You may have noticed an increase in media coverage lately about the challenges facing Australia’s healthcare system—both public and private hospitals. Across the board the healthcare sector is facing some of the most difficult operating conditions in living memory. For the private healthcare sector, the core driver of these challenges is that the income hospitals receive from private health funds—for providing care to their members—has not kept pace with the rising costs hospitals are experiencing from high inflationary pressures. Added to that are the increasing costs in multiple areas, including supplies and consumables, wages, insurance, maintenance, energy and utilities (some have increased by 25 per cent).
Recently we launched our “Future Ready” campaign inside Adventist HealthCare (Sydney Adventist Hospital and San Day Surgery Hornsby). To be “Future Ready” we are implementing focused plans to ensure a strong future for the organisation.
This process carefully considered the changes we needed to make to ensure the hospital not only navigates these current challenges, but is well placed to be successful and grow in the future. Our “Future Ready” initiatives include cost savings and business growth opportunities.
Over the past 121 years, the San has survived two world wars, the 1918 influenza pandemic, the Great Depression, a number of recessions, tremendous change, intense competition and the recent global COVID pandemic. As Ellen White said in Testimonies for the Church, health work is the right arm of the gospel, and the Lord has shown His regard for it by His continual faithful blessing of this ongoing and important work.
AHCL is blessed to have skilled and loyal personnel, world-class services and facilities, and a supportive community. We invite your prayers and support as we ask God for wisdom and leading in the choices we make to address the challenges and pursue opportunities—enabling us to fulfil our mission of caring for the body, mind and spirit of the community we serve.
I invite you to become a “Prayer Partner” of Adventist HealthCare today. Prayer Partners is an initiative of our spiritual care department. Email spiritualcare@sah.org.au or phone +61 492 103 229.
