Cutting edge: Sheridan Age Care’s re-development was officially opened in an outdoor ceremony last week and given the honour to cut the ceremonial ribbon were Kyabram District Health Service chief executive officer Anne McEvoy, Sheridan resident Chris Jones, Susan Ryan (director of clinical services) and board chair Dale Denham.
Worth the wait was the universal consensus of speakers given the opportunity to offer an opinion on the Sheridan Hostel redevelopment, which was first touted five years ago and encountered several COVID-led interruptions.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Residents of the Kyabram District Health Care Aged Care Facility attended the official opening of the clinical hub and Sheridan redevelopment on the lawns of the hospital last week, due to COVID-19 restrictions inside the facility.
KDHS chief executive officer Anne McEvoy who arrived at KDHS a little more than three years ago, acknowledged the work of former CEO Peter Abraham, along with Bernadette Wardle and Dorothy Stone — explaining that trio had been the “visionaries’’ behind the project.
She also acknowleged the “implementers’’ of the project control group, in particular Michelle Collier and Mick Dunn, who had facility management and facility co-ordination roles.
“They toiled through the complexities and the myriad of challenges of this project in particular,” she said.
Moment to savour: Kyabram District Health Services ladies auxiliary members Mary Kendall and Marg Chalker cut the clinical hub and Sheridan re-development cake.
The project, which received a $1.7 million state government contribution and an almost $1 million injection from the KDHS coffers, was also completed on the back of three significant bequests from families with close connections to the health service.
A $69,000 contribution from the estate of Keith Neilson (represented at the launch by Linda Neilson), along with $224,000 from the estate of Alexander James Matthew and $130,000 from John Francis Hogan’s estate assisted in the project being funded.
“This project would not have been achieved without these contributions,” she said.
Leading Kyabram identities Marie Dillon and Peter Nelson are both relations of Mr Hogan.
A $20,000 contribution from the KDHS ladies auxiliary was also acknowledged by the KDHS chief.
The 2017 vision for the aged-care facility and clinical hub began wth six individual projects that included developing a dedicated clinical education unit in the hub, building a new urgent-care centre, developing centrally located offices for the acute and Sheirdan nursing managers, then also enhancing the theatre waiting rooms and creating link between the acute ward and the Sheridan facility.
At Sheridan there are now no shared resident bedrooms, all rooms now for individual residents with ensuites and the aged-care component of KDHS now also boasts a modern dining room, a new library, lunge, private function room, beauty salon and restaurant-style dining experience for residents and their families.
Helping hand: KDHS board members Stan Gibney and Fern Summer with Linda Neilson, who was representing Keith Neilson, one of three people to major significant bequests to the re-development.
Start to finish: Judy Greer with former KDHS director of clinical services Bernadette Wardle, facilities manager Michelle Collier and facilities co-ordinator Mick Dunn, with former CEO Peter Abraham, who was among the original visionaries for the development.
Board director Andrew Fletcher said, as a result of the re-development, student numbers had almost doubled.
The new Urgent Care Centre (UCC) was tested in late October when the UCC averaged almost 20 presentations a day during the recent floods, again almost double the average of the same time last year.
KDHS board chair Dale Denham invited the contribution of Sheridan resident Raelene Dean and Yvonne Beecroft, whose husband is a resident at the facility, to then speak at the launch.
Then he, interim director of clinical services Susan Ryan, Mrs McEvoy and Sheridan resident Chris Jones cut the ribbon.
Ladies Auxiliary president Marg Chalker and secretary Mary Kendall were given the honour of cutting the cake at the opening.
Board directors Stan Gidney and Fern Summer were also involved in the opening of the facility, described by resident Raelene Dean as “light, bright and spacious, with fittings that are matched by the care and the programs offered by staff’’.
Mrs Dean said she was not surprised to learn of the results achieved by Sheridan during the recent accreditation process.
“I am proud to call it home,” she said.
Mrs Beecroft said her husband Bill, who had become the unofficial news reporter during the re-development, loved the new facility.
“When you walk into Sheridan it now feels like a very welcoming location and the staff of Sheridan makes everyone's lives so much better,” she said.
