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Lyn Horgan, CEO of Crest Hospital in Palmerston North, was invited by club president Barbara to give a brief update to Milson Rotary. Lyn had spoken to the club last August on Crest Hospital's growth and capacity plans, and this was an opportunity to bring members up to speed on two significant developments: progress on the new Milson Line facility, and the arrival of an orthopaedic surgical robot. | ||
Crest Hospital Today For members who missed the earlier presentation, Lyn provided a quick snapshot of the current Creswick Terrace facility. Crest Hospital operates five theatres, one procedure room, a 10-bed PACU recovery unit, 30 inpatient beds and 21 cubicles. A specialist centre at the front of the building now has 33 clinicians working from it, and the hospital handles close to 7,000 surgical discharges each year. The existing facility has simply been outgrown. Much of the thinking behind the Milson Line development is about future-proofing: converting the current site to inpatient-only use while the new facility takes on the broader load. There is also a deliberate workforce pipeline strategy involved, making Palmerston North an attractive destination for new surgeons and physicians entering private practice. | ||
The Milson Line Development: Earthworks Under Way The headline news is that work has begun. Last Wednesday a dawn blessing was held on site, with Crest Hospital directors Daniel Marshall and Mary Ready turning the first sod. Earthworks are now underway. The new facility is scheduled to open on 28 April. The Milson Line site will include a new specialist centre with three procedure rooms covering ophthalmology, endoscopy, skin procedures and other medical day cases. At the time of Lyn's update, 63 clinicians have already committed to working from the new facility, which has exceeded initial projections. The specialties on offer will include surgery, and notably a paediatric general surgeon, a specialty that has not been available in the district for many years.
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The Orthopaedic Robot Has Arrived The second major update is the arrival of a Stryker Mako surgical robot, which will be used for total hip replacements, total knee replacements and partial knee replacements. It is the latest model in Australasia, and Lyn reported with some satisfaction that it is currently secured in a locked cupboard until first use. How it works Every patient having a hip or knee procedure on the Mako system first has a CT scan. That scan is used to build a precise surgical plan, which the surgeon creates in collaboration with the robot's software. The robot then carries out the bone cuts according to that plan. The surgeon remains present and in control throughout, but the precision cutting is performed by the machine rather than by hand. All of Crest Hospital's orthopaedic surgeons have travelled to Australia to complete their credentialling for the system. The clinical nurse for orthopaedics, Sherlin, is also closely involved in its operation. Why it matters The Mako system has been used across Australasia for eight years, with over 70,000 joint procedures completed in the region and more than one million procedures globally. The precision of the robot preserves soft tissue and can spare healthy bone that might otherwise be removed. Patient outcomes include fewer post-operative complications and faster early recovery. There is also a workforce benefit: the Mako system is linked to registrar fellowships, making Crest Hospital a more attractive destination for training surgeons. First use: 28 May The first two patients are booked for 28 May, and Crest Hospital plans to mark the occasion with some media coverage. | ||
What Comes Next In response to member questions, Lyn outlined the roadmap beyond the current robot. The next planned purchase is a Hugo soft tissue robot, which is used primarily for prostate procedures as well as general surgery. On the Mako platform itself, a shoulder replacement capability is expected within approximately eight months, and a spinal surgery platform within twelve months. The timing is well suited to Crest Hospital's recent addition of a spinal surgeon, meaning spine work is now already underway at the Creswick Terrace facility. The current Mako system operates from CT scan data and pre-programmed surgical plans rather than artificial intelligence, though that landscape is expected to evolve as the technology develops. | ||
Milson Rotary Club | Member Update | Lyn Horgan, CEO, Crest Hospital Palmerston North |