ANNUAL REPORT 2010 CONTENTS

Message from the Trustees of Our supporters Mary Aikenhead Ministries — page 47 — page 02 T hank you to our community of supporters Message from the — page 50 Board Chair and CEO — page 03 Our people Who we are Introducing the board — page 04 — page 52 Board and governance report Summary financial results — page 56 and Our performance — page 06 Organisational chart — page 58 Our year in review Senior staff — page 08 — page 60 Department reports Staff list — page 62 Mission — page 13 Surgical and specialist Glossary services — page 19 — page 68 Medical services, aged and community care — page 23 Research — page 29 Education — page 32 Quality and risk — page 34 Business development and infrastructure — page 36 Planning and government relations — page 40 Finance — page 42 People and organisational development — page 45 St Vincent’s connects talented individuals with excellence in research, technology, infrastructure, systems and support so that our community is connected to the very best in healthcare. We foster the skills and expertise of our staff by connecting them with opportunities to grow and excel. We encourage research across our campus and seek opportunities to advance healthcare, connecting breakthroughs to the bedside. St Vincent’s has a rich history, founded on the mission of the Sisters of Charity. We remain connected to this heritage, while pursuing new ways of meeting the needs of our community. Our staff take healthcare to regional Victoria, across Australia and share new findings with the world. We build connections between cultures and reach out to those who are marginalised. We connect quality with care. This report connects you with an insight into our work.

HEALTHCARE IS SUPPORTING THE WELLBEING OF PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES

1 M eSSAGE fROM the Trustees of Mary Aikenhead Ministries

On 1 July 2009 Mary Aikenhead Ministries was established by the Congregation of Religious Sisters of Charity of Australia to succeed, continue and to expand a number of the health and aged care, education and welfare ministries in which the Sisters of Charity have been engaged for up to 170 years.

Mr Richard Harpham Chair, Trustees of Mary Aikenhead Ministries

The name is both a tribute to, and Following an extensive review of its Over the past 117 years St Vincent’s has reminder of, the extraordinary work governance arrangements in early 2010, established a reputation for delivering and ministry of Mary Aikenhead, the St Vincent’s Health Australia (which compassionate care to the people Foundress of the Sisters of Charity who operates Mary Aikenhead Ministries of Victoria. This year’s annual report dedicated her life to service of the poor. health and aged care activities) will continues to demonstrate St Vincent’s adopt a new leadership model to further strong commitment to the mission With hope and enthusiasm Mary its efforts in health and aged care in and values of Mary Aikenhead and the Aikenhead Ministries has announced the coming years. Historically, the group Sisters of Charity, by being innovative, a new model for the governance of has been well served by a state-based challenging boundaries and advocating its health services that will come operational model with independent for the poor and marginalised within our in to operation on 1 October 2010. boards in each region. Building on this society. The stories of service that follow St Vincent’s Health Australia operates strong foundation, St Vincent’s Health here demonstrate St Vincent’s continuing under the direction of Mary Aikenhead Australia will establish a single national connection to the work commenced by Ministries, providing leadership and board and enhanced executive team to Mary Aikenhead and evidence of our governance of the health and aged lead its operations. The new governance commitment to further this mission care ministries in Victoria, New South model will also see the establishment of health and aged care service into Wales and Queensland. As a national of community advisory councils in the future. group, St Vincent’s Health Australia each state to enable engagement with is the nation’s largest not-for-profit local stakeholders, service planning The Trustees wish to acknowledge the Catholic health and aged care provider and mission-related activities that are strength and commitment of St Vincent’s, encompassing public, private and aged responsive to local needs. The increased and its many staff, volunteers, Board care, research and clinical education. support of our local Chief Executive members and donors who work together Officers in each state will ensure agile to deliver truly compassionate care. and effective decision making in day to day operations.

02 MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR AND CEO

In our 2010 Annual Report, St Vincent’s has chosen to highlight the many connections that are vital for providing quality healthcare. By sharing the highlights of our year in review and telling the stories of some of our talented staff, dedicated volunteers and inspiring patients, we illustrate how St Vincent’s connects with our community.

Professor Mr Greg Sword AM Patricia O’Rourke Board Chair Chief Executive Officer

The past year has been one of With 2010 also marking the beginning As we look to the future, St Vincent’s many highlights. We completed the of a new era of healthcare reform in has set the direction for the coming construction of the new Orthopaedic Australia, St Vincent’s was honoured five years, finalising our strategic plan. Surgery Centre, increasing St Vincent’s to host the Federal and State Health The strategic plan will be instrumental capacity to provide elective surgery to Ministers, the Hon Nicola Roxon and the in enabling St Vincent’s to connect many more Victorians. We also broke Hon Daniel Andrews, for a forum that our goals of aspiring, achieving and ground on the new Cancer Centre, an provided an opportunity for dialogue innovating in healthcare with actions exciting project that will create a more with Victorian health services. that inform our approach to projects modern and welcoming environment and business planning. for patients and their families to access St Vincent’s was further honoured to our world-class oncology care. host Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the It is with great pride and satisfaction Hon Nicola Roxon in March, when they that we reflect on the year that has In 2010 we celebrated the centenary of toured our Orthopaedic Care Centre, passed at St Vincent’s. We are pleased our Clinical School, a valued partnership speaking with clinicians and patients. to share some of the highlights with you. with the University of Melbourne. St Vincent’s took the opportunity to The St Vincent’s University of Melbourne raise areas we see as important to our Clinical School has a deserved reputation community, including a greater focus for excellence with our graduates on surgical oncology, the need for an consistently achieving outstanding elective surgery ambulatory centre and results. The school was founded by the a dedicated research centre to focus on visionary Mother Mary Berchmans Daly, our most pressing health challenges. together with St Vincent’s surgeons, Sir Thomas Dunhill and Sir Hugh Devine. To this end, St Vincent’s continues to We remain connected to their passion work with our partners to progress for continuously improving the way planning for the development of the St Vincent’s shapes the next generation Aikenhead Centre of Medical Discovery, of clinical leaders. a purpose-built medical research, training and education centre to be located on our Fitzroy campus. We have received state government funding to develop a business case for this important initiative.

03 Woe h w are

St Vincent’s takes pride in being an inventive and efficient health service that readily adapts to the changing demands of the health system. We recognise the importance of balancing government priorities with our mission, while never losing sight of our aim to deliver better health outcomes to the community.

St Vincent’s serves a diverse community. We excel across a broad spectrum from St Vincent’s comprises: Geographically, our primary catchment neurosurgery and surgical oncology to • St Vincent’s Hospital takes in the municipalities of Yarra, aged psychiatry and Aboriginal health. • St George’s Health Service Boroondara, Darebin and Moreland, We have an enviable reputation as an • Prague House yet only 43 per cent of patients live employer of choice for nursing graduates in these municipalities. A further and our employees’ results in medical • Caritas Christi Hospice 40 per cent are from other parts of and surgical examinations are second Melbourne, 12.5 per cent are from rural to none. Our patient population includes: and regional Victoria and 3 per cent • people from culturally and from interstate or overseas†. St Vincent’s works with collaborative linguistically diverse communities partners to deliver high quality • Aboriginal Australians St Vincent’s is part of Australia’s largest treatment, teaching, education not-for-profit health service. We are and research. Our partners include • people who are socially and financially governed by a national body, St Vincent’s the University of Melbourne, disadvantaged, including people with Health Australia under the direction of St Vincent’s Institute, the O’Brien a background of homelessness Mary Aikenhead Ministries. St Vincent’s Institute, the Bionic Ear Institute, • prisoners, in respect of their provides acute medical and surgical Step Ahead Australia, the University health needs services, emergency and critical care, of Wollongong, Eastern Palliative Care • people who are deaf or hard of hearing aged care, diagnostics, rehabilitation, and the Australian Catholic University. • refugees and asylum seekers. allied health, mental health, palliative care and residential care. † Figures are inclusive of but not limited to activity reportable to the Victorian Department For 117 years, under the leadership of Health. of the Sisters of Charity and now Mary Aikenhead Ministries, St Vincent’s has been providing the highest standards of care driven by our concern for others, especially those in need. This focus permeates every aspectof our work, guided by the values of compassion, justice, human dignity, excellence and unity.

04 In 2009–10 St Vincent’s had 53,212 separations and 257,444 bed days. We provided more than 500,000 occasions of service to patients through our emergency department, specialist clinics and other services.

St Vincent’s Hospital St’ George s Health Service St Vincent’s fast facts St Vincent’s Hospital provides a wide St George’s Health Service in for 2009–10 range of medical, surgical, allied health Kew provides a comprehensive and mental health services, including rehabilitation and aged care service, community, outreach, drug and alcohol including inpatient care, evaluation N umber of staff — 5,506 and correctional health services. As a and management, transition care Number of beds — 848 major teaching, research and tertiary and day respite, residential aged care, referral centre, we are committed to acute aged psychiatry, as well as a Number of ED presentations — 39,857 providing the best possible patient broad range of community-based Total separations — 53,212 care, servicing both our local and assessment and treatment services. regional communities. Total occasions of service — 510,434 C haritas C risti Hospice Total bed days — 257,444 The hospital is situated in Fitzroy on Caritas Christi Hospice provides the fringe of Melbourne’s central palliative care services across two Operating budget — 491.4 million business district, bounded by Victoria campuses. There are 26 beds at the Parade, Nicholson Street, Fitzroy Street Kew campus, along with a day hospice and Gertrude Street. We operate a and community day care centre. At the major diagnostic program that includes Fitzroy campus there are eight beds both private and public services. co-located with the acute services Our pathology collection centres are of St Vincent’s. located throughout metropolitan Melbourne, with private radiology Pa r gue House available through Central Melbourne Prague House has operated since Medical Imaging at the Fitzroy campus. 1976, providing residential care to people who are socially and financially disadvantaged. Prague House provides residential services for men and women – all of whom have particular needs relating to their health status and have experienced homelessness. Since its move to the St George’s Health Service campus in Kew the service has expanded from 34 beds to 45.

05 Smmar u y financial results AND OUR PERFORMANCE

St Vincent’s continued its strong financial performance in 2009–10 delivering a surplus net entity result favourable to budget. Underpinning the financial performance was the achievement of a number of business efficiency review outcomes that will continue into 2010–11.

SR UMMA Y FINANCIAL RESULTS ($'000s)

2010 2009 2008** 2007*** 2006

Total revenue ^ 540,610 505,598 439,216 379,268 351,462 Total expenses ^ 524,821 495,507 434,628 379,266 349,709 Net result surplus — (Deficit) 15,789 10,091 4,588 2 1,753 Retained surplus — (Accumulated deficit) 57,829 42,040 31,949 1,511 1,509 Total assets 326,845 317,081 313,913 264,421 266,49 Total liabilities 238,921 244,946 251,869 232,810 234,886 Net assets 87,925 72,135 62,044 31,611 31,609 Total equity 87,925 72,135 62,044 31,611 31,609

^ For further detail, refer to Total Revenue and Total Expenses in the detailed Income Statement ** 2008 revenue and expenses incorporate the consolidation of Caritas Christi Hospice Limited, St Georges Health Service Limited and Prague House Limited into St Vincent’s from 1 January 2008. Financial performance up to 31 December 2007 for the above entities has been transferred to St Vincent’s equity on 1 January 2008. *** 2007 revenues and expenses by category have been reclassified to accord with the government’s requirements for reporting under the Australian Health Care Agreement with the Commonwealth government.

Access

Elective surgery performance 2009–10 Actual Percentage of Category 1 elective patients admitted within 30 days 99.9% Percentage of Category 2 elective surgery patients waiting less than 90 days 67.7% Percentage of Category 3 elective surgery patients waiting less than 365 days 92.3% Number of patients on the elective surgery waiting list 1,300 Number of hospital-initiated postponements (HiPs) per 100 scheduled admissions 6.2%

Emergency Department performance 2009–10 Actual Percentage of Triage Category 1 emergency patients seen immediately 100% Percentage of Triage Category 2 emergency patients seen within 10 minutes 82.9% Percentage of Triage Category 3 emergency patients seen within 30 minutes 70.9% Percentage of emergency patients admitted to an inpatient bed within 8 hours 70.1% Percentage of operating time on hospital bypass 2.1% Percentage of non-admitted emergency patients with length of stay of less than 4 hours 64% Number of patients with length of stay in the Emergency Department greater than 24 hours 1

Figures correct as of 23 August 2010

06 A tctivi y

Admitted patients Acute Sub-acute Mental health Other Total Separations Same day 29,272 27 15 0 29,314 Multi day 20,063 2,901 934 0 23,898 Total separations 49,335 2,928 949 0 53,212 Emergency 17,303 2 431 0 17,736 Elective 5,684 85 9 0 5,778 Other 26,348 2,841 509 0 29,698 Total separations 49,335 2,928 949 0 53,212 Total WIES 47,515 — — — 47,501 Total bed days 143,838 91,025 22,581 0 257,444

Note: All service, activity and efficiency measures reflect the consolidated St Vincent’s Hospital

Non-admitted patients Acute Sub-acute Mental health * Other Total Occasions of service Emergency Department presentations 39,857 0 0 0 39,857 Outpatient services – Occasions of service (VACS and non-VACS clinics) 111,552 8,638 0 109,229 229,419 Other services – Occasions of service ** 111,489 27,413 102,256 0 241,158 Total occasions of service 262,898 36,051 102,256 109,229 510,434 Victorian Ambulatory Classification System – Number of encounters*** 95,250 0 0 0 95,250

* Includes community and aged contacts ** Includes ancillary services (AIMS s9), community rehabilitation centres, Aged Care Assessment Service, domiciliary team and Darebin Day Centre *** Includes medical, surgical and allied health Figures correct as of 23 August 2010

07 Y EAR IN REVIEW

St Vincent’s believes our community deserves the best treatment, as soon as possible, distinguished by the best experience and outcomes. In the past 12 months we have introduced a number of improvements and initiatives while enhancing our infrastructure to support this goal.

C onnecting patients to New Cancer Centre an additional 585 elective surgery excellence in healthcare Construction has commenced on the patients. The blitz initiative focused New Orthopaedic Surgery Centre new St Vincent’s Cancer Centre, due on patients that had been waiting In late April 2010, St Vincent’s new for completion in late 2010. The new greater than the clinically indicated Orthopaedic Surgery Centre was blessed Cancer Centre will double the number timeframe. The surgical specialties that by Archbishop Denis Hart and officially of patients St Vincent’s is able to care participated in this initiative were ear, opened by Victorian Health Minister for and will provide a more modern, nose and throat, neurosurgery, plastics Daniel Andrews. bright and welcoming environment and reconstructive, colorectal and to match the quality of care provided general surgery. The Victorian Government provided by our staff. $7 million funding to build two new Throughout 2009–10 a total of theatres, with St Vincent’s contributing Fundraising for the Cancer Centre 5,195 patients received elective a further $1.04 million. The funding Appeal has received tremendous surgery, representing an additional enabled St Vincent’s to review and support. Mrs Jeanne Pratt donated 310 procedures when compared to re-design how the theatre suite $1 million to the appeal and her the previous financial year. A total of functions. Day of surgery admission and daughter Heloise Waislitz hosted an 681 patients received surgery as part the holding bays are now co-located in evening with Sir Bob Geldof, raising of the Orthopaedic Elective Surgery a purpose-built area. The administrative close to $500,000. Other contributions Access Service (ESAS). Treating long offices of the theatre suite have included major gifts from the Peter and waiting patients continued to be a focus also been consolidated, enabling Lyndy White Foundation and Perpetual of the elective surgery department. further efficiencies. Trustees and proceeds from special The number of long waiting patients events such as A Song for Stuart and reduced throughout the year from The extra theatres allow St Vincent’s Opera in the Market. We acknowledge the 379 patients waiting longer than to conduct an additional 20 operating efforts of our Appeal Committee, Chair clinically indicated to 311 patients. sessions each week. They also represent Greg Hargrave, Deputy Chair Frank Costa the best in modern technology. All of the OAM, Heloise Waislitz OAM, Paula Fox Performance improvements equipment is completely built in – either AO, Prof Rodney Sinclair and Prof Peter St Vincent’s continued focus on ceiling or wall mounted – and controlled Choong who have each made significant improving our elective surgery from a central point. The space is much contributions throughout the year. performance was evident in the most larger, which is particularly valuable for recent Your Hospitals report, released by orthopaedic procedures. Elective surgery management the Victorian government in April 2010. The elective surgery blitz initiative St Vincent’s performed 2,614 elective continued throughout 2009–10 with surgeries between July and December St Vincent’s receiving funding from – an 8 per cent increase on the previous the Department of Health to treat six months. 08 Our new orthopaedic surgery Dean of the University of centre will allow St Vincent’s to Melbourne St Vincent’s Clinical conduct an additional 20 operating School, Assoc Prof Wilma Beswick sessions per week. was appointed Chief Medical Officer in August 2009.

During that same period we treated Trialling less invasive liver testing It was a great privilege to welcome 15 per cent more Category 1 elective In order to treat patients with chronic Mr Rudd and Ms Roxon to St Vincent’s surgery patients and 23 per cent more liver disease caused by hepatitis B, the and an opportunity to discuss a number Category 2 patients than we had in the degree of fibrosis (liver damage) must of our current initiatives, including the previous six months. be assessed. Currently, the only way to new Orthopaedic Surgery Centre, the do this is by performing a liver biopsy Cancer Centre, our Elective Surgery Our ED performance was also strong. which is invasive and can cause serious Access Service and the Orthopaedic We spent 2.1 per cent of the time in the complications such as bleeding or even Waiting List initiative. It was also a six months to the end of December on death. A new non-invasive tool called chance to highlight our potential for bypass – well below the State benchmark Fibroscan will be trialled at St Vincent’s growth and emerging priorities such as of 3 per cent, and an improvement on our over the next two years to determine if it increasing demand for surgical oncology, 5.9 per cent bypass rate the previous year. offers a safer alternative. Fibroscan uses the Aikenhead Centre for Medical ultrasound waves to gauge the thickness Discovery and the need for an elective C onnecting breakthroughs of the liver which is thought to provide surgery ambulatory centre. with the bedside an indication of damage. Patients who Improved technology for have undergone a biopsy will also be C onnecting talent GI investigations tested with Fibroscan and the results with opportunity St Vincent’s now has access to Confocal compared to review the diagnostic Chief Medical Officer Endomicroscopy, a tool that provides real accuracy of this new tool. St Vincent’s was delighted to announce time microscopic imaging of the lining the appointment of Assoc Prof Wilma of the gut during gastrointestinal (GI) C onnecting with the Beswick as Chief Medical Officer in endoscopy. The images contain cellular national agenda August 2009. Following an early role level detail otherwise only observable Prime Minister Rudd visit with the Department of Medicine, by post-procedure examination of In March 2010, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Assoc Prof Beswick was appointed biopsy specimens on a microscope. and Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon Clinical Dean of the Clinical School The improved detail enhances the visited St Vincent’s to meet and talk with in 1989. She was appointed Head of diagnostic value of the endoscopy and patients and clinical staff. Mr Rudd and General Medicine in 2004 and has held can be used to guide the endoscopist Ms Roxon visited three inpatients who a number of leadership appointments to the optimal site to take a biopsy. had either undergone joint surgery or with the RACP. Assoc Prof Beswick has treatment for osteosarcoma, and met with many achievements across her career Prof Peter Choong, NUM Sonja Fankhauser, including leadership of our physician Chief Medical Officer Assoc Prof Wilma training program which has consistently Beswick, Assoc Prof Andrew MacIsaac achieved the best results in Australia for and members of our clinical teams. the past 10 years.

09 A new ‘fast track’ process introduced to our Emergency Department has enabled St Vincent’s to treat an additional five less urgent (category 4 or 5) patients per day.

Hugh Devine Chair of Surgery, Prof Peter Choong.

Hugh Devine Chair of Surgery The ED has also introduced a new Redesigning care for inpatients Leading cancer surgeon Prof Peter Choong clinical pathway with clear time stamps A Redesigning Care initiative in our has been appointed the prestigious for patients presenting with chest pain, craniotomy care centre has achieved a Hugh Devine Chair of Surgery. reducing the time it takes for these reduction in length of stay from 7.3 days Prof Choong is a true visionary and patients to be seen and treated by to 6.24 days. This improvement has been pioneer – he excels as a surgeon, 45 minutes per patient. maintained for the past six months. teacher, mentor and researcher. During his career he has held a Redesigning care in clinics Another initiative is now underway to number of key clinical leadership St Vincent’s has taken part in a 12 month improve the patient pathway for our roles and was recognised by his peers demonstration project along with Mercy endoscopy service. The project seeks to when he was awarded the 2008 John and Western hospitals to improve patient streamline referrals and administration Mitchell Crouch Fellowship – the most flow within specialist clinics. St Vincent’s by refining the booking system and prestigious honour offered by the work has focused on the orthopaedic, investigative process. Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. urology and gastroenterology clinics conducted in the Daly Wing. St Vincent’s redesign team is also C onnecting process working with Oncology to identify with improvement Improvements have included the improvements in the management of Redesigning care in the ED introduction of an SMS or voicemail day treatment areas and to support the As part of a Department of Health reminder to supplement the patient move to the new cancer centre that will funded Redesigning Care initiative, appointment letter, the installation of a be operational in late 2010. St Vincent’s introduced a ‘fast track’ small coffee shop near the clinic waiting process to our Emergency Department rooms, greeting patients at a central (ED), allocating a consultant to see less reception and directing them to the clinic urgent (triage category 4 or 5) patients waiting room no earlier than half an hour between the hours of 7am and 11pm. before their appointment and arranging The ‘fast track’ process has enabled for a nurse to make regular visits to the our ED to treat an additional five waiting room to see if patients have patients per day. questions or require pain relief.

10 Premier John Brumby and David Jones Professor James Angus, Dean of the Faculty ambassador Megan Gale announce plans of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences for a St Vincent’s BreastScreen Clinic at at the University of Melbourne, spoke at the Bourke Street store. the Clinical Mass marking the centenary of our Clinical School. The Mass celebrated 100 years of partnership between St Vincent’s and the University.

C onnecting with • Mental health medication information St Augustine’s ward turns 30 our community program – gold winner in the Safer Fifty hospital and corrections staff BreastScreen at David Jones Care Award. attended the 30th anniversary of St Vincent’s has partnered with • Restoring Health – highly commended St Augustine’s ward at St Vincent’s David Jones, BreastScreen Victoria and in the Premier’s Award for tackling in July. Special guests Sister Maureen the State Government to offer a breast chronic disease and improving Walters and Sister Marie-Bernadette screening service in the David Jones public health. Wunsch were actively involved in the establishment and operation of the Bourke Street store. Due to open in • Auburn House: Creating active first St Augustine’s ward, developed to August 2010, the David Jones Rose environments to reduce psychological deliver inpatient care to patients from Clinic will be a comfortable, non-clinical symptoms associated with dementia Victoria’s prisons, on the 7th floor of the environment, offering convenient, free in residential care – highly commended Daly Wing in 1979. The establishment of screening to women in the CBD. It will in the Reducing Inequalities Award. house the most advanced mammogram St Augustine’s represented a significant screening technology and be equipped achievement of St Vincent’s in ensuring to offer screening to more than 7,000 C onnecting with our past that care provided to prisoners in Victoria women each year. Centenary of the Clinical School was delivered safely while preserving In 2010 we marked the centenary of the dignity and privacy of patients. Victorian Public Healthcare Awards the establishment of the University of St Vincent’s won three gold awards and Melbourne Clinical School at St Vincent’s. Celebrating 20 years of the Academic four high commendations at the 2009 Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age Mother Mary Berchmans Daly, Victorian Public Healthcare Awards. The 20th anniversary of the together with St Vincent’s surgeons, Our winners and finalists included: Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Sir Thomas Dunhill and Sir Hugh Devine Age (AUPOA) was celebrated with • Hypothetical Mary: Improving were the driving force behind the the University of Melbourne Dean’s supportive cancer care – joint winner establishment of the Clinical School. Lecture Series multidisciplinary in the Premier’s Award for improving The three worked together to make symposium: Mental health in late cancer care; highly commended in St Vincent’s first application to the life – two decades of achievements. the Most Appropriate Care Award. University of Melbourne for the • Specialist speech pathology and establishment of a clinical school in Over the course of the day a number nutrition mentoring for cancer 1907. In 1909 the parties agreed and of respected researchers, clinicians and professionals in regional Victoria – the Clinical School opened its doors. academics gave a frank account of the gold winner in the Most Appropriate challenges faced and the achievements Care Award highly commended in attained by AUPOA. the Premier’s Award for improving cancer care. 11 St Vincent’s at Home celebrated 50 years of service in 2009. The Home Care Extension Service was born in 1959 thanks to the foresight of Sister Francesca Healy, who recognised that many St Vincent’s patients needed support after they left hospital.

Some of the original members of the St Vincent’s at Home team — top. Recipient of a University of Melbourne Knowledge Transfer Excellence Award, Dr Bridget Hamilton — bottom.

St Vincent’s at Home celebrates 50 years Dr Hitesh Peshavariya from the O’Brien The Support Team Action Response St Vincent’s at Home celebrated Institute won the 2009 TJ Martin Medal. (STAR) program’s Jacqui Bloink was 50 years of service in 2009. The Home Hitesh’s area of study is in vascular awarded the prize for outstanding Care Extension Service was born in physiology and pathophysiology, both contribution to the field of critical 1959 thanks to the foresight of Sister vital areas in the O’Brien Institute’s incident stress management by the Francesca Healy, who recognised that regenerative medicine work. Critical Incident Stress Management many St Vincent’s patients needed Foundation of Australia. support after they left hospital. Mental Health Pharmacist Nga Tran and Chair in Psychiatry Prof David St Vincent’s volunteer Charlie Gore The service began with just two cars Castle have received a Silver was honoured for his commitment and around 6,000 visits to 470 patients Achievement award for empowering to the hospital’s Christmas hampers per year. Today, St Vincent’s at Home consumers to make informed choices project at the 2010 Minister for has 14 cars and makes 27,000 visits about medication at the annual ANZ Health Volunteer Awards. per year to 3,500 patients. Mental Health Services Conference. The St Vincent’s Cancer Centre C onnecting leadership In September, Mental Health Director Appeal won the national award for with passion of Nursing Dr Bridget Hamilton Capital Appeal of the Year and the Rewarding excellence accepted a University of Melbourne prize for Outstanding Fundraising PhD student Dr Peter de Cruz was Knowledge Transfer Excellence Award Project of the Year from the Fundraising awarded the prestigious International in recognition of a partnership between Institute of Australia. Ferring Fellowship in Gastroenterology. St Vincent’s, the University and the Peter will receive $60,000 over two years National Institute of Clinical Studies The St Vincent’s 2009 Annual for his research into recurrent Crohn’s to reduce the episodes of seclusion Report received a bronze medal in disease after surgery. of our mental health inpatients. the Australasian Reporting Awards and our 2009 Quality of Care Report Fiona Quigley, Nurse Unit Manager Psychiatric Consultation Liaison Nurse has been shortlisted as a finalist in the of Auburn House, received the Julie Sharrock was highly commended Victorian Public Healthcare Awards. 2009 State Nursing and Midwifery in Catholic Health Australia’s inaugural Excellence Award for aged care Nurse of the Year Award. nursing. This award recognises Fiona for her expert leadership, hard work, experience and knowledge.

12 MISSION

Pastoral care / Archives / Volunteers / Aboriginal health services / Art curator / Cultural diversity / Communications

C onnecting leadership Kettle, Gail MacDonald, Prof Nicola C onnecting with our with passion Lautenschlager, Dr Lim, Dr O’Brien and Indigenous community St Vincent’s Health Australia Awards Suzana Petrusovski highly commended Our commitment to Aboriginal health, St Vincent’s staff members continue in the Community Service category for working in close partnership with to receive national recognition for their their involvement with the Dementia Aboriginal organisations to further work, with the following groups taking Behaviour Management Advisory Service develop our services to Aboriginal top honours in the St Vincent’s Health (DBMAS) Victoria. and Torres Strait Islander patients Australia Awards. has continued throughout 2009–10. Catholic Health Australia Awards A team comprising Jenny Smith, St Vincent’s won two of the four awards Aboriginal flag flying proud Assoc Prof Chee Ng, Prof David Castle, at the inaugural Catholic Health Australia The Aboriginal flag now flies Prof Nicola Lautenschlager, Benji Soosai, (CHA) Awards in 2009. Announced permanently at our Fitzroy campus, Nicole Ah Yick, Bridget Hamilton and at the CHA conference dinner on joining flags representing Australia Brigid Ryan won the Community Service 18 August, Dr Carrie Lethborg won and St Vincent’s. In July 2009 Aboriginal Award for their work to support mental the CHA Emerging Leader award and Health Advisory Service members health development in the Asia-Pacific: Auburn House took home the prize for including the CEOs of Victorian ‘Enhancing the capacity of the Leadership in Positive Ageing. This is a Aboriginal Health Service, Victorian Postgraduate Overseas Training Program’. stunning achievement given the scope Aboriginal Community Controlled of the competition – CHA represents Health Organisations, the Aborigines’ Auburn House staff Danielle Harris, 75 public and private healthcare facilities Advancement League and the managers Fiona Quigley and Ivan Biscan won and 550 aged care services. of the Aboriginal Community Elders’ the Quality Award for ‘Creating active Service and the Victorian Aboriginal environments to reduce behavioural The Gift Health Service Family Counselling and psychological symptoms of The Gift is a spiritual and personal Service, gathered to mark this dementia (BPSD)’. development program for staff. It is an important occasion. opportunity for staff to take some time Another two St Vincent’s entrants away from their usual responsibilities were finalists, with Assoc Prof Peter and reflect on their work and their Hudson, Karen Quinn and Dr Tina lives. The Gift was launched in 2008 Thomas highly commended in the and the response from participating Intervention/Innovation category staff has been overwhelmingly positive. for their work on family meetings in Two programs have been scheduled for palliative care and Dr Rachell Kingsbury, the 2010 calendar year. Kirsten James, Karen Thode, Melissa

13 Caring for patients from multi-faith backgrounds is an important focus of our work. A number of pastoral care practitioners attended the Parliament of World Religions in December 2009 and multi-faith care was the focus of our celebration of Pastoral Care Week in 2009.

ICAP resources launched Mental health model of care C onnecting the spiritual The Improving Care for Aboriginal and St Vincent’s manages five statewide Pastoral care practitioners and chaplains Torres Strait Islander (ICAP) Resource Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander from Christian denominations and Kit, developed by St Vincent’s in mental health beds and shares this work other faith traditions seek to respond to partnership with Onemda, the VicHealth with Victorian Aboriginal Health Service the unique emotional, spiritual and/or Koori Health Unit, was launched in Family Counselling Service. In 2010 religious needs of patients and families. November 2009. This resource has been St Vincent’s Mental Health Program This past year we welcomed new developed to assist health services in and the Victorian Aboriginal Health Catholic, Anglican, Salvation Army and making improvements in Aboriginal Service, in light of new statewide policy Lutheran chaplains to St Vincent’s. and Torres Strait Islander patient directions, are working consultatively identification, in human resource to review the existing model of care. National review management, in developing structures This year the Pastoral Care team to support Aboriginal programs in Enhancing staff awareness participated in the St Vincent’s Health mainstream settings and in developing To ensure new staff are aware of the Australia (SVHA) national review of cultural awareness training for staff importance of Aboriginal health at pastoral care conducted in all SVHA in health services. St Vincent’s, our Aboriginal Liaison facilities in Queensland, New South and Training Officer Ms Michelle Wales and Victoria. Implementation Clinical placements Winters presents at the orientation of recommendations from this review In February 2010 St Vincent’s Executive session for new staff. Additionally, in will help consolidate pastoral care on and a number of managers from across response to a recommendation made a professional footing alongside other the health service welcomed the first by the CEO of VAHS, we are seeking healthcare professionals. group of Aboriginal Health Workers from to develop in our staff an awareness the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service of local Aboriginal history. Fifty staff who will undertake clinical placements at have already participated in a heritage St Vincent’s in 2010. This initiative builds walk around Fitzroy, led by Ms Winters. on training offered in 2009 to Aboriginal The walk highlights significant sites social work and welfare students and to of historical, political and social a first time placement at Prague House significance for Aboriginal people of an Aboriginal student undertaking and a number of services which are Aged Care Certificate 3 studies. active today. Some of the comments from staff who have participated in the walk include: “I really liked getting out into the community rather than just hearing about it”, “walking down Gertrude Street will never be the same again” and “it is good to recognise local Aboriginal landmarks”.

14 CONNECTING CULTURES Kate Sloane is the acting coordinator of St Vincent’s continence service based at St George’s Health Service. The multidisciplinary team including nurses, a geriatrician and a physiotherapist specialising in pelvic floor issues, see more than 200 outpatients each month who are experiencing bladder or bowel dysfunction.

Incontinence is a sensitive topic, “Incontinence is one of the primary “In Ethiopia, 80 per associated with shame and stigma, drivers for admissions to residential particularly for the 10 per cent of care. If we can support people to cent of the women patients who are from non English manage their continence issues at coming to the fistula speaking backgrounds. home, they are more likely to be able to hospital already have stay in their home longer,” Kate says. “We have a number of patients who a multi-resistant speak very little English,” Kate explains. Over the years, Kate has taken her skills “They are already at risk of depression as a continence nurse to disadvantaged pathogen and the and isolation. Incontinence only communities in Bangladesh, Fiji, the majority then contract compounds this. We endeavour to Kimberley and most recently Ethiopia. another during their make sure interpreters are available She travels with two urogynaecologists to patients free of charge so they can who teach local staff pelvic floor stay. A large part of my communicate with dignity, giving us reconstruction surgery while Kate time was spent teaching the full story of what is happening and trains staff in post-operative nursing good hand hygiene how they are managing and coping care and conservative treatment such with the problem. It is important to as bladder training, pelvic floor muscle practice and infection have accurate information to guide rehabilitation and the use of aids control with staff.” clinical decision making.” and appliances. Her team is working to improve Much of the work is with women awareness of the service, tapping who have developed fistulas into referrals from other St George’s as a complication of childbirth. services such as the falls and balance Although the purpose of her clinic and rehabilitation centre while international volunteer work has been also establishing strong links with GPs to share her expertise in continence in the catchment area of Boroondara, management, Kate has also found Yarra and Darebin. herself coaching staff in these communities on hand hygiene.

Continence nurse, Kate Sloane, engages interpreters to ensure patients from non-English speaking backgrounds can communicate effectively about their experiences. R especting all faiths Expressing through art Auburn House conducted their periodic Caring for patients from multi-faith The creative arts program at Caritas accreditation in February 2010 and backgrounds is an important focus (Kew and Fitzroy) and Mental Health surveyors commented favourably on of our work. A number of pastoral care continues to provide a meaningful way the pastoral care coverage at Auburn practitioners attended the Parliament for palliative and mental health patients and the sensitivity of care provided. of World Religions in December 2009 to engage with their experiences. and multi-faith care was the focus of Pastoral care practitioners participated Continuing education our celebration of Pastoral Care Week in workshops on prayer and art through In 2010, a brochure on the Sacrament in 2009. In the Quiet Room, located the Heart of Life Centre and facilitated of Anointing will be made available in the foyer of our main hospital a creative arts workshop during the for Catholic patients and their relatives. building, a framed copy of ‘The Golden Australian Health and Welfare Chaplains It is hoped this will better inform patients Rule’ hangs as a reminder to us all Association (Spiritual Care Australia) and families of the Sacrament and its that treating others as we’d like to be Annual Conference in February 2010. availability for patients. Also planned treated underpins all religious traditions. for 2010 is an in-service for Communion Celebration Ministers who distribute Communion Supporting country patients Easter and Christmas services were to Catholic patients at St Vincent’s. Special outreach was made this year held at all sites of St Vincent’s in to country patients who attended 2009–10, including Christmas services A number of our pastoral care St Vincent’s with the introduction of at Port Phillip Prison, Metropolitan practitioners continue to pursue a map of Victoria and Tasmania on the Remand Centre and Marngoneet Prison. studies in theology, spiritual direction, 5th floor of the main hospital on which Window displays at St George’s Health counselling and CPE supervision. patients can flag their home town. Service and St Vincent’s Fitzroy enhanced A questionnaire of patients resulted our celebration of these major Christian in overwhelming support for the map feasts with our focus being ‘Images of as a way of facilitating conversation life and resurrection at St Vincent’s and connection with country patients. and beyond’.

Remembering Older patients Services of remembrance and our Ongoing collaboration with the Butterfly Wall service at Caritas Christi Academic Unit for Aged Care Hospice were again very well attended Psychiatry at Normanby House this year, providing an occasion for enabled us to consolidate our relatives to remember their loved ones understanding of psychogeriatric who died at the Hospice. illnesses and how best to engage patients with these illnesses.

15 The work of the Cultural Diversity Committee (CDC) goes from strength to strength. Monthly cultural news broadcasts through the intranet have continued to provide information to staff on events of cultural significance such as the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of Light and Holi, a popular Hindu festival.

C onnecting with our past Responding to requests Forums St Vincent’s Archives collects Research and reference enquiries The two forums organised by the CDC in and preserves records and other continue to come from within the health October 2009 and March 2010 attracted items that are important to the service (particularly in relation to record much interest from St Vincent’s staff, understanding of St Vincent’s history, retention and celebration of milestones) demonstrating their sustained interest development, mission and services. and the wider community (including and commitment to broadening their This year acquisitions to the collection alumni, staff from other research understanding of cultural and linguistic have included: and academic institutions, historians, issues in healthcare. • Clinical School group photographs curators, and genealogists). The Archives (1962 to 2008) collection has also been showcased in a In October 2009 the CDC hosted number of group tours and celebrations Dr Megan Jane Johnstone, Academic Chair • Promotional materials for the launch this year including St Vincent’s at Home in Nursing and Associate Head of School of Mary Aikenhead Ministries 50th anniversary, the Clinical School (Research) School of Nursing (Deakin), • Research notes for the history Centenary and Alumni events. who specialises in research on patient of St George’s Health Service safety and cross-cultural healthcare • An iconic digital cardiac C onnecting cultures ethics. Her lecture ‘Culture, language and ultrasound machine The work of the Cultural Diversity patient safety – making the link’, provided • Classic instruments of St Vincent’s Committee (CDC) goes from strength St Vincent’s staff with an insight into the celebrated master surgeons Sir Hugh to strength. Monthly cultural news clinical risk management issues which Devine, Leo Doyle and Julian Smith. broadcasts through the intranet have may affect CALD background patients. continued to provide information to staff The lecture was very well received with New developments on events of cultural significance such as many staff saying it had made them more It is hoped that a new history writing the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to aware of quality and safety issues for prize initiated by the Archives Committee Mecca, Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of CALD patients. will further develop the source Light and Holi, a popular Hindu festival. material available to the Archives and In March 2010 the CDC welcomed promote the recording of St Vincent’s Putting policy into practice Sir James Gobbo as speaker to open history from multiple perspectives. In early 2010, the CDC and the Cultural Diversity Week. Sir James has Generous donations supporting the Consumer Advisory Committee a longstanding and much respected prize have been made by family and endorsed St Vincent’s Cultural Diversity association with St Vincent’s and was friends of the late Dr Bryan Egan. policy – a significant and positive step the first State Governor of Victoria of forward in the recognition of cultural Italian descent. Sir James gave a warm Prof Ivo Vellar’s latest book – and language issues as central to good and personal presentation in which a biography of surgeon Sir George quality healthcare for all culturally and he described the early days of Italian Adlington Syme – was launched in linguistically diverse (CALD) background migrant settlement in Victoria. He spoke Brenan Hall on 24 November 2009. patients. The policy is embedded in poignantly about the difficulties faced the values of the mission and Sisters of by migrants who did not speak English Charity and will guide St Vincent’s staff and praised their courage, hard work in providing culturally appropriate care. and determination to establish a life in a new country.

16 C onnecting with creativity Connecting with the community National Volunteer Week honours St Vincent’s Art Program incorporates the Volunteers are an integral part of the During National Volunteer Week St Vincent’s Art Gallery, located on the St Vincent’s team, enabling us to enhance 2010 we were delighted to learn that ground floor of Daly Wing, St Vincent’s our services and provide that personal St Vincent’s volunteer Charlie Gore was Art Collection and the Artist in Residence touch for patients, residents, clients and honoured for his commitment to the program at Caritas Christi Hospice, Kew. family members. health service’s Christmas hampers project during the 2010 Minister for Highlights for the past 12 months include: Across 11 of our St Vincent’s sites, Health Volunteer Awards. Minister for • Bi-monthly series of exhibitions more than 350 volunteers have Health, the Hon Daniel Andrews said in St Vincent’s Gallery including a dedicated over 20,000 hours in the past Charlie Gore displayed exceptional Reconciliation Week exhibition in 12 months, supporting staff to provide organisational skills, professionalism conjunction with RMIT Indigenous personalised and high quality healthcare. and an eagle eye for detail in his Arts Unit, Jody Pratt’s ‘Spring is here’ Our volunteers spend time with anxious, volunteer work at St Vincent’s. solo show, a photographic exhibition lonely and distressed patients, bring “The annual project enables more celebrating 50 years of St Vincent’s their pets to offer comfort to patients than 200 disadvantaged clients of the at Home, Sreekar Balusundaram’s and staff, make endless cups of tea, hospital to celebrate Christmas. In the solo show, past St Vincent’s artist in drive patients to appointments, assist three months leading up to Christmas, residence Lesley Dickman’s ‘Salt and with wayfinding around our campuses, Charlie devotes almost every day to the dress’ as well as an exhibition of sit with dying patients, teach some collecting about 800 boxes that are recent acquisitions to the gallery of our correctional health patients to distributed to families.” read, welcome patients in waiting and • Spring Studio Open Day at Caritas admission areas, assist patients with Christi Hospice – an invitation to the their meals, help with mail-outs, input general public to enjoy afternoon information into databases and so tea, meet the artists and view the much more. studios. This has become an annual event and is popular with staff, prospective artists in residence and the general public • Donation of approximately 80 new art works to the collection • Over 1,100 art works from St Vincent’s Art Collection on display throughout the health service with a regular changeover of works in more public areas • New display infrastructure and art works incorporated into the renovated Rehabilitation Unit at St George’s which has had a very positive impact on patients and staff.

17 An internal and external communication campaign, ‘STV – A breath of fresh air’, supported St Vincent’s transition to a totally smoke-free environment on 1 July 2009.

C onnecting through Internal campaigns The communications team communication An internal and external communication provides editing, design and print In the media campaign, ‘STV – A breath of fresh management support to ensure these In 2009–10 St Vincent’s was featured air’, supported St Vincent’s transition materials are consistent and meet the in media coverage of a range of to a totally smoke-free environment needs of our community. issues, including an upcoming breast on 1 July 2009. Along with signage at reconstruction trial, the cardiac risk each campus, easy to read brochures associated with distance training, for patients were added to all patient binge drinking among teenagers, the information packs and displayed role of pastoral care in the health sector, prominently in reception areas and deep vein thrombosis research, antibiotic wards. Information for staff included compliance, a dissolvable stent trial, the new policy, Q&As, a case study developments in pain management and a list of QUIT advisers. A range and our partnership with David Jones of channels were used to communicate and BreastScreen Victoria to open a with staff, including posters, brochures, screening clinic in the retailer’s flagship all staff emails and a payslip message. Bourke Street store. The smoke-free message was also promoted on St Vincent’s internet Reporting awards and intranet sites. St Vincent’s 2009 Annual Report won a bronze award in the Australasian Events Reporting Awards. The Quality of Care The Communications team provided Report has been shortlisted for the 2010 support for a number of events Victorian Public Healthcare Awards, including visits by Prime Minister Kevin with the winner to be announced later Rudd and Commonwealth Minister in the year. for Health Nicola Roxon, Clinical Mass, the Centenary of the St Vincent’s Clinical A new website School, the blessing of the Orthopaedic As part of the internet project team, Surgery Centre and 50th anniversary Communications led the content celebrations for St Vincent’s at Home. development process, populating the site with more than 220 pages Publications of content in the lead-up to the site’s St Vincent's provides more than launch. In conjunction with Information 50 brochures for specific conditions Services the team provides ongoing and treatment options, along with a advice, mentoring and training for suite of brochures on general patient program areas developing their information such as privacy, what to own content. As the final publishing expect during a hospital admission authority for the site, the team maintains and how to make a complaint. editorial standards and consistency.

18 S uRGICAL and specialist services

Cardiovascular centre / Digestive centre / Elective surgery management / Endoscopy suite / Genitourinary centre / Intensive care centre / Musculoskeletal centre / Neuroscience centre / Plastics, skin and reconstructive centre / St Vincent’s specialist clinics / Theatre and perioperative services / Thoracorespiratory centre

C onnecting leadership C onnecting breakthroughs St Vincent’s is one of only a handful of with passion with the bedside Australian hospitals to offer the new Hugh Devine Chair of Surgery New stent trial technique. The first patients to receive World-leading cancer surgeon Prof Assoc Prof Robert Whitbourn this procedure were monitored in Peter Choong has been appointed the conducted an Australian first in July hospital for ten days but results have prestigious Hugh Devine Chair of Surgery. 2009, implanting a dissolvable stent been so positive that the twelfth patient Prof Choong is a true visionary and into a cardiology patient at St Vincent’s. returned home after just five. The typical pioneer – he excels as a surgeon, teacher, The stent is made of polyactic acid so length of stay for major heart surgery is mentor and researcher. During his career is able to dissolve into water and lactic seven to ten days followed by a lengthy he has held a number of key clinical acid over time, thereby improving the rehabilitation period. Patients receiving leadership roles and was recognised by safety and efficiency of maintaining the new procedure are returning home his peers when he was awarded the 2008 improved blood flow. St Vincent’s is one without the need for rehabilitation. John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship – the of 10 hospitals in eight countries taking most prestigious honour offered by the part in the second phase trial of this Research in anaesthesia Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. new procedure. St Vincent’s Department of Anaesthesia undertakes a broad range of primarily Leading research on IBD Reducing the need for open clinical research. The major areas studied The Gastroenterology Department is heart surgery include regional anaesthesia and the leading a research project involving Until recently heart valves could only cognitive impact of anaesthesia, which 20 hospitals across Australia to be replaced by open heart surgery. aim to improve both the day to day investigate the best way to manage In August 2009 a multidisciplinary practice of anaesthesia and longer term patients with Crohn’s disease following team of cardiologists, cardiac outcomes. Projects completed in the surgery. Further basic scientific work surgeons, cardiac anaesthetists and past year include investigating whether is being conducted in conjunction nurses successfully implanted three a femoral nerve block is more effective with CSIRO and the Murdoch Institute. percutaneous aortic valves as part of than intrathecal morphine (a spinal Another major project is examining the an international study to determine block) for total knee joint replacements prevalence of IBD and its complications the efficacy of this new procedure. and studying the relationship of a experienced by patients. particular protein (Amyloid beta) and The valves were deployed in the post operative cognitive function. The Department has also forged strong Cardiac Catheter Lab through a catheter links to China where it is working inserted into the femoral artery at the with local researchers to determine groin and then advanced through the how common IBD is in China; study aorta and across the patient’s diseased whether changes occurring in gut valve. The technique represents a major bacteria are leading to an increase in technical advance and it is hoped will IBD in developing nations; examine the provide an option for patients at high genetic contribution to developing IBD in risk during traditional surgical aortic emerging countries; and work with local valve replacement. researchers to develop a teaching and training program to educate physicians on the management of IBD.

19 St Vincent’s new Orthopaedic Surgery Centre was blessed by Archbishop Denis Hart and officially opened by Victorian Health Minister Daniel Andrews in April 2020.

C onnecting resources Elective surgery management New clinical roles for organ and New Orthopaedic Surgery Centre The elective surgery blitz initiative tissue donation St Vincent’s new Orthopaedic Surgery continued throughout 2009–10 with As part of the Australian Government’s Centre was blessed by Archbishop St Vincent’s receiving funding from $151 million National Organ and Tissue Denis Hart and officially opened the Department of Health to treat an Donation Reform package, St Vincent’s by Victorian Health Minister Daniel additional 585 elective surgery patients. has appointed two medical specialists Andrews in April 2020. The blitz initiative focused on patients – Dr Bernadette Hickey and Dr Sandra that had been waiting greater than the Neate – and two senior nurses – The Victorian Government provided clinically indicated time. The surgical Jacinta Schlitz and Elizabeth Skewes $7 million funding to build two specialties that participated in this – to work with the Victorian Organ new theatres, with St Vincent’s initiative were the ear, nose and throat, Donation Agency (VODA). They will contributing a further $1.04 million. neurosurgery, plastics and reconstructive, encourage best practice to increase The funding enabled St Vincent’s colorectal and general surgery. organ and tissue donation performance to review and re-design how the at a local hospital level. theatre suite functions. Day of Throughout 2009–10 5,195 patients surgery admission and the holding received elective surgery, representing The team will work with VODA to bays are now co-located in a purpose- an additional 310 procedures when educate staff, conduct data collection, built area. The administrative compared to the previous financial support donor families and ensure that offices of the theatre suite have year. A total of 681 patients received local hospital practice and systems are also been consolidated, enabling surgery as part of the Orthopaedic in line with the national initiatives of further efficiencies. Elective Surgery Access Service (ESAS). the new Australian Organ and Tissue Treating long waiting patients continued Donation and Transplantation Authority. The extra theatres allow St Vincent’s to be a focus of the elective surgery to conduct an additional 20 operating department. The number of long waiting IBD service expansion sessions each week. They also represent patients reduced throughout the year St Vincent’s Gastroenterology the best in modern technology. All of the from 379 patients waiting longer than Department has introduced equipment is completely built in – either clinically indicated to 311 patients. a range of new supports for ceiling or wall mounted – and controlled patients with inflammatory bowel from a central point. The space is much disease (IBD) to enable better larger, which is particularly valuable for continuity of care. These include a orthopaedic procedures. Psychological Medicine Unit within the Gastroenterology Department, a counselling service and an IBD nurse consultant who assists with managing the complex drug management and integrated care of patients.

20 C oNNECTING patients with excellence in care Nine years ago, Michael Schultz was running triathlons. The busy PE teacher was extremely fit and active but persistent pain in his right knee caused him to visit his local GP. The GP referred Michael to a specialist who, after investigating with an arthroscope, diagnosed a tumour. It was a deadly sarcoma.

Michael was then referred to St Vincent’s “You hear stories about surgeons and orthopaedic surgeon, Prof Peter Choong, their poor bedside manner, but he dispels world-renowned for his success in all of those myths. When he sees you at treating this aggressive form of cancer. 5am on a Sunday morning, you know just how much he cares about his patients. “He was very honest with me,” It is so important to him – you can see says Michael of his first encounter his patients come first.” with Prof Choong. “He told me I was in strife, that what he had found was Michael still teaches PE but he has had particularly nasty, but it would be OK.” to curb his fitness regime, giving up his beloved running. He has an important Michael commenced three months reason to conserve energy, though – of chemotherapy before undergoing his 3 year old son Archie. surgery, then a further six months of chemotherapy to rid his body of all trace “I like to try to save myself for running of the tumour. Although he has needed around after him,” he says. subsequent knee replacements since the surgery, he has recently marked eight years of being cancer-free. Despite the shock of the initial diagnosis and the whirlwind of treatment, Michael recalls being reassured by Prof Choong’s reputation. “You don’t get two goes at this stuff,” he says. “But there was no doubt in my mind that Prof Choong was the right person for the job. He has such confidence in what he does, and everyone I spoke to had such confidence in him. Michael Schultz has celebrated the milestone of eight years cancer free after receiving treatment from St Vincent’s orthopaedic surgeon, Prof Peter Choong. C onnecting to the world Respiratory lab accreditation extended hospital stays due to medical European Society of Intensive St Vincent’s Respiratory Laboratory complications. Since the expansion, Care Medicine sought and received accreditation Outpatient Clinic throughput has Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse Unit from the Thoracic Society of Australia increased, more inpatient PMU referrals Manager, Catherine Carbery, was invited and New Zealand in April 2010. have been accommodated and many to present at the European Society of The accreditation process involved more complex patients have been Intensive Care Medicine Annual Congress submitting a detailed application and prepared for surgery. in Vienna in October 2009 on the Team supporting evidence to the voluntary Leader Program which was introduced accreditation panel (two respiratory Redesigning care at the St Vincent’s ICU as part of a physicians and one respiratory scientist) A Department of Health funded review of the nursing team model outlining: respiratory registrar training, Redesigning Care initiative focused in 2009. The Team Leader Program lung function testing standards, quality on management of our craniotomy links management and leadership control of equipment, quality assurance patients has achieved a reduction in roles with the clinical team and is (including patient satisfaction surveys length of stay from 7.3 days to 6.24 days. aimed at improving patient care and and quality plans), testing procedures, The reduction was achieved by improving management while supporting clinical predicted value equations, laboratory processes, allowing St Vincent’s to treat bedside staff and facilitating patient testing statistics, staffing, staff training, more patients with the same resources. flow through the unit. professional development, workload, The improved length of stay has been demand, OHS, review of facilities, basic maintained for six months. C onnecting quality with care life support training, medical and non- Evaluation of handover technique medical emergency procedures, infection A patient journey board was introduced St Vincent’s will be one of three lead control, individual testing manuals for to allow rehabilitation, nursing and hospitals in Victoria involved in a world all lung function tests and cleaning medical staff to communicate about first evaluation of the ISBAR (identify, procedures. Accreditation is currently the patient’s care. The board provides situation, background, assessment, voluntary but will be compulsory a single point of reference for everyone request) clinical handover technique. from 2011. who is involved with the patient, The project, led by St Vincent’s Deputy improving communication dramatically. Chief Medical Officer, Assoc Prof Andrew Expansion of the peri-operative unit The Rehabilitation registrar now also MacIsaac, will involve medical and St Vincent’s has expanded its Peri- attends the team meetings every nursing staff in clinical areas. operative Medicine Unit (PMU) with the Friday to discuss the patient pathway creation of the Clinical Nurse Coordinator to rehabilitation. role and appointment of a second PMU consultant. Another initiative is now underway to improve the patient pathway for our The PMU assists with management endoscopy service. The project seeks to of the elective surgery waiting list streamline referrals and administration by facilitating patient flow across by refining the booking system and the health service and minimising investigative process.

21 A Siemens single-plane digital subtraction angiography (DSA) x-ray unit was installed in the theatre suite in January 2010. This unit brings St Vincent’s in line with the foremost vascular surgery units in Australia by allowing endo-luminal techniques and vascular imaging technology as well as vascular surgical procedures to be performed on state-of-the-art, purpose-designed angiographic imaging equipment in theatre.

C onnecting treatment Trialling less invasive liver testing with technology In order to treat patients with chronic New angiosuite liver disease due to hepatitis B, the A Siemens single-plane digital degree of fibrosis (liver damage) must subtraction angiography (DSA) x-ray be assessed. Currently, the only way to unit was installed in the theatre do this is by performing a liver biopsy suite in January 2010. This unit brings which is invasive and can cause serious St Vincent’s in line with the foremost complications such as bleeding or vascular surgery units in Australia by even death. A new non-invasive tool allowing endo-luminal techniques called Fibroscan will be trialled at and vascular imaging technology as St Vincent’s over the next two years to well as vascular surgical procedures determine if it offers a safer alternative. to be performed on state-of-the-art, Fibroscan uses ultrasound waves to purpose-designed angiographic imaging gauge the thickness of the liver which equipment in theatre. is thought to provide an indication of damage. Patients who have undergone a Improved technology for biopsy will also be tested with Fibroscan GI investigations and the results compared to review the St Vincent’s now has access to Confocal diagnostic accuracy of this new tool. Endomicroscopy, a tool that provides real time microscopic imaging of the lining of the gut during gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy. The images contain cellular level detail otherwise only observable by post-procedure examination of biopsy specimens on a microscope. The improved detail enhances the diagnostic value of the endoscopy and can be used to guide the endoscopist to the optimal site to take a biopsy.

22 M eDICAL sERVICES, aged and community care

Access demand management / Addiction medicine / Aged psychiatry and residential care / Cancer and haematological centre / Community and allied health / Correctional health / Dermatology / Emergency demand and medicine centre / FEMOP displan / HDM integrated care / Mental health / Metabolic medical centre / Rehabilitation and geriatric medicine

C onnecting with the world Singaporean delegates C onnecting policy with practice Knowledge exchange with PNG At the request of the Department of Best care for older people In December 2009 St Vincent’s hosted Health, St Vincent’s hosted a 14 member everywhere: The toolkit two Emergency Department nurses from delegation from Singapore, representing In April 2010 St Vincent’s launched Port Moresby General Hospital in Papua a number of Singaporean Government 'Best care for older people everywhere: New Guinea as part of an exchange visit Departments including their Health and The toolkit'. This is a Victorian Department organised and funded by the Pacific Ageing Department. The delegation was of Health initiative that St Vincent’s has Health Fund. The Fund was established particularly interested in learning about been involved with since 2005. The toolkit, to honour the work of St Vincent’s the Aged Care Assessment Service and to be implemented over the coming former Emergency Department Director, Transition Care programs operating at months, will assist clinical staff in the care Assoc Prof Andrew Dent. St Vincent’s. of our older hospitalised patients.

Visiting nurses Sheryl Wala and Maritha Award winning support in Asia C onnecting quality with care Warua spent several days at St Vincent’s A team of St Vincent’s mental health Prague House and Auburn learning skills and developing their professionals won the St Vincent's House accreditation careers in what is hoped will be a regular Health Australia Community Service Both Prague House and Auburn exchange. They also took back with Award for their work to support mental House achieved the maximum them a large case of donated medical health development in the Asia-Pacific: three year full accreditation status, equipment. Earlier in the year, ED NUM ‘Enhancing the capacity of the meeting compliance with all 44 aged Sue Cowling, ED ANUM Tracie Ham and Postgraduate Overseas Training Program’. care standards. The surveyors were clinical nurse specialist Belinda Casbolt extremely complimentary about the spent time at Port Moresby General Since 2002, the program has provided atmosphere and standards of care for helping develop the skills of local staff. on-site clinical placements for mental our residents at both Prague House and health professionals from the Asia Pacific Auburn House, recognising the teams for Disaster relief in the Pacific Region. The POST Program Project Officer their commitment and genuine respect Our Field Emergency Medical introduced a standardised orientation for the residents. Three staff at Prague Officer (FEMO) team played a role in program for Fellows, improving their House upgraded their qualifications coordinating the mobilisation of two support and easing the burden on to a Certificate IV in Aged Care Work Victorian medical assessment teams mental health managers. Since the during the past year. in response to the tsunami in the beginning of 2008, over 60 fellows have Pacific region. A team of Emergency participated in the program, compared Managing chest pain Department staff from St Vincent’s and with 50 over the preceding six years. St Vincent’s Emergency Department (ED) the Alfred were placed on standby but has received funding to participate in not deployed following a request from the ‘Improving assessment of chest pain the Indonesian government that all in emergency departments’ initiative medical assistance was to be provided as part of the Emergency Care and by the military. Improvement Clinical Network. This is a quality improvement project targeting the assessment and management of patients presenting to the ED with non-acute coronary syndrome chest pain.

23 St Vincent’s Nutrition Working Party has introduced an initiative to help alert staff to patients who may require assistance at meal times. Blue domes are now placed on the meals of patients who require hands-on assistance with eating their meal or who are at risk of malnourishment and require encouragement and prompting to finish their meal.

Blue domes nutrition initiative Another project has sought to improve C onnecting with St Vincent’s Nutrition Working Party the visibility of the role of the Support the community has introduced an initiative to help Services Assistants (SSAs) who are Addiction medicine flip charts alert staff to patients who may require responsible for cleaning and moving Through a $100,000 grant from the assistance at meal times. Blue domes patients from the ED to wards. Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, are now placed on the meals of patients A whiteboard that now tracks the St Vincent’s Department of Addiction who require hands-on assistance current activities and responsibilities Medicine and the Menzies School with eating their meal or who are at of the SSAs assists with prioritising of Health Research in Darwin risk of malnourishment and require tasks, enabling better planning for have developed an innovative encouragement and prompting to moving patients and facilitating better new approach to assist in the finish their meal. flow from the ED to the ward. management of alcohol and cannabis problems for Indigenous people in Improvements in ED practice Preparing for the new cancer centre urban, rural and remote settings. As many as 40 per cent of the patients St Vincent’s Redesign Team is working who present to the Emergency with Oncology to identify improvements The Grog Story and Gunja Story Department (ED) are not admitted in the management of day treatment ‘flipcharts’ use plain English and and 8 per cent of patients leave before areas and to support the move to culturally-relevant images to explain they are properly assessed. As part the new Cancer Centre that will be complex scientific information about of a Department of Health funded operational in late 2010. The diagnostics alcohol and cannabis and their effects Redesigning Care initiative, St Vincent’s and mapping phase is complete on the brain and behaviour. The format introduced a ‘fast track’ process to the and work has now commenced on has been well received as ‘truthful’ and ED. The team now allocates a consultant developing the improvement plan that the ‘full story’. to see less urgent (triage category 4 or 5) will include recommendations for visual patients between the hours of 7am and management of the patient journey, 11pm. By ‘fast tracking’ these patients, pre-visit checks to ensure patients are St Vincent’s has been able to see an ready for care (that patients have had the additional five patients a day. relevant tests and results are available), and improving data and information The ED has also introduced a new management systems. clinical pathway with clear time stamps for patients presenting with chest pain, Simulation software acquired by the reducing the time it takes for these project management office will also be patients to be seen and treated by used to model the resourcing that will be 45 minutes per patient. required to staff the new Cancer Centre.

24 C oNNECTING compassion and care Bev Hassett has been volunteering for St Vincent’s palliative care service, Caritas Christi Hospice, for the past 10 years. Every Wednesday at lunch time, she brings around a drinks trolley so patients and any family or friends who may be visiting can enjoy a drink together.

The trolley is well stocked. Bev’s husband, Bev and David often go that extra mile “She was so moved,” David, generously donates the wine, to ensure patients have a bit of luxury. spirits, liqueurs and glassware to ensure Bev takes in strawberries to go with the says Bev. “Although her every taste is catered for. sparkling wine on Melbourne Cup Day English was not strong, and David donates good quality biscuits, “Dad died at Caritas 12 years ago. she managed to say chocolates and sweets throughout He had such wonderful care so David the year. ‘how lucky am I to come and I wanted to give something back,” Bev explains. “My father loved to share An ex-nurse, Bev also tends to patients to a place like this?’” a drink with us but the hospice was as part of her volunteering role at really only able to provide cask wine. the hospice. Donating good quality alcohol and “Throughout my working life, I was glassware is our way of helping bring focused on getting patients well so some of the outside into the hospice. they could go home. Palliative care is, It gives patients and their families of course, very different. But it’s not something to enjoy together and allows doom and gloom. I find being at Caritas them to forget for a short time where very serene. It’s such a privilege to be they are. It’s so important. part of someone’s care when they are “We both felt that patients should approaching the end of their life.” have proper wine glasses and Bev recalls fondly helping to care for an champagne flutes to drink from, older Italian lady at Caritas. The lady’s otherwise it just isn’t the same,” family were visiting when Bev brought she adds. “Particularly if they are in the drinks trolley. To the lady’s delight, celebrating a special occasion such as her whole family decided to have a glass a birthday or wedding anniversary.” of Bailey’s together.

Bev Hassett’s father received end of life care at Caritas Christi Hospice. She now volunteers with us every Wednesday. Better integration of support Confronting trauma C onnecting patients St Vincent’s Integrated Care team In November 2009, St Vincent’s with expert care offers a range of services to aid with hosted the Critical Incident Stress Less time spent on bypass the transition from hospital to home Management Foundation Australia The Your Hospitals report for July to and avoid the need for a hospital (CISFMA) 5th Biannual Conference. December 2009 found that St Vincent’s presentation. These services include CISFMA provides advocacy, Emergency Department (ED) was on the Hospital Admission Risk Program, consultancy and training in the early bypass 2.1 per cent of the time, well nursing and allied health services, intervention of critical incident stress below the state average of 3 per cent. general practice clinics, and the General and trauma to professionals working Furthermore, 84 per cent of category Practice Liaison Unit. Integrated Care is in health, emergency services, welfare, 2 ED patients were treated within now aligned with Subacute, Aged Care education and in the workplace 10 minutes of arrival, exceeding the and Community Services, strengthening where staff are exposed to trauma national benchmark of 80 per cent. the interface and providing better and loss. Keynote speakers included opportunities to improve outcomes Ms Christine Nixon (Chair of the Pastoral Care and Aged Psychiatry for shared clients. Since joining the Bushfire Recovery and Reconstruction Pastoral Care Practitioners have been Subacute, Aged Care and Community Authority), Mr Bruce Esplin (Emergency integrated into the Normanby Unit Services area in 2009, Integrated Care Services Coordinator), Dr Rob Gordon multidisciplinary team, working three has aligned with the Hospital Admission (Consultant Psychologist for the sessions a week with elderly patients Risk Program and Subacute Ambulatory Victorian Emergency Recovery Plan with mental illness and their families. Care Services in collaboration with the and for Red Cross Emergency Services) Post Acute Care Program and North and Mr Jon Faine (ABC broadcaster). Patients and families have expressed Richmond Community Health to improve appreciation for the Pastoral Care the client journey, reduce duplication and Prague House provided. A literature review on enhance service coordination. Our residential service for socially and providing pastoral care in aged mental financially disadvantaged clients, Prague health settings has been submitted to Outreach Mental Health Nurses House, has formed a strong relationship the Australasian Journal on Ageing and featured in Australian Nursing Journal with the Boroondara Lions Club and funding is now being sought to develop St Vincent’s Outreach Mental Health the Father Broderick Memorial Trust, a training program and resource book Nurses were featured in the August resulting in generous support for special for Pastoral Care Practitioners in aged edition of the Australian Nursing needs of the residents. mental health settings. Journal, highlighting the role of our multidisciplinary staff in our mobile Each year, Prague House staff dedicate BreastScreen services support and treatment services in some of their annual leave to taking In the past year St Vincent’s has screened achieving positive outcomes for residents on holiday. A group of residents approximately 40,000 women through consumers through the St Vincent’s enjoyed a trip to Healesville in 2009–10. a network of eight urban and rural Strengths model of case management. screening centres throughout Victoria. The residents of Prague House also The aim of screening for breast cancer celebrated the release of their second is to detect malignancy at the early CD in 2010 titled ‘A song worth singing’. stage. This is associated with a reduction in mortality from breast cancer and reduced morbidity from treatment.

25 Approximately 2,500 women undergo Initiatives introduced to improve patient C onnecting resources assessment at St Vincent’s BreastScreen flow have included posting a staff VDDS pilot evaluation Assessment Centre and more than member at the front desk to greet and St Vincent’s has long been the 200 new breast cancers are detected direct patients, rather than patients auspice of the statewide Victorian each year. In June 2010, St Vincent’s going straight to the clinic waiting Dual Disability Service (VDDS) which joined with David Jones, BreastScreen room before ‘checking in’; having the supports mental health services across Victoria and the State Government lead nurse address patients in the Victoria in their work with those with to launch a new breast screen service morning to announce when clinics have co-morbid intellectual disability and that will be available at the David Jones commenced for the day and explain mental illness. In the last three years, Bourke Street store from August. what to expect; and arranging for a the VDDS has received funding for nurse to visit the waiting room each hour a pilot – Enhanced Regional Service Better communication in clinics to check if patients are in need of pain Response (ERSR) – providing psychiatric St Vincent’s has taken part in a 12 month management or other medical assistance input to the disability services system demonstration project along with Mercy and to answer any questions. in the Department of Health north west and Western hospitals to improve patient metropolitan region. A recent evaluation flow within specialist clinics. St Vincent’s To minimise missed appointments of the pilot found ERSR has effectively work has focused on the Orthopaedic, patients now receive a reminder achieved the program objectives, Urology and Gastroenterology clinics SMS or voicemail to their preferred improved mental health outcomes conducted in the Daly Wing. contact number, in addition to the for consumers and is highly valued appointment letter. by disability services, mental health The experience of 100 patients was services, GPs, psychiatrists and the carers tracked before and after introducing the An activity board has also been of people with an intellectual disability. changes and patients were interviewed introduced to map the demand and The service has been recurrently funded to identify areas for improvement. capacity of clinics each day and improve and will take on an additional rural region The main areas of patient concern communication between clinical staff. with the same resources. related to access, lack of information The board captures the number of and locating amenities (such as where patients booked, whether any special Improving care for people with HIV to find the toilet or buy a cup of coffee services such as interpreters are required, St Vincent’s Restoring Health program, while waiting). Following feedback from which specialist is rostered for the in collaboration with the Infectious patient interviews, a small cafe serving day, where he or she will be located, Diseases Unit, has been elected by the take away coffee and food items was the nurses in charge of the clinic and Department of Health to undertake installed near the clinic waiting rooms. what time the clinic starts and finishes. an 18 month pilot project to develop This information will be recorded each a care coordination model for people Comments made by patients – both day to provide an accurate picture with HIV with chronic and complex positive and negative – have been of clinic activity to inform resource care needs. The project commenced printed on posters and are now allocation and planning. with the recruitment of a Contact displayed in the corridors to ensure Liaison HIV nurse. staff are mindful of their contribution to the patient experience.

26 Upgrades at St George’s Health Service C onnecting leadership C onnecting our past with Six new single patient rooms were with passion the future completed in the rehabilitation wing at Dr Carrie Lethborg, winner of the St Vincent’s at Home celebrates 50 years St George’s Health Service in December Catholic Health Australia Emerging St Vincent’s at Home celebrated 2009. Four restorative beds were Leader Award 5o years of service in 2009. The Home also relocated permanently to the Dr Lethborg is an internationally- Care Extension Service was born in Ellerslie Unit to provide a ‘step down’ recognised pioneer and leader in 1959 thanks to the foresight of Sister model of our Geriatric Evaluation the field of psychosocial oncology. Francesca Healy, who recognised that Management (GEM) service, with Her groundbreaking research and many St Vincent’s patients needed medical support provided by the GEM work in ‘meaning-based therapy’ support after they left hospital. team, an oversight of a geriatrician has helped shape our understanding St Vincent’s at home integrates and allied health support. of the impact of a cancer diagnosis. three programs: Dr Lethborg has been instrumental in Palliative care networks broadening the impact of social work • Home and Community Care – The Centre for Palliative Care Education in cancer care, offering St Vincent’s providing nursing care to the frail, and Research (CPCER) has received health professionals and patients aged and younger disabled people, funding from the Victorian Cancer new and responsive approaches in helping them remain in their homes Agency to lead the establishment of supportive cancer care. She is a clinician, • Hospital in the Home – acute nursing the Palliative Care Research Network a researcher, teacher and author. care in the home, substituting an (Victoria). This funding will be received Importantly, her leadership has inspired inpatient stay over three years to set up a statewide others to do more and to do better in • The Sr Francesca Healy Cottage research network to foster international the care of patients with cancer. – a six bed facility that provides links. The grant includes funding to hospital in the home care to people conduct a major research project with Auburn House, Winner of the Catholic experiencing homelessness. direct clinical application. Health Australia Leadership in Positive Ageing Award The service began with just two cars Auburn House provides transitional and around 6,000 visits to 470 patients residential care to people with per year. Today, St Vincent’s at Home has behaviours primarily related to dementia 14 cars and makes 27,000 visits per year or mental health diagnoses. The winning to 3,500 patients. project sought to enrich residents’ lives by providing opportunities to engage in spontaneous activities. The project involved the creation of two nurseries, a music corner, sewing area, men’s shed, tranquillity garden, tea house and much, much more. The result has been a significant decrease in behavioural and psychological symptoms associated with dementia in residents.

27 St Vincent’s joined with Asia Australia Mental Health to deliver a four day recovery support training program at the Hospital Authority in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The training was attended by mental health clinicians working in community- based mental health teams across Hong Kong.

C onnecting like minds Celebrating 20 years of the Academic Mental health leadership Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age In August 2009, the Asia Australia The 20th anniversary of the Mental Health International Seminar Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old in Community Mental Health Age (AUPOA) was celebrated with Development (‘Learning from the University of Melbourne Dean’s best practice: Overcoming future Lecture Series multidisciplinary challenges’) was held at St Vincent’s, symposium: 'Mental health in late life – followed by our own ‘Mental Health two decades of achievements'. in the City’ conference. Over the course of the day a number St Vincent’s also joined with Asia of respected researchers, clinicians and Australia Mental Health to deliver a four academics gave a frank account of the day recovery support training program challenges faced and the achievements at the Hospital Authority in Kowloon, attained by AUPOA. Hong Kong. The training was attended by mental health clinicians working in Australia’s first academic unit has community-based mental health teams provided significant clinical leadership across Hong Kong, with the aim of in mental health service delivery and the improving their knowledge and skills in mainstreaming of standalone psychiatric recovery-oriented case management. hospitals. It laid the foundation for a new discipline within psychiatry in Australia and internationally, and has been perceived as a major leader in, and contributor to, the world of old age psychiatry.

Its academic output, especially in the areas of dementia and Huntington’s disease, clinical psychopharmacological research, book publications and participation in international peer reviewed journals has placed the Unit in an influential academic leadership role.

The Unit’s impressive progression over two decades and its long term partnerships were noted and celebrated and a vision for the future was put forward.

28 RESEARCH

BioResources centre / Library / Research facilitation / Research governance / St Vincent’s Centre for Nursing Research

medical research. This in-house C onnecting breakthroughs Cross-campus technology with the bedside The St Vincent’s Research Directorate technology will greatly lower the cost of current assays and be conveniently Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery is committed to facilitating research Work towards developing the new outcomes for its hospital departments located within the clinical research biomedical engineering research and and campus partners. To enable the laboratories of the Department of academic centre at the St Vincent’s purchase of unique cross-campus Medicine at St Vincent’s Fitzroy campus progressed throughout platform equipment to build capacity • a state of the art animal irradiator 2009. In April welcome news was for translational research, its Research – to provide low dose-rate x-ray for received from the Victorian Minister for Endowment Fund (REF) Committee research treatment of small animal Innovation Gavin Jennings, announcing agreed to spend 10–15 per cent models. Such technology is vital for approval of a grant of up to $435,000 of its annual budget towards exploring elements of cell biology and towards the cost of developing a co-investments including: blood components and will advance business case for the Aikenhead • a micro-CT imaging machine – the scientific study of various areas Centre of Medical Discovery. A steering the first of its kind in Victoria that of cancer and stem cell research. committee and consultants have will aid studies on cancer, arthritis, since been engaged to proceed with bone development, stem cells, soft Co-investments also arose from the planning of the project in close tissue engineering, lung disease and the University of Melbourne’s Large consultation with the Department neuroscience. The machine uses the Equipment Grants scheme, the of Innovation, Industry and Regional same technology applied in human St Vincent’s Institute, the University Development. The business case for this 3D computer tomography (CT) imaging of Melbourne Department of exciting development will be presented and will assess the effects of drugs in Medicine, the University of Melbourne to the state government in August 2010. different experimental models Department Cluster, the O’Brien Institute and the departments of Orthopaedics, • a multi-channel biochemical Pharmacology and Paediatrics with the autoanalyser – to evaluate samples Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. from human or animal subjects These co-investments represent a to quantify multiple biochemical significant collaborative effort for parameters in body fluids including cross-campus research. blood, plasma, serum, urine and cerebrospinal fluid. The equipment will enhance studies across a broad spectrum of clinical and basic science

29 In July 2009 the Minister for Health, the Hon Daniel Andrews, appointed Prof Richard Fox, Director of Research at St Vincent’s as Chair of the Consultative Council for Human Research Ethics for a three year term.

C onnecting improvements By having a mutual governance C onnecting breakthroughs with practice process and acceptance policy the aim with the bedside Streamlined Ethical Review is to minimise ethics paperwork and The Global Clinical Outcome Score Program (SERP) timeframes to approval for clinical trials. (GCOS) has been integrated into the The 2007 NHMRC national statement Department of Addiction Medicine’s on Ethical Conduct in Human Research Bionic eye funding standard clinical evaluation and review encourages eliminating unnecessary In an announcement on 15 December, process. This growing database which duplication of ethical review. the Federal Government awarded now tracks the treatment outcome of $42 million over four years to the Bionic over 450 patients can provide grouped The Department of Health has thus Vision Australia consortium to build information to understand treatment been working towards streamlining a bionic eye. The funding has been outcomes and identify best practice, multi-centre clinical trials by establishing made available under the Australian identify the status of individual patients a Streamlined Ethical Review Program Research Council’s Research in Bionic and their progress to date facilitating (SERP), and establishing a coordinating Vision Science and Technology Initiative shared/locum care and can be used office. Such mutual recognition for research and development of a to promote patient understanding and agreement of the scientific and retinal implant. of their own outcomes and progress. ethical review between participating institutions will enable faster clinical Prof Rob Shepherd, Director of the The physiotherapy department is trial turnaround, without comprising Bionic Ear Institute (BEI) has noted this investigating whether an integrated patient safety. as a wonderful outcome for the BEI and approach to conservative care of people its research partners in Bionic Vision with peripheral arterial disease, inclusive Six major Victorian hospitals are Australia, including the Melbourne of risk factor assessment, exercise participating – St Vincent’s, The Alfred, School of Engineering at the University training, and ongoing professional Melbourne Health, Southern Health, of Melbourne, the Centre for Eye support, improves outcomes. Austin Health and the Peter MacCallum Research Australia, the University of Cancer Centre. NSW and NICTA (National ICT Australia). Another study is analysing the Key aspects of the safety and efficacy immediate effect of foot mobilisation In July 2009 the Minister for Health, studies will be performed in the BEI on walking in patients with multiple the Hon Daniel Andrews, appointed laboratories at St Vincent’s. sclerosis, using complex instrumentation Prof Richard Fox, Director of Research such as force platforms in a University at St Vincent’s as Chair of the of Melbourne gait laboratory. Consultative Council for Human Research Ethics for a three year The Simulation Centre at St Vincent’s term. The Consultative Council has is enabling an evaluation of the responsibility for the governance confidence and competencies of of Victoria’s human research ethics junior physiotherapists working in review system for multi-site clinical Intensive Care. This work is informing trial studies and serves as an advisory the development of training modules body to the Minister. for junior physiotherapists using high fidelity simulation.

30 C oNNECTING breakthroughs with the bedside When working with critically ill patients, minutes count. The sooner the medical team is on the right path in terms of treatment, the sooner they can start improving the patient’s condition to avoid multi-organ failure. The key is to recognise the problem sooner rather than later.

A low oxygen level in central venous Dr Dixon and his team have invented blood is a tell-tale sign that a patient’s an alternative. heart function is compromised. “We have developed a non-invasive Measuring oxygen levels in central approach that gives the same venous blood is difficult, however result straight away, with the result with current Intensive Care Unit (ICU) continuously available,” Dr Dixon says. practice involving inserting a catheter in the patient’s neck to reach the large The technology is based on the same veins deep in the chest. If the amount principle as a pulse oximeter, the device of oxygen in the venous blood is low, placed on the finger to measure oxygen the patient is potentially unstable. levels in the arterial side of the body. The ICU team commences intervention “Our tool does the same thing but and then re-checks central venous for the venous side – an important oxygen levels to see if there has been difference. We place sensors over the an improvement. jugular vein in the neck. Using lasers “The main drawback of this method and novel wave lengths to achieve better is that it basically involves inserting a penetration, we can clearly get a signal large plastic tube into a large vein of the and absorbance trace telling us oxygen patient’s chest,” explains ICU physician, levels in the large blood vessels deep Dr Barry Dixon. “It requires a highly inside the body. We’ve proven in theory skilled doctor and takes at least an hour that it can be done. The next step is before an accurate result is available to human trials that will commence within guide therapy. The catheter is expensive. the next few weeks.” There is a risk of infection, collapsed lung or damage to the heart. It is the best tool currently available, but it is not ideal.”

Dr Barry Dixon and his team are working on a new device that could revolutionise care in the ICU. It could also improve care for patients admitted to emergency or recovering from surgery. The dermatology department diagnosed The Nephrology Department in and improving referrals to mental a patient with a rare genetic disease association with the Mental Health health care, a telephone intervention called Marie Unna Hypotrichosis that Research Institute has commenced a for patients following a heart attack causes an unusual pattern of hair study that aims to reduce the burden who are identified as being depressed, loss. The entire family was recruited of anxiety, stress and depression in examining health outcomes in patients to participate in a genetic study with patients who are commencing dialysis following an admission to intensive DNA collected from 15 family members. therapy. The Team is also working with care, examining some of the difficulties In collaboration with British and Chinese the Centre for Eye Research at the encountered by patients with heart researchers, the genetic mutation that Eye and Ear to undertake research on failure in managing and recognising causes this condition was identified possible urinary biomarkers of disease symptom changes, strategies to help in and the results were published in in patients with macular degeneration, the early detection and management Nature Genetics. a common cause of blindness, of women experiencing a sudden cardiac which will aid in the diagnosis and event and examining interventional Intensive Care Unit physician, Dr Barry management of this condition. practices utilised in women with Dixon has continued his studies on cardiovascular disease. lung inflammation completing a trial Prof Mark Cook, Director of Neurology on nebulised heparin in ventilated at St Vincent’s, in collaboration with The Centre for Palliative Care, Education patients and examining the effects of the Bionic Ear Institute (BEI), received and Research (CPCER) is conducting an inflammation inhibitor (TNF-inhibitor) an NHMRC Development Grant to build a longitudinal study examining the in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. a prototype medical device for the psychological health of family caregivers Postoperative bleeding in cardiac automatic detection and suppression at three time points – on admission to surgical patients was investigated of epileptic seizures. palliative care services, and six months during 2009 and a paper has been and 13 months post patient death. submitted for peer review. In addition, Prof Cook was also successful CPCER is also investigating the needs of with two NHMRC Project Grants, one patients with primary malignant glioma. The Mental Health team has to study advanced polymer systems for Funded by the Victorian Cancer Agency, conducted a number of projects the delivery of anti-epileptic drugs to the this study will document the patterns of to further understanding of body central nervous system (in collaboration care, supportive needs and palliative care image and related issues, including with Prof G Wallace, Dr S Moulton, concerns of patients who die of primary cross cultural comparisons of body Assoc Prof R Kapsa) and another study to malignant glioma to inform a model of image concerns and investigating find the optimum target and predictors care to better meet the needs of these the lived experience of obesity in of outcome in deep brain stimulation of patients and their caregivers. the community. Health promotion older patients with Parkinson’s disease and psycho-education projects have (in collaboration with researchers from Dr Nicole Walsh, who worked at Harvard included the development and pilot Monash University). Medical School for five years, joined evaluation of a body image health the Rheumatology Department as a promotion program for adolescents Research programs currently underway post-doctoral scientist. Together with and an evaluation of medication at the St Vincent’s Centre for Nursing Assoc Prof Romas, she has developed information for the mentally ill. Research (SVCNR) include a nurse-led a mouse model of osteoarthritis and is clinic investigating cardiovascular disease studying the role of bone cell signalling risk prevention, screening for depression pathways in this disease.

31 EDUCATION

Allied health education / Centre for Palliative Care Education and Research / Medical education / Nurse education / St Vincent’s Education Centre / Victorian Geriatric Medicine Training Program

C onnecting minds Medical education also incorporates a Once again St Vincent’s Graduate Nurse Education Centre range of teaching and learning methods, Program set the Victorian benchmark The St Vincent’s Education Centre utilising simulation as part of the with over 700 applications. Our annual offers state-of-the-art teaching education program. St Vincent’s has open evening was attended by more than facilities for medical, surgical and gained a reputation as a leader in the 300 third year nursing students seeking allied health groups. Contained in the use of simulation for teaching of medical the opportunity to successfully gain one centre is a 10-station surgical teaching staff. Recently, the Medical Education of our 112 available graduate places. laboratory, simulation suite with a Team has become actively involved in Human Patient Simulator (HPS) manikin medical education-based research and The Grade 2 Practice Development that has anaesthetic capability, three is developing an outstanding reputation Program continues to assist finishing breakout or small meeting rooms and both nationally and internationally for graduate nurses to prepare for a 60-seat conference space with live its work. postgraduate studies. This popular electronic technology, connecting program has allowed the current St Vincent’s operating theatres to In May 2009, St Vincent’s Cardiac 27 participants to experience a range any viewing location in the world. Surgeon, Andrew Newcombe of acute clinical practice including Over the past year, the centre hosted performed Australia’s first endoscopic the Intensive Care Unit. over 1,450 events for 770 customer radial artery harvest. He has since groups with consistently high levels joined with the Education Centre to St Vincent’s is committed to the of participant satisfaction recorded. train registrars and fellows in the recruitment and retention of Division St Vincent’s Cardiac Surgery Department, 2 registered nurses and our traineeships Medical education demonstrating the technique on bovine are progressing well. This year has seen St Vincent’s provides a diverse range legs. In February 2010, more than the roll-out of medication endorsement of specialist training opportunities to 20 doctors from other health services for Division 2 nurses employed in the the medical community ranging from across Victoria attended our Education acute area. intern training to advanced physician Centre to receive this training. and surgical training. Nurses wishing to return to their Nurse education profession at St Vincent’s can The intern training program at St Vincent’s continues to offer diverse participate in return to practice or St Vincent’s is considered to be among educational opportunities to our refresher programs. These programs the best in the country with in excess of community of nurses ranging from continue to grow in popularity and 450 applicants for 46 positions. On offer undergraduate students and graduate are an invaluable addition to health is a range of clinical experiences and nurses to nurses working towards expert service nurse recruitment. rotations to complement the core terms level by completing postgraduate studies of the intern year both at the Fitzroy in their clinical area. The flexible model St Vincent’s also offers opportunities campus and through our affiliated for undergraduate clinical experience for nurses to consolidate their country hospitals. facilitated in collaboration with ACU knowledge and develop specialist continues to assist nursing students expertise. Our current students are with their preparation for their future completing their postgraduate courses role as a registered nurse. in critical care, cardiac care, anaesthetics, perioperative care, neuroscience, emergency, cancer and palliative care.

32 C oNNECTING with the next generation Kelly Phillips (pictured) is a Practice Development Nurse who, along with a Graduate Nurse Coordinator, facilitates St Vincent’s highly successful Graduate Nurse Program (GNP).

Our GNP is the most sought after in Of the 112 graduates currently taking “It’s extremely Victoria, with more graduates applying part in the program, 101 are based at to St Vincent’s than any other health the Fitzroy campus, nine at St George’s rewarding,” she adds. service. Kelly believes the success can Health Service and the remaining two at “Some of the first be attributed to the supportive, team Caritas Christi Hospice. Kelly spends time graduates I worked environment and carefully planned getting to know the graduates, helping program of educational opportunities them navigate the culture of each with are now ANUMs offered as part of a graduate year at specialised clinical unit. (associate nurse St Vincent’s. The educational component of the unit managers) “The first few months are an intense program includes study days that or have finished reality shock for graduates,” she explains. increase in difficulty and complexity “They are learning to juggle shift work throughout the year, simulation sessions their postgraduate while worrying about handover, in St Vincent’s Education Centre and studies. They’ve made talking to doctors, how to manage competency appraisals. it through the toughest their time and the responsibility of Each graduate is matched with a being accountable for their role in part of their career and preceptor (an experienced nurse who patient care. It’s so important that are now on the other is considered a clinical expert in his or they have a familiar face who is there her field). Graduates select the topics side, mentoring the to answer questions.” of some of the study days and their new intake of graduates. feedback helps refine the program I’m very proud of them.” for the following year. “Our graduates come from different backgrounds, different universities and are at different ages and stages in their lives, so it is important to make sure we are flexible enough to meet their individual needs.

St Vincent’s Graduate Nurse Program is highly sought after, receiving more than 700 applications for the 112 positions available. The Continuing Nurse Education program at St Vincent’s. Dr Taylor has been St Vincent’s runs two regional offered to nurses across the health service appointed as the co-chair of the JMO weekends in the month prior to the is reflective of the annual educational Forum which meets to discuss and give clinical exam, taking groups of trainees needs analysis and includes both clinical a voice to issues associated with junior to Warrnambool and Sale to train at and non-clinical learning opportunities. doctor education and training. a regional partner hospital with local clinical staff. The weekends provide an C onnecting with our past Outstanding results invaluable networking opportunity and Clinical School Centenary A total of 239 students undertook a chance to involve the regional partners St Vincent’s and the University of training through our Clinical School in in the training and development of Melbourne are this year celebrating the 2009–10. These students continued the the registrars. centenary of the formation of our Clinical enviable reputation of St Vincent’s junior School. The celebrations began at the doctors by achieving a 100 per cent The weekends also incorporate a social annual Clinical Mass and were followed pass rate in the written exam of the element with a BBQ lunch and a dinner, by a series of educational symposiums Fellowship of the Royal Australian bringing together the trainees and senior across a number of disciplines. The first College of Physicians (FRACP). staff in a relaxed environment. It offers symposium, held on 19 March, discussed a chance for the trainees to get out of the nexus between medical research and The results can be attributed to the the city but still focus on their exam. education. Speakers, including Hugh Nile, outstanding support from our senior Henry Berger, David Pennington, medical staff, who willingly give up St Vincent’s also sponsors visiting Freda Lau and John Funder gave highly many hours of their time to mentor, examiners for four days to further assist stimulating presentations, generating train and assist the candidates through with training, taking registrars through discussion and debate amongst the the process. The program is well practice examinations, providing advice alumni. The event was extremely coordinated and highly structured with on what to expect and what the successful, with much reminiscing daily training sessions for all registrars examiners are looking for. between the 350 people in attendance. including short and long case practice sessions for the exam. Connecting institutions C onnecting expertise The University of Melbourne’s post and excellence The clinical exam is a whole day, graduate MD degree will commence its Accolades comprising two long case assessments first intake in 2011. St Vincent’s teaching Chief Medical Officer and Dean of the and four shorter cases. For the long and academic staff are engaged with Clinical School, Assoc Prof Wilma Beswick case assessments, the registrars the Medical Education Unit, School of was awarded the John Sands Medal from spend an hour assessing a patient and Medicine at the University of Melbourne the College of Physicians for outstanding are then required to present on the to assist with developing the new service to the college. patient’s history, provide an overview curriculum, focusing on phase 2 of the of the examination details, explain clinical years. Dr Caitlin Taylor was nominated by their perspective on the patient’s St Vincent’s for the Victorian Junior condition and their recommended The Clinical School is also supporting Medical Officer (JMO) award from the course of treatment. five University of Notre Dame students Postgraduate Medical Council of Victoria who are on aged care placements at (PMCV). This award recognises the St George’s Health Service. contribution to prevocational teaching, learning and education activities 33 QUALIT Y AND RISK

Clinical governance / Clinical risk / Community Advisory Committee / Quality

C onnecting quality with care Corporate governance Quality and risk priorities 2009–10 Accreditation The Corporate and Support Quality St Vincent’s Board, Clinical Quality and In July 2009 the Australian Council and Risk Committee was formed in Risk Committee and Corporate and on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) response to the need for an expanded Support Quality and Risk Committee conducted a periodic review of focus on quality and risk in our corporate have focused on several important state, St Vincent’s. St Vincent’s satisfied and support areas and to replicate national and international quality and all mandatory criteria, satisfactorily the positive achievements of the safety initiatives. They include infection, addressed all recommendations Clinical Quality and Risk Committee at falls and pressure ulcer prevention and had our four year accreditation St Vincent’s. The Committee reports on a and management, keeping the length status maintained. The review monthly basis to Executive and quarterly of hospital stays within national praised a number of systems and to the Board Audit Sub-committee. parameters, ensuring our management processes in place. An organisation- of veno-thrombotic embolism (VTE) The Corporate and Support Quality wide survey review is scheduled for prophylaxis, the deteriorating patient and Risk Committee achievements to 8 to 12 August 2011. St Vincent’s four and clinical handover is in line with date include: residential facilities have been fully best practice, reviewing best practice accredited by the Aged Care Standards • observation from ACHS surveyors clinical tools such as clinical pathways and Accreditation Agency. that "innovation is demonstrated at and improving emergency management St Vincent’s through the establishment performance during times of Clinical governance of the Corporate and Support Quality high demand. St Vincent’s has a robust approach and Risk Committee" to clinical governance that cascades • an award of Extensive Achievement for Patient satisfaction surveys through all areas and levels of the quality systems and processes by ACHS Patient satisfaction with our services organisation, led by our Board. in 2009 remains very high. St Vincent’s achieved The St Vincent’s Clinical Governance • the committee is a core element of the excellent results in the most recent Framework was revised in 2009 quality and risk agenda at St Vincent’s Victorian Patient Satisfaction Monitor, to ensure it was in line with state, which covered the period June 2009 to • increased quality activities within the national and international best practice December 2009. Patient satisfaction corporate and support areas and empirical literature standards. with St Vincent’s services is above the Measuring, managing and monitoring • strategies implemented to reduce average score of similar organisations. quality and risk underpins a strong corporate and support risk culture of clinical governance at • sound and successful governance of St Vincent’s. accreditation recommendations and organisational non clinical policies • a St Vincent’s Board Corporate and Support Governance Report with a suite of 14 key performance indicators.

34 CONNECTING TO THE WORLD The incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is on the rise in China. St Vincent’s gastroenterologist Prof Michael Kamm is working with local researchers Prof Bing Xia (Wuhan), Prof Liping Zhao (Shanghai) and Prof Joseph Sung and Dr Siew Ng of the Chinese University of Hong Kong to find out why.

IBD is the collective term used to “Until recently, IBD has been a describe Crohn’s disease and ulcerative relatively unknown condition in China. colitis. Most IBD sufferers are young, By improving our understanding of the with peak onset at around the age of 20. epidemiology, we should get a clearer The condition can be debilitating, with indication as to the cause,” he explains. approximately 80 per cent of patients “If we can find out where and why it with Crohn’s disease requiring surgical is more common – if something has intervention at some stage. changed in that particular area, for In Australia, IBD is as common as type 1 example – we will get some critical diabetes or multiple sclerosis. It affects clues to inform the direction of research. more than 60,000 Australians, many It will also help guide the allocation of of them young adults and children. resources, both clinical and educational.” While science is yet to find a cure, research continues to uncover better drug therapies and ways of managing this chronic disease. Prof Kamm believes the increasing number of patients in China presenting with IBD relates to a change in gut bacteria that may be caused by changes in diet, industrialisation or travel. With little information available on the prevalence and causes of IBD in China, Prof Kamm is helping lead the country’s first ever studies to gain a better insight into its true incidence, predisposing genetic factors, and changes in gut bacteria that may be contributing to development of these diseases. Professor Michael Kamm believes the rising incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in China may shed some light on better ways to treat this debilitating condition. Clinical Practice Improvement Program Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Consumer Register The Program adopted the Clinical Community advisory committees give St Vincent’s invites current or past Practice Improvement Model to enhance consumers, carers and the community a patients, family members and carers leadership in quality improvement in all voice in the running of public healthcare of friends to join our Consumer Register. our activities. The model uses a practical services. These committees operate Members of the Consumer Register and planned approach to address quality according to Department of Health have the opportunity to participate and risk priority areas that affect the legislation and guidelines. St Vincent’s in a range of activities, including safety, appropriateness, effectiveness, CAC was established in 2001 to provide completing surveys, evaluating services, accessibility, acceptability and efficiency an additional mechanism for consumer, reviewing written information and of care for patients. Extensive work has carer and community input into the participating in working groups. been undertaken in reviewing falls and service we provide. pressure ulcer management. This has led to the identification of several The CAC advocates to the St Vincent’s strategies to reduce the number of Board on behalf of the community, incidents and harm associated with consumers and carers. Bi-monthly falls and pressure ulcers, which are CAC meetings have included currently being implemented. presentations from a variety of departments and projects to The Program is also overseeing several enhance participation, including: medication safety initiatives and a • review of the 2009 Quality of project to ensure that clinical pathways Care Report are reviewed and are in line with best • St Vincent’s Consumer and Community practice. A new project to review Participation Plan clinical handover that will oversee the implementation of a standardised • redesigning healthcare project tool for clinical handover has recently progress reports commenced. Best practice in relation • Council of Australian Governments to recognising and responding to Long Stay Older Patient Initiative clinical deterioration will be reviewed • benchmarking with national over the following months with a view and international leaders in to identifying gaps in systems and consumer participation. processes at St Vincent’s. In May 2009, two members of the CAC were recruited to the St Vincent’s Clinical Quality and Risk Committee for a 12 month trial period to participate in the process of reviewing quality and risk initiatives and performance and ratifying all proposed policies.

35 B uSINESS development and infrastructure

Business development / Infrastructure services and engineering / Medical imaging / Pathology / Pharmacy

C onnecting resources years in December and continues to Pharmacy Medical imaging maintain its TGA licence. The TGA In 2009–10 the Pharmacy Department In 2009–10 our medical imaging services licence was expanded to encompass issued 2,577,346 pharmaceutical examined 72,260 patients in the public microbial contamination testing of blood items and the correctional health department, 37,170 patients in the private products for the Australian Red Cross pharmacy dispensary issued 195,300. service (CMMI) and performed 13,600 Blood Service. Tests performed on public St Vincent’s has adopted the Electronic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. patients have increased in type and Pharmaceutical Benefits prescriptions Areas with the most growth were MRI, volume by an average of 6 per cent for discharge and our Quality Use angiography and ultrasound. this year. of Medicines Project has led to the implementation of new software to A Siemens single-plane digital The Cytogenetics Department (Victorian improve the tracking and utilisation subtraction angiography (DSA) x-ray Cancer Cytogenetics Service) were of restricted antibiotics. unit was installed in the theatre suite in fortunate to secure additional ongoing January 2010. This unit brings St Vincent’s funding from the Department of Health Medical engineering and physics in line with the foremost vascular to purchase equipment and employ staff The medical engineering and physics surgery units in Australia by allowing to increase its testing capability for all department provides calibration, endo-luminal techniques and vascular public patients across Victoria. maintenance, evaluation and acceptance imaging technology as well as vascular of all medical equipment; medical surgical procedures to be performed Pathology has commissioned two major physics (with emphasis on radiation on state-of-the-art purpose-designed pieces of new equipment. The Abbott dosimetry); electrical, radiation angiographic imaging equipment Architect system performs an extensive and laser safety; lectures, tutorials in theatre. number of immunoassay, infectious and clinical instruction in the above serology and tumour markers with mentioned areas. The department also A new Toshiba Fluoroscopic x-ray unit full backup. The second analyser is a provides advice and assistance in the was installed in the imaging department Pathfinder 900, which replaced the implementation of physical principles and provides enhanced capabilities for previous Pathfinder. This performs and radiation safety in hospital fluoroscopic examinations. automated sample processing to enable research projects. high volume tests to be performed Pathology simultaneously. In 2009–10 St Vincent’s Pathology continued to provide diagnostic support St Vincent’s Pathology also reaches to St Vincent’s public patients with the out into the community through provision of a large range of pathology 52 locations across Melbourne, services. Multidisciplinary management comprising 32 collection centres and meetings to review individual patient 20 remote testing facilities which intervention and ongoing management provide pathology support to private have increased in number and frequency. GP clinics and specialists. Pathology successfully renewed its NATA/RCPA accreditation for three

36 CONNECTING THE VULNERABLE WITH SUPPORT Una McKeever (pictured) is acting program manager of the St Vincent’s ALERT team, a group that plays a vital role in our Emergency Department (ED) by supporting patients who are experiencing homelessness and a range of other psycho social issues. The team advocates for vulnerable clients, helping them navigate the ED and case managing their return to the community.

“Often the patients we support have St Vincent’s funds two beds at Ozanam multiple complex care needs such as House, a crisis housing facility for men drug and alcohol problems and mental who are experiencing homelessness. health issues,” explains Una. “Our case Patients are transferred to those beds management starts with establishing a when they leave the ED so they can relationship with the person and getting transition to housing rather than to know them so we can provide the returning to the street. The ALERT team best support.” is currently in the process of negotiating a similar arrangement to provide crisis Case management can include very housing for women. practical, hands on support such as arranging clothing and accommodation “ALERT is well integrated and embedded as well as reconnecting patients with in the ED. It is part of the structure and services such as Medicare, Centrelink and the team has close working relationships a local GP. The ALERT team also addresses with other clinicians and departments," medical needs including accessing says Una. services to provide wound dressings “We are able to target the most and making or advocating for referrals vulnerable patients to provide to mental health services and drug and intensive outreach which is critical alcohol support. because these people have such There are 18 full time equivalent staff complex needs. Where clients have in ALERT, some based in the ED and multiple issues it is too easy for them others funded by St Vincent’s but based to be lost to follow up and fall back in community health centres. At any between the cracks unless they given time more than 40 clients will be receive this level of support.” recruited to the ALERT program for active case management. Another 80 to 100 are managed as ‘ED event’ clients when they present to the ED, with a comprehensive management plan in place to guide interventions and follow up required. St Vincent’s Emergency Department attracts ALERT also provides ‘one off’ care a higher proportion of people experiencing coordination and allied health support homelessness than other hospitals due to its within the ED for less complex clients. location on the fringe of the CBD. Key outcomes and activities for the • Participation in the ARPANSA Engineering, infrastructure year include: Diagnostic Reference Level CT and major projects • Commissioned 260 new devices for Radiation Dose project. Results The Engineering and Infrastructure use across the various campuses of of the radiation dose projection Department is responsible for all St Vincent's with a capital value of confirmed that the process of radiation corrective, preventative and statutory over $2 million dose optimisation as conducted by maintenance and delivery of major and medical engineering and physics staff minor works approved in the annual • Performed over 3,000 in conjunction with medical imaging capital plan. Over the past year the preventative maintenance tests staff has ensured that CT radiation department has attended to more on medical equipment doses are being kept as low as than 20,000 requests for services • Developed an intranet site allowing reasonably possible across the sites listed below: all staff access to operational manuals • Reviewed and updated the radiation • Fitzroy campus and for medical equipment waste handling process within surrounding buildings • Further development of the the Fitzroy campus. This has been • St George’s Health Service department's QA systems allowing performed in consultation with • Caritas Christi Hospice electronic job logging for all staff Environmental Services and the and traceable calibrations of all Medical Imaging Department • Prague House test equipment • Implementation of a medical physics • Auburn, Riverside and • An organisation-wide asset location training program in conjunction with Cambridge Houses and condition audit was performed the Department of Health and medical • Brunswick and Barkly St on devices managed by Medical imaging department Community Clinics Engineering and Physics • Investigation of dosimetry techniques • Cambridge Community • Compliance testing to the Department in Iodine 131 radiation therapy patients Rehabilitation Centre of Health radiation safety standards of and new techniques for pulmonary • Mental Health at Fitzroy, Footbridge, all relevant x-ray equipment embolus detection. Clarendon Clinic and Hawthorn Clinic. • Radiation monitoring using personal dosimeters was provided to 307 The total occupied space from the St Vincent’s staff with all staff well above sites amounts to over 182,000m2. below the international dose limits for staff working with ionising radiation • 38 proposed research projects involving ionising radiation on humans were reviewed and reports supplied to the Human Research Ethics Committee outlining the estimated radiation exposure to the participant and the potential risk to the participant from the exposure assessed

37 St Vincent’s has committed to a program of works to complete phase 3 and 4 of the Fitzroy Campus Asset Condition Review.

In 2008 and 2009 three independent • construction of a multi-purpose Building and maintenance compliance reports were commissioned into facility at our mental health Footbridge St Vincent’s complies with mandatory the state of buildings, infrastructure service at a cost of $600,000 requirements under the Building Code and services over the Fitzroy campus, • renovation of the Daly Wing of Australia (BCA). Building surveyors, Caritas Christi, St George’s Health 7th floor research laboratory. Philip Chun and Associates, are Service and other sites. These reports engaged and have conducted quarterly covered occupational health and Key projects commenced assessments and an annual audit on safety, environmental and building during 2009–10 and works in progress Essential Safety Measures during the compliance. St Vincent’s continues at 30 June 2010 include: last 12 months. After detailed inspections to invest substantial capital to this audit confirmed the following in • construction of stage 1 of a new address issues raised. accordance with section 227E of the Cancer Centre at Fitzroy at $9.1 million Building Act 1993: • construction of the cogeneration During the last 12 months St Vincent’s • each Essential Safety Measure is emergency backup power across has undertaken rectification operating at the required level of the Fitzroy campus at $8.6 million projects including: performance to fulfil its purpose • upgrade of lifts 17 and 18 in the • completion of the stage 1 Aikenhead • where applicable each Essential Daly Wing for a total cost of $792,000 fire and safety upgrade at a cost Safety Measure has been maintained of $2.2 million • upgrade works to improve the in accordance with the occupancy hydraulic and water services across • replacement of the chiller plant at permit or maintenance determination the Fitzroy campus St George's Health Service at a cost and generally fulfils its purpose of $500,000 • design and commencement of the installation contract • since the last annual Essential Safety • replacement of the water plant chillers for the fire upgrade works at Measure report there have been no for the Bolte Wing Caritas Christi Hospice. penetrations to required fire resistant • replacement of the fire escape stairs construction, smoke curtains and the at the rear of the John Heales Building like, in buildings inspected other than at St George's Health Service. Separate to the above St Vincent’s has those for which a building permit has committed to a program of works to been issued. New projects completed include: complete phase 3 and 4 of the Fitzroy Campus Asset Condition Review. Buildings • two new orthopaedic theatres The balance of the rectification works St Vincent’s certifies the following at a cost of $8.4 million are planned to be addressed over compliance with its buildings: • the private bed project at St George's the next one to three years. • buildings are certified for approval at a cost of $1.1 million in accordance with BCA • the multi storey car park in Fitzroy • works under construction are Street at $2.2 million subject to mandatory inspection • structural repairs to our Mental Health • all buildings receive a certificate Clarendon Clinic at a cost of $700,000 of final inspection.

38 Maintenance St George’s Health Service and Caritas Commission’s legislative requirements. There have been no notices issued or Christi Hospice have sewage and trade In accordance with the legislation, the risk orders to cease occupancy in relation to: waste agreements with Yarra Valley management plan, which was redrafted • rectification of substandard buildings Water and City West Water. in 2009, is re-assessed annually and requiring urgent attention involving checked by an independent auditor. major expenditure Grease disposal Grease traps around St Vincent’s Fitzroy The risk management plan and • all renovations to existing buildings campus are emptied and cleaned every procedure was audited in May 2010 by an comply with regulations in force at 12 weeks (or earlier if required) by a independent auditor in compliance with the time of construction. contractor. All waste materials removed the requirements of registration. Discharge into the air from the pits are transported and treated Results of Legionella testing in 2009–10 An electricity cogeneration plant, owned in accordance with EPA regulations and by Energex Pty Ltd, is located adjacent to an EPA transport certificate is issued SVHM SGHS the Inpatient Services Building at Fitzroy. on completion of each full or part load. Energex sells the power to CitiPower and The waste collected in the pumping and Number of towers 7 Nil St Vincent’s purchases two-thirds of the cleaning of the traps is then transported registered output of the plant from CitiPower via to an EPA licensed Schedule IV premises Number of occasions Nil Nil the electrical retailer Origin. This contract for treatment. in 2009–10 that ceases on 30 June 2010 and a new supply routine testing revealed presence contract, which includes operation of Plaster and settlement traps of Legionella the cogeneration plant, is currently being Liquid waste from laboratories and negotiated by the Department of Health treatment rooms on the Fitzroy campus on St Vincent’s behalf. The cogeneration is collected in settlement tanks or Asbestos management plant produces electricity using natural ‘plaster traps’ which may contain carbon St Vincent’s has an asbestos gas in an aero-derivative gas turbine. and neutralising agents. These traps are management plan in place. Areas The facility no longer requires an emptied and cleaned every six months undergoing major works are inspected Environmental Protection Authority by a contractor. The waste is transported as required under the regulations (Part 6) (EPA) licence as its size is under 20MW. and disposed of in accordance with and all asbestos is removed prior to However emissions are regularly tested EPA regulations. commencement of works. A master in line with the licence previously held audit assessment is available for all by that facility. Discharges from package Cooling towers campuses, and describes all known boilers at St George’s Health Service, All cooling towers at the St Vincent’s locations of asbestos. All services 55 Victoria Parade and Caritas Christi Fitzroy campus are cleaned and technicians and engineering staff Hospice are tested quarterly by a boiler maintained as prescribed and tested are required to assess their work area maintenance contractor to ensure they every fortnight as detailed in the risk in relation to this document prior to are within the prescribed limits. management plan for Legionella. attempting new works within the In 2009–10 there were no positive facilities. Where required, asbestos Discharge in waste water recordings of Legionella in the cooling has been removed in accordance Sewage and waste water from towers on the Fitzroy campus. There are with the regulations by qualified St Vincent’s are disposed of in no cooling towers in operation at other specialist contractors. compliance with a licence that includes St Vincent’s sites. All towers are registered restrictions on the disposal of chemicals. in accordance with the Building Control 39 P lANNING and government relations

Government and industry relations / Health policy / Master-planning / Project management office / Redesigning care / Service planning / Strategic planning

C onnecting ideas with action Our goals for innovation include Project management office Newly created in January 2010, the expanding our specialist services, The purpose of the Project Management Planning and Government Relations transforming healthcare through Office (PMO) is to introduce a uniform team is focused on ensuring the research, influencing best health approach to the management of projects continued growth and success of the practice and developing St Vincent’s across the organisation. Now into the organisation by providing strategic international profile. second of its three year rollout the direction, planning, analysis and process PMO is building on the framework and improvement frameworks and services. We are now in the process of integrating templates established in year one by the long term view of our strategy with assisting with the establishment of a Strategic planning shorter term, tactical activity through: strategic framework. This will see the St Vincent’s new Strategic Plan • business and quality planning further development of the role of the expresses our priorities and plans for (the annual operational planning PMO in realising the strategic vision the period 2010 to 2015. It provides cycle, the outcomes of which projects, through project implementation over a clear course of action for all staff – work plans and KPIs are aligned with the coming year. those on the clinical front line and those the strategy) supporting St Vincent’s life changing The PMO has created a suite of • project management (initiatives work behind the scenes. templates to foster a consistent outside of routine operations involving approach to project management unique and temporary team activities The plan identifies three core goals to at St Vincent’s and is fostering the with a defined start and end point) influence organisation-wide service, skills and capabilities of staff who are capital, quality and operational planning • supporting strategies (such as People responsible for managing projects. – to aspire, achieve and innovate. Strategy, ICT Strategy, Service Plan, Financial Plan) The PMO has acquired collaboration Our aspirational goals include expanding • supporting frameworks (such as the tools, simulation software and business care provided to the marginalised and Project Management Framework and modelling software to help with a range disadvantaged, strengthening our Redesigning Care framework). of initiatives, including Redesigning Care surgery, medicine and interventional projects. Business and analysis systems care, nurturing our people and culture Government relations introduced with the assistance of the and building relationships with As the National Health Reform PMO have included medication alerts, strategic partners. agenda progresses, St Vincent’s is ePrescribing and a cost model for the working closely with state and federal Justice Health tender. The PMO has The achievement goals relate to government and our service partners in supported numerous projects including streamlining services to patients, both acute and primary care to ensure the Ellerslie Wing refurbishment, private re-engineering our commercial our service continues to meet the needs practice electronic billing, construction models, maintaining a sustainable of our community. The planning and of the new Orthopaedic Theatre Suite financial position and minimising government relations team is focused and new drug protocols. our environmental footprint. on enhancing St Vincent’s position in the new healthcare structure and incorporating new opportunities that are created by health reform into the St Vincent’s Strategic Plan.

40 Redesigning care Business analysis The team has worked on a variety Redesigning Care is a statewide priority Throughout 2009–10 the planning and of proposals and submissions to area of policy focus on clinical redesign government relations team’s analysts government, with the following success: and improvement. The Department have liaised closely with departments Proposal funding achieved of Health has provided funding across St Vincent’s to identify new Greenlight laser to manage Benign for redesign in 28 Victorian health opportunities or meet specific strategic Prostatic Hyperplasia — $174,842 services. The primary objective is to and operational challenges. achieve measurable improvement in Wireless systems for surgical performance through redesign/lean Projects have included work with: services — $71,960 methodology and capability. A network • Aikenhead Centre for Redesigning Care Lead — $100,000 of professionals working in redesign Medical Discovery has been established to share ideas and Redesigning Care Medical • Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital experiences across Victoria. Patient Journey — $75,000 redevelopment planning • the Barbara Walker Centre for Redesigning Care St Vincent’s Redesign team has received Colonoscopy — $70,000 funding to pursue improvement Pain Management initiatives in craniotomy, the Emergency • pacemaker implantation services New technology – Intra-operative Department, Gastroenterology, Oncology • pathology services o-arm — $1,437,000 and Specialist Clinics. St Vincent’s was • imaging services New technology – Confocal a designated demonstration centre for Endomicroscopy — $375,000 Specialist Clinics along with Mercy and • new technology submissions Western Health. New technology – Direct peroral cholangioscopy (Spyglass) — $193,000 Improvements have included a reduction in the length of stay for craniotomy patients from 7.3 days to 6.2 days, an improvement in the number of non urgent category patients treated in our Emergency Department, a reduction in the amount of time taken to assess and treat patients presenting to emergency with chest pain and better communication with patients attending Specialist Clinics.

41 FINANCE

Finance and materials management/ Decision support and information services/ Information, communications and technology

C onnecting systems • finalising the Capital Adjustment • selected clinical product and and support Factor (CAF) determinations from equipment reviews in areas of In early 2010 the corporate restructure Department of Health for the 2007–08 patient beds, lifting equipment was completed with the creation and 2008–09 financial years and safety intravenous products of two general manager streams • forming the Capital Planning and • evaluation and selection of – Finance and supply and Business Approval Group (CPAG) which alternating air mattresses analysis and reporting. has improved planning across the including implementation organisation and streamlined the of online ordering process. Finance asset acquisition processes The finance department is responsible Decision support • assisting internal audit in a number of for the integrity and compliance of the The decision support unit is responsible strategic and operational audit reviews financial framework across St Vincent’s for the collection, analysis, integrity to ensure continuous improvement in accordance with the Corporations Act and reporting of clinical data across and best practice governance. 2001, Financial Management Act 1994, St Vincent’s. Its focus over the past and Australian Accounting Standards. 12 months has been to: Its key responsibilities are ensuring Materials management • maintain and further develop the compliance with financial policy, budget The Materials Management Department patient administration system (PAS) planning linked to strategy, management provides a procurement and inventory and clinical costing systems in order and statutory reporting, management management function including to meet internal clinical and business and protection of financial assets, payroll logistical support for the supply of requirements of St Vincent’s as well as services and transaction processing. medical and surgical products, linen, ensuring compliance with mandatory medical gases, motor vehicles and external definitions in accordance with During the year the Finance Department equipment throughout St Vincent’s. Department of Health business rules has focused on the following: The procurement process is a centralised • provide business information and function supported by warehouse • working alongside the hospital analysis to support managers staff in the management of inventory, executive and general managers to and executive in clinical decision both warehouse and clinical imprests, deliver a break-even budget strategy making. This includes the reporting and distribution functions. • negotiating the release of escrow of key patient activity data trends funds from the Department of relating to patient access against For the 2009–10 financial year the Treasury and Finance to fund the throughput targets department processed 38,745 purchase stage 1 Cancer Centre development orders with a total value of $59 million. • facilitate the access to, and transfer of, • managing the Business Efficiency Key outcomes for the year are: patient-related information to enhance Review program (BER) year 2 that • contract management of the top patient care, benchmarking, research has delivered improved financial 40 suppliers to ensure delivery of and service planning, and to meet performance with increased quality and cost competitive products mandatory reporting requirements revenue, reduced costs and (within the boundaries of privacy and • commencement of the Capital continuation of renegotiation confidentiality) of top 40 supplier contracts Planning and Approval Group (CPAG) for all medical and non-medical • maintain the security and integrity capital items of clinical data held in these systems against Department of health guidelines 42 and validated by independent audits CONNECTING TO REGIONAL VICTORIA St Vincent’s Nephrology Department cares for the complex medical needs of around 250 Victorians whose kidney disease requires them to undergo regular life-sustaining dialysis treatments. One third of these patients live in regional Victoria, adding to their burden of disease by needing to regularly access specialist care, in some cases hundreds of kilometres from home.

The Department’s nephrologists, nurse Sale resident, Ray May, says the visits practitioners and dialysis nurses conduct from St Vincent’s nephrologists save outreach clinics for patients undergoing him and wife Yvonne the two and a half home and satellite unit dialysis in Sale, hour drive to Melbourne every six weeks Shepparton, Werribee, Warrnambool for a check up. and Swan Hill. Our dialysis staff also “I’m lucky, I’m only a few minutes from help in providing training and education the hospital for dialysis here in Sale but resources and assist with protocol and sometimes that can be hard enough,” policy development to support local he says, explaining the toll dialysis can clinicians in caring for patients. take. “I feel much better the next day, but Nephrologists Robyn Langham, Karen for a few hours afterwards it affects you.” Dwyer, Petrova Lee and Marc Lanteri Ray has been receiving dialysis three hit the road (or in Marc’s case, the skies) times a week for the past two years. on regular ‘rounds’ so that specialist care When he was initially referred for dialysis, is available to patients in their local area. he and Yvonne came to St Vincent’s in Nurse practitioners Melissa Stanley and Melbourne to visit our dialysis centre Margaret Morris have been working and meet with the clinicians. closely with regional health services to close the gap in service delivery in rural “It was really good,’ says Yvonne. areas. They provide training and support “They sat us down and explained it all to to local nurses and assist with clinical us, letting us know what to expect and care for patients who are either reliant on giving us the chance to ask questions.” regular haemodialysis at the clinic or use Ray has since been back to St Vincent’s dialysis at home. Regular outreach clinics for a surgical procedure and also used are also provided for home peritoneal our dialysis centre when visiting his dialysis patients, by our specially trained daughters in Melbourne. staff Judy Forrester, Megan Deans, Julia Shao and Marie Topouzakis. “We can’t speak highly enough of St Vincent’s and the team in Sale,” adds Yvonne. “They take very good care of you. The nurses here have St Vincent’s nephrologists including Karen Dwyer, become like daughters to us.” Robyn Langham and Marc Lanteri travel to regional areas to see patients at local dialysis centres, sparing patients the drive to Melbourne. • develop and implement a system • release of patient information: Among this year’s key of regular reporting and analysis disclosure of patient information achievements were: in line with the refreshed clinical in accordance with the Freedom of • project management of the organisational structure. This new Information Act 1982 and the Victorian new St Vincent’s internet site system supports clinical staff from Health Records Act 2001 culminating in recognition on the nurse unit manager level through • PMI: oversee and maintain the Patient list of ‘best Sharepoint designs’ to executive with standardised and Master Index to ensure the accuracy in Australia and submission consistent management analysis. and integrity of data collected for a Microsoft Global Partner • medical transcription service: Award. The project team included Health information services provision of transcription services representatives from ICT, people and The primary function of Health to St Vincent’s clinicians organisational development, mission Information Services (HIS) is the and communications maintenance of patient information. • medical record forms: to promote • comprehensive testing of the 13 This includes the creation, storage, and oversee the development, review critical systems for which a disaster use and disclosure of patient medical and standardisation of medical record recovery solution has been developed, records across the organisation. forms to ensure a consistent format and facilitate sufficient and clinically allowing them to be operated from an offsite data centre for at least a St Vincent’s is committed to ensuring appropriate documentation in the week in each case. This phase of the that patient medical records comply medical record. disaster recovery program required with the requirements of relevant multiple layers of testing and recurrent legislation and Australian standards. Information, communications test exercises from ‘mock’ run Medical records are maintained in a and technology throughs, bringing each system up consistent format to facilitate patient St Vincent’s Information, at the secondary data centre in a test care through timely and appropriate Communications and Technology (ICT) environment, through to failing over access to patient information, with the services and systems are key enablers production systems and operating preservation of patient privacy and of clinical and business performance. them live from the secondary confidentiality being paramount. data centre The 2009–10 year was characterised In addition, HIS provides the following by sustained investment in high • implementation of the electronic key services: quality infrastructure and systems. ‘guidance’ antimicrobial approval and monitoring system. The system • clinical coding: recognition and The commitment to investing in and provides electronic prescribing optimisation of patient funding leveraging the value of ICT positions guidelines (e.g. indications for though timely and accurate coding St Vincent’s at a high standard from use, dosage and duration of of inpatient episodes, facilitation a public healthcare perspective. administration) and monitoring of an extensive coding audit and of prescribed antimicrobial agents education program with regular for auditing of appropriate usage liaison with clinicians

43 • introduction of a service to deliver This positions St Vincent’s to cater digital radiology images direct to for the current and future support of external GP and specialist desktop clinical services such as neurosciences, computers. St Vincent’s CMMI cardiac investigations and medical radiology practice is the first in imaging, which all capture large, still Melbourne to offer this level of image files such as photographs of service and anticipates becoming wounds or moving video captures a market leader in this technology, which are rapidly adding to the volume with potential increase in profitability of data that needs to be stored and and growth in market share backed up on a daily basis • implementation of a new • introduction of DECT (cordless electronic workflow system for the phone) infrastructure, with duress gastroenterology service, which alerting capabilities, into the mental captures clinical data, images and health service (Nicholson Street) and produces reports/letters of patients enablement of duress alerting from undergoing endoscopy procedures. existing DECT base stations across This system has the capability to the Fitzroy campus expand and incorporate other • installation of audio visual equipment diagnostic services and procedures in all Inpatient Services Building including those in urology and (main hospital) care centres to bronchoscopy and incorporate facilitate clinical handover and voice recognition technology compliance with the Australian Medical Association’s ‘Safe • business case approval for a three Handover, Safe Patients’ guidelines. year data management strategy incorporating a modern, efficient enterprise level data backup solution – encompassing software and hardware and high capacity data storage.

44 P ndeOPLE a ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Employee relations / Employee support / Human resources information systems / Industrial relations / Learning and development / Occupational health and safety / Performance planning / Recruitment and retention / Succession planning / Workplace culture and equity / Environmental services / Food services

PEOPLEN A D ORGANISATIONAL The credentialing and scope of practice WorkCover and rehabilitation of injured DEVELOPMENT process and database is now embedded, staff continues to be a high priority to The focus for people and corporate ensuring our compliance and record ensure effective return to work outcomes support this year was modernisation, keeping exceeds all current standards. and reduced premiums. To ensure integration and renewal. The three Our online nursing registration system St Vincent’s was ready for potential year People Strategy was completed in and process ensures our capacity to emergencies in 2009–10, we developed 2010 with a new strategy developed for report and audit all registrations, with a new Pandemic Influenza Plan, a detailed 2010–15 focusing on continually nurturing an expansion of the system planned Summer Preparedness Plan and revised our people by developing empowered this year for other staff. all emergency procedures across and capable leaders, driving improvement all campuses. through learning and development, Occupational health and promoting a culture of ambition and safety management Learning and development expands creativity and fostering a safe and Intensive audits in occupational health into new territory harmonious work environment. and safety (OHS) have yielded positive Our online learning system, the results this year after consolidating the Enterprise Knowledge Platform, has Many of our processes and systems benefits of our Occupational Health and enabled staff to access more than were streamlined this year to improve Safety Management System, launched 15,000 online learning opportunities workflow and approach best practice. in 2008–09. The system governs every during the last financial year. The new Recruitment, retention and employee aspect of health and safety at St Vincent’s, learning platform makes it possible for our benefit initiatives have shown positive providing information, policies, safety staff to learn independently, at night, in a results with more than 20,000 visits per tools, checklists, reporting, training and few spare moments, or even from home. month to the St Vincent’s employment records management and now includes website, more than 1,500 candidate a curriculum of all compliance training Expanding from our initial focus on applications per month and an enviable online for our employees. This includes safety and compliance, our primary focus employee retention rate. Our highly rated specific targeted areas identified for this year has been on the development peer support program and counselling special focus over the coming three and launch of the Manager Toolkit, programs were effective in providing an years including emergency awareness, which brings together a range of online extensive range of support to employees. dangerous goods and hazardous tools, checklists, policies, forms, online substances, preventing aggression and learning programs, classroom training Our team integrated a variety of human violence, injury prevention, patient and resources in one place for managers resources systems this year enabling manual handling and workplace culture. to browse, read, download, print or learn. advanced reporting which in turn has This rich new resource focuses on areas informed a new understanding of our The monthly OHS Bulletin, committee for development specified by managers strengths and challenges, including meetings and consultation processes themselves in a recent learning needs activity, agency spend, turnover and ensure that OHS is a continuing focus analysis, including managing conflict, absenteeism. We also designed and built of our staff. Monthly reporting shows giving effective feedback, running an online scorecard system to enhance an improvement in a wide range of effective meetings, financial management reporting of safety, risk and quality. OHS trends since the introduction and budgeting, managing performance of the new Occupational Health and and performance reviews, building the Management System. team and communicating effectively with the team.

45 St Vincent’s Food Services team produces more than 600,000 meals every year, providing nutritious meals to all St Vincent’s campuses, the Eye and Ear Hospital and Meals on Wheels.

Our relationship with Swinburne Environmental Services University continues with more than St Vincent’s Environmental Services team 100 employees actively participating in continues to ensure cleaning standards certificate and diploma courses this year. across the campus exceed Department of Health targets. The biannual Food Services benchmarking cleaning audit and benchmarking data St Vincent’s Food Services team validates that cleaning standards are produces more than 600,000 meals above the average achieved by similar every year, providing nutritious meals facilities across the state. In further to all St Vincent’s campuses, the Eye developments, a competency-based and Ear Hospital and Meals on Wheels. training program was introduced for Food Services has recently commenced Support Services Assistants to improve repainting the food preparation facility patient transport efficiency and and replacing ageing boilers with new, transporter safety. The Casual Patient more technologically advanced models. Services Clerk bank has trained additional Further improvements will be made staff to improve the efficiency of staff next year to maintain the high standard back fill and to support the replacement of the Food Service Department and of additional clerical roles across make qualitative and efficient usage of the health service. new technology that is available to the hospitality industry.

St Vincent’s surpasses Department of Health patient satisfaction survey benchmarks with consistently positive results from taste testings and feedback received from more than one hundred patients every month. This gives the department significant motivation to monitor production methods and review recipes to maintain patient satisfaction. The Department is nearing completion of a new four week cycle menu, working in consultation with the Nutrition Department. Food Services has also worked with the Nutrition Department to introduce new measures for identifying patients who are at risk of malnutrition and may require assistance at meal times.

46 OUR SUPPORTERS

St Vincent’s Foundation provides an important link between St Vincent’s and individual donors, corporate and business sector supporters, community groups, trusts and foundations, sponsors and those wishing to leave a legacy or gift in their Will.

C onnecting generosity The ‘Imagine’ campaign was recognised by Appeals and hope the Fundraising Institute of Australia as the Each year, we write to the friends Many thousands of Victorians Most Outstanding Fundraising Program of St Vincent’s, inviting them to contribute to St Vincent’s each year. in Australia in 2009. The campaign was support specific appeals for help Each gift is valued, helping us provide led by our Appeal Committee, Chair Greg with new equipment, patient care better care, perform more research Hargrave, Deputy Chair Frank Costa or the development of new services. and teach the doctors, nurses and OAM, Heloise Waislitz OAM, Paula Fox Through our appeals program, allied health practitioners of tomorrow. OA, Prof Rodney Sinclair and Prof Peter we have received more than $300,000 Close to $6 million was received by Choong who have each made significant in gifts during the year to fund vital St Vincent’s Foundation during the year. contributions throughout the year. projects in emergency, cardiac care, We thank each and every donor and cancer care, rehabilitation, and the many organisations that choose The Cancer Centre Appeal has received for services to homeless people. to support St Vincent’s. tremendous support including a donation of $1 million from Mrs Jeanne Pratt and In 2009, we commenced a new The Foundation Board, led by major gifts from the Peter and Lyndy program speaking to many Victorians Mr Ian Scholes, provide outstanding White Foundation and Perpetual Trustees. by telephone. We are delighted to report leadership and work closely with Proceeds from special events such as that over 8,000 of those we spoke to management and staff to deliver an A Song for Stuart and Opera in the Market have made gifts to the new Cancer exciting and engaging fundraising were directed to the appeal, along with Centre totalling over $350,000 and are program. We acknowledge and value a telephone fundraising campaign which committed to continuing their support the commitment of our Foundation inspired a further 10,000 gifts. of St Vincent’s. Governors and members of sub- committees, who give their time, In May 2010 Alex and Heloise Waislitz expertise, resources and passion to opened their hearts and their home to advance the work of St Vincent's. 300 guests for an ‘Intimate Evening with Sir Bob Geldof’. The event captivated Cancer Centre Appeal the city, contributing close to $500,000 The Cancer Centre Appeal was a key focus to the Cancer Centre Appeal. We thank for the Foundation with many initiatives and acknowledge Alex and Heloise for linked to this signature project. The appeal hosting this outstanding and memorable theme is ‘Imagine’ as we invite supporters event. We would also like to note special to envisage the warm, welcoming thanks to Faye Hendricksen and Graham environment the new centre will provide. Taylor from Rochford who have provided tremendous support in donating premium Rochford wines for various events and activities.

47 Over the past three years our donors and past patients have contributed more than $7 million in bequests towards the work of St Vincent’s.

Trusts Bequests and memorials Opera in the Market St Vincent’s values our partnerships We acknowledge and value each In March 2010, 2,400 guests came with philanthropic institutions and of the individuals and families who to the Queen Victoria Market to hear we thank their trustees for having have chosen to include St Vincent’s the best of opera – two concerts of faith in our programs and our vision. in their Will. Over the past three years the most memorable works of the We acknowledge the following for our donors and past patients have master, Giacomo Puccini. Tenor Rosario their generous support: contributed more than $7 million La Spina and Soprano Tiffany Speight • Cass Foundation – supporting cardiac towards the work of St Vincent’s performed with a 150 voice choir and muscle tissue engineering and we thank each and every donor. 75 piece orchestra, under the baton of Benjamin Northey. • beyondblue – supporting an optimal A bequest is a deeply personal health program for kidney disease gift. It is a commitment from the Now in its second year of association • Bauer Foundation – supporting heart which we honour and apply with St Vincent’s, Opera in the Market research on dermatitis and asthma to the advancement of healthcare has helped forge strong partnerships in children at St Vincent's, in accordance with with Boston Kennedy (Principal Sponsor) • Australian Stem Cell Centre – the wishes of each person making LUCRF (Associate Sponsor) Queen supporting bone marrow development a bequest. Those wishing to learn Victoria Market, Scotchmans Hill, • Janssen-Cilag – supporting more about making a bequest are The Age, 3AW, Gardner Hill and Fred collaborative therapy encouraged to visit our website and Ginger Catering. Together we are (www.stvfoundation.com.au) or working closely with Australian Music • Perpetual Trustees – supporting call our team for information on Events, creators and owners of Opera the new Cancer Centre project (03) 9288 3365. in the Market, to raise significant funds • State Trustees – supporting a for the Cancer Centre at St Vincent’s. statewide tuberculosis project C onnecting with • MBF Foundation – supporting relapse the community St Vincent’s Classic prevention in bipolar disorder A Song for Stuart The third St Vincent’s Classic was held • Medtronic – supporting an ENT St Vincent’s was the beneficiary of a once again at Metropolitan Golf Club registrar education program very special event in 2009 – ‘A Song and we thank the team at Metropolitan • Ian Potter Foundation – supporting for Stuart’ – a concert to honour the for their support in delivering an rainwater harvesting at Caritas Christi memory of talented bass player Stuart outstanding event. Our speaker Speed who died at a relatively young age Andrew Demetriou captivated the • William Angliss Foundation – following a long term illness. Stuart was audience with his insights into the supporting our creative arts a patient of St Vincent’s. The concert future of the AFL and special guests pastoral care program was staged at St Michaels on Collins, John Blackman and Wilbur Wilde added raising funds for our new Cancer Centre. an element of humour and irreverence, Stuart’s many friends including Kate engaging the audience over dinner. Ceberano, Paul Kelly, Renee Geyer, Vika Special thanks to the RACV for their and Linda Bull, Phil Ceberano, Uncle Bill, significant contribution to this important and a host of other entertainers gave event in the Foundation calendar. their time to be part of the event.

48 CONNECTING TO OUR PAST On 20 March 2010 St Vincent’s celebrated the centenary of the University of Melbourne St Vincent’s Clinical School.

Sister Mary Berchmans Daly was the The Clinical School on the St Vincent’s "Almost every great driving force in the establishment site is a campus of the University of of St Vincent’s Hospital in 1893. Melbourne. Students completing modern hospital makes She established the first hospital undergraduate medical degrees use of its clinical material in a ‘low roofed, old-fashioned are based at the Clinical School and for the instruction boarding house’. complete rotations through the hospital and in regional Victoria. of those who seek to Just a few short years later, she turned her attention to the training of doctors Throughout its history the Clinical enter the profession and the establishment of a clinical School has been synonymous with of medicine. And it is school. Two St Vincent’s surgeons, excellence in medical education, found that ‘the presence Sir Tom Dunhill and Sir Hugh Devine, realising the great vision of Sister both of whom would become true Berchmans Daly who in the 1907–08 of earnest students at the pioneers and leaders in their fields, Annual Report wrote: bedside stimulates the were of a similar mind. work of those entrusted The three worked together to make with their instruction, St Vincent’s first application to the and that clinical University of Melbourne for the establishment of a clinical school in 1907. teaching, so far from While it took several years to come to affecting the welfare pass, and for St Vincent’s to grow large of patients, makes for enough to host the school, in 1909 the parties agreed. In 1910 the University of greater exactness, and Melbourne St Vincent’s Clinical School is entirely to the benefit opened its doors. of all concerned".

The University of Melbourne Clinical School celebrates its 100 year anniversary. Archival image depicts an early pathology lab. C onnecting with staff Whilst centenary celebrations continue, past and present we acknowledge the diligent and Clinical School Centenary imaginary work of the Alumni Committee, On 19 March 2010, the University of led by Assoc Prof Harshal Nandurkar. Melbourne St Vincent’s Clinical School celebrated its centenary. Assoc Prof Nandurkar is joined by Prof Michael Davies, retired Head of To commemorate the first 100 years, Anaesthesia (2009), Dr Bernard Clarke Channel 9 Melbourne sponsored the and Sister Marie-Bernadette Wunsch production of a short film, capturing RSC on the Committee. We welcome the beginnings, the heroes, characters Dr Anita Clarke to the Alumni program and visionaries who shaped and led the in 2010. teaching of medicine at St Vincent’s since 1911. We would like to acknowledge Alumni program the vision and support of Prof James The Alumni program has a growing Best in the production of the DVD and portfolio of events built around key dates the patience and bravery of our many and functions, initially set by Prof Michael clinicians who fronted the camera for Davies and Dr Kerry Breen. the project. The St Vincent’s Medical Alumni Cocktail The film was launched at a centenary Party ‘kicks off’ the year, attracting close dinner at the RACV City Club and to 150 guests to a Sunday afternoon was received with acclamation by presentation and cocktail function. the 350 guests. Memories came to We thank Prof James Best for sharing his life, stories were larger than life and most insightful talk on Medicine and the the bonds between old and young Melbourne Model – a captivating and at St Vincent’s were strengthened. slightly controversial topic that engaged We thank Elaine Canty, a great friend all in healthy debate. of St Vincent’s and David Hobson for making the centenary dinner a The Masters Series of presentations memorable occasion. and discourse over afternoon tea led by senior clinicians continued to attract During the centenary year, a series of a diverse and enthusiastic audience medical symposia will be conducted. and build connections between our The ‘Centenary Series’ was launched Alumni members. with two symposia on 19 March and will continue over the year until March The Alumni golf day also marked an 2011, with seven events scheduled unbroken record of more than 40 years during the period. at Commonwealth Golf Club. Our sincere thanks to Prof Michael Davies and friends who create this special annual event.

49 Tan uh k yo to our community of supporters

St Vincent’s Foundation expresses our sincere appreciation to all who have contributed over the past twelve months, and would like to particularly acknowledge the following generous donors:

Dr Kerry Breen Professor Peter Choong Mr Harold Johnston Oracle Corporation Mr Lindsay Fox AC AO and Mr Russell Peters Mr and Mrs R and A Dela Cruz Australia Pty Ltd Mrs Paula Fox Mr Peter T Power Mr Nick Southcombe Mr Andrew Rumble Mr John Ralph AC and Mrs Joyce Alexander Mr and Mrs L and I Zeeman Miss Roberta O'Carroll Mrs Barbara Ralph Mr Roger Pautremat Dr A Sadus Ms Mary Egan Mr and Mrs Noel O'Brien Mr David Clarke The Lai Family Mr John Thomas Honan Mr and Mrs Chris and Ms Margaret Young Mrs Jenni Schurmann Mrs Margaret O'Meara Penny Wren Mr and Mrs Roy and Mr Chris Lynch Mr A Perikilis Mrs Karin MacNab Sheila Foister Mr and Mrs Rene Mouledoux Mr and Mrs Peter and Mr Allan Myers AO QC and Mrs Valerie Steeth Mr Hieng Ly Liz Ingham Mrs Maria Myers Mr Frank Costa OAM Mr Tass Ward Fr Michael O'Connell Mrs Lola Cochaud Mr Peter Twomey Mr and Mrs Peter and Mr Mark Koster Mr Philip Spry-Bailey AO and Mr Tom Woodford Kim Apostolopolous Mr Chris Hourmouziz Mrs Patricia Spry-Bailey Ms Wendy Margaret Ward NE Renton Family Fund Mr Keith Badger Mr Peter Hui Ms Carmel Sheahan Mr Robert Young Mr Phil Curran Mr and Mrs R and Dr Megan Clark Mr and Mrs Hugh and Ms Rachel Rauci W McGilvery Mr Ian Scholes Brigid Robertson The Henkell Family Fund Ms Pauline Thorneloe Mr Peter de Rauch Ms Natalie Edwards A/Prof Christopher Baker Mr Nicolaos Ioannou Prof Richard Fox AM Ms Diana Bertalli Mr Rob Hughes Ms Rosslyn Webster Mrs Lina Zaffina Mr Frank Carratelli The Dickins family The Ruggles Family Mr and Mrs Jack and Mr John Sartori Mr Tom Krulis Mr John Stutt Mary Nolan Mr E Peter Davies Mr Paul Dainty Mr Bill Gibbons Mr Ernest Brough Ms Jill Doyle Mr Mark Hayden Mr Trevor Legg Miss Una Allen Mr Richard Nelson Mr Phillip Prendergast Mr Gary Holliday Mrs Kwai Han Choi Mr Glen Hickey Mr Mike Inge Mr and Mrs Dario and Mr Garry Manning Mr Brian Harold Mr Andrew McManus Maryanne Giannerelli Mr and Mrs Rene and Mr Griffith Jorgenson Ms Sarina Russo Mr Francis Murphy Helen Gehrig Miss Van Duong Mr Raphael Geminder Mr David J Keath Dr Abbas Kouzani Mr Russell Howard Ms Julie Raffe Mr Kelvin York Mr and Mrs R and K Ham Mr John Liversidge Mr Ashok Jacob Miss Denise M de Gruchy Mrs June F M Smith Ms Susan Alberti Mr Simon Costa Mrs Felicity Beale Mrs Patricia Easterbrook Mr John Tsalkos Mr and Mrs Rasa and Mr and Mrs David and Kathy Miss Betty Amsden OAM Dr Stephen Morton Stephen Ungar Mackintosh Mr Max White Mr Kevin Harkness Mr Stephen Walter Mr and Mrs DM and Mr Bruce Walker Ms Yadviga Curtis Ms Jenny Renton ME Beaumont Ms Caterina Cotela Mr Ian Simpson Mrs Jane Hemstritch Mr Jack Timothy Kennedy Mrs Eileen Griffin Mr and Ms Peter and Mr James Riordan Ms Brenda Shanahan Ms Heloise Waislitz Julie Duboug Mr David Thurin Mr Sal Cooper Dr Gregory Hill The Biondo Family Mr Shane Galligan Professor David Penington AC Mr Gavin Wright Ms Alex Barclay Mr and Mrs Robert and Mr Bill Beauchamp Mr Mario Zito Mr Peter White Liz Riordan Mrs Betty Frape Dr Michael Barrington Mr Geoff Preston Mr and Mrs Frank and Mr Irvin Rockman CBE Mr Glen Corke Ms Karen Sammut Sharon Van Haandel Mr John Purbrick Mr Robert Naughton Mr Jonathan Tooth

50 Mr and Mrs Albert and Es tates in Perpetuity Ev ent Sponsors C orporate Donors Debbie Dadon Estate of Edith Jean 3AW Alpha Magnetics Mr Arpad Gemes Elizabeth Beggs AGFA Healthcare Astra Zeneca Mr Adam Krongold Estate of Muriel Bradley Australia Post Blake Dawson Mr Joseph Capadona Father Kevin Broderick Australian Music Events Boston Scientific Mr and Mrs Martin and Memorial Trust Brookfield Multiplex Cadet Shoes Brenda Duffy Estate of Stella Conway Bungeeltap Pty Ltd iNova Pharmaceuticals Mr Michael Gudinski Estate of Alfred Dehnert Charter Keck Cramer Invia Custodian Mr Jack Kwan Estate of W E and M E Clifford Hallam Healthcare Janssen-Cilag Mr Alexander Waislitz Flanagan Charitable Trust Customers Ltd Johnson & Johnson Mr and Mrs Greg and Estate of Patrick Aloysius DMG Radio (Vega 91.5) Medtronic Australasia Mardi Hargrave Foley Trust Doquile Perrett Meade Paragon Holdings Estate of Valenia Frances Event Office Pfizer B equests Green Gardner Dixon Hall Pitcher Partners Estate of Denise Rosemary Estate of Ethel May Groat Grant Thornton Sebastopol Properties Anderson Estate of Leo Byrne Halpin Hopscotch Films Surgiplas Medical Estate of Bernard Beatie Estate of Herbert William Lanier Estate of Margaret Mary Breen Hampton Lcubed C ommunity Partners Estate of Antoinette Brennan Estate of John Henry Lew Foundation AND Donors Estate of Lachlan Burrows Charitable Trust Lion Capital Hawthorn Community Chest Estate of Florence Violet Estate of William and Mary Manildra Group Latrobe Golf Club Craighead Levers and Sons Maxxia Rotary District 9810 Estate of Audree V R Dalton Estate of James McConnell Melbourne Convention and St Vincent's Graduate Nurses Estate of Simon Charles Kerr Trust Visitors Bureau Association Dickeson The Mary MacGregor Trust Mesoblast St Vincents Medical Alumni Estate of Rudolph Karl Dubron Estate of Horatio R C Metropolitan Golf Club Association Estate of Elizabeth Campbell McWilliams Middletons CAF Australia Flanagan The Mary Thelma Simpson National Australia bank International Operations Estate of Dorothy J Fone Charitable Trust PBE Solutions Department Social Club Estate of Bertie Fox The William and Eileen Walsh Queen Victoria Market Lions Club of Rye Inc Estate of Kenneth John Hicks Trust Scotchman’s Hill Rotary Club of Beaumaris Estate of Ormond George Ernest and Letitia Wears Spacerack Storage centre St Clare College Arthur Hill Memorial Trust Swim Communications St Columba's College Estate of Joseph Hull Harry Yoffa Charitable Bequest The Age The Palais Bingo Centre Pty Ltd Estate of Constantine Keatos Travelscene Yarrawonga Cancer Support Estate of Francis Terence C orporate Partners Westpac Group McLoughlin Boston Kennedy Executive Parish of St Gregory the Great Estate of John Peter Maynes Search and Selection Parish of St Macartan's, Estate of William O'Brien Cousins Tours and Travel Mornington Estate of Douglas Dale Pratt Fred and Ginger Catering Parish of St Martin de Pores, Estate of Florence Bertha LUCRF Avondale Heights Vollmuller Rochford Wines Parish of St Joseph's, Royal Automobile Club Elsternwick of Victoria (RACV) Skilled Group 5151 INTRODUCING THE BOARD

Mr Greg Sword AM P srofes or Patricia O’Rourke Dr Tracey Batten Mr Sword was one of the pioneers Professor O’Rourke was appointed as Dr Batten commenced as National Chief of the development of industry the St Vincent’s Chief Executive Officer Executive Officer of St Vincent’s Health superannuation and is currently in April 2009. She has more than Australia in early July 2009. Dr Batten the Chief Executive Officer of LUCRF 20 years experience in the healthcare brings with her extensive experience Super. He has previously held the industry, including nursing and senior within the healthcare industry and also positions of National President management roles. In her previous role has a long association with St Vincent’s. of the Australian Labor Party, as Chief of Clinical Operations and Chief Dr Batten undertook her medical training Vice-President of the Australian Council Nursing Officer at St Vincent’s, her duties at St Vincent’s in Melbourne. During her of Trade Unions (ACTU), and General included leading regional and national career Dr Batten has held a number of Secretary of the National Union of projects, representing St Vincent’s on a senior medical management positions Workers. Mr Sword also has significant number of Department of Human Health including Director of Clinical Services/ experience as a Non Executive Board Committees and providing strategic Chief Medical Officer at St Vincent’s Director. He is the Chairman of and operational advice to the Chief Melbourne. More recently Dr Batten St Vincent’s Hospital (Melbourne) Ltd Executive Officer and clinical leadership has held a number of senior executive and a Director of St Vincent’s Health to the Executive. Until October 2008, roles including Chief Executive Officer Australia Limited. Mr Sword was she sat on the Board of Southern Health. of Dental Health Services Victoria awarded an AM (Order of Australia) Prof O’Rourke is a Fellow of the Australian and Chief Executive of Eastern Health in the Australia Day honours list in Institute of Company Directors. (Victoria). Dr Batten holds a Master of 2010 for his contribution to the trade Health Administration, a Fellowship of — Appointed April 2009 union movement and leadership in the Royal Australasian College of Medical the community generally. Administrators, a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University — Appointed a Director in 2005 and a Fellowship of the Australia Institute — Appointed Chair April 2009 of Company Directors.

— Appointed July 2009

52 Mr Frank Cicutto Mr David Coogan Mr Brendan Earle Mr Cicutto is a company director Mr Coogan is a Partner at Mr Earle is a Partner with the national and corporate advisor. He is a former PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has law firm, Freehills. He has over 15 years Managing Director and Chief Executive over 30 years experience in the experience providing commercial legal Officer of the National Australia Bank finance industry, including providing advice across a range of industries Group. Mr Cicutto has had a significant assurance (internal audit and external and specialises in large or strategically career in the financial services industry, audit) and other advisory services for important negotiated transactions holding senior executive positions in his clients. Mr Coogan has chaired the including acquisitions, sales, joint Australia, the UK and the USA. He is Institute of Chartered Accountants ventures and corporate restructuring. Chairman of Chord Capital Pty Ltd. Australia Superannuation Taskforce He also acts as a relationship partner for Mr Cicutto is a Director of Melbourne for five years and is the Chair of the several clients of the firm. Mr Earle has a Business School. Finance Committee of Australian long standing interest in the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees. healthcare industry and has advised the — Appointed July 2004 He was previously a Member of the Commonwealth Government, private Consultative Committee (representing insurers, aged care providers, private ASFA) of the Australian Accounting consulting practices and pharmaceutical Standards Board and National manufacturers on a diverse range Leader of PricewaterhouseCoopers’ of projects. Superannuation Practice. — Appointed April 2010 — Appointed February 2010

53 M s Lorraine Elliott AM Mr Ian Ferres Mr Ian Scholes Ms Elliott started her career as Mr Ferres is a company director and Mr Scholes has had a significant career a secondary school teacher and corporate advisor. He was Managing in the banking and finance industries, VCE tutor. She was elected to the Director and Chief Executive Officer of including senior roles at Merrill Lynch Victorian Parliament in 1992 for the the Australian Unity Group from 2002 and the National Australia Bank. He is seat of Mooroolbark, which she held for to 2004 and was employed at National currently the Chief Executive Officer 10 years. From 1996 to 1999 Ms Elliott Mutual from 1956 to 1990, where he of Chord Capital, which invests capital was Parliamentary Secretary for the Arts was an Executive Director from 1983 and in small listed companies and small to (supporting the Minister – Premier Jeff managed all their investment activities medium enterprises requiring expansion Kennett) and from 1999 until 2002 she and various financial services from 1975. capital or debt. He is also a consultant to was Shadow Minister for Community He is Chair of Australian Healthcare Merrill Lynch and a Director of Halcygen Services and Shadow Minister for the Investment Company Ltd, a Director of Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Arts. Ms Elliott is a Board member of Australian Unity, CEDA and other private — Appointed October 2005 Melba Support Services Inc. sector companies, and a consultant to TressCox Lawyers. He is a Member of the — Appointed July 2003 Australia Day (Vic) Committee. He was previously a Director, Treasurer and President of Monash Medical Centre and the Chairman of Treasury Corporation of Victoria.

— Appointed November 2006

54 Sr Maureen Walters RSC Dr Elizabeth Wilkie Sr Leone Wittmack RSC Sr Maureen is a graduate in nursing Dr Wilkie is a general practitioner in Sister Leone is the National Director and health administration and held Ballarat, in both family medicine and of Mission for St Vincent’s Health Fellowships of the Royal College of student health. She has had experience Australia. From 1996 to 2002 she Nursing Australia and the New South as the General Practitioner Liaison Officer was a Congregational Councillor of Wales College of Nursing. She is a former at Ballarat Health Services and served the Sisters of Charity. In her role on Chief Executive Officer of the Sisters of on the committee of management in the Congregational Council, she was Charity Health Service in Launceston, the local division of general practice. particularly involved in the outreach Sister Administrator of St Vincent’s She is a past Board member of Ballarat service, community care and social Hospital Melbourne from 1972–1986 and Clarendon College and a present welfare, prisons, overseas missions and has served on a number of boards in Board member of Ormond College at and Aboriginal ministry. Sister Leone the health sector including the National the University of Melbourne. is a registered nurse and is a previous Sisters of Charity Health Services Director of Mission at St Vincent's — Appointed May 2007 (now SVHA), St Vincent’s Melbourne and Hospital Toowoomba. She has held St Vincent’s and Mercy Private Hospital. a number of nursing administration roles across SVHA, especially at — Appointed February 2009 St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, and was the Director of Nursing at the Sacred Heart Hospice. Sister Leone is a Director of St Vincent’s Health Australia.

— Appointed July 2003

55 Bardndo a governance report

During the period July 2009 to June 2010, the Trustees of Mary Aikenhead Ministries made all appointments and reappointments to the Board of St Vincent’s. The St Vincent’s Board is accountable to the Board of St Vincent’s Health Australia Limited (SVHA).

• Medical Executive The Board of St Vincent’s • Ms Cynthia Dowell, as Directors are usually appointed for a Chief Nursing Officer • Medical Advisory three year term and can be considered • Ms Susan Miller, as Company Secretary • Mortality and Clinical Review for reappointment on expiration of • The Chair of the Senior Medical Staff • Non Executive Remuneration their term of office (maximum of three Association, as a representative of • Quality and Risk terms). The Board meets monthly, from the senior medical staff. February to December and at other times • Research Council Executive as agreed. • Research Endowment Fund Conflicts of interest • Research Week Management The Board has established eight During the reporting period the following • St Vincent’s Executive Occupational sub committees: declarations of interests were made: Health and Safety • Audit Mr Ian Ferres declared his • Clinical Governance appointment as Chairman of Australian Healthcare Investment Meetings of Directors • Community Advisory Company Limited and as President The number of meetings of the entity’s • Electoral College of The Australian Club, Melbourne. Board of Directors and of each Board • Clinical Ethics committee held during the year ended Mr Ian Scholes declared that he is a 30 June 2010 and the number of • Finance shareholder in Chord Capital which holds meetings attended by each Director • Nominations and Remuneration approximately 4 per cent of the share were. See as listed in the table opposite. • St Vincent’s Foundation capital of the publicly listed company SteriHealth Limited. Legislative and St Vincent’s Directors do not receive environmental compliance payment or sitting fees. Those Directors Mr Frank Cicutto declared that he is a St Vincent’s is committed to promoting who hold Executive positions within shareholder in Chord Capital which holds a culture of legislative compliance St Vincent’s or SVHA receive salaries approximately 4 per cent of the share (including environmental legislation) and allowances in accordance with capital of the publicly listed company throughout its service. Part of its their contracts of employment. SteriHealth Limited. scope is to comply with all applicable laws, achieve best practice and In attendance Management committees: maintain high ethical and professional The following members of the Executive • Animal Research Ethics standards. Legislative compliance is a attended Board meetings from July 2009 • BioResources core component of the organisation’s to June 2010 for that part of the agenda overall and integrated risk management • Clinical Quality that was agreed by the Board: strategy and is reported to the Board on • Clinical Research Support • Prof Patricia O’Rourke attended as CEO a quarterly basis. All potential or actual and as a Director of St Vincent’s • Corporate and Support Quality breaches are proactively managed to and Risk ensure remedial action, as appropriate, • Assoc Prof Wilma Beswick, as the is undertaken having regard to the level Chief Medical Officer • Executive of risk. • Mr Chris Doidge, as Chief • Human Research Ethics (A and D) Financial Officer • Institutional Biosafety

56 Data integrity Risk management Whistleblower protection St Vincent’s is committed to the St Vincent’s risk management The Whistleblowers’ Protection integrity, accuracy and completeness processes are consistent with the Act aims to protect public interest of all performance data provided Australian Risk Management Standard by exposing serious public sector to the Minister for Health through (AS/NZS 4360:2004). An enterprise wrongdoing and ensuring public the Department of Health (DoH). risk management framework is in place organisations are responsible and Management has in place systems and that enables the executive to identify, accountable. A whistleblower is a policies for the collection of data in line assess, manage and satisfactorily person who makes a public disclosure with Ministerial directives and DoH Policy control risk exposures across clinical about improper conduct by a public and Funding Guidelines, conducts regular and corporate areas of St Vincent’s. body or a public official. St Vincent’s internal audits of that data and is subject The Audit Committee and Board verify has procedures and an environment to external reviews commissioned the assurance made and that the risk to allow: by DoH. The process and systems of data profile has been critically reviewed • making of disclosures integrity have been monitored through within the past 12 months. St Vincent’s • investigation of disclosed matters the St Vincent’s Clinical Governance has a commitment to continuous Committee and the Audit Committee, improvement in the area of risk • protection of people who make and the St Vincent’s Board is satisfied management and, having established disclosures from reprisals. that it has in place all appropriate a strong risk management culture and systems and processes to assure the review process through its committee St Vincent’s reports annually integrity of reported data. structures, continues to look for ways on whistleblower statistics in to further embed risk management and accordance with the requirements the mitigation of risk across St Vincent’s. of the Whistleblowers’ Protection Act. No disclosures were received during the period July 2009 to June 2010.

SV T Incent'S BOARD AND SUB COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REGISTER JULY 2009 – JUNE 2010

Board Finance Audit Clinical Community STV Electoral Clinical Nominations DIRECTORS Committee Committee Governance Advisory Foundation College Ethics and Committee Committee Committee Remuneration Committee Total no. of 14 11 6 4 6 6 3 4 5 meetings held Mr G Sword AM 13 / 14 Attended 2 4 / 6 5 / 5 Ex officio Professor P O’Rourke 12 / 14 10 / 11 6 / 6 3 / 4 4 / 6 3 / 3 3 / 4 4 / 5 Dr T Batten* 12 / 13 2 / 2 Mr F Cicutto** 10 / 14 8 / 11 3 / 6 2 / 5 Mr D Coogan 6 / 6 Mr B Earle*** 3 / 4 Ms L Elliott AM 13 / 14 5 / 6 3 / 3 4 / 4 5 / 5 Mr I Ferres 12 / 14 11 / 11 6 / 6 Mr A Myers AO QC**** 0 / 5 Mr I Scholes 10 / 14 6 / 6 Sr M Walters RSC 14 / 14 Dr E Wilkie 13 / 14 3 / 4 5 / 6 Sr L Wittmack RSC 12 / 14 3 / 4 5 / 5

* Appointed to the NRC from 01 October 2009 and the Board from 07 July 2009 ** Appointed to the Board from 15 February 2010 *** Appointed to the Board from 21 April 2010 **** Granted leave of absence from August 2009 to October 2009 and resigned from the Board on 3 February 2010.

57 ORGANISATIONAL CHART

C HIef ExecutiVE OFFICER

G Eneral CounSEL DIRECTOR OF MISSION CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DIRECTOR OF PEOPLE DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE COMPANY SECRETARY/ Mission GM Finance and Supply EXECUTIVE OFFICER Pastoral Care Finance Human Resources Business Development Contract Management DIRECTOR OF Archives Supply and Procurement OHS Clinical support FOUNDATION Enterprise Risk People CMMI/MI Art Curator Emergency Management Pathology Payroll Pharmacy Director of Volunteers Environmental Services Planning and GM Business Analysis GM Infrastructure Government Indigenous Health and Reporting Food Services and Engineering Relations Services HIS Security Infrastructure Services Corporate Decision Support and Engineering Communications Data Integrity Capital Works Clinical Costings and Engineering Biomedical Business Analysis Engineering Property OHS (Infrastructure) Information Services Telecommunications

ACRONYMS ACAS — Aged Care BWCPM — Barbara Walker EDS — Eating Disorder Service HARP — Hospital Admission SACS — Subacute Ambulatory Assessment Service Centre for Pain Management ESAS — Elective Surgery Risk Program Care Services AHLO — Aboriginal Hospital CMMI — Central Melbourne Access Service HIS — Health Information STV@HOME — St Vincent’s Liaison Officer Medical Imaging FEMOP — Field Emergency Services at Home AMHS — Acute Mental CPCER — Centre for Palliative Medical Officer Program MI — Medical Imaging TCP — Transition Care Health Service Care Education and Research GEM — Geriatric Evaluation OHS — Occupational Health Program ALERT — Assessment, Liaison DBMAS — Dementia Management and Safety TRAAC — Treatment, and Early Referral Team Behaviour Management GI — Gastrointestinal PIER — Preoperative Response and Assessment Advisory Service for Aged Care APATT — Aged Psychiatry GP — General Practitioner Investigation, Education Assessment and Treatment Team DOS — Day of Surgery and Research

58 DIRECTOR OF SURGICAL AND DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL SERVICES, CHIEF NURSING CHIEF MEDICAL SPECIALIST SERVICES AGED AND COMMUNITY CARE OFFICER OFFICER

GM Surgical GM Specialty GM Aged and GM Medical Services GM Quality Director of Services Services Community Care and Risk Research Emergency Demand Musculoskeletal Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and and Medicine Centre Clinical Quality Research Centre Centre Geriatric Medicine Emergency and Risk Research and Grants Orthopaedics Cardiology GEM Rehabilitation Department Corporate Quality Bioresources Centre ESAS Cardiac Transition Care General Medicine and Risk Clinical Research Investigation Unit Respite Program Clinics Infectious Diseases Performance Unit Plastics, Skin Vascular Surgery Infection Control Business Continuity Immunology and Reconstructive Cardiac Surgery Aged Psychiatry Nephrology Accreditation Research Centre Centre and Residential Rheumatology Library Plastics and Intensive Care APATT Legislative Reconstructive Centre DBMAS Metabolic Medical Compliance – Surgery Auburn House Centre Research Breast Surgery / Digestive Centre Normanby Unit Endocrine Medicine OHS – Research DOS Gastroenterology Riverside House Endocrine Surgery Hepatobiliary and Cambridge House Islet Cell Theatre and Upper GI Surgery Prague House MEDICAL Perioperative Colorectal Access Demand EDUCATION Services Community and Management Team Operating Suite Genitourinary Allied Health Anaesthetics Centre ACAS FEMOP Displan Endoscopy Suite Urology SACS Day Procedures Lithotripsy TCP@Home Addiction Medicine PIER Transplantation Day Centres Clinical Allied Health Correctional Health Sterile Processing Surgery Social Work and AHLO MediHotel Thoracorespiratory Interpreters Mental Health Adult AMHS Neuroscience Centre Transcultural Services Specialist Services Centre Thoracic Surgery HDM Integrated Care STV Body Image Neurology Respiratory STV@Home and EDS Neurosurgery Medicine HARP Stroke Restoring Health Cancer and Head and Neck TRAAC Haematological ALERT Centre Elective Surgery Frameworks for Health Haematology Management The Cottage Oncology Team GP Clinics Palliative Care St Vincent's GP Liaison Unit BWCPM Specialist Clinics BreastScreen Allied Health CPCER

Dermatology 59 S eNIOR sTAFF

Ch ief Financial Officer Ch r ief Nu sing Officer and Mis s ion Mr Chris Doidge — FCPA, GAI CD Surgical and Specialist Services Ms Marcelle Mogg Ms Cynthia Dowell — Dip App Sc (Nursing),B Soc Sc Mr Doidge has been St Vincent’s — RN, BAppSci, SI C, WCLP 05 (Pastoral Studies) Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance since October 2004. Prior to Ms Dowell is Director of Surgical and Ms Mogg joined St Vincent’s in April 2006 his appointment he was Chief Financial Specialist Services and the Chief Nursing as Mission Coordinator and was appointed Officer at Peter MacCallum Cancer Officer. She is responsible for overseeing a to the Director of Mission role in August Centre and Group Financial Controller range of surgical and specialist services as that year. Ms Mogg is responsible for the at St Vincent’s. Ex-Arthur Andersen, well as the organisation’s peri-operative education of staff in the mission and values Mr Doidge has held a number of senior services, elective surgery program and of the health service, administration of finance roles over a 20 year period across theatre complex. Ms Dowell has had several programs and advice on Catholic the health, telecommunications and an extensive career in nursing and ethics and culture. Her association with information technology industries. He is health service management, having St Vincent’s began in 1990 when she began a current Board member of the Victorian previously held senior executive her graduate nurse year after completing Hospitals Industrial Association (VHIA). positions at St Vincent’s. her nursing studies at ACU. Since that time she has worked in areas of pastoral Ch ief Medical Officer E xecutive Officer and care, faith development and journalism. Associate Professor Wilma Beswick Company Secretary Ms Mogg previously worked for Jesuit — MB BS FRACP Ms Susan Miller — BA LL B Publications as editor of Eureka Street and Australian Catholics magazines and as a Assoc Prof Beswick is a graduate of Ms Susan Miller joined St Vincent’s as journalist for the Australian Nursing Journal. St Vincent’s clinical school. She undertook the Executive Officer and Company her postgraduate physician training Secretary in February 2008. Ms Miller P eople and ORGANISATIONAL in general medicine at St Vincent’s has held leadership roles in a range DEVELOPMENT before taking up a full-time position in of government and not-for-profit Dr Katherine King the Department of Medicine. In 1989, organisations working in legal aid, — BA, Dip Spec Ed, BS (Hons), MA, EdD Assoc Prof Beswick was appointed Clinical disability, health and welfare services Dean of the Clinical School and at the at organisations including Australian Dr King works as Director of People and same time took on the role of Director of Red Cross, MS Victoria and Victoria Legal Organisational Development, designing Physician Training for the Royal Australian Aid. In her previous roles she has had and executing innovative strategies and College of Physicians. She was appointed responsibility for functions including legal programs in human resources, occupational Head of General Medicine in 2004 and services and compliance, organisational health and safety, emergency preparedness, has held a number of appointments with development and industrial and employee environmental services, food services the RACP. Assoc Prof Beswick became relations. She is currently completing and security. Dr King and her team have St Vincent’s Chief Medical Officer in studies towards a Graduate Diploma of designed a new People Strategy for 2010–15, August 2009. Applied Corporate Governance. widely launched the occupational health and safety management system, delivered online learning for all staff, developed a corporate sustainability strategy and created a new employee benefits suite.

60 St Vincent’s Foundation Me dical Services, Aged Me dical Services, Aged Mr David Jones — BA and Community Care and Community Care Mr Stephen Vale — M Physio, M Bus Associate Professor Paul Desmond Mr Jones joined St Vincent’s in mid- (Leadership) — MBBS, FRACP 2007 to lead the St Vincent’s Foundation. He began his career with Shell Australia and Mr Vale commenced in the position Assoc Prof Desmond is Director, Medical specialised in retail marketing and network as Director, Medical Services, Aged and Specialist Services, the Director development. In a move into the information and Community Care in April 2009. of Gastroenterology at St Vincent’s technology sector in the mid-1980s, Mr Jones Prior to this appointment, he was and Assoc Prof in the University of was appointed marketing director for a Executive Director, Ophthalmology Melbourne Department of Medicine. specialist software house, then entered Services, at The Royal Victorian Eye He was also Acting Chief Medical Officer the retail IT arena as Victorian manager and Ear Hospital. Mr Vale’s experience at St Vincent’s from February until for Computerland. A career change saw includes eight years as a physiotherapist August 2008. He has spent most of his Mr Jones enter the not-for-profit arena and followed by 13 years in leadership and medical career at St Vincent’s and was he has spent the past 18 years in fundraising management positions across the health, appointed Director of Gastroenterology leadership roles in the health sector – university and government sectors. in 1993. He was a Member of the with the Guide Dog Association, the Heart Ministerial Advisory Committee on Foundation and leading public hospitals. Director of Planning and sexually transmitted diseases and blood Government Relations borne viruses and is a past President of R esearch Mr Andrew Crettenden Gastroenterological Society of Australia. Professor Richard Fox AM — BBSc (Hons), Master in Public — BSc(Med) MB BS PhD FRA CP Administration Sur gical and Specialist Services Associate Professor Michael Murphy Prof Fox came to St Vincent’s in March 2007 Mr Crettenden joined St Vincent’s in — MBBS, MD, FRACS and was appointed Director of Research in February 2008 and was appointed to July 2007. He had been Professor/Director of the role of Director of Planning and Assoc Prof Murphy is the Director of Clinical Haematology and Medical Oncology Government Relations in May 2010. Neurosurgery at St Vincent’s in addition at the Royal Melbourne Hospital since 1985. He has 12 years’ experience in the to his role as Director, Surgical and He chaired its HREC for some 10 years. He is Victorian Health Sector. Prior to joining Specialist Services. He is also President a past President of both the Australian St Vincent’s, he worked in the Victorian of the Neurosurgical Society of Cancer Society and the Clinical Oncology Department of Health in a range of Australasia and is involved in a number Society of Australia. In 2010 he was elected senior planning and management roles. of research programs involving image- President of the Cancer Council Victoria These included the development of the guided surgery, particularly with brain and Chairman of the Cooperative Research Metropolitan Health Strategy (2003), the tumours and the surgical management Centre for Cancer Therapeutics. He is also development of three new ‘super clinics’, of epilepsy at the clinical level, and brain Chair of the Research Grants Committee of as well as the completion of strategic tumour and neurogenesis research at the NSW Cancer Institute and a member of plans, clinical service plans and capital the basic science level. the Commonwealth Department of Health development business cases for a broad and Ageing Medical Services Advisory range of hospitals, mental health services During the year Ms Annette Mercuri Committee. He is author or co-author and community health services. and Ms Lucy Cordone held senior of some 200 papers, predominantly on positions with St Vincent’s. cancer management. 61 staffL iST

Chief Executive Hospital After Hours Aboriginal Hospital — Employee Quality and Risk Finance Officer Coordinator Liaison Officer Relations Manager — General Manager — Chief Financial Prof P O'Rourke D Cabrie J Tullock-Taylor J Camplin A Maddock Officer G Caldwell — Learning, — Quality Manager C Doidge Chief Medical Manager Pastoral C King Development V Gaglioti — Group Financial Officer Care Services C McCarthy and Performance — Clinical Risk Controller A/Prof W Beswick M Taylor C McGrath Manager Manager S Crook Deputy Chief C Murphy Communications W Bardsley K Cunnington (to May 10) Medical Officer G Peatt Manager — Occupational — Patient Liaison — Contracts A MacIsaac P Quealy K Preece Health and Officer Manager A Speranza Safety Manager R Robinson Education Chief Nursing P Thompson Media Manager C Jeffries — Medical Education Materials Officer J Wasley M Griffin (to May 10) — Emergency Unit Director Management C Dowell Coordinator Corporate Counsel Foundation R O'Brien — Manager B Stevens Chief Financial — Legal Counsel — Director — Nurse Education C Wilson — Environmental Officer L Cordone D Jones Unit Manager Services Manager Technology C Doidge (to May 10) D Riddington Strategy S Moon — Chief Information — Supervisors of Chairman, Senior Executive — Director — Food Services Officer Surgical Training Medical Staff, Officer and A Mercuri Manager J O'Brien J Keck (set 2–6) St Vincent’s Hospital Company Secretary (to Jan 10) V Bartilotta (to June 10) G Wright (set 1) M Denton — Chief Security S Miller Planning and Officer — Surgical Mentor Information Services Chairman, Division Government Mission P Cunningham D Thiruchelvam — Manager of Medicine, — Director Relations — Director of M Edwards St Vincent’s Hospital M Mogg — Director Health Service Physician Telecommunications E Romas (to May 10) A Crettenden Support/Support Education (from May 10) — Manager Chairman, Division J Bloink (Acting and Infrastructure A/Prof W Beswick — Business Analyst — Engineering and K Harbinson of Surgery, from May 10) — Consortia Director A Pagan Infrastructure St Vincent’s Hospital of Physician Business Analysis Archivist (to May 10) J Keck Manager Training and Reporting B Cytowicz M Selvay A Bianco J Gome — General Manager — Project Directors of Nursing Art Curator — Engineering B Smith C Apperley Management — Fitzroy M Silk Facilities Manager — Supervisor of (from May 10) C Dowell Office R Danielson Intern Training Health Information — St George’s Coordinator R Moody — SSA Coordinator J Gome Services Volunteer Services — Redesigning Care M Welch N Peacock — Manager G Sealby R Bradley — Caritas Christi — Biomedical S Grundy J Trewartha Engineering Manager of People and Manager Decision Support Volunteer Services Organisational L Baker Unit T Brown Development — Manager — Director — St George’s Aboriginal Liaison H Rizzoli K King Manager and Training Officer Support Services — HR Operations Research M Winters Manager L MacAulay — Director and Chair S Ryding (to May 10) of St Vincent’s (to Aug 09) Caroline Gillam Research Council B Holmes (Acting from R Fox (from Oct 09) May 10)

62 BioResources A/Prof D Liew A/Prof G McArthur — Office Manager Haematologists The University Facility Manager — Senior Lecturers A/Prof R Murray L Sparks M Cole-Sinclair of Melbourne J Krause A Chong A/Prof K Ng R Filshe Department of CMMI W D’Souza A/Prof K-A Phillips A Dykes Surgery Chief Librarian — Operations M Lanteri A/Prof J Presneill C Tam — Head of J Taylor Managers D O’Neal A/Prof D Rischin N Lee Department A Borella Research and D Prior A/Prof D Ritchie K Chaiwatanatorn Prof P Choong S Gledhill Grants Unit — Lecturers A/Prof K-A Rye — Honorary (from Jan 10) Cytogenetics — Manager J Gome A/Prof JF Seymour Professor Emeritus — Nuclear Medicine — Director J Carolan P Lee A/Prof R Snyder Prof R Bennett Technologists L Campbell (to May 10) — Senior Research A/Prof R Starr — Associate M Bruns — Principal Scientist Fellows/Senior A/Prof G Toner Professors C Jeyabala F O'Malley Correctional Research Officers A/Prof M Wolf A/Prof D Allen Statewide Tender — Radiologists A Kompa Biochemistry A/Prof R Fink — Program Director St Vincent’s Prof O Hennesey A Nixon — Principal Scientist A/Prof D Francis R Hunter Clinical School Dr S Schlicht M Nikpour A Riglar A/Prof J Gurry (from Feb 10) — Clinical Dean Dr P Mossop S Rogers G Ward A/Prof M Henderson A/Prof W Beswick Dr N Trost N Rufaut A/Prof J Mackay Specialt y Medicine — Clinical Sub-Deans Dr K Lee — Research Fellows Microbiology A/Prof M Murphy Clinical Immunology Dr R McKellar L Brazionis J Walters — Director A/Prof A Penington — Director Dr K Taubman A Edgley J Mogg M Waters A/Prof W Phillips Immunology Dr M Seale A Hodge — Associate Clinical — Principal Scientist A/Prof D Scott Research Dr H Rouse C Itsiopoulos Sub-Dean L Joyce A/Prof B Silbert Prof A d’Apice Dr T Sutherland A Januszewski (Physiotherapy) H Sheorey A/Prof E Thompson — Medical Staff Dr C Tartaglia W Qi Belinda Cary A/Prof D Vellar P Cowan Dr C Stanford-Starr Pharmacy M Ryan — Senior Lecturers K Dwyer Medical Imaging Dr K Mehta — Director H Gock J Walters-Bressan — Director H Matthews P Kitchen A Wilson O Hennessy St Vincent’s — Deputy Director P Hayes General Medicine — Neil Hamilton Pathology — Acting Operations B Williams ENT/Head and Neck — Director Fairley Research — General Manager Manager M Cotta — Director A/Prof W Beswick Fellow J Searl N Liddell (from Mar 10 B Lyons — Deputy Director A Thompson — Critical Workflow — Senior Medical to May 10) — Surgeons J Gome — Professorial E Ravlic Imaging Nuclear J Baker — Physicians Fellows — Business Sur gical AND Medicine M Borschmann J Darby Prof F Alford Development Specialty Services Technologist (from Mar 10) A Drake Prof M Ashby Manager — Director A Malbon B Dixon J Galanos Prof M Cook F Humphries C Dowell — Nuclear Medicine (from Mar 10 to V Grill Prof R Cotton — Patient Services M Murphy Technologists June 10) E Hendrich Prof P Cowan Manager — General Manager R Booth M Guirguis G Kalogerakis Prof J Currie C Romero Specialty Services T De Kort I Hewson (from Feb 10) Prof A D'Apice — Couriers/Logistics C Hurstfield D Sheean J Kennedy M Lanteri Prof M Daniel S Hegarty — General Manager S Fleming R Kennedy D Liew Prof R Fox — Pathology Surgical Services K O’Hallaran S Lee P Matthews Prof R Hicks Information M Evans — Radiologists G Sherman A Pellizzer Prof S Itescu Manager W Lee Sur gical S Wagstaff (from Feb 10) Prof G Jelinek K Robbins R McKellar — General Manager A Osborne Prof T Kay (to Feb 10) P Mossop Surgical Services Orthopaedic Surgery E O’Sullivan Prof B Kemp — Professor/Director H Rouse Anatomical M Evans E Seal Prof H Krum Prof P Choong S Schlicht Pathology — Chairman, Division B Smith Prof R Marks — Surgeons M Seale — Director of Surgery, P Stanley Prof TJ Martin A Altuntas T Sutherland R Williams St Vincent’s J Daffy Prof K O’Dea (to Feb 10) (from Feb 10) — Pathologists Hospital P Lee Prof R Pestell S Barwood K Taubman S Galloway J Keck Prof H Prince A Boecksteiner The University C Tartaglia P Hill — Nurse Unit Prof G Rogers A Bonomo of Melbourne (from Aug 09) D Johnson Managers Prof J Seymour M Dooley Department of N Trost P McKelvie G Dickinson Prof R Sinclair A Dunin Medicine — Visiting Medical R Norris S Fankhauser Prof G Whelan M Goldwasser — Chair of Medicine/ Officers K Opeskin (from Aug 09) Prof J Zalcberg A Hardidge Head of School of J Vrazas M Rele C Spiers — Principal Fellows (to Dec 09) Medicine M Goodwin P Russell (from Mar 10) with the title B Love Prof J Best A Little J Slavin L Perry Associate Professor F Ma (from Feb 10) (until Sep 2009) B Lui K Stewart A/Prof M Bergo V Pliatsios A/Prof H Nandurkar K Mehta (to Jan 10) (Acting) A/Prof D Campbell T O'Shea G Powell — Professors A/Prof L Campbell (to Oct 09) Microbiologists G Tymms Prof J Best A/Prof F Firkin K Gordon H Sheorey J Stoney Prof R Gilbert A/Prof M Gillespie (to Oct 09) M J Waters D Van Bavel Prof M Kamm A/Prof J Heierhorst C Standford-Starr M Rele H Rudiger — Associate A/Prof M Hill — Principal Scientist D Johnson (from May 10) Professors A/Prof M Jelinek M Tora Biochemist A/Prof P Desmond A/Prof L Jones (from May 10) G Ward A/Prof P Foley A/Prof R Kapsa — Nurse Unit A/Prof A Jenkins A/Prof R Langham Manager A/Prof D Kelly A/Prof L Mashford J Parker-Hill 63 St Vincent’s values the vital role of our staff in bringing our mission to life. We strive to find innovative ways to respond to the needs of our patients, workforce and the wider community.

Plastic and Surgery — Nurse Unit M Kalpokas MediHotel/ St Vincent’s Clinics Cardiology Reconstructive Manager – Day B Langley Treatment Centre — Business Manager — Director Surgery Procedures Unit L Lin (from Feb 10) — Manager M Stanley A MacIsaac — Head of Unit S Lenihan T Lee D Hine (to Aug 09) — Cardiologists A Penington (from Feb 10) — Nurse Unit A Burns Anaesthesia Neurosciences — Surgeons K Low Manager (from Feb 10) — Director — Neurology Prof W Morrison J Luke P O’Neill J Castro M Davies Director T Bennett M Matusik (from — Clerical Team L Creati (to Jan 10) Prof M Cook A Berger Feb 10) Leader B Flaim D Scott — Neurologists W Besly B McGuirk G Grima P Fox (to Jan 10) (from Feb 10) R Carne (from Dec 09) J Mitchell J Gutman — Deputy Director S Collins Specialt y Services J Burt M Ng G Leitl D Scott (to Jan 10) N Crump General Manager G Dimitroulis (from Feb 10) J Mariani R Thomas (from (to Jan 10) Specialty Services D Grinsell D Olive (to Mar 10) Feb 10) W D'Souza C Hurstfield E Mah (from Feb D Pallot U Mohamed — Anaesthetics J Drago 10 to May 10) C Scarff Nurse Unit N Nadarajah M Barrington C Edelstein-Sun P Maloney (from R Slater (from Managers D Prior B Cowie (from June 10) Jun 10) Oct 09 to Jan 10) A Mawson M Rowe R Kluger K Fuller D McCombe M Solly N Moule J Van Den Broek S Lacey (from Mar (from Mar 10) C Poon (to May 10) C Tippett (to Mar 10) R Whitbourn 10 to Apr 10) Prof M Horne J Thomas C Wan D Moule M Williams T Lee (to Jan 10) A Kornberg S Tham (from Feb 10) (to Apr 10) A Wilson M Matusik E McDonald A Webb M Wong N Watson (to Jan 10) D Murphy Cardiothoracic J Wong (from May 10) Theatre D McGlade P O'Brien Surgery (from April 10) D Pallett — Peri Operative A Middleton M Paine — Acting Director D Wong S Thompson Services Manager R Molnar R Peppard G Wright A Wyss (to May 10) H Vien (Acting T Phan C Plummer — Surgeons K Allen M Leishman until May 2010) D Scott (to Jan 10) D Prentice N Alam (to Feb 10) (from Feb 10) (from June 10) N Dennis B Silbert S Punchihewa S Barnett A Kent S White (from May 10) R Slater (from Feb 10) (from Feb 10) — Nurse Unit (from Jan 10) Breast and K Reardon Lithotripsy A Newcomb Manager – Sterile A Stewart Endocrine Surgery L Roberts — Operations I Nixon Processing Centre R Thomas to — Director L Sedal Manager A Rosalion K Haberfield (Jan 10) M Henderson V Tay M Plummer M Yii — Nurse Unit C Wan (to Jan 10) Surgeon B Tomlinson — Renal Lithotriptists Vascular Surgery Manager – P Yau P Bird — Neurosurgery D Kennedy — Director Anaesthetic (from Feb 10) (from Jan 10) Director W Johnson M Denton G Chandler — Sessional S Farrell M Murphy J O'Collins — Surgeons (Acting to May Anaesthetists J Harding — Neurosurgeons (to Dec 09) C Campbell 2010) I Arhanghelschi P Hayes T Han D Yoffa Y Lahham H Vien R Cook P Kitchen P McNeill M Lovelock — Nurse Unit J Cormack B O'Brien Urology Elective Surgery M Westcott Manager – R Deam P Smith — Director — Manager Operating Suite C Domaingue C Thien J Goad F Healy C Vanderstock G Emery — Surgeons (to Nov 09) Stroke Services (to Jun 10) P Goggin A Clarke B Gibson — Director G Heard O Niall G Gonzales P Hore C Temelcos S Jones

64 Respiratory Intensive Care Unit S Parnis GEM Kew Normanby Unit Speech Pathology Medicine — Director G Phillips — Nurse Unit and St Vincent’s — Chief Speech — Director J Santamaria G Sansom Manager Clinics Operated by Pathologist D Hart — Deputy Directory A Swain J Waters Academic Unit for S Wilson — Physicians A Tobin (from Apr 10) the Psychiatry of Ellerslie Unit Podiatry M Conron — Nurse Unit S Ward Old Age — Nurse Unit — Chief Podiatrist A Garfield Manager Infection Control — Manager Manager J Firth A Kyoong (from C Carbery — Clinical Nurse A/Prof J Dunn Mar 10) — Intensivists Consultant O Yastrubetskaya Aged Care R Manser B Dixon J Cocks Aged Psychiatry and Assessment Service Psychiatric Nurse R Puy (to Jul 09) T Haydon Residential Care — Manager Ag ed and Educator D Steinfort B Hickey — Group Manager L Muller Community Care J Wasley (to Feb 10) W Kelly B Soosai (to Feb 10) St George's C Le Allied Health M Erhardt-Rumpe Colorectal Surgery Reception Office Cambridge House T Rechnitzer and Community A McIvor — Director — Manager — Manager D Williams Programs (from Feb 10) R Woods D Bassett A Hewett — Group Manager — Surgeons Organ and Tissue (to Dec 09) Sub-acute Prague House J Fitzgerald R Brouwer Donation Program M Rogan (Acting Ambulatory Care — Manager (from Jul 10) A Heriot — Hospital Based from Apr 10) Services T Melrose M Egan M Johnston Medical Directors — Admissions — Manager (to Mar 10) J Keck S Neate and Hospital C Challis Aged Mental R Bourne (Acting J MacKay B Hickey Coordinator Health Service from Jul 09) Integrated Care — Hospital Based J Bilo — Director Gastroenterology Services Senior Nurses C McGrath (Acting Prof Interpreter Services Department — Group Manager E Skewes May toJuly 10) N Lautenschlager — Chief Interpreter — Director K Rodger J Schlitz — After Hours — Consultant K De Jongh A/Prof P Desmond (from Aug 09) Coordinators Psychiatrists — Deputy Director Me dical Services, Nutrition G Caldwell D Ames GP Liason S Bell Aged and — Dietitians C McGrath L Lim — GP Liaison — Gastroenterologists Community Care A Bowie P Thompson F Moss Coordinator S Brown — Director E Doyle (Acting J Wasley B Smith L Walker R Chen S Vale to Feb 10) C McCarthy A-M Keogh (to Apr 10) W Connell P Desmond S Lee G Peatt P O’Brien J Gavens B Demediuk — General Manager (Acting to Feb 10) P Quealy (from May 10) P Elliott Medical Services Auburn House N Simmance — GP Liaison D Iser C Staley Rehabilitation — Manager Occupational Consultant (from Apr 10) (to Nov 09) — Director F Quigley M Lust J Smith P Smith Therapy D Isaac Normanby Unit — Chief (from Feb 10) (from Jan 10) — Rehabilitation St Vincent's at Home — Manager Occupational A Kalade — General Physician — Domiciliary A Cheung Therapist M Kamm Manager Aged I Churilov Therapy Manager A Miller and Community R Hoeppner R Bourne Riverside House G Cooper T Nguyen Care (to Jul 09) J Collins — Manager (from Apr 10) M Welch S Wigg The Cottage — Rehab Fitzroy C Goodall M Ryan J Bilo (Acting from – Nurse Unit (from Sep 09) — Manager B Trevascus R Shaw May to Jul 10) Manager Aged Psychiatry Victorian Aids and A Taylor M MacKenzie Assessment and Me dical Services Equipment Program HARP A Wilkinson — Rehab Kew – Nurse Treating Team Emergency — VA and EP — ALERT Manager Unit Manager (APATT) and Upper GI/ Department Coodinator J Santall J Elliott Residential Support Hepatobiliary — Director A King (to Jan 10) (to Aug 09) Program (RSP) C Winter M Carroll S Henderson Surgery Geriatric Medicine — Manager — Director — Nurse Unit (from Jan 10) (to Dec 09) — Director C Harrison U McKeever S Banting Manager M Murray Physiotherapy (from Dec 09) — Surgeons S Cowling — Geriatricians Dementia Behaviour — Chief — Clinicians P Bird — Emergency J Adams Management Physiotherapist A Chan (from May 10) Medicine C Johnson Advisory Service A Martin (from Feb 10) R Cade Physicians B Katz (DBMAS) (to Feb 10) A Gupta S MacKay M Augello E Ong — Manager B Cary (from May 10) (to May 10) J Bergman P Street R Kingsbury (from Feb 10) D Thiruchelvam K Cassidy T Chong (to Apr 10) N Hill (from Aug 09) A Chenhall M Hum M Kettle (Acting Prosthetics and D Vellar N Cunningham — General from Apr 10) Orthotics Restoring Health S Dilley Practitioners — Chief Prosthetist/ — Manager Head of the N Goldie A Rice Orthotist J Henderson Academic Unit for T Hoey M Plunkett D Pereira — Physicians the Psychiatry of (from Nov 09) L O’Halloran (to Aug 09) T Peel Old Age J Hutton P Davis K Carroll GEM Fitzroy Prof G Jelinek — Nurse Unit N Lautenschlager Social Work J Karro Manager — Chief Social J Maplesden K Allen Worker V Munir R O'Toole S Posenelli S Neate (to Mar 10) (to Dec 09)

65 St Vincent’s enables our people to achieve their potential in a climate of creativity, empowerment and accountability

Staff Health Caritas Christi Correctional Health Clinical A Chenhall Field Emergency Centre, Brunswick Hospice — Medical Director Haematology N Cunningham Medical Community Centre, — Operations F Blaher — Director S Dilley Officer Program Barkly Street Manager/ (to August 09) A/Prof H N Goldie — Executive Medical Centre Director of E Tuck from Nandurkar T Hoey Manager — Practice Manager Nursing (from August 09) — Haematologists (from Nov 09) A/Prof J Epstein V Rogers J Trewartha — General Manager K Chaiwatanatorn J Hutton — Snr Field — Director M Puglisi A Dykes S Parnis Emergency Frameworks M Boughey (to May 10) R Filshie G Phillips Medical Officer for Health — Deputy Director B Organ (Acting N Lee G Sansom J Moloney — Manager J Philip from Apr 10) S Morgan A Swain — Field Emergency M Gilbert — Palliative Care — Medical Staff C Tam (from Apr 10) Medical Officers Me dical Services Specialists T Lightfoot S Ward P Archer Demand Manager Addiction Medicine A Ilango D Senadipathy N Jansen A Trotte Endocrinology — Director (to Nov 09) L Walton G Sansom and Diabetes Prof J Currie J Dwyer M Dooley Dermatology S Troupakis — Director — Physicians (from Nov 09) R Fink — Director A Walby A/Prof K Ng Y Bonomo — Visiting Medical C Gore Prof R Sinclair — Deputy Director General Medicine D Lloyd-Jones Officers B McLaren — Dermatologists A/Prof G Ward — Director H Austin J Li C Baker Depaul House — Endocrinologists A/Prof W Beswick (to Jan 10) M Timlin A Chong — Acting Manager J Best — Deputy Director T Bryan S Thomas P Foley J Tait W Inder J Gome (from Nov 09) (from May 10) J Green C Jang — Physicians D Clifton — Dentists R Kelly Barbara Walker A Jenkins J Daffy E Flynn A Martin A Lee Centre for K McLachlan J Darby S Leung A Vouliotis C McCormack Pain Management C Meyer A Drake (from Feb 10) — Nurse Unit M Mohamed — Director D O'Neal J Galanos P Sherwen Manager G Ross J Trinca H Zeimer V Grill M Bickham H Saunders — Director of START Palliative Care Unit — Endocrine Surgeon E Hendrich D Dorgan (from May 10) Dr M Siu Kew S Farrell G Kalogerakis (to Feb 10) M Tam — Manager — Nurse Unit — Senior Clinical (from Feb 10) B Geelhuizen E Upjohn M Stanley Manager Nurse Consultant – M Lanteri R Jordan (to Mar 10) (from Aug 09) J Voo Diabetes Educator P Lee M Kay B Welsh — Pain Management N Kelly D Liew Palliative Care Unit (from Sep 09) L Yap Specialists — Islet Transplant P Matthews C Kim Fitzroy V Lincoln Emergency Clinical Program A Pellizzer A Muir — Nurse Unit K Payne Department Coordinator (from Feb 10) A Wan Manager (to April 10) — Director K Howe A Osborne (from Feb 10) L Stewart N Siebuhr C Winter E O’Sullivan H Sweeting (to Jan 10) Centre for Palliative — Nurse Unit E Seal J Couper J Harrison Care Education and Manager B Smith — Dentist (from May 10) Research S Cowling P Stanley M Borromeo P Hardwick — Director — Nurse Unit — Rehabilitation (from May 10) Emergency Medicine P Hudson Managers Consultant — Physicians E Clarkson T Lim M Augello M Meaney J Bergman P Noonan K Cassidy

66 Infectious Diseases Cancer and Pain — Director of Nursing Crisis Assessment Cunningham — Director Services Mental Health Treatment Service Dax Collection P Stanley — Manager – Cancer B Hamilton — Manager — Psychiatrist — Physicians Coordination Unit (to Apr 10) B Bowditch E Koh C Aboltins P Crouch — Administration — Psychiatrist Stroke Services K Buising — Clinical Manager WJ Leahey — Director J Daffy Coordinator A Cleary Footbridge G Gonzales J Darby L Stewart — Service Community A Jenney Development Oncology Care Unit K Thursky Manager — Director — Manager – P Halpin Infection Control R Snyder The Footbridge — Clinical Nurse — Oncologists Acute Inpatient B Wynne Consultant W Burns Service (to Apr 10) J Cocks A Dowling — Manager M Wilson (Acting) P Francis J McLaren (Acting) — Psychiatrist Nephrology S McLachlan — Nurse Unit MJ Graham — Director G Newnham Manager R Langham Consultation — Nurse Unit Jayne Lewis — Specialist, Liaison Service Manager (Acting) Nephrology – — Coordinator A Cook — Director VMO J Sharrock A Cidoni J Agar St Vincent's — Director — Psychiatrists G Flanagan BreastScreen M Salzberg J Beatson D Goodman — Director — Psychiatrists F Best H Gock J Cawson J Couper M Gill K Dwyer — Deputy Director E Harari N Mankir J Katsoulis H Frazer B Spence S Ong M Lanteri — Manager ES Tan (Hon) M Power-Connon P Lee E Cosgriff E Redmond NEXUS Dual I Michell — Surgeons S Weigall Diagnosis Service (from Sep 09) C Baker J Whan — Manager C Somerville D Butterfield (to Dec 09) C Hynan K Wiggins (from L Castles A Wilkinson — Specialist Aug 09 to Oct 09) H Ewing K Loke — Manager (Dialysis) P Hayes Clarendon D Gregory M Henderson Community Mental Primary Mental (to Dec 09) A Hyett Health Service Health Service N Barker J O'Brien — Managers — Manager (from Sep 09) C Poliness A Love B Organ — Nurse Unit W Stelmach M Deans (to April 10) Managers — Radiologists (to Apr 10) M Sheppard (Dialysis) E Bevington B Wynne (Acting) (Acting) N Barker G Hill — Psychiatrists — Specialist (to Dec 09) H Karsz D Baetens G Patel E O'Flaherty K Low P Chopra M Ngoe (from Sep A Lynch (to Sep 09) Victorian Dual 09 to Apr 10) F Malara S Hacker Disability Service/ A Wignall K Mehta V Shephard Enhanced Regional (from Apr 10) J Mitchell C Silberberg Service Response M Pang S Ong — Manager Rheumatology W Perret F Lawrence — Director Hawthorn G Phillips — Specialist L Clemens Community Mental H Rouse C Bennett — Rheumatologist Health Service B Slater A Livingstone T Godfrey — Managers R Taft S Jones F Laska G Doidge D Van Gelderen (to March 10) M Micallef B Organ P Mock (from Feb 10) St Vincent's (to Apr 10) M Nikpour Mental Health M Sheppard Victorian E Romas — Chair of Psychiatry (Acting) Transcultural V Sayag-Boukris Prof D Castle — Psychiatrists Psychiatry Unit W Stevens — Manager, Mental A Selvendra — Manager M Wong Health C Silberberg D Oehm J Smith P Cooke — Specialist (to Dec 09) P Goh (to Dec 09) Prof I Minas M Deans (Acting P Chopra Oct 09 to Mar 10) International A Love (Acting) Programs — Director of Clinical — Director Services A/Prof C Ng P Bosanac

67 GLOSSARY

ACS H — Australian Council EMU — Emergency Medical Unit Length of stay (LOS) — RSC — Religious Sister of on Healthcare Standards, the The length of stay is the time Charity: the sisters who EPC — Eastern Palliative Care organisation that accredits a patient stays in the facility. belong to the Sisters of Charity healthcare providers in Australia EQuIP — The Evaluation and The average length of stay (ALOS) congregation have these Quality Improvement Program is the sum of all stays divided by initials after their name ALERT — Assessment Liaison and of the Australian Council on the number of patients Early Referral Team RVEEH — The Royal Victorian Healthcare Standards. Medical record — Compilation of Eye and Ear Hospital Ambulatory patient — A patient ESAS — Elective Surgery facts of a patient’s or consumer’s who walks into a health service, SCHS — Sisters of Charity Health Access Service health and medical history for example, to St Vincent’s clinics Service (now SVHA) FOI — Freedom of Information MRI — Magnetic Resonance Bed day — One bed day is one Separation — Departures from Imaging bed occupied for 24 hours FRACP — Fellowship of the Royal the facility: a separation may be Australian College of Physicians NHMRC — The National Health a discharge (home or to another CAC — Community Advisory and Medical Research Council: facility), a death or transfer Committee GEM bed — Geriatric Evaluation the national body that oversees and Management beds for the SGHS — St George’s Health Carers — Those who care for the and allocates grants for medical care of elderly patients with Service patients, residents or consumers, research certain conditions but are not members of the SVHA — St Vincent’s Health NICS — National Institute healthcare team Australia (formerly SCHS) HARP — Hospital Admission of Clinical Studies, a division Risk Program – a DHS initiative CCH — Caritas Christi Hospice of the NHMRC SVHM — St Vincent’s Hospital to prevent avoidable hospital Melbourne CIU — Cardiac Investigation Unit admissions OHS/OH&S — Occupational health and safety VACS — Victorian Ambulatory Consumers — Users of the HFI — The Howard Florey Classification System: the services provided by St Vincent’s Institute Outpatient — A patient who method of allocating payment visits a specialist doctor or for outpatient health services Continuum of care — The cycle HSA — Health Services health professional at a clinic of care or the flow of a patient Agreement: the funding VAandEP — Victorian Aids through healthcare services agreement between a facility Palliative care — Care that and Equipment Program and the Department of Health eases or relieves the symptoms Day surgery patient — A patient of a life limiting disease without VIDRL — Victorian Infectious who comes to hospital, has an Hospice — A facility for curing it Diseases Reference Laboratory operation and then goes home inpatients who require the same day palliative care PAS — Patient Administration VMIA — Victorian Managed System Insurance Authority DHS — the former (Victorian) HMO — Hospital Medical Officer: Department of Human Services, a junior doctor PET — Positron Emission WIES — Weighted Inlier now the Department of Health Tomography Equivalent Separation: ICU — Intensive Care Unit the method of payment for DoH — the (Victorian) PH — Prague House Inpatient — A patient who inpatient health services. Department of Health, formerly stays in hospital overnight, PIER — Pre-operative Each patient, condition or Department of Human Services in a hospital bed Investigation Education stay in hospital is given a DOSA — Day of surgery and Research Centres points weighting. These points admission are funded at a given rate by PMCC — Peter MacCallum the Department of Health EFT — Equivalent full-time Cancer Centre employee RN — Registered nurse

68 St Vincent’s Patient complaints Environmental profile PO Box 2900 At St Vincent’s, complaints are Cover and pages are printed on 41 Victoria Parade viewed as opportunities for Look! which is an environmentally Fitzroy VIC 3065 improvement. Staff are encouraged responsible paper produced from Tel: (03) 9288 2211 to be involved in managing any FSC (Mixed Sources) CoC certified complaints or issues that arise. pulp from Well Managed Forests, St Vincent’s Hospital The Patient/Resident Liaison is Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) (Melbourne) Limited Officers are also available to any and is made Carbon Neutral. person who wishes to make a The greenhouse gas emissions PO Box 2900 complaint. The Liaison Officers produced from the transport, Fitzroy VIC 3065 mediate between patients/ processing and manufacture of Tel: (03) 9288 2211 residents or their families and the wood pulp to the delivery Fax: (03) 9288 3399 the facility, where appropriate. to Raleigh Paper’s clients (the Most complaints are resolved cradle to gate lifecycle) has been St George’s Health Service at the local department level. calculated, offset and certified by 283 Cotham Road Occasionally cases that can’t the Carbon Reduction Institute (CRI). Kew VIC 3101 be resolved are referred to the Raleigh Paper has purchased carbon Tel: (03) 9816 0444 Health Services Commissioner offset credits under the Voluntary Fax: (03) 9817 5325 for independent conciliation. Carbon Standard to offset these Patient/Resident Liaison Officers emissions. Look! is manufactured by Caritas Christi Hospice can be contacted on (03) 9288 3108. Nordland Papier, a company certified 104 Studley Park Road with environmental management Kew VIC 3101 Freedom of Information systems ISO14001 and EMAS, the Tel: (03) 9853 2344 As a denominational hospital EU Eco-Management and Audit Fax: (03) 9853 1509 listed in Schedule 2 of the Health Scheme (Reg.No.D-162-00007) Services Act 1988 (Vic), St Vincent’s Look! has also been awarded the Prague House has been declared pursuant to the EU “Flower” eco-label certification. 253 Cotham Road Freedom of Information Regulations Inserts are printed on Monza Kew VIC 3101 1988 (Vic) as a prescribed authority recycled contains 55% recycled fibre Tel: (03) 9816 0600 for the purposes of the Freedom (25% post consumer and 30% pre of Information Act 1982 (Vic). Fax: (03) 9816 0608 consumer) and FSC Certified pulp, Written requests for information which ensures that all virgin pulp are classified as an application is derived from well-managed Design by Celsius Design once the relevant officer receives forests and controlled sources. Photography by Mark Chew either a $22.70 application fee or It is manufactured by an ISO 14001 and Mark Munro a copy of the patient’s healthcare certified mill. Monza Recycled is an or pension card. There is a 20 cent FSC Mixed Sources Certified paper. per page photocopying charge for any request in excess of 25 pages. The full statistics about FOI cases are detailed in the Report of Operations for St Vincent’s Hospital, Caritas Christi Hospice, St George’s Health Service and Prague House. St Vincent’s acknowledges the traditional owners of this land, the Wurundjeri people and all the members of the Kulin nations. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present. St Vincent’s is Victoria’s largest metropolitan provider of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare. We continue to develop our relationship with the Koori community and are proud to be acknowledged as a centre of excellence in healthcare for Indigenous Australians.

St Vincent’s Melbourne PO Box 2900 Fitzroy VIC 3065 Australia (03) 9288 2211 www.svhm.org.au