St Vincent's Health Australia

A warm welcome to our newest arrivals! We’re excited to share the first babies born at St Vincent’s hospitals as we celebrated the New Year, each bringing so much joy to their families and our staff in Queensland, NSW and Victoria. Our heartfelt thanks to the teams who worked over the holiday period, providing exceptional care in our facilities at this busy time of year. We’re very proud to have been a part of these special moments – and Mums, Dads and bubs are all doing well!

As we reflect on the past year, we are deeply grateful for the unwavering support we've received—from our community, our partners, and the people we have the privilege to care for. To those heading out tonight, please stay safe and look after one another. A heartfelt thank you to all our dedicated staff and volunteers—you are truly amazing. A very special shout-out to those spending the New Year with our patients. Your compassion and commitment mean the world. Wishing everyone a bright and prosperous 2025 from all of us at St Vincent’s!

From all of us here at St Vincent's, we'd like to wish you and your loved ones a happy and safe Christmas! In true St Vincent's style, our staff have brought the Christmas spirit to those spending it on our wards. Thank you to all our dedicated staff who keep St Vincent's running all day, every day - even on Christmas. We are so grateful for your compassionate care.

Best of 2024 🏆🙌🏆 The heartwarming and inspirational story of St Vincent’s volunteer, 92-year-old Colin Apelt, has resonated with millions of people this year – becoming ABC Brisbane’s most watched video in 2024. Credit: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

We’re wishing a happy and safe festive season to all our St Vincent’s community – including our staff, patients, residents, families, donors and partners. No matter which one of our facilities you walk into, our people and their strong sense of camaraderie shines brightly, and never more so than at Christmas. To the staff who are working during the holiday season - thank you for keeping our community safe. Your sacrifice and commitment does not go unnoticed.

This week, we had the privilege of hosting NSW Mental Health Commissioner Jennifer Black at St Vincent’s Sydney. The visit is part of the Commissioner’s community outreach aimed at addressing key issues in mental health across the state. The Commissioner was keen to explore alternatives to Emergency Department presentations for mental health, an area where St Vincent’s is proud to be leading the way in intervention and care. During her visit, Commissioner Black had the opportunity to meet with our dedicated staff from several of services, including the Emergency Department; our national digital mental health platform, THIS WAY UP Team; the Tierney House homeless health residential unit; the Integrated Care Mobile Clinic, which delivers health services at street level; and the mental health drop-in centre, Safe Haven. These services play a critical role in providing comprehensive and compassionate mental health care, particularly to people who are the most vulnerable. It was a privilege to showcase the work being done. The conversations and insights shared during this visit will inform the Commissioner's ongoing work in shaping the future of NSW’s mental health system. 

Today, the NSW Government announced that they will introduce pill testing at dance and music festivals. St Vincent’s supports this pill testing trial, beginning early next year, to reduce the harms associated with drug use and save lives. Over many years, the mainly young people who have unintentionally overdosed or been poisoned by drugs at music and dance festivals held in inner city locations, have presented at St Vincent’s for treatment and care. We know the complexities of this subject better than most. Based on our experience and the already significant amount of evidence from other trials and drug checking services – both in Australia and overseas – we’re confident the NSW trial will be successful in saving lives and minimising damage to health.

St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne is leading the way as the first public hospital in Victoria to introduce a new surgical system that enables same-day discharge for spinal surgery. The advanced technology includes a spinal endoscopic tower, intraoperative CT scanner, and a camera system that creates 3D images during surgery. “Being able to get patients home sooner has huge benefits, including less stress on the patient and less stress on the system by freeing up beds so more surgeries can be performed,” said Mr Smith. This minimally invasive approach allows surgeons to perform precise procedures through small incisions, resulting in less pain, faster recovery, and a reduced risk of complications. Patients can now leave the hospital the same day, easing pressure on the system and improving patient outcomes. The new system is initially being used for conditions like herniated discs, spinal nerve compression and sciatica. #stvincents #betterandfairercare #always

Today, not-for-profit healthcare providers – Cabrini Health, Calvary Health Care and St Vincent’s – have welcomed the Federal Government’s package of measures to support private hospitals.

This afternoon we celebrated Christmas in true St Vincent's style - with our colleagues and friends in the beautiful Sacred Heart Gardens. It was a lovely opportunity for our teams to enjoy the sunshine, food, music and each other as we celebrate all that we have achieved together this year. A big thank you to St Vincent's Curran Foundation for putting on a party like no one else can.