Townsville Hospital
Encyclopedia
North Queensland
North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the state of Queensland in Australia. Queensland is a massive state, larger than most countries, and the tropical northern part of it has been historically remote and undeveloped, resulting in a distinctive regional character and...
region, with patients from as far as Mount Isa
Mount Isa, Queensland
-Culture and sport:The local theatre group, the Mount Isa Theatrical Society, or MITS, often holds plays and musicals, at least once every few months or so....
and Cape York
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
being airlifted or transported to the Hospital on a daily basis. The hospital is relatively new (completed 2001) and located in the suburb of Douglas
Douglas, Queensland
Douglas is a suburb of Townsville, Queensland, Australia south of the Ross River and west of the city centre.Though mainly residential, it does contain James Cook University and the Townsville Hospital...
. The next main referral hospital is the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital is a hospital located in the suburb of Herston in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.The hospital was formerly known as the Brisbane General Hospital.The hospital currently has a total of 948 beds...
, in Herston
Herston, Queensland
Herston is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 3 km north of the Brisbane CBD.- Geography :Herston is dominated by the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital...
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
some 1375 kilometers distant.
Activity
The Townsville Hospital currently has over 580 beds. During the year 2010, the hospital admitted 54,941 patients, and had 60,676 presentations to the emergency department. The hospital is also the major tertiary maternity centre, with 2,308 babies delivered in 2010. The Townsville Hospital is the major teaching hospital of the James Cook UniversityJames Cook University
James Cook University is a public university based in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The university has two Australian campuses, located in Townsville and Cairns respectively, and an international campus in Singapore. JCU is the second oldest university in Queensland—proclaimed in 1970—and the...
School of Medicine. The current acting CEO is Dr. Andrew Johnson. The hospital currently undergoing a $437 million dollar redevelopment, delivering an additional 100 beds, a four storey expanded Emergency Department, expanded Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit, and expansion of oncology services. The Emergency Department will be the largest in Queensland.
History
There have been several Townsville hospitals over the city's 145 year history. The first Townsville Hospital was established in 1882 when the first stage of the North WardNorth Ward, Queensland
North Ward, is a suburb in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. North Ward is home to the beachside area known as The Strand, which overlooks Magnetic Island...
Townsville Hospital was completed. The two storey brick building accommodated 70 patients. When Cyclone Leonta struck Townsville in May 1903 it caused extensive local damage and the hospital partially collapsed. The second Townsville General Hospital opened in North Ward on 21 April 1951. The old Townsville General Hospital Psychiatric service was the focus of intense scrutiny in the 1980s after it was revealed 65 people had died in the psychiatric ward. The deaths and subsequent inquest gave rise to the Burdekin Inquiry, Report of the National Inquiry into the Human Rights of People with Mental Illness 1990. The North Ward hospital could not expand any further due to its urban location and was regularly reaching absolute capacity. However the hospital buildings, with their landmark white art deco appearance, enviable location, and water views, have been retained and are being turned into exclusive apartments.
The third and current Townsville hospital at Douglas
Douglas, Queensland
Douglas is a suburb of Townsville, Queensland, Australia south of the Ross River and west of the city centre.Though mainly residential, it does contain James Cook University and the Townsville Hospital...
began construction in 1998 and opened in 2001. It is co-located with the James Cook University
James Cook University
James Cook University is a public university based in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The university has two Australian campuses, located in Townsville and Cairns respectively, and an international campus in Singapore. JCU is the second oldest university in Queensland—proclaimed in 1970—and the...
. Though the new hospital was much larger capacity issues have quickly become apparent and further expansion is underway.
Services
- Internal MedicineInternal medicineInternal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...
- Infectious Diseases
- RheumatologyRheumatologyRheumatology is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Clinicians who specialize in rheumatology are called rheumatologists...
- CardiologyCardiologyCardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart . The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology...
, including interventional cardiac catheterisation suiteCardiac catheterizationCardiac catheterization is the insertion of a catheter into a chamber or vessel of the heart. This is done for both investigational and interventional purposes... - General surgeryGeneral surgeryGeneral surgery, despite its name, is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal organs, e.g., intestines including esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland . They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft...
- Orthopedic and Trauma surgeryTrauma surgeryTrauma surgery is a surgical specialty involved in the invasive treatment of physical injuries, typically in an emergency setting. Trauma surgeons generally complete residency training in general surgery and often fellowship training in trauma or surgical critical care...
- Cardiothoracic SurgeryCardiothoracic SurgeryCardiothoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in surgical treatment of diseases affecting organs inside the thorax —generally treatment of conditions of the heart and lungs .-Cardiac / Thoracic:...
- NeurosurgeryNeurosurgeryNeurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...
- Intensive Care
- Hyperbaric medicine
- Palliative carePalliative carePalliative care is a specialized area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients...
- OncologyOncologyOncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
(radiation and medical) - ObstetricsObstetricsObstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
and gynaecologyGynaecologyGynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"... - Paediatric care
- Plastic surgeryPlastic surgeryPlastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
- Psychiatric Department
- GastroenterologyGastroenterologyGastroenterology is the branch of medicine whereby the digestive system and its disorders are studied. The name is a combination of three Ancient Greek words gaster , enteron , and logos...
service - Renal and dialysisDialysisIn medicine, dialysis is a process for removing waste and excess water from the blood, and is primarily used to provide an artificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with renal failure...
service - UrologyUrologyUrology is the medical and surgical specialty that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the reproductive system of males. Medical professionals specializing in the field of urology are called urologists and are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with urological...
- DermatologyDermatologyDermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin and its diseases, a unique specialty with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist takes care of diseases, in the widest sense, and some cosmetic problems of the skin, scalp, hair, and nails....
- OphthalmologyOphthalmologyOphthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
- Optimolegy
- Vascular surgeryVascular surgeryVascular surgery is a specialty of surgery in which diseases of the vascular system, or arteries and veins, are managed by medical therapy, minimally-invasive catheter procedures, and surgical reconstruction. The specialty evolved from general and cardiac surgery...
External links
- Hospital web site
- Facility profile - Queensland GovernmentGovernment of QueenslandThe Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...
- Hospital introduction - Queensland Government