Alice Mary Pittard and Helen Gardiner were trailblazers dedicated to healthcare. But to their grandsons Professor Jim Pittard and Jamie Gardiner they were also fascinating women with ideas well ahead of their time.
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On Monday, Health Minister Jill Hennessy opened the Gardiner-Pittard wing, located at the front of Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital, in honour of the first two women elected to the BHS board in 1928.
Ms Hennessy also announced an extra $4 million boost for new capital works and projects.
“It lifts one’s soul when you walk into new facilities with good design and populated by people ready to help,” she said. “It’s a welcome space, it’s one place for people to come into a health service rather than trying to play Sudoku wondering where to come into the place.”
Ms Hennessy said the state government had funded four projects from the Regional Health Infrastructure Fund’s first round, including $1 million to start planning the fit out the new wing’s level one shell space, which will enable the expansion of the existing Bolte Building “hot floor”, and extra theatres and support space. There will also be $1.5 million to replace six laparoscopic cameras in the existing theatres.
At the Queen Elizabeth Centre, there will be $1.32 million given to replace chillers and $150,225 to expand wireless networks.
“In Ballarat we’re making sure patients can get the safe, high quality care and surgeries they need by planning ahead now, for more operating theatres in the future.”
BHS chief executive officer Dale Fraser said the Gardiner-Pittard wing was a “fantastic addition to the therapeutic contributions of this organisation”.
“It’s a significant transition buffer from unwell to well,” Mr Fraser said.
BHS board chair Rowena Coutts said Alice Mary Pittard and Helen Gardiner were female healthcare pioneers.
“They were trailblazers and many women dedicated to healthcare have followed in their footsteps,” Ms Coutts said.
She said they both also served on the National Council of Women and set up maternal women’s and children welfare programs.
“Our hope is that their legacy of putting patient care and welfare first will live on.”
Professor Pittard said it was a great recognition of his grandmother while Mr Gardiner said his grandmother would have been “privately delighted” at the honour.
Ms Hennessy also said the entire health system needed to lift its standards on bullying but she said she was confident the BHS leadership was focused on changing its legacy.
She also said she was continuing to monitor concerns about workplace culture at Beaufort Health Service.