A \u201cSTATE of the art\u201d paediatric and rehabilitation centre will be established at Bendigo Health\u2019s old hospital site.<\/p>\n
The development comes as Bendigo Health starts work on its new three-year strategic plan, which launches in 2022.<\/p>\n
CEO of Bendigo Health Bob Cameron said he encourages members of the public to complete the community survey to help shape the strategic plan.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Last time] the community told us they wanted us to make the best use of the hospital, improve services, continue to build services,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re now the regional centre of excellence in cancer care and last year in heart care.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe became a 24\/7 heart hospital and one of the things we\u2019d love to see in this next plan is to become a regional centre of excellence in paediatric care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wendy Millar is the manager of outpatient rehabilitation service at Bendigo Health and said it\u2019ll be great to see the inactive site, which hasn\u2019t been used for four years, be refurbished.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want more services to be able to be delivered here in Bendigo, and in particular we want more services to be able to be delivered to younger children,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cParticularly children with cerebral palsy because we know that makes a big difference in the long run.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt allows those children to grow into functioning adults that can be part of the community, and that\u2019s got to be good for everyone in the long run.\u201d<\/p>\n
A key aspect of the new space will be making children therapy services fun and engaging.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of focus is going to be around play-based therapy because that\u2019s how kids do their work and rehabilitation, it\u2019s through play,\u201d Ms Millar said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to have some fabulous new play spaces that will be therapy spaces and that\u2019s really inviting for kids to be a part of that\u2019s their motivation.\u201d<\/p>\n
The refurbishments will start before Christmas and take a year to be completed.<\/p>\n