Monash Health

You might be seeing an extra touch of purple today for Wear It Purple Day 💜🌈

By wearing purple on this day, we demonstrate to rainbow young people that they are celebrated and respected, acknowledging all have the right to be proud of who they are and who they are becoming.

For young people who identify as LGBTQIA+, this year’s theme, ‘Your Passion, Your Pride’, is an empowering and affirming rally cry to express their true selves to the world and chase their dreams.

But our rainbow community can’t achieve these outcomes alone. This is why we’re excited to be supporting a piece of the puzzle. Our Gender Clinic team is participating in a ground-breaking research project, which has received $5 million from the Models of Care for S*xuality & Gender Diverse People & People with Innate Variations of S*x Characteristics Grant Opportunity. Funding is from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

To learn more about this project, visit: https://monashhealth.org/latest-news/2024/08/08/monash-gender-clinic-to-help-deliver-5-million-mrff-grant-project-supporting-trans-youth-health/

Landline phones at our hospitals and services are now working as normal, with a telephone network provider outage now resolved.

Thank you for your understanding and patience during the outage.

We are currently unable to receive calls to landlines at our hospitals and services due to a network provider outage.

We are also unable to make outgoing calls on our landlines.

Our services remain open.

The telephone network provider is working to restore service.

Thanks to Monash Health’s maternity and neonatal teams, premature babies now have access to their mother’s Expressed Breast Milk (EBM) quicker after birth.

EBM has long been identified as the best form of nutrition for newborns, providing immunological protection and developmental advantages.

“We know that breast milk is really important for vulnerable premature babies, with evidence showing it can significantly decrease the risk of complications and infections,” said Samantha Tyrer, Quality Improvement Nurse at Monash Newborn.

In addition, EBM is linked to decreased length of stay and readmission rates, allowing families to be together at home sooner.

‘The Early Expression Initiative’ has been underway since 2019 and aims to reduce the median time for newborns to receive EBM to 6 hours or less after birth.

The multidisciplinary team collaborating to achieve this goal includes nurses, doctors, dietitians, midwifery and neonatal clinical educators and lactation consultants. The Monash Newborn Consumer Advisory Group were also consulted to ensure any interventions met the needs of parents and carers.

With the introduction of multiple interventions including early expressing kits, the initiative has successfully reduced the median time of providing EBM to newborns to 3.5 hrs, six times faster than when it first began.

By providing this essential element of care to our patients, not only is the risk of life-threatening illnesses reduced, the engagement of parents in the care of premature babies is enhanced.

Thank you to everyone who continues to contribute to this initiative and provide care for our most vulnerable patients.

Remember to plan ahead.

Monash Health has been informed that Clayton Road will be completely closed 24/7 to all non-emergency traffic south of Monash Medical Centre from Tuesday 27th of August to late October.

The closure is to allow underground works to proceed as part of the Suburban Rail Loop project.

🏥 Monash Medical Centre and Monash Children’s Hospital's main entries will only be accessible to traffic and pedestrians travelling southbound on Clayton Road, between North Road and Monash Medical Centre.

🚑 Emergency vehicle access through the closed section will be maintained, between Monash Medical Centre and Clayton Train Station. No non-emergency traffic or pedestrians will have access through the construction zone.

👷 Detours and traffic management will be in place, coordinated by the Suburban Rail Loop Authority.

🚧 The work will cause significant disruption to traffic flow in and around the site for patients, visitors, employees, deliveries, couriers, and pedestrians. Clearway zones will be in place in some side streets, placing some additional pressure on parking.

📆 Visitors and patients are encouraged to plan ahead and to allow additional travel time.

For more information, please visit the Suburban Rail Loop East project page: https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/library/suburban-rail-loop/works-notifications/clayton-august-works-update

Monash Health this week welcomed Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas MP and Member for Bentleigh, Nick Staikos MP to Moorabbin Hospital to tour our two newly refurbished Surgery Theatres.

The two theatres, used for Orthopaedic surgery, have been upgraded thanks to $4.3 million from the Victorian Government’s Metropolitan Health Infrastructure Fund.

Monash Health is Victoria’s largest provider of planned surgeries, undertaking over 32,000 planned surgeries in the past year.

The refurbished theatres and Monash Health’s surgical reform, supported by the Victorian Government, have resulted in significant improvements to patients including reduced wait times and shorter length-of-stay.

Once upon a time at Monash Children’s Hospital, an enchanting celebration of Book Week!

“[It] was an opportunity to come together as a community and celebrate the joy of reading," said Colin Dobson, the Principal of Monash Children’s Hospital School.

"It was colourful and busy, and lots of fun.”

The event featured book readings, a range of craft activities inspired by children’s literature, and a butterfly enclosure where people could admire and hold live butterflies.

Performers from the Players Theatre Company sang songs from Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and students from Oxley Christian College presented extracts from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The Musical.

Children were invited to pick out a free costume and select a book to take home.

“We know some children will miss out on Book Week celebrations at their own schools. So, we provide this wonderful experience,” said Kylie Middlemiss, a Learning Specialist at Monash Children’s Hospital School.

“There were many highlights [to the day], but it was great to see the kids and their families smile and know that we have given patients a positive experience.”

Monash Health has been informed that Clayton Road will be completely closed 24/7 to all non-emergency traffic south of Monash Medical Centre from the 27th of August.

The closure will last for approximately two months and is to allow underground works to proceed as part of the Suburban Rail Loop project.

The 24/7 road closure will cut off all traffic and will extend from south of the McCulloch House delivery entrance to south of the railway line.

Emergency vehicle access through the closed section will be maintained.

Monash Medical Centre’s main entry, Dixon Street, and delivery access will only be accessible to traffic and pedestrians travelling southbound on Clayton Road. There will be no non-emergency traffic and no pedestrians allowed to travel through the construction zone.

Detours and traffic management will be in place, coordinated by the Suburban Rail Loop Authority.

This will cause significant disruption to traffic flow in and around the site for patients, visitors, employees, deliveries, couriers, and pedestrians.

A number of side streets close to Monash Medical Centre will become clearway zones, with no parking allowed to allow trucks to access the Suburban Rail Loop construction zone. This will place some additional pressure on parking for patients and visitors.

Visitors and patients are encouraged to plan ahead and to allow additional travel time.

For more information, please visit the Suburban Rail Loop East project page: https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/suburban-rail-loop/srl-east/clayton

Did you know that around 90% of people who believe they are allergic to penicillin aren’t?

Allergies to penicillin antibiotics are one of the most commonly reported allergies, with false ‘labels’ potentially leading to poor health outcomes and extended hospital stays.

Monash Health’s Pharmacy team has been working closely with our Allergy and Immunology teams across our sites on a program that identifies and assesses patients reporting a low-risk penicillin allergy.

“Many people may incorrectly believe they have a penicillin allergy if another family member has one, or if they were inaccurately diagnosed in childhood. However, penicillin allergies are not inherited, and studies have also shown that they can often disappear over time,” said Anny Nguyen, Allergy and Adverse Reactions Pharmacist.

The ‘Low-Risk Penicillin Allergy De-Labelling Service’ conducts monitored allergy testing and challenges on site, to safely identify patients in our care who can use penicillin if needed.

While alternative treatments may be available, the penicillin antibiotic is often the preferred treatment when an allergy is not present.

“Alternative antibiotics are often broader spectrum with more side effects and medication interactions,” said Anny.

“Over time, some bacteria can become resistant to broad spectrum antibiotics, which may limit antibiotic options in the future.”

De-labelling false penicillin allergies for patients ensures they can receive treatment with the most effective and appropriate therapies.

We celebrate Monash Health endocrinologist Professor Helena Teede AM who has been honoured with the Australian Medical Association’s (AMA) Women in Medical Leadership Award.

Prof Teede and Royal Melbourne Hospital emergency physician Dr Sarah Whitelaw were jointly recognised as “gender equity trailblazers” who have shown “unwavering commitment to improving women's participation in healthcare and leadership,” said AMA President Professor Steve Robson.

Helena is Professor of Women’s Health and Equity at Monash University. She is also Director of the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation - MCHRI, a Monash Health and Monash University Partnership Centre.

She spearheads the Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership (AWHL) initiative.

The large-scale national research project, of which Monash Health is a lead partner, seeks to foster a workplace environment and opportunities which enable employees to reach their full potential.

“Healthcare has a 78 per cent female workforce, yet we have major inequity in leadership roles,” Prof Teede said.

“My focus has been on using evidence to support gender equity and diversity in leadership as a foundation across healthcare, medical research, education and training.”

Prof Teede’s work has “paved a path for generations to continue in her footsteps," said Prof Robson.

Congratulations Helena on this fitting award.

You can learn more about the work of Prof Teede and the AWHL team here: https://www.womeninhealthleadership.org/about-us

Congratulations to Monash Health resident medical officer, Dr Keeth Mayakaduwage, who has been awarded the Australian Medical Association (AMA) Women’s Health Award for his contributions to improving stillbirth prevention and antenatal care.

The resident at Monash Medical Centre was presented with the award at the AMA’s national conference.

“His contributions to women’s health and stillbirth prevention cannot be understated,” said AMA President Professor Steve Robson.

“Dr Mayakaduwage has shown incredible dedication to this extremely important cause, not only through his research, but also through his various roles on international and national women’s health committees.”

Dr Mayakaduwage’s research in collaboration with Safer Care Victoria and the Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence, has advanced Australia’s understanding of the complexities of stillbirth and the importance of evidence-based practices.

His leadership in the Victorian government’s evaluation of the Safer Baby Bundle has also helped improve antenatal care.

“This [award] is a testament to the collaborative efforts of so many dedicated individuals and organisations working tirelessly to advance women's health,” Dr Mayakaduwage said.

In Australia, six babies are stillborn each day.

"More than 2,000 Australian families [are affected] every year. This underscores the urgent need for continued efforts in research, advocacy, and policy development to ensure better health outcomes for all women,” he said.

We remember a pioneer of Children’s Services at Monash Health, former Head of Paediatrics, Emeritus Professor Arthur Clark AM, who passed away last week.

Professor Clark was an influential figure in paediatrics in Victoria.

He cared for thousands of children and contributed to significantly improved paediatric cancer survival rates.

Professor Clark was ahead of his time in putting the child at the centre of care, telling his trainees that "a child’s bed was one place they felt safe in hospital, and that they should always ask them if it was OK before they sat on it.”

Professor Nick Freezer, Director of Monash Children’s Hospital said Professor Clark made an enormous contribution to the training of generations of paediatricians, many of whom have gone on to important roles around the world.

Professor Clark was appointed the Foundation Chair of Monash University’s Paediatrics Department in 1965 and was Head of Paediatrics at Queen Victoria Hospital and then Monash Medical Centre for decades.

He played a key role in writing the design brief for Monash Medical Centre, and the University alliance supported the growth of paediatric sub-specialties, with the introduction of paediatric intensive care a major milestone.

Professor Clark’s contributions to medicine have included time as President of the Australasian Royal College of Physicians and work with the Australian Medical Council.

In 1992 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.

In 2007, Professor Clark was named as one of Monash Medical Centre’s 20 Legends.

A portrait of Professor Clark is on display at Monash Children’s Hospital.

We send our condolences to Professor Clark’s family and friends.

At just three weeks old, twins Aurelius and Etienne are contributing to global clinical research that aims to improve the health and development of premature infants.

They are participants in the CIRCA DIEM study, which aims to understand if day/night cycling of environmental light and noise promotes earlier development of the internal circadian rhythms of babies born before 32 weeks' gestation and if this improves their brain development.

During their time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Monash Children’s Hospital, the twins will experience “night” by wearing eye-masks and earplugs. During the day these are taken off so they can experience “daytime”.

“For some infants born very preterm, their future is hampered by a brain injury,” said Monash Newborn neonatologist at Monash Children’s Hospital, Professor Rod Hunt.

“We feel very strongly that we should be doing everything we can to optimize the outcomes for these infants, ensuring that they have the best quality of life possible.”

By taking part in the study, the twins’ parents hope to make things easier for other families with premature babies.

“We are scientifically minded people, and we wanted to help contribute to the body of established knowledge,” said dad Vincent.

“[The twins] seem pretty comfortable [in the eye-masks and earplugs]. We watch them on the cameras overnight. They pull on the tubes and the lines, but they have not pulled on the masks yet! They seem very relaxed with them on,” said mum Leonie.

When Aurelius and Etienne turn two-years-old, their development and progress will be assessed. This will help researchers understand whether the eye-masks and earplugs make a difference to the development of preterm babies.

“If this research improves outcomes for babies and is translatable beyond the unit to other settings that would be a fantastic result,” said neonatologist and clinical researcher at Monash Newborn, Dr Calum Roberts.

Over 50 premature babies at Monash Children’s Hospital have been recruited to take part in the study coordinated by Telethon Kids Institute.

To learn more about the study, visit: https://www.telethonkids.org.au/projects/the-circa-diem-study/

During World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7), lactation consultants from our Lactation Service have been providing our nursing and midwifery staff with education around promoting and supporting breastfeeding.

The theme for 2024 is Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding support for all.

The education provided has covered how we can assist women and families to reach their breastfeeding goals, and information about specialist support services available at Monash Health and in the community.

Monash Health has a breastfeeding policy that supports employees who are breastfeeding/breastmilk feeding and a team of dedicated International Board Certified Lactation Consultants who work across our four maternity sites.

The team includes two General Practitioners (GPs) who specialise in Breastfeeding Medicine.

This month, we welcome Dr Joanne Simpson to our Lactation team.

Joanne comes with a wealth of experience as a GP, having worked in both the public and private sector, with special interests that encompass Shared Maternity Care, Women’s Health, Infant settling, Mental Health, and Allergy.

Monash Health has received an award for improving patient flow across our system, from the Emergency Department to inpatient wards and into the community.

Our health service has been part of the Victorian Department of Health’s Timely Emergency Care Collaborative.

The initiative aims to reduce the length of stay for patients at emergency departments across Victoria and ensure they receive the right care in the right place, the first time.

At Monash Health, targeted initiatives across emergency, inpatient, and operational streams have resulted in significant and sustained improvements in access to care.

We are among four health services to receive an award for ‘Outstanding Overall Improvement’ alongside a recognition award acknowledging exemplarily contribution to the collaborative.

“Congratulations to all teams involved in the success of this truly collaborative initiative across our inpatient wards and emergency departments. Together we can continue to make a significant difference to providing timely access to care for all patients,” said Rachel Rosler, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Monash Medicine, Monash Medical Centre and Moorabbin Hospital.

Congratulations to Monash Health’s finalists in the national 2024 HESTA Excellence Awards!

We are proud to announce that Monash Health teams and individuals make up half the finalists in the Allied Health category.

Monash Health finalists:

⚪ Jacana First 1,000 Days Clinic, Monash Children’s Hospital (Team Excellence finalist)

⚪ Prue Walker - Senior Social Worker at Monash Children’s Hospital (Individual Leadership finalist)

⚪ Pradip Chandra Bhattacharjee - Mental Health Clinician Trauma Informed Yoga and Mindfulness Facilitator (Individual Leadership finalist)

A record 400 nominations from around the country were submitted.

Finalists were chosen for their contribution to the community, exceptional leadership, commitment, and passion to contribute to community health and wellbeing.

Please join us in congratulating the finalists and wishing them all the best.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony on Thursday, 29 August 2024.

To read more about Monash Health’s finalists, please visit: https://monashhealth.org/latest-news/2024/07/30/2024-hesta-excellence-awards-announcing-our-monash-health-finalists/

This week, we honour the organ donors and their families who have selflessly given the gift of life.

In 2023, 16 generous donors across Monash Health provided lifechanging transplants to 52 organ recipients.

A further 58 people were helped through the gift of tissue donation.

At Monash Health we support families in their wish to donate organs and tissues.

Our team of Donation Specialists facilitate the process through identification of potential donors and supporting donation conversations with families.

“Our families that have consented to donation at such a vulnerable and significantly difficult time are incredible,” said Monash Health Donation Specialist, Nursing Co-Ordinator, Erin Bryen.

“They are struggling and trying to manage their own grief and are still able to think of other people. We are deeply grateful.”

The impact organ and tissue donation has is significant.

“It can be lifesaving,” said Erin.

“People can come off dialysis and return to the workforce. They can travel for the first time in a long time. [They can] be around to see their grandchildren.”

"In the case of eye tissue donation, people may be considering moving into a nursing home then they are able to see again, they are able to drive and work again. [Donation] makes a significant difference.”

For families dealing with the loss of a loved one donation can be deeply meaningful.

“What they tell us is that they have got a great sense of comfort, being able to help save the lives of others, especially when they are grieving the loss of their loved one,” said Erin.

Registering as an organ and tissue donor only takes a minute.

You can register here: https://www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today

Your family will always be asked to support your decision before organ donation goes ahead.

They are much more likely to agree if they know you want to be a donor.

Congratulations to our Monash Health Haematology Department and Cardiac Emergency Department, who took part in Run Melbourne and raised over $7,000 for the Monash Health Foundation.

Team members ran in the 5.5km, 10km and half marathon events with support from friends, family and colleagues.

"We are really pleased with our first attempt at Run Melbourne and look forward to engaging even more team members in 2025,” shared Professor Jake Shortt, Clinical Director of Haematology.

Thank you to everyone involved for your time, effort and commitment to fundraising.

If you are looking to turn a special challenge into a fundraising effort, there are a number of ways to get involved in making a difference.

To learn more about fundraising at Monash Health, please visit: monashhealthfoundation.org

Speech Pathologist Grace Schofield has been a pivotal figure in the evolution of Project QWERTY, an initiative bridging communication gaps for aphasia patients.

Aphasia is a communication impairment often resulting from stroke or brain injury. It affects how a person understands a conversation, speaks, reads and writes.

Grace started her journey at Monash Health as a graduate speech pathologist in 2018, and by 2019, Project QWERTY had been born as part of a collaborative effort.

“Our vision was to create a free online platform where individuals with aphasia could enhance their spelling and typing skills, which is crucial for everyday communication and rehabilitation,” said Grace.

After securing funding through the Healthcare Innovation Summer Scholarship (HISS), the team launched the unique website in 2022, solidifying their commitment to providing accessible tools for patient rehabilitation.

"It was a culmination of hard work and dedication of the project team, with substantial engagement from the community. Since then, we have seen over 6,500 users benefiting from the platform."

In 2023, Grace’s dedication and vision for enhancing patient care through technology saw her awarded a Monash Health Emerging Researcher Fellowship. It provided critical resources and support to improve the website further and, importantly, integrate direct feedback from individuals with aphasia into the development process.

"Involving individuals with lived experiences of aphasia in the co-production of the project was crucial. Their insights were invaluable in refining the platform's usability and ensuring it met the diverse needs of our users,” said Grace.

"Completing the fellowship has given me room to grow and also shaped the way I learn, think, plan, and reflect."

Looking forward, Grace and her team remain committed to documenting their findings and sharing insights. Their goal is to continually enhance Project QWERTY's impact by exploring new features and incorporating technological advancements that better serve individuals with aphasia.

To explore Project QWERTY, visit: projectqwerty.com

In Melbourne’s South East, mpox transmission continues to be high.

Those at risk of becoming infected include anyone who has close physical contact with someone who has mpox.

Mpox vaccination is available and strongly recommended.

People who are fully vaccinated, with two vaccines at least 28 days apart, have the best protection.

Professor Rhonda Stuart, Director of Monash Health's South East Public Health Unit, spoke with SBS News and The Age on preventative measures and those at high risk.

“Vaccination is an important preventative measure and can decrease the risk of contracting disease and its severity,” said Prof Stuart.

For those who do develop symptoms, even if vaccinated, it is important to visit a doctor and refrain from prolonged contact with others until well.

To listen to the SBS News interview, please visit: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/podcast-episode/interview-mpox-outbreak-prompts-sex-bubble-recommendation/jysn39x21 #