Epworth

Tenacious, persistent, furiously determined is the best way to describe the recovery efforts of Epworth outpatient Shane Harris. Despite being badly injured in a car accident almost 20 years ago, Shane continues with his rehabilitation. A novel therapy approach at Epworth Hawthorn is showing promising results.

Under the guidance of exercise physiologist Adrian Sexton, Shane is undertaking Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFRT). A cuff, similar to a blood pressure cuff, is attached to his leg to restrict blood flow while Shane does low-load resistance training. The goal is to tackle muscle atrophy and enhance strength responses in the muscles.

Shane says he has tried everything to regain his strength following a life-threatening car accident in 2006 that resulted in a traumatic brain injury and fractures to his skull, neck and collar bone.

“It’s been a lot of hard work to get to this point. This is my 19th year of rehab. My drive comes from trying to fix my stuff-ups.”

Read more here - https://www.epworth.org.au/newsroom/rehab-the-sole-focus

Sheila Salonga, Epworth Critical Care Services Manager, does not hesitate to nominate the best part of her job – it’s the people.

This year’s Susan Harris Medal winner for Distinguished Nursing and Midwifery at Epworth says the relationships with patients, nurses, doctors, corporate and people at other sites is the real standout.

Sheila has nursed across five hospitals in three countries but rates her last eight years at Epworth as the best.

“I have never felt as appreciated as I do here, and I’ve been given a lot of opportunities to show what I’ve got. I have done lots of leadership training and been awarded two Epworth scholarships so far and am applying for another,” Sheila said.

Sheila, who leads the Emergency Department (ED) and ICU team of 250, was nominated for the overall nursing award for being an “extraordinary leader, demonstrating positivity and passion in her work every day” and ensures “positive outcomes for patients and staff through her shining example”. She has a simple, but effective approach.

“You really need to put yourself in other people’s shoes, no matter your role. In the Emergency Department, we see people who are angry, upset, scared, vulnerable and once you put yourself in their shoes, you won’t go wrong.

“I also encourage them to treat a patient as they would their own family.”

Last week we celebrated Appreciation Week with the team at Epworth Richmond. There were lots of dress-ups, colourful scrubs, a visit from Captain Starlight and a bake-off!

Can you spot Bluey on our scrubs?

Applications are now open for graduate Nurses and Midwives.

✔️ Part-time & full-time permanent positions
✔️ Extensive orientation and supernumerary time
✔️ Paid study days throughout your program
✔️ Competitive salary + super + entitlements
✔️ Salary packaging benefits of $15,900p.a.
✔️ Ongoing positions upon successful completion of your program
✔️Rotations in many specialty areas across our hospital sites in Melbourne and Geelong

Learn more about our program: https://www.epworth.org.au/careers/graduate-program

Stretch it out! 🧘‍♂️✨ Every morning, the supply team at Epworth Richmond kicks off with 10 minutes of fun stretches, thanks to Luke and Tracy from Health, Safety & Wellbeing.

It’s a great way to start the day, reduce soreness, and bond as a team!

It’s been 30 years since Phil Ladlow injured his ankle while rock climbing, and after decades of non-invasive treatment, surgery was unavoidable.

Phil recently flew in from Tasmania to have surgery at Epworth Eastern by orthopaedic surgeon, Mr Harvinder Bedi.

“I was given two options – ankle joint replacement, but that can be tricky and might need replacing down the track. Plus Harvinder said I was too young for that, which was nice to hear! The other option was a last resort – ankle fusion, fusing the joint at the ankle so I would have a stable foot. Bushwalking has always been my passion and Harvinder said there would be no reason why I couldn’t do that and be able to walk pain-free.”

Phil is now facing six weeks of non-weight bearing and then six weeks in a moon boot. He is already planning on using his wind trainer bike and doing pilates (he’s an instructor) for rehabilitation.

Read more on Phil's story here www.epworth.org.au/newsroom/nourishing-body-and-soul

As part of our community partnership with AFL Barwon , we are offering our paediatric patients a mini football throughout the footy season. Along with our popular Eppy dogs, the small gift will provide a welcome distraction for our youngest patients during their hospital stay.

Nine-year-old Max, who plays in U10s for Geelong Amateur FNC, was happy to get his hands on a footy post-surgery earlier this week.

Philanthropist and actor Sam Johnson recently took centre stage at Epworth, as part of an employee wellbeing and resilience speaker series, sharing his remarkable story. While many know Sam for his tireless advocacy work with the Love Your Sister charity, his visit to Epworth marked an emotional moment as he reflected on his own life journey, separate from his sister Connie's well-documented battle with cancer.

Sam has developed a strong bond with Epworth, stemming from a pivotal moment in his life when he became an Epworth patient following a traumatic road accident. Hit by a car on a service road, Sam's life took an unexpected turn.

Recounting the incident, Sam candidly shared, "I went behind a tree and I don’t remember anything else. My missus saw it all and held my head together while the ambulance came, it was a near-death experience.

“I was at Epworth for a couple of months and I was a proper humpty.” Read more - https://www.epworth.org.au/newsroom/resilience-in-the-face-of-trauma

Felicity loves her role as the sole urology Clinical Nurse Consultant at Epworth Eastern.

“I find it extremely fascinating how fast things change in this specialty. You need to think and troubleshoot.

“Like any surgery and recovery stream, it’s a specialty that has been progressive and is changing all the time with new surgical advances and technology.

“My job is predominantly split between managing patient’s pre and post-operative with prostate cancer and patients with bladder cancer plus other urological conditions,” Felicity added.

The number of patients Felicity sees, which are predominantly men, continues to increase. Last year, she assisted 400 Intravesical treatments for patients with bladder cancer.

Celebrating 20 Years of Excellence at the Epworth Sleep Clinic.

Did you know that one in three Australians will experience a sleep disorder at some stage in their life?

We have a proud history of treating sleep disorders for almost 40 years. From the first sleep disorder study in Australia conducted at Epworth Richmond in 1988 to the development of the internationally recognised Epworth Sleepiness Scale, we continue to lead the way in sleep medicine.

With over 40,000 sleep studies performed in the last 20 years at Epworth Camberwell and a dedicated team of 70 sleep physicians supported by 25 sleep scientists, we're committed to helping you achieve better sleep.

Discover more about our sleep services https://brnw.ch/21wKkSW

This week, we recognise and celebrate , and are reminded of the importance of acknowledging the invaluable cultural, environmental, social and intellectual contributions of First Nations people to our community, throughout our history and over generations.



Collaboration, mutual respect and strengthening partnerships are key to taking meaningful steps towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and communities.



Let’s meet Chantelle, Skye, Taylah, Linda, the first Deakin NIKERI undergraduate students who recently completed their placement at Epworth Geelong.



The National Indigenous Knowledges Education Research Innovation, Institute, enables Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians the flexibility to access higher education while maintaining their family, work and community commitments.



With the support of Deakin University, these students travelled from regional and interstate areas to complete a first-year nursing placement at Epworth Geelong.



“We are very excited to collaborate with the Deakin NIKERI program to facilitate some of these students in an acute hospital setting, as we proudly support them in their nursing career journey,” said Ashlea, Undergraduate Clinical Facilitator at Epworth.



Across Epworth, we are committed to supporting all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who work, practice and attend our hospitals.

Nurses and doctors are what most people think of when you say you work in a hospital. But there are many important roles, some behind the scenes, that keep Epworth hospitals running smoothly. The Epworth Richmond Loans Department is one of those!

Despite its name, our loans area is not a library; it’s more of a mini-warehouse, servicing the many surgeries that occur every day, explains Sally Joksimovic, Instrument Technician at Epworth Richmond. Without all the correct equipment, a surgery couldn’t go ahead, so the importance of the role is clear.

“We have 32 operating theatres at Epworth Richmond and many different surgeries here, so it’s fast paced,” Sally explains.

“Part of the equipment needed is kept in the hospital for the cardiac, neurological and orthopaedic surgeries that we do every day. Then we have a section where we keep consigned instruments from different companies, which are on loan."

“Equipment includes surgical instruments needed for knee and hip replacements or spinal surgery. Different surgeons have preferences for various equipment and there is not enough space to keep it all in the theatres."

"Consigned equipment comes in road cases the day before the surgery. It gets washed and sterilised here, we decant all the trays, go through the checklist and make sure everything needed is there, sterilised, wrapped and set up on trolleys and attached to the correct surgeon and patient for the following day.”

Volunteering is a sister act for local trio.

Sisters Susan, Anita and Jacquie are no strangers to the healthcare setting.

With backgrounds in medical admin and nursing, the now-retired trio are among Epworth Geelong’s 60-strong cohort of volunteers.

Anita was first to join the volunteer program 18 months ago, with her nursing background providing a foundation for her duties on the surgical ward.

She then recruited Susan, whose love of books and reading complemented the library trolley volunteer role. Having lengthy conversations with patients about reading is one of Susan’s favourite aspects of the role.

Jacquie then came on board in 2024 to volunteer within the Emergency Department. Here, she helps visitors feel at ease by providing hot drinks and snacks, while also supporting staff and ensuring supplies are fully stocked.

The sisters coordinate their shifts to all volunteer on a Tuesday, giving them a chance to catch up for lunch on the day. Despite the diversity of their roles, they all agree it’s the sense of giving back that keeps them motivated.

On National Volunteer Week 2024 we express our deepest gratitude and appreciation to our incredible volunteers for the diversity and richness they bring to our Epworth community.

Theatre nurse Sue Eldridge hangs up the scrubs after an incredible nursing career spanning more than 40 years.

Regarded among colleagues as a mentor, a work-mum, support and all-round OB/gynae guru at Epworth Geelong, Sue’s retirement was celebrated with an all-day grazing table before her last shift.

Starting at the Royal Women’s Hospital in the 1980s, Sue then progressed to the role of midwife for a number of years, before becoming a private midwife for an obstetrician.

In 1993, she began at Freemasons Hospital and returned to scrub nursing again to make a permanent sea change, when she transferred to Epworth Geelong in 2019.

Sue’s colleagues say she will leave a lasting professional legacy among the team, who will forever ask ‘what would Sue do?’ when having to make a clinical decision for many years to come. The question was asked so frequently, Sue had it printed on the pocket of her scrubs!

Sue is looking forward to spending more time with her family and grandkids and having more time for golf and morning walks.

We wish Sue all the best 🎉

A nurse for 18 years, Caz has been a clinical nurse consultant for Epworth Richmond’s Pain Service for nearly nine years and is nearing completion on her studies to become a nurse practitioner.

Once she is endorsed, Caz will be able to prescribe, order diagnostics like pathology and see patients both as an inpatient and outpatient.

On top of that, Caz has began an EMF supported scholarship into opioid stewardship for Epworth, alongside our physicians, anaesthetists, pain specialists, rehabilitation physicians, pharmacy and quality team.

“The focus is on patients who come to us for acute pain following injury or surgery, rather than patients who experience chronic, long-term pain,” Caz explained.

“It’s not uncommon to see patients who are taking opiates even though their surgery or injury was two years ago."

“After surgery, some go home with no plan on reducing medication and take the whole box of opioids even though they only need them for a few days. The pain is often resolved but they continue the medication, sometimes through anxiety or a lack of education, which can lead to side effects and withdrawals."

“I’ve just completed a gap analysis of 100 opioid naïve inpatients to determine where there is room for improvement and new initiatives that can be introduced to further improve our care of patients’ pain, but most importantly keep them safe.”

Let’s celebrate our volunteers for National Volunteer Week!

This year’s theme, “Something for Everyone,” perfectly captures the incredible diversity and dedication of our volunteers. From wayfinding and driving to running our wig salon, playing music, and providing consumer advisory, there's truly something for everyone to get involved in.

Join us in celebrating the remarkable contributions of our volunteers who make a difference every day. Thank you for your kindness, time, and unwavering commitment! 💙

Throughout her 21 years as a nurse, Belinda Royal has enjoyed a variety of roles. Most recently, she has taken on the newly formed position of Anaesthetic Department Liaison Nurse at Epworth Richmond.

For Belinda, nursing has stretched well beyond caring for patients at the bedside. After completing a postgraduate in perioperative care, Belinda has focused on anaesthetics and recovery and became a Clinical Nurse Specialist in 2009. Secondments into different roles has become a regular occurrence.

“I’ve had multiple secondments as an ANUM and three secondments as a Nurse Unit Manager,” Belinda said.

“Last year, I won an Epworth scholarship and did the Melbourne Business School Leadership course, which was amazing. When you do your undergraduate study, you learn how to be a nurse, not how to manage people."

“As a NUM in anaesthetics/PACU, I had close to 200 direct reports, so 80% of your time is spent managing people, budgets and labour. You don’t learn those things at nursing school!"

Today she’s putting her clinical knowledge to use while also learning new technology, liaising with surgeons and anaesthetists plus using a personal touch and negotiating skills to manage competing priorities.

With 650 anaesthetists accredited to work at Epworth Richmond, Belinda has a large group of doctors to liaise with.

Midwives Maddi and Ros have much in common, despite one being new to the profession and the other a midwifery veteran.

Maddi was a nurse for five years in Darwin before changing tack and becoming dual qualified.

“I’ve just done a year as a graduate midwife and arrived at Epworth in March,” Maddi said.

In contrast, Ros will celebrate two milestones this year – 20 years as a midwife at Epworth Freemasons (46 years in total) and turning 70 years old.

“I trained at Canberra Hospital in 1972 and started midwifery in 1978. I came to Epworth Freemasons in 2004,” Ros remembered.

Since then, Ros has noted many changes.

“When I first started midwifery, we’d only just started allowing partners into the delivery suite, they used to wait outside, birth classes were compulsory and ultrasounds were considered a special thing, not commonplace like now.”

Maddi counts experiencing joy as a real highlight of being a midwife.

“When I worked in the NT, I was taking care of a lot of Aboriginal and Torre Strait Islander men and women with chronic illnesses and mental health issues. So to go from that to midwifery where I am helping bring life into the world and seeing the joy parents have when their meet their baby for the first time is a nice, heartwarming thing.”

Discovering their unique pathway to midwifery, Ros and Maddi embodies excellence in care for life-changing moments.

On 10 May 2024, we held our second Epworth HealthCare Nursing and Midwifery Awards.

This year, almost 400 staff from Epworth attended this event to recognise and celebrate the vital role our nurses and midwives provide to the care of our patients and to each other.

It was a special evening of joy and recognition. Across 6 award categories, we had 32 deserving finalists, recognised for their amazing contribution and dedication to patient care at Epworth.

A big congratulations to Sheila Salonga, Critical Care Services Manager, Epworth Richmond, who was awarded the prestigious Susan Harris Medal for Distinguished Nursing and Midwifery.

Every day, our nurses and midwives display compassion, dedication and excellence, going above and beyond to provide exceptional care to patients and their families. To all of you, we thank you, and are truly grateful for all that you do.

These awards have been made possible with thanks to Epworth Medical Foundation and their community of generous donors.

Rehabilitation at Epworth Camberwell has become somewhat of a family affair for the Bhattacharjee family.

Shubroto Bhattacharjee undertook cardiac rehabilitation at the hospital following many years of heart problems. He now plays chauffeur and chaperone to wife Nandita, who is undergoing rehabilitation following a knee replacement. Added to this, son Shom is a consultant physician and rheumatologist who has consulting rooms at Epworth Camberwell.

Shubroto, 76, had open heart surgery at Epworth Richmond for a coronary artery bypass in December 2022 and completed cardiac rehabilitation in April 2023. Returning to the rehab gym with his wife felt like returning to friends.

“They are a miracle gang, the whole lot of them,” Shubroto said.

This Heart Week, we’re encouraging Victorians to never miss a beat by speaking to their GP about a Heart Health Check

Read the full story https://www.epworth.org.au/newsroom/a-family-affair

Meet Alisha, our new Maternity Concierge!

Alisha's unique blend of personal and professional experiences makes her the perfect fit. With 16 years as a practice manager in various medical fields and being a busy mum of four, she understands the pregnancy journey inside out.

"I always wanted to be a midwife," Alisha shares. "But life took a different path. Now, I get to experience the joy of pregnancy with families without the clinical side. I get to chat with mums and cuddle babies."

As the maternity concierge Alisha is available to answer all and any questions from expecting families and practice managers with queries.

Welcome Alisha to the Epworth Freemasons Maternity team! 💕

Here to help: new maternity concierge - Epworth HealthCare Both the personal and professional experiences of Alisha Pereira makes her perfect for her new role as the maternity concierge at Epworth Freemasons.

Last week, volunteers from across Epworth wig salons were given the opportunity to tour one of our top suppliers of wigs, 'Celebrity Wigs', which are used for our patients undergoing cancer treatment.

The wig salon is a free service that provides expert tips for styling headwear and is available for patients at Epworth Eastern, Epworth Freemasons, Epworth Richmond and Epworth Geelong.

As part of Heart Week, our cardiac nursing staff will be in the foyer of Epworth Geelong conducting blood pressure checks and educating people on heart health ❤️

Our driver service is now available on Mondays and Wednesdays at Epworth Richmond – all thanks to volunteers like driver Nicholas!

It's part of a trial to expand our volunteer program and support patients by driving them home once they're discharged from hospital.

This service is available to Epworth Richmond patients who live within 30km, need little or no mobility assistance and have working or unavailable family or carers.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Mr Frank Chen, a colorectal surgeon and endoscopist at Epworth Eastern, recently returned from Sri Lanka where he initiated a project to provide cricket equipment to bring joy to young cricketers' lives 🏏

“During a visit to Sri Lanka in 2019, we noticed that players from opposing teams, including academy players, were sharing equipment, even shoes," said Mr Chen.

Mr Chen teamed up with Sura Silva, a well-known former Sri Lankan cricketer, and for the past two years the pair has supplied cricket equipment and apparel to over 50 schools.

"Every child should have the chance to discover their potential, regardless of their background,” Mr Chen said.

This was all made possible thanks to the Epworth Medical Foundation.