Collaborating for wellbeing and care in Tasmania
01 February 2024
The new cancer wellbeing centre will be located in Hobart
Peter Mac is collaborating with government, health and education leaders in Tasmania to provide greater wellbeing options for people with cancer.
Along with a vision to create a Wellbeing Centre in Tasmania, for people experiencing cancer, this work is also advancing cancer care, recovery, research and education.
It brings together experts from Tasmanian health services, University of Tasmania and Peter Mac, alongside patient advocacy group Support, Hope & Education Gynaecological Cancer Group (S.H.E) and the Tasmanian Government.
On 29 January, this work culminated in an announcement that the University of Tasmania had committed the historic Theatre Royal Hotel to become the first cancer wellness centre, adjacent to the Royal Hobart Hospital precinct.
The Theatre Royal Hotel in Hobart has been earmarked as the future site of the new centre.
Peter Mac Director of Patient Experience and Wellbeing Geraldine McDonald says it is well established that wellbeing services complement and strengthen traditional cancer care, affecting the way people with cancer experience their treatment and recovery – and improving their outcomes.
As a co-author of the 2022 White Paper Integrative Oncology and Wellness Centres in Cancer Care, Ms McDonald is often consulted around the establishment of cancer wellness centres, discussing cost-benefits, high value care and establishment of these centres to improve patient experience and outcomes of care.
Peter Mac has long shared a close relationship with Tasmania over its 75-year history, providing care for Tasmanians through a state-based agreement and a shared model of care for many people with cancer.
S.H.E. Chair, Scott Harris, welcomes Peter Mac’s commitment to Tasmania and its support for the establishment of a new wellness centre in the Theatre Royal Hotel building.
“Each year, thousands of Tasmanians and their families are affected by cancer and the wellness centre will offer support when Tasmanians need it the most,” he says