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The Ramsay Way - 03 - 2016

The program provides support for the local population who have experienced a cardiac event and includes a local exercise and education programme. The sessions accommodate patients who have had a heart attack, undergone open heart surgery, cardiac procedures such as coronary stents, are living with heart failure or are at risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Recently the Heart Foundation released new evidence of the benefits of patients attending a Cardiac Rehab program post event and the decrease in re-presentation and mortality as a result. “People who attend are 40 per cent less likely to suffer another heart attack and, if they do, are 25 per cent less likely to die” – the National Heart Foundation. Peninsula Private Hospital has 3 programmes run across two different sites including an evening session which traditionally accommodates younger patients. The 25 volunteers who assist 20 The Ramsay Way 2016 | 03 Raising Awareness for GBS It’s not every day the Mt Wilga neurological team get to dress up for work! They were fortunate enough to attend the Guillain-Barre Syndrome Foundation Annual Charity Ball at the Sydney Opera House to raise awareness and funds for this rare and unpredictable neurological condition known as GBS. As a rare condition, it is surprising that Mt Wilga has supported ten patients in the past two years on their road to recovery with intensive and complex rehabilitation. What’s not surprising is that Mt Wilga’s reputation as a leader in neurological rehabilitation is the reason why GBS patients are choosing Mt Wilga as their rehabilitation hospital of choice. Mt Wilga is proud of its strong connection with the Guillain Barre Syndrome Foundation of Australia. For more information on GBS go to www.guillainbarresyndrome.org. Cultural Awareness Training at Joondalup Joondalup Health Campus recently welcomed the Marr Mooditj Training Aboriginal Corporation for a cultural awareness workshop. Marr Mooditj provides training to support and enhance the employability of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. JHC has partnered with the organisation to educate staff on working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and co-workers and the cultural differences they may come across. Noongar Elder Dennis Simmons began the workshop with a ‘welcome to country’ and played the didgeridoo with Ken Hayward while son Dennis Junior performed a ‘spirit dance’ – part of “seeking permission” to be on the land. Staff who attended the workshop were impressed with the quality of information and found it to be a worthwhile and eye-opening experience. This year JHC also took on five student enrolled nurses from Marr Mooditj as part of the new partnership. COMMUNITY NEWS Paperless CSSD practice awarded at Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital At the Private Hospitals Association of Queensland awards this year the Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital (SCUPH) CSSD team were awarded for their innovative practice in relation to their "Paperless CSSD". By using an existing scanning system they were able to record all our needs for cleaning and testing with no reliance on folders, log books, checklists or sterilising cards. Over time, the team have been able to save $15,000 on sterilising consumables alone and reduce their storage needs by approximately 66% per annum. The auditing time has also reduced by one person to around 30 minutes per monthly audit compared to two people over a five hour period. All results can now be found and sent within minutes, their ability to track has greatly improved, and no cleaning or testing is now sent to storage. Dennis Simmons Junior performed a ‘spirit dance’ with his father Dennis Simmons (left) and Marr Mooditj Training facilitator Ken Hayward (centre) playing the didgeridoos. with the running of the programme have all been patients and attended the program themselves at some stage. Some were even attendees in the very first sessions. They are highly committed to supporting patients and their families through their journey after a cardiac event in a variety of ways. They assist with the setup of venues used, record blood pressures, supervise exercise stations and welcome patients when they arrive. Perhaps the most valuable contribution they make is through sharing their experiences with the patients and their families, explaining how they felt when they were in exactly the same situation and providing practical information like dealing with VicRoads and travel insurance companies. The hospital staff oversees the clinical aspects of the program however it is the Volunteers who offer advice based on their experience of living through such conditions and how it feels. The patients often respond in such a positive way and find it enables them to learn and accept their experience and this supports them to move forward with their lives. The Volunteers of the Peninsula Private Hospital Cardiac Rehab program are the unsung heroes, not often seen around the hospital as they are helping patients out in church halls, car parks and even at night walking with patients, always encouraging and providing the support many of them value so highly in their journey of recovery. Peninsula Private Hospital is delighted on behalf of our wonderful Volunteers who are the heart and soul of our program to receive this recognition and thanks from the Mornington Peninsula Shire Major Graham Pittock and Councillor Tim Wood. Recognition of Peninsula Private Hospital’s Cardiac Rehabilitation program and Volunteer support Peninsula Private Hospital has been providing a high quality and popular Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme for over 10 years.


The Ramsay Way - 03 - 2016
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