This could not have been more true of Paul Ramsay AO, Chairman, founder and major shareholder of Ramsay Health, who passed away on May 1, 2014, following a heart attack. Widely regarded as one of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs, Mr Ramsay held an impressive portfolio of interests in private health care, regional television services and property development, and was known as a major benefactor to a range of educational, cultural, artistic and sporting organisations. Mr Ramsay grew up in Bowral, New South Wales, the son of Oscar, a land surveyor and his wife, Mary and attended St Ignatious College, Riverview as a youth. In 1964, he purchased a guesthouse called Warrina House on Sydney’s North Shore and converted it into a 16-bed psychiatric hospital in the earliest days of the private hospital industry in Australia. For the first 14 years, Ramsay Health Care expanded its psychiatric hospital business, building Evesham Clinic in 1967, Lynton Private Hospital in 1972 and Northside Clinic in 1973. Of these hospitals, Evesham Clinic (now known as Northside Cremorne) and Northside Clinic, are still in operation today and regarded as Sydney’s most respected private psychiatric hospitals. This year was the 50th anniversary of the opening of Mr Ramsay’s first private hospital in Sydney. From these early beginnings, Ramsay Health Care is today not only the largest private hospital group in Australia, but a global hospital group with 151 hospitals across the world, employing over 30,000 staff and treating over 1.4 million patients each year. Mr Ramsay was also known for his charity work, serving as Chairman of Ramsay Youth Services, a charity for troubled, at-risk youth or those with special needs. He also sat on the Board of the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation, amongst other charitable foundations, and in 2002 became an Officer of the Order of Australia for his philanthropic efforts. Later that year, he also made the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Above all, Mr Ramsay was known by his close friends, family and people who have worked with him, and for him, as a true gentleman and a humble but proud Australian. Under his good guidance, Ramsay Health Care hospitals focused on maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety, being an employer of choice and operating the business according to ‘The Ramsay Way’ philosophy: People Caring for People. His principles and philosophy will continue to permeate the organisation well into the future. Pindara Private CEO, Trish Hogan, said she was deeply saddened to hear of Mr Ramsay’s passing. “He was a warm and caring person who created and built a company that was all about people caring for people. His passing is not only a very sad loss to the company but also to us all personally,” Ms Hogan said. Mr Ramsay is survived by his twin sister Anne and his brother Peter, and will be greatly missed by his family, friends, colleagues, staff and doctors and anyone that knew him, throughout the world. pm Pindara Magazine 8 Autumn - Winter | 2014
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Two
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