and the on-call rosters for staffing and departments. During 2010/2011 an SMS system was enabled to allow text messaging to groups of mobiles for high priority contact in emergency situations. A process was also developed to contact the on-call staff from the Cardiac Catheterisation Unit. Providing estimated times of arrival and data for reporting purposes, the information ensures the unit meets strict time lines for procedures.
Walter McGrath Library The Walter McGrath Library supports high quality patient care, research and education through the provision of information services and resources for staff at the Darlinghurst campus. The library maintains a collection to support specialty areas across the campus and its services include document delivery, literature searches, training, online databases and other resources. With the implementation of Athens Authentication, users need only a single login and password to access the library’s online resources, including e-journals and EBSCOhost databases (including CINAHL). MyAthens enables staff to view these resources from home. As part of the library’s strategic plan to increase online content, archives of specialist journals, which can be accessed via any hospital computer at any time, were purchased. This archive content is available via a MyAthens account. In addition a number of packaged e-journals were purchased in specialist areas of management, research and clinical care. The library’s open source library management system, Koha, was recently upgraded. The upgrade provides further web 2.0 enhancements, as well as updates to the online catalogue, including highlighting new purchases via a banner on the front page.
Population Health Program The Population Health Program consists of General Ambulatory Care, 36 outpatient clinics, Diabetes Centre, Dermatology, Aged Care, Xavier 9 North and the Medical Assessment Unit (MAU), Community Health Services including Home and Community Care (HACC) programs, the Chronic Care Heart Failure Team, Transitional Aged
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Care Packages, Clinical Pharmacology, Transport and Fleet Management and Podiatry. Many of these services focus on keeping patients healthy and in their own environment. The program’s success in 2010/2011 can be accounted to its attention to high quality care and patient safety. Insulin infusions, clinical handover, the ‘Home for Brunch’ project for the aged care ward and transport analysis were a few of the projects undertaken that improved patient care throughout the year.
Aged Care There has continued to be a high level of activity in the Acute Geriatric Unit, Aged Care Services in Emergency Team (ASET) and the Medical Assessment Unit (MAU). The MAU has continued to work closely with the Emergency Department in order to divert or minimise the time spent by patients in the department.
Ambulatory Care In March 2011, General Ambulatory Care opened its multi-purpose room for eight hours each weekday and four hours on weekends, for patients requiring medication administration and wound dressings. Patients from the Emergency Department can now be referred electronically via the Web deLacy system, enabling referral transmission at any time of day and ensuring better access. The 36 outpatient clinics have continued to be areas of high activity within the hospital. A new initiative with the St Vincents & Mater Health Sydney Information Technology Service Centre to replace the old booking system with Smart Clinic is proceeding well. The weekend clinic, in collaboration with the Primary Care Team in the Community Health Service, continues to provide an alternative to inpatient care.
Community Health Service The Community Health Service continued to service the Local Government Areas of Waverley, Woollahra and City of Sydney, in collaboration with the mental health and alcohol and drug teams. These services are now well settled in the new O’Brien Centre and have better integrated their care for clients, including people who are homeless.
In 2010/2011 the Transition Aged Care Packages (TACP) service increased packages of care, for people returning to their own home from hospital, from 26 to 32. To date, almost half of the people engaged in the service are self caring at the completion of their episode of care.
Endocrine and Diabetes Centre The Diabetes Centre continued to provide education, management and support to people with diabetes and their carers. In 2010/2011, the centre piloted Smart Clinic for a more efficient way of booking and tracking patient services. The centre also implemented a general practitioner liaison helpline, to allow quicker access to specialised support and management advice for diabetic patients of general practitioners. This has provided more timely, appropriate and better care for patients. A new referral template was introduced for general practitioners to specifically select the service types required for their patients.
Transport The non-emergency patient transport service offers patients transport to and from St Vincent’s Hospital as well as providing a fleet car service to other hospital departments. Trips to regional NSW and across Sydney have assisted expedient discharges from the Hospital and reduced costs of other transport forms for the Hospital at the same time as enhancing patient comfort.
SydPath SydPath provides services to the Darlinghurst campus as well as to a growing number of local medical practitioners and rural areas, through its accredited laboratories and collection centres in Narrabri and Moree. Services are based on the most recent advances in scientific pathology and laboratory technology. Fully accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities and the Royal college of Pathologists of Australia, commercial activity includes the provision of specialised laboratory services to the pharmaceutical industry for clinical trials. In addition, SydPath pathologists and scientists are heavily involved in a wide range of research activities and teaching for the University of New South Wales.