NORTHERN SYDNEY LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT NSLHD News NEWS NORTHERN SYDNEY LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT
Celebrating Excellence at RNSH Surgical Awards Night
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International honour for RNSH stroke care Page 7
NSLHD welcomes new graduate nurses and midwives Page 4
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Message from the chief executive Adjunct Professor Anthony M. Schembri AM
I am delighted to reflect on recent achievements across the district, beginning with the Royal North Shore Hospital Surgical Education Research and Training Institute’s annual Surgical Awards night. It was a privilege to attend the presentation of the 2026 Dr Harry Cumberland Travelling Scholarship and the Dr Ray Hollings Surgical Excellence Awards. Congratulations to this year’s recipients and finalists for your incredible contributions. I was delighted to join celebrations with the Royal North Shore Hospital Stroke Unit following their recognition with the prestigious World Stroke Organisation Angels Diamond Award. The hospital became the first in Australia to receive the award on its first assessment, and I would like to thank the entire service for their dedication and collaboration. This incredible achievement truly reflects the strength of the multidisciplinary team involved in the Royal North Shore Hospital’s stroke care. I would also like to acknowledge and congratulate all of the nominees for the 2025 Exceptional People Awards. This year we had a record 265 nominations, which reflects the talent, dedication, and impact of our workforce. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 31 March at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Applications for NSW Health’s Sustainable Futures Innovation Fund are closing soon on 15 March. This fund supports staff-led projects that improve patient care while reducing our environmental footprint, with grants of up to $50,000 per project. I encourage anyone with an idea or project that would be a good fit to apply. You can find more information and application details here: https://bit.ly/40WlH8Y.
Bookings for Respecting the Difference face-to-face training sessions are now open, with staff able to book their session via My Health Learning. The training provides valuable insight into strengthening our workplace culture and delivering high-quality care for the communities we serve. Staff can enrol for the program here: https://bit.ly/3OZ9ePg. As the transition of Northern Beaches Hospital to public ownership on 29 April approaches, a significant amount of work is underway to support a safe and smooth handover for patients, staff and the wider community. Thank you to everyone involved in the transition for the important role you are playing in this process. Finally, it is very exciting to share that NSLHD staff are actively preparing for and playing a major role in this year’s statewide Single Digital Patient Record rollout. Readiness assessments, system configuration, and training sessions are all well underway, with a large number of NSLHD staff involved in the project to help ensure we have a smooth adoption of the groundbreaking program later this year. This important work will help lay the foundations for a more connected digital health system and support the delivery of safer, more coordinated care for patients across NSW.
Warm regards,
Anthony Schembri Chief Executive Northern Sydney Local Health District
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Ray Hollings Surgical Award winners, Dr Heath French and Dr Varun Harish
Celebrating Excellence at RNSH Surgical Awards Night Recently, Royal North Shore Hospital’s Surgical Education Research and Training (SERT) Institute hosted its fourth annual Surgical Awards. The evening recognised recipients of the Dr Harry Cumberland Travelling Scholarship and the Dr Ray Hollings Surgical Excellence Award, established through the generosity of the surgeons they are named after to support innovation and advancement in surgical practice. Northern Sydney Local Health District Chief Executive Anthony Schembri and RNSH General Manager Alison Zecchin opened the event by reflecting on the lasting impact Dr Cumberland and Dr Hollings had on the hospital and the broader surgical community. A highlight of the evening was the attendance of Dr Ray Hollings, who personally presented the awards to this year’s recipients. “Once again, this year’s applications strongly reflected the passion and dedication of surgeons at RNSH to improve patient care, and I am proud to support their quality improvement projects and research,” he said. Dr Salim Maher received the Dr Harry Cumberland Travelling Scholarship, awarded $5,000 for his study on Characteristics and Outcomes of Liver Transplantation in Patients with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis – An Australian and New Zealand multicentre 30-year cohort study. Finalists were Dr Calvin Joomann Park and Dr Saad Shaheen. The Dr Ray Hollings Surgical Excellence Award was presented to Dr Varun Harish for his study on Anti-Factor Xa–Guided Enoxaparin Dose Optimisation in Severe Burn Injuries and Dr Heath French for the study, the Integration of Surgeon-Delivered Ultrasound-Guided Erector Spinae Blocks to Improve Outcomes in Spine Surgery. NSLHD Board Chair Trevor Danos closed the event by congratulating all applicants and award recipients and recognising the enduring legacy of Dr Hollings and Dr Cumberland in shaping the next generation of surgical leaders. “Dr Hollings and Dr Cumberland have set a standard of excellence for our surgical community,” he said. “Through their mentorship, leadership and generosity, they have created opportunities for future generations of surgeons to keep leading and driving innovation in patient care.”
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BRIDGE: A gift transforming bowel cancer care Researchers at Royal North Shore Hospital have launched a groundbreaking program to transform treatment for one of the most aggressive forms of bowel cancer.
biopsies to track tumour DNA and treatment response over time. Co-lead investigator Professor Nick Pavlakis said advances in genomic technologies allow researchers to match the right treatment to the right patient. The program will explore the tumour’s immune environment and grow patient-derived tumour organoids, enabling safe testing of potential drug combinations before clinical use. Professor Molloy said BRIDGE offers a rare opportunity for translational research. “By combining lab science with clinical expertise, our findings can move quickly from the lab to benefit patients.”
Supported by a $1.3 million philanthropic gift, the BRIDGE program offers new hope for patients with BRAFv600e mutated bowel cancer, a mutation present in around 10 per cent of colorectal cancer cases that drives tumour growth and is linked to poorer outcomes. While two targeted therapies – encorafenib and cetuximab – exist, many patients quickly develop resistance, leaving a critical gap in care. BRIDGE aims to uncover why some patients respond while others relapse and to identify new treatment strategies. Patient Gemma Farquhar said the donation is deeply personal. “Knowing treatments are likely to fail is terrifying. Research like BRIDGE gives people like me time, options and hope,” she said. University of Sydney and Kolling Institute researcher Professor Mark Molloy will lead the program. “Our work is dedicated to changing that,” he said. BRIDGE is the first clinical study of its kind for BRAF mutated bowel cancer, using precision medicine approaches such as liquid first year of practice through structured education, clinical experience and strong workplace support as they transition from study to professional practice. NSLHD Chief Executive Anthony Schembri said it was a proud moment for the District to welcome the next generation of clinicians. “It is always exciting to see the passion and enthusiasm new graduates bring to the profession, and we are proud to support them as they begin this important chapter,” he said. Many of the graduates completed their studies through the University of Technology Sydney and NSLHD Clinical School partnership, undertaking clinical placements across the district’s hospitals and health services, including community and mental health settings. The District also welcomed 10 experienced registered nurses beginning their transition to midwifery through the MidStart program.
Professor Nick Pavlakis, Gemma Farquhar, Professor Mark Molloy and Dr Mudy de Silva
NSLHD welcomes new graduate nurses and midwives Northern Sydney Local Health District has welcomed 126 newly graduated nurses and midwives as they begin their careers through NSW Health’s GradStart program. The program supports new clinicians in their
Orientation sessions marked an important milestone, with the nursing and midwifery orientation held face to face for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Ninety graduates attended the session at the Kolling auditorium, while Mental Health Drug and Alcohol graduates attended orientation at Macquarie Hospital. Across the district, 115 graduate nurses and 11 graduate midwives have joined teams supporting patient care in hospitals and community services.
Claire Harris, Director, Nursing and Midwifery (far left), with NSLHD staff, new graduate nurses and midwives and Chief Executive, Anthony Schembri (fourth from left)
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Celebrating Excellence in Junior Medical Officers Ryde Hospital has recognised outstanding dedication and compassion among its junior doctors through the Junior Medical Officer (JMO) Excellence Award. Now in its second year, the award
celebrate an important milestone in their recovery. Dr Linda Xu said the award highlights the important role junior doctors play in delivering compassionate care. “Eleni consistently demonstrates professionalism, kindness and a genuine commitment to her patients and colleagues. She embodies the qualities we value in our junior doctors,” she said. Fifteen JMOs were shortlisted for the award, with each nominee receiving a personalised certificate recognising their contributions to patient care and the hospital community.
celebrates the contributions of doctors who demonstrate commitment to patient care and teamwork. The award honour board was gifted by the Ryde Hospital Medical Staff Council to mark the hospital’s 90th anniversary in 2025. This year, Dr Eleni Gorgas was named the JMO Excellence Award recipient following an anonymous survey sent to staff across Ryde Hospital. Nursing, allied health, medical and executive staff were invited to vote. Eleni received the highest number of votes in recognition of her compassion, professionalism and strong work ethic. Colleagues praised Eleni for her patient- centred approach, describing her as intelligent, adaptable and approachable, with a positive attitude and a willingness to support others. She was also recognised for her reliability, often stepping in to assist with last-minute roster gaps to ensure patients continued to receive high-quality care. One memorable example of her thoughtful approach occurred during her surgical term, when she knitted a beanie for a patient to
Dr Linda Xu, Dr Darlene Mathen (Director of Medical Services), Dr Eleni Gorgas (recipient), and Dr Mary Webber (Deputy Director of Medical Services)
Japanese researchers visit RNSH A delegation of nursing academics from the Institute of Science Tokyo visited the Royal North Shore Hospital campus this week as part of a research project examining how Australia delivers Advance Care Planning (ACP).
Local Health District area. “It has been very helpful,” Professor Ogata said after the meetings. The team is hoping to design a new ACP learning system, including training materials and an online platform to help clinicians initiate and navigate sensitive conversations about personal future medical care. The delegation also visited HammondCare, an aged care facility in Greenwich, and will also meet with experts at Advance Care Planning Australia.
Led by Professor Yasuko Ogata, a specialist in nursing management and gerontology nursing, the five-member research team will use the insights to build a training system for health professionals across Tokyo. ACP is a voluntary process of deciding what you would want to happen to you should you become ill or injured and be unable to speak for yourself. Professor Ogata said that while Tokyo’s metropolitan government has introduced policies encouraging citizens to document their values and preferences for future care, including end of life decisions, many health professionals who support ACP still find these conversations challenging to facilitate. “They don’t know how to proceed with ACP in practical terms,” she said. The visit to RNSH allowed the group to meet and connect with experienced ACP researchers within the Northern Sydney
Institute of Science Tokyo nursing academics with NSLHD staff
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Physiotherapist commitment to graduates recognised Royal North Shore Hospital senior physiotherapist Leisl Davis has been named the recipient of this year’s Perrot-Follet Award.
This annual award recognises individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to the Physiotherapy First Year Graduate Program at their hospital. Liesl was nominated in acknowledgement of her outstanding leadership, education, and support of new graduate physiotherapists within intensive care patients, particularly her commitment to guiding graduates during evening shifts.
Her dedication to fostering clinical confidence, skill development, and professional growth in early career physiotherapists has made a significant and RNSH collaborations help advance clinical AI tools Leisl Davis
Research shaped during Dr Yagiz Aksoy’s residency at Royal North Shore Hospital is now helping advance new clinical decision-support tools designed to improve personalised cancer care. Yagiz secured more than $400,000 through the Australian Government’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) Ignite program to further develop PanaceAI, a clinical decision-support platform integrating a series of validated predictive models. With industry and university co-investment, the total value of the PanaceAI initiative is nearly $1 million. Several of the predictive models being integrated into PanaceAI are already available to clinicians. One example is a malignant colorectal polyp risk calculator, a validated tool designed to support treatment decisions. The calculator evaluates polyps, which are small growths that can develop on the lining of organs such as the bowel, and helps doctors assess whether major bowel surgery may be required after removal of a cancerous polyp. Yagiz said the tool will soon operate under the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA) clinical decision support software exemption, meaning it is designed to support, not replace, clinician judgement. “Clinicians enter the patient’s data, review the personalised risk estimate and make the final treatment decision,” he said. “It is designed to support clinical judgement, not replace it in any form.” The research underpinning these models has been published in peer-reviewed
international journals and developed in collaboration with RNSH clinicians, including Professor Anthony Gill and Associate Professor Angela Chou from anatomical pathology, along with multi-institutional collaborators. The new funding will support integration of the standalone tools into a unified secure platform, followed by prospective validation across hospital sites. The work complements Yagiz’s leadership role in the $2.25 million Research Ethics Plus AI project, funded through the National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership Projects scheme, which is developing Australia’s first national guidance for ethical AI governance in healthcare. “AI holds enormous promise, but it must be rigorous, transparent and responsibly governed,” he said. PanaceAI is currently progressing through validation and regulatory preparation prior to broader implementation.
Dr Yagiz Aksoy
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NSLHD CE Anthony Schembri congratulates RNSH staff at the presentation of the World Stroke Organisation Angels Diamond Award
International honour for RNSH stroke care Royal North Shore Hospital has received a World Stroke Organisation Angels Diamond Award, becoming the first hospital in the country to debut at the highest level of recognition. Representatives from the Angels
multidisciplinary team. “This can only be achieved through outstanding teamwork,” he said.
“Our strength lies in the nurses, non-clinical staff, allied health professionals and doctors across multiple disciplines - including the emergency department, radiology, interventional neuroradiology, intensive care, neurosurgery and neurology - who work together every day to deliver world class stroke care.” He acknowledged the leadership of Stroke Clinical Nurse Consultant Sheila Jala, whose commitment and mentorship have inspired many emerging clinicians to make stroke care a priority in their careers. “We are proud to receive this award as recognition of the exceptional care we deliver to our patients,” he said. The RNSH unit has long been recognised as a pioneer of stroke care in Australia, leading major advances in acute stroke management, including the first state wide interventional neuroradiology service. It helped develop advanced therapies for severe strokes, and in 2024, became the first comprehensive unit in NSW to be accredited by the Australian Stroke Coalition.
initiative presented the award this week, acknowledging the leadership within the RNSH Stroke Unit and its world-class stroke treatment. The accolade follows an independent evaluation of the unit’s performance, including the proportion of patients treated within recommended clinical timeframes and the quality of specialised care provided throughout their treatment journey. NSLHD Chief Executive Anthony Schembri congratulated the large team behind the remarkable achievement. “This milestone reflects the sustained commitment of so many people to evidence based, patient centred care that significantly improves long term health outcomes for stroke patients,” he said. Professor Martin Krause, head of stroke service at RNSH and director of the NSLHD Neuroscience Network, said the award recognises the dedication, skill and collaboration of a truly exceptional
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