What's On News November 2018 VMO survey feedback update from Director Private Hospitals Justin Greenwell

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VMO survey feedback update from Director Private Hospitals Justin Greenwell

Monday 12 November 2018

VMO survey feedback update from Director Private Hospitals Justin Greenwell

Since commencing my new role I have been spending as much time as possible with our VMOs and discussing how Mater is meeting their needs. In addition I have been reviewing feedback from the VMO survey that was conducted earlier this year and thought this was a great opportunity to provide an update on some of the initiatives being worked on as a direct result from the feedback.

Car parking
The challenges of patient car parking were a strong theme within the VMO survey.  As Mater continues to restrict the number of staff parking bays, as well as encourage staff to seek alternative transport, there has been a noticeable improvement for our patients and visitors to park at Mater’s South Brisbane campus.

A comparison between August 2017 and August 2018 indicates a 13% increase in patients, carers and visitors accessing parking across Mater car parks on the South Brisbane campus which is good news. In Mater Hill West we have had an additional 3865 public cars park in comparison to August 2017. A patient and visitor parking online booking platform is also in development to improve and streamline the patient parking process.

IT support
VMOs who completed the survey made it clear that it is vital that Mater provides sufficient IT support to assist private business growth. It is important to me that our VMOs know who to talk to if they have an enquiry or an issue.

Norbert Konecki, Digital Business Partner, is very happy to talk to you and work through any Mater IT support and access requirements. Norbert can be contacted on [email protected] or 0425 333 666.

Further improvements are currently being made for private cancer care specialists, to better enable connectivity between third parties and Mater infrastructure with the CHARM oncology information management solution. These improvements will deliver positive benefits for our private haematologists and medical oncologists.

Private practice growth
I am very supportive of initiatives to deliver more private activity at Mater. Private growth is a consistent feature in the 10 year roadmap outlined our Clinical Services Plan and it is imperative that we support you to grow your business and provide opportunities for you to connect with your referral base.

We have committed to another year of business development activities including our GP Education Program, GP and specialist newsletters and various networking opportunities. If you would like to be involved or have any questions, please contact James Speet, Business Development Manager – Mater Health on [email protected] or 0410 427 363.

Private maternity
To support the growth of Mater’s private maternity services, we have appointed Susan Smit as the Mater Mothers’ Private Customer Liaison officer. Susan's responsibilities will include educating privately-insured women the benefits of activating their insurance in addition to discussing the best care options at Mater Mothers Private for their whole family. Susan will also be the main contact for women who are not pregnant but are interested in knowing more about private maternity care at Mater. Susan can be contacted via email at [email protected] or via mobile on 0466 681 955.

Operating theatres
A number of VMOs have provided some great ideas for ways our private theatres can be improved to ensure they are as up-to-date as possible. For example we have recently upgraded the mobile camera stacks at Mater Private Hospital Brisbane and Redland, purchased six new operating tables for Mater Private Hospital Brisbane, new operating lights for theatres two and five, and Theatre 10 at Mater Private Hospital Brisbane is being enhanced to allow remote access for clinical teaching.

These upgrades are part of an ongoing series of improvements for our private theatres. We have also consolidated all robotic work in one theatre at Mater Private Hospital Brisbane to eliminate any potential time delays in our theatres.

Private consultation rooms
A number of responding VMOs commented on the challenges of finding rooms for their private practice. If you would like to discuss the possibility of onsite consulting suites or leased rooms, I would be very happy to connect you with Mater Property. Alternatively, you are welcome to contact Melissa Wilson, Director of Property on [email protected] or 3163 1602. I am very keen to work with our VMOs to help them find the find the best solution for their private practices.  

Physical environment
I have convened the Mater Private Upgrades Committee whose core purpose will be to improve the private patient experience through the built environment.

At Mater Mothers’ Private Brisbane we are investigating a number of initiatives including a refurbishment of Level 5 to deliver a dedicated waiting lounge for Mater Mothers Private families.  We are also creating dedicated private lounges on each of our private floors within Mater Mothers’ Private Brisbane and considering options to update the postnatal rooms.

Improving our induction of labour processes at Mater Mothers’ Private Brisbane
In response to feedback from our private obstetricians we have launched a new prioritisation process for booking of induction of labour at Mater Mothers’ Private Brisbane. 

Informed financial consent
VMO feedback underlined the importance of providing patients with visibility of fees prior to their admission to a Mater private hospital. It is often a challenge for private patients to understand the total cost of their care as this involves liaising with numerous providers.

We have included a specific section in the revised Mater By-laws underlining the importance of creating clear expectations around financial consent with patients. We are also reviewing our online content and the written information sent to private patients when they book with us. 

Once again thank you for taking the time to complete the Mater VMO survey and providing us with your valuable feedback. I look forward to meeting many more of our VMOs in the weeks and months ahead and am very happy for you to contact me directly at any time.

Justin Greenwell
Director of Private Hospitals and Deputy CEO – Mater Health
Mobile: 0403 344 884
Email: [email protected]