Health Care Professionals

Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre

BRICC Newsletter - December 2011

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  in partnership with

 

 

The Grampians Region of Victoria has received  joint Commonwealth and State funding for a regional integrated cancer centre.  The centre will be built in Ballarat with works commencing in January 2011.  The centre is expected to be completed by the end of 2012.   Mr Arrin Wislang has been appointed as the Project Director and is responsible for ensuring key project milestones and processes are achieved to ensure the centre reaches full operation on time.  Arrin comes to BHS from the Capital and Coast District Health Board in Wellington, New Zealand,  where he successfully developed and delivered the approach, strategies and key milestones for all transitional  interventions to reconfigure and move all medicine, cancer and surgical clinical services and staff safely into a new hospital.  He specializes in health project management, and has significant experience in successfully delivering  major health projects both nationally and within the hospital setting.

 

At a glance

What: Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre

Cost: $55 million

Completion: Late 2012

Features: Two new Radiation Oncology linear accelerators, 12 chemotherapy chairs & 2 beds, consulting/outpatients, pharmacy and a patient wellness centre, as well as a clinical trials and research area.  The facility has been designed for future expansion as the demands for services increase.

The $55 million Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre (BRICC) is being built at Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital, and will run in partnership with Austin Health.

Funded by contributions of $42 million from the Commonwealth Government and $13 million from the State Government, it will replace the existing Ballarat Austin Radiation Oncology Centre (BAROC) and is expected to treat an additional 800 patients and provide 8000 extra chemotherapy treatments each year.

Why invest? Cancer presents serious challenges for the community, government and health service and we know the numbers of people developing cancer are increasing.

Therefore, Ballarat needs to expand its radiotherapy and chemotherapy services to meet current and future needs of patients and families affected by cancer.

The BRICC will bring the city’s cancer services together on one site, giving people convenient access to facilities for consultation, treatment and support.

An expanded service will also help Ballarat attract and retain more doctors to improve local teaching, training and research.

What are the benefits? Once complete, the BRICC will:

·         enable more Grampians residents to access chemotherapy, radiotherapy and supportive care services;

·         ensure more Grampians residents receive their cancer care locally in a streamlined patient-centred     service;

·         reduce the number of residents who leave the Grampians region for their radiation treatment and chemotherapy;

·         help close the gap in cancer outcomes between city and country; and

·         enable patients to live longer with a better quality of life.

 

Any questions?Questions or comments can be directed to bricc@bhs.org.au.  Keep an eye on our website in the future where you will find a FAQ section and more information on this exciting development.