St John WA responds to about 50,000 emergency ambulance calls a year in regional and remote areas across 2.5 million square kilometres.
The not-for-profit that Western Australians call on for lifesaving medical services needs the support of its charitable partners to close healthcare gaps in rural and remote areas.
Through St John WA’s charitable arm, St John Giving, corporates help play a vital role in funding improvements to services and equipment to deliver the highest level of care to vulnerable, disadvantaged and at-risk people no matter their location.
Partnerships with companies, including HIF, Mitsui E&P Australia and Beach Energy, support St John WA to deliver much-needed services across the state, including community transport services and communications upgrades across the regions.
Regional community transport made possible
A St John WA community transport service (CTS) in Northam, a regional town 100 kilometres east of Perth in the Avon Valley, has been made possible by not-for-profit health insurance provider HIF through a St John Giving initiative launched in May this year.
The rural initiative is the second of its kind to be brought to life through the HIF and St John Giving partnership, after a similar service was launched in Bunbury two years ago in mid-2021.
HIF donated fully equipped Kia Carnival vehicles fitted with automated external defibrillators and first aid kits, enabling Bunbury and Northam residents to be safely transported by St John WA’s trained volunteers to vital medical appointments and healthcare services.
A partnership between St John WA and WA-based energy provider Mitsui E&P Australia (MEPAU), with three gas-producing facilities in the Mid West, and joint-venture partner Beach Energy, as Waitsia gas field’s operator, is delivering state-of-the-art cellular telecommunication connections to WA’s Mid West ambulance service.
The $117,000 ambulance communications upgrade, launched in May this year, rolled out the latest 5G compatible smartphones to 18 ambulances in Geraldton and surrounding Mid West subcentres in preparation for Australia’s 5G network to expand regionally.
“MEPAU’s support not only futureproofs ambulance telecommunications in the region but also allows St John, as a not-for-profit, to redirect savings to other regional services in need of upgrades,” Mr Brown said.
The collaborative efforts of St John WA with its corporate partners exemplify a shared commitment to closing the gaps in health and safety for regional communities while creating an opportunity for businesses to give back to communities they operate in.
“By partnering with St John to strengthen healthcare services in the regions, businesses are in turn prioritising the safety of their workforce and making regional WA a more attractive place to reside,” Mr Brown said.
“St John WA’s regional ambulance operations benefit as whole, which is part of our state-wide commitment to closing the gap in health in rural and remote areas.”
The investment into St John also gives back to the community and economy in WA. “For every $1 spent on ambulance services, St John returns $1.80 to community, resulting in a net benefit of $209 million to the WA economy,” Mr Brown said.
As a not-for-profit with more than 160 response locations across regional WA, St John WA relies on funding partners like HIF, Mitsui E&P Australia and Beach Energy to further build and strengthen its emergency service infrastructure for regional communities.
For more information on partnering with St John WA, visit St John Giving.
By Hearts and Minds
