Epworth Medical Foundation Secures $800,000 to Fund Advanced Neurosurgical Microscope with Support from GJK Facility Services
Epworth Medical Foundation has raised over $800,000 to purchase a cutting-edge neurosurgical microscope. GJK Facility Services and founder George Stamas AM supported the initiative to improve surgical care for complex brain and spine procedures.
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, June 1, 2025 -- Fundraising Success Enables Acquisition of Advanced Neurosurgical Microscope
The Epworth Medical Foundation has successfully raised more than $800,000 to fund the purchase of a world-class neurosurgical microscope. This specialized equipment will enable surgeons to perform intricate brain and spinal surgeries with improved accuracy and safety. The fundraising event attracted over 500 sponsors and supporters, highlighting the strong community commitment to advancing healthcare technologies.
GJK Facility Services Demonstrates Commitment to Healthcare Innovation
GJK Facility Services, a leader in sustainable facility management, played a key role in the fundraising effort. Founded by George Stamas AM, the company is recognized for its focus on social impact and ethical business practices. Mr. Stamas emphasized the importance of this initiative by stating, 'Supporting the Epworth Medical Foundation is aligned with our dedication to community wellbeing. This microscope will enhance the capabilities of surgeons treating complex neurological conditions and improve patient outcomes.'
New Microscope to Improve Outcomes in Critical Neurosurgeries
The advanced neurosurgical microscope will be used in various complex procedures, including craniotomies, laminectomies, and microdiscectomies. These surgeries require exceptional precision as they involve delicate structures of the brain and spine. By providing enhanced visualization, the microscope will reduce risks during operations and contribute to faster patient recovery times.
Community and Corporate Support Drives Medical Advancement
The successful fundraising campaign showcased the power of collaboration between the community, corporate partners, and healthcare institutions. Scott Bulger, Executive Director of the Epworth Medical Foundation, remarked, 'The generosity shown by GJK Facility Services and other supporters is invaluable. This microscope is more than just equipment; it represents a commitment to better patient care and surgical excellence.'
GJK Facility Services' Broader Commitment to Social Equity
Under the leadership of George Stamas AM, GJK Facility Services integrates social responsibility into its core operations. The company is widely known for creating employment opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds and forming partnerships with Indigenous-owned businesses. The support of the neurosurgical microscope project reflects the company's ongoing dedication to improving community health and wellbeing beyond its traditional business activities.
About GJK Facility Services
GJK Facility Services is a national leader in sustainable and ethical facility management. Founded by George Stamas AM, the company services major Australian institutions while promoting social equity and inclusive employment. GJK Facility Services prioritizes community engagement and responsible procurement practices.
Contact: Jaqui Maree – 0434 217 186
About George Stamas AM
George Stamas AM is an experienced Australian entrepreneur and philanthropist with more than 40 years of leadership in business and social impact. He is Deputy Chair of the Epworth Medical Foundation and serves on various boards and advisory councils. His work focuses on creating opportunities for disadvantaged groups and advancing health innovation.
Biography: https://www.georgestamas.com/bio
Media Contact
George Stamas AM
GJK Facility Services
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0434 217 186
Website: https://gjkfacilityservices.com.au/
Contact Info:
Name: George Stamas AM
Email: Send Email
Organization: GJK Facility Services
Website: https://gjkfacilityservices.com.au/
Release ID: 89161394
In case of identifying any problems, concerns, or inaccuracies in the content shared in this press release, or if a press release needs to be taken down, we urge you to notify us immediately by contacting [email protected] (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). Our dedicated team will be readily accessible to address your concerns and take swift action within 8 hours to rectify any issues identified or assist with the removal process. We are committed to delivering high-quality content and ensuring accuracy for our valued readers.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
How Income Can Affect Your Health And Population Health
Los Angeles, CA - September 21: Hundreds of needy people line up around the block to receive food ... More from embattled 14th District Los Angeles City Council member Kevin de León, during a free food distribution. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Low-income individuals that received regular monthly cash stipends visited the emergency department less, had fewer hospital admissions and participated in more outpatient subspecialty care according to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The authors of the study looked at nearly 2900 low-income individuals who applied for a lottery in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Of those individuals, about 1750 of them received $400 per month for a nine month period. The individuals that received money had 27% fewer emergency room visits compared to those that did not receive the monthly payments. The aforementioned study underscores the powerful role socioeconomic status plays in shaping health outcomes across populations. So how exactly can income affect health? Below are some of the most important ways money can influence health and its related outcomes. Higher income generally translates to better quality healthcare services. Individuals with more money are more likely to have health insurance, which allows them to afford hospital visits, prescription drugs and preventive interventions. Conversely, those with lower incomes may be hesitant to receive healthcare they need because it is too expensive, leading to untreated illnesses that could be managed or even cured with early intervention. In 2022, nearly 26 million nonelderly Americans were uninsured according to Kaiser Family Foundation. Nearly 2 in 3 (64%) of nonelderly Americans who were uninsured said they were because the cost of healthcare insurance was too high. As an example, consider a low-dose CT scan of the chest that is done to screen for lung cancer. The out-of-pocket cost for the study is typically around $300, and insurance coverage for it is variable. Nearly half (44%) of lung cancers are caught at a late stage, with survival rates falling to just 7% according to the American Lung Association. With lung cancer being the deadliest cancer of all cancers, those with less income are less likely to be screened and less likely to find lung cancer at a stage where it is treatable and curable. Living environments are another critical determinant of health outcomes influenced by income. Wealthier individuals can afford housing in neighborhoods with lower crime rates, better schools and facilities such as gyms and parks that contribute to superior physical and mental health. Low-income individuals, on the other hand, may live in poor neighborhoods and may be exposed to environmental hazards like mold and air pollution. Consider asthma, an obstructive lung disease that causes coughing, wheezing and chest tightness. Many allergens can trigger asthma, which include but are not limited to dust, mold and air pollution. Thus, those that live in poorer neighborhoods and are constantly exposed to these environmental hazards are more likely to develop asthma, which can be life-threatening if not treated appropriately. One's income can also have a profound effect on determining the quality and quantity of food one can afford. Higher-income households have the luxury of greater access to more nutritious food, while lower-income families may have to purchase cheaper, less healthy and processed foods out of necessity. Healthier foods cost nearly twice as much as unhealthier foods on average per serving, according to research from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Cheaper processed foods are usually higher in sugars, fats and salts. These types of foods contribute to poor nutrition and chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Financial stability can also contribute to mental well-being. For example, those that live in poverty have to worry about their next meal and whether or not they will have food to eat. These worries can lead to a high level of anxiety and even depression, which can detrimentally affect mental health. It is of no surprise that those with the lowest incomes in a community suffer 1.5 to 3 times more frequently from anxiety, depression and other mental health illnesses compared to those with the highest incomes. What can be done to alleviate the obvious and profound health disparities caused by income inequality? The obvious answer is expanding access to healthcare insurance for all populations. Currently, 44 million Americans are enrolled in healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act according to KFF News. In addition, there must be a concerted effort by lawmakers and community activists to invest in safe and affordable housing, improve the availability of nutritious foods in low-income neighborhoods and expand important healthcare services such as preventive screening studies in an effort to decrease cancer in impoverished areas throughout the U.S. Income and health are inextricably related, and so much work needs to be done in America to address health inequities caused by income inequality.


Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
UnitedHealth Group Updates on Annual Shareholder Meeting, Board Actions
--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 4, 2025-- UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) provided updates on its 2025 annual shareholder meeting and actions taken by its Board of Directors. Shareholders re-elected all current directors: Charles Baker, Timothy Flynn, Paul Garcia, Kristen Gil, Stephen Hemsley, Michele Hooper, F. William McNabb III, Valerie Montgomery Rice, M.D. and John Noseworthy, M.D. Shareholders also: At its regular quarterly meeting, the Board authorized payment of a cash dividend of $2.21 per share, to be paid June 24, 2025, to common stock shareholders of record as of the close of business June 16, 2025. About UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group is a health care and well-being company with a mission to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone through two distinct and complementary businesses. Optum delivers care aided by technology and data, empowering people, partners and providers with the guidance and tools they need to achieve better health. UnitedHealthcare offers a full range of health benefits, enabling affordable coverage, simplifying the health care experience and delivering access to high-quality care. Visit UnitedHealth Group at and follow UnitedHealth Group on LinkedIn. View source version on CONTACT: Investors: [email protected]: [email protected] KEYWORD: MINNESOTA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES HEALTH INSURANCE OTHER HEALTH HEALTH INSURANCE MANAGED CARE GENERAL HEALTH SOURCE: UnitedHealth Group Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 06/04/2025 06:50 AM/DISC: 06/04/2025 06:48 AM


Washington Post
3 hours ago
- Washington Post
Australian woman on trial for mushroom murder of in-laws says she was trying to fix a 'bland' lunch
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Before Erin Patterson's in-laws and their relatives arrived at her home for lunch, she bought pricey ingredients, consulted friends about recipes and sent her children out to a movie. Then, the Australian woman served them a dish containing poisonous death cap mushrooms — a meal that was fatal for three of her four guests . Whether that was Patterson's plan is at the heart of a triple murder trial that has gripped Australia for nearly six weeks. Prosecutors in the Supreme Court case in the state of Victoria say the accused lured her guests to lunch with a lie about having cancer, before deliberately feeding them toxic fungi. But her lawyers say the tainted beef Wellington she served was a tragic accident caused by a mushroom storage mishap. She denies murdering her estranged husband's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and their relative, Heather Wilkinson. The mother of two also denies attempting to murder Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson, who survived the meal. In a rare step for a defendant charged with murder, Patterson chose to speak in her own defense at her trial this week. On Wednesday, she spoke publicly for the first time about the fateful lunch in July 2023 and offered her explanations on how she planned the meal and didn't become sick herself. No one disputes that Patterson, 50, served death cap mushrooms to her guests for lunch in the rural town of Leongatha, but she says she did it unknowingly. Patterson said Wednesday she splurged on expensive ingredients and researched ideas to find 'something special' to serve. She deviated from her chosen recipe to improve the 'bland' flavor, she said. She believed she was adding dried fungi bought from an Asian supermarket from a container in her pantry, she told the court. 'Now I think that there was a possibility that there were foraged ones in there as well,' she told her lawyer, Colin Mandy. Patterson had foraged wild mushrooms for years, she told the court Tuesday, and had put some in her pantry weeks before the deaths. Patterson, who formally separated from her husband Simon Patterson in 2015, said she felt 'hurt' when Simon told her the night before the lunch that he 'wasn't comfortable' attending. She earlier told his relatives that she'd arranged the meal to discuss her health. Patterson admitted this week that she never had cancer — but after a health scare, she told her in-laws she did. In reality, Patterson said she intended to have weight loss surgery. But she was too embarrassed to tell anybody and planned to pretend to her in-laws that she was undergoing cancer treatment instead, she said. 'I was ashamed of the fact that I didn't have control over my body or what I ate,' a tearful Patterson said Wednesday. 'I didn't want to tell anybody, but I shouldn't have lied to them.' The accused said she believes she was spared the worst effects of the poisoned meal because she self-induced vomiting shortly after her lunch guests left. She had binged on most of a cake and then made herself throw up — a problem she said she had struggled with for decades. Patterson also said she believes she had eaten enough of the meal to cause her subsequent diarrhea. She then sought hospital treatment but unlike her lunch guests, she quickly recovered. At the hospital where her guests' health was deteriorating, her estranged husband asked her about the dehydrator she used to dry her foraged mushrooms, she said. 'Is that how you poisoned my parents?' she said Simon Patterson asked her. Growing afraid she would be blamed for the poisoning and that her children would be taken from her, Patterson said she later disposed of her dehydrator. She told investigators she'd never owned one and hadn't foraged for mushrooms before. While still at the hospital, she insisted she'd bought all the mushrooms at stores even though she said she knew it was possible that foraged mushrooms had accidentally found their way into the meal. She was too frightened to tell anyone, Patterson said. Also later, Patterson said she remotely wiped her cell phone while it sat in an evidence locker to remove pictures of mushrooms she'd foraged. Prosecutors argued in opening their case in April that she poisoned her husband's family on purpose, although they didn't suggest a motive. She carefully avoided poisoning herself and faked being ill, they said. The trial continues on Thursday with Patterson's cross-examination by the prosecutors. If convicted, she faces life in prison for murder and 25 years for attempted murder.