Hawkins Medical Clinic

The new hospital in pavilion single-storey style was opened in June 1997.

Management:

      
A Board of Directors is elected at the Annual General Meeting which takes place usually in November. The members of the Board are as follows:

• 4 members elected by the Minister of Health
• 4 members elected by the Community
• 1 member elected jointly by the District Council of Mount Gambier, the City Council of Mount Gambier and Port MacDonnell District Council
• 1 member elected by the employed staff of the Hospital
• 1 doctor representative
  
  The Chief Executive Officer is in charge of the running of the Hospital and he has three deputies who run the special departments of the Hospital.
  These are:
• Director of Nursing who is responsible for all the Nursing Staff.
• The Director of Finance and Administration, who is in control of the finance and the service industries such as the porters, domestics, maintenance, secretarial, finance and other members of staff.
• The Director of Medical Services, who  is responsible for the Salaried Medical Officers, Accident and Emergency and the medical and allied health departments of the Hospital.
• The Director of Medicine, who is responsible for the oversight of the High Dependency Ward.
  
  There are many committees organised to run the Hospital but the ones which concern the doctors, and on which they have representation, are as follows:
  
  
• The Medical Advisory Committee:
  This is a B.O.M. subcommittee and therefore has a board member as chairman. It discusses medical, nursing and allied health professional concerns either brought to it or sent to it by the staff, the Board, the Health Commission or any member.
  
  
• The Accreditation Committee - considers all applications from Medical and Dental practitioners who wish to work in the Hospital.
  
  
• The Infection Control Committee - discusses all matters to do with infection control; e.g. immunization procedures, and control of sepsis in the Hospital, policies on the handling of infectious patients and materials.
  
  
• The Drug Advisory Committee- considers all matters to do with drug management in the Hospital; drug purchases; drug storage; what policies will be laid down about prescription of drugs and the giving of drugs.
  
  
• Quality Assurance Committee - ensures that clinical audits are done in the various department of the Hospital.
  There are also various committees to do with individual areas of the Hospital, such as:
  
  
• The Maternity Staff Committee - discusses policies and procedures and treatment in the Maternity Department; the outcome of difficult patients; and assesses the perinatal mortality, etc.
  
  
• The Anaesthetic Committee - discusses all aspects of the Anaesthetic Department, e.g. procedures, policies for epidurals etc.
  
  
• Theatre Committee - discusses new equipment; allocation of operating time; appropriate control of lists; and co-operation with nursing staff.
  
  
• Death Review Committee – reviews medical management prior to death for areas of concern and interest.
  
  
• The Medical Staff Association - a meeting of the medical staff to discuss medical, political matters, receive reports from representatives on various hospital and State committees, and discuss policies.

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