1. science
2. medicine
3. surgery

spring | summer edition 2011 | 12
AMAZING healthcare
A star-studded line-up of
patients, staff and doctors
Surgical Theatre: Behind the Scenes p4
Helping Hands p16
Angio: Celebrating one amazing year p18
AMAZING healthcare
welcome
AMAZING HEALTHCARE
amazing
amazing healthcare
There is just so much happening at
Hollywood, we simply had to squeeze
it all into the Spring/Summer edition.
In this bumper issue of the Hollywood
Star we shine the spotlight on just a
few of our amazing stars at Hollywood.
These staff, doctors and patients
are just a handful of extraordinary
people that are a part of the growing
Hollywood family.
Recognising that people are key to
our success is a motto that we live
and breathe here at Hollywood, and I
am very proud of all our talented and
dedicated employees who work every
day to make a real difference to the
lives of others.
Just as inspirational are the patients
we are privileged to look after. They
continue to touch us long after
they’ve left our care and through
this publication we are able to
account some fascinating stories of
courage, milestones and pioneering
advancements.
In a rare ‘behind-the-scenes’ feature,
we bring Hollywood’s theatre
department to centre stage. The
operating suite is the heartbeat of any
hospital and in this issue we look at the
intense and fast-paced environment of
Hollywood’s theatre department. This
article provides a wonderful example
of the importance of teamwork, which
is evident throughout Hollywood, as
we all strive to reach new heights in
service and care.
Good health and happiness to
you all.
Kevin Cass-Ryall
Executive Director
Hollywood Private Hospital
Hollywood Star © Hollywood Private Hospital 2011
Please direct all editorial enquiries to:
Clare Sadlier Senior Marketing & PR Coordinator (Editor)
Tel 08 9346 6662 Email [email protected]
Writers: Andrea Lewis & Clare Sadlier
Monash Avenue, Nedlands WA 6009
Mail: Locked Bag 2002 Nedlands WA 6909
www.hollywoodprivatehospital.com.au
AMAZING healthcare
4 Behind The Scenes Of Theatre
16 Helping Hands
18Amazing Angio – Hollywood's New
Angiosuite: Celebrating Its First Year
22An Unexpected Encounter
With Ovarian Cancer
24 Amazing Stars Of Hollywood
32 Introducing Our Rising Stars
35 Getting To The Heart Of Chest Pain
36 Number One In Acute Care
37In The Round – Inter-Professional
Learning At Hollywood
PP639699/00110
38An Inspiring Partnership With Marr
Mooditj College
40 Glimmer – A Night Of Sparkling Gems
42 Hollywood In Brief
46 Profiling Hollywood Specialists
A member of Ramsay Health Care
3|
BEHIND
THE
SCENES
f
O
THEATRE
Hollywood’s Operating Suite consists of ten
theatres and is the heartbeat of the hospital.
Every day, highly skilled teams come together
to perform what for many is a miraculous
intervention that will give them a new lease on
life. We show you how the work of the surgical
teams takes place so effectively and efficiently.
|4
W
hen a patient undergoes a
procedure in one of the
theatres at Hollywood, they
see relatively little. Yet all around
them, a number of things are taking
place to make their journey a safe and
comfortable one, with a remarkable
surgical outcome as their destination.
All staff who work in the Operating
Suite will talk about the team
environment as being not only an
aspect of the job’s enjoyment, but a
vital part of making the process work
so well.
Debra Waters, one of the Clinical
Nurse Managers (CNM) in the
hospital’s Operating Suite, is the first
to emphasise this point. She has been
working in the Operating Suite for
more than 20 years, initially as a
theatre nurse before taking on a
managerial role. As CNM, in addition
to coordinating all activities in the
Operating Suite, Debra oversees
rostering, staff allocations and staff
development. She also looks after the
orthopaedic service.
“There is a camaraderie in the
Operating Suite like nowhere else,”
Debra said. “Everyone has their
specific role, but we have to work so
interdependently. So there’s a real
sense that you are part of a team
here.”
5|
Nurses
Playing a Vital Role
Theatre nurses play a vital role in the Operating
Suite, and they have three roles each with their own
specific skills.
A scrub nurse assists the surgeon with an operation,
setting up for the operation with the specific
instruments required and handing instruments to
the surgeon during the operation. A good scrub
nurse can anticipate a surgeon’s needs.
A scout nurse ensures that all the equipment and
instruments are available for each case. A scout
nurse circulates in the theatre during the operation
and hands sterile instruments to the scrub nurse.
An anaesthetic nurse assists the anaesthetist,
looking after the patient during anaesthesia.
Keris Gordon is a theatre nurse with Hollywood. She
works as both a scrub and a scout nurse.
"Theatre nurses require a more advanced
understanding of anatomy and physiology," said
Keris. "We also need an intricate knowledge of
the procedure being performed, so that we know
what the surgeon needs at different stages of an
operation.
"Theatre nurses have to know all the
instrumentation and equipment, and what each is
used for. A skilled theatre nurse can help a surgeon
get through a list much quicker. So we need
good technical skills, but also time management
and communication skills. It's a high-pressure
environment to work in."
CAST
Above
Theatre nurses
|6
While they might work in ‘service’ to
a doctor, anaesthetists are no less
skilled. Trained as extensively as
surgeons, the medical knowledge
of an anaesthetist is of the highest
possible order. Anaesthetists
assess a patient carefully before
an operation, and ensure they are
comfortable and pain-free during
and after surgery.
In preparation for her career as a theatre nurse, Keris
completed Hollywood's graduate peri-operative
program.
Everyone who works
in the Operating Suite
will echo the same
sentiment: it’s all about
teamwork. So, who does
what? And how do they
all work together?
But the job of moving a patient is a delicate one
– both for the patient and for the PSA. Patients
just out of surgery need to be lifted properly, and
occupational health and safety issues can be of
concern for PSAs if the right techniques aren’t used.
A patient’s journey into the Operating Suite begins
with a Patient Service Assistant (PSA), who arrives
before their operation to wheel them to theatre. A
warm smile and reassuring words can make the PSA
an important part of calming a patient’s anxiety.
In addition, Hollywood’s PSA Supervisor, John
McDonnell, developed a unique apparatus to assist
with manoeuvering the patient into the correct
position before engaging the slide sheet. The
innovation won a national award earlier this year.
Ramsay Health Care recently bought the
Australian rights to the innovative O’Shea System,
a biodegradable slide sheet that is placed beneath
a patient before moving them. The slide sheet
takes away the need to physically lift a patient.
"We're quite hidden from the rest of the hospital in
the Operating Suite,” said Keris. “So not many people
know what it's like to work there, or exactly what
we do. At the Hollywood staff Christmas party, most
of the other staff don't recognise us. Theatre work
is one of those jobs you either love or hate. I love
being here, and I love my job."
PSA wheeling a patient to surgery
Smart and savvy technicians
and surgeons are doing what
they love in the Operating
Suite. They will also tell you
that helping patients and
seeing their gratitude after
an operation is an immensely
satisfying part of their job.
7|
DRESSING
ROOM
SCRIPT
WARM
UP
The whiteboard allocates staff and provides
the schedule for the day's procedures
Hollywood is the only Australian workplace to provide
the certificate IV anaesthetic technology course
A sterilisation team member
inspects equipment from an
instrument set
|8
Surgeons preparing for surgery
The main hub of the operating
suite connecting the ten theatres
A smiling face can make all the difference
in calming a patient's anxiety
9|
PERFORMANCE
Hollywood’s Operating
Suite is centre stage to
a wide range of different
operations, with
procedures performed
here that are as
complicated as those
taking place in any major
hospital in Australia.
Hollywood has no emergency department, so
operations are usually ‘elective’ in the sense that
they are pre-arranged and pre-planned.
STAGE
GENERAL
SURGEON
DR JEFF
HAMDORF
ORTHOPAEDIC
SURGEON
MR GREG
WITHEROW
UROLOGY
SURGEON
MR JOHN
STANLEY
As a general surgeon, Dr Jeff Hamdorf
performs a range of operations at
Hollywood. Jeff has a special interest in
upper gastrointestinal surgery, treating
conditions such as oesophageal reflux
disease, and malignancies of the
stomach, oesophagus and pancreas. Jeff
also frequently performs gall bladder and
hernia operations.
Long-time Hollywood surgeon Mr Greg
Witherow is one of about 20 orthopaedic
surgeons operating at Hollywood.
He specialises in adult lower limb
orthopaedics, with a particular interest in
sports medicine.
The work of Mr John Stanley covers a
broad range of urological conditions
but predominantly focuses on prostate
cancers, kidney stones and male voiding
problems due to benign prostatic
enlargement.
On any given day, Greg’s list could include
hip replacement, knee replacement and
arthroscopic procedures of the hip, knee
and ankle.
Mr Stanley and his team do a lot of
minimally invasive kidney stone surgery,
using miniature flexible telescopes
inserted through the urinary tract.
Large stones can also be removed
by percutaneous nephrolithotomy,
which involves inserting a small tube
and telescope in the back, to access,
fragment and remove the stone.
His other surgical interest is in bariatric
surgery, much of it through Hollywood’s
Circle of Care program, which offers a
variety of surgical options for patients
struggling with obesity, including gastric
lap banding.
Jeff is also Winthrop Professor in the
School of Surgery at The University of
Western Australia.
Greg is pictured right, doing a second hip
replacement on a relatively young patient,
who has suffered bone decay as a result of
long-term steroid use to treat asthma.
“He’s young and his first hip operation
went very well, so we expect he’ll recover
quickly,” said Mr Witherow.
Mr Witherow chooses to do all his surgical
work at Hollywood.
“I’ve been operating here for a long time,”
said Mr Witherow. “The theatre staff know
what I need, so it makes the work much
more efficient and pleasant to work with
an experienced team.”
| 10
“At the moment, our most common
procedures are for prostate cancers,
which we treat both surgically and
with radiotherapy by implantation of
radioactive seeds,” said Mr Stanley. “Less
often, we see bladder and testicular
cancers. Vasectomy and reversal of
vasectomy are also performed.”
Operations range from commonly performed
procedures, such as knee arthroscopies – a
simple day procedure – to much more complex
operations, such as hip revision surgery.
Innovative procedures such as greenlight laser
therapy are also a part of Hollywood’s surgical
capabilities.
Amongst others, general, ENT, urology,
orthopaedic and gynaecological surgeons all work
from Hollywood.
Hollywood’s Operating Suite has 10 theatres, all
equipped with a range of modern equipment. In
addition, many of the theatres have some unique
features:
• iSuites are the technologically smart theatres
with computerised instruments for procedures
like arthroscopies with high-resolution display
monitors to assist surgeons in accurate
diagnoses.
• Video conferencing can be used to broadcast
procedures to external venues, for teaching or
conferencing purposes.
• Video links can take place between theatres, so
a surgeon can do a double-list. While he or she
is in one, a surgical fellow can be in the other,
working under the guidance of the supervising
surgeon.
A committed teaching hospital, Hollywood offers
some unique training options. Its anaesthetic
technicians course is the only two-year course in
WA, and the hospital now offers a direct entry perioperating graduate program for enrolled nurses.
11 |
SUPPORTING
CAST
Sterilisation team member removes
surgical equipment from one of the dryers
Sterilisation team check-listing instrument sets
Prevention of infection is a
priority of all members of the
team. Hollywood's sterilising
team is focused on excellence,
with world-class procedures
and equipment to minimise the
risk of infection. Here’s how
Hollywood’s sterilisation team
does its carefully managed work
in the Operating Suite.
The moment an operation is complete,
a chain of events begin in Hollywood’s
Sterile Services Department (SSD)
to ensure that medical equipment is
appropriately sterilised and returned
to the stores where it is ready for use
again.
Margaret Jones, Manager of the SSD,
oversees about 30 staff. The SSD is
set up in teams: three teams rotate
across morning and afternoon shifts.
The department opens at 6.30am and
closes at 10.00pm.
“It’s a very physical job,” said Margaret,
who has worked in the SSD for 14 years, having done every job in the
area. “You’re on your feet, working hard all day. Together, the team has
to do an outstanding job, and it has to do so all the time”.
The Sterile Service Department works to a carefully stepped process to
ensure the highest sterilisation standards.
| 12
Decontamination Unloading
and Washing
and Packing
Sterilisation
and Stores
Known as the ‘decon’ area of the SSD,
the washing and decontamination
unit is where the process begins.
Instruments come here directly after
an operation is complete. The area has
three automatic washers that can clean
the majority of the instruments. But
more sensitive equipment – such as
scopes and cameras – needs to be hand
washed. Canulated equipment requires
ultrasonic washing only.
Hollywood’s SSD has five sterilising
machines and an additional four lowtemperature sterilisers for specially
sensitive equipment like scopes
and cameras, where the cycle takes
between 52 and 72 minutes. After
sterilisation, the instrument trays are
unloaded, scanned out using the
barcode system, and taken to the
storage area, where they are stored and
ready to be reused again. Staff in stores
prepare trays according to both the
standard requirements of an operation
and a surgeon’s specific request for
instruments that he or she prefers to
use.
Equipment gets unloaded into the
area where it is repacked and wrapped
as an ‘instrument set’ on its own tray
according to a check list. A tonsil and
adenoid set, for example, would have
its own specific requirements. Each
tray is barcoded with a unique tracking
number and the name of the staff
member who packed the tray. The
barcode system allows the instruments
to be located and identified at all
times, including during an operation,
with the number eventually ending
up in a patient’s file. After trays have
been washed and inspected they are
checked by the area’s team leader,
they are then wrapped and go to be
sterilised.
13 |
PROPS
CURTAIN
CALL
Hollywood has an admirably broad
range of medical equipment available
to its surgeons. Managing thousands
of different instruments, however,
takes a special kind of person and
Hollywood is lucky enough to have
the right person for the job.
Jo Fleay has a job that is not for
everyone. She oversees the thousands
of pieces of medical equipment that
go into making Hollywood’s Operating
Suite the well-resourced hub that it is.
As Area Manager for the Operating
Suite (Resources), Jo’s role requires
great attention to detail. The sheer
number of different pieces of
equipment available is staggering, and
the collection has to be carefully
managed.
| 14
In Australia, there are hundreds of
companies that manufacture medical
equipment. Jo deals with about 80 of
them on an almost weekly basis. One
company alone distributes over 700
different pairs of scissors – each with
their own specifications and function.
Jo works across all 20 surgical specialty
areas and liaises with most
departments at Hollywood. The
number of different surgeons, different
procedures and different
instrumentation that she has to be
familiar with could be overwhelming.
“Each surgeon requires a different
piece of equipment, depending on the
precise nature of the procedure being
done,” said Jo. “Each pair of scissors –
just as one fairly simple example – has
its own unique curve, finish, weight
and size. Then there are clamps, forceps
and trays – the list goes on. And that’s
the relatively simple stuff. But the tiny
details are fundamental to a surgeon
performing a procedure well.
“As medicine becomes increasingly
advanced, and new procedures are
brought to the hospital, the nature of
the instrumentation becomes more
specialised. Medical reps frequently
visit to show me the latest innovations
in equipment, so I have to fully
understand surgical procedures and
specialties to do my job well.”
Needless to say, the other crucial part
of the role of an effective medical
equipment manager is good
communication skills.
“At the end of a surgical session, a
doctor or nurse frequently comes to
my office to provide me with feedback
on the instruments they’ve just used,”
said Jo. “These debriefs are essential to
me understanding our instrument
needs. Together, we pick through the
issues and I then act on their requests
– whether they be related to process,
to repairing an instrument, to
contacting a manufacturer regarding
an issue, or to ordering additional
quantities or a new model that has
become available.”
When a member of the surgical team
brings her a piece of equipment to
review, Jo has to note the problem and
then make decisions about how to
proceed. If repair is required, Jo sends it
to Hollywood’s Biometrics Department,
where hospital biomedical equipment
is repaired on site if it can be. More
specialised equipment usually has to
be returned to the company that
manufactured it. Jo needs to know
which company manufactured it, and
who to contact. Each piece of
equipment has its own unique
number, so she has to ensure she has
this when discussing, tracking or reordering.
The specialised nature of medical
equipment and the high standards to
which it has to be manufactured
means materials and labour are
phenomenally expensive.
“It’s nothing for me to spend $50,000 in
a day,” said Jo. “One operating table can
cost in the order of $90,000. When a
new specialist joins Hollywood, or a
new department opens, there is a
substantial outlay of resources.
“A new surgeon that the hospital is
looking to take on, at the moment,
requires $140,000 of medical
equipment for them to perform their
operations properly here.”
Hollywood’s Operating Suite is known
to be resource-rich, one of the reasons
it can stand behind its reputation of
‘excellence’ and outstanding care to
patients. Given that Hollywood has
three sister Ramsay Health Care
hospitals in Perth, it has the capacity to
borrow and lend some equipment –
increasing its breadth of access to
appropriate instrumentation. More
specialised equipment, obviously, can’t
be moved.
“Surgeons tell me we have an
extremely diverse range of equipment,”
said Jo. “It’s at the core of what we do
here, so I’m happy to see how the work
that I do can help contribute to the
high standard of care that we aim for at
Hollywood.”
15 |
Mr Richard Carey-Smith
Mr Adrian Brooks
with Agostinho
before the 7 hour
operation
W
Helping
Hands
hen GP Tina Bertilone went
to Timor in January 2010
to do some volunteer work
at Bairo Pite Clinic in Dili, she met
29 year old Agostinho Marques.
Agostinho – a farmer from Wailili,
Baucau, and father of one – had
developed a tumour on his arm a
few years earlier, but with no way to
treat the tumour, it was left to grow
unchecked. The tumour had grown
to the stage where it was limiting his
ability to work and care for his family.
An X-ray at Bairo Pite Clinic showed it
had replaced two-thirds of the radius
bone in his forearm.
“The only option for Agostinho
in Timor would have been
amputation of his arm,” said Dr
Bertilone. “Obviously, as Agostinho
is a farmer, this would have been a
tragic outcome. So together with
orthopaedic surgeon Mr Dan Fick,
we looked at what we could do
for Agostinho back in Perth. We
contacted Mr Richard Carey-Smith,
an orthopaedic surgeon specialising
in bone and soft tissue tumours, who
reviewed him in the state sarcoma
multidisciplinary team meeting, and
we started to make plans.”
In a complex procedure
funded by Hollywood
Private Hospital, a
multidisciplinary medical
team successfully
removed a large tumour
from the arm of a Timorese
farmer – giving him the
ability to return to work
and support his family.
Above
Agostinho Marques
| 16
With the generosity of Hollywood
behind them, Dr Bertilone and Mr
Fick arranged for Agostinho to come
to Perth so the diagnosis could be
made potentially leading to a cure.
Hollywood sponsored his visa,
surgery, and in-patient care, and
Agostinho with his interpreter Eleriko
Rotary International, Rotary Balcatta
and the Timorese government kindly
donated the funds for Agostinho’s air
travel. He was accommodated initially
by Dr Bertilone and her family, then
by speech therapist Amy Fitzpatrick,
for the duration of his stay.
The operation was performed by
orthopaedic surgeon Mr CareySmith along with plastic surgeon Mr
Adrian Brooks in a combined surgical
procedure. Both surgeons – together
with anaesthetists Dr Joel Butler and
Dr Steve Myles – volunteered their
time. A pro bono contribution was
made by Perth Radiological Clinic,
where Agostinho had a CT scan of
his chest and arm, as well as an MRI
of his arm, and a CT-guided biopsy
of the tumour. Associate Professor
Peter Robbins and Dr Irene Low
at Path West examined the biopsy
and tumour resection to make and
confirm the diagnosis.
“The tumour had been growing for
a long time, so it was unusual in its
size,” said Mr Carey-Smith. “From
an operative point of view, it was a
technically demanding procedure.
“We had to keep the hand alive,
protecting major nerves and vessels.
After removing the tumour and much
of the bone, we fused the hand to
the remaining bone using implants
donated by Synthes Australia.
Tendons damaged by the tumour also
had to be reconstructed at the correct
length to enable good function.”
In total, about 10 centimetres had
to be removed from each of the
tendons, which had stretched – as
had the skin on the arm – around the
tumour as it grew.
“Much of the hand therapy after the
operation was focused on getting
Agostinho’s hand to work again with
the shorter tendons,” said Mr Brooks.
“We wanted him to be able to hold
a machete, which is what he needed
to do his work as a farmer in Timor,
before he left Perth.”
Agostinho’s rehabilitation is going
well. His elbow and hand are
functioning normally, and the bone is
healing fast.
“Everyone played their part,” said
Mr Carey-Smith. “A multidisciplinary
approach to sarcoma treatment
is essential as the diagnosis and
management are complex, and good
results are enabled by contributions
from all members of the state
sarcoma service, of which both
Mr Carey-Smith and Mr Brooks are
members.
“We see a lot of sarcomas, and they
remain a significant research interest
for us in Western Australia.”
Dr Margaret Sturdy, Director of
Medical Services at Hollywood Private
Hospital, said that humanitarian
projects funded by Hollywood are a
key part of the hospital’s values.
17 |
AMAZING ANGIO
HOLLYWOOD’S NEW ANGIOSUITE: CELEBRATING ITS FIRST YEAR
A year after Hollywood launched its newly
refurbished Angiography Suite, additional
improvements to the three labs show
Hollywood is aiming high.
I
n June 2010, Hollywood launched its newly
refurbished Angiosuite. The outstanding
feature of the $6.1 million upgrade was the
first operational Siemens Artis Zeego multi-axis
cardiovascular imaging system in Australia and
New Zealand. One year later, the Angiosuite
has seen a variety of patients and continues to
introduce the latest equipment and procedures.
The Siemens Artis Zeego system provides
unrivalled cutting-edge medical technology
with increased efficiency and safety to both
doctors and patients. High-resolution 3D imaging
allows significantly more accurate diagnoses of a
patient’s medical condition.
The software used within the system has given
doctors the ability to accurately map a patient’s
vessels without increasing radiation. Ultimately,
this results in a much better outcome for the
patient. The flexibility of the system allows
complex cases to be performed more efficiently
and safely by reducing physical strain on staff
trying to operate in awkward angles.
In July this year, the Angiosuite saw the
acquisition of a new technology – the Radi
Analyser Measurement System. With the
technology previously only available in public
hospitals, Hollywood is the first private hospital in
Western Australia to offer this.
The Radi Analyser is a highly sensitive
diagnostic procedure for determining the
degree of coronary stenosis. It ultimately assists
interventional cardiologists in their decision-
| 18
What procedures
can be performed
at Hollywood’s
angiosuite?
making about the course of treatment.
The Radi Analyser works by measuring blood
flow across the lesion. This is accomplished by
inserting a pressure wire distal to the lesion and
then measuring blood flow pressure. If distal
pressure is above 0.8 mmHg, then no stenting is
required for the artery.
A total of three angiography
labs at Hollywood now
provide the following
services and procedures:
“The Radi Analyser is used in those cases where
imaging alone presents no clear picture,” said
Chris Moody, Clinical Nurse Manager of the
Angiosuite. “If a specialist is at all in doubt, the
Radi Analyser can produce more definitive
diagnosis. It can clarify where there is uncertainty.
• Cardiac angiograms and
angioplasties
• Electrophysiology
• ASD/PFO closures
“Since mid-July when the equipment was
installed, eleven patients have undergone the
procedure, with most of those not requiring a
stent or bypass surgery.”
• Pacemakers and
resynchronisation devices
The Radi Analyser is a cost saving tool for health
funds because it eliminates the insertion of very
expensive stents in lesions where doubt exists.
• TAVI work up
Many different specialists now use the suite
and the specific needs of cardiologists,
electrophysiologists, radiologists, nuclear
medicine practitioners, pain specialists and, of
course, vascular surgeons can be accommodated.
A year after opening its state-of-the-art lab,
Yolandi Theron, the Medical Imaging Technology
Manager of the Angiosuite, says that the
new facilities have enhanced patient care
considerably.
• Right heart studies/
simultaneous pressures
• Fractional flow reserve
“We try to offer the best service possible
to patients and doctors. One of our great
strengths is our flexibility. We are able
to start early if that suits a particular
specialist. We work efficiently and are
happy to accommodate special requests.”
The Angiosuite is located next to
Hollywood’s around-the-clock Chest Pain
Service, and offers an on-call service, so
doctors can treat their patients quickly if
they present with chest pain.
Earlier this year, both Chris and Yolandi
attended a national cardiac conference
where many delegates were aware of the
outstanding facilities at Hollywood.
“Everyone knew about the upgrades that
have been completed in the Angiosuite
and recognised the suite’s unique
capability,” said Yolandi. “That’s a great
achievement for us here at Hollywood.”
• Vascular angiograms and
angioplasties
• Endoluminal stent grafts
• Radiological procedures
such as peg tubes, uterine
embolisation and ureteric
stents
• SIRS spheres
• Vertebroplasty and pain
management.
19 |
EMERGENCY CARDIAC
PROCEDURES AT HOLLYWOOD
Hollywood Private Hospital is equipped to treat
patients with acute coronary syndromes 24 hours a
day, to a standard as high as any hospital in Perth.
The team at Hollywood’s cardiac Angiography Suite,
with a full team of interventionalists and support
staff, is on call around the clock and can perform the
most technically complex cardiovascular procedures
for patients presenting at the hospital’s Chest Pain
Service.
In August this year, Cardio Vascular Services
cardiologists Drs Paul Langton and Richard Clugston
were called in to treat a patient who arrived at
Hollywood with unstable coronary syndrome. The
doctors embarked on a very technically complicated
procedure. Drs Langton and Clugston performed an
initial angiogram and stenting procedure.
As does occasionally happen, the patient had a
cardiac arrest during the procedure, adding to the
demanding nature of the operation. The Angio
team, along with on-site on-call staff, were able to
resuscitate the patient, who was subsequently kept
under observation at Hollywood before returning
home, after having made an excellent recovery.
“The Angiography Suite at Hollywood has the
full range of equipment needed to treat acute
myocardial infarction,” said Dr Clugston. “In this
case, we used a highly specialised suction device
to aspirate clots from arteries, as well as standard
treatment measures.
“But it’s the dedication of the highly skilled oncall team that makes even the most complicated
procedures possible to do at Hollywood. In addition
to interventional cardiologists, this team includes
all the Angiosuite staff and a team of CCU staff, also
available 24 hours a day.”
"it’s the dedication of the highly skilled oncall team that makes even the most complicated
procedures possible to do at Hollywood."
| 20
A ‘WA FIRST’ PROCEDURE
SHOWS THE POSSIBILITIES OF
HOLLYWOOD’S ANGIOSUITE
Vascular surgeon Mr Kishore Sieunarine performed a
unique procedure in Hollywood’s newly refurbished
Angiosuite in August this year. It was the first time in
Western Australia that a surgical procedure had used
the highly specialised cardiac Amplatz occluder to
operate on a double aneurysm.
The approach involved initially obliterating the first
aneurysm and recreating a wall in the thoracic aorta
using the occluder in order for the second aneurysm
to be treated by an endoluminal graft.
The 76-year-old patient presented with a double
aneurysm in her chest: an abnormal 36-millimetre
sub-clavian aneurysm arising from the distal thoracic
arch, and a 76-millimetre aneurysm located in the
descending thoracic aorta. Both had to be repaired
because of a risk of rupture.
The procedure required the sub-clavian aneurysm to
be fixed first, before the second could be addressed.
The sub-clavian technique lays the groundwork for
subsequent thoracic aneurysm repair.
Before both aneurysms could be repaired, Mr
Sieunarine had to perform bypass surgery to keep
the patient’s blood flowing to her arm and to her
vertebral artery, which supplies the brain, to reduce
the risk of a major stroke.
“The aneurysm’s treatment had to be done in several
stages because of her medical problems and the
complex anatomy of the two aneurysms,” said Mr
Sieunarine.
“Using the specialised occluder, the patient avoids
an operation to correct the first aneurysm with less
stress and risk to the patient with a rapid recovery to
allow early repair of the second thoracic aneurysm.
“The Angiosuite at Hollywood allows us to do
these advanced techniques because of its imaging
capabilities. In this case, it allowed visualisation
of the abnormal anatomy and the aneurysms
while doing the repair, with access to the patient’s
circulation via multiple entry sites in her arm and
her groin region. This reduces the duration of the
procedure and allows it to be accomplished more
safely for the patient and the staff.”
21 |
AN UNEXPECTED
ENCOUNTER
WITH OVARIAN
CANCER
Western Australian singer Nat Ripepi
underwent extensive surgery in August
2011, to address the extremely rare
occurrence where endometriosis
develops into ovarian clear cell cancer.
Nat is one of those rare and unlucky
cases. Because her cancer had spread to
several internal organs, extensive surgery
was required to remove it from the
bowel, uterus, ovary, liver, peritoneum
and diaphragm to achieve optimal
debulking.
N
Nat underwent surgery at Hollywood
in August. Gynaecological oncologist Dr
Jason Tan says that Nat’s great advantage
is her age. At 37 years of age, her body
is better able to cope with and recover
from such extensive surgery.
Her endometriosis was being monitored,
and her career was going well. Her
latest album ‘Piece by Piece’ had been
selling regularly and she was performing
regularly in Perth, with a gig at Ellington’s
scheduled for August.
“In patients who are elderly or with
multiple other medical problems, it
becomes a difficult clinical decision
whether to embark on such surgery,” said
Dr Tan. “But an otherwise healthy patient
can survive more aggressive surgery
leading to optimal debulking, which
improves response to chemotherapy.”
at Ripepi had a long history of
endometriosis. Over the past
ten years, she had undergone
surgery to remove endometriotic tissue,
complemented by hormonal therapies,
to suppress tissue growth.
Towards the end of 2010, Nat began
experiencing more pain. While
ultrasound results showed a mass on the
left ovary, doctors considered it typical
of endometriotic growth, and did not
suspect anything more serious.
In August 2011, Nat went to the
Emergency Department at King
Edward Memorial Hospital with severe
abdominal pain and fluid retention.
Further diagnosis revealed that she had
clear cell cancer, which had spread to
multiple areas in her abdomen.
Nat started chemotherapy in midSeptember as part of her treatment. The
chemotherapy agent was administered
through an intraperitoneal point, where
the therapy is delivered more directly to
where any microscopic residual disease
might be located.
“The diagnosis has been very, very
unexpected,” said Nat. “Especially since
endometriosis becoming ovarian cancer
is so rare, and doctors were sure that I
had nothing to worry about.
“Because it is so unusual, I think it’s
While approximately 11 per cent of
important for women not to rule this out,
women suffer from some level of
endometriosis, it is extremely rare for the if they do have endometriosis.”
condition to become cancerous. Less
A full-time musician, Nat hopes to get
than one per cent of endometriosis cases
back to singing as soon as possible.
turn into a cancer.
| 22
“Gigging is my only source of income, so
it’s important that I get back to it from
a financial point of view,” she said. “But
I’d also like to do a benefit concert that
raises money and awareness about
ovarian cancer."
Nat has been nominated for several
Western Australian Music Industry
(WAMI) Awards, including most
popular acoustic act and most popular
female vocalist. She has received two
nominations in the WAMI Song of the
Year Awards for her songs ‘Stronger’
and ‘I Will Not Fall’ and was a finalist in
the Dandenong Ranges Folk Festival
Songsmith Award in Victoria.
She has been a supporting act for Pat
Benatar, The Bangles, The Waifs, Ben Folds,
Kate Ceberano and James Morrison.
“Because it is so
unusual, I think
it’s important
for women not
to rule this out,
if they do have
endometriosis.”
Opposite page
Dr Jason Tan with
Nat Ripepi
This page
Nat Ripepi
www.natripepi.com
Photo by Rob Watson
23 |
AMAZING ST RS
OF
HOLLYWOOD
ROBERT COOTE
(aka Uncle Bob)
CHEF
Robert Coote, who has recently retired from work,
had been toiling in the Hollywood kitchen for
almost 37 years. For the last 20 of these, his role
was in preparing the special meals that patients
request or need: the gluten-free, pureed or lowfibre diets that take special knowledge and care to
prepare. He was also the team’s soup specialist.
Robert did the lunch shift, where there are six
chefs, all with different roles. “It’s a busy place, but
everyone has their role and the kitchen runs like
any other professional food establishment. Chefs
can rotate roles if necessary, if someone is away
for a shift”.
The kitchen is still in the original building built
over 70 years ago. “But it’s changed a lot. The
layout is a lot better; it’s expanded so we can cope
with the increased number of patients and there
is much more cool and freezer room space. We
serve about 400 meals at each mealtime,” says Bob.
Bob added “the food quality has improved over
time as more care is taken with individual meals. It
is presented in a much more appetising way.”
Robert has seen more than just the kitchen
change in his time at Hollywood.
“The whole hospital is more modern,” he said. “In
the early days, once you left the kitchen, you had
to ‘rug up’. Now we have covered walkways and so
many more buildings. It’s come a long way since
1975.”
Robert retired in August 2011. Hollywood thanks
him for his wonderful contribution to the hospital
and wishes him well.
LESLEY PITMAN
CONTINENCE ADVISOR
Having been part of Hollywood’s nursing team for
more than 30 years, Lesley Pitman has covered a
lot of ground.
She started at Hollywood in 1981, having recently
completed a re-registration course. Since then,
she has worked on medical wards, surgical wards,
in admissions, in day procedures and in the
operating suite.
Now, she’s in a job she loves most of all as
Hollywood’s Continence Advisor.
“I love my job,” said Lesley. “You can really have a
positive impact on someone’s quality of life if you
can address their continence issues. I work a lot
with Dr Jessica Yin doing video uro-dynamics to
diagnose bladder issues.”
Lesley also facilitates the annual Continence
Consultant Course at Hollywood, a statewide
initiative for registered nurses, along with the
Continence Resources Course, which aims to
equip registered nurses and carers with a basic
knowledge of continence and continence
management.
“I think one of my best achievements is that
I’ve learned how to teach,” said Lesley. “As time
has progressed, I’ve learned how to impart the
knowledge that I’ve gained over the years, and
help younger nurses who are still learning.
“I’ve loved my time at Hollywood immensely –
especially the patient contact that I have. I do
think as the nursing profession has changed,
we’ve lost some of that. In the early days, patients
stayed in hospital during their convalescence.
So, as a nurse, you had some acute patients and
some who were convalescing as well.
“These days, the approach is for patients to go
home earlier, so that means nursing care in
hospital is largely centered around acute and
intensive care. It’s become very demanding on
nurses as a result.
“Hollywood has always been a friendly place. You
see it in both staff and visitors – as you walk down
the hallway, everyone has a smile on their face.”
| 24
25 |
LIONEL DELAMOTTE
ENGINEERING SERVICES MANAGER
Lionel Delamotte says he has seen the transition of
Hollywood from a 1940s army-style institution into a
modern day ‘centre of excellence’ and he attributes
the astounding transformation to the amazing staff
at Hollywood who have, at times, battled the odds to
achieve success.
Lionel joined Hollywood in 1974 as a Medical Records
Clerk. Since then, he has held numerous positions,
including roles as Orthopaedic Coordinator, Medical
Records Administrator, Patient Services Manager, Supply
Manager, Finance Manager and Property Manager.
“I ended up as the Manager of Hotel and Property
Services when the hospital was sold in 1994,” said
Lionel. “After Ramsay took over, l returned to Hollywood
and worked as Project Officer on various initiatives,
under Wayne Williams, Manager of Hotel and Property
Services.”
Eventually, when the Asset Services contract ended in
1996, Lionel put up a proposal for Hollywood to have its
own maintenance service. He became Manager of the
Maintenance Department and has been in that role ever
since. Lionel now oversees the Engineering Service at
Hollywood and Attadale Private Hospitals.
“Hollywood has changed from being a public
service institution, which was very unionised, to an
establishment where staff now work together in
harmony with good teamwork and a real ‘can do’
attitude,” Lionel said. “We still have to comply with
organisational policies, procedures and protocols,
however, there is a more consultative and positive
approach.
“The Engineering Department has gone from more than
50 staff to just nine, with the majority of the services
now contracted out. The change has been necessary
due to the rapid advancement in technology and the
modern day ideology of ‘doing more with less’ – in other
words, ‘working smarter’.
“Over the years, I have had quite a few job offers to leave
Hollywood, but the decision has always been easy. This
has been my second home for so long. I consider myself
blessed to work in a great place, amongst good friends
and in a job where every day provides new challenges.”
HELEN AND THE
VOLUNTEERS
Helen Morrell joined Hollywood in
December 2009 to take up the newly
created position of Volunteer Manager.
She inherited 10 Red Cross volunteers
and 15 palliative care volunteers.
Helen’s job was to set up a single,
comprehensive volunteer service at the
hospital.
Recruitment for new volunteers
began in January 2010 and Hollywood
Volunteers was officially launched
in May 2010. Hollywood now has an
impressive 95 active volunteers, with
about 65 of those contributing a
regular weekly presence at the hospital.
“The goal of the volunteering program
is to have volunteers adding to, rather
than replicating, what paid staff do,”
said Helen. “We have implemented a
number of ways in which volunteers
enhance the hospital stay for patients.
Volunteers are on hand to assist visitors.”
Hollywood Volunteers began with
its focus on patient care support on
selected wards. Then, as numbers built,
new initiatives commenced. These
include: the Courtesy Buggy service,
offering transport for visitors within
the hospital grounds; foot and hand
massages for day patients undergoing
chemotherapy and infusion as well as
those on other wards; Food Friends,
offering assistance to patients at
meal times; and the Companionship
Program, which targets long-term care
patients.
“As staff across the hospital become
more aware of the volunteers, we
are receiving more requests,” said
Helen. “We aim to consolidate what
we are doing and expand intentional
volunteer services into additional
areas of the hospital as numbers of
volunteers increase.
“Hospitals can be lonely places so
volunteers often play an important
role in patient wellbeing. I am
privileged to work with volunteers
who are genuinely compassionate. I
am also very well supported by my
colleagues. It is a pleasure to work in
this environment.”
AMAZING ST RS
| 26
27 |
DR JESSICA YIN
UROLOGIST
Entering a male-dominated area of medicine
doesn’t seem to have slowed down Jessica
Yin, as she has built a successful practice over
the years to become one of the most wellrespected urologists in Perth.
“Initially, I was the only female urologist in the
Perth metropolitan area, and was very busy,
seeing mostly female patients who were very
happy to have a female specialist to go to,” said
Dr Yin. “Now, I’ve been joined by three recent
female graduates, so the pressure is easing a
little.”
Working with mostly female patients
meant that Dr Yin had to upskill quickly in
gynaecology, as the two disciplines overlap to a
large extent.
“Traditionally, incontinence hasn’t been
handled well,” said Dr Yin. “It is often regarded as
an inevitable part of ageing. This usually means
patients suffer in silence, thinking nothing can
be done, which isn’t true.”
While Dr Yin’s public work deals with all
general urological conditions, her private work
at Hollywood covers mostly reconstructive
urology, continence and voiding dysfunction in
both male and female patients.
Dr Yin sees a range of continence issues: men
with post-prostatectomy incontinence, women
with simple stress incontinence, patients who
have failed other continence procedures and
women who have suffered complications from
previous surgery.
TERRY MARSHALL
VETERAN AND PATIENT
Terry Marshall is one of Hollywood’s oldest
surviving patients. He was first admitted to
Hollywood in 1941, when the hospital was still
owned and run by the Department of Veterans’
Affairs, and The Hollywood Hour featured on 6PR
every afternoon.
During his six years with the navy and 15 years
in the reserve forces, Terry travelled the world,
always returning to Perth. He was initially
admitted for treatment of severe acne, but has
since been to Hollywood for other medical
conditions.
“Everything about the hospital has changed for
the better,” said Terry. “There are so many new
wards, it’s like a rabbit warren now. The chapel
has been rebuilt and there’s a new car park.
“As a patient, it’s so much more comfortable and
the care is so much better. For the acne, they
used to wash us down with carbolic acid. In the
old days, you got out of bed (if you could) and
stood at the end of your bed waiting for the
matron to do her rounds. Today, doctors and
specialists visit you.
“The food used to come up on an open trolley,
and you used to have navy and army chefs. Now
food is served in a ‘hot box’ and you actually get a
hot tasty meal. You can get anything you want –
free radio and TV, even pyjamas if you need them.”
“I’m lucky to work with a very skilled continence
nurse, Yvonne Sasche, who assists in patient
assessment, does investigations such as
uro-dynamics and is an invaluable source of
catheter and pad education.
AMAZING ST RS
| 28
“I love working at Hollywood. The staff’s
commitment to their work, their ownership of
the patient and any issues that go along with
them, is truly outstanding.”
29 |
WAYNE WILLIAMS
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND
PROPERTY SERVICES MANAGER
Wayne Williams has been part of the Hollywood
team from the time when it was still owned by
the Commonwealth Department of Veterans’
Affairs. This long association has given him the
opportunity to see first-hand how the hospital
has changed since it became part of the
Ramsay group in I994.
“Hollywood has always had a caring culture and
a positive attitude,” said Wayne. “Ramsay Health
Care has strengthened that culture. The ‘can-do’
attitude – if something needed to be done, you
owned that task and you did it – has always
been a part of the Hollywood way.”
In 1994, Wayne held the position of Hotel
and Property Services Manager and, with the
executive team and feedback from a range
of managers and senior doctors, he began
to design ways in which to revitalise and
reconceptualise the hospital as a leading
private hospital in Western Australia.
Building works commenced in 1997 and
haven’t stopped since. Under his watch some
of the major projects undertaken have included
the Hollywood Clinic, the new Bullwinkel,
Perry, Gordon and Brislee wings, six additional
operating theatres, three cardiac catheter labs,
two medical centres with over 100 medical
suites, and a 630-bay multi-storey car park.
In addition to these major projects, an endless
number of moves and changes have occurred
to make Hollywood the great place it is today.
Like the hospital that has been his working life
for many decades, Wayne’s role has also evolved
and, in his current managerial capacity, he
oversees all building projects plus a range of
hotel-type services within the hospital.
“The changing face of Hollywood has been
so positive,” said Wayne. “It certainly gave me
a new lease on my working life and I’m glad I
stayed the distance.”
ANNE GREEN
REGIONAL TRAINING AND
DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Anne Green joined the Hollywood ‘family’
in 1997, just after immigrating from the
UK where she’d worked for 13 years
as a critical care nurse. Anne came on
board as a Staff Development Nurse and
then Acting Manager for Training and
Development and, in 2000, took up the
latter position as her substantive role.
Anne is responsible for the education of
all staff, with the exception of doctors.
Amongst many other things, she
makes sure that new staff go through
orientation, and that all staff maintain
their mandatory competencies and
have the opportunity for professional
development.
“My role has changed over the years,” said
Anne. “It has now been made part of the
Operational Management Group. This
year, I have also taken on a regional role,
looking at training and development at
all four Ramsay WA Hospitals. I was on
the steering committee for Ramsay’s
national e-learning project – aimed at
streamlining core competency training
across all 66 Ramsay hospitals.”
Anne’s proudest achievement has
been assisting the hospital in winning
both the 2009 Australian Employer
of the Year and 2009 State Employer
of the Year awards. That might be the
most visible achievement but, behind
the scenes, Anne has done so much
at Hollywood. She established a new
education program around ‘team
nursing’ at the hospital, which keeps
Hollywood nurses in step with the
latest care delivery models. And she has
rolled out the Scope of Nursing Practice
Framework and national competencybased qualifications for patient service
assistants, patient care assistants,
catering, anaesthetic technicians and
clerical staff.
“In my time at Hollywood, we’ve seen a
lot of growth,” said Anne. “When I arrived,
we had 350 beds and 750 staff. We now
have 522 beds and 1, 700 staff.
“But some things, I’m happy to say,
haven’t changed. The caring and
supportive Ramsay culture has stayed
as strong as it was when I arrived. And
the strong commitment to learning is
as evident today as it was 14 years ago.
I hope I’ve played a part in maintaining
that, as it is so important to achieving the
excellence that we do.”
AMAZING ST RS
| 30
31 |
Mary-Anne Smith
Acute Pain Nurse
Kate Reynolds
Safety Manager
Like so many Hollywood staff,
Mary-Anne began working at
the hospital early in her career,
and loved it so much, she’s
stayed.
In her role as Safety Manager,
Kate is thriving on the way in
which two of her great interests,
Health and Law, are woven
together in one job. Kate is
currently studying Law part-time
at Murdoch University. In the
meantime, she’s using her
background as a Registered
Nurse and her postgraduate
qualifications in Health and
Safety to ensure that staff at
Hollywood are carefully looked
after while they’re on the job.
Mary-Anne’s first taste of
Hollywood was through its
Gradplus program in 2005, when
she gained valuable knowledge
and experience through her
medical and surgical rotations.
Her final rotation was on the
orthopaedic wards, where she
found her niche and remained
until 2010. In addition to working
as a Registered Nurse, she also
held the position of Clinical
Nurse Educator, coordinating
training and development
programs for newly graduated
Registered Nurses.
In 2010 Mary-Anne moved to a
position as Clinical Nurse
Consultant in Acute Pain, where
she still works, liaising with
anaesthetists, consultants,
physiotherapists and nurses to
effectively manage postoperative pain.
INTRODUCING OUR
RISING ST RS
| 32
“Up until recently, there was only
one nurse responsible for acute
pain consulting,” said MaryAnne. “But now that there are
two of us on board, I’d like to see
us building Hollywood’s Acute
Pain Service, by improving the
day-to-day identification and
management of pain, and to
promote and facilitate pain
management education with
nursing staff and within the
multi-disciplinary team.
“I do a lot of risk management,
hazard inspections, staff training
and safety culture development
at Hollywood,” said Kate.
“Because I understand the
clinical side, I can help nurses
and other clinical staff do their
jobs safely. It’s great to see the
safety team put new initiatives
in place. We won a national Safe
Work Australia Ramsay Health
Care award in 2010 for a patient
handling aid developed by two
of our Hollywood theatre PSAs.
“I’m studying Law because I’m
interested in how medical and
legal issues come together. I’d
like to work in legislation in this
area eventually.”
Nurse, safety manager, aspiring
lawyer and now budding writer,
Kate’s original children’s comedy
screenplay that she and a friend
co-wrote will hopefully be airing
on ABC3 in 2012.
Daniel Heredia
Deputy Director of
Medical Services
Having two complementary
tertiary qualifications – one in
medicine, the other in business
– means that Daniel is uniquely
qualified for his position in
Medical Services.
In the earlier part of his career,
Daniel worked as a Registrar in
Psychiatry at Sir Charles Gairdner
Hospital. He subsequently took
up a position with Medicare
Australia, as Medical Adviser for
the WA region.
Daniel then embarked on a
Masters of Business
Administration at Curtin, where
he graduated with distinction.
Now Deputy Director of Medical
Services, working alongside
Director of Medical Services Dr
Margaret Sturdy, Daniel is
responsible for junior medical
staff and salaried medical
officers, looking after all aspects
of their employment, including
training and development,
mentorship and general
management issues.
“Even though Hollywood has
grown in size, it’s retained its
small hospital feel,” said Daniel.
“I’d like to be part of it as long as
I can, eventually going into an
executive role either with
Hollywood or with another
Ramsay hospital.”
Pamela Smith
Finance Clerk
Pamela started working at
Hollywood as a Year 11 student,
doing simple filing and
processing in the finance
department. Now enrolled in
a Bachelor of Commerce
(Accounting and Tax) degree at
The University of Western
Australia, Pamela puts in fulltime hours at Hollywood. For the
past five months, she’s been
assisting Hollywood accountants
in a variety of roles.
From a modest beginning,
Pamela is already showing
outstanding potential. She won
the 2011 Ramsay Health Care
Hesta Preceptor of the Month
Award. She has also been
acknowledged by Nextgen Plus
Coordinator Chris Minchin for
going above and beyond her
work expectations at Hollywood
by assisting new students as
they learn about accounts
payable. The training document
that Pam prepared for Nextgen
students is now being used by
all four Ramsay WA hospitals.
“The great thing about working
at Hollywood is that if you do a
job well, you get offered
opportunities to do something
new,” said Pam. “So I am
learning a lot about the different
aspects of accounting.”
“I’ve been here for six or seven
years now, and I thrive on the
team environment. I think the
‘can do’ attitude is really evident;
people are highly committed to
their work, and I believe they’re
truly happy to be here.”
33 |
RISING ST RS
Chloe Binckes
Manager of Medical
Records
Julie Edwards
Deputy Manager of
Medical Records
Ben Juengling
Senior Human
Resources Officer
It goes without saying that
maintaining medical records in a
hospital is of paramount
importance. Much of this critical
work goes on behind the scenes
by the unsung heroes of record
keeping.
Julie will use her Health
Information Management
qualifications to handle the
health information side of the
patient’s medical records. Julie
first worked for Hollywood
nearly ten years ago as Acting
Manager of Medical Records,
returning to the hospital in 2007
and, most recently, working in
the Quality unit.
From the beginning of his
tertiary studies, Ben has opted
for the health sector. After
completing a Bachelor of Health
Studies with a Commerce major
from The University of Western
Australia, Ben completed the WA
Health Department’s one-year
graduate program. Finding he
liked working in the private
sector, Ben came back to
Hollywood, taking up a position
as Senior Human Resources
Officer, under current Human
Resources Manager Rita
Maguire.
Chloe and Julie are two of those
invisible heroes. And the newly
appointed duo aims to make
medical records a more
streamlined and integrated area
of Hollywood’s administration.
Each will focus on one of the two
core elements of a medical
record: health information and
financial information.
Chloe joined Hollywood in 2008,
after graduating from Curtin
Business School with a Bachelor
of Commerce in Accounting and
Business Law. Chloe started as
an accountant for the revenue
area of the Finance Department.
Earlier this year, she completed a
stint as Acting Manager of
Medical Records, and has now
taken up the position of
Manager of Medical Records as
her substantive role.
“I’d like to see finance and
medical records work more
closely together, as the two are
intrinsically linked,” said Chloe.
“What medical records does
through its coding practice,
affects finance, and vice versa. I’ll
also be looking at overall
processes to make sure KPIs are
met and we work alongside staff
to find new and innovative
practices to achieve outcomes.”
She has assisted the hospital in
its massive job of moving from
an accreditation to a certification
system, implementing a
document control system
around this process. She’s
familiar with reviewing hospital
clinical indicators, monitoring
Riskman, the hospital’s critical
incident register, and ensuring
the hospital’s compliance with a
number of government and
external bodies.
Chloe and Julie are excited
about their new roles, and hope
to bring the excellence that
Hollywood is known for to their
jobs of managing a challenging
side of Hollywood’s business
operations.
“There is so much support here
that I’d like to stay with Ramsay
when I graduate. Eventually, I’d
like to go overseas, perhaps
staying with Ramsay if I can get
a position with them in another
country. But for now, I feel very
comfortable and there is so
much available to me.”
“I see a lot of development
opportunities at Hollywood,”
said Ben. “With the large
regional focus of Ramsay Health
Care, and prospects of more
expansion across the Perth
metropolitan area, there is a lot
of recruitment planning taking
place. We are looking at things
like skill mix, new roles and
managerial positions that are
needed as we expand. It’s an
exciting time to be working in
human resources.
“Ultimately, I’d like to be on the
executive team at a hospital, but
I’ve got a long way to go before I
end up in that type of role.”
Hollywood’s Chest Pain
Service has extended its
hours, so that private
patients with chest pain
can receive around-theclock assistance, with
expertise provided by
cardiologists from the
Hollywood-based Perth
Cardiovascular Institute
& Cardio Vascular Services.
P
eople are always advised to seek urgent medical
help if they experience chest pain. Causes may
include poor blood flow to the heart leading to
angina, or a sudden blockage in the coronary arteries
resulting in a heart attack. In the case of a heart attack,
doctors have a 90-minute window of opportunity to
take medical action before the heart muscle is
permanently damaged.
For this reason, Hollywood Private Hospital takes its
chest pain and cardiovascular services extremely
seriously and has made assessment of chest pain
easier, with services more readily available to patients
with private health insurance.
“The chest pain assessment centre has increased its
number of beds from four to seven,” said Lizelle Fourie,
Clinical Nurse Manager of the Coronary Care Unit. “In
addition, we now offer a 24 hour chest pain service for
private and Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)
patients. Private and DVA patients can transfer to us
from a public hospital, using the St John Ambulance
service.”
Hollywood’s long-standing and successful chest pain
service recently extended the service even further by
renovating and installing state-of-the-art medical
equipment to assist in the management of this
important condition.
the assessment centre by highly trained nurses and
doctors, who then call a patient’s cardiologist to
manage the care from admission to discharge.
For overnight stays, the centre has a fully monitored
nine-bed Coronary Care Unit and 30 monitored
cardiology ward beds, all with single rooms. The chest
pain service is fully supported by the expertise of Perth
Cardiovascular Institute and Cardio Vascular Services,
which provide an extensive range of both
interventional and non-invasive cardiovascular services.
“The location of the chest pain assessment centre
adjacent to our newly refurbished Angiography Suite
provides our patients with the best possible care at
today’s high standards,” said Lizelle.
“The Angiography Suite has the latest diagnostic
imaging technology. This area has been completely
renovated and has the latest state-of-the-art
equipment. A patient can get high-resolution heart
and blood vessel imaging done quickly and easily if it is
necessary.
“Because our Angiography Suite is available 24 hours a
day, a patient won’t have to wait for these important
tests. This is crucial in treating a potential heart attack
and getting better outcomes for a patient where
minutes, sometimes seconds, can make a huge
difference.”
When arriving at Hollywood, patients are assessed in
| 34
35 |
A bold new initiative
reinvents an old tradition
and opens the way for better
inter-professional learning
at Hollywood.
comes down to enjoying who I work with and the
award has given me the push to keep going with
what I am doing. I had a lot of nerves on the night
but it was extremely inspiring, hearing what
everyone had to say and how big the event was.”
Hollywood nurses shine in acute care
at the annual excellence awards
Hollywood nurses Tracy Swanson and Sara Garofallou
won acute care nursing awards at the annual Nursing
and Midwifery Excellence Awards held at Burswood
Entertainment Complex in September 2011.
Organised by the WA Department of Health, the
award categories reflect the diversity of work
undertaken by nurses and midwives across health in
a range of clinical, educational, research and
leadership roles.
Tracy Swanson was the category winner in the
Metropolitan Acute Care Registered Nurse category,
whilst Sara Garofallou was the Metropolitan Acute
Care Enrolled Nurse category winner. Both nurses
are full-time employees of Hollywood Private
Hospital.
Of her win, Sara Garofallou says, “It’s a huge
recognition of the work that I have put in. A lot of it
Sara Garofallou completed her Enrolled Nurse
Graduate program at Hollywood in August 2005.
She developed a passion for Orthopaedic Nursing
during the program and remained on the Orthopaedic
ward whilst increasing her knowledge and skills in
the area which contributed to her reaching
advanced skill Enrolled Nurse status in 2009.
Tracy Swanson said, “I was very overwhelmed and
honoured to win on the evening and found it
especially humbling to be acknowledged by my
peers.”
Tracy has extensive knowledge and experience in
the specialty of cardiac rehabilitation, monitoring
standards of cardiac education for all cardiac
patients at Hollywood. She provides excellent
leadership to her nursing colleagues utilising expert
skills to achieve the best outcome for patients.
T
Of the two Hollywood award winners, Nola
Cruickshank, Director of Clinical Services at
Hollywood said: “This is an amazing achievement
and we are especially proud of Sara and Tracy for
their amazing work at our hospital. These awards
reflect the outstanding service provided by
everyone at Hollywood Private Hospital.”
Left
Nola Cruickshank,
Director of Clinical
Services for Hollywood
with Sara Garofallou
Right
Tony Dolan, Acting
Executive Director for
Sir Charles Gairdner
Hospital, presenting
Tracy Swanson with
her award.
| 36
he traditional ‘grand round’ has always been the domain of a
hospital’s medical staff. Now, Hollywood is trying something
different. It’s reinventing the grand round as a new model,
appropriately named ‘In the Round’.
“The traditional silo approach is less relevant these days.
Professionals receive enough clinical training in academic and then
in-situ training. What we need to do is create new environments
for shared learning to occur, beyond formal clinical study.”
The approach opens up a new inter-disciplinary learning avenue to
all staff – both as presenters and as attendees. Nurses, allied health
staff, medical practitioners and patients will be invited to present
their knowledge and experience of working – or living – with
particular diseases. Importantly, hospital staff from all backgrounds
will be encouraged to attend In the Round.
Regional Training and Development Manager at Hollywood, Anne
Green, says that doctor selection is changing, with the expectation
that they will have better ‘people skills’ and a more ‘human focus’
in approaching patients.
Dr Daniel Heredia, Deputy Medical Director at Hollywood, says that
the initiative came about because staff were asking if they could
attend hospital-run educational sessions outside of their own
discipline. This prompted Daniel, in collaboration with the Training
and Development department, to explore new ways to bring
together clinical and non-clinical staff in a shared learning
environment.
“Medical care is now very much based on a multi-disciplinary
model,” said Daniel. “In the Round supports that approach. A lot of
specialists are realising that they need to know about, and take into
account, other health perspectives in treating a patient. Similarly,
allied and other health care workers need to have a better
understanding of the medical treatment and interventions that
their patients might be receiving.
“The monthly seminars will support this,” said Anne. “With each
seminar focusing on a different topic, we can cover a range of
relevant needs. Our first seminar was presented by a nurse from
Parkinsons WA in September.”
More comprehensive knowledge amongst health care and clerical
staff will translate into better care, with the ultimate goal being
enhanced patient care. Staff can record their attendance as part of
their education for Continuing Competence to Practice, as required
by their professions.
“Our goal at Hollywood is to improve the patient’s journey at every
touch point,” said Daniel. “Because all staff members are thinking
differently and incorporating more knowledge, patient outcomes
will improve.”
If you’d like to find out more about in the round seminars, contact
Anne Green on 08 9346 6620 or [email protected]
37 |
An inspiring
partnership
with marr mooditj college
A new partnership between Hollywood
and Marr Mooditj College is providing
training for Indigenous student
nurses and is part of a bigger picture
that shows the hospital’s commitment
to Indigenous reconciliation.
A
new partnership between
Hollywood and Marr Mooditj
College, based at Clontarf in
Bentley, has seen its first four student
nurses undertake a four-week
training block at Hollywood in
August 2011.
The Clinical Facilitator is Peta
Salisbury, on secondment from
Hollywood to Marr Mooditj for the
duration of the four-week block. Peta
is liaising with Hollywood’s Regional
Training & Development Manager,
Anne Green, and HR Manager, Rita
Maguire.
“We have previously employed
graduates from Marr Mooditj,” said
Anne. “This is the first time we had
Marr Mooditj students coming to
Hollywood as part of their final year
of academic study.
“The students are completing an
acute general medical or surgical
rotation across areas that allows
them to apply their knowledge in a
hospital setting.”
In addition to providing placements
for final year Enrolled Nurses,
Hollywood has also offered
graduates from Marr Mooditj places
in the graduate nurse program,
Gradplus.
The six-month graduate program
opportunity also offers a medical and
surgical rotation that will strengthen
clinical skills and see qualified nurses
gain confidence in their work and
decision-making.
Rita Maguire, HR Manager at
Hollywood, says that the partnership
between the organisations is a good
one as Marr Mooditj shares
Hollywood’s core values of
excellence and passion.
The new collaboration also supports
the broad goals of Hollywood’s 2010–
2013 Reconciliation Action Plan.
Hollywood’s Reconciliation Action
Plan provides realistic strategies by
which the organisation can
strengthen Indigenous heritage and
culture, and provide and promote
opportunities for Indigenous
Australians.
“Our Indigenous nurse training
initiatives are very much part of a
larger culture of diversity that we
promote at Hollywood,” said Rita.
“Hollywood sees itself as leading the
way in terms of having a multicultural environment, and initiatives
to achieve this run through all levels
of the organisation.
THE GRADPLUS PROGRAM
AT HOLLYWOOD
Gradplus is Ramsay WA’s outstanding program
for graduate Enrolled and Registered Nurses. A
six-month structured program is offered for
Enrolled Nurses, while a one-year program is
available for graduate Registered Nurses. A direct
entry peri-operative graduate program is also
available.
Participants in the Gradplus program receive
nursing experience in a wide range of clinical
areas – including (but not limited to) cardiology,
orthopaedics, urology and oncology. Following
the graduate year, Advanced Skill EN Pathways
or Clinical Enhancement Programs provide
further development in all clinical areas.
Gradplus is offered at all four Ramsay WA hospitals:
Attadale Private Hospital, Glengarry Private
Hospital, Hollywood Private Hospital and
Joondalup Health Campus.
For more information on the Hollywood Gradplus
program, visit www.amazingcareers.com.au
Above
Charlene Humphries
and Rachel Abbott
“For example, to promote better
understanding of Indigenous culture
amongst management, we are
providing cultural awareness sessions
for our managers.”
After gaining nursing experience in a
hospital system, many Indigenous
nurses want to work with their own
communities, supporting better
health outcomes for Indigenous
people.
“If they choose to do this, then we
see ourselves as having assisted with
the training of qualified nurses who
can work at a community level, and
so contribute to improving overall
health outcomes for Indigenous
Australians,” said Rita.
“This is a new journey for us. We are
excited but also realise that, as an
organisation, we have a lot of
learning to do around Indigenous
culture. Hollywood is very committed
to this process.”
SOME OF OUR GRADPLUS STUDENTS
Candace Mason:
Graduate Enrolled Nurse
Charlene Humphries:
Graduate Enrolled Nurse
Rachel Abbott:
Graduate Enrolled Nurse
“My long-term goal is to be a midwife,
so I had to become a nurse first. I chose
the Hollywood program because it was
more flexible and convenient for me. I
could do a six-month program, rather
than a 12-month program. Also, it
started in August, and my course at
Marr Mooditj finished in July, so that
worked out well.
“I’ve been working on the Gratwick
Ward at Hollywood, which has a lot of
palliative care patients. This is my first
experience working on a ward in a
hospital, so I am learning a lot.
“I wanted to do my RN as soon as
possible, so the Hollywood Gradplus
program was best for me because it lets
me do six months of on-the-job
training, and then I can do my RN.
“It’s interesting to me to see
Hollywood’s approach to ‘team
nursing’ where nurses aren’t allocated
only their own patients, but we all
share the care of each patient.
“I’ve been on Pope Ward for three
weeks. Everyone has been welcoming
and so supportive in showing me how
things work. I’ve found it really easy to
fit into the team here.
“I chose Hollywood because of the
support they give you during the
Gradplus training. They also focus on
things like building your confidence as
a nurse.
“I’ve learned time management, and
how every patient has an individualised
care plan. Each patient gets the care
that they need.
“I live in Fremantle and I want to work
in my community. All my friends and
family are here. Attadale Private
Hospital has a midwife conversion
program for graduates, which I’m
interested in and will look into after I
finish the Gradplus program at
Hollywood.”
Candace Mason
“I want to get my RN qualification and
then work in the public sector
eventually, because I want to focus on
Aboriginal health.”
“I eventually want to be a nurse
practitioner in a remote area setting. I
want to spend maybe five to ten years
in remote areas in Western Australia
but I eventually want to go back to the
Northern Territory. I grew up on a
community in Alice Springs, and they
need a lot of support.
“Marr Mooditj changed my life by
giving me the opportunity to study and
have a career. Now, Hollywood can
give me the opportunity to learn from
the best, and the tools to do further
study.”
| 38
39 |
A night of sparkling gems
H
ollywood’s star medical
specialists came out to
shine at “Glimmer”, the
mid-year doctors’ dinner held
at The State Theatre in June.
Hosted by Executive Director
Kevin Cass-Ryall, the 150
guests glimmered with style
as they were immersed in the
transformation of the Heath
Ledger Theatre stage into a
real life glittering jewellery box.
The jewellery box, complete
with gold and diamonds, rose
to unveil a beautiful twirling
ballerina who was set free by
her charming prince,
compliments of the West
Australian Ballet.
The evening promised, and
delivered, a night of angelic
voices from Perth songstresses
| 40
Ali Bodycoat and Julia Jenkins,
who wowed guests with their
glittering performances.
The food complimented the
treasures that abounded on
stage, jewellery box desserts
and wines that were “poured
from heaven”.
The setting was exquisite a gold and glimmering
extravaganza of blinding
beauty with sparkling table
settings, gold orchids and
mesmerizing backdrops.
The “Glimmer” theme sent
the message to all of the
guests that just like gems of a
jewellery box, everyone in
the room was a unique and
rare asset to Hollywood
Private Hospital.
Kevin & Christine Cass-Ryall
Sanjay Mukhedkar & Ashwini Davray
Wendy & Mike Davis, Susan
Kuruvilla and Megan Criddle
Nicola & Steve Watts
West Australian Ballet
Ali Bodycoat
Christopher Lawson-Smith, Sarah
Pickstock, Alar & Lee-Anne Kaard,
Christine Lawson-Smith
Colin & Felicity Whitewood
Julie & Andrew Lindsay
hollywood
in brief
Hollywood Private Hospital takes out
WorkSafe WA award
Ramsay Health Care invests in
scholarship program
Hollywood Private Hospital’s Theatre PSA John McDonnell was
announced the winner of WorkSafe WA’s Individual Contribution
to Safety award in October.
Ramsay WA recently presented three nursing students
from the West Coast Institute of Training with
scholarships to train at one of the premier health
facilities in the state. Jessica Kinder, Kiri Fonotia and
Amanda Brown received $2,000 cash and will complete
two stages of practical work placement at Ramsay’s
Joondalup Health Campus.
The awards recognise outstanding occupational safety solutions
and innovations in WA workplaces.
The win comes after Hollywood’s Occupational Safety & Health
(OSH) team organised the manufacturing of a mini slide board for
insertion of slide sheets under patients on a theatre table. John
McDonnell came up with the idea and developed the prototype.
He will now go to Canberra to represent Hollywood in the national
Safe Work Australia awards. This excellent achievement comes on
the back of winning Ramsay Health Care’s Safe Work Australia
competition in March 2011.
Theatre PSA John McDonnell
with the mini-slide board
Providing comfort to the aged care
residents of Tandara
In August, Hollywood donated over 55 of its electric hospital beds
to Swan Care Group, a non-denominational not-for-profit
charitable provider of residential aged care and services. The
donated beds will benefit staff safety and the residents of Swan
Care’s high care nursing home Tandara allowing residents the
ability to adjust their own beds.
The good quality Huntleigh electric beds (with mattresses) were
replaced at Hollywood as part of an upgrade of inventory and are
valued at $250,000 when purchased new.
“The gift we have received through the generosity of Hollywood
allows for this substantial budget allocation to be directed to other
resident-focused areas of the care spectrum,” said Michelle De
Ronchi, Swan Care Group General Manager, Aged Care.
“Ramsay Health Care’s motto is ‘People Caring for People’ and
Hollywood Private Hospital is firmly committed to making a
difference in the community in exactly the same way we do daily
for our patients. We are happy that the beds will greatly assist the
Swan Care Group and its elderly residents,” said Kevin Cass-Ryall,
Executive Director of Hollywood.
Hollywood staff have fun for a reason
On Sunday 22nd May, 263 Ramsay Health Care staff demonstrated
their amazing support for six great charities when they took part in
the HBF Run for a Reason. Ramsay had the largest corporate team
with its participant numbers more than doubling compared to the
2010 event. Hollywood's team of 166 employees participated in
either the 4.5km or 14.5km events and enjoyed the healthy
refreshments as they recovered in the marquee afterwards.
Ramsay Health Care WA is a major sponsor of the HBF Run for a
Reason, supporting a large health-related community event that
has real local impacts on health.
| 42
Ramsay Health Care’s WA State Manager Kevin CassRyall said the three scholarships were part of Ramsay
Health Care’s commitment to training future health
care workers.
“The on-the-job training will see the three scholarship
recipients exposed to the numerous clinical disciplines
on offer at Joondalup Health Campus where they will
be supported by a great team,” he said.
The scholarships will be available in the future for
training at other Ramsay WA sites including Hollywood,
Glengarry and Attadale Private Hospitals.
Weathering the Storm brings
home ACRA award
Hollywood’s Tracy Swanson was awarded the
prestigious “Best first-time presenter” award at the
annual national conference of the Australian
Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Association
(ACRA).
Tracy Swanson and Craig Cheetham of WA Cardiac
Rehabilitation Services at Hollywood submitted an
abstract around the impact the storm of March 2010,
and subsequent eight week closure of the
rehabilitation facilities at Hollywood, had on
psychosocial and lifestyle changes in patients who had
attended the cardiac rehab and secondary prevention
service.
The paper was titled Weathering the Storm and
provided a valuable insight into the vulnerabilities of
some cohorts of patients. The common prediction
would be that those with the more complex and
clinically severe disease would have a greater
predisposition to this change and those with lower
clinical risk would be less likely to be effected. Their
research highlighted almost the opposite trend.
The study highlights that individuals with differing
levels of cardiac disease have much to gain from
enrolment into the cardiac rehab and secondary
prevention services.
The “Best first-time presenter” award is given for
research with sound methodology and contributing to
fostering the body of knowledge in this field.
43 |
hollywood
in brief
Z Special Unit International donates
$100,000 to Research Foundation
In August, the Z Special Unit International
donated its remaining funds of $100,000 to
Hollywood’s Research Foundation.
The Z Special Unit International is an exservice organisation founded by decorated
war hero the late Mr Jack Wong Sue that is
winding up due to dwindling numbers of
its Veteran members.
The organisation has been a generous
supporter of the Research Foundation and
decided to donate its remaining funds to
the Foundation which fosters medical
research by Hollywood’s doctors and staff
that lead to improvements in medical care
and the health of the community.
Three of the five surviving diggers
attended a lunch held at Hollywood Private
Hospital where Ernst Baints, chairman of Z
Special Unit International, presented the
Foundation with the $100,000 cheque.
PHAQ Award
APHA Award
Mole Patrol wins two national awards
Hollywood Private Hospital and Joondalup Health
Campus’ Mole Patrol campaign recently won two
national awards.
In June, Mole Patrol was announced the winner of the
Marketing and Community Awareness Initiatives
category of the Innovative Practice in the Private Sector
Awards in Brisbane. The two Ramsay WA hospitals
competed against three other finalists in the category
to take out the award. The Mole Patrol campaign was
announced overall runner-up of the awards over four
categories ahead of sixteen finalists. The awards were
hosted by the Private Hospitals Association of
Queensland (PHAQ) and recognise innovative practice
in the private hospital sector.
In October, the Mole Patrol campaign was announced
the winner of the 2011 Australian Private Hospital’s
Association (APHA) Community Involvement Award in
Sydney. The APHA awards have been running for over
20 years and recognise and encourage the pursuits
and achievements of excellence among Australian
private hospitals. As winner of the Community
Involvement Award, Mole Patrol was recognised for its
contribution to the broader local community.
Hollywood’s Research Foundation
President Dr Terry Bayliss said the
Foundation is not-for-profit and donations
greatly assist the Foundation to achieve
improvements and advancement in
medical care.
“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of
Z Special Unit International. We may have
not have been able to further our
knowledge in various areas without their
kind support,” said Dr Bayliss.
Since its inception, the Hollywood's
Research Foundation has provided a total
of $500,000 in grants for medical research
in areas such as prostate cancer, asthma
and chronic lung disease, Alzheimer’s
disease, knee replacement surgery,
autologous knee cartilage implantation
surgery, orthopaedic rehabilitation and
palliative care.
Hollywood covers all the running costs of
the Research Foundation so that 100% of
contributions can be used for their
intended purpose – supporting research.
The Foundation raises funds from hospital
social events, staff contributions and
community donations.
Penny Tassone, State Manager of Marketing and PR,
Ramsay Health Care WA said contribution to the
community was a key value that underpins the work of
Hollywood Private Hospital and Joondalup Health
Campus.
“Mole Patrol provided the opportunity for the Perth
community to receive a free skin cancer check where
an appointment at a mole clinic would cost around
$70 and often involve a long wait. The response from
the public was overwhelming. At some events we
were screening up to 600 people within a few hours.
Feedback from visitors was that they found it
challenging to get a quick skin cancer check in Perth
and were frustrated with the lengthy processes. Mole
Patrol allowed them the convenience of being
checked on the spot by a team of specialists,” said Ms
Tassone.
Over the campaign one in ten people screened were
referred on for biopsy and follow up testing and at least
ten serious skin lesions were detected, two of which
were confirmed melanomas.
The Mole Patrol campaign, which ran over eight weeks
in summer and was aimed at promoting skin cancer
awareness among the Perth community, provided more
than 2,000 people with free skin checks conducted by a
team of specialists including plastic surgeons.
| 44
45 •
profiling
hollywood
specialists
Dr Eileen Tay
DIRECTOR, EATING DISORDERS
PROGRAM AT HOLLYWOOD
Mr Daniel Fick
ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON
Dr Andrew Lindsay
Dr Anh Nguyen
Dr Siang Ung
GENERAL CARDIOLOGIST
Dr Philip Tuch
NEUROLOGIST
Dr Philip Tuch received his MBBCh from
the University of the Witwatersrand in
Johannesburg, South Africa, where he
trained in neurology obtaining a Master of
Medicine (Neurology) and an FCP (SA). He
spent 11 years working as a neurologist
in Johannesburg before immigrating to
Australia in 1997.
On arriving in Perth, Dr Tuch retrained at
Fremantle Hospital and obtained his FRACP
(with Neurology) in 1999. For the past 11
years, he has worked in private practice at
The Mount Hospital and has had a part-time
consultant position at Royal Perth Hospital in
the Neurology Department.
While Dr Tuch retains his position at Royal
Perth Hospital, in April this year he relocated
his private practice to the Hollywood
Medical Centre. It has been an exciting
and challenging time. Dr Tuch says he is
impressed by the outstanding facilities,
quality of care as well as the friendly
and professional work environment at
Hollywood.
As a general neurologist, Dr Tuch sees a
very broad spectrum of patients presenting
with varied neurological conditions of the
central and peripheral nervous systems with
an interest in neuro-infectious diseases and
myaesthenia gravis.
Dr Tuch is looking forward to establishing a
good working relationship with not only his
colleagues but also the entire ‘Hollywood
family’.
| 46
Dr Siang Ung received his MBBS from
The University of Western Australia. He
commenced advanced training in cardiology
in 2007 at Royal Perth Hospital, where he
completed two years of general cardiology
and one year in the advanced heart failure/
cardiology transplantation unit. As part of his
postgraduate training, he undertook a oneyear elective fellowship in adult congenital
heart disease at the University College of
London Hospital. He received his FRACP in
2009.
Dr Ung now practices as a general
cardiologist. He holds a public position with
Swan District Hospital as a cardiologist and
physician. At Hollywood Specialist Centre,
Dr Ung consults at Cardio Vascular Services
(CVS). His interests include heart failure
and the management of congenital heart
disease in the adult population.
Dr Ung is an investigator with CVS,
researching the use of Adaptive
ServoVentilation (non-invasive ventilation) in
heart failure and sleep-disordered breathing.
“Heart failure remains an increasingly
prevalent condition associated with high
morbidity and mortality, the treatment
of which involves optimisation of
cardiovascular risk factors and medications,
education, close monitoring and,
occasionally, more invasive intervention,” said
Dr Ung.
“The use of Adaptive ServoVentillation
in patients with impaired left ventricular
function and predominant central sleep
apnea may offer a novel approach to
improving the symptoms and progression of
heart failure.”
PLASTIC SURGEON
Originally from Melbourne, Dr Anh Nguyen
received her MBBS (Hons) from the University
of Melbourne. She completed her internship,
residency and basic surgical training at St
Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne before embarking
on general surgical training at The Alfred Hospital
in Melbourne.
In 2006, she moved to Perth to commence her
training in plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Dr Nguyen obtained her FRACS in 2010. She
subsequently completed an Aesthetic Fellowship
at the Melbourne Institute of Plastic Surgery.
Returning to Perth earlier this year, Dr Nguyen
joined Sculpt Surgery in Nedlands and RediMed.
She operates at Hollywood and at Joondalup
Health Campus. The focus of her work is cosmetic
surgery of the face, breast and body, as well as
general plastic surgery, including hand trauma
and skin cancers.
“Plastic surgery is facing a huge leap forward
with stem cell research that will have a significant
impact on tissue engineering,” said Dr Nguyen.
“We are still a good few years away from realising
this, but it is an advance that will bring much
better patient outcomes.”
Dr Nguyen is one of four female plastic surgeons
in Perth, and one of only two female plastic
surgeons working in private practice.
“As a woman and a mother of young children, I
understand how my female patients feel about
their health and about their bodies. I can offer
female patients surgical attention to detail, while
relating to their circumstances. My goal is to help
patients look and feel the best that they can.
“Many of the operations I do can be performed
with an all-female surgical team at Hollywood,
giving patients an extra level of comfort in
addition to surgical excellence.”
OTOLARYNGOLOGIST
Dr Andrew Lindsay obtained his MBBS from the
University of Queensland in 1997, subsequently
moving to Perth in 1999 where he undertook
ENT training at the major hospitals in Perth. He
received his FRACS in 2006.
Dr Lindsay then spent a year in Kerala, India,
focusing on head and neck malignancy as
well as microvascular reconstruction. He then
spent a further year in Dublin, Ireland where
he worked at the St James and Mater Hospitals
doing mostly head and neck oncology surgery
and thyroid surgery.
After returning to Perth in 2008, Dr Lindsay
took up a position as Otolaryngology (Head
and Neck) Consultant at Royal Perth Hospital.
He also works at Kalgoorlie, South Perth and
Armadale Hospitals.
He has private rooms and does his major
private surgical work at Hollywood.
“I focus mostly on head and neck cancers,
particularly on the reconstruction of defects
following cancer removal,” said Dr Lindsay.
“Most cancers are generally showing a decline
in frequency. However, head and neck –
including thyroid cancer – is trending upwards.
This means that an increasing awareness of
these cancers both in the health system and
in the general public is currently one of the
challenges facing our specialty.”
Outside of the public system, Dr Lindsay
performs most ENT procedures including
otological, endoscopic sinus and general
paediatric ENT surgeries.
“ENT is rapidly expanding as a field largely
because of innovations in minimally invasive
techniques, especially endoscopic approaches
to the skull base and endoscopic laser surgery,”
said Dr Lindsay. “Advances in reconstructive
techniques mean that previously untreatable
cancers are now potentially curable. It's
exciting to be part of that progress in the
specialty.”
Mr Daniel Fick received his MBBS from
The University of Western Australia and
completed his training at Sir Charles
Gairdner Hospital. He did his fellowship
in the UK, specialising in lower limb
arthroplasty, with a sub-specialty interest in
sports medicine.
Together with colleague Associate Professor
Riaz Khan, Mr Fick runs a private practice
from The Joint Studio at Hollywood. Both
surgeons specialise in lower limb surgery,
joint replacement, arthroscopy and trauma
surgery. The practice is varied and ranges
from joint replacement and revision
procedures to keyhole surgery for elite
athletes. Mr Fick also offers an in-patient
service on Hollywood’s wards, and works
as a trauma surgeon at Sir Charles Gairdner
Hospital.
“We are privileged to be part of a great team
at Hollywood,” said Mr Fick. “We have top
anaesthetists to work with and Professor
Jane Courtney is an integral part of The
Joint Studio. She helps provide a complete
medical care package for our more complex
cases.
“Our philosophy is very much to treat
patients as if they were a family member. We
find our work very satisfying as almost all our
patients recover tremendously well. They
really do enjoy their Hollywood experience
and frequently comment on how pleased
they were with everything: from admissions,
to theatres to all the ward staff.
“Orthopaedics is heading in exciting new
directions and, whilst refining our existing
procedures, we are excited to be involved
in a great deal of research at Hollywood to
improve our care to patients.
“I think we will see more focus on the
biological improvements we can make
to patients through stem cells and
biotechnologies that accelerate the healing
process. At the same time we’re already
seeing the maturation of computerassisted surgery in our ‘old-fashioned’ joint
replacements. It’s a fascinating time to be at
Hollywood.”
Dr Eileen Tay took up the directorship of
Hollywood’s Eating Disorders Program
earlier this year. She brings both general
medical and psychiatric experience to the
role. Dr Tay graduated from The University
of Western Australia in 1987 and trained as a
general practitioner, obtaining her FRACGP
in 1994. In 2000, she commenced psychiatric
training, and subsequently worked in both
general adult and child and adolescent
psychiatry across the Perth metropolitan
area. She obtained the FRANZCP in 2006,
after which she commenced private practice.
Dr Tay’s areas of interest are mood and
anxiety disorders, PTSD, eating disorders
and psychotherapy. She is an accredited
supervisor with the Postgraduate Training
Program in Psychiatry based at Graylands
Hospital and she supervises a psychotherapy
group as well as being a clinical examiner.
“The Eating Disorders Program at Hollywood
has been running for 14 years,” said Dr Tay.
“We have an opportunity to now develop
the strengths of the current program in new
ways.
“Historically, eating disorders have been most
evident in the adolescent and young adult
population. Most of the research focuses on
this group. Increasingly, however, we are
seeing a chronic sub-set of these patients –
the 20 per cent who don’t recover and go on
to live with the disorder into later adulthood.
So one challenge for our profession is to
begin to think of eating disorders within a
chronic illness model.
“The Eating Disorders Program at Hollywood
is run by an enthusiastic and experienced
multi-disciplinary team. I see a role for
the Psychiatric Director in developing the
program further, in particular through
assessing patients for co-morbid psychiatric
disorders and ensuring that the overall
treatment plan is as individualised as
possible". One of Dr Tay’s goals for the
program is to build closer working
relationships with peer organisations, such
as the WA Department of Health’s Centre
for Clinical Interventions, The University
of Western Australia’s Department of
Psychology and the Eating Disorders Program
at Princess Margaret Hospital. Collaborations
could lead to the development of theoretical
models through appropriate research, which
would in turn have the potential to enhance
treatment programs.
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