South Metropolitan Health Service

Proud moments at PrideFEST 2024 Once again, South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) was proud to be involved in the 2024 Perth PrideFEST, showing support for our LGBTQIA+SB patients, their families, carers, and staff. Over 50 SMHS staff, including SMHS Chief Executive Paul Forden and SMHS board members, danced on the float it travelled through Northbridge. The theme ‘butterflies’ was designed in collaboration with Wesley College Perth, symbolising transformation, change, hope, endurance, renewal, and courage. A shout out also to the SMHS LGBTIQA+SB Inclusivity Working Group, Friends and Allies who were stallholders at PrideFest’s Fair Day and spoke to the local community about our services. A huge thanks to everyone that took part! Our team definitely relished the opportunity to be out in the community, promoting our diverse, safe and inclusive health service.

A huge congratulations to Fiona Stanley Hospital Emergency Department Nurse Midwifery Educator, Jane Vickery, on being awarded the prestigious College of Emergency Nursing Australasia 2024 Australasian Emergency Nurse of the Year award 🏆 Jane has been recognised for her exceptional work and dedication to emergency care, having guided models of care, initiated evidence-based improvements, developed educational programs for our emergency clinicians, and more! To top it off, Jane is the first recipient in WA to receive an award from CENA!

It was great to once again welcome Member for Rockingham, Magenta Marshall MLA to Rockingham General Hospital - this time with special guest baby Bowie, who was delivered at the hospital just four months ago. Magenta met with our Integrated Cancer Service and Maternity teams to hear firsthand how Rockingham General Hospital is ensuring excellent care for local cancer patients and mums to be.

For new mums and dads, coping with becoming parents can be challenging 👨👩👦 With 1 in 5 new mums and 1 in 10 new dads experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety, which is around 100,000 Australian parents each year, the Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) specialist perinatal mental health team and Mother and Baby Mental Health inpatient unit provides critical support for new and expectant parents within the perinatal period. This week marked Perinatal Mental Health Week which aims to bring awareness and de-stigmatise perinatal mental health issues as a support for expectant and new parents during what can be one of the most vulnerable times in their life. Find out more about what FSH is doing to support new parents 👉 https://lnkd.in/g3Xqa-rB In the case of an emergency or crisis please dial 000 or visit your nearest emergency department (Healthy WA) or phone the Mental Health Emergency Response Line (MHERL) - Metro callers’ phone 1300 555 788 (local call) / Peel callers’ phone 1800 676 822 (free call)

Meet new parents Conor and Angelica, and their adorable twins Vali and Macy, who are currently receiving some extra care in the Neonatal Unit at Rockingham General Hospital (RGH) Arriving early at 32 + 3 weeks, the boy and girl twins were born at 2152g and 1442g respectively, and are getting stronger everyday under the special supervision of the neonatal team. Conor and Angelica can’t speak highly enough of the team, and we’re delighted to share that they have been nominated for a Family Appreciation Award by the Australian College of Neonatal Nurses! The award provides an opportunity for families to nominate nurses who they feel deserve to be recognised for delivering outstanding care and support to a family and their baby while in the neonatal unit. Congratulations to the team on being recognised for all that they do to care for our tiniest patients, like Vali and Macy, who we hope are home soon!

At the HSANZ Blood Conference in Brisbane last month Rockingham General Hospital clinicians presented their blood cancer research, putting us firmly on the research map! Dr. Claire Tay shared how immune effector cell therapies are saving lives, while Dr. Cherng Hng discussed a successful treatment for side effects post-CAR-T therapy. Clinical Nurse Meghan Harris highlighted how RGH delivers life-saving cancer therapies close to home for people in the Rockingham area through the integrated cancer service. We are delighted to be able to share our research activities at a national level and showcase RGH as a leader in clinical research, and a preferred site for academic and industry collaborations.

After 47 years of working as a clinician, Fiona Stanley Hospital Anaesthetist Dr Leigh Coombs has officially hung up his scrubs 👋 From humble beginnings as an intern at Fremantle Hospital, Leigh went on to become part of history, as the anaesthetist who helped perform the first heart transplant in WA back in '95. Leigh’s contributions to cardiac surgery, and cardiology structural heart and electrophysiology services have been a major contributor to their success and growth, and we wish him continued success in the years ahead!

Fiona Stanley Hospital Consultant Clinical Immunologist, Dr Michael O’Sullivan, is leading a new study looking at an injectable, allergen-specific antibody medicine – IGNX001 – targeting the peanut protein to provide protection against an allergic reaction 🥜 Known as the 'ACCELERATE Peanut’ study, the trial will assess if IGNX001 can help ease allergic reactions that might happen after accidental peanut exposure. This treatment has the potential to not only change the way peanut allergies are managed across the world, but offers those suffering a faster, more effective alternative to current therapies. Phase 1 of the trial is now recruiting. To find more about the trial and participation, visit 👉 https://lnkd.in/gXwvrGBb

We’re looking for members from the Peel community to join the Peel Health Campus (PHC) Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC)! With expressions of interest now open, we are welcoming applications from all ages and cultural backgrounds to fill the following positions: ▪️ Community Member Chair ▪️ Aboriginal/Torres Strait Island representative ▪️ Carer representative ▪️ Community members As a CAC member you will provide recommendations and advice on consumer and carer related matters, represent the voice of patients, families and carers, and participate in the planning and evaluation of initiatives, projects and services that impact consumers at PHC. For more information and to apply, email tracey.taylor2@health.wa.gov.au before Friday 22 November 2024.

Researchers at Fiona Stanley Hospital are trialling a treatment to help restore a healthy gut in critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit. Known as ‘ROCIT-FMT’, the study is investigating if faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can help restore a healthy gut and improve patients’ recovery and long-term outcomes 💩 FMT involves taking a stool sample from a healthy voluntary donor, testing and processing it, before transferring it into the gut of a sick patient, enabling the healthy gut flora to restore a healthy balance of gut bacteria. For more information and to hear what trial investigator Dr Henco Nel says, visit 👉 https://lnkd.in/g8W7CvJ4 To learn more about Lifeblood FMT, or to sign up to become a microbiota donor, visit Australian Red Cross Lifeblood.