This week marked a new beginning for QE Health, 80 years in the making.
At 5.30am on Monday, after a karakia (blessing) QE Health opened the doors to its new $19 million purpose-built health and wellness facility.
QE Health chief executive, Dr Aaron Randell, said the blessing and opening of the facility, now located at 1084 Hinemaru Street, was a significant milestone for everyone involved in the project.
“Plans for the new facility began way back in 2019, so between Covid-19 lockdowns and rising building costs, there have been many challenges along the way – it was a great feeling to acknowledge that journey.”
Randell said there was a sense of relief among QE Health staff to have a building that reflected and supported the work they did.
“You can see in their faces they’re excited,” Randell told the Rotorua Daily Post.
He said since the opening customers also had positive feedback for the new facility.
“They’re loving it. We wanted a warm, welcoming building that was professional without being cold and clinical and that’s what we have.”
The new building’s design made use of as much natural light as possible, he said.
Staff also cooperated in adding finishing touches such as planting greenery in some of the open spaces.
Randell said the most important thing about the new building was that it was designed around QE Health’s services.
The former QE Health building on Whakaue St was originally built 80 years ago as a convalescent home for soldiers returning from World War II.
“Over there we had to fit what we did around the building,” Randell said.
“The building was never intended to be used for more than 15 years, but here we are more than 80 years later, with a new facility, which will serve the community for generations to come.”
Randell said the building placed related services near to each other such as pilates and exercise areas nearer to the gym. There would also be dedicated treatment areas which included mudrooms, spa beds and an updated inpatient wing.
“Our new health and wellness facility enables us to take our unique, clinically integrated approach to health and wellness to the next level,” Randell said.
“One of our aims is to provide additional health and wellness options for more Kiwis – an aspect which is becoming increasingly important as our population increases and ages.”
Randell said the facility’s inpatients would notice a big difference as the new building allowed for patients to have their own rooms with ensuite bathrooms, king-size beds and a dedicated balcony.
“The whole place is just completely different.”
Randell said the new facility showed QE Health’s dedication to the local community.
“We will be around for another 80 years. This place is designed for our locals to come and use.”
Randell said QE Health wanted to play a role in Rotorua’s “spa capital” reputation.
“Our point of difference is the way we utilise natural geothermal resources in our clinical services. Rotorua is the only place we could really be.”
QE Health is New Zealand’s only clinically integrated health and wellness centre. It provides a complementary range of personalised clinical health services to help people reach their wellbeing goals.
The new facility has been funded through a series of predominantly loans and some grants from Kānoa, the Government’s Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, Rotorua Trust, and Rotorua Lakes Council.
As part of Monday’s karakia, a rock was moved from QE Health’s former garden to the new facility’s reception. The rock originates back to the 1980s when the former Patient’s Association funded a Japanese-inspired garden as a quiet space for patients staying at QE Health.
QE Health Trustee, Mary Lean, says local sculptor Trevor Nathan has now carved a koru and the year “2023″ into the rock as the completion date of the facility.
“The rock symbolises a new beginning for QE Health and carries the spirit of the original building and what QE Health embodies into the new facility,” Lean said.
While most services have re-opened at the new facility, the geothermal pools will not open until Monday, March 6 as they are still being completed.
QE Health will host a community open day on Saturday, March 11 when members of the public can walk through and experience the facility themselves. Hosted by NZME, the event will also feature a free barbecue and spot prizes. A formal ministerial opening will take place on Friday, March 10.