A Hunter Imaging donation of essential medical supplies, as well as specialist medical services, has generated significant cost savings for Port Stephens Koala Hospital over the past year as they continue to care for and rehabilitate koalas and other native wildlife in the area.
A former Hunter Imaging employee had taken up volunteering at the Anna Bay facility in 2022 and had the idea of repurposing surplus medical consumables for treating the animals that come into the hospital’s care.
After taking the call from her former colleague, Hunter Imaging’s Ultrasound Services Manager, Sarah Beadle, took up the cause and has been coordinating the donation of a wide range of items, such as gloves, syringes, biopsy needles, antiseptic swabs and sterile gel pouches.
“When presented with the idea of donating these surplus items to the Port Stephens Koala Hospital we jumped at the opportunity to support a facility that does incredible work to support the wildlife in the local region,” Sarah said.
“I put the call out to our 21 practices across the Hunter, Central Coast and New England, and the response was overwhelming. Over the past 12 months we have provided the hospital with a number of large boxes of consumables that have not only saved them thousands of dollars, but also helped to reduce our overall waste and environmental footprint.”
Port Stephens Koala Hospital’s Resident Veterinarian, Dr Donald Hudson, said as an organisation that relies so heavily on community support, this donation from Hunter Imaging has been invaluable.
“Port Stephens Koala Hospital has been operating since 2020 and we couldn’t have done so without the generous support of the community, in particular, organisations such as Hunter Imaging,” Donald said.
“Along with koalas, we treat a variety of native wildlife at the hospital, each with their own unique physiology, which means we have to stock a wide range of medical consumables.
“The donation from Hunter Imaging provides us with more treatment options, and also allows us to reallocate funds that would have been used to purchase these items to other areas of the operation, including wages, maintaining plantations and general upkeep of the site.”
Hunter Imaging’s support of Port Stephens Koala Hospital has extended beyond the donations, with Specialist Interventional Radiologist, Dr Amanda Woodward, working closely with the hospital to provide diagnostic support.
Amanda said that while much of the wildlife they treat present with fractures and common diseases, there have been some more unusual cases that are harder to diagnose, which is where Hunter Imaging’s she has lent her support.
One such case is a koala named Lylah, who came into the care of the hospital with an unusual metabolic disease.
“It’s been wonderful to work with Amanda, who provided an assessment of Lylah’s x-rays, enabling us to narrow down her issues and undertake more specific testing,” Donald explained.
“Accessing a medical specialist such as Amanda’s, who provides her service to the hospital pro bono, will lead to even more positive outcomes for sick and injured wildlife that come into our care. We are incredibly thankful for her support, as well as the support of Hunter Imaging and its employees.”
Port Stephen Koala Hospital rescues, protects, cares for and rehabilitate koalas and other native wildlife so they can thrive in their natural habitat. Their rescue volunteers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
IMAGE | Hunter Imaging’s Ultrasound Services Manager, Sarah Beadle and Specialist Interventional Radiologist, Dr Amanda Woodward, with one the hospital’s koalas
