connect. The Cabrini Magazine / December 2018
IN THIS ISSUE: Swift actions save mother and son
Welcome relief for people with arthritis
GIVING BACK PROVIDES SENSE OF PURPOSE Spending time at Cabrini Ashwood keeps Mabel Hibbert young at heart
New facilities for patients being treated for cancer
Cabrini is a not-for-profit organisation.
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f you would like to make a gift towards our work, please contact the Cabrini Foundation on (03) 9508 1382 or simply send your donation to Cabrini Foundation, 183 Wattletree Road, Malvern, VIC, 3144. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Cabrini’. All donations over $2 are tax deductible. If you would like your details to be removed from the mailing list, please call (03) 9508 1382.
CONTENTS 2 New Board Chair for Cabrini
NEW BOARD CHAIR FOR CABRINI
ylvia Falzon has been announced as the new Chair of Cabrini’s Board of Directors. S Ms Falzon joined the Board in March 2010 and was recently appointed Chair, succeeding Richard Rogers, who has served on the Board since 2007 and been Chair for the past five years. Mr Rogers will remain a Board member. Ms Falzon’s executive career in financial services spans nearly 30 years. She has held a number of senior executive positions in institutional and retail funds management in Australia and abroad. As a non-executive director, Ms Falzon has experience across a range of sectors including financial services, health, aged care and retail. During her career, she has been involved in several business transformations, mergers, acquisitions and divestment activities. Ms Falzon is an independent, non-executive director of ASX-listed companies: Regis Healthcare Limited, Perpetual Limited, Premier Investments Limited and Suncorp Group Limited. Ms Falzon has a Master of Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management (Hons) from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Business from the University of Western Sydney. She is a Senior Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. We welcome Ms Falzon to the role of Chair and look forward to her ongoing contribution and leadership.
2 Chief Executive's Christmas message 3 Swift actions save mother and son 4 PBS listing provides welcome relief for people with arthritis 5 Emergency waiting times available online 6 Cabrini’s breast cancer luncheon shows the lighter side of cancer 8 New facilities for patients being treated for cancer 9 Giving back provides sense of purpose for 94-year-old 10 Orthopaedic surgery team visits Papua New Guinea 12 Cabrini celebrates 70 years in Australia
Cabrini 183 Wattletree Road Malvern 3144 Phone: 03 9508 1222 www.cabrini.com.au 2
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SEASON'S GREETINGS Christmas is one of the happiest and holiest feast days in the Christian calendar, a joyous time that resonates around the world. t is a special time at Cabrini too, and IChristmas. I wish you all a happy and joyous We celebrate this time of year in many different ways, depending on our cultures, traditions and beliefs. I hope that for all of you, it is a time for relaxing with family and friends, reflecting on our many blessings and finding ways to help those whose lives may be less blessed. We were privileged to celebrate our 70th anniversary this year. When ten Cabrini Sisters arrived in Melbourne from Italy in 1948, they could have had no idea how the small suburban hospital they inherited from the Mercy Sisters would expand and develop into the Cabrini we know today. I am sincerely grateful to everyone who is part of Cabrini and has contributed to our success in providing quality healthcare, aged care and client services to the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a customer and patient-centred service and
I regularly hear from patients, residents and their families about the wonderful experiences they have had at Cabrini. With our continued commitment to our core values of compassion, integrity, courage and respect, we look forward to another encouraging year where we strive to achieve our vision of providing the highest quality care to all our patients. The essence of Cabrini is our commitment to compassionate care of the body, mind and spirit as we reach out to those in need to try and make their lives better. Our mission will continue in 2019 and beyond. I would like to wish you the very best for the festive season and a healthy, peaceful and prosperous new year. Dr Michael Walsh Cabrini Chief Executive
“Cabrini has rapid access to operating theatres, exceptional anaesthetists and excellent paediatricians, which enables the hospital to respond promptly in emergency situations.”
Mother Christine Dean and her 14-week-old son Jack
SWIFT ACTIONS SAVE MOTHER AND SON Three weeks before her due date, Christine Dean was touring Cabrini’s birthing suites when she asked a midwife to check her baby. She did not expect to give birth to son Jack within hours.
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s Dean’s obstetrician, Dr Deirdre Percy, said the first-time mother was concerned because her baby had not moved that day and approached a midwife she recognised from her appointments, asking her to check her baby. “The experienced midwife conducted a CTG (Cardiotocography) and knew within minutes that the baby was stressed,” Dr Percy said. Dr Percy attended immediately. “When I told Christine the baby was showing signs of distress and needed to be delivered, she was very surprised.” Dr Percy said there wasn’t time to complete a diagnostic ultrasound or an induction. “It wasn’t worth the delay. I explained we wouldn’t bring on labour because we didn’t know if we had 12 hours up our
sleeves or how the baby would cope with contractions on top of everything else.” When Jack was born, via emergency caesarean, it became clear he was anaemic. “He cried when he was delivered but he was very pale, so it was obvious he had lost a lot of blood.” By measuring foetal cells in Ms Dean’s blood, doctors calculated that Jack had lost about two-thirds of his blood supply. Dr Percy said it remained unclear exactly why an unborn baby’s blood occasionally passed through the placenta to the mother. “Christine had no other symptoms and she wasn’t unwell. It can potentially happen at any stage during pregnancy, even when things appear to be going perfectly well,” Dr Percy said. Ms Dean’s last appointment was less
than a week before the tour and she had an ultrasound booked for the following day. “It is possible it would have been too late [by the time she had the ultrasound the next day]. It was fortuitous that she mentioned she was concerned. The outcome was excellent and that is, in part, because Jack was treated appropriately with blood transfusions,” Dr Percy said. “Cabrini has rapid access to operating theatres, exceptional anaesthetists and excellent paediatricians, which enables the hospital to respond promptly in emergency situations.” Dr Percy said doctors believed anaemia accounted for about 15 per cent of stillbirths and that movement was the only indicator they had to gauge the baby’s health. “There is usually a pattern of movement over 24 hours and if that changes, pregnant mothers should ask to be assessed,” she said. “In Jack’s case, there will probably be no adverse effects and he will live a normal life. Babies are amazingly resilient.” Ms Dean said 14-week-old Jack was putting on weight and doing very well. “My obstetrician was great and the midwives were fantastic but we didn’t know if he was going to make it at first,” she said. “There was a chance of brain damage. The hardest part was waiting six days for an MRI to find out if he was alright and not knowing what to expect.” Ms Dean said some popular websites advised that it was normal for babies to move less as their due date approached. “That is simply not true. As a first-time mum, it is difficult to know what to expect and some advice might not be relevant. Trust your instincts.” To learn more about Cabrini's maternity service visit www.cabrini.com.au/maternity CABRINI CONNECT
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Associate Professor Andrew Östör
PBS LISTING PROVIDES WELCOME RELIEF FOR PEOPLE WITH ARTHRITIS Arthritis sufferers are experiencing some muchneeded relief, with the Federal Government adding Simponi to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for a hidden form of inflammatory arthritis.
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imponi is a once-monthly, selfinjectable biologic treatment that is designed to reduce inflammation caused by a debilitating autoimmune condition known medically as active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. Spondyloarthritis is a condition that causes inflammation of the joints and soft tissue around the joints. Axial spondyloarthritis mainly affects the spine and pelvic joints, with primary symptoms including pain and stiffness of the spine. Non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis affects more than 30,000 Australians, with chronic and debilitating back and joint pain, usually starting at an early age. It is a similar condition to Ankylosing Spondylitis,
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although it requires an MRI to help make the diagnosis rather than simple radiographs, which can be normal. Simponi blocks a specific protein called tumour necrosis factor (TNF), responsible for painful inflammation, triggered by the body’s immune system.
“Awareness of the condition is limited, and thus education is critical in order to optimise patient outcomes.” The new subsidy will make Simponi affordable for thousands of Australians, many of whom are struck down by the debilitating condition in their 20s or 30s.
Cabrini rheumatologist Associate Professor Andrew Östör said the new subsidy would provide an alternative treatment option for people with this severe form of arthritis. “Non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis is a complex autoimmune disease that requires early detection and treatment to prevent irreversible long-term morbidity and structural damage to the spine and pelvic joints,” he said. “Unfortunately, many patients suffer for up to a decade or longer before their condition is properly diagnosed and managed. Awareness of the condition is limited, and thus education is critical in order to optimise patient outcomes.” “This PBS listing opens up a new line of defence in how we treat adults with this form of arthritis, whose pain and discomfort cannot be adequately relieved by more traditional medicines, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.” From 1 December, Simponi will be listed on the PBS for adults with active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, who have had an inadequate response or are intolerant to non-steroid antiinflammatory drugs.
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WAITING TIMES AVAILABLE ONLINE
Cabrini’s Alan, Ada and Eva Selwyn Emergency Department is now publishing live waiting times on its website, allowing people to check waiting periods before coming to ED.
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t is now possible to see the indicative waiting time it will take to see an emergency doctor before coming into Cabrini’s ED. The online estimate allows patients, paramedics and GPs to quickly assess the wait time before coming in. The initiative has been well-received by the local community, providing certainty and peace of mind for patients. Yvette Carrazzo has first-hand experience of the service and said it had made an incredible difference to her emergency experience. Initially presenting at her local hospital with her six-year-old daughter, Charlotte, who had severed her finger after getting it caught in a door, Mrs Carrazzo was told the local hospital wait time could be more than four hours. Having heard about Cabrini’s live feed of waiting times on its website, Mrs Carrazzo went online, saw the waiting time at Cabrini was minimal and decided to go there instead.
As she’d seen online, when the family arrived, her daughter was seen within 15 minutes. Mrs Carrazzo had her three other children with her at the time and couldn’t face the uncertain wait to see a doctor. “Having four children on my own and one very anxious little girl, I didn’t want to wait longer than necessary,” she said. “Knowing I would be seen quickly at Cabrini, removed a lot of that stress. “I had her home and tucked up in bed before I would have even been seen elsewhere.” Mrs Carrazzo said the experience had been an overwhelmingly positive one. “When you are in that situation, you just want to be seen quickly and to know you are in good hands. I couldn’t fault the experience we had at Cabrini.” Cabrini’s Emergency Department director Dr Michael Ben-Meir said the live wait time initiative was aimed at reducing stress for patients. “Coming to the Emergency Department
“By providing an estimate of our wait time on Cabrini’s website, we are aiming to reduce some of the stress related to coming to our Emergency Department.”
can be a stressful time, not only because you are in pain or are worried about a potential medical issue, but also because you don’t know how long you will have to wait to see a doctor,” he said. “By providing an estimate of our wait time on Cabrini’s website, we are aiming to reduce some of the stress related to coming to our Emergency Department.” As Charlotte’s school is registered for the Cabrini Kids’ Discount, a partnership program between Cabrini’s ED and local schools, she benefited from a 50 per cent discount on the cost of her emergency attendance fee. “Knowing Charlotte’s school had registered for the discount made a big difference,” Mrs Carrazzo said. “From now on I will be going to Cabrini for any emergency.” Charlotte has made a full recovery, with only a small scar remaining as a reminder of the incident. Cabrini has partnered with more than 100 local schools to provide a 50 per cent discount on the attendance fee for students aged 17 and under who are attending a registered school and come to the Alan, Ada and Eva Selwyn Emergency Department. The discount applies to the attendance fee only and does not apply to further out-ofpocket expenses, such as x-rays or hospital excess payments.
To check if your child’s school is registered with the Cabrini Kids’ Discount program, visit www.cabrini.com.au/eddiscount CABRINI CONNECT
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“It’s not the dark experience people envision it to be.”
CABRINI’S BREAST CANCER LUNCHEON
SHOWS THE LIGHTER SIDE OF CANCER Away from the challenges of chemotherapy and the scars of surgery, the Cabrini Brightways breast cancer luncheon was a celebration of life and a pillar of hope for women living with breast cancer.
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he annual event, hosted by the Cabrini Foundation, raises funds to support the ongoing work of Cabrini’s doctors and nurses in treating people diagnosed with breast cancer. If there was one thing that was made clear at the luncheon, it was that breast cancer doesn’t discriminate. It affects everyone in the community equally and there would be very few people who haven’t been touched by breast cancer in some way, whether it is though a relative, friend or colleague. Looking across the room of smiling people, their courage and strength was inspiring. It demonstrated that hope can be found even in the darkest of situations. One woman who knows all too well the impact a breast cancer diagnosis can have, is Tina Ezard, wife of chef and restaurateur
Teage Ezard, whose restaurants Gingerboy and Ezard are renowned among Melbourne’s fine dining scene. Mrs Ezard was diagnosed with breast cancer on the eve of her 45th birthday. She underwent a bilateral mastectomy but, six months later, the breast cancer returned. She was a patient at Cabrini, where she finished active treatment nine months ago and in her words is now “feeling amazing”. Despite what she has been through, she said the experience had made her family stronger and more resilient, and helped bring them closer together. “You learn to breathe and you learn what’s important in life,” Mrs Ezard said.
“I would walk into the chemo room and by the end of the session, we would all be laughing.” “We are mothers, entrepreneurs and we try to do it all but this is a time when being able to step aside is really important.” She praised the breast cancer nurses and staff at Cabrini for helping to get her through the difficult times. “I would walk into the chemo room and by the end of the session, we would all be laughing. It’s not the dark experience people envision it to be. It’s actually very uplifting.” Another person who knows the challenges of supporting a family member through breast cancer is 14-year-old
“...everyone at Cabrini made us feel like we were at home. We felt safe and I knew that mum was in good hands.” Gretta Pearce, whose mother Nicole Lanyon died of breast cancer a few months ago, aged 44. Gretta plans to use her experience to help others by becoming a nurse herself, so she can assist others going through cancer treatment. “Watching what mum went through, I would like to be able to help people, like the nurses who helped her,” she said. “I don’t love hospitals but everyone at Cabrini made us feel like we were at home. We felt safe and I knew that mum was in good hands.” Gretta said she hoped she could continue her mother’s legacy. “My mum was a beautiful and caring lady who always put everyone else before herself,” she said. “I want to follow in her footsteps and help bring people together.” Cabrini Breast Cancer Service Manager Vicki Durston said Cabrini operated its breast cancer program in partnership with a host of organisations. “At Cabrini, we believe in partnering with organisations to ensure our patients have the best possible care and support throughout their treatment,” she said.
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NEW FACILITIES FOR PATIENTS BEING TREATED FOR CANCER Cabrini’s state-ofthe-art, integrated oncology department in the new Gandel Wing of the hospital is the Next Big Thing in Cancer Care for our patients.
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n our new radiation oncology department, patients will receive a personalised and comprehensive cancer service under the one roof. The new Day Oncology Centre will allow patients to be treated in individual treatment pods, providing dignity and privacy during their treatment. The Gandel Wing will transform the way we deliver cancer services and will change the lives of our patients living with cancer. Gabi was 18 when she was diagnosed with aggressive lymphoma and treated at
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Cabrini by Associate Professor Dr Melita Kenealy and her assistant Suzanne. Her treatment wasn’t easy and she struggled with the effects of the chemotherapy. “Melita and Suzanne were so sweet with me in all sorts of seemingly small and thoughtful ways. After I finished chemotherapy, they even gave me a graduation teddy. It sounds like such a little thing, but it was a real comfort,” Gabi explains. Gabi is now at university studying health science and hopes to become an occupational therapist. “Without Cabrini, I don’t know where I would be. I came very close to losing it all. There are Cabrini angels everywhere – the doctors, the nurses and all of the staff who looked after me in the scary hospital environment,” she says. Cabrini Director of Medical Oncology and Haematology Dr Ben Brady said longer life expectancy rates meant more people were being diagnosed with cancer
Cancer patient Gabi receives quality treatment at Cabrini Malvern
“Whether you are 18 or 80, cancer is the toughest fight you will ever face...” throughout their lifetime, with one in two Australians diagnosed with cancer before the age of 85. “Whether you are 18 or 80, cancer is the toughest fight you will ever face and bravery and courage alone are not enough to battle it,” Dr Brady said. “Everyone in our community needs access to state-of-the-art medical technology, cutting-edge treatments and the best quality care following a cancer diagnosis.” The Cabrini Foundation is aiming to raise $1 million to go towards the building and fit-out of the new Gandel Wing. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.cabriniappeal.com.au or the Cabrini Foundation office at Cabrini Malvern, located on Level 1, above Day Procedures.
94-year-old Mabel Hibbert helps out with bingo at Cabrini Ashwood
GIVING BACK PROVIDES SENSE OF PURPOSE At 94 years old, Mabel Hibbert is older than most of the residents at Cabrini Ashwood but spending time there keeps her young at heart.
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hen her husband, Harold, became ill in 2010, Mrs Hibbert knew Cabrini’s residential aged-care facility was the only place that could provide a home-away-from-home with the roundthe-clock care he needed. “I had been reluctant to put him in a nursing home but eventually I became unable to care for him on my own,” she explains. “I looked at several different aged-care facilities but I knew Cabrini Ashwood was the one.” Harold was in Cabrini Ashwood for 16 months and Mrs Hibbert visited him every day. During that time, she formed
a special bond with the residents, volunteers and staff.
“Cabrini holds a special place in my heart, which is why I continue to help out.” When Mr Hibbert passed away in 2012, Mabel was asked if she would like to stay on, as a friend of Cabrini Ashwood, to help out other residents. “They became like family to me. I felt the staff and volunteers really helped get me through a lot of the grief.” Six years later, she still visits Cabrini Ashwood every week, helping out with
the weekly bingo session, which is a highlight for many residents. “Cabrini holds a special place in my heart, which is why I continue to help out. It is my way of giving back for what they gave Harold. “Many of the people who help out have had relatives or partners who have been in Cabrini Ashwood and they have stayed on to give back and remain part of the Cabrini family.” To learn more about Cabrini's residential aged-care facility, visit www.cabrini.com.au/residentialcare
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SURGICAL VISIT TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA REINFORCES LOVE OF THE JOB
Cabrini Outreach has been sending an orthopaedic surgical team to Modilon General Hospital in Papua New Guinea since 2000.
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he team performs surgery for local residents, many of whom have had significant orthopaedic issues for many years, and education and training for the local hospital surgeons and nurses. Patients come from surrounding towns and villages to receive attention from the skilled Cabrini team. The 2018 team was made up of two surgeons, an anaesthetist and a nurse, led by orthopaedic surgeon Adrian Trivett. “It is quite confronting when you first go over there and challenging on a professional level but it is also incredibly rewarding,” Mr Trivett said. “Surgeons in metropolitan Melbourne in 2018 tend to have a very narrow area of practice, but in Papua New Guinea it is back to basics, where you need to be a generalist orthopaedic surgeon.” Mr Trivett said the conditions at Modilon General Hospital were very different to the conditions surgeons are used to in Australia. The hospital can perform x-rays and some blood tests but has no advanced
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diagnostic equipment such as CT scan, MRI or ultrasound. “There is an orthopaedic service at Modilon General Hospital but it functions at a very basic level,” Mr Trivett said.
“The back-up generators don’t always work so you just have to work with what you’ve got.” “Not only are you dealing with orthopaedic problems but you are also dealing with diseases that are typically not seen in western societies, such as polio, tuberculosis and rickets.” He said basic power supply was intermittent, at best, and the team had to learn to be resourceful under difficult conditions. “Occasionally, the power went out while we were operating, so we were finishing operations under torchlight. The back-up generators don’t always work so you just have to work with what you’ve got. “The wards are open, with 20 patients
occupying each one and often there will be relatives, including children, sleeping on the floor, so it makes it pretty crowded.” Mr Trivett said the staff and patients were incredibly grateful for the work the Cabrini team performed. “The patients are very appreciative of everything we do for them so they are really easy patients to look after,” he said. Mr Trivett said it was gratifying to be able to help people in a place where there was clearly so much need. “It was a very satisfying experience and something that professionally hadn’t really existed in my practice before, so I was happy to lead this trip and to help so many patients. It was incredibly rewarding.” Cabrini Outreach is hoping to raise more funds to increase the surgical and medical assistance it provides to Modilon General Hospital. During the week the team was in Papua New Guinea, it performed 26 operations and saw more than 50 patients, who had come from across the district to receive help from the Cabrini team.
“The patients are very appreciative of everything we do for them.”
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YEARS OF CARE FROM THE HEART
Some of the early Sisters at Cabrini Malvern
WE’VE COME A LONG WAY IN 70 YEARS When Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1880, her mission was to relieve the suffering of those in need. Since then, her legacy has spread across the world.
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he Cabrini story in Australia began in 1948, when ten Sisters arrived in Melbourne from Italy to take over St Benedict’s hospital in Malvern, on the invitation of Archbishop Mannix. They were tasked with caring for Italians arriving in Australia following the Second World War. The Sisters embraced this mission in recognition of the canonisation of their founder, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, who was later named the Universal Patron Saint of Immigrants. As Cabrini marks its 70th anniversary in Australia, we reflect on the pioneering
Our commitment to helping the vulnerable in our community with compassion and respect has not wavered. spirit of those Sisters, who laid the foundation for a small suburban hospital to become one of Victoria's largest Catholic health services. Many things have changed since those humble beginnings but our commitment to helping the vulnerable in our community with compassion and respect has not wavered.
We continue to place our patients at the centre of everything we do, as we strive to provide them with the highest-quality care. Our mission today spans health, technology and social services as we respond to the call:
“Let your love for one another be real and from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22).