Goulburn Valley Hospice Care Service’s new hub in Shepparton is set to open next month, bringing together services to meet growing palliative care needs in the community.
GV Hospice is a not-for-profit palliative care service supporting people who have a life-limiting illness in the City of Greater Shepparton.
The brand new home for GV Hospice will bring staff from across three sites into the one, purpose-built facility.
GV Hospice executive manager Kaye Gall said she was excited about what it could mean for the Shepparton community.
“This building provides a fantastic working environment and allows us to partner with other services, including specialist services at GV Health,” Ms Gall said.
“It also allows us to grow our workforce going forward and we hope to support the nursing team with a broader health professional group, so we have social workers, bereavement counsellors and some administrative client support people.”
Tatura’s Bruce McLeod is a long-term patient with GV Hospice and said, “if you want help, they’re there”.
“We’ve been involved with the hospice for some time and you just can’t say too much about them, they’re so good,” he said.
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley visited the site on Wednesday, June 15 and said it was an important service for managing end-of-life care.
GV Hospice received $937,000 in funding from the Victorian Government’s Regional Health Infrastructure Fund to help build the new hub.
The facility features three courtyards, energy-efficient heating, cooling and hydraulic systems and an open plan office design.
There will be a dedicated space for patients and their families to access telehealth consultations with specialists, and enhanced information and communications technology infrastructure.