![[APHA]](/images/logo_apha.svg){kind=logo}
Epworth Geelong in Victoria has opened two new operating theatres, adding 20 operating lists each week to serve the growing regional community.
Executive General Manager Scott Norman said the extra capacity marked a significant milestone in the growth of the private hospital, which welcomed its first patients in 2016.
"In the past five years, Epworth Geelong has had a 30 percent increase in the number of procedures performed at our hospital and we expect this to continue to rise," he said.
"The commitment to invest in the growth of Epworth Geelong continues, ensuring our community has even greater access to world-class specialists and high-quality safe care, close to home.
"We will be further expanding our capacity in the future with additional hospital beds and shortly expanding our day oncology department that will double the number of treatment chairs for patients with cancer."
The state-of-the-art theatres feature the latest surgical monitor displays and digital connectivity.
They are expected to significantly boost capacity across multiple surgical specialties including vascular, orthopaedic and general surgery, neurosurgery, urology and gynaecology.
The theatres are complemented by a redesigned reception area and new admission lounge, funded through the Epworth Medical Foundation.
As the only regional hospital offering neurosurgical services, Mr Norman said Epworth Geelong also aimed to further establish its focus on "complex neurosurgery and world-leading treatment of acute neurological conditions".
"We have already seen this ambition in action with the recent introduction of deep-brain stimulation at Epworth Geelong, the first time this procedure has been available outside Melbourne," he said.
Epworth HealthCare's Group Chief Executive, Professor Andrew Stripp, said the hospital had seen a strong intake of new specialists seeking credentialing, including anaesthetists, colorectal surgeons, radiologists and experts in oncology, urology, renal medicine, plastic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery.
He said its strategic growth was a key priority and would benefit Geelong and the wider community.
"As a not-for-profit private hospital group, I am proud that we are able to invest back into the communities we operate in and ensure patients have access to world-class care right here in their own backyard," Prof Stripp said.
Read more: Australian-first technology boosts regional brain care
Read more: New robots boost Geelong healthcare options
Next On The Ground:
17/11/2025 Cura boss excited by plans for new Noosa hospital
Previous On The Ground:
2/11/2025 Sea of pink for San's breast cancer campaign