West Moreton Hospital and Health Service

Step inside our Cardiac Catheter Laboratory at Ipswich Hospital. What's a Cardiac Catheter Lab? It’s the place you'll come if you need life-saving investigation and diagnosis of serious heart health issues. It’s also a place for research and innovation. Right now, our team of doctors, nurses, radiographers and cardiac scientists are studying the use of intravascular ultrasound to open a person’s coronary arteries (called stenting). The research study looks at staff knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in using this technology to identify opportunities for better education and ultimately, deliver even better care for our patients. Cardiac conditions are a leading cause of hospitalisations in the West Moreton region which is why it's so important that we prioritise research and innovation that will directly benefit our community. Thanks to our partners Ipswich Hospital Foundation for supporting this study via the IHF Impact Funding program, you have our hand on heart gratitude. #WestMoretonHealth #CardiacCathLab #Research

Introducing our 2025 medical interns! 👏 We’re thrilled to welcome 50 new junior doctors – that’s a record number who have chosen West Moreton Health for this exciting chapter of their careers. 🧑⚕️👩⚕️ They’ll be supported to care for patients in general and emergency medicine, surgery and specialised areas including ear, nose and throat and mental health at Ipswich Hospital. Our experienced teams across the health service will be supporting the new interns to learn everything from how to confidently insert a cannula to where to find the best food! We look forward to following their health journeys at West Moreton Health. 💚 #WestMoretonHealth #medicalintern

We're so grateful to the Brisbane Bronco's NRLW players for living and breathing the spirit of Christmas at Ipswich Hospital. Through the incredible work of our charity partner the Ipswich Hospital Foundation the players showed up with pressies and smiles for our patients and staff in the Sunshine and Acute Paediatrics Wards. Thank you, Ipswich Hospital Foundation for facilitating a really special visit.

Meet Rebecca Helland, a proud Ipswich local with a deep connection to her community and over 28 years of clinical experience at West Moreton Health. Born at Ipswich Hospital and raised in the area, Bec’s journey reflects her commitment to giving back to the place she calls home. Today, Bec serves as Project Director, Clinical, guiding clinical planning for new buildings and services across West Moreton. Her role ensures that every project, including the Ipswich Hospital Expansion, is designed for safe, effective patient care. "It’s exciting to be part of expanding health services in our region," says Bec. "The expansion of the Ipswich Hospital will allow us to provide more services to our community. It will transform the way we care for our community, now and into the future." Bec’s dedication stems from a rich background in nursing, with hands-on experience across intensive care, emergency, and rural hospital settings. Beyond her work, Bec is a dab hand at IKEA assembly, coached her son’s football team (despite not knowing the rules!) and enjoys waterskiing with family. Thank you, Bec, for your heart and expertise in building a healthier future for us all. ❤️

‘It’s definitely the best job I’ve ever had.’ Dr Callum Thompson took the path less travelled to West Moreton Health, but it’s fair to say he has found a home. Last week, the first-year doctor was announced as the inaugural recipient of our health service’s Intern of the Year Award, recognising his resilience, eagerness to learn and commitment to patient care. The award was vindication for Callum’s decision to turn his back on a career in business and pursue his passion for medicine. ‘Receiving the award was definitely a surprise. In the group of interns this year, there are so many great doctors ,’ Callum, 32, says. ‘It’s a good confidence booster going into next year that I’m on the right track and have good enough instincts for the job. ‘After high school I did a business degree and worked in corporate finance at a mining company, but I realised that world wasn’t really what I wanted to do.’ Callum has completed rounds in surgery, medicine, emergency department, orthopaedics and ENT (ear, nose, throat) as part of his internship this year, and will continue his medical journey as a Junior House Officer at Ipswich Hospital in 2025. The Intern of the Year Award is named in honour of former long-serving West Moreton Health clinician Dr Hayley Alexander, who sadly passed away in 2022 after a battle with cancer. Callum (pictured left) was presented with the award by Joanne Johnson (right) at a special ceremony at Ipswich Hospital last Thursday. Congratulations, Callum.

Our Child Health team is growing, and we’re looking for passionate nurses to join us in making a lasting difference for families in our community. 💚 This is Tracy 👇 one of our incredible Clinical Nurses! While on placement as a midwifery student, Tracy found her calling in child health, where she helps families thrive beyond the hospital. Here’s what Tracy loves about her role: 🌱 Empowering prevention over treatment 🌍 Building connections with local families 🤝 Linking families to evidence-based care and support At West Moreton Health, you’ll have the chance to: ✅ Work in diverse community settings like libraries, schools, and clinics ✅ Be part of a supportive, forward-thinking team ✅ Shape brighter futures for families and children. We’re recruiting for the following roles: 👉Clinical Nurses (identified and general) 👉Registered Nurses (identified and general) 👉Clinical Nurse Consultants (identified) 👉Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advanced Health Workers Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/gRHYNu_8 #WestMoretonHealth #MoreToMoreton #ChildHealth

A worksite accident sent Hartley Hunt on an unplanned trip to the Boonah Hospital Emergency Department last month … and straight into our history books. The 31-year-old carpenter became the first patient recorded in the hospital’s integrated electronic Medical Record (ieMR) system. He was cared for by nurse Rachael Kriel after injuring his thumb. His emergency department experience forms part of a significant milestone in our transition to a digital system. Boonah Hospital is our fourth and final rural hospital to implement ieMR. So what does that mean? We’ve replaced paper-based clinical charts (a record of your treatment) with an integrated electronic Medical Record (ieMR) system. The ieMR offers healthcare professionals a secure and seamless way to update and share medical information across the state. Patients spend less time re-telling their medical history and our treating team has more time with patients. This means more efficient care and better patient outcomes. Digital records also allow our treating teams to collaborate to deliver better care. The system now links all six of our facilities (at Ipswich, Esk, Boonah, Laidley, Gatton and Ripley), as well as major hospitals outside of our region with ieMR. This means there is an accessible record of care, no matter where patients attend. #WestMoretonHealth #digitalhealth

Delivering effective healthcare involves truly listening to our community. 👂 In a powerful strategic planning workshop, consumers and community members - representing a diverse range of groups, including some of our most vulnerable - came together to help shape the future of healthcare in West Moreton. 💚 Chief Executive Hannah Bloch said hearing first-hand from our community about what ‘good’ healthcare looks like to them is essential. ‘Their voices are our guide to truly lean into and respond to their needs,’ Hannah said. ‘Together, we’re building a plan that will reflect the true health priorities of our community, shaping the future of healthcare in West Moreton in a way that honours every voice. ‘We’re grateful for the time, honesty, and commitment shown by everyone who participated yesterday. ‘These insights will help shape our actions over the next five years.’ This was just one of many engagement sessions we’ll be holding with our community, key stakeholders, staff, and partners, marking a truly exciting time for our health service. 📝 You too can share your voice here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gUJ3QpKp #WestMoretonHealth #MoreToWestMoreton #StrategicPlanning

Hi there 👋 As our community continues to grow, healthcare is becoming more important than ever. We want to know what matters most to you—both now and in the future. By taking a few moments to complete this survey, you’ll help shape our Strategic Plan for 2025-2029. ➡ https://lnkd.in/gUJ3QpKp Your insights will ensure our plan truly reflects the needs of our community, consumers, partners, and staff, so we can deliver the best care possible. Thank you for sharing your voice. 💚 #WestMoretonHealth #MoreToMoreton #StrategicPlanning

Meet some of our wonderful palliative care staff ♥ We understand how deeply emotional and challenging the end-of-life journey can be for our patients and their loved ones, and the palliative care team is here to provide comfort, compassion and support. To help with this mission, we’ve recently introduced a range of new initiatives to expand and strengthen palliative care services in our region 🏥 This includes additional staff, specialist clinics in our rural hospitals and in-home psychology support. We’ve also expanded our Hospital in the Home program and appointed a Palliative Care Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Officer 👩⚕️👨⚕️ Plans are also underway to expand our Rural Palliative Care Service, establish a bereavement support service and link patients with chronic conditions into palliative care early to improve their quality of life. We are very fortunate to have such an incredible palliative care team working tirelessly to help our patients 🙏