Year in Review 2021

WESTMEAD HEALTH PRECINCT AND MOVE TO THE CASB

Honouring Our Ancestors at Westmead Local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders caught their first glimpse of Westmead Health Precinct’s new Cultural Gathering Place. Welcomed to inspect the forecourt gardens of the Central Acute Services Building (CASB) by Western Sydney Local WSLHD Aboriginal Health Strategy Director Braiden Abala, the Elders felt an instant sense of belonging and connection to culture in the hospital environment. Designed to ensure a safe and welcoming place for all people, Country and kinship, the space features four art projects – Tools of Knowledge, All That Remains, Mudinga and Sound of Water. The art infuses the garden with sight and sound direct from Parramatta River to help celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and its connection to land and water. An adjacent room also offers a quiet space for family and friends of patients. WSLHD Aboriginal Health Strategy Director Braiden Abala said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients were five times more likely to discharge themselves against medical advice than other patients and hopes the Cultural Gathering Place will help reduce this statistic.

Right, from top Aboriginal Elder Aunty Stella Cunningham. Aboriginal Liaison Officer Narelle Holden, Red Cross Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Social Support Worker Vicki Lonsdale- Micallef and Aboriginal Elder Pauline Stockham visiting the Cultural Gathering Place.

Above, from left NSW Health Secretary Elizabeth Koff and WSLHD Chief Executive Graeme Loy at the opening of the new Westmead Hospital Central Acute Services Building. The official opening included a tour of the new 14-storey building.

Moving into Westmead’s 14-storey Health Tower

More operating theatres, patient rooms and world-class services, including two new emergency departments, are all part of the clinical tower that officially opened in March this year. It is the highest health building in Australia and is the stunning centrepiece of the more than $1 billion Westmead Health Precinct redevelopment. The building at the centre of the Precinct was awarded the 2020 Health Project of The Year at the annual Boomtown! Property & Infrastructure Summit at the International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour in December 2020. Key features of the new Central Acute Services Building include: Two new emergency departments — one for adults and one for children; 25 digital operating theatres; more than 300 patient overnight beds; and 1.5 floors for the University of Sydney to further integrate education, research, and health services.

Staff and services began relocating to the new Central Acute Services Building in February with both the adult and children’s emergency departments now open and combined as the largest emergency services hub in NSW. Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) Chief Executive Graeme Loy said the opening of the building was a proud day for Western Sydney, saying it was an exciting step in the evolution of Westmead Health Precinct. The official opening included the unveiling of an official building plaque and a tour of the new 14-storey building for members of the NSW Government. NSW Minister for Health and Medical Research, Brad Hazzard said the collaboration between Westmead Hospital, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and the University of Sydney meant patients would receive cutting-edge treatment and care.

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