HSV helps to secure radiology and mammography units for Bairnsdale residents

The East Gippsland community will have access to new state-of-the-art medical imaging equipment after HealthShare Victoria (HSV) helped procure radiology and mammography systems for Bairnsdale Regional Health Service (BRHS).

The updated systems will improve surgical, diagnostic and screening services in the region.

BRHS purchased the new digital fluoroscopy unit, mobile C-arm and mammography unit after reaching out to HSV for assistance in May 2024.

Steve Blackwell, Manager of BRHS Medical Imaging, says he needed HSV’s assistance to urgently replace end-of-life equipment.

While the procurement of medical imaging equipment would normally take four to six months, HSV’s Equipment team was able to complete the purchase within a matter of weeks.

This meant there was no interruption to services for Bairnsdale residents, who would otherwise have faced a two to three-hour round trip to Sale or Traralgon for diagnostic and screening services.

“Without the cooperation and support of the HSV team there’s no way we could have achieved that outcome in the timeframe we had to meet,” Steve says.

“All the information was there ready for us to review from the word go. The whole process was very streamlined which made things easy for us.”

HSV and BRHS worked closely together to define requirements, and HSV supported the whole process by providing advice, running the tender and negotiating with suppliers.

Because HSV sources more than $50 million of equipment for the health sector each year, the team can secure competitive pricing from suppliers and additional benefits. This meant BRHS was able to purchase higher specification systems and meet their budget and timeframe requirements.

“It was very important for the local community that we have this equipment up and running as soon as possible,” Steve says.

“The team at HSV was very responsive. I was moving as quickly as I could to make this happen and the pace wasn’t a challenge for HSV – they were happy to move at the same speed.”

The mobile C-arm was installed at BRHS in September while the mammography unit and fluoroscopy system will be up and running in October.

HSV’s Head of Equipment Sourcing Mark Lennen says the benefits for health services of working with HSV include the specialist advice they receive and the knowledge they are contractually protected under our agreements.

“We’re agile and flexible and we make sure health services get the best price from suppliers,” Mark says.

“Our engagement with health services continues to evolve as we learn more, and often works best when the health service knows what they need. HSV can help refine that and put in place a process that will provide relevant choice and value offerings.”

 

Above image: BRHS Radiographer Peter Stevens with one of the new systems.