St John of God Health Care has expanded its home nursing service, Health Choices, to the Melbourne area with the acquisition of home nursing provider M&M Healthpower Pty Ltd.
St John of God Health Care has expanded its home nursing service, Health Choices, to the Melbourne area with the acquisition of home nursing provider M&M Healthpower.
Australia's third largest provider of private health care made the deal as part of a growth strategy, which will also see Health Choice home nursing services developed at Murdoch and Bunbury and operational within a year, according to group chief executive Dr Michael Stanford.
"We are always considering growth opportunities in line with the needs of the communities in which we operate, as well as looking to new communities, similar to the current acquisition which gives us a strong foothold in the Melbourne metropolitan area."
"Currently, Health Choices operates in WA out of Subiaco, with plans to extend to sites at Murdoch and Bunbury. In Victoria, it adds Melbourne to 5 existing sites at Berwick, Geelong, Warrnambool, Bendigo and Ballarat.
"We have very concrete with plans underway at Murdoch and Bunbury and the expectation that both these sites will be operational with a year."
Health Choices Melbourne will provide a range of hospital substitution, post acute care and community nursing services across Melbourne, similar to existing Health Choices' home nursing services in the Perth metropolitan area and regional Victoria.
Similar Health Choice services will be available at Murdoch and Bunbury within the year. The services at Murdoch will be on a similar level to those offered at Subiaco, while those in Bunbury will be on a smaller scale, according to Health Choices General Manager Steve Hall.
Mr Hall said the deal gives St John extensive coverage in the Melbourne metropolitan area, Mornington Peninsula, Geelong and surrounding areas, and a new head office, along with administrative and nursing staff, all included in the deal.
In 2008/09, St John of God Health Care, Australia's largest not-for profit health care provider, employed 8,887 caregivers, and its operating revenue was $804.7M.
In 1998/99 the operating revenue was $270.6M, and in 2001/02 there were only 4,415 caregivers, indicating the extent to which the organization has grown since its establishment in 1985.
Dr Michael Stanford said St John selects potential areas for expansion based on the level of a community's need for the home nursing services.
"We identified a community need driven by demographic, social and political change: the increase in the aged population, the growing trend in people living alone, and the desire of health funds and Governments to support people in need of care within their homes as much as possible," he said.
