The new Footscray Hospital in Melbourne's west is adopting a nurse call solution from Hills Health Solutions, the digital health arm of ASX-listed company Hills Limited.

Hills Limited won the estimated A$7 million ($4.7 million) contract to supply and install its Nurse Call platform in more than 500 beds in the upcoming hospital. 

According to a media release, the nurse call system will be integrated with smart touchscreen terminals in every patient room to improve workflow management and reporting for both clinical and operational teams.

THE LARGER CONTEXT

Following this contract award, the company now joins the consortium assigned to build the new A$1.5 billion ($1.010 billion) new Footscray Hospital, Victoria's single biggest healthcare infrastructure investment to date. Operated by Western Health, the public hospital is being upgraded to support the increasing demand from Melbourne's growing western suburbs, aiming to accommodate 15,000 more patients each year. Its construction, which began in March last year, is expected to be completed by 2025.

The supply contract represents a major win for Hills Limited, which has been focusing on growing its digital health business since the beginning of the pandemic. Late last year, it bagged a contract from New Zealand-based Kaweka Health to deploy the GetWell patient entertainment and engagement system at its forthcoming surgery facility. 

To further double down on digital health, Hills formally acquired connected care firm Extensia in March this year. It also recently partnered with technology provider Olinqua to develop a combined offering that features Hills’ nurse call and Olinqua’s critical messaging technology.