The Mater’s Maternity Unit delivered 2,387 babies in the 2010/2011financial year, including 35 sets of twins. A unit makeover converted two share rooms into family rooms with double beds. This not only allows fathers to stay on site and makes for a more familyfriendly environment; it also guarantees private rooms to every patient. With the Mater now training their own midwives, the hospital saw another three students graduate with a Graduate Diploma in Midwifery. In September 2010 some 60 midwives attended a Professional Midwifery Update Workshop. As an added value offering to patients, the Mater commenced a regular high tea in the Maternity Unit. Held each Monday and Friday, the tea offers an opportunity for grandparents, parents and baby to come together over a cup of tea and cake. New parents are also able to network with fellow new parents, making their hospital stay more nurturing and comfortable. Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation With one of the busiest orthopaedic departments in the Southern Hemisphere, the Mater’s Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Unit specialises in elective orthopaedic joint replacement, orthopaedic surgery and post-joint replacement rehabilitation. The unit performs more than 1,770 joint replacements each year and the department experienced continued growth in all other orthopaedic and spinal surgeries. The rehabilitation ward celebrated its first anniversary with greater than expected occupancy for the first year. Education and research into orthopaedic peri-operative, intra-operative and post-operative management continues.
Support Services Central Sterilising Unit The department is responsible for the sterilisation and reprocessing of reusable surgical instruments and trays in the operating theatres, wards and delivery suites. The Mater is one the busiest orthopaedic hospitals in the Southern Hemisphere and the volume of work in the unit reflects this, with the regular supply of orthopaedic loan kits for sterilisation.
In 2010/2011 the department purchased a Pronomic loan kit lifter, designed to lift all surgical instrument transport cases and tubs. The door to the loan kit lifter was also enlarged to improve access. LinkAGE LinkAGE is a community service program that provides trained volunteers to visit elderly and socially isolated residents in 54 aged-care homes and retirement villages in Sydney. Volunteers receive ongoing training and support from the program managers based at the Mater. In the past financial year 20 new volunteers were recruited and trained, while four new aged care homes joined the program. The LinkAGE volunteer team was nominated for the 2010 NSW Volunteer Team of the Year Award and commenced two new pilot projects, the LinkAGE Hearing Helper and LinkAGE Volunteers in Day Centres. More than 4,000 hours of caring companionship were provided by the LinkAGE volunteers. Mater Imaging Mater Imaging replaced its CT with a high definition 128 slice GE Gemstone CT scanner. This has delivered an average of 65 percent less radiation dose. The breast imaging service has upgraded to digital mammography with Tomosynthesis. The system produces three-dimensional images which reveal the inner architecture of the breast, free from the distortion typically caused by tissue shadowing or density.
to the introduction of face-to-face and bedside handover. This initiative has already seen improved patient satisfaction rates. Quality Risk and Management The Mater has been working in partnership with the Studer Group, one of the world’s leading healthcare cultural change and organisational improvement organisations. The company has since partnered with over 1,500 healthcare organisations across the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which include teaching, university, metropolitan, regional and rural facilities.
Volunteers The Mater Hospital’s volunteers assist with multiple duties to enable staff to provide better patient care. Nine new volunteers have joined the team of 140, who dedicate 1,200 hours a month. Roles filled by volunteers include helping support Day of Surgery Admission (DOSA) patients, knitting bears for juvenile patients, helping patients with their meals and leading meditation classes.
Patient Safety A number of new initiatives were implemented to improve medication safety for patients, including participation in the National Medication Safety Self Assessment (MSSA) for Australian hospitals. The hospital also undertook pharmacy medication reconciliation, which involves a pharmacist review of patient’s medications within 24 hours of admission. This process ensures that the patient’s home medications are reconciled with their hospital medications to ensure accuracy and safety. The Mater has seen a steady decline in patient falls after adopting some initiatives from St Vincent and Mercy in Melbourne, including the use of ’Call don’t Fall’ signs in all patient rooms and L.A.M.P (Look at me Please) signs for high risk patients. The Mater also commenced the move from using taped clinical handover
Annual Review 2010/11
many journeys. one vision. | st vincent’s hospital | sacred heart | st vincent’s private hospital | mater hospital | st joseph’s hospital | st joseph’s village
Maternity Unit
131