About Great Ocean Road Health
Great Ocean Road Health (GORH) is an award-winning rural health service with campuses in Lorne and Apollo Bay, serving the communities along Victoria’s stunning Great Ocean Road from Airey’s Inlet through to Lavers Hill and into the Otways.
Formed in 2019 through the amalgamation of Lorne Community Hospital and Otway Health, GORH delivers a broad range of health, aged care, and community services to our local residents and visitors.
Our integrated model includes:
- Acute and urgent care services
- Residential aged care and home-based services
- Primary and community health programs
- Allied health and rehabilitation services
- Health promotion, outreach, and chronic disease management
We are part of the Barwon Local Health Service Network including Barwon Health, Colac Area Health and Hesse Rural Health. We work closely with partner organisations ensuring continuity of care and access to specialist services close to home.
Lorne Campus
Great Ocean Road Health Lorne Campus (formally Lorne Community Hospital) was established over 50 years ago and is highly valued and respected by the local community.
The current Lorne Campus was officially opened in 2006 and has been completely re-developed on its original site. It provides a modern work environment which is well equipped with current technology and equipment. A broad range of services include: Aged Residential, Acute Hospital, Emergency, Community Health, Home Nursing, Medical, Rehabilitation and Palliative Care.
The Lorne Campus is located in the township of Lorne on the Great Ocean Road, within one hour travel from the major centres of Geelong and Colac and 2 hours from Melbourne. Lorne is an idyllic location on the Surf Coast which boasts spectacular coastal scenery, renowned surfing spots and beautiful white sandy beaches. Lorne also boasts a spirited arts community, boutique shopping strip filled with cafes, gift stores and eateries.
The service catchment area is identified as Lorne and surrounding districts, including Aireys Inlet, Moggs Creek, Eastern View, Fairhaven, Deans Marsh and Wye River. All these communities are located within the Surf Coast Shire, except Wye River, which is part of the Colac Otway Shire.
Apollo Bay Campus
The challenge of providing health care to a vast and isolated tourist location is as complex today as it was in 1952 when the Apollo Bay Hospital was established to provide acute and emergency care to Apollo Bay and surrounding townships. The strategic aim of The Apollo Bay Campus remains the same almost 70 years on, “That no person should need to leave Apollo Bay for primary health care.” This aim may seem simple to some, but with travel distances of up to 75kms on treacherous roads to reach the closest major town, services provided by Otway Health are a necessity.
In 1976 the Apollo Bay Hospital established Community Services including Community Nursing and Home & Community Care (HACC) under federal government initiatives. Both of these services are still running today and provide a life line for many members of the community. HACC programs (now Community Home Support Program or CHSP) help keep the elderly fit and mobile in their own homes, living amongst their friends and families.
With a vision to the future, The Laura Pengilley Aged Care Wing of the hospital in 1991, the result of community and government consultation and support. Residential aged care is provided in accordance with Montessori principles to maximise ongoing independence and optimise resident choices. With 25 flexible beds used for residential aged care to provide much needed respite, as well as an extensive health and activities program, it’s a regularly accessed community asset.
The Apollo Bay Campus’ aim to secure health care for the region saw it adopt the Commonwealth-State Multi-Purpose Service (MPS) model in 1995. The aim of the MPS is to improve provision of services in small rural and remote areas by simplifying funding and accountability mechanisms.
The Apollo Bay Campus is a multi-purpose health service, based in Apollo Bay, South West Victoria. Apollo Bay is defined as “rural and remote”, with a population of 3,500 that live in a catchment area of 1,012 Km2. Otway Health’s mission is to “enable people in our region to optimise their wellbeing through providing access to health and community services”. To do this, Otway Health provides key program areas of Community Services, Clinical Services, Aged Care and Respite and Corporate Services. Services offered by Otway Health include: Acute Care, Residential Aged Care, Community Nursing, Home & Community Care, Childcare, Physiotherapy, Youth Services and Counselling Services.
