West Perth-based private health care group, St John of God Health Care, has merged its health services operations with those of NSW-based Catholic brotherhood, Hospitaller Order of St John of God - creating a trans-Tasman empire employing 8,000.
The move creates a total merged portfolio to 14 hospitals, along with a number of other service providers in WA, Victoria, NSW and New Zealand.
The new acquisitions will become wholly-owned subsidiaries of St John of God Health Care Inc and will add about $55 million in revenue to the Catholic not-for-profit organisation.
The group's new entities include two private psychiatric hospitals in Sydney, disability services providers in both Melbourne and Christchurch, and a youth and community social services agency, also based in Christchurch.
The merger brings the number of St John of God Health Care employees to 8,000, about half of which are based in WA.
St John of God Health Care group chief executive officer, Dr Michael Stanford, said the merger would provide a new growth path for the organisation and diversify its risk.
"It increases our spread of services. We are now able to offer more types of services," he told WA Business News.
Dr Stanford said the group's budget for 2007-08 would be $710 million, up from about $600 million last financial year.
He said the increase in turnover was the result of the organisation's new acquisitions and growth within its existing services.
