User-friendly upgrade for renal services at Mildura Base Hospital
Breaking down barriers for migrant and refugee women
The Ramsay Way 2019 | 02 15
HOSPITAL NEWS
Nine new dialysis machines are improving
services to renal patients receiving dialysis
treatments at Mildura Base Hospital.
At any given time, more than 26 local people in the later
stages of kidney disease depend on the life-saving
dialysis treatments to replicate the vital role of kidneys and
maintaining their health.
More than 4000 dialysis treatments are delivered each year
at MBH and Nurse Unit Manager Lauren Cain said the state-of-
the-art new machines, supplied by the Royal Melbourne
Hospital, were far more user-friendly for both patients and
staff.
“They’re a lot easier to use and monitor, they’re a lot easier
to read and they’re quieter than the old machines, so we’re
all noticing the difference,” Ms Cain said.
Kidneys maintain general health and wellbeing in the body
by cleaning the blood and filtering the body’s waste. A
person’s blood supply circulates through the kidneys about
12 times every hour.
Chronic kidney disease is sometimes called a ‘silent disease’
because there are often no warning signs and it is not
uncommon for people to lose up to 90 per cent of their
kidney function before noticing any symptoms.
“Because of the vital role of the kidneys, and because we’re
trying to replicate that, our dialysis patients need to come
in usually three times a week for treatments, each of which
lasts four or five hours,” Ms Cain said.
“It’s a tough, ongoing routine for our patients and it has to
continue every week of the year, regardless of what else is
going on in their life,” she said.
“It’s very challenging for them and because we get to know
them very well, we’re particularly interested in any way we
can make their experience easier and reduce the impacts
on their lifestyle.
“It’s a big event whenever one of our patients receives
a life-saving kidney transplant, and so far, this year,
it’s been fantastic to have three people who’ve
undergone transplants.”
Ramsay Health Care is a dedicated supporter of a partnership which aims to improve the health and wellbeing
of migrant and refugee women and communities.
The Migrant and Refugee
Women’s Health Partnership
includes Ramsay Health
Care, the Commonwealth
Departments of Health and
Department of Social Sciences,
Migration Council of Australia,
as well as 11 Medical Colleges,
the College of Nursing and the
College of Midwives.
The partnership has recently launched the Competency
Standards Framework for Culturally Responsive Clinical
Practice. This framework is a ground-breaking development in
improving access to health care for migrants and refugees.
Ramsay provides health care for communities with increasing
migrant populations, particularly in our hospitals in Western and
Southern Sydney, Melbourne and North Perth, as well as in our
hospitals in regional Australia.
Caring for the sick has always required compassion, but
that is even more the case when a person feels both sick
and vulnerable.
Ramsay recognises that cultural sensitivity and responsiveness
is a key competency in delivering truly person centred care.
The organisation has introduced a policy which incorporates the
framework – with the assistance of the work of the partnership.
Ramsay has adopted the tagline ‘Be Kind and Curious’ in
seeking an understanding of others and how their unique
values, culture, religion and life experiences frame what they
value in their health care.
The importance of effective and compassionate communication
cannot be underestimated.
Ramsay Australia Chief Operating Officer Kate Munnings has
been part of the working group which drives the direction of
the Partnership.
Ms Munnings also presents the ‘Ramsay Health Care
Empowering Women Award’ at the annual Migration and
Settlement Awards at Parliament House, Canberra.
“Ramsay Health Care has been a proud supporter of this
important initiative since 2016,” Ms Munnings said.
“It is exciting to be part of a collaboration with the government
and clinicians to enhance health system performance in the
context of Australia’s growing cultural and linguistic diversity.”
The Competency Standards Framework is underpinned by
five key principles: person-centred and family-focused care,
access and equity, quality and safety, dignity and respect, and
effective communication.
Kate Munnings