Nexus Day Hospitals has acquired Charlestown Private Hospital, saying that the grouping of day hospitals, with enhanced doctor involvement, will lead to even better standards of care for local people.
Nexus CEO Andrew Petering said the Charlestown Private Hospital was an exciting addition to its group. At the same time, it acquired Insight Clinic Private Hospital in Albury.
Andrew said the private hospital industry has changed considerably over the past 15 years and that issues including involving regulatory and accreditation requirements and challenging health fund relationships meant lone day hospitals do not really have a “level playing field” as they seek to provide care to patients.
“Existing management and staff can use our group’s scale, depth of experience and latest systems and technology to enhance performance and improve patient care,” Andrew said.
“Our aim is for Nexus to be the hospitals partner of choice for surgeons, including the option for them to be co-owners,” he said.
“When doctors have more say in running a hospital we see efficiency and better patient care because doctors know what works and what their patients need.”
One of Charlestown Private Hospital’s directors, founding director of Healthscope and inaugural chairman of HMRI Dr Geoff Leonard AM, will remain a director and co-owner of the hospital.
Charlestown Private Hospital will continue to focus on providing plastic and reconstructive surgery, pain management, ophthalmology, urology, skin lesion and general surgical services from its Pacific Highway facility. Nexus is actively engaging with other local surgeons who are interested in operating at the state of the art facility.
Nexus was established this year by co-founders Andrew Petering, executive chairman Geoff Thomson (former CEO of ophthalmic services provider Vision Eye Institute, founder of LifeHealthcare and founder of National Hearing Care) and executive director Scott Bell (former CEO of Newcastle Eye Hospital and experienced manager within day hospital and specialist group practices). It is backed by mid-market private equity firm Wolseley Private Equity.
Wolseley managing director Mark Richardson said it had invested in the business because of the depth of experience of the Nexus management team and its true partnership model with doctors.
