He believed the new Dunedin Hospital, which he had been working on with the Southern Partnership Group in recent years, would be a catalyst for positive change in Southland and Otago. “For example, we will see more emphasis on the global move to generalist care in hospital, more emphasis on primary and community healthcare, and more emphasis on valuing patient time,” Hodgson said, which would all eventually result in patients spending less time in hospital. However, he noted that Southland Hospital was ahead of the curve as it already employed a generalist approach – which means looking at all aspects of a patients body and life rather than a specific organ or health issue.