Issuu

SUMMER 2016

DONATION FORM

ST ANDREW’S NEWS

WWW. STAND.ORG. AU

F O U N D AT I O N

Celebrating National Volunteers Week S E E PA G E 1 1

YEARS

If you are interested in submitting an article or have a news story, please contact Karyn Verity via email kverity@stand.org.au

Caring for South Australia 1936-2016

Advertising enquires welcome: St Andrew’s Hospital 350 South Terrace Adelaide South Australia 5000 Telephone 08 8408 2111 Facsimile 08 8232 0328

Printed on Recycled Paper

ISSUE

#35

FROM THE ARCHIVES ST ANDREW: DISCIPLE OF CHRIST, APOSTLE AND PATRON SAINT OF SCOTLAND If you have visited St Andrew’s via the circular driveway, you may have noticed the clay columns just outside the main doors. Commissioned in 1993 by the hospital’s board, the two columns serve as an important reminder of our heritage and underlying values. The scenes depicted in the clay tiles reflect the life and work of St Andrew, who is the Patron Saint of Scotland. The eastern column design illustrates a fishing scene from the first century AD. St Andrew was a fisherman and it was on the shore of the Sea of Galilee that Christ called him to leave his nets, follow him and “fish for people”. The fish is still used as a symbol of Christianity. The western column depicts St Andrew as he is remembered. It was said he was a kind and caring person, a good communicator and had the power of healing. The scene shows him helping a sick woman in her home. The people in the foreground are his followers

and are learning from him. These two aspects—healing and teaching— most closely represent the work of St Andrew and the work of St Andrew’s Hospital.

From the inspiration and commitment of Sister Janet Hay (founder of St Andrew’s Private Hospital in 1936) to our continuing affiliation with the Uniting Church, we continue to strive for healing and wholeness for each person receiving medical care at St Andrew’s Hospital. Next time you are visiting, please stop (safely!) to have a look and read the descriptive plaque on the wall.

Executive Update

NeuroSurgery comes to St Andrew’s

80th Birthday Foundation Celebrations

‘My’ St Andrew’s

Community

ECD Update

WAVERLEY HOUSE WALL BEING PRESERVED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

Your kind donation will enable us to help keep St Andrew’s Hospital at the forefront of Medical and Surgical Excellence.

I / We enclose a donation to the St Andrew’s Hospital Foundation Inc (please make cheques payable to St Andrew’s Hospital Foundation Inc). Name on receipt Address Suburb Waverley House heritage wall

Postcode

Email Address

Waverley House has been fortified by its heritage-listed wall since its completion in 1865. Regarded as being just as significant as the house that towers over it, the wall requires ongoing and expert maintenance.

Telephone I / We wish to donate the following: $30 $1000

$50

$100

$200

$300

$500

Other $

Please note all donations over $2 are tax deductible. A cheque or money order is enclosed *All Credit card donations can be made via the Foundation website: www.standrewsfoundation.org.au or please call the Foundation Manager Amy Bredon on 8408 2005. Please enclose the following information with my receipt: etails on how to join the Friends of St Andrew’s Hospital, D to be invited to events and receive our newsletter urther information regarding leaving a specific gift or F donation to the St Andrew’s Hospital, by way of a bequest included as a part of my Will lease do not acknowledge this gift publicly in published P reports (please leave anonymous)

Signature

A section of the clay columns

Cover: Volunteers Alison Grierson and William Grierson during National Volunteer Week celebrations, 2016.

FOR YOUR GIFT

The Foundation Manager St Andrew’s Hospital Foundation Inc Reply Paid GPO Box 1299 Adelaide SA 5001

The mortar between the stonework is “sacrificial”. It is designed to be weak so as to absorb salts and moisture and, in so doing, protect the stone. Where the mortar is missing, the stone can become the weak point, and will eventually decay and fret away. The team at St Peters Heritage and Construction are being very careful to only replace the stone and mortar where missing, and to do so with mortar and stone that matches the original, so as to conserve the value and aged character of the wall.

Foundation Scholarship

THANK YOU

Please post the completed form in an envelope (no stamp is required) with your donation to:

St Andrew’s has engaged St Peters Heritage and Construction to restore sections of the wall that require stabilisation.

03 04 05 06 10 11 13 16 18 From the CEO

S T AN DR EW’ S NEWS | SUM M ER 2 0 1 6

INSIDE

DONATION FORM

Date

Welcome to the Spring edition of the St Andrew’s newsletter. The Australian healthcare system continues to come under pressure, and it seems it is constantly under review from the federal and state governments. Adopting the “triple aim” of healthcare—reduced costs, enhanced patient experience and improved health outcomes—is an internationally recognised approach as to how we should address healthcare reform. This approach can be adopted across an entire system, or equally at a hospital. At St Andrew’s we are focused on the outcome of our patients and the experience they have in our hospital, and we do this in an efficient manner. We constantly look at how we do things and how we can do them better. During the course of this year we have had many external audits and surveys that have clearly indicated that we do all of these things extremely well. We are all proud of this and we will continue to work hard at providing this high level of service. Our Eastern Clinical Development project is proceeding very well despite the significant rainfall we have experienced in Adelaide (page 16). We are watching on a daily basis how our builders (Mossop) are excavating (it is a big hole) and installing the necessary structural concrete ready for the building works to commence. We are all excited about this and cannot wait until 12 months’ time when we will be in our new building.

We are delighted to welcome Dr Simon Sandler and Dr Catherine Cartwright to St Andrew’s to commence neurosurgery (page 5). They have already commenced spinal surgery at St Andrew’s, joining our established team of Dr David Hall, Dr Michael Selby and Professor Rob Fraser, and will be undertaking cranial surgery in the very near future. It is a pleasure to have them both on board, and we all wish them a long and happy stay here. The celebratory events in our 80th year have been enjoyed by many, with morning teas, zoo picnic days, staff lunches and quiz nights, and these were topped off by our Gala Dinner at Adelaide Oval on Saturday November 19. Another part of our 80th birthday celebrations has been the 50-year reunion of nurses from the St Andrew’s “group 14”, who did their training back in 1966. It was wonderful to see these ladies reminisce and share stories and reflect on their training (page 7).

S T AN DR EW’ S NEWS | SUM M ER 2 0 1 6

FROM THE CEO

their practice, and the specialisations of their five surgeons, are on page 8. A big “thank you” to the team for their ongoing support of St Andrew’s. We have an interesting article on antibiotics on page 15, and the rest of the newsletter is filled with details of our wonderful foundation and many other exciting St Andrew’s activities. Until next time, stay happy and healthy.

Stephen Walker Chief Executive Officer

Adelaide Orthosports Clinic have been at St Andrew’s for a number of years now, and during that time they have grown significantly. Details of

EXECUTIVE DR DANIEL UPDATE CEHIC The St Andrew’s Hospital board of governors boasts a diverse range of expertise, with directors from both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds. Although a non-profit organisation, the hospital must be carefully managed and given clear strategic direction. Being in the business of healthcare, the governance that is provided by directors with clinical experience is essential. College of Physicians in 1995 and his Fellowship of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand in 2004. Daniel returned to Adelaide to commence practice at Adelaide Cardiology and was subsequently appointed as a senior visiting cardiologist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Leading Adelaide cardiologist Dr Daniel Cehic was appointed to the St Andrew’s board in April 2015. He joins a number of other highly regarded clinicians, including Dr Mary Sutherland, Mr Jim Sweeney and Professor Rob Fraser. Daniel graduated from the University of Adelaide and completed his internship and physician training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He was awarded a Mark Jolly Travelling Fellowship and a Lions Heart Foundation Overseas Clinical Fellowship to work at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, UK to further his interest in cardiac electrophysiology. He was awarded his Fellowship of the Royal Australasian

In 2008 Daniel left the Royal Adelaide to concentrate his efforts on the development of Adelaide Cardiology and subsequently GenesisCare, and he has been the chairman of the Clinical Management Committee of Adelaide Cardiology since 2005, chairman of GenesisCare’s Cardiology Clinical Leaders Forum from 2009 to 2016, and currently is clinical services director HeartCare and SleepCare nationally for GenesisCare. He has also completed an MBA, with a focus on medical management, through the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA. During his training and medical career Daniel has been involved in medical research and has been awarded grants from the National Heart Foundation. He continues his involvement in clinically-based cardiac research at St Andrew’s Hospital. He has an active interest in teaching medical practitioners, medical

students, SA Ambulance Intensive Care Paramedics and other medical professionals, and is a clinical senior lecturer at the University of Adelaide and a senior lecturer at Flinders University. Daniel’s particular area of interest in cardiology is disturbances of the electrical system of the heart and device implantation. He performs implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators at St Andrew’s Hospital and consults at multiple sites, including the St Andrew’s Medical Centre and clinics at Leabrook, Modbury, Angaston, Murray Bridge and Wallaroo. Daniel is also a member of the Therapeutic Goods Administration Advisory Committee on the Safety of Medical Devices, and has recently been appointed to the Medical Board of South Australia. Cardiology is a significant area of work for St Andrew’s Hospital, and to further expand this service our Eastern Clinical Development will house two new state-of-the-art angiography suites and a 28-bed cardiac ward. I am confident Daniel’s expertise and guidance will stand us in excellent stead into the future. Stephen Walker Chief Executive Officer

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NEUROSURGERY COMES TO ST ANDREW’S

Dr Simon Sandler and Dr Catherine Cartwright

St Andrew’s Hospital has a long and successful history in spinal surgery, giving us an enviable reputation in the field. Leading Adelaide spinal surgeons Professor Robert Fraser, Dr David Hall and Dr Michael Selby have operated at St Andrew’s for many years. Several years ago, the surgeons joined with professors Nigel Jones and Brian Freeman to establish Adelaide Spine and Brain Clinic in North Adelaide. The group recently welcomed two new surgeons to their practice, neurosurgeons Dr Simon Sandler and Dr Catherine Cartwright. We are thrilled to announce that both surgeons have chosen St Andrew’s to continue their neurosurgical careers. Director, Nursing and Clinical Services Jacquie Wiley says: “After much discussion and planning, we are truly excited to be offering neurosurgery to our patients. It is a complex specialty requiring expert nursing and theatre staff, and we are all excited to support and welcome Dr Sandler and Dr Cartwright to St Andrew’s.” As well as demanding highly trained medical teams, neurosurgery requires expensive equipment. St Andrew’s Hospital CEO Stephen Walker commented: “St Andrew’s is happy to invest in new equipment and

technology to enhance the services we offer to our patients. The introduction of neurosurgery has required us to purchase equipment and review our systems and processes for the pre and post-operative period. We are making a significant non-financial and financial investment.” The hospital expects to take delivery of the equipment in the coming months, with cranial work commencing in the very near future.

the transition to cranial work. The association with fellow spinal surgeons at Adelaide Spine and Brain will allow Dr Sandler and Dr Cartwright to offer comprehensive care to their patients.

Dr Sandler remarks: “St Andrew’s knows what it takes to start a new service and I am confident to bring my patients to a well-known and respected hospital.” In addition, St Andrew’s has an intensive care unit and other on-site support services, such as radiology (Dr Jones and Partners Medical Imaging incorporating MRI and CT), pathology (Clinpath), an angiography suite and physiotherapy. All these services will provide vital on-site support for neurosurgery.

Dr Cartwright’s experience at St Andrew’s also began several years ago when she was completing her spinal fellowship with Dr Hall and Professor Fraser. Having relocated to Adelaide from New South Wales only a few short months ago, she hit the ground running. “Relocating wasn’t an easy decision to make, but we are very happy here,” she says. “Neurosurgery can be extremely complex and finding a team to provide the professional support required is paramount to patient safety and outcomes. The team at St Andrew’s are very enthusiastic and have welcomed the opportunity to learn additional skills. In fact, many theatre and ward staff already have a high level of skill in this area.”

Although Dr Sandler is yet to commence cranial work at St Andrew’s, he has been performing regular spinal surgery. Additionally, during his spinal fellowship he assisted Dr Hall and Professor Fraser at St Andrew’s on many occasions. His experience gave him every assurance that the nursing staff and theatres would support

Dr Sandler and Dr Cartwright bring with them extensive experience, having worked both in Australia and abroad. We are delighted to be offering neurosurgery at St Andrew’s and look forward to supporting the team of leading surgeons at Adelaide Spine and Brain Clinic to promote surgical excellence in this field.

Dr Cartwright’s interests include: complex spinal deformity, degenerative spinal conditions—cervical, thoracic and lumbar, spine trauma and fractures— open and minimally invasive, brain and spinal tumours, trigeminal neuralgia, hydrocephalus, chiari malformation and syringomyelia, peripheral nerve conditions.

Dr Sandler’s interests include: adult lumbar spine, adult cervical spine, adult thoracic spine, adult scoliosis and kyphosis, adult spondylolisthesis, spinal tumours and spinal cord tumours, spinal trauma, spinal infections, brain tumours, hydrocephalus, inflammatory or infective conditions of the brain, brain trauma, peripheral nerve, chiari malformation and syringomyelia.

80th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS ST ANDREW’S: 80 YEARS YOUNG!

QUIZ NIGHT

Our staff and other members of the St Andrew’s family have enjoyed a number of celebrations to mark the hospital’s 80th birthday.

Over 130 staff attended a quiz night held in celebration of our 80th birthday. A team of quiz devotees organised the evening, which featured our CEO, Stephen Walker, as quiz master. Thanks to the organisers for their imaginative questions, fun games and hat-making competition!

Quiz Night celebrations!

80TH BIRTHDAY GALA DINNER, SATURDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2016, ADELAIDE OVAL

CROWS VISIT ST ANDREW’S We were fortunate to recently welcome Adelaide Crows players Daniel Talia and Riley Knight to the staff cafeteria to join us for a pizza lunch. Thank you to Daniel and Riley for being patient enough to sign a huge number of guernseys and posters, and for posing for plenty of photos. Go the Crows! THE HISTORY OF ST ANDREW’S HOSPITAL, 1936 – 2016

80th Birthday celebrations recently concluded with the spectacular 80th Birthday Gala Dinner at Adelaide Oval. Over 400 people attended the event which was also a fundraiser for the Foundation. Guests enjoyed world class views, sumptuous food, award winning wine and entertainment by internationally renowned singers the Foenander Bros.

Thank you to Gold Sponsor HPS; Silver Sponsor Dr Jones and Partners Medical Imaging; Bronze Sponsors South Terrace Urology, Clinpath, Adelaide OrthoSports Clinic, CBA and Wine Sponsor; Tomich Wines. Thank you to all those who attended and made the evening such a special and memorable occasion.

For a number of months now, there have been a core group of staff busily compiling a commemorative St Andrew’s history book. Filled with interesting facts and figures about the hospital, it will be read and enjoyed by generations to come. The book will be completed shortly and available by contacting the Office of the CEO.

S T AN DR EW’ S NEWS | SUM M ER 2 0 1 6

Members of Group 14

50-YEAR REUNION FOR “GROUP 14”

Although we’re celebrating 80 years of St Andrew’s, our nursing group 14 (historically, each group of nurses was known by a number) recently reminisced at a reunion of its own to mark 50 years since commencing training back in 1966. There were nine nurses in group 14, and all attended the reunion, with one nurse travelling from the United Kingdom and another from Sydney. CEO Stephen Walker welcomed the group and we had a lovely morning tea, along with a 50-year birthday reunion cake. The group also shared many stories, some old photos and other memorabilia, including an old nurses uniform, cap and cape. Director Nursing and Clinical Services Jacquie Wiley gave a speech, mentioning some interesting facts, which they fondly remembered. The most astonishing of these was the requirement for nurses to work a 44hour week—and attend professional development lectures in their own

time! Nurses were also required to formally greet “Mrs Peabody” in simulation training, and their bedmaking skills and uniforms were regularly checked by the matron. Jacquie took the group on a tour of the hospital, during which they commented positively on the changes they observed, but still recognised the familiar welcoming feel St Andrew’s is known for.

A DAY AT THE ADELAIDE ZOO We were delighted to welcome a large group of staff and their families to the Adelaide Zoo on a lovely sunny day in April. Our volunteers and staff assisted in cooking and serving a BBQ lunch in the stunning parklands adjacent the zoo before spending the afternoon admiring the animals.

ADELAIDE ORTHOSPORTS CLINIC FIXING DEM BONES*!

St Andrew’s Hospital boasts state-ofthe-art facilities across a number of specialties, and—supported by our Critical Care Unit—we are able to offer doctors and patients an “end-to-end” service. It is this breadth of service that means Dr Stavrou has no hesitation in bringing his patients to South Terrace. “I choose St Andrew’s because it has excellent surgical facilities, as well as support, with the ICU for any unwell patients,” he said. “It has an excellent reputation, and patients are always complimentary of the support that they get from the staff.”

develop arthritis of the ankle over time. It was therefore decided to proceed with correction of the deformity. The patient underwent surgery in St Andrew’s Hospital. A dome osteotomy of the distal tibia, as well as osteotomy of the fibula, was performed to correct the deformity. Although a technically challenging surgery, it proceeded smoothly. Dr Gooi recalls: “The patient recovered well and the osteotomies united with good correction of the deformity. I am glad to be able to bring my patients to St Andrew’s.” Dr Dan who exclusively practices in shoulder surgery recently relocated from Sydney. St Andrew’s model of health care is based on quality. “I have complete confidence” in the care provided by the hospital structure. Adelaide Orthosports Clinic’s close proximity to St Andrew’s makes the hospital a convenient option for the surgeons and their patients alike.

The surgeons from Adelaide OrthoSports Clinic have performed many interesting, complex surgeries at St Andrew’s Hospital due to the high competency and professionalism of our theatre teams. Dr Stavrou and Dr Gooi performed a complex surgery on a patient with significant left-ankle pain and deformity. The patient injured their left ankle in a motor vehicle accident when they were younger, which was treated with surgery. Unfortunately, a deformity of the ankle developed as a result of growth arrest of the growth plate. With the deformity, it was anticipated the patient would L-R Dr Sim, Dr Dan, Dr Gooi and Dr Stavrou

Dr Sim remarks: “St Andrew’s is my preferred hospital due to its central location with ample parking for my patients, and its established reputation for delivering professional quality of care.” ADELAIDE ORTHOSPORTS CLINIC SURGEONS’ SPECIALISATIONS Dr Stavrou: Arthroscopic, reconstruction and joint replacement surgery of the knee, foot and ankle. Dr Gooi: Arthroscopic, reconstruction and joint replacement surgery of the hip, knee, foot and ankle. Dr Sim: Sports injuries, with a particular interest in arthroscopic (“key hole”) and reconstruction surgery of the knee shoulder and ankle. Dr Dan: Shoulder, elbow and sports injuries.

*The song “Dem Bones” is a widely known spiritual song first recorded in 1923. The lyrics are inspired by Ezekiel 37:114, where the Prophet visits the “Valley of Dry Bones”[2] and prophesies that they will one day be resurrected at God’s command, picturing the national resurrection of Israel.

Located just around the corner from the hospital on Hutt St, the orthopaedic surgeons from Adelaide OrthoSports Clinic have chosen to operate at St Andrew’s for a number of years because of our high-quality care and facilities. Doctors Sommit Dan, Chi Gooi, Shannon Sim and Peter Stavrou collectively have expertise in shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, foot and ankle surgery, and treat both social and amateur sporting and arthritis conditions. Their cases include reconstruction and joint replacement surgery of all of these joints.

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CAFé

Supporting the St Andrew’s Hospital Foundation. Our coffee shop is open 7 days a week. Staffed by Volunteers, we serve lovely handmade food and a range of drinks, including barista coffee to our patients and their families, the general public and staff. Thanks to our wonderful Volunteers, all proceeds are donated to the St Andrew’s Hospital Foundation. Drop in and see us next time you are nearby! Opening Hours Monday – Friday 8.30am – 5.00pm Saturday 9.00am – 4.00pm Sunday 12.00noon – 4.00pm

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FOUNDATION ANNUAL EQUIPMENT CAMPAIGN

FRIENDS OF ST ANDREW’S HOSPITAL HIGH TEA We were delighted to welcome over 70 guests to the Friends of St Andrew’s High Tea during June. Held in the Waverley House boardroom, we enjoyed delicious cakes and sandwiches served by our wonderful St Andrew’s staff. John Coates, manager of our coffee shop, even donned a pair of tails for the occasion!

Mr Darren Foreman

Each year the St Andrew’s Hospital Foundation launches a campaign to raise funds for a particular piece of equipment for the hospital. This year, we hope to raise $29,000 to purchase a transperineal ultrasound probe. In Australia, prostate cancer is the most common internal cancer diagnosed in men, and in South Australia one man dies from it each day. More men die of prostate cancer than women die of breast cancer each year, with over 20,000 men diagnosed annually1. The good news is that, if detected early, it is curable. St Andrew’s Hospital is a leader in the area of prostate cancer and we have some of the best surgeons in Australia operating at our hospital. To keep us at the forefront of medical and surgical excellence, we must provide our surgeons with the latest equipment to ensure the best outcomes for patients. Prostate cancer is diagnosed by biopsy, and traditionally this has been performed by passing a needle through the rectum. With this method, known as transrectal prostate biopsy, there is a significant risk of septicaemia (bacterial infection of blood), and the risk is rising due to emerging multi-resistant bacteria2. This approach can also miss anterior tumours, which are hard to access through the rectal route3. Transperineal prostate biopsy involves passing a needle through the perineum (between the anus and scrotum) under a short general anaesthetic, and results in a negligible infection rate4. This technique allows the surgeon excellent access to the entire prostate, and abnormal areas seen in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be accurately targeted. This leads to a higher cancer detection rate and provides valuable mapping information to assist

patients in making decisions regarding active surveillance or proceeding with treatment. Urologist Mr Darren Foreman (pictured) from South Terrace Urology says: “Transperineal prostate biopsy in conjunction with MRI has positively changed the evaluation of prostate cancer. The transperineal ultrasound probe provides improved diagnostic accuracy, and an additional probe would allow better access and flexibility for patients at St Andrew’s Hospital.” Mr Foreman has performed over 180 transperineal prostate biopsies since St Andrew’s acquired a new ultrasound machine and transperineal ultrasound probe in July 2015. Tragically, almost 3,300 men will die across Australia as a direct result of prostate cancer—almost double the annual road toll1. If we can accurately detect prostate cancer in its early stages, we will go a long way to significantly reducing that number. For further information about this equipment, or any other aspect of the foundation, please contact me directly via abredon@stand.org.au or (08) 8408 2005. If you would like to donate and assist us in our mission, please fill in the form at the back of this newsletter, tick “Equipment Campaign” in the tick-box section, and return to the address listed. 1. Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia resources, www.pcfa.org.au accessed 23/5/16 2. Grummet JP, Weerakoon M, Huang S, Lawrentschuk N, Frydenberg M, Moon DA, O’Reilly M, Murphy D. Sepsis and ‘superbugs’: should we favour the transperineal over the transrectal approach for prostate biopsy? BJU International 2014; 114(3): 384-8 3. Lawrentschuk N, Haider M, Dalijeet N, EvansA, Toi A, Finelli A, Trachtenberg J, Zlotta A, Fleshner N. ‘Prostatic evasive anterior tumours’: the role of magnetic resonance imaging. BJU International 2010; 105(9): 1231-6 4. Huang S, Mann M, Loon Ong W, Landau A, Snow R, Hanegbi U, Moon D, Frydenberg M, Grummet JP. Zero sepsis in 608 consecutive transperineal prostate biopsies. BJU International 2016; 117 (3): 43

Thank you to Dr Daniel Cehic from Adelaide Cardiology for delivering a thoroughly informative and entertaining presentation as guest speaker. Dr Cehic, who also sits on the St Andrew’s board, highlighted the many developments at Adelaide Cardiology since it was founded in 1935, just one year before St Andrew’s was established.

Friend’s enjoying the presentation from Dr Daniel Cehic

FRIENDS OF ST ANDREW’S HOSPITAL MEMBERSHIP If you would like to become a Friend of St Andrew’s Hospital, please contact our office by calling (08) 8408 2005. For a small annual fee of $45 ($75 for double membership), you will enjoy special invitations and discounts on services at St Andrew’s Hospital. QUEST KING WILLIAM SOUTH We are delighted to welcome Quest King William South as a supporter of the foundation. Each time a patient of St Andrew’s makes a booking at the property while they are a patient at the hospital, Quest will donate a percentage of their booking fee back to the foundation. Thanks to Taylor and the team for supporting us!

‘IT’S JUST PART OF US ALL’ Maxine’s sentiments have been echoed a lot lately throughout the corridors of the hospital. Confirmed by a recent Best Practice Australia satisfaction survey, St Andrew’s is punching well above its weight. When compared to similar organisations around Australia, we rate highly with regard to satisfaction as evaluated by our patients, staff and visiting medical officers. Maxine (or “Max” to her work family) started at the hospital 22 years ago, based on a recommendation from a friend who was a current employee. Just before Maxine started her career at St Andrew’s, she and her husband were working in Queensland. Keen to return home to friends and family in Adelaide, she had to find a job.

She recalled her friend commenting that St Andrew’s was a great place to work, so when a job became available she applied and was delighted to be offered the position. Maxine’s journey started in dietary services, delivering food to patients on the second floor. Her skills relating to people gained from managing hotels enabled her to fit in beautifully in the patient-focused role. After 12 months, Maxine moved to another position in admissions, where she has worked ever since. When I asked her why she has stayed in admissions for such a long time, she remarked: “I enjoy working. I’d do it even if I didn’t get paid!” She hastened to add that she particularly loves admitting people from the country, who like to have a chat and recognise her from previous visits. “There are quite a few patients who tell me they’d never go to another hospital. St Andrew’s is their hospital. When they arrive, they say to me, ‘Oh, you’re still here!’”

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‘MY’ ST ANDREW’S Over the last 22 years, Maxine has seen a lot of changes to the specialities offered at St Andrew’s. When she began working in dietary services, the hospital’s emergency department, cardiac services and IVF facility, for example, were not yet established. “The volunteer services didn’t exist either. Gosh, we’d be lost without them now! They enjoy working with us and we enjoy working with them.” With regard to the future, Max believes we are in safe hands with our current chief executive and the senior executive team. “Stephen has a vision for this hospital. So much has happened under his watch. The Eastern Clinical Development and the commencement of neurosurgery are very exciting.” Thank you, Max, for agreeing to be interviewed for this instalment of My St Andrew’s. Amy Bredon Foundation Manager

Volunteers during National Volunteer Week celebrations

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK Our volunteers are an essential part of the heartbeat of St Andrew’s. Over 70 people volunteer with us, and some have been doing so each week for over 25 years! In May each year we celebrate National Volunteer Week, and

this year we held a luncheon to show our appreciation for the dedication and very special touch the group bring to St Andrew’s.

Volunteer with us!

If you would like to volunteer with the foundation, either in the coffee shop or on patient transport (showing patients to their rooms), please contact jcoates@stand.org.au or call 8408 2067 to arrange an interview.

HEALTHIER WORK LIFE PROGRAMME The wellbeing of our staff is of significant importance, and as a values-driven organisation we believe we have a responsibility to support our staff and enhance awareness about wellbeing wherever we can. The Healthier Work Life Programme is a new initiative for St Andrew’s, implemented with the intention of helping staff find a healthier work-life balance by supporting and providing them with information on healthier work-life activities. The programme was informed and developed after our human resources division surveyed staff as part of Safe Work Month in October 2015 to understand their current attitudes towards health and wellbeing, and identify what sort of initiatives they would find appealing as part of a hospital-wide wellness programme. The survey was conducted by Corporate Bodies International. We had a good response rate, with 130 staff completing the survey either online or in hard copy. The majority of respondents were in the 50-59 year age bracket and female. There was a good mix of responses from clinical and nonclinical work areas across St Andrew’s. It was encouraging to see that 97% of respondents displayed a positive attitude towards their current health status and indicated they believed that attaining good health is important. The survey also revealed that staff considered the key barriers to leading a healthy lifestyle to be lack of time, tiredness, and a lack of motivation. With this information at hand, the hospital’s work, health and safety team undertook the design of the programme, with assistance from BUPA, which provides the hospital’s corporate health cover. The Healthier Work Life Programme is designed to maximise staff wellness, from both

Members of the Walking Group

a physical and psychological aspect, and includes information, education, resources and initiatives that can be accessed and utilised by our staff, both within and outside the workplace. The activities, which are offered at no cost, include: • health heart checks • r egular group seminars on work-life balance topics • t aff walking and running groups community campaign activities. The six monthly review report provided by Bupa Wellness highlighted that we have had excellent feedback about the seminars that were provided an overall of 80% respondents found the services

to be a benefit to their wellbeing and 90% would like to participate in a similar type of activity in the future. The Bupa Wellness heart health screenings reported that there was an overall booking (booked no/catered no) and utilisation rate of 52%, indicating that everyone who booked attended. 42% of the participants responded to the heart health feedback survey with 100% of respondents found the service to be a benefit to their health and would participate in a similar type of activity in the future. We would like to thank BUPA and Unley Physiotherapy for their assistance and cooperation in the development of this programme.

SA HEALTH NURSING AND MIDWIFERY EXCELLENCE AWARDS: 6TH MAY 2016 This year, three of our nurses and midwives nominated for individual excellence awards, and a group nominated for the team award. Registered nurses Barb Stace and Lynlee Moses were nominated in recognition of their contribution to caring for communities in developing countries. Vicky Venning, an enrolled nurse in theatre, was recognised for her patient advocacy skills, and was a finalist. The breast-care nursing team also received a nomination. It was an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the nurses who deliver care to our patients and their families at St Andrew’s. Congratulations to those nominated. Well done!

Members of the St Andrew’s Hospital Nursing Team

INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY: 12TH MAY 2016 Our nurses are the backbone of our hospital and are often highlighted as a reason our patients and doctors choose to visit St Andrew’s. Their high level of professionalism and skill are widely regarded.

Lindsay Prodea, Nicole Murphy and Robert Arbon

CANCER COUNCIL’S AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST MORNING TEA Staff in our chemotherapy suite recently raised $540, and those on the hospital’s fourth floor raised $300, as part of the Cancer Council’s Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser. A special “thank you” to Simone Hogarth and Lindsay Prodea for organising Clinpath sponsorship and catering for the event in the chemotherapy suite. Thanks also to Suzie Mabikafola, Sarah Neumann and Rachael Pavia from the fourth floor for organising and running this great event on the day to support the Cancer Council.

S T AN DR EW’ S N E W S | SUMMER 2016

COMMUNITY

To mark the occasion of International Nurses Day earlier this year, the hospital gave both cakes and “thank you” cards to all the nurses. A small token of our great appreciation! SHARON KENDALL, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND DEVELOPMENT: HELPING TO ENSURE SAFETY AND QUALITY IN HEALTHCARE ACROSS AUSTRALIA Having been in healthcare for 25 years, Sharon knows a thing or two about safety and quality. In fact, it is undoubtedly one of her passions, and she has recently been appointed chairperson of the St Andrew’s Risk and Quality Sub-Committee. Sharon has been a surveyor for the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards since 2008. She is supported by St Andrew’s to visit healthcare agencies (both public and private) here and interstate to assess them against the quality and safety

standards determined by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. All agencies in Australia are evaluated against these standards. In addition to providing a valuable service to the industry, Sharon thoroughly enjoys her role. “Getting out there, I see incredible people doing incredible work in the safety and quality space,” she said. “I really love being able to support people and agencies in their journey.” Surveyors like Sharon also provide essential support, suggestions and encouragement. Of course, Sharon’s knowledge of the accreditation process is also an important resource when St Andrew’s is going through its own accreditation process.

With a strong desire to help others and ensure a high level of clinical performance, Sharon is just the person for the job!

WORDS OF GRATITUDE Regular feedback from patients, whether it is their first visit or after repeat visits, speak of the high quality of the care they receive at St Andrew’s. Here are just some recent examples.

“Everyone was to nice and helpful. Well done. Checks and balances very, very thorough. Very professional staff. No complaints.” “All staff were fantastic. Nursing care, medical and surgical care were all flawless. Good nutritional food which was very appropriate for post op and delicious hot meals.” “The care and communication shown by the entire team, surpassed my expectations! I was made to feel empowered (with knowledge) and enabled throughout my stay.”

“Nurses very friendly and thorough. Lovely bedside manner helped relaxed you before procedure.” “I felt genuinely cared for at all times. It was always stated to me to call if I needed help and was given enthusiastically. All staff are to be highly commended for their wonderful care and happy nature…even through the night. Thank you.” “Most happy with the attention, most caring. I was well looked after. Can’t fault my short stay.”

ISS Celebrates Two Years with St Andrews Hospital ISS is a proud partner of St Andrew’s Hospital, delivering cleaning, laundry and bed making services to support your goal of becoming the best private hospital in Australia. We are focused on providing services with a ’Human Touch’ and creating a culture where relationships matter. We recently celebrated our two year anniversary at St Andrew’s Hospital, together with hospital staff and CEO, Stephen Walker. Throughout our two year tenure, ISS has worked with St Andrew’s to deliver a safe and efficient working environment and has driven innovations to continually improve our service. We have also focused on training and rewarding our staff to create an engaged and motivated team, who work in partnership with hospital stakeholders. ISS is proud to work as ‘one team’ with St Andrew’s Hospital and look forward to many more years of cooperation and success.

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ANTIBIOTICS:

KEEPING THEIR USE IN CHECK Behind the scenes in any hospital, there are numerous committees and working groups whose role it is to ensure best-practice across both clinical and non-clinical areas. The clinical areas assist to maintain the wellbeing of patients and staff alike. A current focus for St Andrew’s Hospital is the use of antibiotics within the hospital setting. St Andrew’s has a robust and active antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) program. With the increasing occurrence of antimicrobial (antibiotic) resistance, and a reduced number of new agents available, antimicrobial stewardship programs are more important than ever in ensuring the continued efficacy of available antimicrobials. Our program’s aims are to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial exposure in patients, improve patient outcomes and reduce the adverse consequences of antimicrobial use (toxicity, antimicrobial resistance and unnecessary cost). St Andrew’s also has an AMS subcommittee, which commenced in 2013. The committee’s role is to provide a consultative forum for the effective address of AMS matters, and to provide programme implementation advice and direction. This is done with particular reference to current state and national AMS recommendations, policies, guidelines, standards and relevant legislation. AMS activity is a requirement for accreditation Standard 3 of the National Safety and Quality Health Care Standards. Current committee members include a physician, pharmacist, infectious diseases physician and an ICU consultant, as well as St Andrew’s Medical Director Dr Chris Farmer, and various clinical staff. Comprehensive AMS programmes have been demonstrated to reduce overall antimicrobial use by up to 36%. Successful programs show improvement in the appropriate use of antimicrobials, and to reduce hospital resistance rates, morbidity and mortality. AMS programmes are not designed primarily to have an impact on cost, but this is a clear extension of good patient care, good

outcomes and appropriate application of medications in whatever setting. The scope of practice of the AMS subcommittee so far has been to oversee the introduction of the statewide surgical antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines, developed by the South Australian Advisor Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (with consensus from all public and private hospital settings). These guidelines are available on the St Andrew’s intranet and are also available on the SA Health website. Additionally, the subcommittee has been involved in a number of practice changes, including the review of gentamicin usage to reduce patients’ exposure to this nephrotoxic and ototoxic drug to three days or less. The national guideline states that gentamicin should not be used for longer than three days without clear indication and computerbased modelling of drug exposure. The subcommittee is also auditing

the usage of antibiotics in the setting of prophylaxis, and throughout various craft groups within the hospital. This information is then fed back to these craft groups for further discussion. The subcommittee has developed a restricted list for various antibiotics requiring approval from an infectious disease physician and that require ongoing monitoring. St Andrew’s Hospital is benchmarked against national and state usage of many classes of antibiotics, which provides ongoing assessment of how it is performing. Such feedback demonstrates that we are comparable to similar hospitals. The future direction of the subcommittee will ensure the appropriate use of antibiotics. In addition, the group continues to invite feedback from clinicians along the patient journey, from preoperative to post-operative, to ensure best-practice and the best outcomes for our patients.

Assistant Director of Nursing; Wards Adrian Saunders and Pharmacist Adam Ritchie

ECD UPDATE The Early Works and Stage 1 The stages of the hospital’s Eastern Clinical Development (ECD) have involved a number of firsts, the wrath of Mother Nature and some fairly astonishing engineering.

The stages of the hospital’s Eastern Clinical Development (ECD) have involved a number of firsts, the wrath of Mother Nature and some fairly astonishing engineering. In planning for the commencement of work, project consultants have already faced a few challenges. Prior to work starting, in what is referred to as the “Early Works”, the group focused on the geotechnics of the site. Wikipedia defines geotechnics as “the application of scientific methods and engineering principles to the acquisition, interpretation, and use of knowledge of materials of the Earth’s crust and earth materials for the solution of engineering problems and the design of engineering works”. St Andrew’s Hospital Director of Engineering and Support Services Peter Cooper recalled the process: “The geotechnics of the site were significant, as we were not able to find any historical records to indicate a structure previously on the site.” As a result, a series of ground soil tests were carried out to determine the underlying composition of the earth. Testing found “perched water” in the site, which Peter describes as “water with nowhere to go”, as it is encapsulated in impervious clay.

The amount of water underground was significant, as the ECD includes an underground multi-level carpark that requires a hole of gargantuan proportions! The process of digging the hole for the carpark is known as “Stage 1”. The perched water was tested to ensure it was safe to pump back into the storm water system, which it was. Peter recalls this time with a wry smile: “It was raining cats and dogs at the time. We had water raining down faster than we were pumping it out!” In addition to testing the water, the Early Works involved relocating a number of services, including the waste management systems, the co-generation plant, the SAPN transformer, baler and the ETSA substation. The electrical substation was replaced with a new pad-mounted transformer. Ultimately the hospital will have three transformers, and a new diesel generator to be paired with the existing new Perkins generator. These two “gen sets” will have the smarts to be able to support the entire connected load of the hospital. In the event of failure of either of these gen sets, the embedded controls will be of the current generation technology, allowing either one to transfer the connected load to the other.

The process for pumping the perched water out of the excavation and away from the hospital site involves dropping in a series of bores to pump the water back out, and building a “diaphragm wall” (visit https://youtu.be/ wUlQyiHfex0 to see a video explaining the process). The technology and process involved in keeping water away from the site is of particular interest. Peter describes it as being like “a swimming pool in reverse”. A series of concrete tracks are first constructed to guide the excavator and ensure the cavity created for the diaphragm wall is absolutely perpendicular. Then, a huge jaw-like excavator digs down to remove the soil. Simultaneously, a substance called bentonite (which is recycled through a holding tank and reused in the same process as it is repeated) is pumped into the cavity, which displaces the water and provides sufficient hydraulic pressure from within the excavated cavity to ensure that the integrity of the

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In an unexpected turn of events, a number of buried electrical and hydraulic services—which weren’t shown on any drawings—were found and had to be relocated. This in itself was a logistical challenge, given the hospital requires power 24/7—and lots of it!

void is maintained until the concrete is poured in to form the diaphragm wall. Steel reinforcements are placed into the cavity prior to pouring the concrete. These reinforcement structures provide the strength to the concrete to mitigate against any cracking or movement of the structure. The concrete is then pumped into the reinforced cavity to form the diaphragm wall. Following construction of the wall, a capping beam is constructed on top of it and, finally, ground anchors are installed to stabilise the wall through the curing process. Then, the wall is complete. The Early Works are due for completion in late November 2016, and will be followed by the “Main Stage Works”, which involve the concrete works for the basement (prescast and columns) and first, second and third floors.

The Early Works are due for completion in late November 2016, and will be followed by the “Main Stage Works”

We look forward to updating you on the latest in this exciting development in the next edition of St Andrew’s News.

FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS BEGIN UNISA LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

At St Andrew’s Hospital we’re committed to the professional development of our staff and encouraging career advancement and progression. As part of this, the St Andrew’s Hospital Foundation is delighted to support staff in their continued learning and education through its Scholarship Programme. The UniSA Leadership and Development Program is designed with up-and-coming managers and leaders in mind. Its six modules cover a range of topics critical to supporting career progression in a senior management role. They are: Thinking Strategically; Facilitating Change; Contemporary Leadership Skills; Understanding Financial Reports; Managing and Engaging People; and Lean Transformation Skills.

Scholarship recipients Maureen Westo, Edel Silke, Kerene Kitschke and Sharon Blaney

Congratulations to Edel Silke, Kerene Kitschke, Sharon Blaney and Maureen Westo who were the successful applicants. They have already commenced the first of the six study modules, and will complete the full complement over a 12-month period. In addition to the foundation’s financial support, the recipients will also be supported by the hospital executive through a mentoring programme, which will see them implementing their newly acquired skills in projects across the hospital.

We wish them every success in their study. 18 16

and are learning from him. These two aspects—healing and teaching— most closely represent the work of St Andrew and the work of St Andrew’s Hospital.

Executive Update

NeuroSurgery comes to St Andrew’s

80th Birthday Foundation Celebrations

‘My’ St Andrew’s

Community

ECD Update

WAVERLEY HOUSE WALL BEING PRESERVED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

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A section of the clay columns

Cover: Volunteers Alison Grierson and William Grierson during National Volunteer Week celebrations, 2016.

FOR YOUR GIFT

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St Andrew’s has engaged St Peters Heritage and Construction to restore sections of the wall that require stabilisation.

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