ACHIEVEMENTS
New ‘precision rehabilitation’ research for knee replacement patients
Hollywood displays artist’s tribute to war heroes
Hollywood Private Hospital has exhibited 20 paintings of war heroes to coincide with Remembrance Day and
the centenary of the Armistice.
Artist Barry Watkins painted the WW1 veterans, many of whom
were Victoria Cross recipients, over a two and a half year period
using original photographs taken more than 100 years ago.
“I wanted to pay tribute to WW1 veterans and recognise what
they did for our country,” Mr Watkins said.
Mr Watkins, who has been painting for more than 12 years, first
became interested in the subject of WW1 in 2014 and has since
visited memorials in Canberra, Albany, Fremantle and London.
“Initially I contacted the war memorial in Canberra and they
helped me source the original photographs,” he said.
“A lot of consideration went into the selection process as I really
wanted to do each soldier justice. I researched their stories and
downloaded information on them.
“Of course the quality of the photograph was a consideration
as this varied depending on age and the equipment being used
at the time,” he said.
Mr Watkins researched each war veteran and included
their profile.
“I put a lot of effort into getting their eyes right,”
Mr Watkins said.
“Given Hollywood’s history as a military hospital and its special
connection with veterans and war widows in WA, I am pleased
the paintings were displayed there.”
20 The Ramsay Way 2018 | 04
Medical equipment
donation program
A medical equipment donation program established
by Ramsay Health Care and the Rotary Club of
Berrima District has marked its eighth anniversary.
The partnership was started in December 2010 to provide a
mechanism for the responsible and ethical donation of hospital
and medical equipment and supplies by Ramsay facilities to
disadvantaged communities in Australia and overseas.
Ramsay Health Care also provides $10,000 per year in financial
contributions towards the costs of delivery.
During 2017/18, Berrima District Rotary’s Medical Aid for
Oceania and Worldwide (MAFO) project continued its core
business of shipping suitable items to developing countries.
25 consignments were shipped to destinations including PNG,
Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, East Timor, Cambodia,
Nepal, Sri Lanka, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi,
Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Last financial year, Ramsay Health Care donated supplies
including some 500 beds, an ENT microscope, operating
theatre table and equipment, birthing kits, wheelchairs and
medical consumables.
Donating facilities included Southern Highlands Private
Hospital, Lawrence Hargrave Private Hospital, Wollongong
Private Hospital, Mount Wilga Private Rehabilitation Hospital,
Westmead Private Hospital, Hunters Hill Private Hospital,
Glenferrie Private Hospital, Greenslopes Private Hospital, and
Glengarry Private Hospital.
A new decision-making tool being developed in a major research project at the University of Newcastle
(UON) and Hunter Medical Research Institute is set to give patients better and more personalised
rehabilitation interventions after knee replacement surgery.
More than 50,000 knee replacement procedures are
performed annually in Australia, a rise of around 36% since
2006, and with an ageing population this is set to rise further.
“With a growing number of people requiring joint replacement
surgery, there’s a significant need to have more tailored and
precision-based rehabilitation interventions, just as we have
for other areas in medicine like cancer and asthma,” said lead
researcher Professor Michael Nilsson, Director of the UON’s
Centre for Rehab Innovation.
“Some patients need to stay in hospital, others can get by
with support in the community or home setting, and we need
to work at all levels to ensure everyone is receiving the most
appropriate treatment for their recovery.
“Clinical evaluation is happening at the coalface, of course,
but time constraints and other factors may prohibit a
comprehensive understanding of an individual’s life situation.
Our algorithm will add substantial value and support to medical
teams in their decision-making.”
The three-year study is being funded by the Ramsay Hospital
Research Foundation and will involve a multidisciplinary team
of clinicians, engineers and IT developers who have begun
designing and refining the new precision medicine tool for
clinical stratification and decision-making.
The technology will be scalable and adaptable for a range
of conditions, not just knee replacement, the goal being to
develop a clearer picture for rehabilitation intervention based
on multiple parameters.
During the research phase, around 1000 patients will be
followed at three Ramsay Health Care hospitals – Lake
Macquarie Private, North Shore Private and Kareena Private,
with the option to expand and include other Ramsay hospitals
in the future.
Ramsay Hospital Research Foundation CEO Nicola Ware said
this research is the first step toward providing an evidence-based,
structured clinical program that will eventually support
the needs of all patients undergoing joint replacement surgery
in Ramsay Hospital facilities.