St Vincent's Care Services has sold its 140-bed aged care home in Douglas, Townsville, about 1,300km north west of Brisbane, to Not For Profit Ozcare.
Ozcare was established as part of the St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland in 1996 and nearly 30 years later has more than 50 locations throughout Queensland including 18 aged care homes, with several in and around Townsville.
St Vincent's Care Douglas was only completed in 2019, and features a five-storey building, central location, and rooftop terrace with views to the ocean.
The sale was conducted through a competitive process with the aim of finding a local provider with regional connections.
Lincoln Hopper, CEO of St Vincent’s Care Services, which is part of St Vincent’s Health Australia, said, “There are almost 1,200 kilometres between our Douglas site and the next nearest St Vincent’s service."
Delivering care "is difficult in that context", he said.
"Like St Vincent’s, Ozcare is a purpose-driven, Not For Profit health and aged care service provider, with similar values.
"Importantly, it has a focus in regional Queensland – including aged care services already in Townsville – which puts it in a strong position to support the Douglas community.
"It is also a member of the St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland family."
Tony Godfrey, CEO of Ozcare, said, "Our strong presence in Townsville and regional Queensland ensures we are well-positioned to maintain and enhance the exceptional care that’s been provided by St Vincent’s Care at Douglas.”
Ozcare has confirmed it intends to retain all St Vincent's Care Douglas staff on terms no less favourable than their current terms and all residents will retain their current rooms and services.
The transition is expected to be complete by 3 February 2025.
St Vincent's Care Douglas was formerly known as PresCare Protea. St Vincent's Care Services acquired three Queensland aged care homes for an estimated $100 million from PresCare, which was operated by the Presbyterian Church of Queensland and went into receivership, in 2021.