CHSP extension a sensible outcome for older Australians and providers
August 20, 2026
In May of this year, Mercy Health released Caring for People and Planet: Our Path Forward 2026–2028, a sustainability strategy building on its earlier strategic response to Laudato Si’.
Described by Mercy Health as “a strategy of hope”, it carries forward the longstanding commitment of the Sisters of Mercy to serving the poor and vulnerable while pursuing evidence-based approaches to climate mitigation and resilience.
Its three goals — sustainable models of care, addressing climate change, and ethical and social responsibilities — are framed explicitly through Catholic social teaching, with ecological stewardship named alongside cultural understanding and staff wellbeing.
A recent donation of two decommissioned incubators from Mercy Hospital for Women is one example of what that intention looks like at an operational level. Two neonatal incubators that once held some of Melbourne’s smallest and most vulnerable babies at Mercy Hospital for Women in Melbourne are now keeping orphaned joeys alive on a fire-scarred wildlife sanctuary in central Victoria.
When the Longwood bushfires tore through Dr Robyn Coy’s property in January, the zoologist lost her home, her veterinary equipment and the shelter she had built to care for injured and orphaned wildlife. Among the losses was the piece of equipment she depended on most.
“When the fire came through in January, my incubator melted into a puddle on the floor, and honestly I didn’t think I’d ever be able to replace it,” Robyn said. “They’re such expensive pieces of equipment.”
In August, two arrived at once. The team at Mercy Hospital for Women donated two decommissioned neonatal incubators to Robyn, founder of the Tarcombe Animal Shelter, whose 400-acre sanctuary is still being rebuilt. The donation was facilitated by Medical Pantry, an organisation that rescues surplus equipment from Australia’s health system and redistributes it to organisations that can put it to use.
The incubators had reached the end of their clinical working life at Mercy Health but remained in excellent condition — precisely the kind of equipment that, in most health systems, quietly becomes waste.
Reflecting on the importance of the donation, Leah Davison, Equipment Nurse in Mercy Hospital for Women’s Neonatal Unit, said it was special to see items that had supported vulnerable babies continue to serve.
“These incubators cared for some of our most vulnerable babies in the NICU over the years,” Leah said. “They’d reached the end of their working life here at Mercy Hospital for Women, but they were still in perfect condition. It’s a lovely thought that they’re still making a difference, just in a different part of the community.”
For Robyn, they arrived at a critical moment. In the weeks following the fire more than 20 animals came into her care — orphaned joeys, possums, birds and other native wildlife — while the sanctuary itself was still without permanent facilities.
“Being able to keep their temperature and humidity stable gives them the best possible environment to recover,” she said. “In my experience, it can increase their chance of survival by up to 85 per cent.”
9News featured the story in August, drawing wider attention to the relationship between health services and the landscapes around them.
“It’s humbling,” Robyn said. “I’m so grateful to Medical Pantry for facilitating this and to Mercy Hospital for Women for donating not one, but two. It’s incredibly special to give them a second life.”
