Our Year in Review 2019-2020 - Ministry of Health

Our Year in Review

2019-2020South Eastern Sydney Local Health District

Acknowledgement of Country South Eastern Sydney Local Health District would like to acknowledge

the Traditional Custodians on whose land we stand, and the lands our

facilities are located on; the lands of the Dharawal, Gadigal, Wangal,

Gweagal and Bidjigal peoples.

We would like to pay our respects to the Elders past, present and

those of the future.

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SESLHD Board 2

From the Board Chair 3

SESLHD Executive Council 4

From the Chief Executive 5

SESLHD in 2019-20 6

Our strategic priorities 7

SESLHD’s stories 26

Supporting bushfire recovery 28

COVID-19: Our local response 30

Population and Community Health 38

Mental Health 40

Prince of Wales Hospital 42

Sutherland Hospital & Garrawarra Centre 44

Sydney/Sydney Eye Hospital 46

St George Hospital 48

Uniting War Memorial Hospital 50

Calvary Health Care Kogarah 51

Royal Hospital for Women 52

NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service 54

SESLHD triumphs in NSW Health Awards 55

Volunteers: Our unsung heroes 56

A special thanks to our hospital foundations 58

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2 < Our year in review 2019 - 2020

Michael Still Board Chair

Janet McDonald AO Deputy Board Chair

Associate Professor Peter Gonski Deputy Board Chair

Patricia Azarias Board Member

Elli Baker Board Member

Jonathan Doy Board Member

Associate Professor

Bob Farnsworth OAM Board Member

Dr Debra Graves Board Member

Liam Harte Board Member

Dr Gregory Levenston Board Member

Neville Mitchell Board Member

Helene Orr Board Member

Professor

Allan Spigelman Board Member

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The 2019-2020 year has brought extraordinary, yetexhilarating, challenges to South Eastern Sydney LocalHealth District. All of our people, at every level of theorganisation, are to be congratulated and commended forcaring for our community with generosity and managing our response with skill and professionalism.

This year, under the leadership of Chief Executive Tobi Wilson, a new executive structure was put in place to support theimplementation of our strategic plan. The course of the past year has highlighted, more than ever, the importance of thoseobjectives, ensuring that our organisation is agile and equipped to manage the health of our local population – no matter whatchallenges we face.

New ways of working this year, such as the rapid expansion ofsophisticated telehealth services, have become embedded in our models of care. These will continue to play a vital role in ouroperations even after the COVID-19 pandemic.

A wonderful example of this is the NSW Telestroke Service, whichprovides expert specialist care to stroke patients throughout thestate from its Prince of Wales Hospital base.

Led by Professor Ken Butcher, stroke patients in many regionalcentres now receive virtual consultations with leading specialists in this field, ensuring the best possible treatment and outcomes.On behalf of the Board I congratulate Professor Butcher and alsohis colleagues at UNSW Sydney, for securing a $750,000 grant fora world-first, three-year research project, investigating treatmentsfor regional and remote patients suffering from ischaemic stroke.

A $2.1 million grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council to investigate the impact of sepsis in critically ill patients is another example of furthering our District’scommitment to essential translational research. I look forward to progress with this important work which is led by Dr JohnMyburgh, Director of Research, Department of Intensive CareMedicine, St George Hospital.

With 2020 named the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, the Board iskeen to support SESLHD’s commitment to the global NightingaleChallenge. This initiative calls on healthcare employers to provideleadership, development, support and education for emergingnursing and midwifery leaders under the age of 35. By the end of 2020 our District will have enabled at least 100 nurses andmidwives to engage in leadership development programs,essential for strengthening this workforce and providingopportunity for young leaders amongst our staff.

Once again this year we have been home to many new initiativesand innovations which support NSW residents well beyond ourDistrict’s borders. Scores of premature babies have now receivedpasteurised donor human milk through the Royal Hospital forWomen’s Milk Bank Program, run in conjunction with AustralianRed Cross. Meanwhile, the ClinTrial Refer app, which streamlinespatient access to clinical trials, co-founded by St George Hospital’sRoslyn Ristuccia, had a new updated version launched by theFederal Health Minister Greg Hunt MP this year. And these are just two examples.

While all District staff are to be acknowledged and sincerelythanked for the role they play, it was exceptionally pleasing thatSESLHD won three of the 12 categories in the 2019 NSW Health Awards.

Aside from these winners, the life-saving Overdose Response withTake-Home Naloxone Program, developed at the Langton Centreunder the leadership of Professor Nick Lintzeris, was a finalist in the NSW Premier’s Awards.

It is with great pleasure that I commend this report to you with the Board’s very best wishes. I thank the Board members for their tireless work throughout the year and for their dedication in supporting all of our people in providing the best care possibleto our many and varied communities.

Michael Still I Board Chair

Our year in review 2019 - 2020 > 3


Tobi Wilson Chief Executive

Lisa Altman Director, Strategy Innovation and Improvement

Jennie Barry General Manager, Prince of Wales Hospital and Sydney/Sydney Eye Hospital

Elizabeth Curran Executive Director, Operations

Paul Darcy General Manager, St George Hospital

Peter Eaton Director, Finance

Danielle Fisher General Manager, Organ and Tissue Donation Service

Dr Marianne Gale Director, Population and Community Health

Flora Karanfilovski Director, Health ICT

Dr Jo Karnaghan Director, Clinical Governance and Medical Services

Angela Karooz General Manager, Mental Health Service

Vanessa Madunic General Manager, Royal Hospital for Women

Anne Milne Director, Corporate and Legal Services

Claire O'Connor Director, Allied Health

Kim Olesen Director, Nursing and Midwifery Services

Caroline Skipper Director, People and Culture

Vicki Weeden General Manager, Sutherland Hospital and Garrawarra Centre

Associate Professor Director, ResearchChristopher White

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ve The past year is one that won’t be forgottenquickly. While we’ve experienced unprecedentedchallenges as an organisation and as a society,our District has also worked exceptionally hardand produced some outstanding achievements.

With the New Year came the devastating impact of thebushfires on communities throughout NSW. Our Districtdeployed staff to provide expert healthcare and supportto bushfire-affected communities. As part of a state-wideresponse, our mental health teams delivered specialist careto communities on the Far South Coast while dedicatednursing staff relieved colleagues impacted by the fires in the Illawarra Shoalhaven area.

In late January, our focus swiftly turned to the COVID-19pandemic. Frontline and support staff were critical inproviding safe, quality healthcare services to our community through this period.

Staff across the organisation worked closely together toundertake extensive planning and preparation for COVID-19. Hundreds of staff members received further training to enhance their skills, to best prepare for management of patients with acute respiratory illness.

Throughout the challenges in 2019/20, over 240,000people attended emergency departments across theDistrict. Almost 45,200 operations were performed, therewere more than 179,000 admissions, while more than 7,700 babies were delivered at the Royal Hospital forWomen, St George and Sutherland hospitals.

Many of our people have been recognised for the wonderful work they do. At the NSW Health Awards, the Mental Health Service PACER (Police, Ambulance and Clinical Early Response) Program won the Excellencein the Provision of Mental Health Services Award. Wendy Machin from Kirketon Road Centre was namedCollaborative Leader of the Year and Isabelle Wilson was awarded Volunteer of the Year for her work with the Youth Reference Group at headspace Bondi Junction.

The District also launched several new services, includingthe Fertility and Research Centre at the Royal Hospital forWomen, a new birth unit at St George Hospital, the state-wide Telestroke Service hosted at Prince of Wales Hospital,the Prince of Wales Hospital Cancer Survivorship Centreand Sydney You Can Centre, and the Hospital in the Homemodel of care at St George Hospital.

We celebrated key milestones, including 60 years ofpioneering treatment at Australia’s first drug and alcoholcentre, The Langton Centre, 125 years of caring at St George Hospital, and launched the MindgardensNeuroscience Network in partnership with UNSW Sydney,NeuRA and the Black Dog Institute, which integratestreatments and research for mental health, and alcoholand drug disorders. In line with one of the District’s keypriorities to foster research and innovation, we openedthe Microbiome Research Centre at St George Hospital,allowing researchers to investigate how disturbances inthe microbiome occur and how this causes disease.

My sincere thanks to our dedicated staff for their hardwork and compassion, and special acknowledgment to ourteams who stepped up during exceptional circumstances,travelling to bushfire-affected areas and continuing to worktirelessly during the pandemic to keep our patients andeach other safe. Thanks also to our volunteers who help us deliver services, and our community partners who workwith us to improve the population’s health.

Tobi Wilson I Chief Executive


37% of us havelong-term healthconditions and 21% live with multi-morbidities

959,100 residents callour District home

Almost 40% of uswere born overseas

Aboriginal and TorresStrait peoples makeup about 1% of ourpopulation

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1. Sydney/Sydney Eye Hospital

2. Uniting War Memorial Hospital

3. Prince of Wales Hospital

4. Royal Hospital for Women

5. St George Hospital

6. Calvary Health Care Kogarah

7. Sutherland Hospital

8. Garrawarra Centre

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20 SESLHD covers 468square kilometres


45,199operations were

performed

242,809people attended our

emergency departments

179,687patients were admitted

7,726babies were delivered at

The Royal, St George and

Sutherland hospitals


Safe, person-centred and integrated care

Everyone in our community will have access to safe,compassionate and high-quality healthcare. Thatcare should be providedeither at home or as closeto home as possible.

Workforce wellbeing

We will create anenvironment where ourpeople will be accountableand can be happy, welland supported to reachtheir potential.

Better value

We will deliver value to our patients andcommunity throughmaintaining financialsustainability and makinginvestments consistentwith our vision.

Community wellbeing and health equity

We will work together with our partners toachieve health, wellbeingand equity for our shared communities.

Foster research and innovation

We will focus on translating research and innovation into clinical service modelsthat deliver positive health outcomes.

Partnerships

that deliver

Responsive information

management systems

Data & analytics Fit-for-purpose

infrastructure

A culture of continuous

improvement

ENABLERS

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Journey to Excellence

Strategy 2018-2021

Our purpose

To enable our community to be healthy and well, and to provide the best possiblecompassionate care whenpeople need it.

Our vision

Exceptional care, healthier lives


Safe, person-centred and integrated care


HELEN ROGERS

Early Parenting ProgramCo-ordinator, Child Youthand Family Services

I’ve been a nurse and midwifefor 30 years and I’m passionateabout providing respectful,culturally responsive care forwomen and their families frompregnancy to children aged five years – particularlyAboriginal women and families,migrant and refugee womenand families, and women withmental health issues.

One of the best parts of myrole is working in partnershipwith my team, clinicalservices, NGOs and thegovernment to implementmodels of care and projectsthat respond to the needs of local communities. Someexamples include helpinginternational students withaccess to sexual andmaternity services, andproviding parentinginformation to women in the Nepali and Bangladeshicommunities. We alsoorganise for cross culturalworkers to support womenand families from migrantand refugee backgroundson their pregnancy and earlyparenting journeys.

Then along came COVID-19and I was redeployed toestablish and manage theHurstville Community TestingClinic. One health tip I’d give people is always askquestions. Clients often feelnervous talking to healthprofessionals. Our mostimportant role is to createan environment where clientsfeel comfortable to askquestions, and if you need to,ask for and use an interpreter.

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Caring for peopleexperiencing psychosis

A new, $1.4-million service for patientswith complex psychotic disorders, theTertiary Referral Service for Psychosis(TRSP), is being established bySESLHD’s Mental Health Service. TRSPwill also provide assessment and adviceto support teams from all over NSWcaring for patients with schizophreniaand related psychotic disorders, as wellas their families and carers. Teaching and research to help people living withpsychosis will also be carried out. Thecentre is the first of its kind in the stateand will lead the way in setting newbenchmarks for clinical care.

Rapid response to theCOVID-19 pandemic

From January to June 2020, 688confirmed cases of COVID-19 wereidentified in SESLHD residents.Together with national and state-ledinitiatives, the District’s Public HealthUnit led the local response to thepandemic which proved to be effectivein stopping community transmission of COVID-19 in SESLHD.

Targeted approaches were undertakento support vulnerable communities,including local Aboriginal and TorresStrait Islander peoples. Four ‘COVIDsafe’ influenza vaccination clinics were held in La Perouse, Menai andGunnamatta Bay which saw 425residents, ranging from babies to elders, being vaccinated. In addition six Aboriginal healthcare workers weretrained as COVID-19 support officers,providing culturally appropriate care toAboriginal COVID-19 positive patientsand close contacts.

Supporting our Indigenouscommunities

Three Aboriginal mental health workershave been employed by the District’sMental Health Service to work inIndigenous communities in La Perouse.Aboriginal people can experiencesignificantly poorer mental health thannon-Aboriginal people, due to socialdislocation, intergenerational trauma and other complex needs. The newliaison officers are the result of acollaboration between the District andthe La Perouse Local Aboriginal LandCouncil. They act as go-betweens,supporting and referring Aboriginalpeople to SESLHD services, such as drug and alcohol counselling andprovide culturally safe mental healthsupport in the area.

Rapid implementation of telehealth

The Strategy, Innovation andImprovement Directorate delivered a rapid implementation of telehealth at scale across the District. BetweenJanuary and May 2020 more than 4,500 video conference sessions,including individual consultations, group exercise classes, the AboriginalHealthy Lifestyle Program and mother’sgroups, helped provide equitable access for patients. The rollout oftelehealth also allowed staff to continueto provide healthcare services topatients in their home via videoconference technology, where clinically appropriate.

Mental health crisis care

There has been a 10 per cent reductionin mental health presentations via Policeand Ambulance to the St GeorgeHospitalEmergency Department thanks to the u


pilot program, PACER (Police,Ambulance and Clinical Early Response).In a collaborative effort between NSWPolice, NSW Ambulance and SESLHD’sMental Health Service, the successfulprogram has now been rolled out toother parts of the state. It involvesmental health clinicians working with 12police stations helping people in troubleeither by telephone or in person beforethey are sent to the hospital’s emergencydepartment. PACER focuses on care inthe community, delivering actions suchas referring a person to a domesticviolence social worker.

NSW Telestroke Service

Connecting stroke neurologists toregional and remote patients viatelehealth technologies, the pioneeringNSW Telestroke Service wasestablished this year. This serviceprovides lifesaving, around-the-clockaccess to specialist assessment,diagnosis and treatment planning,improving patient care and outcomes.

Housing the state-wide service at Princeof Wales Hospital was made possiblethrough partnerships with the Agency for Clinical Innovation and eHealth. The revolutionary model will expand toreach up to 23 rural and remote healthfacilities over the next three years.

Consumer walkarounds

Members of the Consumer AdvisoryGroup at Sutherland Hospital offer a‘below the waterline’ perspective on the care and treatment provided in the hospital, with information gatheredby conducting newly implementedconsumer walkarounds. Theconsumers, who have a range ofdifferent backgrounds and health-related experiences, are able to obtainimportant feedback about our patients’journeys, highlighting strengths andidentifying areas where improvementsneed to be made, which otherwise maynot be communicated.

Medication Safety Project

The introduction of ElectronicMedication Management, eMeds,provided an opportunity to definitivelyidentify and address safe medicationadministration challenges acrossSydney/Sydney Eye Hospital. Aconsidered, three-phase program was launched, with collaborativemeetings ensuring local issues wererecognised. Education sessions weredelivered, certifying staff expertise in

safe medication practice, followed by interactive presentations featuring a number of external speakers.

Some 10 months after the MedicationSafety Project’s implementation, thenumber of medication incidents werefound to have decreased by 34 per cent.

Hospital in the Home

St George Hospital implementedHospital in the Home (HITH) to enhancecommunity access to acute and sub-acute care. Using an inpatient model of care, patients can remain in theirhome under medical and nursing staffreview for some conditions that wouldnormally require hospital admission.This is the first site using this model totrial the use of an electronic medicationchart system called e-meds in theinpatient community HITH setting. The service was pivotal in providingfollow up and management of positiveCOVID-19 patients in the community,for acute monitoring and for avoidinghospital presentations.

Putting patient safety first

A diverse group of clinicians and ITanalysts at multiple hospital sitesacross SELSHD, Illawarra ShoalhavenLocal Health District and the SydneyChildren's Hospitals Networkcollaborated to develop an intuitiveelectronic decision support tool to guidedosing of the antibiotic gentamicin. The tool markedly improved theappropriateness of dosing from 19 per cent to 79 per cent, with reducedover-dosing and under-dosing.

Improving the lactationjourney for high-riskwomen

The Royal Hospital for Womendeveloped a program to improve thesuccessful transition to breastfeedingfor women admitted due to high risk of delivery before 32 weeks gestation.

Along with their partners and otherpatients, women participated in weeklygroup discussions where they receivedcounselling and information on theNewborn Care Centre environment,establishing breastmilk supply whenseparated from their newborn, andunderstanding the journey that may be ahead of them. Participants reportedfeeling less stressed and isolated as aresult of the program, which showedexcellent outcomes.

LIANE O’BRIEN

Senior Physiotherapist,Cancer Care Services, St George Hospital

Most of the patients I seehave lymphoedema, a chroniccondition which causes limbsto swell dramatically – oftento twice their usual size. It can be caused by the lymphnodes being removed aftercancer surgery or if the lymphvessels are damaged duringan accident. Some are bornwith a pre-dispositiontowards it.

I’ve been at the cancer unitfor more than 30 years andwe’ve come a long way. Backthen, lymphoedema was justseen as the side effect ofcancer and patients were gladto be alive. Now it’s treatedmuch more seriously and canbe managed really well. It canbe debilitating for patientsbecause it’s hard to move orfit into clothes and they feelself-conscious socially.

One patient I’ll never forgethad been wearing anoversized man’s slipper fortwo years and she desperatelywanted to get the swellingdown in her leg and foot forher son’s wedding. I receiveda photo from her a fewmonths later of her wearinga pretty dress and courtshoes, dancing with her sonat his wedding. She wasbeaming with joy. I was sohonoured to able to help herachieve her goal. Momentslike those are ones youtreasure.

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Workforcewellbeing

PROFESSORFLORENCE LEVY

Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist,Prince of Wales Hospital

Professor Florence Levy –otherwise known as “Flo” to her family and friends – was a brilliant leader in thefield of child and adolescentpsychiatry. When she passedaway in April this year, sheleft an impressive legacy ofresearch into attention deficithyperactivity disorder (ADHD),which contributed to it beingrecognised as a legitimatedisorder.

Professor Levy was a prolificresearcher, publishing morethan 300 journal articles, 30book chapters and four books.She was awarded Member ofthe Order of Australia (AM) in2015 for her contribution toresearch into child andadolescent psychiatry.

As a psychiatrist, her lifewas of enormous benefit tocountless children, youngpeople and their families.Professor Levy was adorednot just for her brilliant mind,but also her quirky sense ofhumour and her unfailinggenerosity of spirit.

Along the way, Professor Levywas a tremendous advocatefor women in medical researchand mentored many early andmid-career female academics.She worked at Prince of WalesHospital for more than 50years, and continued workinguntil late last year, just monthsbefore she died, leaving childpsychiatry in Australia withoutone of its brightest lights.


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Vicarious trauma &compassion fatiguesupport

A research project into the extent and impact of vicarious trauma andcompassion fatigue amongst theDistrict’s social workers has shown the need for more awareness andsupport for staff. As a result, a trainingcourse is being rolled out to assist socialworkers in detecting the signs andsymptoms of vicarious trauma andcompassion fatigue in themselves and their co-workers.

Tools are also being developed aroundsupport during on-call work, clinicalsupervision and safe work guidelines. If successful, these tools could be rolled out across the state.

Identifying SESLHD’sfuture leaders

More than 60 talented employees from across the District took part in the annual LIFT Program for EmergingLeaders to gain insight into theimportance of leadership andmanagement. The aim of the course is to develop participants’ capabilitiesand to identify potential future leaders.Experienced managers across SESLHD shared details about theirleadership journeys and spoke withattendees about how safe, high-qualityand compassionate care can leadorganisations through periods of

tumultuous change such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Upskilling our dietitian assistants

Upskilling our allied health assistanceworkforce is an effective way forSESLHD to meet the increasing demandof referrals to these services. SESLHD’sDietitian Assistant CompetenciesProgram has created new models ofnutrition care and as a result medicalnutrition therapy has been improvedacross the District. Dietitian assistantsnow routinely undertake nutritionscreening and support qualifieddietitians in the review of patients’nutrition care plans.

Support for managersduring times of stress

The extraordinary challenges of 2020 –from bushfires to COVID-19 – promptedthe District’s psychologists to develop a skills-based webinar to help managersand leaders support staff during stressfultimes. Interactive workshops haveprovided staff with evidence-basedstrategies to build the capacity of managers and leaders to create safe,supportive and resilient workspaces.

With over 90 interdisciplinary managersand leaders in attendance to date,participants have indicated that theyvalued the opportunity to sharechallenges with their peers, self-reflect, u


DEBORAH LEE

Clinical Lead, Sydney HospitalCOVID-19/Influenza Assessment Clinic

All I’ve ever wanted to be was a nurse. My mother andaunt were both nurses so Iguess it might be in my blood.I started by working as avolunteer during SchooliesWeek at the Gold Coast formany years and developed alove of caring for others. WhenI was a nursing student at theUniversity of Wollongong, oneof my work placements was in the maternity unit at StGeorge Hospital. The nursesthere were so calming andcaring and nothing phasedthem. It only confirmed it’swhat I wanted to do.

I was seconded from theEmergency Department of Sydney Hospital into itsCOVID testing clinic at the end of April this year. We onlyhad a week to set it up and atthe start a lot of people wereunderstandably anxious so itwas all quite an experience.It’s quite scary but I could see fairly quickly that ourhealth system was going to be able to manage it extremelywell. I feel so lucky to havebeen on the frontline of aglobal pandemic. I’ve beenpart of history.

My advice to family andfriends is always to look afteryourself first. Before you canlook after others, you need tobe healthy in yourself. If you’rein good health physically, it can lead to a healthy mind. Solook after yourself first, bothyour body and your mind.

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focus on self-care and learn newstrategies to detect and respond to a colleague’s distress.

Resilience at the heart of wellbeing

Resilience at the Heart of Wellbeing was the 2019 theme for the annualNursing and Midwifery Forum and hasbeen the focus of a number of initiativesfor SESLHD’s Nursing and MidwiferyPractice and Workforce Unit. Initiativesto cultivate a resilient workforce haveincluded a series of webinars inpartnership with the Langley Groupfocused on strategies to build individualresilience, targeted workshops tosupport resilience building in newgraduate and certified clinical nursemanagers and the creation of a ‘check in tool’ to support team connection andresilience. All initiatives were developedand facilitated using evidence-basedcontent and approaches.

Empowering emergingnursing managers

For the first time at the Prince of WalesHospital, the next generation of leaderswere able to enrol in the EmergingNurse Unit Managers (NUM) Program,following the success of similarinitiatives established at St George and Sutherland hospitals.Starting fromFebruary 2020, nine registered nurseswith demonstrated leadership potentialcommenced participation in a holistic12-month training program. Thisinitiative incorporates an orientation,regular workshops covering a variety of topics, online learning modules andongoing reflective practice, as well assupport to encourage overall wellbeingand mindfulness.

Participants shadow senior leaders,including an allocated mentor, and areoffered opportunities to act in a NUMposition.



Better valuehealthcare


NELLON MATHEWS

Acting Manager, FinancialReporting and Accounting,SESLHD

When I started working inhealth 26 years ago the overall health budget wasaround $10 billion state-wide,and now it’s about $30 billion.We worked in a spooky littleoffice within the pathologydepartment where they usedto do lots of testing – we usedto say we were surrounded by germs!

Back then, SutherlandHospital seemed to havemuch more space aroundus where we could get outat lunchtime. There was asquash and tennis court, aswell as a lovely pool that thestaff could use, and a bit ofgrass where you could sitand have a cup of tea beforeyou had a bit of a swing onyour racquet. Now it’s aconcrete jungle.

I’ve been in Australia foralmost 30 years and one ofthe saddest things I’ve everseen was the long line ofpeople snaking around theblock lining-up for Centrelinksupport because of COVID-19. It was very soberingcoming to work one March2020 morning and seeing that.

There is a great level of trustand affection for healthcareworkers that’s built up duringthis time. They are trulywarriors in this battle againstan unseen enemy.

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than $1.6 million by reducing the use of nursing agencies. This was achievedpartly by the better management ofannual and sick leave.

Framework for high-cost medications

Managing high-cost medications is achallenging public health issue, due to the need to balance both the bestinterests of patients and budgetconstraints. SESLHD’s Clinical EthicsService was consulted by the QualityUse of Medicines Committee for advice regarding how to manage the growing number of applications for expensive medications to treatindividual patients. In response, the service developed a framework to guide decision making, helping toensure that access to medicines forSESLHD patients is both equitable and cost-effective.

Osteoarthritis ChronicCare Program

The team from Sutherland Hospital’sOsteoarthritis Chronic Care Program(OACCP) won the new category of ‘Value Based Healthcare’ in theSESLHD Improvement and InnovationAwards. With the aim of improvingquality of life, increasing functionalcapacity, reducing pain and delaying or preventing the need for jointreplacement surgery, the OACCP saw 252 patients in 2019-20 with 447 referrals to the service.

Care for people with opioid dependence

SESLHD Drug and Alcohol Services is at the forefront in treating peoplewith opioid dependence, with theintroduction of a treatment called depot buprenorphine.

A world-first, randomised controlledtrial into depot buprenorphinedemonstrated greater satisfaction and convenience for patients using the treatment, when compared toconventional care. It has also beenrecognised for its cost effectivenessdue to the reduced supervision timerequired by clinical staff compared to traditional daily dosing.

SESLHD led development of state-wide clinical guidance on the use of the treatment, delivered training to all specialist alcohol and other drugservices across the state and workedwith the NSW Users and AIDSAssociation to develop resources for consumers.

Cost-efficient rostering

An improvement in rostering led to a saving of more than $890,000 in 2019-20. More efficient rostering of our existing staff has allowed us toreduce the amount of overtime, casualand agency pay across the District.SESLHD’s Mental Health Service alsosaved more than $937,000 this financialyear by reducing overtime and more


Communitywellbeing and health equity


KATE DOBINSON

Clinical Product Manager,SESLHD

When I stepped into thisrole I had no idea that therewas going to be a worldwidepandemic. My job is tomanage the interactionbetween NSW Health’swarehouse and our Districtand supply all the clinicalproducts used in the hospitallike hand sanitiser, masks,gloves, gowns, face shields,surface wipes, cannulas,intravenous fluids and wound care products.

When the pandemic hit, my team and I had to adaptvery quickly. The NSWGovernment imposed a lock-down on the people of NSW,with the aim of reducing thespread of COVID-19.

Suddenly we had a massiveincrease in demand forpersonal protective equipment– gowns, gloves, masks –so that staff could care forpatients and be protected.The problem was everyoneelse in the world needed themtoo. Traditional supply chainsfrom countries like China wereextremely limited, so we hadto be creative in identifyingsuitable products from othersources until the governmentestablished good volumesof stock.

It was a marathon effort bya lot of people – including thedrivers – involving late nightsand weekend work. It wasexhausting, challenging andexciting – a real roller coaster.I don’t think any of us willever forget it.

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Improving outcomes forvulnerable communities

In collaborative efforts between keygovernment and non-governmentorganisations, SESLHD contributedto the Intersectoral HomelessnessStrategy and the Mental Health andSuicide Prevention Regional Plan.Both initiatives reflect a sharedcommitment to improve outcomesfor people experiencing or at-riskof mental ill-health, suicide orhomelessness. Alliances with partneragencies demonstrates a strategicand holistic approach, ensuringvulnerable people have access to the right care at the right time.

Staying connectedthrough social media

During the pandemic and bushfires,social media platforms – Facebook,LinkedIn and Twitter – managed by the District’s Media andCommunications Unit, became crucialchannels for relaying important publicsafety information quickly andaccurately. This included highlightinglocal COVID-19 locations of concern,the importance of getting tested andchanges to hospital visitor policies. The level of engagement with thecommunity rose exponentially –Facebook by 41.2 per cent, Twitter by 28.9 per cent and LinkedIn by 172.2 per cent. SESLHD staff alsoembraced TikTok to boost morale

and stay connected with each other, withteams practising their best moves toproduce a series of light-hearted videos.

Supporting bushfire-affected communities

Between January and March 2020,SESLHD’s Mental Health Servicedispatched 26 staff to the bushfire-affected communities of Narooma, Moruya and Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast. The team supportedvulnerable people from distressed and traumatised communities, visitingMilton Hospital, Nowra Community Health Centre and Shoalhaven Hospital’sEmergency Department, counselling many people who had lost homes andproperties. The team’s efforts werenominated for the NSW Premier’sBushfire Emergency Citation Award.

Sydney Airport COVID-19 screening

SESLHD’s Disaster Management Unit managed COVID-19 screening for more than 89,650 returning airpassengers, requiring cooperativeliaison with Sydney Airport Corporationand federal agencies. Processes andscreening tools were developed withNSW Health to ensure communitysafety, timely screening and referrals for swabbing if required. Social issues,mental health and personal exemptionswere managed in a holistic and caring fashion. u


Increasing breastscreening in our Greekcommunity

Greek women traditionally have one of the lowest participation rates ofbreast screening in the District. Acollaboration between women’sservices and the Greek communitydramatically increased the number ofGreek women having breast screeningin Sydney. An initiative titled BecomingBreast Friends with the GreekCommunity, saw a mobile breastscreen van arrive at a Greek Women’sWellness Celebration on the CooksRiver, to promote screening. Figuresfrom 2018 showed 665 Greek womenhad a breast screen, but after theCooks River event this year, more than 900 had presented for screening.

And now for the good news

The SESLHD Media andCommunications Unit continued toenhance the reputation of Districtfacilities and services by working withmedia organisations to share powerfulstories, many of which had nationalaudiences. Just three highlights includea profile about the life-saving, intensivecare given to COVID-19 patient JosephTannous at St George Hospital in The Weekend Australian magazine; a feature on Kirketon Road Centre’s care for Sydney’s vulnerable population with mobile COVID-19 testing clinics on ABC TV’s current affairs program,The Drum; and a profile on ChloeKennedy, a quadriplegic woman havingher first baby at the Royal Hospital forWomen, on the Seven Network’sSunday Night program.

Healthy choices forprimary school children

Live Life Well at School, a StateGovernment initiative, supportedpublic primary schools acrossSESLHD to implement the NSWHealthy School Canteen Strategy. Its focus is to support a culture ofhealthy food and drink options inschool canteens by making the healthy choice, the easy choice. WithSESLHD’s Health Promotion Serviceproviding workshops, menu reviewassessments and tailored advice, 82 schools throughout the Districtwere able to successfully implement healthy changes to their canteens.

The program saw the number ofpublic primary school canteensmeeting strategy guidelines increasefrom 8 per cent to 90 per cent.

Integrated access to legal support

Uniting War Memorial Hospitalentered into a Health JusticePartnership with Seniors Law NSW,funded through the CommonwealthAttorney General. The partnership is a unique opportunity for multi-disciplinary clinical teams and lawyersto collaborate and support clientsexperiencing elder abuse, includingproviding early intervention to prevent abuse.

Through embedding Seniors LawNSW within the health team, legalhelp is made readily available tothose who otherwise may not haveaccess. Inpatients, outpatients and community clients with theirclinicians are able to seek advice to understand if referrals areappropriate, keeping older peoplesafe and well in their home andcommunity.

Caring for Aboriginalchildren

The Narrangy-Booris service provides culturally safe andappropriate healthcare services for Aboriginal children from birth to school entry age, helping them fully engage in life and learning. Itssuccessful and sustainable partnershipmodel places families at the centre and provides them with criticalsupport. Over the last 10 years the service has worked alongsideclinicians to create culturally safespaces where 500 families now feelcomfortable accessing health services.

Reducing waterpipesmoking

The Shisha No Thanks project is an evidence-based and community co-designed initiative which hasraised the awareness of the harms of waterpipe smoking amongst young people from Arabic-speakingbackgrounds. The project team hasfound innovative ways to engage with the community and evaluate theproject’s work, to support individuals,families and communities in makinghealthy lifestyle choices.

ELLE MILTON

Acting Clinical Midwifery Unit Manager, Royal Hospitalfor Women

I was inspired to become amidwife when I saw how wellmy terminally ill grandfatherwas cared for. The nurses wereso compassionate and kind;they did so much to make himfeel comfortable – they’d makehim laugh and reassure him.These small acts of kindnessmade his day and I treasurethose lasting memories. Ialways hope to make womenin my care feel this way.

Midwifery appealed to mebecause I love supportingwomen and their familiesduring an often vulnerable and life-changing time. Istrongly believe in advocatingfor women, offeringindividualised care, ensuringwomen are listened tothroughout their pregnancyjourney, are supported, andable to make informeddecisions.

Being a midwife is such aprivilege and being present atthe birth of a baby is the bestfeeling in the world. Often thereis a complete shift in energy inthe room once the baby is born – there is an overwhelmingsense of joy, relief and immenseachievement. It’s a buzz I neverget tired of. There’s nothing quite like it. Every family, womanand birth is unique and special,but one that stands out wassupporting a young singleteenage mother birth her babygirl. She later wrote to thank me and told me she had calledher baby girl Elle, after me. Onchallenging days, memories like this really keep me going.

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Foster researchand innovation

Our year in review 2019 - 2020 > 2322 < Our year in review 2019 - 2020

Dashboards support the COVID-19 response

The Business Intelligence EfficiencyUnit collaborated with the COVID-19Operations Team and senior executivestaff to rapidly design, develop andimplement three dashboards for criticalinformation visibility across SESLHD:

w The COVID-19 operationsdashboard displays all testingactivity, including the number ofpeople attending COVID-19 clinicsand those admitted to hospital

w The COVID-19 workforcedashboard displays all staff onspecial leave relating to COVID-19,enabling a rapid response toemerging hotspots and earlyidentification of staff shortages

w The personal protective equipment(PPE) dashboard displays eachhospital’s daily supply of PPE andallows for early intervention toprevent shortages.

Remote technicalcapabilities & support

District ICT, known as Health ICT,helped more than 2,600 staff to work remotely when NSW went intolockdown in March 2020 and manyemployees were asked to work from home. Health ICT enabledcyber-safe remote desktops anddelivered tools such as Skype forBusiness and telehealth platforms.

Within days of a pandemic beingdeclared, the team fitted out COVID-19 testing clinics at Randwick,Sutherland and St George hospitalswith computers providing access toelectronic medical records, as well asprinters. The team also implemented a “Network on Wheels” servicesupport, rapid clinic relocations and pop-up testing.

Randwick campusredevelopment

Design is finalised and construction is advancing for the Prince of WalesHospital Integrated Acute ServicesBuilding (IASB). The IASB will deliverstate-of-the-art infrastructure that will support new and innovativeapproaches to acute healthcare and translational research, providing staff, patients and community withpurpose-built facilities that supportcontemporary clinical practice. u

MARK DELUCA

Maintenance Manager,Sutherland Hospital

I look after all the essentialservices for Sutherland –water, power, lifts, gas,building work, as well as morethan 18 trade staff. In a typicalday we deal with everythingfrom doors, gas outlets,toilets, lights and smashedwindows to wheelchairs thatneed fixing.

During the pandemic, I wasasked to convert an emptyspace into a COVID-19 clinic in a week. It was quitestressful, but everyone pitchedin and we felt like we were partof history, knowing thousandscame in for testing.

I try and keep up morale by having a monthly teambarbecue. I like to keep mydoor open, and give peopleleeway if they need time offfor personal or family reasons.I’d also never ask my team todo anything I wasn’t preparedto take my jacket off and domyself. Sometimes I like tojust walk around and seewhat needs to be done, and if anyone needs a hand.

Before I took this job I didn’tknow much about the daily lifeof nurses and doctors, but nowI have great admiration for theirdedication and how they dealwith traumatic situations.

My mum passed away inNovember last year, and thestaff gave me lots of flowersand cards. I was really touched.That was a day in my career I will certainly never forget.

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Funding for innovativeresearch

A grant of $900,000, issued by theMedical Research Future Fund, wasawarded to the Sydney Partnership for Health Education Research andEnterprise’s (SPHERE) MusculoskeletalClinical Academic Group in 2019.

The group, which undertook aresearch project to compare theeffectiveness of re-fracture preventionservices across a series of local healthdistricts, gained a further $500,000 in 2020 thanks to a ConsumerAwareness Grant.

Randwick Health &Innovation Precinct

The Randwick Health & InnovationPrecinct is a collaboration betweenSESLHD, UNSW Sydney, HealthInfrastructure NSW and SydneyChildren’s Hospitals Network.SESLHD’s Strategy, Innovation andImprovement Directorate worked with partner organisations to leveragethe scale, diversity and expertiselocated on the precinct, resulting inclinical academic collaborations suchas Research Imaging NSW. Thisinitiative provides researchers withstate-of-the-art magnetic resonanceimaging (MRI) capabilities andincreases collaboration betweenleading academic, research andhealthcare institutions.

Sharing data fortreatment & researchexcellence

Information technology systems within SESLHD and other patientdelivery organisations, for examplethe Black Dog Institute, do notintegrate – making it difficult forclinicians and researchers to obtaindata.The Research and OperationalData Environment (RODE) Projectaims to design, build and implement a comprehensive data managementplatform, enabling greater informationaccess for treatment and research. A $1-million grant was awarded by Mindgardens to develop andimplement the RODE Project in2019-2020.



Randwick Health &Innovation Precinctresearch strategy

A comprehensive TranslationalResearch Strategy was designed for the Randwick Health andInnovation Precinct in a collaborativeeffort between SESLHD and precinctpartners. The strategy aims tostrengthen collaboration betweenpartner organisations to ultimatelydeliver better-value healthcare,focusing on innovative solutions,healthy communities and data-drivencare. Thirty working groups wereinvolved in the planning andconsideration of the strategy.

New IVF clinic for cancer patients

The Royal Hospital for Women’sFertility and Research Centre is a first-of-its-kind oncofertility centrein a public hospital setting in Australia, providing opportunities for cancer patients whose fertility may have been compromised bychemotherapy and radiation. Sinceopening in 2017, the centre hasoffered fertility counselling and thepreservation of eggs and sperm forthose undergoing cancer treatment.Stage two of the centre, launched inOctober 2019, entails a new IVF clinicand laboratory. The centre also offerslow-cost IVF for women under the age of 41 with a history of 12 monthsof infertility.

Corneal Bio-ink pen

In collaboration with Sydney andWollongong universities, SESLHD isleading research into the treatment of common cornea problems. Led by clinical ophthalmologist ProfessorGerard Sutton, a team at Sydney EyeHospital is trialling the use of theiFixPen, which delivers a bio-ink to thecornea to facilitate healing, minimisescarring and reduce recovery time. Bio-ink can be applied to clinicaltissues, to treat a variety of conditionssuch as cornea ulcerations, caused asa result of infection, trauma or contactlens misuse. The team initially receivedcritical funding from the Sydney EyeHospital Foundation and Sydney

Research, followed by $1.1 million fromthe NSW Medical Devices Fund andhas now received a further $400,000from the National Health and MedicalResearch Council, to develop anotherink for eye treatments. So far, the trialhas found that bio-ink is capable of not only facilitating healing but can also act as a “glue” in perforations ofthe eye, thereby sealing wounds andreducing possible infection. ProfessorSutton’s team is also exploring the role of bio-inks in the development of a bio-engineered cornea.

Showcasing our nursing excellence

SESLHD Nursing and Midwifery Practice and Workforce Unitshowcased its work at the 5thCommonwealth Nursing and MidwiferyConference in London in early 2020.Three presentations highlighted some of the unit’s work: using storytelling to improve compassionate care,improving the student midwifeexperience, and an evaluation of theEffective Leadership Program run inpartnership with the University ofWollongong. Staff were also invited to present at Australian conferences,including the Nursing and MidwiferyOffice Showcase and the UTSEmpathy Symposium. In addition, 22 abstracts from staff acrossSESLHD were accepted for theEnhancing Practice 2021 Conference.

Improvements inelectronic medical records

The Health ICT clinical applicationsupport team continued to enhanceelectronic medical records across the District. Highlights includedimproved newborn and maternityelectronic observation charts,improved discharge patientinformation and bridging the gapbetween the District’s hospitals andlocal general practitioners. TheProgram Management Office alsoimplemented a new system at StGeorge Hospital for fetal monitoringthat updates mothers’ electronicmedical and maternity records via a mobile app.

LOUISE BARCLAY

Nurse Manager, COVID-19Testing Clinic, Prince of Wales Hospital

I was deployed to run theCOVID-19 clinic in March.Before that I’d been thenursing manager for Hospitalin the Home and had workedin the team for more than 22 years, so it was a steeplearning curve. I was bothexcited and daunted. Therewas so much to learn, and at the start, a lot of patientswere very uptight and anxiousbecause they felt they had towait too long to be tested orbecause they didn’t meet theinitial testing criteria. That wasthe early days though andthings settled down a lot.

One patient I’ll never forgethelping at Hospital in the Home was a lady in her 70swho was living in absolutesqualor. She obviously hadn’teaten a healthy meal at homefor some time – there weremouldy pots and pans in thekitchen. We were able to moveher into an aged care facility, and she’s much happier. That’s satisfying work.

If I could tell people onething, it’s to look afteryourself, because it paysoff in the long run. If you’reunhealthy, small things canbecome a big issue. If you’renot feeling well, go and seeyour doctor. Exercise, eatwell and see friends. Lookafter your physical andmental health, because they are so precious.

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Chloe Kennedy’s world came crashingdown around her in February 2017 when a fluke skiing accident in Italy left her aquadriplegic.

When the molecular scientist woke up in hospital, her first question was: Can I still have kids?

The damage to her spinal cord left her partiallyparalysed from the chest down, affecting her handsand legs. “It took a while for the reality to sink in,” she says.

Months of grueling rehabilitation in the acute spinal care ward at Prince of Wales Hospital enabled MsKennedy to brush her teeth, dress and feed herself,

Our year in review 2019 - 2020 > 27 26 < Our year in review 2019 - 2020

Joseph Tannous is living proof that thepandemic choking the globe doesn’t juststrike the old and the sick. Joseph was a fit, healthy 49-year-old businessman fromBrighton-Le-Sands when he was struckdown by COVID-19.

The father of three was the first patient admitted to StGeorge Hospital’s new COVID-19 ward. It was Saturday,21 March. He had a tight chest and was struggling tobreathe. He was quickly taken into the care of thehospital’s Respiratory Specialist, Dr Yizhong Zheng.

But as the virus ravaged Mr Tannous’ body, his conditiondeteriorated and he contracted severe pneumonia; within24 hours of arriving at the hospital, the staff gave him thedevastating news: they had to intubate him and put him on a ventilator in order to save his life.

The fightof his life

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and learn how to use her new wheelchair. She foughtback hard for a fulfilling life, helped by her family andher boyfriend Antonello Vigna.

Ms Kennedy joined a wheelchair rugby team and ayear and a half after the accident, the young Zetlandcouple discussed the possibility of having a baby.

As the accident hadn’t impacted her fertility, MsKennedy conceived naturally – and in June 2019, under the care of one of the top obstetricians atthe Royal Hospital for Women, Dr Lucy Bowyer,welcomed baby Aurora.

“I have an interesting career, a supportive family and partner, and now our beautiful girl. That’s a lotmore than many other people have. I feel very lucky,”Ms Kennedy said.

Although she has ability with her arms, MsKennedy’s hands aren’t fully functional, and she still needs a part-time carer while Mr Vigna is atwork and Aurora is little.

Ms Kennedy was able to breastfeed, change anddress Aurora, who is now a cheeky toddler busyexploring the world around her.

Working with an exercise physiologist, Ms Kennedyhas help with standing, walking, balance, posture and strength. And she’s back playing wheelchairrugby – in her own words: “One thing I’ve learnt is to never give up.”

Mr Tannous was placed in a coma for 10 days. As his lifehung in the balance, staff monitored his lungs and heart,fed him through a tube, and applied drops to his eyes.

As Mr Tannous’ lungs improved, the team of specialistsslowly brought him out of a coma. He had lost 12kilograms, struggled to stand up, and couldn’t swallowproperly because he had been intubated for so long.

Mr Tannous can’t remember the specifics of whathappened to him in hospital, but one thing he clearlyrecollects is the exceptional care the staff gave him. He remembers a nurse asking him to squeeze his hand if he would like to listen to music.

“Those 11-12 days I spent in isolation were the mosttraumatic time of my life. But in the end it was thewonderful staff at St George Hospital who got me back up to a point where I could leave and live the life I’m having now,” Mr Tannous said.

Three weeks after discharge, Mr Tannous returned to StGeorge Hospital with a gift of 10 fruit and vegetable boxes– a small gesture, he says, for saving his life. The skill andkindness of hospital staff, along with the love of his familyand the prayers of his church, are what kept him alive. “I’mso grateful to everyone… they are such an amazing team.”

“We have the best health system in the world.”


Wedding Bells ChimeAT PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL

Prince of Wales Hospital’s oncology staff were honoured to help fulfil patient KevinWarner’s dream of getting married to his partner, Simone.

With just a few days’ notice, and thanks to the support of Dreams2Live4 – a not-for-profit organisation thatmakes dreams come true for patients who are living with metastatic cancer – staff swung into action to set up for the big day.

The ceremony took place in the sunshine on the balcony of the oncology ward, decorated especially for theoccasion. Dreams2Live4 provided a cake, food and drinks, and also organised for a photographer andvideographer to capture the everlasting memories.

Grace Wall, Registered Nurse, Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, had one of the most important jobs ofall – to act as a witness at the ceremony.

“It was a privilege to sign the wedding register for Kevin. He was a loveable person who was always up for a joke, and I’m so grateful he asked me to be a part of his marriage to Simone,” Ms Wall said.

“We always go over and above for our patients – and Kevin was such a great character, we wanted to doeverything we could to make his wedding day extra special.

“After Kevin first met the nursing team on the oncology ward earlier this year, as a token of appreciation for the care he received, he organised to bring in lunch for us to share together.”

Along with the couple’s friends and family, staff from across multiple disciplines who cared for Mr Warnerduring his treatment were at the wedding to hear and see the exchange of vows.

Mrs Warner said the nurses, allied health staff and doctors involved in her husband’s care made sure theirwedding was extra special.

“Despite the overwhelming sadness, looking back at the photos of our wedding to see Kevin enjoying the day so much made me so happy,” she said. “It will live on in my heart forever.”

Sadly Mr Warner passed away on Monday, 29 June, surrounded by his new wife and many of the staff who cared for him.


The extent and intensity of this year’s NSW bushfireswere the worst on record: burning more than 11 millionhectares and taking 34 people’s lives along with anestimated one billion animals.

In response, the communities of SESLHD dug deepdonating money, food and other essential items, whileDistrict staff despatched surplus medical supplies andmany others travelled to fire-affected areas to givehands-on help.

For several months, mental health teams deliveredspecialist care to communities in the Narooma, Moruyaand Batemans Bay areas, supporting distressed andtraumatised communities. Dedicated nursing staffspent time at Milton Hospital, Nowra CommunityHealth Centre and in Shoalhaven Hospital’s EmergencyDepartment to relieve local colleagues impacted bythe fires.

Anne Devlin, Clinical Psychologist, Prince of WalesMental Health Rehabilitation, shared a personal accountof her own experience providing assistance. She saidSESLHD staff always received a hearty welcome fromlocals: “As city dwellers unused to this area, we weresaddened by what we saw, but the locals hold amemory of what was once there. They're glad to be alive but the charred trees and houses reminds them of what others lost and what they almost lost,” Ms Devlin said.

D Dedicated staff from Prince of Wales Hospital’sKiloh Centre ran a donation drive to support residentsaffected by fires in the Cobargo region, delivering 21pallets of items including food, water, toiletries, beddingand towels, clothing, generators and medical suppliesvia St Johns Ambulance.

Their efforts also led to a truck load of items forresidents of the Merimbula area, while Prince of WalesHospital’s Cardiology Department conducted a bakesale and raised more than $1,000 for the Rural FireService and WIRES (Wildlife Information, Rescue andEducation Service).

D The Sutherland Hospital gave injured animalscomforting cuddles of support while delivering towels,linen, medical equipment and food to DimmocksRetreat Wildlife, in the Southern Highlands’ townshipof Bundanoon. The self-funded centre relies on

donations to provide care for a range of animalsincluding kangaroos, wallabies, possums, wombats,echidnas, birds and reptiles during their rehabilitation.

Clothing, blankets, pillows, towels, linen and toys werecollected by staff and sent to various evacuation centresin the Southern Highlands and the South Coast alongwith hundreds of items of food and toiletries.

D Sydney/Sydney Eye Hospital provided support toinjured animals through donations to wildlife rescue andrecovery organisation, Medidivert. Staff sorted stock tocollect suitable unused items including ointments, saline,bottles, syringes, sterile instruments and gloves, makingdeliveries to wildlife recovery projects in both the northand south coast of NSW, and the Blue Mountains.

D Staff at the Royal Hospital for Women’s NewbornCare Centre rallied together to collect a large amountof supples for wildlife affected by the fires. Quilts, hatsand mittens for joeys, koalas and other small mammalsas well as bottles and syringes were gathered anddistributed to WIRES for animals in need.

A microbat house was even built by the generoushusband of a Royal staff member, as bat habitat wasseverely impacted by the fires.

D Staff from St George Hospital received anoverwhelming number of donations for two separatebushfire appeals. While non-perishable food items weresent out via Food Bank, medical supplies, pet food,pouches and other items for animals were delivered toThe Rescue Collective, with five car loads of deliveriesdropped off in just the first week of gathering donations.

District staff who provided on-site support to bushfire-affected communities returned home in early March.Tobi Wilson, Chief Executive, SESLHD expressed hissincere gratitude to all who shared their time, their skillsand their support.

“I would like to once again recognise our colleaguesfor their outstanding efforts during this very difficult time.Working away from family and friends to help others inneed is commendable and reflects the core values ofour district,” Mr Wilson said.

“I would also like to recognise those who lost family,friends, property and pets as a result of the fires – please know that you are in our thoughts.”

As both health professionals and caring compatriots,SESLHD staff were quick to help those affected by the 2020 bushfires.

SUPPORTING


Working away from family and friends is commendable and reflects the core values of the District.


COVID-19 in 2020 brought aunique set of responsibilities forSouth Eastern Sydney LocalHealth District, with all staff risingto meet the many challenges.


For South Eastern Sydney Local HealthDistrict (SESLHD) – which covers 468square kilometres from the city tobeyond the metropolitan area’ssouthern boundary – responsibilitiesexpanded in response to the globalpandemic: managing international airtravellers, infection control compliancein the busy Central Business Districtalong with overall healthcare of adiverse population nearing one million.

By 30 June SESLHD had alreadyscreened almost 90,000 airport arrivals,conducted swabbing on approximately74,000 people at multiple special cliniclocations and hospitals, with analysisperformed by NSW Health Pathology atPrince of Wales Hospital, and identified688 residents with COVID-19, several of whom required intensive care.

Team work came to the fore, withfrontline and support personneldeveloping new ways of working.Innovative solutions were born, someeven being adopted internationally;telehealth models of care weredeveloped and expanded, and staff tookon new or additional roles: from virtualantenatal care, online exercise sessionsfor patients with chronic heart and lungdisease, and apps supporting COVID-19care at home, to virtual ‘upskilling’ ofphysiotherapists treating COVID-19intensive care patients, the KeepingPeople Safe and Connected phoneservice for isolated patients, and amobile COVID-19 Disability ResponseTeam – to name just a few. Meanwhile,novel ways to ‘check-in’ with, cheer andconnect the District’s staff were born.

Patients in our careWith news of the pandemic fromoverseas, District staff quickly swunginto action to ensure SESLHD facilitieshad capacity to manage infectedpatients and minimise the risks oftransmission in hospitals. Actionsincluded ensuring capability was in place to manage increased numbers of those needing higher acuity care and establishing systems to screenevery person entering a District facility.

Kate Frampton, Nurse Unit Manager,Respiratory and Infectious Diseases,

helped establish the COVID-19inpatient care capability at Prince ofWales Hospital. This work requiredinfrastructure improvements, such asnew non-invasive ventilators, whichimproved care for patients with arange of respiratory conditions.

“The more prepared we got, the morewe felt we were ready to be able todeal with what was happening. Webegan by putting new monitoringcapability in all eight rooms and nowwe’re finishing off providing this for the full 26 beds in the ward,” MsFrampton said. “We can now monitorall patients safely via back-to-basemonitoring at the nurses station.”

Sutherland Hospital had the highestnumber of admissions of COVID-19patients across the District.

Dr Grant Eruini-Bennett, MedicalDirector, Critical Care at SutherlandHospital, said while the protocols of caring for a potentially infectiouspatient are always observed, COVID-19 brought extra vigilance.

“While the layers of PPE [personalprotective equipment] were different,we tried to not be concerned and treat each patient as we would anyother respiratory failure patient,” Dr Eruini-Bennett said.

“While we only needed to intubate one COVID-19 positive patient, we had many suspected COVID patientswho needed intubation and we didn’tknow if they were positive or not at the time. So we needed to treat themas if they did have COVID-19 andmanage the procedure in a new way.

“COVID has been difficult anddemanding but I can’t think of a winter in the past 25 to 30 years thathasn’t been. The winter is always verydemanding and people have beentraining for this level of demand.”

Testing, testing…SESLHD staff moved rapidly to findavailable space, source stock ofconsumables and to gather staff to conduct testing clinics. u

Dozens of clinics and pop-up sites dedicated to testing for COVID-19 were establishedthroughout SESLHD, complementing the testing work being performed by private clinicsand general practitioners.

At Prince of Wales Hospital, for example, a team worked around-the-clock to prepare to diagnose and treat COVID-19 patients.Associate Professor Jeffrey Post, Director,Infectious Diseases, said his team took on a vast range of responsibilities to tackle thepandemic, “chipping in” to get the job done.“Some helped set up the clinic, others were in charge of providing test results to patients.There are staff caring for COVID-19 positivepatients in our hospital as well as patients inisolation. We also have a 24-hour on-call teamadvising on how to do business in a world with physical distancing.”

Hurstville Community Health Centre COVID-19Clinic – the first community based clinic in South East Sydney – attracted large numbers of locals from its opening day in April. Pop-upclinics often drew together healthcareprofessionals and support staff not linked prior to the pandemic.

“Most of the team have never worked togetherbefore yet collaborated closely – with physicaldistancing of course – to quickly set up the clinicand provide an extremely high standard of care,”said the clinic’s team leader, Helen Rogers.

“In the peak of the lockdown we met a numberof clients who were really socially isolated fromfamily and friends. We were able to provide animportant touch point for a chat and connectthem with support services.”

Extra efforts were put in place to ensureculturally and linguistically diverse communitieswere receiving the messages concerninginfection control, social distancing and testing.Vulnerable and homeless communities werealso a focus, with initiatives such as the pop-up clinics established in key communitylocations by the Kirketon Road Centre.

With just a handful of staff, 2020 saw theDistrict’s team managing procurement of clinical items face challenges never experiencedbefore. Within a couple of weeks a smallwarehouse was up and running managingorders for items such as sterile gowns, gloves,sanitisers, masks, aprons and eye protection –in multiples of tens of thousands.

Community nurses were transporting stock to clinics, dock teams became experts inlogistics, teams of drivers usually ferryingpatients became an urgent courier service for critical supplies.

In less than two weeks, a system ‘dashboard’was built and implemented by the BusinessIntelligence & Efficiency Unit and ClinicalGovernance – to enable accurate up-to-datestocktaking.

“We are a tiny little group and the local healthdistrict was going through stock at the rate ofknots,” said Kate Dobinson, SESLHD ClinicalProduct Manager. “Initially until new supplychains were established through HealthShareand Ministry, we had to get out there and searchfor items that were fit for purpose to keep ourstaff and patients safe.


Most of the team have neverworked together before yetcollaborated closely – withphysical distancing of course– to quickly set up the clinicand provide an extremelyhigh standard of care.

EMMA GRIGGS

Aboriginal WorkforceDevelopment Consultant,Sutherland Hospital

I am a proud Wiradjuriwoman as well as a careerscounsellor, so this job was a terrific use of my skills andbackground. My job is toattract, recruit and retainAboriginal people in theworkforce.

So far we have more than153 Aboriginal peopleworking in our local healthdistrict. Sometimes I pinchmyself that I ended up in such a great role. Part of myjob is to showcase the workof NSW Health to Aboriginalcommunities. I often do thisby talking to the careersadvisors at high schoolsand universities.

Often people are not awareof the variety of jobs we havehere. You don’t have to donursing or medicine; thereare jobs ranging from alliedhealth assistants to speechtherapists, psychologists,and various roles in hospitalservices. There are somewonderful traineeships forschool leavers for dentalhealth assistants andadministration assistants.

One of the things that puts a smile on my face is hearingabout some of the people I’ve employed being promotedor doing a leadership course.Everyone starting out in theircareer can do with a mentor,and I’m so happy to be that person.

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“We had to re-purpose everybody in theprocurement-related teams to support theseefforts. But I was so impressed by the way theysaw what had to be done and jumped at it – no-one ever said no. It was a phenomenal effort.”

Tracing contacts &managing isolationSESLHD’s Public Health Unit (PHU) worked longhours to investigate each positive case of COVID-19 in SESLHD, identifying close contacts andsupporting people to safely self-isolate. The PHUalso worked closely with local schools, councils,businesses and our health facilities to ensureprevention and response measures were in place.

Nursing Unit Manager, Tracey Papa, typicallymanages a team of five, identifying closecontacts of those with other infectious diseasessuch as measles; team numbers were boostedto 45 to deal with COVID-19.

“We go through each person’s day-to-daymovements and find out who they’ve seen andwhere they’ve been. It really is just like being adetective,” Ms Papa said.

The teams provided advice on how to self-quarantine at home and the importance ofmonitoring for symptoms – while also being afriendly voice providing support on the otherend of the phone.

Further support came from SESLHD’s socialwork contingent, which held responsibility for managing quarantine arrangements forCOVID-19 positive people and their closecontacts – as well as providing support tothose not infected but struggling to cope with major upheaval it has caused them.

Emma Dixon, COVID-19/Social Harms SocialWorker, SESLHD, supported people to isolateat home, where possible, depending on theirliving arrangements, but often had to organiserelocation to a hotel.

“For most people, it's just ensuring that thePublic Health Unit is aware of them, that thelocal hospital is aware of them if they’reCOVID-positive, and just ensuring that they’rekept safe and supported for those 14 days,”Ms Dixon said.

“For those unable to isolate at home, thatrequires getting them to the hotel andproviding case management and oversightfor the 14 days that they’re in isolation,ensuring that psychologically their needs are met – 14 days with your own thoughts in a hotel can be a little challenging.”

One referral “can quickly become five people”– and for many, receiving the news that theymust isolate can be a serious blow.


Fourteen days with your own thoughts in a hotel can be a littlechallenging.


“Learning that you're a close contact or thatyou're positive can be the straw that breaksthe camel's back for a lot of people – a singlemother, for example, who is the breadwinner fora family and is casually employed with no leaveentitlements and has to stop work and isolate.That's why this role sits with social work, becausethere's a flow-on effect and a lot of other issuesthat often happen because of that news.”

Support staff come to the foreWhile clinical staff faced new and increasedpressures, the role of support staff, such asfrontline administration and domestic servicespersonnel, became even more essential. Manytook on different responsibilities due to COVID-19.

An example of this was Madison Taueli, HealthInformation Clerk, and her co-workers whoprovided admin support to the COVID-19 and Flu Assessment Clinic at Prince of WalesHospital – the self-nicknamed “Quaranteam”.

Previously holding a ward-based role, Ms Tauelibecame responsible for organising patientinformation, supporting doctors and nurses tomeet the complex needs of inpatient care, andmaintaining a structured and effective patient flow.

Prince of Wales Hospital has one of NSW’slargest COVID-19 testing facilities. Starting theday with a team briefing involving all adminand clinical staff ensures all is prepared, asthe patient flow can be constant from themoment the clinic’s doors open.

“The skills brought from our pre-COVID roles has made us all very good at working together,”Ms Taueli said.

“It’s our hope that patients leave the clinic moreinformed and reassured about COVID-19.”

Prepared for testing times SESLHD’s Disaster Management Unit hasplayed a vital role in the COVID-19 response, in a partnership with Australian Border Forceand the Australian Department of AgricultureBiosecurity, identifying which passenger arrivalsat Sydney International Airport require testing.

Liz Ryan, Acting Clinical Nurse Consultant inSESLHD’s Disaster Management Unit, saidexpertise from many government agencieshad managed this large workload.

“We wouldn’t have been able to achieve thisoutstanding result without the brilliant teamwork between Nursing, Medical, Ambulance,Biosecurity, Border Force as well as theexcellent interpreters with us on the ground.Everybody has worked so incredibly hard,”Ms Ryan said.

“It’s also been great to see that passengers, on the whole, are really happy to be screenedand to receive advice on what to do if they get sick, information about isolation and detailssurrounding how to protect their families.”

Anthony Cook, Disaster Manager, SESLHD,said: “I’d like to make mention of the amazingteam work. There has been an incredibleresponse from our Nursing and Midwifery teamand the support and leadership shown by allthe facility nurse managers in filling the rosterhas been inspiring. Also, the way senior nurses have managed complex problems andsituations every day at the airport is somethingto be very proud of.”


The way senior nurseshave managed complexproblems and situationsevery day at the airport is something to be veryproud of.

RISHI BALDEO

Exercise Physiologist, St George Community Mental Health

My job is to help peoplewith mental health issues toimprove their physical health;it can range from designingintensive exercise programsto simple lifestyle changesin the home.

People are referred to methrough the Mental HealthService. They also see anurse, a dietitian and a peersupport worker. We providethem with all the help theyneed to achieve their goalsover 12 weeks.

Clients range from teenagersto the elderly, and some of the transformations areextraordinary. One personlost more than 25 kilograms.But the improvements go farbeyond physical health. Takingsteps to improve physicalhealth helps them becomemore confident, and havebetter self-esteem. It improvestheir overall mood andoutlook on life.

Often taking charge of theirphysical health is that first,crucial step many peopletake towards becomingindependent and managingtheir own life. It’s a form ofself-empowerment.

The program can have apowerful overall impact; ithas allowed many to returnto work or study, and engagemuch more meaningfullywith their families and theircommunity. It’s incrediblyrewarding to see the changespeople make in their lives.

OU

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Population and Community Health

Soon after the Population and Community Health(PACH) Directorate was established, the COVID-19pandemic arrived presenting a great deal ofchange to both services and the community as awhole. Despite the many challenges staff adaptedbrilliantly, showing great professionalism, flexibilityand commitment as they continued to care for our local community.

The PACH Directorate is focused on preventingdisease, promoting wellbeing and minimisingharm across the lifespan. Effective preventativehealth interventions are a cornerstone of oursociety and the COVID-19 pandemic has broughtthis into sharp focus, illustrating why preventionmatters.

We are also faced with the challenge of preventingnon-communicable diseases that causepremature deaths in our community.

Tackling modifiable risk factors – in particularobesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, smokingand alcohol consumption – continues to be afocus.

Addressing the disproportionate burden of poorhealth outcomes on disadvantaged communitiesis at the forefront of our actions, in particularclosing the gap in health outcomes for Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander people in SESLHD.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Population and Community Health staff fortheir immense efforts in 2019-20. I look forwardto working with the team in the years ahead and demonstrating the full potential of ourcollective action.

Dr Marianne GaleDirector, Population and Community Health

The Population and Community Health Directorate, newly formed in December2019, played a critical role in 2020 given its focus on disease prevention,community health and wellbeing.

38 < Our year in review 2019 - 2020 Our year in review 2019 - 2020 > 39

Culturally appropriate care for new parents

SESLHD provides healthcare services toculturally and linguistically diverse residentsincluding people from migrant and refugeebackgrounds. Cross-cultural workers employed by SESLHD’s child and family health and maternity services support these families to ensure early and ongoingengagement occurs from pregnancy up until a child is five years old.

Preliminary results from an evaluation of theseservices showed 84 per cent of womenreported a positive impact on their maternityexperience and 100 per cent reported anincreased understanding of pregnancy, birthand parenting, noting they would ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ recommend the service to friends and family.

Keeping mouth in mind

People living with a mental illness often havepoorer oral health than the general populationand can experience challenges whenaccessing mainstream oral health services. To reduce this gap, SESLHD’s Oral HealthService and Community Mental Health Service, based at Sutherland Hospital, haveimplemented a referral pathway for clientstaking the antipsychotic medication clozapine.The program supports mental health patientsthroughout every step of their oral healthtreatment journey and has significantlyimproved health outcomes and the quality of participants’ lives.

Vaccinating local Aboriginal communities

Four flu vaccination clinics were held at the La Perouse Aboriginal Community HealthCentre, Gunnamatta Bay Pavilion and MenaiCommunity Health Centres, resulting in over400 people receiving a vaccination. Theinitiative supported our local Aboriginalcommunities to minimise the dual challenge of the winter flu and boost immunity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Families attending the clinics expressed their appreciation toSESLHD for making flu vaccination a priority for Aboriginal communities, with a number offamilies suggesting further vaccination clinicsbe held in 2021.

COVID-19 resources for multicultural communities

The Multicultural Health Communication Service,a state-wide service located within SESLHD,worked closely with NSW Health on translatedinformation and communication strategies for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD)communities across NSW. Locally, multiculturaland health promotion services worked togetherto address the needs of CALD communities,including the large number of internationalstudents in SESLHD. An array of materials were produced, including two successful social media campaigns in 15 languages.

Read more achievements from SESLHD’sPopulation and Community Health Directoratein Our Strategic Priorities section (page 8).

SESLHD Mental Health Service

It has been an extraordinary year beginning with the devastating bushfires, floods and then the impact of COVID-19. However, thesetransformational times have strengthened ourability to pivot and respond rapidly. Proudly, wehave remained committed to providing inclusiveand responsive services in collaboration withpartnerships developed specifically for consumerswho have complex needs.

We have performed a range of procedural andservice adaptations due to the pandemic, such as the provision of telehealth care, revisedmanagement of inpatient leave, and altered the waywe communicate updates and changes to practice.

We now engage with patients via regular recordedinformation sessions available on the Mental Healthwebpage, and have realigned resources to supportincreased calls to the State Mental HealthTelephone Access Line.

As well as the achievements outlined here, we have:

w Developed the 2020-21Mental Health BusinessPlan, following active staff participation in theMental Health Service planning day.

w Considered and developed new models of carewith COVID enhancement funding.

w Finalised restructure of community services for the St George and Sutherland hospitals’ mentalhealth teams.

I have been proud to complete my first year asGeneral Manager of the District’s Mental HealthService and on behalf of the Mental Health ClinicalCouncil, acknowledge the efforts of our skilledstaff. I am exceedingly impressed and thankful for such a dedicated team and would like toacknowledge and thank all at Mental Health fortheir valued contributions and efforts.

Angela KaroozGeneral Manager, SESLHD Mental Health Service

The SESLHD Mental Health Service (MHS) has managed its core business – aswell as the challenges brought by 2020 – with the agility and skill shared by itsstaff throughout the District.

40 < Our year in review 2019 - 2020 Our year in review 2019 - 2020 > 41

The planned PARC model is one thatencourages the service provider to consider the holistic needs of the individual. This meansthat the PARC will provide psychosocial support– that is, support to help individuals andcommunities heal psychological wounds andrebuild social structures after an emergency or a critical event, as well as clinical supportswhich are focused on treating the underlyingmental health diagnosis.

Clinical nurse consultants working together as one

Thirty-four mental health clinical nurseconsultants came together for a professionaldevelopment day designed to supportleadership and cultural development. The dayprovided an opportunity for some of SESLHD’smost senior nursing leaders to network, joinforces and develop strategies, with the aim of increasing the meaningful impact that their role has on consumers, clinicians and thecommunity. The day focused on buildingconnections and exploring how, as leaders,clinical nurse consultants can shape servicedelivery and create support for each other toembark on research.

Read more achievements from the SESLHDMental Health Service in Our StrategicPriorities section (page 8).


Partnerships and Transitions Team

Realignment of the SESLHD Mental HealthService’s Partnerships and Transitions Team was another focus for the Mental Health Servicethis year. The Partnerships and Transitions Team provides leadership and coordination ofmental health care services that are orientated to address people’s complex care needs – so that the people with lived experience of mentalillness can live a meaningful and satisfying life in their community.

The team facilitates strategic planning and expertsupport to the Mental Health Service in thedevelopment, implementation, monitoring andevaluation of access and integration processes toimprove consumers’ and providers’ experience.

The Partnerships and Transitions Team is aproactive service model and works with peopleas the centre of their care. The team looksbeyond the primary current challenges to viewpeople holistically and identify what they needto be able to live in the community, to avoidfuture protracted hospital or emergencydepartment presentations.

Bondi Prevention and Recovery Centre (PARC)

In partnership with Independent CommunityLiving Australia, the SESLHD MHS has beenundertaking substantial planning to establish a mental health short-stay recovery centre inBondi. Bondi PARC is an eight-bedroomresidence, intended to open in late 2020.


Prince of Wales Hospital& Community HealtH ServiCeS

Prince of Wales Hospital staff proved that when challenged, together they canprovide innovative healthcare solutions. New and different ways of thinking wereembraced due to COVID-19, changing the face of optimal patient care.

Reflecting on the many outstanding achievementsfor Prince of Wales Hospital this past year, anenduring accomplishment is the exceptionalteamwork shown in response to the COVID-19pandemic.

Our hospital opened one of the busiest COVID-19/flu assessment clinics in NSW, seeing almost 16,000presentations between March and June 2020 – anaverage of approximately 130 per day. I was inspiredby the collegial atmosphere, witnessing staff with a wide range of expertise come together to set upclinic operations in just 48 hours, and continue tocollaborate as needs evolved.

Innovative thinking and planning also saw the rapidlaunch of the COVID-19 Telehealth AssessmentClinic. The clinic provides safe and efficient homemonitoring for people who test positive to COVID-19, including prompt medical support andeducation. To date, over 170 cases have beenmanaged via the telehealth service, helping toreduce Emergency Department presentations and hospital admissions.

This move to virtual care is just one exampleof how Prince of Wales Hospital continues toembrace telehealth, transforming the way weprovide care. As we look to the future we willexpand and integrate lessons learned tostrengthen our Virtual Care Strategy.

Design is now finalised and construction isadvancing for the Integrated Acute ServicesBuilding (IASB). The IASB will deliver state-of-the-art infrastructure that will support innovativeapproaches to acute healthcare and translationalresearch, providing staff, patients and thecommunity with purpose-built facilities toenhance contemporary clinical practice.

Jennie Barry

General Manager


Cancer Survivorship Centre

Providing a sanctuary and supportbase for people who have survivedcancer, the Cancer SurvivorshipCentre opened in March 2020,located in the historic MedicalSuperintendent’s Cottage.

In partnership with the NeluneFoundation, Prince of WalesHospital Foundation, SonyFoundation, Cancer Council NSWand NSW Health, the centre offerscare to support cancer survivorsmanage the physical, emotional andpsychological effects of the disease,beyond diagnosis and treatment.

The new centre is co-located withthe Nelune Comprehensive CancerCentre, which provides acute cancertreatment, ensuring access to twoworld-class facilities throughout the patient journey.

Virtual education and events

The Medical Education Department, in partnership with the GlennMcEnallay Simulation and LearningCentre, led the way in delivering virtual education, training andmeetings across the District inresponse to COVID-19 physicaldistancing requirements.

The teams utilised webcast andinteractive question-and-answersolutions to keep staff regularlyinformed of COVID-19 updates.

Nursing and Medical Grand Roundsmoved to these virtual platforms toensure ongoing training.

Other SESLHD hospitals anddirectorates followed this model and events, including InternationalNurses Day, also embraced the virtual format. This resulted in greaterstaff engagement, as content wasmade available to view post-event.

Preventing healthcare-associated infections

A Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI)Prevention Strategy was establishedafter data analysis identified many HAIacquired by patients could be avoidedwith effective infection control systems.

A thorough, hospital-wide approachwas taken, with the establishment of six working groups covering areas including: early detection and management of sepsis, invasivedevices management, environmentalcleanliness, hand hygiene, standardand transmission-based precautionsand prevention of surgical siteinfections in cardiac surgery patients.

Positive outcomes includedimprovements in hand hygienecompliance, pre-operative screeningand standardisation of precautiondisplays.

Read more achievements fromPrince of Wales Hospital in OurStrategic Priorities section (page 8).


The Sutherland Hospital& Community HealtH ServiCeS

Presentations to the Emergency Departmentincreased by 23.6 per cent, demonstrating thesignificant impact of COVID-19 on our emergencyservices this year. I have been impressed by the way staff have pulled together and adapted to thechanges and challenges thrown at us includingutilising telehealth to deliver care.

We continued to develop strategies to innovate and improve on the quality of care provided,implementing a number of new models of care. The Midwifery Group Practice and the MaternityAntenatal and Postnatal model saw excellentoutcomes, while our care of vulnerable patientsimproved through early identification andmultidisciplinary team planning.

With record Emergency Department presentations and high numbers of COVID-19inpatients, Sutherland Hospital has continued to focus on strengthening patient-centred models of care.

Enhancements were made to the RapidAssessment Diagnostic Interventional UnitSutherland (RADIUS), including the addition of an outpatient clinic, eight new beds for theGeneral Medical Unit and a partnership with NSW Ambulance for direct referral to RADIUS.

We continued to enhance clinical services withthe arrival of a second CT scanner and masterplanning was completed as the $81.5 millionOperating Theatre Upgrade Project gainedmomentum.

Vicki Weeden

General Manager


The ASPIRE program

This intensive coaching and trainingprogram was implemented to enhanceteamwork, communication andproblem solving while promotingcontinuous improvement across the hospital. The program involved weekly training sessions and dailycoaching for nurse unit managers and their teams with a focus onrefining communication and workpractices. The results have shown an improvement in increased patientflow, performance visibility anddischarge planning.

The IMBED study

The Translational Research GrantScheme provided funds to implementthe IMBED study, looking at preventingand treating moisture-related skininjuries, most commonly a result ofincontinence-associated dermatitis.Commencing in November 2019, the study has achieved greater than 45 per cent reduction in skin injuries.

Response to COVID-19

Pandemic preparedness and planningwas quickly implemented with theestablishment of Sutherland Hospital’sCOVID-19/Flu Assessment Clinic. Our COVID-19 clinical response teamwas quickly deployed, wards werereconfigured and processes wereadjusted to provide safe clinical care in a changed environment.

Staffing profiles were reviewed andequipment was procured to ensurethe hospital was prepared. Telehealthutilisation was a key focus during the early stages of the pandemic to provide continuity of care andpromote early discharge with supportin the community.

Employment opportunitiesfor school leavers with disabilities

The Human Resources Advisory Team has set up a new program at Sutherland Hospital that provides work experience for school leavers with intellectualdisabilities. In partnership withdisability employment serviceprovider Jobsupport, school leaversare taught how to travel on trains and buses by themselves and thentake on roles ranging from sortingfiles,to linen delivery, cleaning andworking in the store room. Once they have gained sufficientexperience they will be consideredfor permanent positions at thehospital and across the District.

Read more achievements from The Sutherland Hospital in OurStrategic Priorities section (page 8).

This year, Garrawarra Centreimplemented internationallyrecognised innovativelifestyle programs, providingworld-class clinical care thatimproves the quality of lifefor residents with dementia.

Pioneering innovative lifestyle programs

Garrawarra Centre was one ofAustralia’s first aged care services to introduce Tovertafel, an interactivegaming console developed for people with dementia to promotesocial interaction and fun. Using thisinnovative leisure resource, residentsare able to interact with pictures andsounds projected onto a table byusing hand movements, detected by infrared sensors. This technology has been an exciting addition to the centre’s lifestyle programs,promoting conversations, sharedmemories and laughter amongstresidents and staff.

Garrawarra research poster awarded

Garrawarra Centre received the ‘Poster of the Showcase Award’ forexcellence in content, communicationand presentation in the NSW Health Nursing & Midwifery ShowcaseAwards.

The poster outlined research thatshowed multisensory environmentprograms have a significant impact on reducing agitation and increasingsocial engagement for residents withdementia. Results show 87 per cent of residents who participated had areduction in agitation, with averageagitation levels improving by 40 percent. Resident engagement levelsincreased by 98 per cent.

GarrawarraCentre

Sydney/Sydney Eye Hospital


Despite the many healthcare challenges broughtby COVID-19, the past 12 months has seenSydney/Sydney Eye Hospital continue to provideoutstanding patient-centred care.

The Emergency Department achieved performancetargets, including treating most patients within four hours of arrival, and meeting the optimal timerequired to transfer patients from an ambulance.

The same collaborative team should also beacknowledged for its critical role establishing thehospital’s COVID-19/Flu Assessment Clinic, andcoordinating ongoing thorough door screening for patients, staff and visitors.

A Multidisciplinary Stable Diabetic Eye DiseaseScreening Clinic was established, enabling greateraccess to specialist treatment for patients withlow-risk diabetic eye disease, improvingtherapeutic planning and outcomes.

Preparations for the refurbishment of the EyeOutpatient Department reached final stages, with works likely to commence by the end 2020.

The upgrade will provide new reception, procedureand consultation rooms, creating increased spaceto better meet future demands.

Almost 2,500 patients received surgery to treatcataracts. Exemplifying effective partnershipswith healthcare partners, some of those treatedwere from the St Vincent’s Hospital waiting list,helping to deliver timely care and improve sightfor more patients.

At the annual Foundation Day celebration inOctober 2019, President of the Ladies Auxiliary,Ms Joy Dick, reminded us of the enduring supportour volunteers have provided for a century, saying:“For 100 years, Auxiliary volunteers have had theinterest of the hospital at heart and good feelinghas always prevailed.”

Jennie Barry General Manager

The significance of Sydney/Sydney Eye Hospital in the history of Australianhealthcare entered a new chapter this year with staff contributing to the COVID-19response, while maintaining specialist and innovative services to patients from all over NSW.

HOPE Project

The Sydney/Sydney Eye HospitalEmergency Department became thefirst in Australia to collect ongoingdata on homelessness health aspart of The Homeless Opportunitiesfor Presentations to Emergency(HOPE) Project.

Collating automated data built thefoundations for early identification of homelessness. This led to moreinformed clinical decisions, efficientprovision of care and thoroughdischarge planning, including forging effective partnerships with other sector services.

HOPE was endorsed by the SESLHDDistrict Community and ConsumerCouncil in December 2019, whichrecognised the project as anextraordinary example of person-centred care and health navigation.

100 years of Ladies Auxiliary

Tuesday 23 July 2019 was asignificant milestone for the Sydney/Sydney Eye Hospital Ladies

Auxiliary, marking a century since its inauguration in 1919. The LadiesAuxiliary’s first activity was fundraisingto supply linen – and its commitmentto support the comfort of patients has continued ever since. In 1930, the Ladies Auxiliary opened theMacquarie Street Kiosk, funds fromwhich were used to purchase manyitems of essential hospital equipment.The kiosk ceased operations inDecember 2019, to focus thefoundation’s efforts on providing direct support for patients.

Upskilling frontline administration staff

Through community feedback platformCare Opinion, an opportunity wasidentified to improve customer servicein the outpatients department. TheSESLHD Organisational Developmentand Learning team facilitated a series of workshops specifically for clericalstaff, a group with historically limitedopportunities for professionaldevelopment. The hour-long workshopsfocused on consumer-centred care,team work and frontline communication,and were run weekly from September

to December 2019. Subsequently, Care Opinion recorded an increase incompliments and clerical staff receivedthe ‘Most Improved Team’ award at the hospital’s 2019 Foundation Daycelebration.

GradStart 2021 went digital

Restrictions imposed by COVID-19inspired the managers of theProfessional Practice Program for first-year registered nurses to connectwith the hospital’s future workforce innew and different ways.

As face-to-face communication withgraduates was restricted, for the first time, staff created a film toincrease online connection. It includedappearances from the Director ofNursing and Support Services and a range of nursing staff, as well astestimonials from current programparticipants. The content was sharedwith all university partners andpublished on SESLHD social mediachannels..

Read more achievements from Sydney/Sydney Eye Hospital in OurStrategic Priorities section (page 8).


St George Hospital& Community HealtH ServiCeS


St George Hospital, the largest hospital withinthe local health district, has been challenged in ways never before experienced in this pastyear and each test has been met with fiercedetermination and resolve. Staff were adaptivein their approach to delivering services and the hospital created new positions, built newfacilities and incorporated new systems toimprove patient care.

I would like to acknowledge the amazing workundertaken to deliver the Birth Unit redevelopment.The works have ensured that we can continue tooffer gold standard care to our growing communityand more importantly, local mothers and babies.

We established a Southern Grief andBereavement Social Worker position, dedicatedto providing support to the loved ones of patientswho have died at St George or Sutherlandhospitals, ensuring our community has accessto local and appropriate bereavement support.

Staff took some time out to recognise ourstrong nursing history for International Year ofthe Nurse and Midwife and it was a testamentto the organisation’s character and culture tosee staff across all disciplines come togetherto celebrate.

I am extremely honoured to be a part of anorganisation that is so greatly respected andsupported by the community it serves. Thecontributions and care shown by local schools,businesses, individuals and organisationsthroughout the COVID-19 pandemic played ahuge part in lifting the spirits of our staff. Thiscommunity spirit is a reminder of what is trulyimportant.

You should all be so very proud of what youhave achieved and I look forward to continuingto work with you all over the coming year,whatever it may bring.

Paul Darcy General Manager

St George Hospital, one of the state’s leading centres for trauma and emergencymanagement, has introduced new patient-centred models of care with a focus on providing our community the highest quality of healthcare and support.


Pharmacist referral system improves ED patient outcomes

Introducing early intervention bya pharmacist in the EmergencyDepartment (ED) improved overallpatient care by reducing medication-related incidents and in some cases avoiding patient admissionaltogether. The referral system has seen a 67 per cent increase in patients being reviewed by apharmacist in the ED. As a resultthe majority of patients had theirmedication history documentedand a clinical review completed by a pharmacist within the first hour of their presentation, reducedfrom an average of 14.5 hours.Pharmacist involvement has alsoprovided a direct link withcommunity services for patientsdischarged directly from the ED.

‘Check, please!’ projectimproves high-riskmedication administration

The ‘Check, please!’ project aimedto improve cross-checking ofmedication administration byengaging staff in the use of a ward-based resource package. Staff wereencouraged to review and providefeedback on tailor-made processesspecific to their area of work.

The results showed the number ofmedication administration errorsinvolving failed or ineffective secondchecks fell by 36.2 per cent. This projectprompted honest appraisal of teams’second check practices, leading tocreative improvement ideas, resulting in safer medication administration.

Improving productivity & patient care

The Productive Ward program wasimplemented to review and improveways of working on the wards bymaking small changes to help clinicalstaff spend more time on patient care. Phase 2, the “Renovated House” Productive Ward, has nowbeen successfully implemented across all clinical units supportingmultidisciplinary teams to collaborateand apply the principles of leanthinking, process improvements andwellbeing. This new series has seen an improvement in clinical practicesacross many units and engagednursing teams in making meaningfulchange for the benefit of their patients.

Site response to COVID-19

All staff put in an enormous effort as a response to the COVID-19 pandemicand particular teams have gone aboveand beyond to keep the hospital andcommunity safe. Working closely withthe Public Health Unit, our Infection

Control team developed newprocesses to facilitate contact tracing,while the Infectious Diseases teamcontinues to provide leadership andexpertise to the hospital as a whole.Team members responsible forpersonal protective equipment (PPE)have worked long hours managing and procuring resources for the site to ensure PPE is available for all whoneed it.

Physiotherapy training forCOVID-19 patient care

Physiotherapists around the world areusing a NSW training program to treatCOVID-19 patients in intensive care,developed by a group of Australianphysiotherapists including St GeorgeHospital’s Wendy Chaseling.

COVID-19 patients in an intensive care unit can experience complicationssuch as stiff and partially collapsedlungs, severe lack of oxygen, a build-up of secretions in the lungs, profound muscle weakness andreduced mobility. Physiotherapists play a key role in treating andrehabilitating these patients.

Read more achievements from St George Hospital in Our StrategicPriorities section (page 8).


Uniting War Memorial HospitalThanks to the steadfast commitment of staff at Uniting War Memorial Hospital to empower patients and clients, initiatives enabling them to take an active role in their care have flourished in 2019-2020.

A reflection of the past year uncovers a portfolio ofprograms, services and models of care where allinvolved have an opportunity to make a positiveimpact on the healthcare provided to older people.

Accomplishments typify the central ethos of WarMemorial Hospital to keep people living well at homeand avoid crisis health situations. Our dedicated staffcontinued to grow and consolidate models of carewhere objectives are to anticipate and prevent healthrisk factors, for both inpatients and clients living inthe community.

The Integrated Rehabilitation and EnAblementProgramme (iREAP) for outpatients consolidated its presence amongst clinicians in the primary healthsector. The eight-week program – which providesearly intervention care for optimal quality of life andindependence – raised its profile amongst generalpractitioners, resulting in excellent patient outcomes.

Our Geriatric Flying Squad (GFS) further integratedwith the Prince of Wales Hospital GFS to addressacute aged health issues in the community, including in residential facilities. This support proved particularlyimportant in light of additional pressures placed onthese services due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gerard HydeExecutive Manager

Wellness checks

Immediately following the introduction of COVID-19health restrictions, staff at War Memorial Hospital tookaction to ensure older clients living in the communitycontinued to take care of their health and wellbeing.

A multidisciplinary working group developed a‘wellness check’, encompassing a number of tools to respond to the emerging need, including a letter,wellness check triage and decision-making tool.


The checks identified clients at risk of deterioration,enabling onward referrals – reducing the need forcrisis support or acute hospitalisation.

Becoming a ‘dementia friendly organisation’

The hospital partnered with Dementia Australia to become a ‘dementia-friendly organisation’– supporting the hospital’s aim to be a hub fordementia services, which includes comprehensivegeriatric and psychological assessment, memory and education groups and carers’ support.

Looking forward, War Memorial Hospital will pilot a new model of care, Management of Dementia – or MOD squad – after securing funding from TheInspiring Ideas Challenge in 2019. The model willfocus on care coordination, education and goal-orientated rehabilitation for those in the early stages of the disease, filling a current gap in post-diagnostic support.

Telehealth and virtual care

COVID-19 saw the use of innovative telehealth and virtual care models at War Memorial Hospitalexpedited urgently to enable continuity of care.Groups for speech pathology and exercise and falls prevention were led remotely, and assessmentsfor neuropsychology and the Geriatric Flying Squadwere completed with virtual tools. Physiotherapistscollaborated with partner organisation Feros Care to provide exercise programs and social interactionusing home monitoring technology.

Comprehensive evaluations will determine whichmodels will continue beyond the COVID-19response.

Read more achievements from the Uniting WarMemorial Hospital in Our Strategic Prioritiessection (page 8).


Calvary Health Care Kogarah – a 98-bedfacility providing inpatient rehabilitationand palliative care, day rehabilitation and community services – introducedinnovative new programs and initiatives to increase communication between staff, patients and their carers.

Calvary was congratulated for the standard of patientcare across all programs receiving National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards Second Editionaccreditation in July 2019.

Consumer involvement was identified as a strengthacross the organisation, complementing the specialistpalliative and rehabilitation services lead by dedicatedmultidisciplinary teams.

Parkinson’s Disease Wellbeing Program

Developed in collaboration with Southern Neurology,the Parkinson’s Disease Wellbeing Program is anintegrated model of care, incorporating education,exercise and lifestyle advice to help empower people with Parkinson’s disease by maximising their physical and psychological function.

X-Change – Two way communication board

Two-way communication boards have been asuccessful addition to the rehabilitation unit, improvingcommunication between the multi-disciplinary team,patients and carers. The boards are used to addressquestions about patient care and display each patient’smobility rating by using a ‘traffic light’ system.

Doing it Differently Grants

Calvary partnered with Georges River Council andSESLHD in this grants initiative, which offers up to $10,000 to community members or groups thatpromote health and wellbeing, create well-connectedcommunities and reduce the risk of loneliness andsocial isolation. Calvary’s grants were awarded to: The Riverwood Community Choir and B Active – St George Community Transport, which supports older people to remain physically and mentally active.

Calvary HealthCare Kogarah


Royal Hospital for Women

While caring for women at some of the mostvulnerable times of their lives, such as pursuingfertility treatment or receiving chemotherapy forcancer, the Royal Hospital for Women this yearcelebrated several milestones including stage two completion of the Fertility and ResearchCentre, opened by NSW Minister for Health andMedical Research, The Hon. Brad Hazzard MP.The centre is giving hundreds of people withcancer and rare genetic diseases the opportunityto have children through the public health system.

The Newborn Care Centre completedrefurbishment plans, which will allow room formore at-risk newborns and provide a betterenvironment for their parents. Meanwhile, RoyalHospital for Women staff chaired a nationalsteering group on the treatment of newbornbabies – the Australasian Neonatal MedicinesFormulary.

Based at the Royal Hospital for Women, thestatewide service, MotherSafe, led the onlinepresence of District services receiving the mosthits on its website. MotherSafe continued toprovide a comprehensive counselling service

for women who are concerned about beingexposed to drugs during pregnancy andbreastfeeding.

Pregnancy Planning, Lifestyle and Nutrition(PLaN), the Royal Hospital for Women’s pre-pregnancy planning clinic, continued to partnerwith Karitane, a non-government agency andleader in parenting services, to educate womenand their partners considering pregnancy.

The hospital’s maternity services took a proactiveapproach to managing care during COVID-19,with staff actively involved in local and NSWMinistry of Health clinical reference groups. A pandemic plan was developed to protectmaternity services, women’s health and newborncare health, with additional innovative online and telephone services offered to local women.

As always, we couldn’t do this important workwithout the ongoing dedication and hard workof our staff. To each and every one, in whatevercapacity you have helped, I thank you.

Vanessa Madunic General Manager

The Royal Hospital for Women continued to provide gold-standard care to women and babies from all over NSW in 2019-2020, while opening newservices for IVF and fertility preservation, undertaking world-class researchand planning upgrades to facilities for the care of at-risk newborns.


Exercising in pregnancy

A research team of 10, led by seniorphysiotherapist Hannah Graetz, is in the running for a $1 milliongrant which, if successful, will enable it to explore ways toencourage women to start orcontinue exercising throughoutpregnancy. Studies have shownexercise during pregnancy hasenormous benefits to women’s and infant health. The pilot projectwill involve up to 1,000 women from across the state.

Special midwifery care

The Royal Hospital for Women’smidwifery team devised a newprogram that ensures all womenhaving a baby at the hospital havethe choice to see the same midwifebefore and after giving birth. Ninemidwives provided continuity ofcare to more than 1,300 women,and interest continues to grow.The hospital aims to make this the standard model of care for all women not cared for by theMidwifery Group Practice.

New mammogram machine

In collaboration with The Royal Hospital for Women Foundation, a new mammogram machine has beeninstalled in the NSW Women’s BreastCentre. The new machine is fast,accurate and three-dimensional. It can perform X-ray-guided biopsies,providing much greater clarity for thetechnician, and more comfort and peace of mind for patients.

Recycling for a good cause

The Domestic Services Departmentbegan recycling polyvinyl chloride(PVC) intravenous bags formanufacture of hoses, safety mats and other products, avoiding sendingmedical waste to landfill. The team is also encouraging staff and thecommunity to donate plastic bottletops to support the manufacture ofartificial limbs for children.

Read more achievements from the Royal Hospital for Women in OurStrategic Priorities section (page 8).


DR MEREDITH WARD

Neonatologist Royal Hospital for Women

I treat some of the tiniest andmost fragile patients in ourhealth system, at The Royal’sNewborn Care Centre. As part of a large team, which I lead along with six otherspecialists, we providecomplex care for at-risknewborns, often for months at a time.

I’ve been at The Royal foralmost 20 years and haveseen vast improvements in the survival rates and long-term health of prematurebabies. Twenty years ago, only 40 per cent of babiesborn in “the grey zone” of 23 to 25 weeks lived. Today,more than 60 per cent survive.

One of the many things I loveabout The Royal is the way itremains right at the forefrontof treatment for at-riskneonates. When I first joined,the long-term health concernswere about severe cerebralpalsy, blindness and hearingproblems. Today, more babiessurvive and they may facemore subtle problems such as concentration andcognitive delays.

A big part of the job involvesstanding alongside the parentsduring a harrowing period intheir lives. Although mostdoctors try to keep aprofessional distance, theNeonatal Intensive Care Unithas always been different.When there is a genuine riskthe little ones may not make it, it’s hard not to get involved.

Fortunately, we get to say a lot of happy goodbyes whenparents take their babieshome. It’s hard to think of anywork more satisfying than that.

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NSW Organ and TissueDonation ServiceThe NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service(OTDS), located within South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, is the state-wide agencyresponsible for increasing organ and tissuedonation for transplantation in NSW. This year,NSW OTDS both promoted and provided vitalaccess to donation and life-saving transplantation,as part of its role in the provision of quality healthcare in NSW.

Skin donations save lives interstate & overseas

The NSW Tissue Bank’s deceased skin donation program played a significant role in two recent disasters, providing urgently neededskin for victims of the White Island Volcano incident in New Zealandin December 2019, as well as the Queensland mining disaster inMay 2020.

Skin grafts are a life-saving treatment for people with serious burns. The program involves the retrieval and processing of skin inpreparation for transplant, and after passing a number of stringentassessments it is preserved and stored for up to five years.

First-of-its-kind amnion donation program

The NSW Tissue Bank launched a unique program, offering women who are scheduled to have an elective caesarean sectionthe option to donate their amnion. As part of the program, amnioticmembrane, which would otherwise be discarded, is turned intografts and used as open wound dressings. Since its launch in 2019,amnion grafts have been utilised by 68 surgeons across Australia,helping to treat patients suffering from serious wounds, eye injuriesor burns. Just one amnion donation can treat up to 20 patients.

Organ & tissue donation partnership

The NSW OTDS has been working in partnership with researchersfrom Southern Cross University to investigate practical strategiesfor increasing registrations on the Australian Organ Donor Register.

The research has resulted in the implementation of an immediateregistration opportunity initiative, which increases registrations byencouraging conversations to establish people’s attitudes andbeliefs towards organ and tissue donation.

Findings have been incorporated into community engagementactivities undertaken by the OTDS, community partners andvolunteers.


The outstanding individualsand work taking place inSESLHD were celebratedwhen the District took outthree of the 12 categories in the 2019 nSW HealthAwards.

Eastern Suburbs Mental HealthService’s PACER (Police, Ambulance,Clinical, Early Response) Programwon Excellence in the Provision ofMental Health Services; KirketonRoad Centre’s Wendy Machin wonCollaborative Leader of the Yearand Isabelle Wilson was awardedVolunteer of the Year for her workwith the Youth Reference Group atheadspace Bondi Junction.

The 21st annual NSW Health Awardswere attended by almost 600 peoplefrom across NSW including the Hon.Brad Hazzard, Minister for Health andMedical Research, the Hon. BronnieTaylor, Minister for Mental Health,Regional Youth and Women, and the Hon. Natasha Maclaren-Jones,Parliamentary Secretary for Health.

Wendy Machin, Clinical ServicesManager, Kirketon Road Centre was

SESLHD triumphs in NSW Health Awardsinteragency collaboration, likePACER, had received an award.

PACER offers on-scene and phoneassistance to people experiencing a mental health issue, significantlyreducing emergency departmentvisits.

“The award celebrates bestpractice in an integrated emergencyservice system to respondeffectively to people in urgent need.It was a pleasure to work with theSt George Local Area Command,which has embraced the program,”Ms Karooz said.

“Special acknowledgement mustgo to Superintendents Maloneyand Griffiths, Inspector Daley andSenior Constable Sonia Krcalovicwho worked tirelessly and sharedthe vision with SESLHD MentalHealth Service, to make thisprogram a success.”

Winners from SESLHD’sImprovement and Innovation Awardswent into the running for the NSWHealth Awards. Contenders wereselected from a field of a record193 entrants across NSW Healthorganisations.


awarded for “providing inspirationand leadership at the Kirketon RoadCentre for more than 20 years.”

“I feel very proud receiving thisaward, most of all because of thegenerosity and kindness of myteam in putting me forward,”Ms Machin said.

“I feel very lucky to work with sucha great team of dedicated andhardworking staff and with a clientgroup who show such courage andresilience in the face of some majorlife challenges.”

Volunteer of the Year, IsabelleWilson, was one of the night’syoungest winners honoured for herleadership to the District, includingtraining as a youth mental healthfirst aid facilitator. Isabelle has beena consumer representative forheadspace Bondi Junction anda member of the Youth ReferenceGroup, for over three years.Currently completing her nursingtraining, Isabelle is a committedyouth advocate.

Angela Karooz, General Managerof Mental Health Services, SESLHD,said she was proud that an

> From cheering up patients by bringing therapy dogs into our wards to raising thousands of dollars running gift shopsand kiosks, volunteers remain the unsung heroes of ourhealth district. Each and every one gave their time and heartto make our hospitals a better place.


VolunteersoUR UnSUnG HERoES


Royal Hospital for WomenVolunteers continued to play an integral role at

The Royal Hospital for Women Foundation which

supports the hospital. More than 30 volunteers

ushered guests, managed donations and sold raffle

tickets at the foundation’s glamorous BAZAAR in

Bloom fundraising event, while others brought

Easter cheer by delivering chocolate eggs and

bunnies to the patients.

Sydney/Sydney Eye HospitalThe Friends of Sydney Hospital volunteer group

raised an impressive $100,000 to help fund hospital

equipment and research by selling refreshments to

outpatients and visitors, along with essentials for

inpatients. They also raise funds selling delightful

handmade clothes for babies and children at The

Little Shop, a cultural institution on Macquarie

Street that has been running since 1962.

Prince of Wales HospitalVolunteers raised $50,487 towards vital equipment

to improve patient care at the hospital, by running

the Wig Library, the Volunteers Garden Coffee

Shop, a gift shop and book services. They also

visited patients and provided guide services for

the Randwick campus.

Sutherland Hospital A small army of 150 volunteers including the

Highfield Auxiliary Committee raised more than

$260,000 for equipment and services at the hospital,

with income raised from the kiosk, food store,

bookshop and gift shop. Volunteers played an

essential role bringing smiles to the wards with

therapy dogs, newspaper deliveries and by guiding

visitors throughout the hospital.

St George HospitalVolunteers cheered up patients managing ward

visits by Roxy the therapy dog, while ‘wayfinders’

were on hand to direct or escort patients through

the labyrinth of corridors in the hospital. They also

distributed books via a library trolley in the Aged

Care Unit.


The Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation provided$1.25 million over the last year for research,education and equipment at the hospital, withspecial grants and scholarships awarded including:

a Two scholarship grants of $150,000 each which enabled PhD students to undertake research

a $192,676 for the completion of a trial into macular research as part of a clinical study which aims to reduce the cost of injection treatment for patients

a $440,000 allocated to fund eight, 12-month fellowships at Sydney/Sydney Eye Hospital for specialists from countries including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Uniting Kingdom and Nigeria.

The Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation this year contributed $2,394,808 towards the hospital.Highlights include:

a $400,000 to help refurbish the newly opened, heritage-listed Cancer Survivorship Centre

a $250,000 for anaesthetics equipment for the Billington Centre

a $115,000 for new virtual care and patient communications platforms

a $30,000 for the refurbishment of the Medical Imaging Library.

The foundation’s grants also funded four newresearch projects, six new innovations in patientntcare, 27 life-saving pieces of equipment, and 10projects run by the Louisa Hope Fund for Nurses.

A special thanks to our

hospital foundationsOur District would not be the same without the invaluable contributions made by our foundations.


The Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation 2019Research Medal was awarded to ProfessorJacqueline Close for dedication and service to aged care patients.

The Royal Hospital for Women Foundationraised more than $1.9 million for equipment,research, education programs and patient supportacross all clinical areas of the hospital.

Some of the foundation’s achievements includefunding:

a State-of-the-art incubators and monitoring systems for the Newborn Intensive Care Unit

a A perinatal psychologist to improve mental health outcomes for mothers and mothers-to-be

a Maternal fetal medicine research and ultrasound equipment

a Vital signs monitors across the hospital

a Ongoing support for the hospital’s Indigenous midwifery program

a A first-of-its kind ultrasound for research into complex pregnancy and stillbirth

a A new 3-D mammogram machine for the NSW Women’s Breast Centre, providing on-the-spot breast diagnosis and biopsies.

The St George and Sutherland Medical ResearchFoundation awarded $205,810 to five new areas of research through its annual grants program.These went to:

a Dr Megan Gow for her research into whether exposure to pre-eclampsia in utero contributes to cardiovascular disease risk and ageing in early childhood

a Professor Marissa Lassere for her research into the role of gut microbiome in inflammatory arthritis

a Dr Jose Perdomo for research into the role of white blood cells in a bleeding condition known as immune thrombocytopenia

a Dr Michal Szczesniak for research into ways to help head and neck cancer survivors to be able to swallow after treatment and to prevent aspiration pneumonia

a Dr Nan Wu for research into inflammatory bowel disease.

A highlight was the opening of the MicrobiomeResearch Centre which will explore how our gut health affects our overall health. The foundationlaunched the Red for Research campaign, asking St George and Sutherland hospitals and communitiesto ‘go red’ to raise awareness and funding forresearch in our hospitals.

@SESLHD

@SEastSydHealth

www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au

South Eastern Sydney Local Health District

South Eastern Sydney Local Health District

Stay connected in South Eastern Sydney Local Health District

This book was produced with 100% recycled paper

Documents

Our Year in Review 2019-2020 - Ministry of Health