PRESTIGIOUS AWARD FOR ACCLAIMED ENT SURGEON AT LINGARD AND MAITLAND PRIVATE HOSPITALS

 

Australia’s first Aboriginal surgeon, the highly acclaimed Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon, Associate Professor Kelvin Kong, has been awarded the prestigious Menzies Medallion.

The breadth and depth of Associate Professor Kong’s work over the years is far reaching and includes his role as chief investigator for the Menzies-led Centre for Research Excellence in Ear and Hearing Health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Associate Professor Kong was presented with the award – the highest offered by the Darwin-based Menzies School of Health Research – in recognition of his leadership in Aboriginal health service delivery, advocacy, and research.

Associate Professor Kong also participates in a project group at the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI). Earlier this year, Associate Professor Kong also received a five-year, $1.12 million Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant to explore a telehealth ear, nose and throat (ENT) model, based in metropolitan, rural and regional Aboriginal community controlled health services.  The Indigenous-led telehealth research would improve Aboriginal children’s access to specialist ENT care and reduce the waiting time for treatment during the vital years of early childhood ear and hearing health.

Associate Professor Kong was also profiled in the prestigious international medical publication – The Lancet – last month as a trail blazer for Indigenous health in Australia.

 

 

NEW ILLAWARRA RESPIRATORY CLINIC OPENS AT SHELLHARBOUR PRIVATE HOSPITAL

 

Shellharbour Private Hospital has recently launched a new service, a Specialist Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Clinic. This comprehensive service will provide assessment, investigation and treatment of all respiratory and sleep conditions.

Complementing the clinic, we will be operating an exciting new outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program for patients with Chronic Respiratory Disease. They will be supervised through an extensive eight-week program of outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation to improve their fitness, and optimize their respiratory function. 

Demand for Respiratory Specialists and testing facilities in the area is high, we anticipate that our new service will provide much needed support for the Illawarra.

 

NEW LOOK 'SAFARI' PAEDIATRIC PROGRAM AT BRISBANE WATERS PRIVATE HOSPITAL

 

Brisbane Waters Private Hospital’s “Caring for Kids” program has a new look Safari theme. The program is committed to making what can be a anxious time into something welcoming and friendly. Children admitted to Brisbane Water Private Hospital will not only experience a warm, personal and professional stay but have an interactive “special” children’s admission. Often first time visitors to the hospital, we want to ensure the memory is pleasant and as anxious free as possible for the child and their family.

"The interactive program commences on admission, where the children will notice our new Jungle Safari theme. Children and families are greeted by staff dressed in Jungle themed attire and children are given their 'Welcome Safari Backpack', 'Safari Hat', 'Binoculars' and 'Safari Map' ready to hop into a Safari Jeep and drive themselves to theatre. On their way to Theatres, the children can look for the animals and mark them off their ‘Safari Map’. The children will have to look out for; Buffalo's, Giraffes, Monkeys, Parrots, Zebras and Tigers just to name a few," said Brisbane Waters Private Hospital CEO, Debbra Ritter.

Children staying overnight have a private room and their very own 'Jungle' menu to choose from, with a never ending supply of ice cream, jelly, custard and zooper doopers in every possible flavour. Parents staying overnight with their children will be provided complimentary meals. Bravery awards, along with the ’Safari Backpack’ are also given to each child to they can show family and friends all about their hospital experience.

 

THE HILLS CLINIC HELPS STUDENTS MANAGE HSC ANXIETY

The Hills Clinic has seen a spike in admissions for students struggling with the pressure of HSC exams, with COVID-19 adding to the difficulties of senior year. CEO and Director of Nursing , Jacki Maher says, "Young people with exam-related anxiety put pressure on themselves or believe there is significant pressure from their parents to achieve the right grades, and think if they don't, they have set themselves up for failure in life. The Hills Clinic focuses on helping these students understand there are many pathways they can take to reach their goals, and the HSC is not the be all and end all some people think it is.

The Hills Clinic encourages students starting to show signs of anxiety that is impacting their daily life, to seek help early. It all starts with a student being brave enough to speak up, and parents making themselves available for these conversations, and being tuned in to any changes in behaviour, such as becoming withdrawn or needing constant reassurance. The program focuses on strengthening communication between students and their families, and working directly with parents to equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to help their child navigate stress and anxiety in a healthy way.

The Young Adult program at The Hills Clinic offers both inpatient and day patient programs to address mood, anxiety and addiction issues in a safe, respectful and secure environment. The Hills Clinic uses a combination of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), group therapy and hands-on activities to help break the barriers of anxiety. Combined with group therapy young people area able to connect with one another and realise they are not alone in whatever they may be dealing with.

 

 

SHOWCASE HIGHLIGHTS ONGOING IMPROVEMENTS AT LINGARD PRIVATE HOSPITAL

the Lingard Quality Showcase was launched earlier in the year and encouraged staff in both clinical and non-clinical spaces to develop and implement a quality project. Staff were welcomed to submit these projects as an entry in the Lingard Quality Showcase with the projects being unveiled in poster form recently.

The project required staff to outline their project aims, method, results and conclusion, with three prizes awarded including best clinical project, best non-clinical project and people’s choice award, with voting from all Lingard Private staff.

Lingard Private Hospital CEO Warwick Crosby is proud of his team’s achievements. “I reviewed the entries and I’m inspired by the effort that our staff have gone to, to identify areas of improvement and actively seek solutions to problems. These projects demonstrate the commitment of our staff to creating a patient-centred hospital and I thank everyone who has taken the time to be involved.”

 

 

The first training session of "Sino-Australian Psychiatric Diagnosis and Treatment Technology" organized by Mindfront Medical Joint CSP Continuing Education Collaborative Group was successfully completed

 

On December 23, 2020, the first training program of "Sino-Australian Psychiatric Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Series Training" sponsored by Luye Medical (International) Manlang Medical and guided by the Continuing Education Cooperation Group of Chinese Psychiatric Society (CSP) of Chinese Medical Association was successfully completed.

The training focuses on "group therapy" and provides 6 sessions of 12 hours of systematic online interactive workshops. 48 young and middle-aged professionals from 32 medical institutions including Shanghai Mental Health Center, Peking University Sixth Hospital, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, and the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University participated in the training.