What Will Barwon Health Look Like in Fifty Years?
An invitation from Zoe Waters, Executive Director - Barwon Health Foundation
I often find myself thinking about a simple but important question:
What will Barwon Health look like in fifty years’ time?
Fifty years from now, the children being born at Barwon Health today will be raising families of their own, they may even be grandparents themselves. Medical technology will have advanced in ways we can only begin to imagine. Treatments that seem groundbreaking today may become routine. Our region will be larger, older and more diverse, and the Cats, well I am certain that we will have many, many more cups proudly on display!
But one thing will remain constant. Our community will still need a strong, compassionate and innovative local health service.
When we look back fifty years, the difference is remarkable. The way healthcare is delivered today would be almost unrecognisable to those who walked through the doors of Geelong’s hospitals in the 1970s. Facilities were smaller. Technology was limited. Many treatments and services that are now standard simply did not exist.
And yet, one thing has remained constant.
For more than a century, the community has been a constant supporter of Barwon Health, donating time and money to complementing the investment by Government.
Across Geelong and the surrounding region, countless individuals and families have quietly supported the growth of our hospital and health service. Some gave during their lifetime to help fund new equipment or facilities. Others chose to leave gifts that would support future generations long after they were gone.
Together, these acts of generosity, coupled with support from various levels of government helped build the health service we rely on today.
At the Barwon Health Foundation, we are privileged to help facilitate that spirit of giving. Every day we see the impact of people who care deeply about the future of healthcare in our region.
When many people hear the word legacy, they immediately think of a bequest in a Will. And while that is one meaningful way to leave a legacy, it is only one part of the story.
A legacy gift can also be something you choose to make during your lifetime, supporting services, research, equipment or programs that will benefit patients today and continue making a difference well into the future.
A legacy is simply a way of ensuring that something you care about today continues to matter tomorrow.
The healthcare our community will rely on in fifty years’ time will be shaped by the decisions we make today. By the people who step forward. By those who believe deeply in supporting their local health service. And by those who ask themselves what role they might play in its future.
That is why I would like to extend a very personal invitation.
If you have ever wondered how you might contribute to the future of healthcare in our region, and what legacy you wish to see for you and your family, whether during your lifetime or beyond it, I would genuinely love to have a conversation with you.
Not a formal meeting. Simply a cuppa and a chat.
These conversations often begin with a simple question: what matters most to you? From there we can explore how your values and passions might translate into a legacy that helps support healthcare in our region.
At the Barwon Health Foundation, we consider it a privilege to be trusted with helping individuals and families create legacies that endure, legacies that support care for the people of this region not just today, but for generations to come.
So perhaps the question is not just what will Barwon Health look like in fifty years’ time, but what role might you play supporting your community? If this is a conversation you would like to have, I would be delighted to meet with you. Please feel free to give me a call on 4215 8900 to arrange that cuppa and a chat.
