SydneyInPartnershipsee page 5

AboriginalHealth ProgramLaunchedsee page 6

Caring – it’s at the heart of everything we do.

And for two teams at Sydney Local Health District (SLHD), the exceptional care they offer has been recognised in state and national awards.

The Sydney Dental Hospital (SDH) has been selected as a finalist in The Deadlys - a nation-wide award program that recognises outstanding contribution to Aboriginal health, while the outstanding teamwork of Concord Repatriation General Hospital’s Burns Unit has been judged as a finalist in the Daily Telegraph’s Pride of Australia Medal.

A recent two-page spread in the Daily Telegraph featured 10 members of the team and their respective roles in caring for burns patients through their pain and trauma.

The feature told the story of how mother of three, Patricia Gabor, 47, was leaning over her

gas cooktop preparing an evening meal two years ago when her T-shirt caught fire. Within seconds, she suffered full thickness burns to her neck and the right side of her body.

Ms Gabor was so thankful and humbled by the care and treatment she received from Burns Unit staff, she nominated the team for the Care and Compassion Medal.

Meanwhile, Keira Green and her colleagues at the SDH Aboriginal Health Clinic have developed a unique Aboriginal oral health outreach initiative. That involves the establishment of a ‘Hub’ – a two-chair dental clinic designated for Aboriginal patients - and the development of ‘Spokes’ - outreach clinics - where clinical services are provided to Aboriginal communities in rural NSW.

Rural clinical rotations are also run in partnership with local Aboriginal Medical Services and Aboriginal Community controlled

Health Services. To date, rotations have been completed in Coonamble, Wellington, Moree, Coffs Harbour and Orange, with rotations currently underway at Dubbo and Broken Hill.

“Our staff offer exemplary care and compassion to our patients every day so I am thrilled that their efforts are being recognised in this way,” SLHD Chief Executive Dr Teresa Anderson said.

“Congratulations to all staff involved and thank you on behalf of Sydney Local Health District and our community.”

Sydney staff – simply the best

HealthMattersSydney – it’s your local health district

Issue 16AUG 2012

The team behind Sydney Dental Hospital’s Aboriginal Oral Health project (from left) Dr Rachael Elias, Yolima Ramirez, Deborah McCranor, Keira Green and Melissa McDonnell (in chair).

Vote NowYou can vote for SDH’s Aboriginal

Oral Health Project in the Outstanding Achievement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education category of The Deadly Awards. Click http://www.vibe.com.au/

vote-deadlys-2012.php

Voting closes 9 September and winners will be announced at the Deadly Awards on Tuesday, 25 September, 2012, at the

Sydney Opera House.

2 HealthMatters Sydney – it’s your local health district

Funding reform – opening up our health system

Funding Reform. While it may not sound like the most fascinating of topics, it heralds a revolution in how our health services are funded and its implementation will affect every manager, clinician and support worker, said SLHD Chief Executive, Dr Teresa Anderson.

Speaking at the first of her District-wide presentations on Funding Reform, Dr Anderson said since Activity Based Funding (ABF) was introduced on 1 July, funding would be aligned with clinical activity for the first time.

“We know that the NSW Health system has been changing. The focus now is on local control,

clinician direction and evidence based decisions, all assessed by independent judgement,” Dr Anderson told the audience.

“For the first time, we will understand what moves budgets in districts and hospitals around our system. Variations will be open for all to see,” she said.

Dr Anderson said Funding Reform was “explicitly designed to open up our huge health system and allow individual elements of the system to be compared”.

“This clinical reworking is going to happen across the board. Clinical pathways, the number of procedures and, ultimately, the way hospitals are organised are all beginning to alter,” she said.

Dr Anderson said managers needed to recognise

where good innovations made good business sense and all staff needed to work together to drive the change.

“Until now, the budgets haven’t allowed clinicians to look into funding and have a say in managing hospitals. Now they can,” she said.

“SLHD Board Chairman Ron Phillips said budgets are the narrative of our health system. Where we spend, what we spend on, how much we spend; are our priorities.

“Gaining greater control of these priorities through better understanding and information flow is the basis of Funding Reform,” Mr Phillips said.

For more information, go to the NSW Health intranet site.

Funding reform allows us to:

• Compare Cost, results and outcomes

• Understand budgets at any hospital or anywhere in the district or state

• Manage and measure the healthcare delivery system in all its forms

• Create an explicit relationship between funds and services

What is a NWAU?

• ABF has seen the creation of the National Weighted Activity Unit (the Nationally Efficient Price), for inpatient hospital services.

• It’s the major element in a cascading funding mix for in-patient procedures.

• It’s the starting point for all budget discussions.• NWAU will take into account all aspects of

the delivery of care, not just the cost of the procedure, and create a national benchmark.

• It’s the baseline for the States, Hospitals and Districts to use so our services can be compared nationally.

More details?

Information Sessions are being held across SLHD to ensure everyone is informed about Funding Reform.

• August 2 – RPA

• August 21 – Balmain

• August 22 – Concord

• October – Allied Health Presentations

Further information sessions are planned in coming weeks. For details see the Bulletin Board

Dr Teresa Anderson, SLHD Chief Executive, Dr Beth Richards and Dr Chris Byrne updated staff on Funding Reform at the RPA information session

3HealthMatters

Simply the best

Research in spotlightThe future of research across Royal Prince Alfred and Concord Hospitals will be under the spotlight on Tuesday, August 28, when SLHD launches its inaugural Research Strategic Plan.

The plan, the culmination of extensive collaborations between researchers, clinicians and administrators, was developed to strengthen and enhance the District’s already significant research output and chart a course for the next five years.

It will be launched at the Kerry Packer Education Centre at RPA in conjunction with the official opening of RPA’s new Cell and Molecular Therapies Laboratories.

Staff are invited to attend from 10am.

New staff workforce emailSLHD Workforce Services (formerly SLHD Human Resources) has established a department e-mail address for generic enquiries as well as the submission of Sponsorship Documentation, Overseas Travel and TESL Documentation and Grading Application Documentation.

Documentation will now be registered in and out of this service to allow staff to track documentation more efficiently and provide a better service. All documentation can now be sent electronically to slhd.hr@sswahs.nsw.gov.au

Please note that this address is not for nursing sponsorships. The address for nursing sponsorships remains unchanged. This address is for sponsorship nominations other than nursing. Nursing sponsorships are forwarded to the Nursing Administration.

Canterbury Hospital is going to the dogs – and General Manager, Ann Kelly, couldn’t be more pleased.

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs NRL team will partner with Canterbury Hospital, and will this month present a cheque for $38,000 to go towards a new ventilator for the Intensive Care Unit.

The Bulldogs are also keen to put smiles on the faces of their fans and have offered to make monthly visits to the hospital to visit patients big and small.

“This is our way of giving back to the community,” club ambassador and former league legend Terry Lamb said during a recent visit to the hospital with backrower Dene Halatau.

Ms Kelly said the hospital was grateful for the Bulldogs’ generosity.

“We already receive support from the Bulldogs Leagues Club through the clubs initiative funding so this additional offer is very, very generous of them. It’s not often we open our doors to dogs, but these ones are always welcome,” she said.

Pack it in … former player and club ambassador Terry Lamb, with Canterbury Hospital general manager Ann Kelly and backrower Dene Halatau.

Thanks to a stretch of fine weather in Sydney, the construction of Lifehouse continues to make up for lost time.

The building is now up to four floors above ground, with another floor slab being poured every two weeks. We expect the building to complete concrete pouring in September. At the peak of construction, the Lifehouse project will employ more than 300 workers on site every day.

Lifehouse is starting the recruitment phase for employees directly impacted by the transition of cancer services from Sydney Cancer Centre.

For more detail, email employment@lifehouserpa.org.au

Going to the dogs

Small in stature … a giant in financial management.

The SLHD boardroom was packed earlier this month when colleagues gathered to bid au revoir to

SLHD Director of Finance, Candy Cheng.

With a career spanning more than 35 years in NSW Health, Ms Chang was described as an “amazing, unassuming, financial dynamo”, credited with establishing SLHD’s enviable reputation of staying within budget, year after year, while it delivers excellent clinical services.

Previously Ms Cheng has held executive positions with the Department of Health, Eastern Sydney Area Health Service, Central Sydney Area Health Service (CSAHS), and the former Sydney South West Area Health Service.

SLHD Chief Executive, Dr Teresa Anderson, said Ms Cheng had been an “incredibly loyal, talented, hard-working, self-sacrificing servant of the NSW Health system”.

“Ms Cheng successfully transitioned SLHD through complex health reforms and change processes, requiring transitioning of staff and development of new financial structures and processes,” Dr Anderson said.

“She has worked tirelessly and with great integrity for the Local Health District and, on behalf of the District, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and thanks for her very significant contribution to NSW Health.”

Professor Michael Fulham, in his tribute speech, summed it up in a reworked version of a famous Tina Turner song: “Candy, you have been Simply the best, better than all the rest….”

The District has appointed a new Director of Finance, Mr Steven Carr, who is committed to ensuring SLHD remains on budget while continuing to deliver excellent clinical service.

4 HealthMatters Sydney – it’s your local health district

Richard Scolyer may be the NSW Premier’s choice as the Outstanding Cancer Research Fellow for 2012 but he knows his days are numbered.

Skin cancer researcher wins Premier’s Award

ReseaRch M A T T E R S

As a clinician at the forefront of research into melanoma, long known as one of Australia’s biggest killers, Professor Scolyer predicts a cure could be on the horizon within 10 years.

That will be music to the ears of the more than 11,000 people newly diagnosed each year, but it might also put him out of a job.

“I would not be complaining at all about that. This is what we have been working toward for quite a while,” he says.

It is the second time in three years that Professor Scolyer, a staff specialist and clinical research fellow in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital’s Department of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, has won the Premier’s Award and it is a fitting honour for a man considered a world leader in skin cancer.

But he knows the best is yet to come, and is convinced the next 10 years will be the ride of his life, thanks to recent breakthroughs in cancer research which are proving to be the biggest advances in decades.

“In the past, melanoma was thought to be one disease but we now know through research there

are different subtypes,” he says.

“As a result, we have new drugs which specifically target certain subtypes and this has given hope to melanoma patients for the first time, particularly those with metastatic disease.”

Research has also shown that patients’ own immune systems rally to help these new drugs shrink tumours.

“Taking biopsies of the tumours before we start the patient on these drugs, then during treatment and after treatment we see that the body’s own immune system is fighting. It’s not just the drug, the body is recruiting lymphocytes,” he says.

“And because of this there’s also been shown to be a drug which stimulates the immune system and attacks the tumour, so we’ve created a rationale to try and combine these two agents and boost the effectiveness of them.

“We now have personalised medicine and tailored treatment which gives the best chance of cure. This is the most promising thing that has ever happened.”

In addition, Professor Scolyer and colleagues are preparing to launch the Australian Melanoma

Genome Project where 500 tumours will be sequenced for the first time in the world.

“This will change the face of the disease internationally. We know the driver mutations in about 70 per cent of cases but we don’t know the cause behind the remaining 30 per cent. In the next five years, we can have a profile of every tumour.”

Professor Scolyer’s award, one of only eight statewide, means he can devote the $20,000 prize money to more research, but he is quick to acknowledge the real honour goes to a close-knit multidisciplinary team of surgeons, oncologists, immunologists, basic scientists “and hundreds of others who work behind the line”.

“I might be the person who stands up and gets it but I’m a small cog in a much bigger team of people who are doing this work.”

Within a few years, that team will have the opportunity to see its endeavours help halt a disease which now claims about 1300 Australian lives a year.

“Exciting times indeed,” Professor Scolyer says.

Professor Richard Scolyer (second from left), with international scientist Atul Butte, NSW Minister for Health and Medical Research, Jillian Skinner, and Cancer Institute CEO David Currow. Photo courtesy of Cancer Institute NSW.

Spotlight on NGO partnerships: Thalassaemia Centre

5HealthMatters 5HealthMatters

When Lisa Malaxos learned that her three year old daughter, Ariah, had a genetic disorder that would require regular blood transfusions to keep her alive, the single mum drew on a previously untapped inner-strength to process the news before embarking down the road of twice-monthly hospital visits alone.

Her burden was lightened however, when she was put in contact with the Thalassaemia Society, a non-government organisation located within the District’s King George V Building, dedicated to supporting patients and their families, as well as education and research.

“I was reluctant to make contact initially – I wanted space to get used to the diagnosis,” Ms Malaxos said.

“I received so much important information from the doctors, but nothing could prepare me for the strain and the risks of Ariah’s treatment.

“But I’m so glad I reached out. It is reassuring and it’s like there’s now a light in such a dark tunnel,” she said.

Thalassaemia is a blood disorder where the body destroys red blood cells almost as soon as they are produced, affecting oxygen delivery to the main organs. In the case of Thalassaemia-major patients, treatment consists of regular blood transfusions and injections of a drug to prevent dangerous build-up of iron.

The Thalassaemia Centre is one of 30 non-government organisations (NGOs) that benefit from funding under the Sydney Local Health District NGO Program. The grant helps to employ Centre Coordinator Nancy Lucich – who is also a Thalassaemia patient – three days a week. The Centre also employs a psychologist to offer counselling and other support to patients and families.

“It’s been an inspiration to meet adult Thalassaemia patients like Nancy. They’re out there living life and having children despite the condition, and that gives me hope for my Ariah”, Ms Malaxos said.

Lisa Malaxos, left, her daughter Ariah, and Thalassaemia Centre coordinator Nancy Lucich

“It’s like there’s now a light in such a dark tunnel,” Lisa Malaxos

NGO Partnerships:

SLHD provided $16 million in grants to 30 non-government organisations (NGOs) in 2011-12

The Thalassaemia Centre is on Level 7, King George V Building, Missenden Road, Camperdown. Ph: 9550 4844

6 HealthMatters Sydney – it’s your local health district

Increased Aboriginal employment opportunities and Aboriginal cultural training for staff were highlighted at Sydney Local Health District’s (SLHD) recent NAIDOC Week celebrations at Balmain Hospital.

SLHD Chief Executive, Dr Teresa Anderson, said NAIDOC Week represented an excellent opportunity for the District to demonstrate its commitment to Aboriginal health equity.

“Currently we are working on implementing our Aboriginal Workforce Strategy, which includes a commitment to increase Aboriginal employment within the District to 2.6 per cent - by focusing

on recruitment, education and training,” Dr Anderson said.

“We are also looking to increase Aboriginal representation, medical and primary health practitioners, nurses, midwives, managers and in administration and leadership roles.”

The event also featured special guest speakers, Aboriginal performances and an afternoon tea.

NAIDOC Week is held every year as a way of promoting a greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and culture, celebrating the survival of Indigenous culture and the Indigenous contribution to modern Australia.

Sydney celebrates NAIDOC Week

Dancer Terry Olsen, left, guides Balmain Hospital Acting Director of Corporate Services and Finance, Kiel Harvey, through an Aboriginal cultural dance.

Members of the Jannawi Dance Group and Uncle Max at the launch event.(from left) SLHD General Manager, Community Health, Kerry Plumer, cuts the celebratory cake with NSW Minister for Healthy Lifestyles, Kevin Humphries, Canterbury MP Linda Burney, and SLHD Director, Operations, Gary Miller.

A new home visiting program offering Aboriginal children and families living in Sydney’s central and inner west vital health and paediatric support was formally launched earlier this month in Marrickville.

SLHD’s New Directions Program Yana Muru is a home visiting program combined with paediatric assessments for local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander families and non-Aboriginal women expecting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander babies.

As part of the program, a paediatrician offers regular, comprehensive health assessments until the child is five years of age. Up to 20 home visits are provided by Child and Family Health nurses, supported by Aboriginal Health Workers, until the child is two years old. Early Childhood Social Work services are also available.

Yana Muru is an Aboriginal name from the Eora people of NSW, meaning ‘to walk on pathways/directions’.

The program was officially launched at a community event held at Jarvie Park, Marrickville, and featured special guest speaker, NSW

Minister for Healthy Lifestyles, Kevin Humphries, Canterbury MP Linda Burney, a traditional Aboriginal smoking ceremony by Uncle Max, cultural performance by Aboriginal dance group Jannawi Dance, children’s entertainment, health promotion giveaways and a barbecue lunch.

For more information, interested families are invited to ask their midwife or staff member at their local hospital or to contact the Camperdown Chid and Family Health Nursing team and ask to speak to the Nurse Unit Manager on 9516 3232.

For more photos, visit http://www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/media/Photos.html

New program offers local Aboriginal families and babies home-based care

7HealthMatters

Research into exercise and Type 1 Diabetes

Researchers from RPA and the University of Sydney have begun examining how exercise impacts people with Type 1 diabetes and whether or not an e-learning tool can help them lead safe, physically active lives.

RPA Diabetes Centre Manager, Associate Professor Marg McGill, said physical activity was a vital component of everyday life, yet there was relatively little research conducted in the area.

“We are all encouraged to be physically active

however, this brings very real problems to young people with Type 1 diabetes as it can play havoc with their blood glucose levels,” Associate Professor Marg McGill, said.

“This increases the risk of low blood sugars (hypoglycaemia), which can make them feel very unwell and lead to coma if not treated.

“As a consequence, young people often lose confidence, become frustrated and stop exercising and actively taking part in sport,” she said.

Professor McGill said they had begun to test an innovative web-based education tool developed by Allan Bolton, an Exercise Physiologist who has Type 1 diabetes.

“This e-learning tool has been designed to teach people with Type 1 diabetes about the specific metabolic effects of exercise and how they can better integrate exercise into daily life with confidence,” she said.

“With this research, we hope will give them back the confidence to be physically active in a safe and secure manner.”

Associate Professor Marg McGill, (right) supervises PhD student Dr Agata Piotrowicz, (left), and Mariana Woods.

More people with viral hepatitis living in Sydney’s central and inner west can have their liver disease assessed painlessly at more locations, thanks to the delivery of a new, portable state-of-the-art Fibroscan machine.

The $70,000 machine uses ultrasound technology to measure stiffness in the liver, which indicates liver cirrhosis or scarring, avoiding the need for a painful liver biopsy when being assessed for treatment.

The RPA AW Morrow Gastroenterology and Liver Centre already offers patients access to a Fibroscan machine. However, the new portable

version will, for the first time, be offered to people with hepatitis who access inner city clinics and Canterbury Hospital. The machine may also travel to Dubbo.

“It doesn’t hurt, takes only a few minutes and provides instant information about the state of their liver disease,” The Centre’s Professor Simone Strasser said.

“For patients with hepatitis C and B, a biopsy is no longer required to access government funded hepatitis treatment. Instead, by doing a Fibroscan, we can assess how much liver damage is present, which helps us to make decisions about treatment,” she said.

New portable machine for people with liver disease

Clinical Nurse Consultant/Hepatitis Coordinator, Janice Pritchard-Jones (left), tries out the new portable Fibroscan machine on colleague Nathalie Rasko.

Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) staff across central and inner west Sydney will undergo cultural awareness training to help them understand and respect Aboriginal culture so they can offer improved patient care.

The Respecting the Difference training framework, developed by NSW Health, is designed to improve staff knowledge and understanding of the diverse culture, customs, heritage and protocols in Aboriginal families and communities in NSW.

The training consists of an e-learning module and two face-to-face components. The e-learning module is available to all staff on the Centre for Education and Workforce Development website.

SLHD Director, Aboriginal Health, George Long, said SLHD staff had commenced the on-line

training and the first face-to-face component would cover generic issues for Aboriginal people, while the second component would focus more specifically on local issues.

Mr Long said a Respecting the Difference project officer was being recruited to support the roll out of the program across the District in collaboration with the local Aboriginal community.

“SLHD is deeply committed to Aboriginal health equity,” Mr Long said.

“We want members of the local Aboriginal community to feel safe and confident when they visit our health services.

“We recognise that healthcare outcomes for Aboriginal people can be improved when all our staff have a greater awareness of Aboriginal culture.”

HealthMatters is all about you. We would love to hear your stories. Simply email sydneymedia@sswahs.nsw.gov.au

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One Deadly Step to healthier lives

Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) health care staff took part in the multi-agency health screening event One Deadly Step in Redfern last month, held to tackle the issue of chronic disease in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

Staff helped more than 200 participants take part in a 12-step screening process, where they were weighed, had their kidney and lung health checked, had their blood pressure and cholesterol measured, and were tested for diabetes and screened for mental health issues.

One Deadly Step is a partnership with NSW Health and the Australian Rugby League addressing chronic diseases in Aboriginal

communities in NSW.

After a series of successful health screenings in Campbelltown, Kempsey, Griffith and Dubbo, the latest One Deadly Step event was held at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) in Redfern.

SLHD Chronic Care Program Manager, Julie Finch, said staff worked with volunteers from the Aboriginal Medical Service, Sydney Inner West Medicare Local, local GPs, NCIE staff, Kidney Australia, and university and school students.

“Partnerships are paramount to the District and One Deadly Step was a great collaborative event where our staff worked in partnership with other health providers to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal people,” Ms Finch said.

SLHD staff member Lavina Lyons took part in the Aboriginal health screening event One Deadly Step earlier this month.

Health centre shows the art of healing

Aboriginal cultural training for staff

For Andrew, a mental health client of Redfern Health Centre, showing his paintings as part of a public art exhibition at the Centre was daunting, however his fears turned out to be unfounded.

“It has actually been a very rewarding experience,” Andrew said.

“We all received lots of positive feedback from members of the local community about our art work.

“Showing my creative work was far more positive than I originally thought it would be,” he said.

Andrew’s paintings were among 40 mixed media works created by mental health clients for a recent art exhibition at the Centre.

SLHD Clinical Psychologist, Redfern Community Mental Health, Dr Sandra Darmain, said the art project was a way of encouraging participants to acknowledge their talents and to enhance their self-esteem.

“Most of our clients, although their work is exceptional, actually believe that they are not very creative due to the mental illness,” Dr Darmain said.

“This process has enabled them to explore beliefs about themselves and gradually change their negative perceptions into positive statements about themselves.

“The resulting art works symbolise the clients’ doubts, worries and lack of self-esteem and the creative act of expressing those feelings and having them acknowledged notably assists with their recovery and rehabilitation.”

Andrew enjoyed displaying his work.