We are our Mission. Mater exists to respond to unmet community need; to provide compassionate care to those who need it most. We see this care—our Mission in action—every day. Sometimes, it’s uplifting. Sometimes, it’s heartbreaking. Sometimes, it’s humbling. It is genuine kindness, offered compassionately without expectation. It is who we are.
Our People are our brand. They build our culture and carry the Mission of Mater. While the breadth of Mater’s services extends beyond traditional patient care, they are underpinned by a Mission grounded in the provision of this care to those who need it most—whether directly via healthcare services or the equally important clinical education and medical research.
Ensuring we continue to provide these services requires action. We know our role as a healthcare provider will significantly change in the coming decade as a result of technological advancements, consumer activation and information access.
To respond to these ongoing changes, we must build the platforms to create an even more dynamic organisation; and to do this, we must take advantage of our unique capabilities—what we do differently to, and better than, anybody else.
In challenging times and periods of change it is prudent to return to our core and ground ourselves in our reason for existence. In Mater’s case this core is of course its Mission, and the vision which inspires the Mission to meet unmet need—to provide compassionate care to those who need it most.
During the past year, Mater has focused on strengthening the integration of our health, education and research services to reflect our position as a connected group with a common purpose—the delivery of our Mission. Here are some of Mater’s key achievements during the past 12 months.
Provided individualised care for the one in four women who experience complications in pregnancy by opening Queensland’s first purpose-built 24/7 Pregnancy Assessment Centre(PAC).
Expanded partnerships with medical speciality colleges and further strengthened Mater Education’s reputation as a leading simulation-based education provider.
Each and every Mater Person has a unique ‘Mater spirit’ within them. It is quite simply, who we are. And, it is why we have been entrusted to continue a Mission to provide compassionate care to those who need it most.
For more than 111 years, we’ve measured our performance on how we’ve been able to serve those in need. In 2017, we continue to benchmark ourselves against this tradition of providing compassionate care to those who need it most—as highlighted in our reports which detail our financial performance, acknowledge those who have generously donated to Mater, and ultimately, outline how we’ve given back to our community.
Reporting to Mercy Partners, the Mater Misericordiae Ltd Board governs Mater by providing effective oversight and guidance across the Group to support the ongoing fulfilment of our Mission to provide compassionate care to those who need it most. Working closely with our Group Executive, our Boards ensure Mater operates as a connected organisation across Health, Education, Research and Foundation, under a strong leadership team.
Since our beginnings, Mater has partnered closely with our community and other organisations to support the delivery of exceptional services and outcomes across health, education and research. Since then, targeted fundraising campaigns have supported care for those who need it most. Thank you to all who have generously contributed to Mater either financially or through donation of their time and skills.