Catholic Health Australia (CHA) has today announced that UnitingCare Queensland (UnitingCare) has become CHA's fortieth member and the first non-Catholic provider to join.
Catholic Health Australia (CHA) is Australia's largest non-government grouping of health and aged care services, accounting for around 10 per cent of hospital-based healthcare in Australia. CHA members also provide around 25 percent of private hospital care, five percent of public hospital care, 12 percent of aged care facilities, and 20 percent of home care and support for the elderly.
At a meeting on 22 June, CHA members resolved to amend its constitution to permit the inclusion of any 'organisation that conducts and controls a health, aged care and/or community care service, and which service or facility is conducted, to the satisfaction of the Board, as a not-for-profit and in the spirit of Christ's ministry of healing.'
This amendment will enable other not-for-profit Christian health, aged care and/or community care providers to take part in CHA's growing influential advocacy, community and ministry. CHA chief executive Pat Garcia said he was delighted to welcome UnitingCare to the peak body.
"This is a historic moment for Catholic Health Australia and for our ministry. I am grateful to our members and to our church leaders for embracing this wonderful ecumenical opportunity," Mr Garcia said.
"We're delighted to represent UnitingCare's four hospitals: The Wesley and St Andrew's War Memorial Hospitals in Brisbane, St Stephen's Hospital in Hervey Bay and Buderim Private Hospital on the Sunshine Coast.
"We all need to focus on the fundamental challenges impacting our shared ministry and present a united front on the reforms we need to better help those who need our care. Workforce supply challenges, the ongoing pandemic, health and construction inflation and ongoing prostheses reform impact on all of our mission. Together, we can bring about much needed change.
"I know all of us at CHA are proud to represent a quality values-based provider like UnitingCare.
UnitingCare's Group Executive Hospitals, Michael Krieg, said he was very pleased to join CHA, and participate with other like-minded providers to consolidate the voices of Christian health care providers.
"This union enables UnitingCare to take advantage of CHA's growing influential advocacy in health, and provide our communities with greater certainty about the services they have come to expect from UnitingCare," he said.
