Changes at Mona Vale Hospital due to COVID-19 In response to COVID-19, Mona Vale Hospital has made a number of changes to everyday business, while a testing clinic continues to operate on site.
The clinic is currently seeing around 70 patients per day at the Community Health Centre. Patients using the testing clinic are reminded to present if they are suffering minor respiratory symptoms. Those suffering severe symptoms should attend their nearest emergency department. Staff and patients are also being screened upon arriving on site at the entry to the Beachside Rehab Unit, the Mona Vale Community Health Centre and outside the Urgent Care Centre. Here, people are asked a series of questions and have their temperatures taken before starting their shift, visiting or attending an appointment. On site infection prevention and control training sessions are continuing for all clinical staff, while the onsite hydrotherapy pool remains closed until further notice. Currently, only urgent and essential outpatient appointments are being held, with many service now being conducted via telehealth.
Mona Vale Hospital
Acting General Manager Jennifer Parkin said she was delighted to see the staff and community adapting to the changes and following public health advice. “It’s really important we continue to do the right thing as we respond to COVID-19,” she said. “Our community has done a tremendous job so far in looking after our staff and each other – so for that we’d like to say thank you. “The staff have also been phenomenal in adapting our practice while continuing to provide excellent patient care during this time, and I know they will continue to do so for as long as necessary.” If you have any questions regarding services at Mona Vale Hospital, please call 02 9998 6300.
New funding to help reduce bowel cancer rates Professor Mark Molloy’s ground-breaking bowel cancer research has received a boost, with the Cancer Council NSW awarding the Kolling Institute researcher a three-year $450,000 grant.
Professor Molloy has welcomed the funding, saying bowel cancer claims more lives each year than breast, prostate or skin cancer. “It is now Australia’s second biggest cancer killer, with more than 300 Australians diagnosed with the disease each week,” he said. “We hope our research will help improve treatments and outcomes for patients, and ultimately save lives. “We know that bowel and rectal cancers develop from polyps, and our team is seeking to understand why and how polyps become cancerous. “Our research will involve colonoscopy patients at RNSH, and we’ll be using an innovative approach to examine polyps at a molecular level. “This will give us a better understanding of how gene mutations, protein expression, immune cells and gut microbes govern the growth of bowel polyps. “It will help us develop strategies to slow the growth of polyps or even prevent the growth
Professor Mark Molloy
all together.” Colorectal surgeon and co-investigator Professor Alexander Engel said this research has the potential to inform recommendations around the frequency of colonoscopies for low and high-risk patients. “We hope it will improve early detection and help prevent bowel polyps growing into cancers, significantly reducing the number of bowel cancer cases in Australia,” he said.
WWW.NSLHD.HEALTH.NSW.GOV.AU
7
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online