Psychs on Bikes ALMOST 20 HEALTH NURSES, DOCTORS & PSYCHOLOGISTS JOINED THE PSYCHS ON BIKES TOUR THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF AUSTRALIA RECENTLY. THE LATEST ANNUAL JOURNEY TOOK THE GROUP FROM MELBOURNE TO DARWIN STOPPING AT SIX DIFFERENT LOCATIONS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH IN REGIONAL AREAS, PARTICULARLY FOR MEN. Covering 4400kms in just over nine days, the group conducted three men’s health checks; did six radio and seven print interviews; visited five medical centres and spoke to 18 GPs and 6 allied health professionals; spoke at two Rotary dinners and visited a school with Headspace. They also visited three Men’s Shed groups. Tour leader and Northside Cremorne Clinic Psychiatrist Dr Joseph Dunn said the group was spurred on to make a difference in 14 The Ramsay Way - 2015 | 02 regional Australia given that the suicide rate in regional communities was double that of the coastal cities. “Allowing people to talk is one of the biggest preventative measures we have and these rides are a focus on men because men don’t like to talk much,” Dr Dunn said. The group are already planning their next Big Ride which is scheduled for March 2016 from Adelaide to Sydney, via rural Victoria. Psychs on Bikes is proudly supported by Ramsay Health Care. HUNTERS HILL PRIVATE HOSPITAL HAS DONATED PRE-LOVED BUT GOOD CONDITION SUCTION UNITS, DEFIBRILLATORS & AN INSTRUMENT WASHING UNIT TO A HOSPITAL IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. L-R: Monica O’Sullivan (Nurse Unit Manager), Marg Fagan (Director of Clinical Services) & (right) Lorrie Mohsen (Hospital Manager) to Lucy Hobgood-Brown, international service director of Rotary Hunters Hill. With the help of many volunteers, the items were packed in April in a 40 foot container donated by Royal Wolf. The collaborative effort benefits Mission in Health Care and Development, a non-profit organisation in the Congo that serves many of the conflict-torn nation’s most vulnerable and displaced people. OURCOMMUNITY Hunters Hill equipment goes to good cause L-R: Dr Dexter donating the microsurgical set to Dr Briribo & nursing staff. SCUPH CSSD supports Team Adem The CSSD team at SCUPH led the charge in raising funds for “Shave for a cure”, as part of an event held in support of colleague Brent Crosby whose son Adem died of Leukemia and after whom Team Adem is named. Many staff opted to colour their hair while brave Sue Fuller, Manager CSSD, opted for the full shave—with CEO Oli Steele in charge of the clippers. Colleagues Kristine Clegg and Steve Knight also subjected themselves to the clippers to raise money. Westmead neurosurgery team helps in Fiji WESTMEAD PRIVATE’S DR MARK DEXTER (NEUROSURGEON), DR ADAM HASTINGS (ANAESTHETIST), CHRISTINE GRACIAS (ANAESTHETIC NURSE) & SUE BARLING (SCRUB NURSE) FLEW OUT TO FIJI TO THE COLONIAL WAR MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN SUVA TO UNDERTAKE AN EDUCATIONAL TRIP RECENTLY. THE TRIP WAS PART OF A PACIFIC ISLAND PROJECT SPONSORED BY RACS. The team spent four days at the hospital assisting a new local Fijian neurosurgeon Dr Alan Briribo. Dr Briribo is the only Neurosurgeon in Fiji servicing a population of 1 million people. During their time they performed seven difficult neurosurgical procedures whilst imparting some valuable knowledge to the doctors and nurses. The team also took with them a set of micro-neurosurgical instruments which were donated by Ramsay for their future use and will greatly assist the team in Fiji to undertake further neurological cases on their own. The whole team felt it was an excellent educational and rewarding experience, both for themselves and the Fijian team. Peel supports local youth to attend Anzac Services in Thailand IN KEEPING WITH THE TRUE RAMSAY SPIRIT, THE TEAM AT PEEL HEALTH CAMPUS HAVE MADE A COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION WHICH HAS HAD A BIG IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF SOME LOCAL SERVICE CADETS. Peel Health Campus’ sponsorship of the Burma Thailand Railway Memorial Association (BTRMA) has contributed to a total of 37 young Australian Defence Force cadets aged between 15 and 17 taking part in ten -day tours across Thailand. The Quiet Lion Tour aims to perpetuate the memory of the privations and sacrifices of Australian and Allied prisoners of war and the selfless dedication of the medical personnel during the construction of the Burma Thailand Railway. As part of the tour the cadets attend an Anzac dawn service at the notorious Hellfire Pass in Thailand, the deepest and longest cutting along the entire length of the railway. This area now symbolises the suffering and maltreatment of Australian prisoners of war, who were forced to cut through the rock terrain often suffering from illness and malnutrition. The Dawn Service was followed by a wreath laying service at the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. Hospital CEO Dr Margaret Sturdy said it’s been wonderful to be able to help these young cadets to experience the Quiet Lion Tour and enable them to visit historical sites creating life long memories. “I hope that through supporting our local cadets to participate in these tours we have helped them with this insight,” said Margaret.
The Ramsay Way - Winter 2015
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