COACH program recognised around the world

December 2003

St. Vincent’s cardiac researcher Dr Margaret Vale received a Premier’s Commendation in June for her work developing the COACH program (Coaching patients On Achieving Cardiovascular Health).

Dr Vale has worked in conjunction with Associate Professor Michael Jelinek and Professor James Best to develop the program, which provides telephone coaching to patients who have heart problems.

COACH involves recruiting patients in hospital, measuring their vital statistics such as cholesterol and weight, discussing with the patients what they need to do to achieve key health targets to help prevent or reduce future heart problems and following up with regular telephone calls home to check on progress and maintain motivation in the patient.

The program has recently been extended to five Melbourne hospitals and received recognition in international medical journals in December 2003. 

Hay Fever warning

November 2003

St. Vincent’s Health specialist Dr John Weiner issued a public warning that the Spring and Summer of 2003/04 loomed as the worst in recent years for hay fever and asthma.

Dr Weiner explained that early Spring rains after a prolonged drought had produced a growth frenzy in plants and grasslands north of Melbourne. 

Millennium Diabetes Grant to Professor Tom Kay

November 2003

St. Vincent's Health cemented its position as a leader in diabetes research with the announcement that Professor Tom Kay from St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research had been awarded the Diabetes Australia Research Trust's major grant - The $150,000 Millennium Grant - for 2004/05.

The grant supports research by Professor Kay and his team into the role of perforin in beta cell destruction.

The previous recipient of this national grant was also from St. Vincent’s: Dr Alicia Jenkins from the St. Vincent’s Hospital Department of Medicine who, along with a Sydney colleague, received funding for research into genetic causes of eye problems in young Type 1 diabetes patients. 

Mobile Emergency Response Team unveiled

September 2003

In early September a chemical spill at the Melbourne Dental School led to a large number of staff and patients evacuating the building, with many suffering the effects of fumes.

On request, St. Vincent’s Hospital dispatched its newly formed Mobile Emergency Response Team (MERT) to the scene. MERT includes a doctor, nurses and anaesthetist and was able to provide relief and treatment for a number of people. It was the first time such a unit has been used in Melbourne.  

Passion and innovation in aged care

August 2003

Passion and innovation are two words that most people would not link with aged care, but at St. Vincent’s Health they are the cornerstones of a whole new approach.

Social worker Rebecca Power and nurse Renae O’Toole embody this approach. The two managers work in the Integrated and Sub Acute Care Directorate which is promoting a new philosophy of care that is not only stimulating for staff, but is leading to significantly improved outcomes for patients.

The focus is on integration of care. When a patient is admitted, their carers work as a team to provide seamless care for their total needs including medical, psychological, physiotherapy, speech therapy, rehabilitation, home assessment, community care... whatever is needed to assist that person.

When leaving hospital, rather than just a medical form, patients have a comprehensive “discharge plan” that is sent to their GP. The plan clearly summaries the complete package the patient will need to progress their life.

The care program and discharge plan that Rebecca and Renae have implemented has been widely acclaimed. They have travelled around Australia briefing State Governments and Rebecca has been invited to lecture students at LaTrobe University. 

Microsurgeons reattach severed hand

June 2003

At the end of June a man was rushed to St. Vincent’s Hospital with a severed hand. A team of four microsurgeons, led by Professor Wayne Morrison, worked for hours to reattach the hand.

The surgeons worked in pairs, identifying and tagging vessels and nerves on the hand and stump and then rejoining them in a marathon process. The man recovered and is slowly regaining the use of his hand.

St. Vincent’s Hospital is one of the few places in Australia where four microsurgeons are available at short notice to provide emergency surgery, thanks to the pioneering work on the campus by the Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery. 

Researchers successfully grow breast tissue
May 2003

Researchers at St. Vincent's Bernard O'Brien Institute reveal they have successfully grown breast tissue inside a pig and human trials are close. The implications are of interests to women who have had a mastectomy, as it is hoped that one day women will be able to regrow breast tissue to fill that removed during surgery. In this way they would avoid having to wear a prosthetic device or major reconstruction surgery.

World first skin care kit launched
April 2003

St. Vincent's Hospital Department of Dermatology has launched a world first kit for primary schools on skin care. The kit contains teaching modules, posters, fact sheets and a book on common skin conditions in children. The information includes descriptions on what causes the conditions, how to identify them, and how to treat them. The kit was developed after research by the Department showed skin conditions were more prevalent that thought and that teachers and carers were often unaware of appropriate treatment. 

Kidney disease breakthrough
March 2003

Scientists have made an important advance in treating kidney problems in diabetics. Researchers at the University of Melbourne and St. Vincent's Hospital have developed a new experimental treatment that can stop kidney damage, even when patients' blood sugar levels are high. This could dramatically improve the outlook for patients with juvenile diabetes - a third of whom develop debilitating kidney disease. 

Gutsy group fights for a cure for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
March 2003

Inflammatory Bowel Disease is not something most people want to talk about, but it affects more than 70,000 Australians. This debilitating condition hits people mainly in their late teens and twenties, often with devastating consequences on their social and working life. Doctors and researchers at St. Vincent's Health have formed the Gutsy Group to raise public awareness about the condition and raise funds for further research. 

St. Vincent's Oncology pharmacist tops the world
February 2003

An Oncology pharmacist at St. Vincent's Hospital has scored the top result in an exam of the US Board of Pharmaceutical Specialities. The prestigious annual exam tests specialists on their knowledge, application, and study into their area of speciality. Robbie McLauchlan received the top mark ahead of specialists from around the world. The calibre of entrants is extremely high, and given that only 56 of 108 candidates passed, Robbie's achievement is outstanding. 

World first stem cell transfusion at St. Vincent's Hospital
January 2003

In a world first procedure, cardiologists at St. Vincent's Hospital have transfused specially selected stem cells from a patient's bone barrow into her damaged heart. The 57-year-old Mooroopna woman was limited in what she could do as a large portion of her heat was starved of adequate blood supply. It is hoped the stem cells will restore functionality of the damaged areas of the heart, significantly improving the patient's well-being and mobility. Further trials on selected patients are underway and initial results of the new treatment are promising.