Construction has begun on the Macarthur Clinical School at Campbelltown Hospital which will provide advanced training to young medical students and researchers. The $21 million, four-storey building is being built by the NSW Government and Western Sydney University.The school will complement the $133 million Campbelltown Hospital redevelopment and the $300 million Stage 2 redevelopment, which will deliver a new emergency department and enhanced acute, clinical,

mental health and paediatric services. The new clinical school will include a 153-seat lecture theatre, clinical skills teaching facility, simulation laboratory, eight clinic/clinical trials rooms, a hospital library and office space for clinical academic teams Centre for Education and Workforce Development teaching and office facility.The clinical school is expected to open in early 2017.

Building begins on clinical schoolJanuary2016

SOUTH WESTERN SYDNEY LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT

To submit a story contact the Media Unit on 8738 6848 or swsmedia@sswahs.nsw.gov.au

NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner was joined by local MP Jai Rowell, representatives from Campbelltown Hospital, South Western Sydney Local Health District Executive and Board, Western Sydney University and medical students to turn the sod on the new Macarthur Clinical School.

A health snapshot of south western Sydney was launched at the SWSLHD Annual Public Meeting (APM) in December, comparing the health of our community with the rest of the state. To see how we compare visit: bit.ly/1Zmmj0F.At the APM, guests also had the chance to watch a video of the District’s achievements over the past year, which you can view here: bit.ly/1Zmmj0F and read the 2014/15 Year in Review: bit.ly/1mzktLQ.

Snapshot launched at APM

SWSLHD Board members and Consumer and Community Participation staff and representatives helped launch the Year in Review at the APM.

Welcome to the first newsletter of 2016. I hope you all had a happy and safe holiday. Thank you to those of you who worked over the Christmas period.2015 was a busy and productive year and I look forward to working with you in what is shaping up to be an exciting and innovative year. Last month, 87 clinical and corporate senior leaders from across the District participated in a Leadership Forum.

The day was important, with key note speakers including Mr Geraint Martin, Chief Executive Counties Manukau Health, New Zealand and Professor Ian Jacobs, President and Vice Chancellor of UNSW Australia addressing leadership, improvement and revolutions in healthcare. The Forum included an engaging panel discussion on transformation and culture and a creative activity where participants traded craft materials to build their version of a high performing organisation.I’m very proud to report that 9,000 staff have undertaken NSW Health’s Respecting the Difference Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training online and almost 6,000 face-to-face.Over the past 18 months, CHETRE has undertaken a formal evaluation of Respecting the Difference and how people’s beliefs and attitudes have changed following the training.

The research found that the training improved staff’s confidence and understanding of Aboriginal culture.Respecting the Difference has laid an important foundation for how we provide culturally appropriate care.Further to the training, specialised health programs and our dedicated Aboriginal workforce are working in partnership with Aboriginal people living in south western Sydney to help close the gap.

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January 2016

Message from the Chief Executive

Amanda Larkin , Chief Executive

Ingham award winners announcedWinners of three prestigious awards were announced at medical research’s night of nights, the Ingham Institute Awards Dinner.The Lady Mary Fairfax Distinguished Researcher Award went to Professor Afaf Girgis, a leader in Psycho-Oncology, a specialist area of cancer research that investigates the psychological impact of cancer on patients and caregivers. The Excellence in Teaching Award, sponsored by SWSLHD, went to Associate Professor Therese Becker, the Institute’s Circulating Tumour Cells (CTC) Program Leader. The program uses CTCs found in the blood to expose cancer early, improving patient treatment and survival.The Early Career Researcher award went to Dr Sankar Arumugam for his work to improve the accuracy and safety of radiotherapy treatment delivery.

Living library project An innovative event which allowed participants to learn about organ and tissue donation from people instead of books, was held in December at Bankstown Arts Centre.The pilot program, based on a Danish initiative, saw participants get their information straight from the source, by hearing from a living kidney donor, organ donor recipient, a patient on the organ transplant waiting list and a clinical nurse consultant, all of whom had incredible stories to share.

Winner of the Excellence in Teaching Award, Associate Professor Therese Becker and SWSLHD CE Amanda Larkin.

Nathan Jones, Charles Davison and Hyllus Munro with the Respecting the Difference evaluation report.

Joseph McCue donated a kidney to wife Lisa McCue.

Congratulations to staff from Fairfield Hospital, who have received a number of awards. Dr Laurence McCleary received both the Senior Staff Teaching Excellence Award from UNSW Women and Children’s Health Medicine, and the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network 2015 Kilham Award for the best individual teacher in the Western Paediatric Physician Training Network outside Westmead.Hospital JMO Manager Debbie Liversidge was recognised by HETI, receiving the JMO Manager of the Year award for her work with UNSW and WSU medical students.

January 2016

Karitane at Camden marks five years Midwife Valerie Browning from the Barbara May Foundation

recently met with ambassadors from the Workplace Giving Program (WGP) to thank the District for its support.Ms Browning gave a confronting account of what life in the Afar region of Ethiopia is like, sharing the story of a woman who at eight months pregnant weighed only 35kg and was in need of a blood transfusion when she arrived at the Hospital.More than 2,500 SWSLHD staff donate $1 a week to the WGP, which has helped the Foundation build and run a maternity hospital in Mille, Ethiopia, including a 20 bed ward, training room and huts for women who require an extended stay. Funds have been used to purchase a new ambulance, train birth attendants and assemble kits for the 93 per cent of women who birth at home.Sign up to the Workplace Giving Program today via the intranet: http://intranet.sswahs.nsw.gov.au/SSWAHS/WGP/

Hospital staff and E Group Security helped Liverpool Hospital ward orderly Darren Lang make his way to Norway recently for the World’s Strongest Man Under 90kg competition, where he placed 14th out of 26 international competitors. Darren said he was appreciative of the opportunity and support.

Our strongest man returnsFairfield staff awarded

Valerie inspires our staff

Last month Karitane celebrated an important milestone five years of supporting families at Camden Hospital.When the Residential Unit first opened it was assisting around 400 families a year. Over the years the service has expanded to include a toddler clinic, children’s garden and parenting centre, now helping more than 600 families each year.The birthday celebration formed part of Karitane Parenting Centre’s Annual General Meeting and Professional Day.Karitane also celebrated 21 years at its Carramar site and 100 years of baby clinics in NSW.

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Valerie Browning (centre) with Bowral WGP ambassadors Angela Troy and Valerie Jovanovic.

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Celebrating wellnessThe festive season was celebrated in style at the Liverpool Cancer Wellness Centre. It was a chance for patients, carers and program sponsors to meet and relax while hearing about the benefits of Yoga and Tai Chi classes, which Dry July has agreed to sponsor for terms 1 and 2 of 2016.

Santa’s helpers visit LiverpoolClub Liverpool staff and patrons gave Santa a hand, drumming up the perfect gifts for Liverpool Hospital’s aged care patients. Thank you to those who helped support the gift drive, which brought much joy to the wards on Christmas Day.

Christmas comes earlyChristmas came early to Campbelltown’s paediatric ward when Santa Claus dropped in from Kids of Macarthur Health Foundation and Bunnings Campelltown. The big guy in red was greeted with huge smiles as he handed out gifts.

Christmas comes to SWSLHD

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