CEO’s message IN THIS SPECIAL 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF THE RAMSAY WAY IT IS FITTING TO LOOK BACK ON WHERE WE HAVE COME FROM. A small hospital operator till the mid 1990s, Ramsay had just 13 hospitals when I started with the Company back in 1995. The acquisition of the DVA hospitals; the building of our first major Sydney hospital – North Shore Private ; and the float of the Company on the Australian Stock Exchange in 1997, were all major turning points for Ramsay and set us on the road to where we are today. In the last year alone, we have expanded rapidly, with the acquisition of 30 more hospitals in France and the joint venture established with Sime Darby in Malaysia. Our new French hospitals are mental health facilities and brings us full circle back to our roots in mental health in Australia. Ramsay is now the largest private provider of mental health services in Australia and France. Today, with 151 hospitals across the globe Ramsay is amongst the largest private hospital operators in the world. From those beginnings with a small 16 bed facility in Mosman Sydney, to where we are today, Ramsay Health Care is a truly remarkable Australian company success story. However, we have never measured our success according to size. Delivering a safe workplace for our staff and doctors, providing excellent care and achieving the best possible outcomes for our patients – that is what matters to us. Paul Ramsay’s motto which has permeated the whole organisation over the decades, has been: “Look after the patients; look after the staff, and the rest will follow”. This is The Ramsay Way – we recognise that people – our staff and doctors - are the key to our success and without them we are nothing. As we celebrate this 50 year anniversary, we have a lot to be proud of in our past but also, a lot to look forward to. Most of all, we are looking forward to all of you, playing a significant part in our future. 4 The Ramsay Way - 2014 | 01 Weighing it up – Australia’s first robotic obesity surgery STRATHFIELD PRIVATE SURGEON DR DAVID MARTIN & HIS COLLEAGUE DR MICHAEL TALBOT ARE THE FIRST TWO AUSTRALIAN DOCTORS TO PERFORM ROBOTIC UPPER GASTRO-INTESTINAL SURGERY USING THE DA VINCI® ROBOT – WITH THE INITIAL PROCEDURES YIELDING IMPRESSIVE RESULTS. The robot, which features a 3D-high definition vision system, has tiny wristed instruments that bend and rotate further than the human hand – resulting in tiny incisions, potentially faster recovery and less blood loss. “Robotic GI surgery allows the surgeon to have a significantly greater range of movement and dexterity when compared to conventional keyhole surgery,” Dr Martin said. “It may be particularly useful for difficult cancer operations or complex revision bariatric surgery. Dr Martin and Dr Michael Talbot have now successfully performed several procedures on the $2m Da Vinci® Robot, recently installed at Strathfield Private. “We’ve carried out sleeve surgery, gastric bypasses, hiatus hernia operations and also revision surgery on patients who have previously undergone obesity operations.” And he says obesity sleeve surgery (both robotic and traditional) is increasingly beneficial for people with weight-related diabetes. Strathfield Private surgeon Dr David Martin “Post-surgery, the effects on insulin have been fast and dramatic - due to the metabolic effect of the operation. In about 50 per cent of cases people resolve their diabetes, some people coming to hospital on diabetic medication and leaving without it or else resolving it in a few weeks or months.” Dr Martin says surgical procedures for obesity are gaining more acceptance as the health benefits are better understood by patients and the medical community - coupled with innovative new technology and good safety profiles. “The number of obesity operations carried out annually has increased from around 400 procedures 10 years ago, to 13,000 in 2013.” And he says while diet and exercise are still the frontline tactics in the war on weight, when that fails, increasingly surgical procedures play a role. “Today serious side effects of bariatric surgery occur in less than one per cent of all bariatric surgeries when performed by subspecialty upper GI teams. “And in more advanced cases, not having surgery can be much riskier. “For our average obesity patient with a BMI of 45, (who often has co-existing conditions such as diabetes), the risk of dying prematurely through a weight-related issue or cancer is about 3 times higher than someone of a healthy weight.” John Flynn Maternity Unit achieves international recognition John Flynn Private Hospital’s Maternity unit has been recognized by the International Lactation Consultant Association for providing excellent services in breastfeeding. John Flynn’s maternity unit provides a 5-7 day a week lactation program and provides extensive training in breastfeeding for its clinical staff. President of the ILCA Liz Brooks said the recognition highlighted the efforts being made by maternity facilities all across the world to help mothers get off to a good start with breastfeeding. “Breastfeeding rates are on the rise today and with that dramatic increase, the need for trained professionals who can help also increases,” she said. John Flynn Private maternity unit manager Gaylene Hardwick said the staff at John Flynn were committed to providing expert care to new mothers in a nurturing environment during their hospital stay as well as providing support and advice after discharge. BREASTFEEDING RATES ARE ON THE RISE TODAY & WITH THAT DRAMATIC INCREASE, THE NEED FOR TRAINED PROFESSIONALS WHO CAN HELP ALSO INCREASES HOWEVER, WE HAVE NEVER MEASURED OUR SUCCESS ACCORDING TO SIZE. DELIVERING A SAFE WORKPLACE FOR OUR STAFF & DOCTORS, PROVIDING EXCELLENT CARE & ACHIEVING THE BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOMES FOR OUR PATIENTS – THAT IS WHAT MATTERS TO US.
The Ramsay Way - Autumn 2014
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