Our History

In 2010 Epworth HealthCare celebrated 90 years of outstanding patient care in Victoria.

From our beginnings as a 25-bed hospital in 1920, to a health care service with seven hospitals, more than 1,200 beds, 2,900 medical practitioners and 4,300 staff, it has been 90 years of achievement. The tradition of care continues as Epworth expands facilities and looks towards the next 90 years.

Epworth 90th Birthday Celebration Poster (1024kb)

Opened in 1920 as a community hospital in Richmond with 25 beds and 5 staff members, Epworth HealthCare has grown to be one of Australia's leading specialist hospitals renowned both locally and overseas.

Epworth HealthCare is a private not for profit hospital group that operates under its own Act of Parliament, "The Epworth Foundation Act 1980". All surplus revenue generated is reinvested in improving patient care.

As a not for profit private hospital Epworth HealthCare receives no State or Federal Government funding and all surplus revenue generated during the year is reinvested in to new services and equipment, aimed at providing the best possible health care for the over 100,000 inpatients admitted to Epworth HealthCare hospitals each year.

Epworth HealthCare operates at 7 sites across Melbourne and is Victoria's largest not for profit hospital provider.

Still at our original location in Richmond, Epworth has significantly expanded with the inclusion of the recently constructed Epworth Eastern campus at Box Hill, Epworth Rehabilitation at Brighton and Camberwell, and Epworth Freemasons and Epworth Cliveden in East Melbourne.


Epworth HealthCare has a reputation for providing excellence in patient care and has an impressive list of 'firsts' to its name:

1981 First open heart surgery facility in a private hospital in Victoria
1981 First private hospital in Australia to establish an Intensive Care
facility
1989 First fully computerised Sleep Disorders Unit in Australia
1989 First private Emergency Department accredited to accept time
critical medical patients
1989 First private Renal Dialysis Unit
1996 First Stroke Unit in a private hospital in Victoria
1997 First private hospital in Victoria to appoint a GP Coordinator
2000 First medically managed Hospital in the Home Unit in a
private hospital in Australia
2000 First pacemaker lead extraction using laser therapy
2002 First dedicated electrophysiology laboratory opened in Victoria's
health system
2003 first aboveground radiotherapy centre in Australia. Tattersalls
Cancer Centre opened at Epworth in partnership with Peter Mac
2003 First hospital in southern hemisphere to use Image Guided
Radiation Therapy
2003 Epworth introduces first Da Vinci Robotic assisted surgery to
Australia
2003 Epworth opens the first private sector Medical Observation Unit
in Victoria
2003
Three 'world first' vascular procedures are carried out at
Epworth's Vascular Laboratory:
1. Insertion of a large diameter stent (Express Vascular Large Diameter Stent)
2. Ultrasonic thrombolysis trialled at Epworth
3. Use of a new abdominal aortic aneurysm polymer repair device
2005 Australia's most modern hospital, Epworth Eastern at Box Hill,
is completed and was officially opened by the Federal Health Minister,
Tony Abbott on August 2nd
  The new Acquired Brain Injury Unit (ABI) opens in Richmond.
  Epworth acquires Epworth Freemasons – one of Melbourne’s premier maternity hospitals.
2006  Epworth purchases Cedar Court Rehabilitation Hospital to become Epworth Rehabilitation Camberwell, further expanding its rehabilitation services.
2007 Federal Treasurer Peter Costello acknowledges Mia Templeton born 29 June at Epworth Freemasons as the 21 millionth Australian.
2009 Epworth goes global and signs a formal affiliation agreement with the prestigious Cleveland Clinic and a program of international training of registrars and surgical fellows begins.
  The Yarra City Council approved a $350 million redevelopment of the Richmond Hospital site. 
2010 Epworth celebrates its 90th birthday, with a series of events and the publication of its history.
  Epworth acquired the assets of Cliveden Hill Private Hospital in East Melbourne, now known as Epworth Cliveden.
2011 A team from Epworth Richmond wins first prize in the Australian Private Hospitals Association inaugural Valuing Private Hospital Staff Awards for Team Excellence.
  Epworth HealthCare and Deakin University sign an agreement to build a private teaching hospital at the Waurn Ponds campus in Geelong.


Epworth HealthCare's high standards of care have been recognised with Awards for Excellence being received by the Epworth Richmond Emergency Department and the hospital's Cardiac Community Nursing and Secondary Prevention Programme. Epworth HealthCare is a member of the Australian Private Hospitals Association.

Doctors & Services