Regular readers of the Lismore App would know that St Vincent's Private Hospital in East Lismore has undergone renovations since late 2024.

The renovations began when then-CEO Alan Cooper decided not to sell the hospital, Australia's only private hospital owned by a diocese. Instead, it was decided to set St Vincent's on a new and groundbreaking path. That journey started with an aesthetic refresh that included patient ward rooms and bathrooms, lifts, public bathrooms and a complete paint job.

The renovations look impressive and have certainly enhanced the visual appeal for its patients and their loved ones.

What is more impressive is St Vincent's move into the world of robotic surgery to improve patient care.

St Vincent's became the first private hospital in Australia, and only the second hospital nationally, to introduce the Medbot TOUMAI® Surgical Robotic System. According to its Facebook page, doctors have been training in China to master the game-changing technology.

(St Vincent's doctors training on the new robotic surgery equipment. Photo: St Vincent's Private Hospital)

The Lismore App understands that St Vincent's will launch the robotic system in early to mid-February. Details of what surgeries will be performed in Lismore and how that benefits patients will be revealed at the launch.

The renovations and the robotic surgery are part of what St Vincent's calls 'Best Care. Right Here.' That is their new slogan as they aim to provide a leading standard in patient experience.

Another step in the process is the appointment of a new hospital Career Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Andrew Pearson. 

Dr Pearson comes from the Wesley Hospital, a 500+ bed private facility in Brisbane, bringing extensive experience in Cardio-Thoracic Intensive Care, General Intensive Care, Coronary Care and Hospital Medicine. 

His addition will increase hospital services for higher-acuity patients - those with severe, unstable or complex health conditions - and drive the upgrade of hospital services, including High Dependency patient services, broader specialist cover, and specialist general medicine.

Dr Pearson has implemented weekly advanced training for nurses, which bolsters their current nurse education program.

Importantly, he has also moved the hospital to a 24/7, on-site Hospital Medical Officer (HMO) model. He has recruited an HMO team that will follow an ‘on-call’ roster around the clock to attend to patients where necessary.

The benefit here could be to the Lismore and Northern Rivers community by diverting some private health insurance patients needing urgent medical attention away from Lismore Base Hospital. This can be done directly through GPs and specialists across the region.

In order to streamline direct admissions from GPs, St Vincent’s has also created a ‘Clinical Care Manager’ role.

Jenni Prosser, a senior nurse manager, now takes calls directly from a GP and specialist network in order to facilitate admissions for urgent (non-critical) private patients. Essentially, a one-stop phone call to cut through unnecessary wait times.

Patients who meet certain criteria can be taken directly into care, eliminating the need to wait in a crowded emergency department. The Clinical Care Manager does the legwork for bed checks, fund checks, patient condition, and works with Dr Pearson to have the patient admitted to St Vincent’s under the appropriate doctor for urgent care.

“St Vincent’s Lismore has always provided the community with the excellent health service it deserves here in Lismore. In 2026, we aim to be the hospital of choice for private patients from Coffs Harbour to the Tweed, and with an exciting addition soon to come online in our operating theatres, we are looking forward to game-changing outcomes for surgical patients this year,” St Vincent's CEO, Peter Fahey, said.

The journey St Vincent's Private Hospital has been on since the sale was taken off the table has been extensive. The new focus is nearly complete, and the future of healthcare in our region is exciting for private health insurance patients.