MEDICUS MARCH 2016

N E W S

More specialists choosing Albany THE GREAT SOUTHERN region now has more than 24 medical specialists living in the area with the appointment of the first resident Geriatrician at Albany Health Campus (AHC). specialists work across areas

such as general medicine, critical care, mental health, medical imaging, public health, palliative care and obstetrics.

Health Minister Kim Hames said the facilities at the recently constructed AHC provided an excellent opportunity for doctors wanting to work in a cutting-edge facility in a regional location. “The increasing number of highly regarded specialists choosing to live and work in Albany has resulted in improved medical services, increased capacity to treat more patients locally and has provided a more sustainable workforce in the region over the past three years," Dr Hames said. “The resident specialists include an Oncologist and General Physician who together have been providing a highly valued service to the Great Southern community for 30 years. “That’s in addition to a well-known and respected Western Australian respiratory physician who moved to Albany in 2015 and an Orthopaedic Surgeon who has performed almost 1,000 elective and emergency procedures in the past two years.” The Minister said the health campus now had three resident General Surgeons who, with their visiting colleagues, performed the second highest number of elective surgery cases each year in the WA Country Health Service. Other

On the up: Albany Health Campus has earned a reputation for its high-tech education and simulation training facilities.

The increase in local specialists and regular visiting specialists has been credited with a reduction in the number of patients accessing Patient Assisted Travel payments to travel to Perth to attend specialist appointments. There had also been an increase in the number of junior doctors at Albany Health Campus with eight resident medical officers, six interns and nine registrars, and the facility is expanding its telehealth service to reduce the number of patients needing to travel out of the region. Dr Hames said Albany Health Campus had earned a reputation for its high-tech education and simulation training facilities, plus its adoption of cutting-edge technology such as electronic discharge summaries to improve communication between hospitals, specialists and GPs. ■

For a great cause

THIS YEAR THE Western

Australian Medical Student’s Society (WAMSS) sports representatives are swimming to Rottnest Island

on 19 March in the Port to Pub 20km Swim. Swimming to raise funds for Motor Neurone Disease Western Australia (MNDWA), they have chosen this locally-based charity as instead of a strong research focus, it specialises in providing professional information and support services to people living with MND, their families and carers. The goal is to raise $5,000 for the charity and WAMSS would greatly appreciate your support. Please visit the facebook page WAMSS Swims to Rotto to find out more, as donations of any size would be greatly appreciated and can be made at https://give.everydayhero. com/au/WAMSSrottoswim ■

M A R C H 2 0 1 6 M E D I C U S 15