Campaspe Shire Mayor Daniel Mackrell, acting theatre nurse unit managers Tracey Hughes and Jessie Healy and board chair Chris Motton cut the ribbon to open Kyabram District Health Service's central sterile service department. Photo: Jemma Jones.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
The Kyabram District Health Service might just have the cleanest room in town following the successful completion of its multi-million-dollar project.
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The service’s new modernised central sterile services department was officially opened on Thursday, October 23 after undergoing redevelopment to ensure continued compliance with sterilisation standards.
The new department ensures surgical equipment stays clean, while also streamlining the sterile process through a new department layout, ensuring smooth progress of dirty instruments from the procedure room to the sanitiser.
The upgrade has created an additional surgery room, previously used for storage, which will help reduce waiting times for elective procedures at KDHS.
Acting theatre nurse unit manager Tracey Hughes gave tours of the new unit.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
In front of staff, board members and even Campaspe Shire Mayor Daniel Mackrell, chief executive Anne McEvoy said the completion of the project was a milestone for the health service.
“This project not only future-proofs our surgical services, but also ensures we can continue to provide safe, high-quality care locally,” she said.
“It represents an investment in the health of our community and the wellbeing of our staff and VMOs.”
The project was made possible thanks to a $4.5 million grant from the Victorian Government’s Regional Health Infrastructure Fund, announced by Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas during her visit to KDHS in March 2024.
At the time, Ms Thomas said the refurbishment was a “significant project” to ensure Kyabram and district residents could receive high-quality care and treatment they needed closer to home.
Nineteen months on, staff have already benefited from the brand new CSSD unit.
KDHS director of clinical services Meredith Hodder said the redevelopment had already enabled one staff member to gain specialised training in sterilisation techniques for the CSSD, ensuring high-quality care remained available in Kyabram.
“That opportunity may not have eventuated without the project, so (the department) have now fully trained CSSD technicians ... and they are very hard to come across,” she said.
“It’s fantastic community members are getting their care closer to home, and it's safe to do so... it’s helping to relieve pressure from other regional hospitals being able to do elective surgeries right here in Kyabram.”
Kyabram District Health Service's team celebrates a successful redevelopment.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
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