical volumes, including Epworth Richmond, Victoria’s largest private surgical hospital.

“It will require our staff and doctors to do more than we’ve ever done. The additional donation from La Trobe Financial will ensure we can meet the needs of our community.”

Mr O’Neill commented “our Charitable Foundation is proud to play an important role during the pandemic and for years to come.

One person alone can’t solve all our societal challenges but working together to rebuild our communities must be our mantra post COVID as there is much to be done in both the physical and mental health areas to build people’s confidence and belief in a positive future. We need an army and the power of corporate philanthropy to now support organisations like Epworth in these times,” Mr O’Neill said.

“We are simply in awe of all the healthcare workers across Australia and the manner in which they have conducted themselves, and often placed themselves at risk to save the lives of others. This is one small way we can thank them for their untiring service and outstanding professionalism which will benefit Epworth patients for years to come.”

This donation of $2.5 million dollars will fund improvements in theatre, at the bedside and in the community including:

• A dedicated ear, nose and throat theatre;
• An intraoperative ultrasound system to provide surgeons with real-time imaging during operations to remove brain, pancreatic, prostate and bladder tumours;
• An ultrasonic tissue ablation system that removes tumours in the brain, without effective healthy surrounding tissue;
• 40 observation machines to monitor patients’ vital signs at the bedside;
• New intensive care unit beds;
• Renovations to two units near Epworth Richmond to provide accommodation for regional patients and their families;
• New cars to expand Australia’s first privately run Hospital in the Home unit

Today’s donation means that La Trobe Financial’s Charitable Foundation has provided over $15-million to Epworth in the last four years, including $5 million for the state-of-the-art La Trobe Financial Cardiac Catheterisation Unit at Epworth Richmond, $6 million for da Vinci surgical robots across four hospitals, and the purchase of cardiac theatre equipment.