In Every Way in Every Day Inspiring Health
MDHS is a leading regional health services in Victoria, providing innovative, integrated and comprehensive health care to a diverse community.
Acute, Community Services and Medical Imaging are located at Maryborough, with community programs delivered throughout the region, managed by MDHS.
Residential Care services and allied and community nursing services are delivered at all three campuses along with Social Support Groups at Maryborough and Dunolly.
The Amherst Ward provides person-centred care for medical, surgical, maternity and palliative care patients. The ward is staffed by an experienced nurses with a strong commitment to high standards of clinical care.
Visitors are most welcome; however it is important that they visit only during the designated visiting hours.
Rest is very important in recovering from illness so short visiting times are recommended . Rest periods for our patients encouraged from 8:00pm-11:00am
Dunolly Hospital has four beds dedicated to Acute Care, providing medical and palliative care.
Please note that Dunolly and Avoca campuses do not have facilities to provide emergency care.
Post-Acute Care services aim to assist people discharged from hospital who require short-term tailored, community based support services to recuperate in the community.
The Transition Care Program provides short-term support for community members following an admission to hospital, providing more time and support to get well after a hospital admission to return to home or into a residential community.
Palliative Care is specialised multidisciplinary care for people with serious illness that focuses on providing patients with relief from symptoms, pain and stress of a serious life illness whatever the diagnosis.
MDHS Palliative Care Services aim to achieve the best possible quality of life for clients, patients, residents, their carers and families.
Our team provide person-centred palliative treatment, involving clients in all aspects of decision making in regards to care.
Families and health care workers are often required to make medical decisions without knowing a patients preferences. MDHS has implemented the Advance Care Planning program.
A key aim of the program is the identify patient wishes regarding their health care, particularly around end – of- life issues, and document these in an advance care plan.
Advance Care Planning is a consultation process with health care providers and family members, that help you make decisions about your future health care, should you be unable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQCFObYoqCM&feature=youtu.be
MDHS Advanced Care Planning Booklet
Dialysis patients receive treatment at the Maryborough campus in our recently extended Dialysis Unit which has includes six chairs.
Local patients are able to receive Dialysis at MDHS rather than having to travel to for treatment. Dialysis services are also able to be arranged for visiting clients where possible.
General and specialist surgical services at MDHS are provided by a number of consultant visiting surgeons from the larger regional centres of Ballarat and Bendigo providing surgery in Ear, Nose & Throat, Orthopaedics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Urology and General Surgery.
General Surgery
Michael Condous
Andrew Lowe
Ahmed Naqeeb
Michael Ng
Kontoku Shimokawa
Bruce Stewart
Daniel Wong
Gastroentrerology
Timothy Elliott
Ear, Nose & Throat
Mark Guirguis
Urology
Rob Forsyth
Orthopaedic
John Nelson
Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Michael Carter
Russell Dalton
Katrina Guerin
Chantelle Stubna
Carolyn Wilde
Dentist
Kishara De Silvia
Emma Dorrington
Mark Holcroft
Simon Sheed
Medical clinics are located in Maryborough with care provided by a number of General Practitioners (listed below). Nightingale Clinics also offer part-time services at Avoca campus. A medical practice is also located in Dunolly, with the doctor providing care for Residential Community residents at Dunolly campus.
Our local General Practitioners are credentialed as Visiting Medical Officers at MDHS and provide excellent medical services for our Urgent Care Centre, anaesthetics for Theatre, obstetric and antenatal care as part of Maternity Services and medical treatment for acute inpatients and Residential Care residents.
The maternity unit and birthing suite are located in Amherst Ward and staffed by dedicated midwives with close access to medical care. Families are welcome in both the birthing suite at women’s request and the waiting areas which offer privacy and comfort to all visitors.
Find out more about our Maternity Services.
Find out more about Midwifery Careers.
Our Antenatal Clinic is located on the first floor of the Clarendon Medical Centre (Neill Street, Maryborough) and provides care to all pregnant women . Women are able to self-refer to the Ante Natal Clinic, it is not necessary that you see a GP prior to attending.
The Medical Imaging Department provides an extensive high quality imaging service to inpatients and outpatients referred by hospital clinics, specialists and General Practitioners.
The imaging services provided include:
CT scanning
General Radiology (XRAY)
Ultrasound; include obstetrics, abdominal, pelvic, renal, small parts and most musculo-skeletal examinations.
Echocardiography examinations are provided on a fortnightly basis.
Medical Imaging also has a dental unit (OPG) which allows visualisation of all the teeth in one image.
The Medical Imaging department is located near the Urgent Care Centre at Maryborough campus. The Department is open from 8:30am- 5:00pm Monday to Friday.
Appointments are necessary for all examinations but emergency/urgent examinations will be attended to as soon as possible.
Please contact the Medical Imaging department directly to arrange your appointment on telephone 5461 0353
Maryborough campus has a 24-hour Urgent Care Centre (UCC) staffed by experienced nurses with Visiting Medical Officers (VMO) available on call to attend to medical emergencies.
Please be aware VMO’s charge a nominal fee for attendance within the UCC.
Attending Urgent Care is not an alternative to making an appointment with a medical practice during routine operating hours.
The After Hours GP Advice line is an excellent after hours service available seven days a week from 6:00pm until 8:30am on telephone 1800 022 222.
The Nurse on Call is an excellence service available on telephone 1300 60 60 24.
Please remember that MDHS’ Urgent Care Centre is for emergencies and urgent medical presentations only
In an emergency, always telephone 000
MDHS provides a wide range of services to support the community to return home, stay at home and long term assistance if required.
These include health promotion,empowerment in the prevention of ill-health and community connectedness programs.
These services and programs are available to community members living within the MDHS catchment areas including Maryborough, Dunolly and Avoca, as well as the smaller and more isolated areas within out community.
A dietitian is available at MDHS to provide education, advice and programs that promote health through improved eating and modified diets to encourage good nutritional habits.
Occupational Therapists are able to assist people of all ages to maximise safety, independence and well-being in their daily activities within their environment whether at home, work or in the community and enhance ability to manage living with injury, illness or disability.
Our physiotherapy service assists clients in the prevention, treatment and management of movement disorders arising from muscle and skeletal injury, illness or disability. Exercise physiologists are available to assess and plan safe exercise programs and provide health coaching for clients with acute or chronic injuries or illnesses.
Counselling, casework, referral and advocacy is available at MDHS to support people in dealing with life’s challenges, including loss and grief, relationship breakdowns, family issues, stress, anxiety and depression. Housing Support services are available to eligible people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Emergency and transitional housing and assistance to maintain current accommodation is also available.
Speech pathology services are provided to pre-school children and adults. Regular clinics are available at Maryborough, Avoca and Dunolly.
MDHS offers public dental health services by appointment at our dental clinic, to children and adults with a current concession card.
Services include check-ups with x-rays, preventative treatment, fillings, extractions and prosthodontics (dentures) and referrals are also available for specialist care to the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne.
Dental Services at MDHS are located at the Maryborough campus, near the Urgent Care Centre entrance off Clarendon Street.
Please contact Dental services directly to arrange your appointment on telephone 5461 0388
MDHS District Nurses provide a wide variety of nursing services to assist eligible clients in maintaining health, independence and quality of life within their own home, including wound and medication management, health education and promotion, nursing support to clients and carers.
Assessments and referrals to other services can be arranged are required.
For further information please contact District Nursing directly on telephone 5461 0333
A Nurse-Led Clinic is available three days a week at the Avoca campus on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 am to 12 noon.
There are nine appointments available on each of those days and to book an appointment please telephone 5465 1200. If the phone is unattended please leave a message and someone will return your call to make an appointment.
Please note that the Nurse-Led Clinic is not for emergency care.
Counselling, withdrawal, drink-drive and drug-drive assessment is available through Community Services. A needle-syringe program (NSP) is also available with a drop off point for used needles outside the Community Services building in Maryborough. Education and support is available to individuals wishing to give up or cut back smoking.
The chronic conditions self management programs aim to assist people manage the emotional and physical pain of living with a chronic health condition. The program is relevant for people living with a broad range of chronic health conditions.
Hospital Admissions Risk Program (HARP) helps people manage with chronic disease or complex needs who frequently use hospital or at risk of hospitalisation.
Podiatry services are provided by variety of providers from different organisations. Further information is available from the Community Services Intake Worker and a doctor’s referral is required to access these services.
A wide range of lifestyle and living well programs are run at all campuses of MDHS. All activities aim to improve overall health and well-being and are supervised by qualified staff.
A number of co-located services are also available through Community Services, including organisations such as Bendigo Health – Psychiatric Services, Australian Hearing, Centre Against Sexual Assault (CASA), Centre For Non Violence (CNV) and Legal Services.
Are available at Maryborough and Dunolly campuses. These groups aim to provide a program of activities for people living at home within the community to assist with skills required for daily living as well as provide opportunities for support and social interaction.
For more information about Social Support Groups please contact 5461 0333
Community Palliative Care service works with community who have a terminal illness, their families, carers and the community in promoting and providing high quality palliative care.
The staff liaise and work in conjunction with other community based services to provide holistic care.
The service is available to anyone, of any age with any diagnosis, we understand how important it is to be cared for at home.
A referral from a GP is required to receive Community Palliative Care.
MDHS provides residential aged care at three campuses – Maryborough, Avoca and Dunolly. All Nursing Homes have achieved accreditation by the Aged Care Standards Accreditation Agency and have an efficient quality governance framework in place to ensure the highest quality of resident focused care.
Further information is available by contacting the Residential Community Liaison Officer on 5461 10483
Maryborough Residential Community: phone 5461 0341
Avoca Residential Community: phone 5465 1202
Dunolly Residential Community: phone 5468 2900
Please click on the link above to access the My Aged Care website, which has extensive information on how to apply for a place in residential care, fees and charges and other useful publications.
The Avoca community has 19 high care beds and the Hostel, or low care facility, has ten beds.
For more information please contact Avoca Residential Community on telephone 5465 1202
The Dunolly community has 15 high care and 4 low care beds.
For more information please contact Dunolly Residential Community on telephone 5468 2900
The community comprises of 40 beds providing high level care to members of our community who require expert nursing and supportive care.
For more information please contact Maryborough Residential Community on telephone 5461 0341
Respite provides short term care in a residential care facility, on a planned or an emergency basis, for aged care residents living in the community. It is a temporary stay (commonly two weeks) in an aged care facility for someone who requires support.
Respite provides the carer and the person being cared for “time out”. If you are in need of a break or your carer needs time for a holiday or time out for stress or illness, or for any other reason, respite beds are available at MDHS. Some family members also use residential respite as a way to trial the residential community if they are considering long term care.
Further information is available by contacting the Residential Community Liaison Officer of 5461 10483
Maryborough and Dunolly
Phone: 5454 7588 (Bendigo Health Care Group)
Avoca
Phone: 5320 3740 (Ballarat Health Services)
The MDHS Wellness & Support Centre supports community members and their families in their journey with chronic illness, offering information and activities that empower people to improve their health and well-being.
The centre has state-of-the-art teleconference facilities that link clients and carers with specialists nationally and internationally to reduce the burden of travel for people who are unwell or have rare conditions.
For more information contact Anne Watson, Community Services Manager on telephone 5461 0333 (select option 1).
