When two-month-old Aurora Phillips was the very first Werribee Mercy Hospital Paediatric Ward admission on Wednesday, it came as a surprise to all that she was already deeply connected to the new ward.
The little girl, who was admitted to the ward with bronchiolitis via the Emergency Department, is the granddaughter of former C2 Surgical Ward Associate Nurse Unit Manager Jeanette Coombs. Jeanette left Mercy Health six years ago but would be no stranger to many at Werribee Mercy Hospital.
Over the past couple of months, the C2 Surgical Ward has been refurbished to become Werribee Mercy Hospital’s designated paediatric ward. The opening was celebrated with an afternoon tea and was an opportunity for guests to walk through the new ward, which features 12 beds, a children’s playroom and the capacity for a family member to stay with their sick child.
‘At this early stage of the ward’s opening, admissions will come through both our Perioperative Services team, for those children having surgeries including tonsillectomies or adenoid removal, and our Emergency Department,’ Interim Chief Executive Health Services Clare Grieveson says. ‘Admissions from our ED will be those children with non-complex medical conditions including asthma, bronchiolitis, gastroenteritis, fever and poor weight gain.’
Director of Paediatrics Dr Kathy McMahon leads the new paediatric team, while Ms Simone Danaher is Nurse Unit Manager. Simone is one of a number of staff members who have been instrumental in preparing the ward for its opening and recruitment of the 27 paediatric staff members.
The opening of the paediatrics ward fell almost one year to the day that Werribee Mercy Hospital celebrated the opening of the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
Download full media release ( PDF, 191.4K )Last reviewed November 8, 2019.
