THE SECTOR
Catholic Health Australia is the largest non-government provider grouping of health, community and aged care services in Australia, nationally representing Catholic health care sponsors, systems, facilities, and related organisations and services.
CHA was established to promote and strengthen the organised expression of the Catholic health ministry. The healing ministry of Christ is an integral part of the Church's mission. In Australia Catholic health care has a rich tradition of more than 160 years of commitment and service provision to the Australian community.
The sector comprises providers of the highest quality care in the network of services ranging from acute care to community based services. These services have evolved in response to developing needs in the Australian community. The services return the benefits derived from their businesses to their services and to the community; they do not operate for profit; they are church and charitable organisations. The sector plays a significant role in rural and regional Australia, demonstrating its commitment to the delivery of services where they are needed, irrespective of whether any or minimal return on investment is derived.
The Catholic health ministry is broad. Services cover aged care, disability services, family services, paediatric, children and youth services, mental health services, palliative care, alcohol and drug services, veterans' health, primary care, acute care, non acute care, step down transitional care, rehabilitation, diagnostics, preventative public health, medical and bioethics research institutes.
Services are provided in a number of settings, for example, residential, community care, in the home, the workplace, hospitals, medical clinics, hospices, correctional facilities, as well as for people who are homeless. In addition, services are provided in rural, provincial and metropolitan settings, in private facilities as well as on behalf of the public sector.
Catholic health and aged care play a significant role in Australia's overall health care industry, representing around 10 percent of the sector and employing around 35,000 people.
Snapshot: The Catholic Health and Aged Care Sector
- 19,000 residential aged care beds
- 6,253 retirement and independent living units and serviced apartments
- 8,000 Community Aged Care packages (CACP)
- 6,000 Home and Community Care programs (HACC) and Extended Aged Care at Home packages (EACH)
- rural and regional aged care facilities and services
- 9,500 beds in 75 health care facilities - publicly (21) and privately (54) funded hospitals and
- 7 teaching hospitals
- 8 dedicated hospices and palliative care services
- expanding day centres and respite centres
- approximately 35,000 people working in the sector
Catholic Health Australia Incorporated is an association incorporated in the Australian Capital Territory under the Associations Incorporation Act 1991.
