A message from the chairman of Trustees

It is sometimes remarked that the Catholic Church is the oldest and largest health care provider in the world.

At St John of God Health Care we are mindful at all times of the great legacy and responsibility we have as a Catholic organisation to minister to the health care needs of all those who enter our doors.

Compassionate care has always been and continues to be the hallmark of our model of distinctive and exceptional care.

High quality is another distinguishing feature and St John of God Health Care strives to be at the vanguard of new technology and research so the communities we serve can be confident they are receiving the highest possible quality of care.

We are continuing to grow our services in communities where we already operate, through redevelopments, to meet changing needs and we are also expanding into new communities. We are shortly to open the newly constructed St John of God Midland Public Hospital in partnership with the Western Australian Government, offering more health care options to people in that area and our own work in public health.

We are also extending our capabilities to provide community support, part of our social justice agenda, in social outreach, disability services and mental health.

While continuing to expand and grow in response to community needs we are also maintaining our focus on having the right internal culture and the right framework in place to ensure we remain a Catholic ministry.

In 2014/15, in response to the significant growth and development of the organisation, we commenced a comprehensive review of our Mission Management Model, last reviewed in 1999. The review will look at the structures, processes, resources and people that support the ongoing development and integration of Mission within the organisation to ensure we have a model to meet our future needs and remain at the forefront of exceptional care.

Change of Trustees

I was delighted to welcome new Trustees Frank Cooper AO and Sr Anne Derwin in 2014/15 who have taken over from long-standing Trustees Clive Macknay and Don Good.

Frank is a highly respected member of the Perth business community. In 2014 he was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) and in 2015 he was awarded a Western Australian of the Year Award in the Professions category for his many years of service to the community.

Sr Anne has outstanding credentials in Catholic leadership and formation as a former Congregational Leader of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and former Board member of St John of God Health Care.

I express our profound gratitude to outgoing Trustees Don and Clive who have so positively influenced the growth and success of St John of God Health Care through their vision and leadership.

Don has been an astute and wise leader over nearly four decades and has been instrumental in facilitating numerous transformative milestones in our history. His appointment as the first lay Trustee and subsequently as Chairman of Trustees demonstrates the trust and high esteem in which he is held throughout the ministry. In 2014 Don was bestowed with the Benemerenti Medal by his Holiness Pope Francis for his long and faithful service to health care, the Church and society.

Clive’s involvement with the ministry commenced in 1976 and he went on to hold key governance positions. He embraced these leadership roles with passion and his skillful discernment has been invaluable. His contribution to this ministry is immeasurable.

Finally, I acknowledge the support of our Members and Members’ Representatives.

I invite you to enjoy St John of God Health Care’s Annual Report.

Eva Skira
Chairman of Trustees

Year in Review

Hospital services

Increased hospital overnight separations by 12.5% and day separations by 11.2% compared to 2013/14. Procedures increased by almost 15% and emergency presentations increased by 20.6% thanks to the first full operational year of the St John of God Geelong Hospital Emergency Department.

Births increased by 10% and for the first time St John of God Health Care delivered more than 10,500 babies in a year (See Stewardship).

New hospitals

Completed construction of St John of God Midland Public and Private Hospitals with handover in June 2015. Commissioning is now under way and the hospitals are due to open on schedule in November 2015 (See St John of God Midland Public & Private Hospitals).

Pathology

Opened six new collection centres across Victoria and Western Australia; upgraded regional biochemistry platforms and introduced a molecular microbiology testing platform at the core laboratory in Victoria (See St John of God Pathology).

Pathology episodes year on year increased by 2% in a competitive market (See Stewardship).

Home nursing

Undertook 115,477 episodes of care and commenced Hospital in the Home services from St John of God Geelong Hospital (See St John of God Health Choices).

Press Ganey satisfaction surveys

St John of God Frankston Rehabilitation and Geelong Hospitals ranked by inpatients as ‘best in class’ (99th percentile) of private hospitals surveyed by Press Ganey in Australia and St John of God Ballarat and Subiaco Hospitals ranked at the 90th percentile.

St John of God Murdoch Hospital Emergency Department achieved ‘best in class’ (99th percentile).

St John of God Geelong Hospital also ranked by day patients as ‘best in class’ (99th percentile) for the sixth year in a row.

Stronger doctor engagement than not-for-profit sector average with 40% of St John of God Health Care doctors self-rated as ‘dedicated partners.’

St John of God Bendigo and Subiaco Hospitals ranked ‘best in class’ (99th percentile) for doctor satisfaction compared to private peers (See Excellence in Care).

Training and education

Partnered with 26 universities and 30 Registered Training Organisations to provide undergraduate clinical placement opportunities for nursing, medical and allied health students from all over Australia (See Excellence in Education and Training).

Nursing and midwifery education

Developed St John of God Health Care’s first state-wide graduate nurse program in Western Australia, known as the Pathways to Practice Program, providing opportunities for graduates to rotate to different divisions and across specialties (See Excellence in Education and Training).

Medical education

Appointed 50 registrars in a range of specialties and continued GP-WISE, a hospital-based arm of the Prevocational General Practice Placement Program in collaboration with the Western Australian General Practice Education and Training.

Formation

Many Faces – One Story caregiver formation program developed with more than 1,000 participants since launch (See Formation for caregivers).

Information technology

Completed major consultation establishing clinical and other information requirements for St John of God Health Care to achieve strategic priority one to be a ‘recognised leader in the Australian health sector for the provision of high quality health care’ by 2019 (See Clinical risk management and quality). Completed requirements gathering, scoping and technical design for new intranet and website.

Research

Research activity continued to increase with 120 new research proposals submitted in 2014/15, an increase of 36% (See Excellence in Research).

Financial performance

Achieved revenue of $1.3 billion in 2014/15, an increase of 12.5% on 2013/14  (See Stewardship).

Developments and expansions

Completed $410 million St John of God Midland Private and Public Hospitals on time and on budget.

Completed $8 million expansion at St John of God Accord Greensborough); new $9 million St John of God Wembley Day Surgery at St John of God Subiaco Hospital; and the $8 million earthquake recovery works and a second disability home at Selwyn at St John of God Hauora Trust in New Zealand.

Completed stage one of St John of God Murdoch Hospital’s $236 million development and commenced stage two which is due for completion in 2018. Progressed $41 million redevelopment of St John of God Bendigo Hospital with completion due in 2016.

Commenced new $20 million project at St John of God Geelong Hospital for expanded and upgraded cardiac and intensive care services, commenced $17 million redevelopment at St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital and agreed terms with Generation Healthcare REIT on $120 million development for the new St John of God Berwick Hospital (See Building Healthy Communities).

Workforce

Increased number of caregivers by more than 5% from 10,850 in 2013/14 to 11,415 in 2014/15 (See Workforce profile).

Occupational health, safety and wellness

Lost time injury frequency rate of 7.97, a deterioration from prior year and subject to increased focus in 2015/16. Caregiver wellness program Live Well, Work Well awarded 2014 Worksafe Victoria Award for Commitment to Workplace Health and Wellbeing (See Occupational health, safety and wellness).

Nursing and midwifery

Continued to embed the Nursing and Midwifery Foundations of Excellence across all our hospital divisions. The Foundations were showcased internationally by The Advisory Board Company – a global research, consulting and technology firm helping hospital and health system leaders improve the quality and efficiency of patient care. Press Ganey Caregiver Satisfaction Survey results increased with 74% of nursing units showing improved engagement (See Excellence in nursing and midwifery practice).

Governance and stewardship

Group Director Governance appointed with responsibility for internal audit, risk and compliance. Transformation program framework established and two significant change programs focused on creating holistic value commenced. Development of a capital development framework is being finalised, five-year financial targets developed and new property funding models developed (See Operational Update).

Clinical risk management and quality

Electronic incident report system simplified and enhanced. Root cause analysis training and support materials developed and provided to caregivers.  Implementation of a dedicated infection prevention and control software surveillance system commenced. Review of open disclosure process undertaken and educational program established to strengthen patient and family communication. National quality benchmarks reported by the National Hospital Performance Authority on the MyHospitals website exceeded (See Clinical risk management and quality).

Accreditation

St John of God Ballarat, Frankston, Geraldton, Subiaco and Warrnambool Hospitals underwent accreditation against the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards National Safety and Quality Health Service and EQuIPNational Standards, successfully meeting all required actions with the hospitals achieving an average of 19 ‘Met with Merit’ ratings. This demonstrates exceptional performance beyond the required actions of the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.

St John of God Health Choices successful in Australian Council of Healthcare Standards, EQuIP5 Periodic Review (See Accreditation).

Environment

Reduced carbon emissions by more than 2.5% year on year from the previous year (See Environment).

Social Justice and Advocacy

Established a group social advocacy framework with main focus on Disability Access and Inclusion (employing people with disabilities) and Reconciliation (building better relationshiops with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) (See Social justice).

Heritage

Established a group heritage action plan (See Operational Update).

Arts and health

Art curator appointed to develop and manage St John of God Health Care art collection. Arts and health framework formalised (See Arts and health).

Awards

Long-standing caregiver and recently retired Group Director Nursing, Kate Birrell, awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to nursing, particularly to professional education and the community. St John of God Health Care Trustee, Therese Temby, was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her services to education, and St John of God Health Care Trustee Frank Cooper AO, and Board member Peter Prendiville, were awarded Western Australian of the Year Awards in the Professions and Business categories respectively (See Awarding Excellence 2014/15).

Our Strategic Priorities 2015-2019

Our Strategic Priorities 2015–2019 builds on and amplifies the strategies and expectations outlined by the Trustees in Our Vision 2015–2019 and assist us to achieve the outcomes identified.

01 To be a recognised leader in the Australian health sector for the provision of high quality health care

The delivery of exceptional health care is the overarching strategic priority for St John of God Health Care and this applies to all our service areas. The other four strategic priorities will enable us to achieve this critical priority.

02 To significantly increase our investment in information, analytics and technology

As a leader in health care we must significantly increase our investment in clinical and non-clinical information. Information drives practice and the required clinical information must be available to support the provision of high quality care. Timely and easily utilised information will also assist non-clinical caregivers to drive efficiency and productivity and best support our clinical care.

03 Increased agility in responding to changes in our environment and in implementing our plans

The key strategic issues we face, our predictions for what the future will look like and our implementation plans all require us to be more agile and flexible. We need to be faster at decision making and implementation. The nature of technological advances is unpredictable but likely to be significant. The nature and degree of competition is likely to materially change. We will need to be able to respond quickly in this dynamic environment.

04 Deeper partnering with key stakeholders

For St John of God Health Care to meet its objectives we need to engage more deeply with a wider range of stakeholders including patients, clients and their families. Our Vision has always required us to actively partner with other Catholic Church agencies as well as visiting medical officers. We will also strengthen our relationships with governments, health funds, media, community organisations, professional bodies, universities and other educators, as well as our own workforce.

05 Capital optimisation

Capital is a precious resource, critical to our survival and growth. Strong financial stewardship has always been important to our 119 year old Catholic Church ministry and will continue to be critical as we plan for the next century. We need to always have sufficient funds available to allow us to invest in our existing services, to develop new ones as need and opportunity warrants and to ensure we operate as a high quality service provider.