HOSPITAL NEWS
Joondalup Private
Hospital celebrates
five years of births
Baby Oscar Etrelezis and his sister, four-year-old Milana, both born at Joondalup Private Hospital.
Joondalup Private Hospital (JPH) has celebrated
the fifth birthday of its maternity ward, which has
seen the delivery of more than 5,300 babies.
Among them were brother and sister Milana and Oscar
Etrelezis. Milana was born in December 2013 and her baby
brother Oscar was born in June 2018.
Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Dr Cliff Neppe said
the private hospital had celebrated some “memorable”
milestones and received some excellent feedback in that time.
Dr Neppe said opening a standalone private hospital on the
same site as the Joondalup Health Campus public hospital had
given local pregnant women and their families more choice.
“Joondalup Health Campus - formerly Wanneroo Hospital -
has been delivering babies for close to 40 years and staff and
the local community have witnessed tremendous change as
our health service has grown,” Dr Neppe said.
“While we have long offered the option of delivering babies
in a public setting, the addition of the stand-alone private
10 The Ramsay Way 2018 | 03
hospital has been a game-changer for locals who want that
hotel-like, full private experience.
Equipped with a Neonatal Unit, the health campus is
capable of delivering patients from 32 weeks’ gestation.
It boasts a women’s imaging ultrasound service with the
latest equipment, a recently established Early Pregnancy
Assessment Clinic, onsite laboratory and radiology services,
adult intensive care facilities and 24/7 obstetric, paediatric,
anaesthetic and theatre cover.
Mothers choosing to have their baby at JPH are given
access to antenatal classes, lactation classes and the
‘Trimester Club’ - a support group offered to mother from
early pregnancy.
Families also have the opportunity to participate in the
ground-breaking ORIGINS project being run at JHC in
collaboration with the Telethon Kids Institute.
ORIGINS is the largest study of its kind nationally and
one of the most comprehensive studies of pregnant women
and their families in Australia.
Stroke prevention
with WATCHMAN
Patients who suffer from a
heart condition known as
Atrial Fibrillation can now
benefit from a life-saving
keyhole procedure at
St George Private Hospital.
Surgeons are able to insert a small
implant called WATCHMAN inside
the patient’s heart to prevent
stroke and avoid the use of blood
thinners.
Atrial Fibrillation affects the
ability of the heart to pump blood
normally, which can lead to
clotting and, in turn, cut off blood
supply to the brain. WATCHMAN
is designed to fit into the left atrial
appendage and stop these blood
clots from escaping to another
part of the body.
Cardiac electrophysiologist,
Dr Sean Gomes, was the first
to perform the procedure at St
George Private Hospital.
“Anticoagulation such as
Warfarin reduces the risk of
stroke but because it significantly
thins the blood, there can be
bleeding problems, especially for
the elderly,” Dr Gomes said.
“For many of these patients,
medications aren’t an option
because of the intolerable side
effects. If patients can have
thinners, that’s better, but for
those who can’t, this is it. This is a
great alternative for patients who
are at high risk of stroke but aren’t
on medication.”
Ramsay sites which have used
The Watchman in the past 12
months are:
• Greenslopes Private Hospital
• Peninsula Private Hospital
• St George Private Hospital
• Sunshine Coast University
Private Hospital
• Warringal Private Hospital
ICU expansion
begins at Mildura
Construction is underway on a $2.3 million
expansion of the Intensive Care Unit and High
Dependency Unit at Mildura Base Hospital.
The development will involve increasing the number of
beds from five to eight, thanks to funding by the Victorian
Government’s Regional Health Infrastructure Fund.
Mildura Base Hospital CEO, Julia Morgan, said it was
exciting to see contractors breaking ground on the site.
“This is one of the major initiatives we have been pushing
for, because ICU is one of the areas within the hospital that is
often full,” Ms Morgan said.
“The expansion will improve our capacity to provide the
right level of care for our patients, and reduce the need to
transfer unwell patients away from Mildura.”
Ms Morgan said the project was in addition to a half million-dollar
upgrade announced last year to expand the hospital’s
Emergency Department Short Stay Unit.
Ramsay Health Care
Triathlon Pink 2018/19
Entries to the Ramsay Health Care Triathlon Pink are now open. There will also be a
6km and a 3km Fun Run Pink held at each event for those who would prefer this.
To enter visit the website:
www.triathlonpink.com.au
Sydney: Saturday, 6 October 2018
Brisbane: Sunday, 21 October 2018
Perth: Sunday, 11 November 2018
Melbourne: Sunday, 20 January 2019
Gold Coast: Sunday, 24 February 2019
Sunshine Coast: Sunday, 31 March 2019
Use the promotion code "RAMSAYSTAFF1819"
for 50% off your entry. Code can only be used
once for teams.
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