Aged care merger
Local
Aged care provider Mary MacKillop Care SA is being transferred to the Little Company of Mary Health Care Ltd (Calvary).
Mary MacKillop Care SA, one of the many works of the Sisters of St Joseph founded by St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, will be acquired by Little Company of Mary Health Care Ltd (Calvary).
Calvary and Mary MacKillop Care (MMC) announced on May 4 that they had signed an agreement under which the MMC ministry would transfer to Calvary, which would assume responsibility for the operation of MMC facilities in Adelaide and Berri.
They said this would ensure that the “high quality care that has come to characterise MMC facilities over many years of operation will continue to be provided to residents into the future under Calvary’s experienced management”.
Calvary is a charitable Catholic organisation with more than 12,000 staff and volunteers, 15 public and private hospitals, 15 retirement and aged care facilities, and 22 community care centres operated across six states and territories within Australia.
Calvary continues the mission of the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary who first arrived in Sydney in 1886 from Nottingham to undertake social work where it was most needed. The Sisters have been a presence in South Australia since 1900 when they opened Calvary Hospital in North Adelaide. Calvary operates four hospitals in Adelaide today and has a significant Calvary Community Care presence in South Australia.
Mr Bryan McLoughlin, national director for Calvary Retirement Communities, said Calvary would approach this new relationship in a respectful and inclusive way to continue the Catholic ministry of aged care in South Australia.
“The future projects of MMC are fully supported by Calvary. We will continue their momentum towards providing culturally specific offerings for older people of Vietnamese ancestry at Flora MacDonald Lodge, community and disability care services (Ain Karim) and the redevelopment plans for the new St Catherine’s in Berri,” he said.
“Calvary has four private hospitals and a staff of community care workers in South Australia, so for Calvary strategically this allows us to deliver on our mission and purposes to offer our residents, clients and patients’ wider healthcare services within the region. We look forward to integrating MMC staff with our own and to the contribution they will make to Calvary’s work.”
Commenting on the sale and transfer agreement, Sister Margaret Cleary, regional leader of St Mary MacKillop’s Josephite Sisters, said it was not an easy decision but it was the “right one for our residents and staff”.
“Over recent years, residential aged and disability care has become an increasingly complex undertaking,” she said.
“As a larger operator Calvary has the financial resources, specialist expertise and scale to ensure continuing, high- quality care is provided to our residents on a sustainable basis well into the future. “Our residents and employees will be in highly capable hands once the transfer takes effect.”
Jump to next article
Comments
Show comments Hide comments