WH Campus envisaged to be a major health hub for the Northern region
SINGAPORE, 13 July 2024 – Woodlands Health (WH) Campus, Singapore’s newest integrated healthcare campus, marked its official opening today in an event officiated by Senior Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong.
The 7.66 ha Woodlands Health Campus is envisaged to be a major health hub for the Northern region, and is designed to meet both the present and future healthcare needs of the people living in the area. The Campus encompasses a 1,000-bedded integrated acute and community hospital when fully opened, a Medical Centre housing specialist clinics, as well as almost 400 beds at the Long Term Care Tower which includes a Nursing Home and Senior Care Centre, operated by Ren Ci Hospital. The Campus is integrated with the 1.5 ha Woodlands Healing Garden, managed by National Parks Board.
WH currently operates 460 acute and community hospital beds and provides a comprehensive range of care services across all major healthcare disciplines from critical to community care. As an integrated healthcare campus, WH adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to deliver specialised medical care, leveraging on the latest clinical advances and facilities.
Professor Joe Sim, Group Chief Executive Officer, National Healthcare Group (NHG) said, “The opening of Woodlands Health Campus is yet another major milestone for NHG. It not only enhances our tertiary care capacity in Central and Northern Singapore, but also significantly strengthens our ability to provide comprehensive and quality care to the community we serve in this region. NHG is now in a much stronger position to meet the growing healthcare needs of our population, ensuring that the medical care given is accessible and timely. I am immensely grateful for the remarkable professionalism, hard work, and dedication displayed by Woodlands Health in creating this robust healthcare ecosystem, and its continued crucial role in adding years of healthy life for our residents.”
Commenting on the strong community ties that WH has with the region, Dr Jason Cheah, Chief Executive Officer, WH, said, “Since 2016, WH has been out and about serving residents in the Northern region, to deliver health and social interventions to empower residents to live healthy and fulfilling lives in their neighbourhoods. Today, we are very pleased to be able to welcome the community to our Campus as we work together to achieve better health outcomes for everyone.”
Also present at the event were Minister for Health and Grassroots Advisor to Sembawang Mr Ong Ye Kung; Mr Vikram Nair, Grassroots Advisor (Admiralty); Ms Poh Li San, Grassroots Advisor (Sembawang West); Ms Mariam Jaafar, Grassroots Advisor (Woodlands); and Ms Hany Soh, Grassroots Advisor (Woodgrove).
A Sustainable Healthcare
Ecosystem Findings from a study done by NHG’s Health Services and Outcomes Research department in 2018 showed that despite being relatively younger than the rest of Singapore, the Northern region’s population is at risk of higher rates of chronic diseases and at an earlier age.
WH adopts an integrated care approach (Model of Care) that strives to provide the right support throughout a resident’s health journey, and not just within the hospital. It is aligned with HealthierSG in seeking to keep the population healthy for longer.
Pre-Hospital
WH pre-hospital initiatives aim to enable residents to stay well in the community and maximise alternatives to hospital care.
The GPFirst Programme, the Urgent Care Centre @ Admiralty and the NurseFirst helpline have been successfully implemented to right site care within the primary care and community setting.
Our alternatives to admission initiatives include the Extended Diagnostic Treatment Unit (EDTU) allows us to treat and observe patients for up to 24 hours at the Emergency Department without the need to admit them to an inpatient ward. The Emergency Department Frailty Intervention Team (EDFIT) brings comprehensive geriatric assessment to patients who are frail and recommend interventions (such as exercise and nutrition advice) to address this risk. These initiatives enable us to facilitate a safe discharge for elderly patients and reduce the number of inpatient admissions.
Hospital
WH’s integrated care model is reflected in the design of its Campus. Acute and community hospital wards are located in the same building to enable the seamless transfer of care.
WH has developed the Principal Coordinating Doctor model where patients with complex conditions have one principal specialist who assists to consolidate and coordinate the multiple visits.
Integrated & Continuing Care
WH’s one hospital setting enables the hospital’s community care team to take a holistic view of a patient’s medical needs and be actively involved in a patient’s journey across medical specialties and different care settings. This allows the community care team to begin assessing patients even while they are in the acute wards.
WH@Home is WH’s mobile inpatient care programme and is designed for patients with low to moderate acuity conditions to receive continued medical support at home from a multi-disciplinary team of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. This service allows patients to shorten their stay in the inpatient ward and hence reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections.
Continuity of care beyond the Campus is equally important to enable patients to be more resilient and empowered to manage their health when they return to the community. WH community team partners the NHG Population Health Campus’ community health team and other home care providers to provide seamless and continued support for the discharged patients in their own homes and the nursing homes.
WH Journey
The journey of Woodlands Health began in 2014 when the Singapore government announced plans to establish a new hospital in Woodlands to serve the fast-growing population in Singapore’s Northern region.
The Woodlands Health Development Board Committee (WDBC), led by Chairman Ms Jennie Chua, oversaw the development of the Campus from planning to construction, with the objective of creating a comprehensive healthcare environment and a fresh approach to healthcare delivery.
WH received its first patients on 22 December 2023 with the opening of its Medical Centre and community hospital ward. In May 2024, the Emergency Department and acute wards began operations.
Said Mr Tan Tee How, NHG Chairman, “Under Jennie's leadership, the WDBC has overseen to completion the development of a well-designed, and functional health campus for the community. It has also assembled a good team to manage the operations and deliver comprehensive healthcare services. My sincere appreciation to the WDBC for its invaluable contributions over the past 10 years."
