Cabrini Australia Annual Report 2022-23

CABRINI AUSTRALIA

ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

OUR MISSION OUR VALUES

Who we are

We are a Catholic healthcare service inspired by the spirit and vision of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini and the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (the Cabrini Sisters).

What we believe

We are a community of care, reaching out with compassion, integrity, courage and respect to all we serve.

What we do

We provide excellence in all of our services and work to identify and meet unmet needs.

Our values form the base of our mission, are built around what we believe and drive how we act. They are drawn from Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini’s life and reflect her heart, her spirit, her conviction and her approach.

Compassion: Our drive to care is not just a professional duty to provide excellent quality care, but is born of a heartfelt compassion for those in need, motivated by God’s love for all people.

Integrity: We believe in the power of hope to transform people’s lives and remain faithful to the bold healing mission and legacy of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini.

Courage: We have the strength, determination, vision and conviction to continue the work of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini and the Cabrini Sisters.

Respect: We believe that every person is worthy of the utmost respect and the best possible healthcare. We know that our resources are entrusted to us to use for the benefit of others.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY

We acknowledge the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Peoples of the Kulin Nation, who are the traditional custodians of the land and waters where Cabrini Health is situated, and pay our respect to elders –past, present and emerging.

92,325

EPISODES OF INPATIENT CARE

25,349 EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT PRESENTATIONS

53,723

SURGERIES PERFORMED

20,726

CABRINI AT HOME CONTACTS

1730 ACCREDITED MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS

199,164 PHARMACY SCRIPTS FILLED

142,322 MEDICAL IMAGING PROCEDURES

4439 EMPLOYEES

298 ACTIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS

216,800 CONTACTS WITH ALLIED HEALTH SERVICES

76 ACTIVE CLINICAL TRIALS

2191 CONSULTATIONS BY CABRINI OUTREACH MENTAL HEALTH CLINICANS

450 ASYLUM SEEKER CLIENTS ASSISTED

1404 FREE MEDICATION RECEIVED THROUGH PHARMACY WAIVER PROGRAM

20,000 H OURS OF HOSPITALITY AND COMPANIONSHIP PROVIDED BY 209 VOLUNTEERS

23,398 PATIENT TREATMENTS IN DAY ONCOLOGY/INFUSION CENTRES

YEAR IN REVIEW

BOARD CHAIR’S MESSAGE

2023 marked 75 years since a courageous group of Cabrini Sisters arrived in Melbourne to take over St Benedict’s Hospital which eventually became Cabrini Malvern.

They had a clear mission to provide high-quality, compassionate care for those in need and vulnerable. This is at the heart of Cabrini’s patient-centred care inspired by the spirit and vision of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini.

Our health service’s story is a remarkable one. From humble beginnings, Cabrini has evolved into a leading healthcare service with innovative research, world-leading specialists and the latest technology.

Demand for our services is forecast to grow by 60 per cent over the next 15 years. In this context, we are focusing on designing a healthcare service to accommodate the growth in demand. The infrastructure at Cabrini Malvern, in part, is ageing and over 20% of our beds are in four-bed rooms. To address these issues, we will be redeveloping the Cabrini Malvern hospital site.

Whilst outside the period covered by this annual report, at our major donor luncheon held in November 2023, we launched Cabrini, The Next Era. The redevelopment has already commenced with two state-of-the-art theatres opened in June 2023, with a further four theatres planned. This will take the total number of theatres to 28. These additional theatres will go a long way to help serve the increase in demand for elective surgery.

Central to our strategic plan, Cabrini continues to be a leader in cancer research, treatment and care. The second stage in the proposed expansion of the Cabrini Cancer Institute will further prioritise cancer research and more than triple the number of our patients on clinical trials from 300 to 1000 by 2030.

It was also another successful year for Cabrini Research – we had 76 active clinical trials in 2022-23, and we continue to grow the number of patients on these trials in areas including cancer, cardiology, COVID-19 and oncology exercise, with orthopaedic trials commencing in 2024. The team also took major strides in world-leading research, including our organoid program. Organoids are a promising area of research that have the potential to shape the future of personalised cancer treatment for patients. This innovative research allows specialists to grow ‘copies’ of a patient’s tumour in a lab and customise treatment. This will save patients from hours of potentially unnecessary treatments and side effects. Organoid research at the Cabrini Cancer Institute is conducted in colorectal cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer, with the aim of expanding into other cancers.

I would like to acknowledge and thank my colleagues on the Cabrini Board and the various committees, who have demonstrated outstanding skill, passion, and commitment to helping Cabrini achieve its vision. I would also like to acknowledge the outstanding contribution of Sister Sharon Casey MSC, who left Cabrini in January 2023 to continue her missionary work at the Cabrini Shrine in Denver Colorado, USA. For 13 years, Sister Sharon was a highly-valued and muchloved member of the Cabrini community, making a significant contribution to our organisation and the community we serve.

I thank Chief Executive Sue Williams, the Cabrini Executive team, our dedicated nurses, doctors, support staff and our army of volunteers for their ongoing commitment to delivering safe, high-quality, patient-centred care.

In closing, I would like to pay special tribute to our donors. Their support, encouragement and ongoing generosity has allowed us to continue to focus on our future. Cabrini, The Next Era, will only be made possible with the support of our donor community as they partner with us to deliver outstanding and compassionate patient-centred healthcare.

“I can do all things in Him who gives me strength.”

St. Frances Cabrini, ‘Journal of a Trusting Heart’.

Sylvia Falzon, Cabrini Australia Board Chair

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S MESSAGE

2022-23 was a year of positive progress for Cabrini Health as we continued to deliver on our 2021-25 Strategic Plan.

Whilst significant post-pandemic pressures remained, we focused on meeting the increasing demand for acute hospital services and growing out-of-hospital services for the community, including:

• The commissioning of two new operating theatres at Cabrini Malvern – a welcome increase to surgical capacity

• The introduction of an innovative model of care called ‘Cabrini at Home’, providing hospital-level treatment for patients in their own familiar surroundings, so they do not need to travel

• Consolidation of our rehabilitation services to Cabrini Brighton

As we continue to focus on ensuring we can meet the future infrastructure and care needs of our community, our top three priorities remain to convert multi-bed wards to single rooms, build new operating theatres and prioritise cancer research.

Our plans for the staged development of a new building at Cabrini Malvern – including single bed ensuite rooms, consulting suites and a world leading cancer research facility –are progressing well.

Demand for our women’s mental health service continues to grow. As the first women’s-only mental health facility in Australia, led by Professor Jayashri Kulkarni AM with an international reputation in women’s mental health and research, we are at the forefront of women’s mental health.

I acknowledge and thank the generous donors who continue to support our mission. This year $1.3 million was raised to upgrade the hybrid theatre at Cabrini Malvern. We received endowments from Eva Selwyn for the Alan, Ada and Eva Selwyn Endowed Chair of Colorectal Cancer Research and from John Graham for the Margie Hunsicker Dementia Nurse position and the John Graham and Kevin O’Neill Music & Art Therapy Program.

The establishment of the Cabrini Cancer Institute in April 2021 was a critical step in ensuring that Cabrini patients have access to innovative, multidisciplinary, and personalised cancer care. The integration of the Cabrini Cancer Institute within the Cabrini Malvern hospital has allowed researchers and clinicians to work closely together. Already, the Institute is at the forefront of breast cancer organoids research, making headlines on a collaboration with the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute.

Our focus on acute hospital services has better aligned our operations to the strategic plan. In September 2022, we completed the sale of the 90-bed Cabrini Residential Aged Care service in Ashwood. The transition was smooth, and we were pleased that the service was transferred to another Catholic provider.

Cabrini Technology Group continued to grow, with the acquisition of a medical consumable and equipment business, Capes Medical Supplies in New Zealand in June 2023. The acquisition augments business operations in New Zealand and has synergies with Axishealth in Australia.

I have the privilege of leading a team of over 4400 employees, 1700 visiting medical officers and 200 volunteers, and I would like to personally thank everyone for their hard work and commitment over the last 12 months. I would also like to acknowledge the ongoing leadership and guidance of the Cabrini Board and Chair Sylvia Falzon, who play a fundamental role in helping Cabrini achieve its vision and strategic objectives.

Seventy-five years after the establishment of Cabrini Australia, we continue to be inspired by the mission of the Cabrini Sisters, in providing high quality, compassionate care to our community.

Sue Williams, Chief Executive Cabrini Australia

ABOUT US

Cabrini Australia Group

The Cabrini Australia Group is a private Catholic, health and health-related services organisation that provides care across Australia and New Zealand. We are part of an international organisation spanning 17 countries. Our owners and sponsors are the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (the Cabrini Sisters).

The Cabrini Australia Group operates according to Catholic Health Australia’s Code of Ethical Standards for Catholic Health and Aged Care in Australia.

We do not rely on government or Church funding and any surplus funds that we generate are reinvested in our facilities and services.

Delivering

high quality, compassionate care to our patients is at the heart of everything we do. We provide excellence in all our services and work to identify and fulfil unmet health care needs of the community.

Alongside Cabrini Health – Cabrini Research, Cabrini Technology Group (CTG), Cabrini Outreach and the Cabrini Foundation are pivotal arms of the Cabrini Australia Group.

OUR LOCATIONS

HOSPITALS

Cabrini Malvern Acute Care 181-183 Wattletree Road, Malvern

Cabrini Brighton Acute Care 243 New Street, Brighton

Our commitment to care

At Cabrini, patient-centred care is our primary focus.

Our staff are committed to providing patients with safe, effective and compassionate care in an inclusive, respectful and responsive way. We treat patients in a personal and memorable way at every stage of their healthcare journey.

At Cabrini, we don’t just care for people, we care about people.

Lisa Thurin Women’s Health Centre 2-6 Hopetoun Street, Elsternwick

SPECIALIST CENTRES

Cabrini Specialist Centre — Hawthorn East

Level 2, 141 Camberwell Road, Hawthorn East

Cabrini Specialist Centre — Elsternwick

Level 1, 494 Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick

RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Patricia Peck Education and Research Precinct 154 Wattletree Road, Malvern

Cabrini Technology Group (CTG)

Building 99, 45 Gilby Road, Mount Waverley

HEALTH FACILITIES

Cabrini Elsternwick – Ambulatory care centre

494 Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick

Cabrini Asylum Seeker and Refugee Health Hub 140 Westbourne Grove, Northcote

Celebrating 75 years in Australia

The Cabrini story in Australia began on 24 January 1948, when ten Sisters arrived in Melbourne.

They had travelled from Italy to take over St Benedict’s, a small hospital in Malvern, on invitation from Archbishop Mannix. It was a rudimentary beginning in a new country, and the Sisters worked hard to establish a functional hospital.

Within ten years, they had built the distinctive cream-brick hospital which became an integral part of the Malvern community. St Frances Xavier Cabrini Hospital was opened on 11 May 1958 by Archbishop of Melbourne, His Excellency, Monsignor Mannix. At this time, it was the largest private hospital in Victoria with 140 beds.

Within weeks, Cabrini Malvern welcomed its first baby, aptly named Francesca. The modest hospital quickly doubled in size by 1961.

Today, the original building stands proudly alongside the Cabrini Gandel Wing, opened in 2019. Together, the two buildings represent Cabrini’s proud history and our ongoing commitment to providing the highest quality care.

From Cabrini’s first open heart surgery in 1985 to the introduction of cutting-edge clinical trials and research, we have celebrated major medical milestones over the years.

Cabrini Research was established in 1996 – known at the time as the Cabrini Clinical Education and Research Foundation – to foster and encourage a culture of research, and to support Cabrini in attracting the best clinicians.

In the same year, Cabrini Foundation was established to manage the philanthropic support that enables us to fund medical equipment and technology, clinical education, clinical research, and major capital projects.

As Cabrini grew, other sites were established in surrounding suburbs to meet different specialised care needs. In 2002, Cabrini Brighton was purchased to operate as a second, smaller acute hospital for Cabrini. Embraced by the bayside community, the Brighton hospital has expanded in size and number of the services offered.

Cabrini Prahran housed our Palliative and Supportive Care unit for more than 20 years, until the service relocated to Malvern in 2023. This unique service continues to respond to the individual needs of patients living with terminal or life-limiting illnesses and their families.

At Cabrini Ashwood, we were proud to build an exceptional aged care home, where we provided quality, compassionate care to residents and their families between 2001 and 2022.

Cabrini Technology Group (CTG) was established in 2014 and operates in 18 locations across Australia and New Zealand.

Employing over 500 staff, CTG provides support for technology used in healthcare, disability, government and enterprise for more than 700 organisations.

Cabrini Outreach, our social services arm, was established to address social disadvantage in Australia and overseas. It’s flagship service – the Cabrini Asylum Seeker and Refugee Health Hub, opened in Brunswick in 2016. Now in Northcote, the Hub

Timeline.

1948 – 1977

Create.

1948

Cabrini Sisters depart Rome for Australia, land in Darwin, and embark on the journey to St Benedict’s Malvern.

1958

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Hospital in Malvern opens. Largest private hospital in Victoria with 140 beds. The first baby is delivered in the new hospital and is named Francesca.

1977

First Director of Medical Education appointed — the first such appointment in a private hospital in Australia — and undergraduate and postgraduate medical training begins.

provides comprehensive primary health care and specialist mental health services to people seeking asylum who are ineligible for Medicare or who have Medicare but no income.

In 2021, Cabrini opened Australia’s first women’s-only private mental health hospital, offering a nurturing and respectful place where women can feel safe and supported. Located at the Lisa Thurin Women’s Health Centre in Elsternwick, this inpatient unit

offers mental health treatment underpinned by compassion and kindness.

Today, a dedicated team of 4400 staff, 1700 visiting medical officers and 200 volunteers proudly continue Cabrini Sisters’ legacy.The Sisters could not have imagined that their small hospital would evolve to become one of Melbourne’s leading private healthcare services.

1985 – 1999 Develop.

1985

Intensive Care Unit and Cardiac Operating Room opens. First openheart surgery performed at Cabrini Malvern.

1988

Introduction of the first private oncology service in Victoria.

1990

Cabrini Malvern Day Procedure Centre opens.

1994

Cabrini Malvern North Wing opened.

1996

Cabrini Research Institute established.

1999

Cabrini Prahran, Victoria’s first private community palliative care service, opens.

2000 – 2010 Grow.

2002

Cabrini Brighton, previously Brighton Private Hospital, opens.

Cabrini Malvern Emergency Department opens.

2007

Cabrini Hopetoun Rehabilitation Hospital in Elsternwick opens. Hospital in the Home commences.

2010 – 2022 Expand.

2010

Cabrini Elsternwick Private Hospital opens as second rehabilitation hospital.

2016

Cabrini Asylum Seeker and Refugee Health Hub, Brunswick, opens.

2019

Gandel Wing at Cabrini Malvern opens.

2021

Cabrini Cancer Institute commences clinical trials and translational research into the benefits of exercise for cancer patients, incorporating the Exercise and Wellness Centre.

Lisa Thurin Women’s Health Centre at Cabrini Elsternwick, Australia’s first private mental health centre for women, opens.

Cabrini’s first patient

MUCH HAS CHANGED AT CABRINI OVER 75 YEARS – SOMETHING BARRY SHEALES CAN PERSONALLY VOUCH FOR.

The 92-year-old was one of Cabrini’s first patients and has fond memories of his stay. “I had a knee operation performed on the first floor of the old St Benedict’s hospital,” he said.

“It was a lot different back then – there were no lifts, so after my operation, I was brought downstairs on a stretcher by the gardener.”

While treatments have advanced, one thing has remained – Cabrini’s commitment to providing high-quality, compassionate care. “I still vividly remember waking up, and the first thing I saw was one of the Sisters looking me in the eye. She immediately asked how I was feeling and if I was hungry,” he said. “I was starving, so she went away and cooked me the most wonderful meal.”

Barry’s links to Cabrini didn’t end there. “I remember visiting Mother Elizabeth in New York – it’s a time that I still look back on and smile… they’re great memories,” he said. “I’ve had an operation in the new hospital too, which is now equipped with lifts, and I have developed a deep fondness for Cabrini and all its staff.”

True to our mission

This year we farewelled Sister Sharon Casey, who returned to the USA to commence a new mission at the Cabrini Shrine in Denver.

Sister Sharon, who arrived in Australia in 2009, recalls one of her proudest moments was the unveiling of the sculpture ‘Vigil – The heart of Cabrini’, a memorial of thanks to the Missionary Sisters who first came to Australia, carrying the spirit of Mother Cabrini.

Our Pastoral and Bereavement Services team continued their loving support of our patients and their families through social and pastoral visits, phone calls after discharge and spiritual sacramental care.

Space for Grace was introduced at the Lisa Thurin Women’s Health Centre. This therapeutic program addresses spirituality as a vital aspect of mental health care. Twice a week, group sessions are offered to clients to explore and discuss their spirituality in a safe and supportive environment.

A voluntary program called Cabrini Charism Conversations was developed to provide an opportunity for staff to:

• Further understand Cabrini’s founding story

• Deepen their sense of inclusion, belonging and connection to Cabrini’s community of care

• Honour what they have received in trust from the Missionary Sisters

We celebrated Cabrini Weeks (7-18 November 2022) with a Feast Day Mass in the Malvern Chapel and the placement of Mother Cabrini and staff quotes on patient meal trays each day.

Advent celebrations included weekly reflections, prayer services for staff and patients, Christmas carols, masses and the muchloved Christmas decorating competition which was enjoyed by staff, patients and families alike.

Sculpture ‘Vigil – The heart of Cabrini’

Cabrini strategic plan

In 2021 we launched the five-year strategy for the Cabrini Australia Group. This strategy sets out the overall direction for Cabrini Australia towards our vision –to be the leading private hospital in Melbourne’s south-east corridor and an innovative hospital and community care provider of mental health services. Plans to achieve the vision include the growth of cancer research and the redevelopment of Malvern.

During 2022-23, we took steps towards achieving ‘our plans’ for Cabrini Health, Cabrini Research, Cabrini Technology Group and Cabrini Outreach. Some of these achievements are detailed further in this report, with a summary provided below:

• Ward refurbishment completed at Cabrini Malvern to house the Palliative and Supportive Care unit, relocated from Cabrini Prahran

• Ward refurbishment of 1 South at Cabrini Malvern to convert four-bed rooms into single rooms with ensuites

• Opened two new theatres at Cabrini Malvern, complete with state-of-the-art equipment and technology – these theatres were the first two of six new theatres planned as part of the Malvern redevelopment

Cabrini Australia Group

2021-2025 Strategy

FUTURE

INTEGRITY

believe in the power of hope to transform people’s lives and remain faithful to the bold healing mission and legacy of Mother Cabrini.

COURAGE We have the strength, determination, vision and conviction to continue the work of Mother Cabrini and the Missionary Sisters.

RESPECT We believe that every person is worthy of the utmost respect and the best possible health care. We know that our resources are entrusted to us to use for the benefit of others.

• Refurbishment of the Glen Huntly Road site to incorporate consulting suites, allied health, rehabilitation and outpatient mental health services

• Updating of the endoscopy suite at Brighton, including the installation of new sterilising equipment

• Inpatient rehabilitation services were relocated to Cabrini Brighton to enable Cabrini Malvern to increase its capacity to care for surgical patients

• Continued expansion of home-based services (including hospital, chemotherapy, palliative and rehabilitation), enabling patients to receive all or part of their care at home

• Lisa Thurin Women’s Mental Health Centre further developed its programs to address an increasing demand, with 500 women treated in the two years since opening

• Cabrini Research received philanthropic funding for an Endowed Chair of colorectal research, strengthening our capabilities in genomics-led translational research

• The Cabrini Asylum Seeker and Refugee Health Hub searched for a larger premises to address the growing needs of asylum seekers and their families – this search would see the Hub relocate to larger premises in the following financial year (November 2023)

FOCUS

Cabrini Health

An

Acute Hospital Care

Palliative

OUR PLANS

OUR PHILOSOPHIES

The next era – Malvern redevelopment

Following the opening of the Gandel Wing and the completion of Lisa Thurin Women’s Health Centre, our focus is now on the redevelopment of Cabrini Malvern to increase clinical capacity and ensure the provision of quality healthcare into the future.

With the aging population, the need for cancer, cardiac and orthopaedic services will increase. Indeed, demand for our services is forecast to grow by 60 per cent over the next 15 years. State-of-the-art equipment and technology, along with modern and comfortable facilities are required for high quality patient care.

It also helps us attract and retain leading specialists and staff, ensuring Cabrini remains a leading provider of healthcare.

Acknowledging that 20% of patients are now cared for in four-bed rooms, with overcrowded and inefficient staff work areas, plans to ‘re-new’ Cabrini Malvern have begun. We will build new theatres, new consulting suites, expand the provision of orthopaedic, cardiac and cancer services and prioritise cancer research for our community.

Whilst outside of this reporting period, plans for the redevelopment have been submitted to the Minister for Planning, and consultation with Stonnington Council and the local community continues.

Artist impression

FINANCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL OVERVIEW

FINANCIAL REPORT FOR

2022-23

The Cabrini Australia Group reported revenue of over $600m in the 2022-23 financial year.

Cabrini remained in the Private Hospital Funding Agreement (COVID-19 comprehensive agreement) with the Department of Health and Human Services in the State of Victoria (or the State) between July 2022 and September 2022 to assist with the national COVID-19 response.

Cabrini continued to invest in property and equipment, investing $30m in the 2022-23 year.

In September 2022, Cabrini sold its residential aged care facility in Ashwood to Villa Maria Catholic Homes (VMCH) and on 30 June 2023, Cabrini completed the acquisition of the medical consumable and equipment business, Capes Medical Supplies in New Zealand.

ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT FOR 2022-23

In support of Laudato Si, a letter from Pope Francis to everyone urging protection of the earth, Cabrini is committed to protecting our environment.

Cabrini has embarked on a comprehensive recycling program. In 2022-23, more than 300 tonnes of waste was diverted away from landfill and recycled into useful materials and equipment. In 2023, we focused on reducing waste, implementing more recycling initiatives and improving recycling practices through education and improved infrastructure.

CABRINI HEALTH

Cabrini Health provides a range of high-quality acute, sub-acute, diagnostic and community-based health services across south-east Melbourne. We also offer allied health, chronic disease and rehabilitation services onsite or in a patient’s home.

Operational performance

Following is a three-year snapshot of our operational performance across a number of key clinical areas in our health business.

Episodes of inpatient care

During 2022-23, we provided 93,325 episodes of inpatient care at Cabrini, an increase of 5545 on the previous year.

Inpatient episodes

Emergency department attendances

During 2022-23, we had 25,349 attendances at the Alan, Ada and Eva Selwyn Emergency Department at Cabrini, which was 169 more than the previous year.

Number of babies delivered

During 2022-23, we helped to deliver 1984 babies at Cabrini, which was 77 fewer than the previous year.

Surgical operations

In 2022-23, we provided 53,723 surgical operations to patients at our Malvern and Brighton hospitals, which was an increase of 4710 on the previous year.

Day cases

In 2022-23 we treated 56,573 day case patients, which was 4181 more than the previous year.

Inpatient episodes

Day oncology/infusion treatments

In 2022-23, Cabrini performed 23,398 treatments at the Day Oncology and Infusion Centres at Brighton and Malvern, which was 337 more than the previous year.

Medical imaging procedures

In 2022-23, we performed 142,322 medical imaging procedures at Cabrini, which was 8881 more than the previous year.

Rehabilitation bed days

In 2022-23, we provided 19,531 inpatient rehabilitation bed days, which was 744 more than the previous year.

In 2022-23, Cabrini treated 635 palliative care patients, which was 37 fewer than the previous year. A decrease in the number of inpatient palliative care patients was offset by continued growth in our home palliative care services.

Emergency Department

The Alan, Ada and Eva Selwyn Emergency Department (ED) offers 24 hour, seven days a week service to adults and children requiring urgent medical attention.

We treat all acute emergency conditions (except major trauma) with onsite access to a full range of diagnostic services, including pathology services, x-ray and CT imaging and after-hours ultrasounds, nuclear medicine and MRIs for life threatening conditions.

The ED offers patients rapid access to Cabrini specialists and health care professionals. The follow-up phone call program provided to all patients after discharge from ED, further reflects our dedication to providing high-quality care and enhancing the patient experience.

Key achievements in 2022-23:

• 25,349 attendances in the ED – the team treated a range of emergency conditions, including cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, general and aged care medicine, neurology and neurosurgery, oncology, intensive care, obstetrics and paediatrics

• Reaccreditation by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) for another five years, recognising Cabrini’s commitment to excellence in health care, safety and quality

• Accreditation of the anaesthetics department as an ACEM training site

• 100% fellowship exam success rate for our registrars

• Continued improvement in the delivery of care for lifethreatening conditions, evidenced by improvements in the management of stroke and severe sepsis

• Implementation of a new protocol for rapid chest pain assessment that has shortened the length of stay in the ED for patients presenting with suspected cardiac conditions

25,349 EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT PRESENTATIONS

Exercise and wellness during cancer

The Cabrini Cancer Exercise and Wellness Centre provides holistic care to cancer patients and their families.

The centre provides oncology rehabilitation programs and access to specialist oncology allied health services – including emotional and wellbeing support, nutrition, physiotherapy, exercise physiology, lymphoedema and psychology. The centre also offers peer support and complimentary education services as well as a wig service run by volunteers.

The centre had a busy year with growth in cancer service offerings as well as patient attendances.

Key achievements in 2022-23:

• Continued growth in visits to the centre with 5155 visits in 2022-23, up from 2373 in 2021-22 (117% increase)

• Ongong support from the Smorgon family for the invaluable Cancer Wellness Co-ordinator role

• The introduction of the Cabrini Supportive Screening Program, which evaluates cancer patients’ health and emotional status through self-reported questionaries, allowing identification of those who need additional support. Demand for this service has significantly increased since its inception in 2022, with over 880 active patients now in the screening program. Patients identified as high-risk receive counselling and assistance with tailored information and services.

2022-23

2021-22 2020-21

Patient attendences at the Cabrini Cancer Exercise and Wellness Centre 5155 2373 763

Angela Jones, Wellness Centre Coordinator, Cabrini Cancer Exercise and Wellness Centre

Women’s mental health

The Lisa Thurin Women’s Health Centre in Elsternwick is Australia’s first private, women’s-only mental health hospital.

Key achievements in 2022-23:

• Celebrated two years since the centre opened, with more than 500 women treated

• ‘The Project’ on Network Ten featured a story on Pre-Menstrual Dysphoria Disorder (PMDD) at the Centre featuring Prof Jayashri Kulkarni AM, the Cabrini team, and former clients

• Commenced a new 1:1 out-patient program, HER Therapy

• Launched Australia’s first in-patient program for PMDD in collaboration with the HER Centre, focussing on trauma-informed care and person-centred principles

• A documentary on PMDD filmed at the centre, spotlighting the team and former clients

• Centre representatives, Sharon Sherwood and Professor Jayashri Kulkarni AM, attended a parliamentary forum in Canberra, advocating urgent need for increased recognition, education, support and research for women’s mental health

• Construction of a sensory garden at the centre, funded by a local couple who chose to donate their wedding presents in loving memory of the groom’s late mother

Sharon Sherwood and Professor Jayashri Kulkarni AM

Patient experience

Cabrini prides itself on providing the highest quality care in all interactions with staff, to ensure that each patient feels respected, safe, heard and empowered to make decisions.

Patients and consumers provide valuable feedback to ensure we maintain high levels of quality, person-centred care, resulting in excellent experiences and outcomes for our patients.

The Patient Experience team worked closely with patients and consumers to deliver a range of initiatives during 2022-23 to enhance patient interactions, from admission through to discharge. This year’s patient experience surveys revealed that 86% of patients agreed that the treatment, care and services they received at Cabrini consistently met their needs and expectations.

The Consumer Advisory Committee seeks to improve the overall patient experience. The Committee comprises consumers and staff offer unique and valuable insights that help determine the needs, concerns and priorities of patients, families and carers.

Key achievements in 2022-23:

• Endorsement of Cabrini’s Reconciliation Action Plan – a commitment to developing respectful relationships and meaningful opportunities with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

• Dedicated page on the Cabrini website for consumers – designed to share the work of the Consumer Advisory committee as well as sharing consumer resources

• ‘Setting Expectations and Effective Communication’ training sessions for nursing staff to improve communication at the bedside

• Bedside TVs utilised to improve the awareness the falls prevention and processes for being discharged

• Establishment of a working group with consumers and relevant staff to improve patients’ transition from hospital to home care

Allied health, rehabilitation and out of hospital care

Cabrini provides extensive allied health and rehabilitation services to inpatients and outpatients as well as a range of Cabrini at Home services (Hospital in the Home, Chemo in the Home, Palliative Homecare and Rehabilitation in the Home).

Inpatient services

Key achievements in 2022-23

• Inpatient allied health in acute (Malvern and Brighton): 26,075 referrals and 66,770 contacts across physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, dietetics, social work, podiatry, art therapy and music therapy

• Inpatient allied health in rehabilitation (Malvern and Brighton): 4347 referrals and 39,383 allied health contacts, and the Rehabilitation Access Co-ordinators received 1928 referrals and provided 2767 contacts assessing patients for inpatient rehabilitation suitability

Outpatient services

Key achievements in 2022-23

This includes rehabilitation outpatients, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs and the provision of allied health services at the Cabrini Cancer Exercise and Wellness Centre and the Cabrini Allied Health Centre.

• Overall: 4515 referrals and 24,118 attended bookings

- Cardiac Rehabilitation program: 2893 visits

- Rehabilitation outpatients: 15,214 visits (includes Pulmonary Rehabilitation program)

- Private allied health services to the Cabrini Cancer Exercise and Wellness Centre: 2071 visits

- Cabrini Allied Health Centre (Elsternwick and Malvern): 3940 visits

• Development and implementation of CardiApp, in partnership with Cabrini Technology Group (Medicity) – an application aimed at further supporting patients with cardiac disease, particularly those participating in cardiac rehabilitation (grateful acknowledgement to Perpetual Trustees for $60K funding)

At Home Services

Key achievements in 2022-23

• Rehabilitation in the Home delivered 5721 home visits, an increase of 17% on the prior year

• Palliative Homecare delivered 6757 home visits, on par with the year prior

• Hospital in the Home and Chemo in the Home received 1496 referrals and had 7835 contacts with patients (majority in their homes)

• The integration and on-site co-location of all at home services, close to the Cabrini Malvern hospital

• The introduction of a palliative care software solution (PalCare) to enhance patient care at home (thanks to generous donor funding)

• The forging of relationships with external hospital referral sources (public and private)

Clinical governance

As previously reported, Cabrini successfully achieved full accreditation to the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards in May 2022, with Cabrini being recognised for its well-established systems for clinical governance and leadership, and a strong culture of safety and quality.

Improvement opportunities were identified around informed patient consent and blood management.

Cabrini had already commenced work to map the consent processes prior to the accreditation assessment, and in 2022-23, following several months of collaboration – a new consumerfocused informed consent document and process was implemented, with excellent compliance achieved across the organisation.

In relation to blood management, the Cabrini ‘Blood Safe Champions’ program was developed in collaboration with Life Blood Australia, and successfully launched in 2023. The program has seen 45 nurses undertake face-to-face training ensuring that these staff are now well equipped to champion blood management processes and support peers in their work areas.

Other key 2022-23 quality and safety achievements:

• The adoption of Victoria’s updated Child Safe Standards across the organisation, ensuring that children are kept safe and feel safe at all times when engaging with Cabrini

• The development and implementation of a Child Safety Awareness education module, mandatory for all staff

• Cabrini embraced and adapted the changes in legislation around Statutory Duty of Candour (SDC) in November 2022 – ensuring that consumers of healthcare and their families are apologised to, and communicated with, openly and honestly when things have gone wrong in their care

• Cabrini’s Customer Relations team continued to collect feedback from patients and their families and robustly investigated any complaints to ensure that we identified any quality improvement opportunities in patient care and experience

Vascular team delivers an Australian first

The vascular team at Cabrini performed an Australian-first procedure, to offer a simpler treatment option for patients with aortic dissection, a life-threatening condition.

Aortic dissection occurs when the layers of the aorta (the body’s main artery) split, which allows two channels of blood flow to form in the artery –one which flows in the true channel (where blood is meant to flow), and one which flows in the false channel (between the layers of the aortic wall).

Patients with aortic dissection often have multiple procedures to deal with issues which arise from the dissection. However, the new treatment option known as the Candy Plug Technique is a device designed to simplify treatment for patients by avoiding the need for more complex abdominal stenting procedures, which carry with them more risks.

The first three procedures using the device in Australia were performed at Cabrini by vascular and endovascular surgeon Charles Milne.

“The Candy Plug technique can be used in a subset of patients with aortic dissection, with the

aim of simplifying their treatment pathway, and reducing the risks that come with more complex intervention,” Mr Milne said.

“There are a number of potential benefits, which include a simpler approach to treatment with reduced risks to the patient, reduced procedure time, and reduced radiation exposure to patients and staff (which comes with more complex aortic procedures).”

Mr Milne said that all three Cabrini patients have had positive outcomes. “The first patient had the procedure performed in 2020 and has had a very successful outcome at the three-year follow up. The two most recent patients have had their procedure within the last six months, so we are still waiting for their six- and 12-month follow-up scans to accurately assess their outcomes, but the procedures went very smoothly.”

“We are able to offer treatment for complex aortic procedures at Cabrini due to the unique expertise of staff within the theatres, Intensive Care Unit and wards,” Mr Milne said.

Mr Charles Milne, Vascular Surgeon

CABRINI RESEARCH

Cabrini Research supports innovative clinical and translational research to improve outcomes for patients and align with our clinical services.

Clinician and academic researchers oversee a diverse research program that covers the full translational research spectrum, from lab-based discoveries and clinical trials to clinical implementation. Areas of research include cancer, surgery, arthritis, back pain, health service delivery, nursing, allied health, palliative care, psycho-oncology, intensive care and emergency medicine.

Full details of the work and achievements of Cabrini Research in 2022-23 can be found in their separate annual report.

Cabrini Research programs are supported by Cabrini Foundation donors. Forward-thinking individuals and families who believe that sustained research is the key to advancing our understanding of diseases and to develop innovative treatments that are saving and improving lives.

Key achievements in 2022-23:

• Establishment of an Endowed Chair in Colorectal Research position, strengthening our capabilities in genomics-led translational research

• Establishment of the Cabrini Research Consumer and Community Involvement Committee, which has formalised our strong history of learning from patients and families on their first-hand knowledge regarding a particular disease, illness, or health condition

• Growth of the clinical trials program for oncology, urology and cardiology

• The organoid-based translational research includes colorectal, breast and ovarian cancer

• Further development of our precision medicine capabilities in oncology, collaborating with the Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium

• Increased clinical trial activity for malignant and nonmalignant urological conditions

• Multi-site national and international clinical trials conducted in cardiology

• Clinician researchers from the Intensive Care Unit and the Emergency Department remain active in investigator-led and group projects

• Commenced research into mental health at the Lisa Thurin Women’s Health Centre, in in collaboration with Alfred Health

• Continued work implementing the National Clinical Trials Governance Framework (NCTGF) to support the delivery of high-quality trial services

• Expansion of our Research Governance office to accommodate for newly-introduced Commonwealth regulations, incorporating biostatistics and grant writing capabilities and exploring opportunities for commercialisation

Cancer test tube tumours

Researchers at Cabrini Health and Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute are on the cusp of a breakthrough in the fight against bowel cancer.

Head of Surgery Professor Paul McMurrick, in partnership with researchers at Monash University, are investigating finding the right treatment for an individual patient’s cancer faster by growing their tumours in the lab.

“Essentially, we’ve taken a portion of the tumour from patients who have an aggressive subtype of bowel cancer and grown them into mini tumours, which allow the team to quickly determine how effective drugs are likely to be for each individual patient,” Professor McMurrick said.

“The cells used to create the replicas come from tumour biopsies, so they retain the genetic blueprint of each patient’s original tumour. The hope is that testing treatments on these tumour samples allow researchers and oncologists to trial different drug combinations and determine how well each individual patient’s cells respond before a patient commences their chemotherapy treatment. This information helps prescribe the most effective treatments and avoid unnecessary side effects and costs associated with futile therapy,” Professor McMurrick said.

More than 17,000 people in Australia are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year, with 4000 deaths attributed to the disease annually.

Through the current trial, researchers are targeting an aggressive subtype of bowel cancer, that carry a mutation in a gene called BRAF. About ten per cent of patients with bowel cancer have this subtype, and they typically have a poor prognosis with reduced long-term survival. Typical treatment involves surgery to remove the tumour, followed by chemotherapy, which can be ineffective and comes with a range of side effects.

Cabrini Monash Senior Researcher Dr Rebekah Engel said the results have the potential to make a real impact on treatment options. “We want to determine treatments that are effective, and prevent patients from experiencing side effects,” Dr Engel said.

“Because we can grow the tumours quickly, we can test a panel of drugs, and give feedback to the oncologist. This timely information can guide treatment decisions for patients before they commence therapy in the hospital.”

Professor Paul McMurrick

CABRINI OUTREACH

Cabrini Outreach provides free primary care, specialist mental health care and psychosocial support to some of the most vulnerable people in our community locally and internationally.

Key achievements in 2022-23:

• 229 new referrals were received to the Cabrini Asylum Seeker and Refugee Health Hub

• Our nurse-led service delivered a 25% increase in the number of consultations compared to the previous year

• Six part-time GPs (employed and pro bono) conducted over 800 client consultations, an increase of 60% on previous year

• Five psychiatrists (employed and pro bono) provided care to 77 individual clients, delivering 438 consultations

• Mental health clinicians provided care to 117 individual clients, delivering 2191 consultations

• $114,000 was spent on pharmaceuticals across all our health waiver programs providing 1428 clients with 4369 essential medications free of charge

• The Immigration Detention Health Study has enrolled 125 participants since December 2021, and conducted a total of 266 interviews

• Cabrini St Phillips’ Missionary in Eswatini witnessed over 10,531 visits, ensuring access to crucial health services for vulnerable clients

• Cabrini St Mary’s Catholic Primary Hospital in Dubbo, Ethiopia provided care to more than 17,000 patients

• Cabrini Outreach committed to supporting primary and secondary children’s education at the Sagrada Familia School in Managa, Nicaragua

• Cabrini Immigrant Services in New York City, inspired by Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, continued its mission to support immigrants in realising their dreams through advocacy, legal services, social services, and community education

How the Hub provides help and hope

The Cabrini Asylum Seeker and Refugee Health Hub provides a holistic approach to service delivery which encompasses the physical, psychological and social needs of people seeking asylum. Two examples of how the team have provided both help and hope to clients are detailed below:

CLIENT 1

Psychological and social help

A young man from South-East Asia selfreferred to our service one day desperately seeking help. He presented in distress and was struggling with depressive mood, hopelessness, grief and intrusive suicidal thoughts. Furthermore, he was homeless, had been sleeping rough for years and was not linked with any health or other support service.

The mental health clinician at the Hub took the lead in his health care and provided intensive care coordination facilitating referrals to the primary health care team, psychiatry and short-term case work as well as to housing and legal services. With this assistance he has commenced treatment for his mental health, found secure accommodation and is no longer sleeping rough. His mental health has greatly improved with a raise in mood, motivation and sense of hope.

CLIENT 2

Emotional and practical help

A mother of three children, first attended the service in 2018, for primary health care. Approximately five months later she was referred to the specialist mental health team. At her first meeting with a mental health clinician, she remarked, “I have been waiting three years to talk to someone.” She was at the time, at home with her two preschool children and partner.

Fast forward five years, and two of her children started school. She felt isolated at home and was dependent on her husband for her all her transport needs. With Cabrini advocacy, funding was found to support her with driving lessons, and she successfully obtained her licence in 2023. She described obtaining her driver’s licence as one of the best things to happen to her since arriving in Australia. She continues to express her appreciation to Cabrini for the support to make it possible.

CABRINI TECHNOLOGY GROUP

Operating in 18 locations within Australia and New Zealand, the Cabrini Technology Group provides support for technology used in healthcare, disability, government and enterprise for more than 700 organisations.

Key achievements in 2022-23:

• 379,341 repairs to medical equipment for the healthcare sector by Chemtronics Biomedical Engineering

• 15,247 repairs of mobility aids and equipment performed in clients’ homes by Chemtronics Direct

• 84,059 repairs of computers and network devices nationally by AWA Technology Services

• 40,000 milestone reached for patients using the EVE software created by Medicity

• 729 hospitals purchased equipment and consumables sold by AxisHealth

• Acquisition of a medical consumable and equipment business, Capes Medical Supplies in New Zealand

379,341 REPAIRS TO MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

15,247 REPAIRS OF MOBILITY AIDS/ EQUIPMENT WITHIN CLIENT’S HOMES

CABRINI FOUNDATION

The Cabrini Foundation creates ways for patients, their families and our community to connect and show gratitude, enabling Cabrini to continue providing exceptional care for patients, now and into the future.

This year has brought inspiring stories of the power of gratitude, and we reflect on the wonderful impact our generous community has had on patient care here at Cabrini.

Key achievements in 2022-23:

$1.3M donated for hybrid theatre upgrade

The Cabrini community came together to raise $1.3M for the upgrade of our hybrid theatre at Malvern. The theatre has been with state-of-the-art equipment to enable surgeons to perform minimally invasive procedures effectively and efficiently. The new equipment and technology includes new monitors, x-ray machines and 3D imaging, advanced operating table, radiation reduction technology, and a control room interface – all of which can help increase patient safety, reduce time in surgery and speed up recovery times.

Alan, Ada and Eva Selwyn Endowed Chair of Colorectal Cancer Research

Alan and Ada’s philanthropic journey with Cabrini was a long and extremely generous one, and in 2017 the Emergency Department was renamed the Alan, Ada and Eva Selwyn Emergency Department. This year, Eva continued her parents’ commitment by supporting the Alan, Ada and Eva Selwyn Endowed Chair of Colorectal Cancer Research.

The Endowed Chair position is currently held by Professor Paul McMurrick and the impact generated by these leadership positions goes well beyond any one individual. Rather, it will have a lasting influence on the Cabrini Monash University Department of Surgery as it searches the complex biology of colorectal cancer to address its disproportionate burden of disease in Australia.

Nursing leadership and education

The Cabrini Scholarship Program supports Cabrini staff from various clinical disciplines in their desire to pursue professional development. Such activities include conference attendance, workshops, visits to centres of excellence, and postgraduate studies that ultimately improves patient care at Cabrini.

After several challenging years for healthcare staff, we were thrilled to be able to support 11 nurse scholarship recipients 2022. The Cabrini Scholarship Program is 100% donor funded. With donor support, Cabrini is able to retain the best staff and empower them to continue to extend their education, to the benefit of patients and the community we serve.

Giving

HONOURING 20 YEARS OF ALAN, ADA AND EVA SELWYN

“On behalf of Cabrini Australia, I sincerely thank the Selwyn family for your exceptional generosity and loyalty over the last 20 years.

We are incredibly grateful for your leadership in philanthropy, which has allowed us to provide quality, compassionate care. The Alan, Ada and Eva Selwyn Emergency Department is the heart of our community. We treat more than 25,000 adults, infants, children and adolescents every year: 24 hours, 7 days a week. With thanks to you, we can continue to provide vital care and urgent medical attention, in the very best facilities.”

Sue Williams Chief Executive, Cabrini Australia

The Selwyn family’s philanthropic journey with Cabrini has been long and extremely generous. You’ve saved countless lives and brought the very best in care to so many.

Alan passes

Alan, Ada and Eva Selwyn Emergency Department opened

Eva Selwyn speaks to the values instilled by her parents:

“My parents, Alan and Ada were very fortunate to have been in a position of being able and willing to give to many people and philanthropic causes over their lifetimes. These spanned many diverse areas: including the arts, numerous educational and medical causes, including the establishment of a Chair of Medical Research and a laboratory in Clinical Infertility and Molecular Medicine in Israel and many welfare and cultural initiatives and philanthropic efforts, both here in Australia and overseas.

I am very honored to have our family name associated with the Endowed Chair of Colorectal Research at Cabrini, which was a very important area of interest for my late father, as I carry on that support.

I was taught by my parents to always ‘give back’ and I am blessed to continue that legacy.

Cabrini Malvern is, and has always been, such an important part of our lives and I am thrilled to be able pursue my relationship with my ‘Cabrini Family’.

Cabrini is such a wonderful and important institution. This will continue with ‘The Next Era’ redevelopment of the Malvern hospital. For me, the Emergency Department is so significant and I am very proud to carry on this legacy in our family name. The Alan, Ada and Eva Selwyn Emergency Department will always remain the centre and heart of the hospital in its care of, and devotion, to patients and their families.”

2020

Ada passes

Two oncology pods

named in Alan and Ada’s memories

2023

Level 6 Gandel Wing and Room named in Ada’s memory

COVID-19 Emergency support given

Three sculptures donated

Endowed Chair of Colorectal Research transformative gift in perpetuity created in Alan and Ada’s memory

2024

Further development of the Alan, Ada and Eva Selwyn Emergency Department

OUR PEOPLE

4439 employees and 1730 accredited medical practitioners worked across Cabrini sites.

Our staff

Our staff are central to our success. We aim to attract, develop and retain our 4000+ staff to realise their potential to provide high quality care to our patients. Our values are fundamental to the way in which we behave with each other, and with those we serve.

Service recognition

Cabrini’s supportive and caring culture is reflected in the tenure of staff. Each year we recognise the commitment of our staff and celebrate milestone years of service. In 2022-23 we were delighted to recognise 566 staff who achieved the following years of service to Cabrini:

Mother Cabrini Awards

The Mother Cabrini Awards started in 1996 as an opportunity for staff to acknowledge and celebrate colleagues who have made an exceptional contribution to Cabrini.

The Mother Cabrini Leader Award – recognises a leader who inspires their team and the broader Cabrini community with their drive and commitment, noticing the good in others and continually finding ways through obstacles with trust, courage, and confidence.

The Mother Cabrini Individual and Team Award – recognises an individual or an entire team who are consistently responsive and warm and display an untiring zeal for service to all they encounter through their work.

2022-23 recipients

Leader Award

Justin Dowd: Has the true Cabrini spirit that exemplifies the mission and values of Cabrini – whether it be cooking a special omelette for a patient to satisfy a craving, crossing town on his way home to find an ingredient to meet a patient’s needs, staying back or coming in on weekends to assist with functions. Justin is courageous – making tough calls with sound knowledge and good judgement.

Team Award

Respiratory Ward, Cabrini Malvern: The heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic – Nurse Unit Manager, Caren Mostajo and her team wore full PPE each day, while remaining positive, supportive of one another, and responsive to patients and their families.

Team Award

Acute Cardiac Unit: Consistently stepped up to cover staffing shortfalls during a time that was been difficult to recruit. No problem has been too big for Nurse Unit Manager, Fiona Topliff and her team. They work with professionalism and integrity in often stressful situations. The demand for cardiac beds within Cabrini is testament to the exemplary service that the team provides.

Individual Award

Penny Cincerra: A devoted carer who exudes kindness to all those she meets and inspires other to be their better selves. She is knowledgeable and proactively educates graduates and new staff on her ward.

Individual Award

Lester Milan: Consistently exhibits kindness to patients and support to his colleagues in the often-stressful emergency department. He recently stepped up into the acting nurse unit manager role and embodied this with a calmness and professionalism that afforded those reporting to him a sense of continuity and stability.

Individual Award

Rowan Arblaster: Goes out of his way to help his colleagues and patients whether transporting patients, attending to MET calls and positioning patients for procedures. He takes the time to listen and applies respect and integrity to each situation. As an OH&S rep, everyone feels safe in his presence.

Justin Dowd (Leader Award recipient)

“Whether by blind luck, design or perhaps divine intervention I have been blessed throughout my personal and professional career to have had amazing support from those around me. Reflecting now, while not without exception, I have had the privilege to work alongside and for incredible, strong and astute women. Their support, guidance, trust and I am sure at times frustration, has made me a far more rounded individual. I believe this is one of Cabrini’s key strengths that should be celebrated. Despite the challenges of the past couple of years, I still take great enthusiasm from all around me to put on ‘the badge’ in the hope each day, I can in some way make somebody’s day that little bit better.”

Clinical education for staff

Cabrini aims to provide educational opportunities for staff that inspire confidence. We were delighted to be able to increase our undergraduate student placements in 2022-23, with additional growth forecast for the next financial year.

Our graduate program supported 65 new graduates in 2022-23 as they transitioned into the workforce. Next year will see an increase in the graduate numbers who will get an opportunity to rotate to a variety of clinical areas.

In support of workforce recruitment, upskilling and retention we introduced three new postgraduate programs and implemented support for two novice intakes, in addition to the graduate program intake. Palliative care, midwifery and neuroscience programs were included in our offerings.

Key highlights for 2022-23:

• 17,698 nursing and allied health undergraduate student placement days offered

• 80 graduate nursing and midwifery positions offered

• 32 students enrolled in the transition to specialty practice program

• 40 postgraduate nursing positions

• 80 clinical skills workshops delivered to staff

• 15 new courses developed by Cabrini’s curriculum development team

Health, safety and wellbeing

The health and safety of patients and staff is at the core of everything we do. The Work Health and Safety (WHS) team has established a business partnering model – working with key stakeholders to drive a safety culture, ensure ongoing compliance, whilst continually looking to identify opportunities for improvement.

The risk profile of Cabrini Health doesn’t significantly change from year to year, and the focus remains on addressing risks associated with hazardous manual handling and occupational violence and aggression, in conjunction with a strong focus on staff wellbeing initiatives. Pleasingly, several initiatives were introduced this year which saw a significant reduction in work related injuries.

OUR VOLUNTEERS

209 trained volunteers provided more than 20,000 hours of hospitality and companionship to enhance the patient experience.

2022-23 was a year of welcoming back our volunteers to Cabrini sites. Settling back into in-person volunteering was warmly welcomed by patients, families, visitors, staff, and volunteers alike.

Reconnecting with Cabrini brought the warmth back into the lives of both volunteers and those they support.

Our volunteers continued their loving support of our patients, visitors and staff through social and pastoral visits, patient phone calls, spiritual sacramental care, asylum seeker support, music making, writing palliative care patient life stories, departmental support services, wig room fittings as well as helping people find their way around the corridors of Cabrini sites.

Early in 2023, we introduced a red sleeveless vest with prominent wording ‘Volunteer’. The vests have provided our volunteers with an identity and visibility which has proven to assist our patient, visitors and staff to seek their services more readily thereby enhancing our patient experience. Many volunteers have commented on how they have been approached by visitors or patients for assistance which would not have occurred previously.

The 2023 National Volunteers theme was ‘Volunteers – The Change Makers’. Cabrini volunteers can best be described as caregiving changemakers.

Cabrini is a community of care, reaching out with compassion, integrity, courage and respect, and our volunteers willingly give of their time to achieve this end. We are thankful for all Cabrini volunteers for their exceptional love, support and dedication.

We celebrate and thank our volunteers for their hearts of gold and the extraordinary contribution they make.

How Margaret makes a difference

At Cabrini, we treat patients in a personal and memorable way at every stage of their healthcare journey. Alongside the doctors, nurses and various other Cabrini staff, our 200+ volunteers play an integral role in this patient-centred journey.

Margaret Toomey is one of these people.

Margaret joined the Volunteer Services team in 1999, working in Cabrini Malvern, providing companionship by chatting with patients on an evening shift.

In 2002, Margaret transferred to Cabrini Prahran and spent five years serving evening meals and supporting palliative care patients and families with her friendly conversations.

In 2007, Margaret transferred back to the Malvern hospital in a ‘meet and greet’ capacity at our main reception and then our north block in 2009. This is an invaluable service, assisting patients and visitors to find their way in the labyrinth of Cabrini.

In June 2024, Margaret will have provided a remarkable 25 years of service to Cabrini.

As Cabrini Volunteer Services Manager, Pamela Wood explained “This contribution by Margaret is absolutely astounding!” Margaret is a valuable and complementary part of the care team at Cabrini, providing an enriched and memorable experience for our patients and their families.

When asked what she likes most about volunteering at Cabrini, Margaret said “I really enjoy meeting people from different walks of life. It is wonderful to be able to help patients who seem a bit anxious or nervous about coming into hospital.”

Indeed, Margaret’s caring and helpful nature runs in her family. “My sister was the nurse in the family, and I was always curious about hospitals,” Margaret said.

“I thoroughly enjoy being a Cabrini volunteer, assisting others. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to give of my time and I enjoy the benefits of supporting patients and staff in my volunteer role,” said Margaret.

OUR BOARD

Our Board brings a broad range of experience to its governance role. It is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the organisation and ensuring appropriate governance structures are in place.

Sylvia Falzon

Appointed March 2010.

Chairman since November 2018. Sylvia also chairs the Cabrini Foundation Board and is a member of the Patient Experience and Clinical Governance Committee and the Capital Campaign Committee.

Associate Professor Caroline Brand

Appointed May 2020.

Caroline is Chair of the Patient Experience and Clinical Governance Committee and a member of the Cabrini Research Committee.

Fr Joe Caddy

Appointed 2018.

Fr Joe is a member of the People and Remuneration Committee.

Sister Sharon Casey MSC

Appointed August 2008.

Resigned effective 10 January 2023.

Professor David Copolov AO

Appointed October 2020.

David is Chair of the Cabrini Research Committee.

Simeon Goldenberg

Appointed April 2019.

Simeon is Chair of the Major Construction Projects Committee and a member of the Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Lisa Harker

Appointed March 2018.

Lisa is Chair of the Audit and Risk Management Committee and a member of the People and Remuneration Committee.

Paul Holyoake

Appointed April 2019.

Paul is Chair of the IT Committee and a member of the Cabrini Technology Group Committee and (for part of the year) the Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Francesca Lee

Appointed May 2020.

Francesca is Chair of the People and Remuneration Committee and a member of the Cabrini Technology Group Committee and Patient Experience and Clinical Governance Committee.

Nicholas Pane KC

Appointed November 2021.

Nicholas is a member of the Major Construction Projects Committee and the Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Anthony Rice

Appointed November 2016.

Anthony Chairs the Cabrini Technology Group Committee and is a member of the Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Bob Santamaria

Appointed November 2020.

Bob is Chair of the Capital Campaign Committee and a member of the Major Construction Projects Committee and the Cabrini Research Committee.

Full details of current board members, including their current roles and previous experience can be found on our website at www.cabrini.com.au/about-cabrini/board-of-directors/

BOARD COMMITTEES

The Cabrini Board was supported by nine Board Committees during 202223. These Committees are appointed by the Board to assist it in fulfilling its governance responsibilities in relation to the areas noted below. Board Committees that operated in 2022-23, but have since changed are indicated below.

Audit and Risk Management Committee

Chair: Lisa Harker

Financial management of Cabrini, Cabrini’s framework and system of risk management and internal controls, and internal/external audit functions.

Cabrini Technology Group Committee

Chair: Sylvia Falzon

Oversees and guides all fundraising activities.

Capital Campaign Committee

Chair: Bob Santamaria

Oversees the campaign to raise funds to contribute to the fundraising campaign to contribute to the Malvern campus redevelopment. To be reconstituted in due course. IT Committee

Chair: Paul Holyoake

Oversees Cabrini IT strategy, programs, operations and remediation exercises. Replaced with a management committee in the 2023-2024 year.

Chair: Anthony Rice

CTG operates businesses that support the provision of healthcare and also generate a surplus which is redeployed to support Cabrini’s broader purposes.

Major Construction Projects Committee

Chair: Simeon Goldenberg

Planning, design and construction of major building projects on behalf of the Cabrini group.

Cabrini Mission, People and Remuneration Committee

Chair: Francesca Lee

Cabrini operates in a manner consistent with and in fulfilment of the Mission and Values of the Cabrini Sisters. Strategies to attract, develop, retain and optimise Cabrini’s people and remuneration policy.

Patient Experience and Clinical Governance Committee

Chair: Professor David Copolov AO

Facilitates research and strategies and oversight responsibilities in relation to clinical research.

Chair: Caroline Brand

Governance systems in place that maintain and improve the reliability and quality of patient care, as well as improve patient outcomes.

Cabrini Foundation Board

Cabrini Research Committee

OUR EXECUTIVE

The Executive Committee supports the Chief Executive in performing her duties, including leadership of our mission and implementation of our corporate and strategic plans. Executive members in the 2022-23 year are indicated below.

Sue Williams Chief Executive

Louise Alexander Executive Director Malvern

Jason Aquilina Chief Financial Officer

Anne Zandegu

Group Director, Nursing and Clinical Education

Craig Bosworth Group Director, Strategy and Marketing

Julie Fleming Group Director, Mission and Identity

Derek Price Chief Information Officer

Professor Gary Richardson OAM Group Director, Cabrini Research

Cathryn Ryan

Group Director, Health Funding & Patient Services

Professor Matt Sabin Group Director, Medical Services and Clinical Governance

Sharon Sherwood Chief of Mental Health and Cabrini Outreach

Tim Staker Chief of Cabrini Technology

Tom Stocky Group Director People & Culture

Paul Vine

Group Director Legal and Corporate Affairs

Full details of the current executive, including their roles and previous experience can be found on our website at www.cabrini.com.au/about-cabrini/management-team/

OUR SUPPORTERS

Thank you for your generous support of Cabrini and Cabrini Research.

Your leadership in philanthropy ensures we continue to provide our community with compassionate care and the best facilities, and paves the way for research into the future.

COMPANIONS PARTNERS

The Alter Family

AMP Foundation

Mr Don Argus AC and Mrs Pat Argus

Aventis Pharma Pty Ltd

Bamford Family Foundation

In memory of Beverley Barlow

Bertalli Family

George and Freda Castan and Family

Collie Foundation

Maureen Coomber

Coryule Foundation

de Winter Family

Marc and Karyn Fookes

The Fox Family Foundation Pty Ltd

Gandel Foundation

Michelle Gandel

Mr Ian and Mrs Linda Gandel

Mr John Gandel AC and Mrs Pauline Gandel AC

Mr Tony and Mrs Helen Gandel

Mr Michael and Mrs Helen Gannon

Heartbeat Cabrini

Highland Foundation

The Holckner Family - In memory of Lily Holckner

Mr Alan Jackson AO and

Mrs Esme Jackson

Joe White Bequest

Lee and Brian Johnstone, Auric Innovation Fund

Johnstone Family Foundation

John Knowles OAM and Coral Knowles

Mr John Laidlaw OAM and Mrs Betty Laidlaw

Gailey Lazarus Foundation

Mr Angus Mackay

Mr David Mandie AM OBE

Mr Louis Mangan AO and Cecile Mangan

McGrath Foundation Limited

Peter Meese Cancer Nursing Fund

Dr Bryan Mendelson AM and Mrs Debra-Sue Mendelson

Merrin Foundation

The Meydan Family Charitable Trust

Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ

The Orloff Family Charitable Trust

Nigel Peck AM and Patricia Peck

Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd

Pratt Foundation

Myron and Jennie Rogers

Mr Richard Rogers AM, Mrs Roslyn Rogers OAM and Family

The Moniek Sambor Family Memorial Research Fund - The Sambor Family

Perry Sambor

Alan, Ada and Eva Selwyn Family

The Simonds Family

Neville and June F.M. Smith

Rodney and Ann Smorgon Family

The Stewardson Charitable Trust

Mr Geoff Szalmuk

Mr George and Mrs Mira Szalmuk

Mrs Anne Wollach-Szalmuk

Ms Simone Szalmuk-Singer

Szalmuk Family Department Of Medical Oncology

Dr David Thurin AM and Mrs Lisa Thurin

Mr Joseph and Mrs Helena Frohlich West/ Frohlich West Chair Of Surgery

Werner and Gerda Westphal

Windemere Foundation Ltd

Rita Andre

The Pierce Armstrong Foundation

Mr Nick and Miss Angela Baldi

Barr Family Foundation

Anthony and May Barry

Percy Baxter Charitable Trust

The Michael and Andrew Buxton Foundation

The Andrew and Geraldine Buxton Foundation

Cabrini Medical Staff

Charity Drive Days Inc

Collier Charitable Trust

Lady Patricia Connelly

The Phyllis Connor Memorial Trust

Construction Engineering (Aust) Pty Ltd

Sally and David Curtain

Brian M Davis Charitable Foundation

The Alfred and Jean Dickson Foundation

O’Connor Duffy Foundation

Michael Walsh, Netta Duggan and Family

Sylvia Falzon and Geoff Tomlinson

Brian H. Gillies Palliative Care Nursing Scholarships and Research Fund

Ken Grenda AM and Margaret Grenda

Geoff and Helen Handbury Foundation

Mr Russell Hutchinson

Harold Johnston OAM and Kay Johnston AM

Jreissati Foundation

Mrs Dinah Krongold & Family

Ji & Li fund

Mr David and Mrs Barbra MacDonald

Jill Mathieson and Bruce Lawrence

The McMurrick Family

Mr and Mrs Mark Newman

Richard and Dorothea Nossbaum

Ostomy Association of Melbourne Inc

Paulusz Family Foundation

Rosemary Norman Foundation

Rotary Club of Brighton

In memory of Elian Rotenberg

Sanofi-Sythelabo Australia Pty Ltd

Dzidka and Alexander Slade

The Lionel and Yvonne Spencer Trust

Brian J. Sutton FCNA

Michael and Donna Tricarico and Family

Wee Family

Edward Wilson Trust

In memory of Cheryl Windsor

Philip and Trix Wollen

FELLOWS

Charles Allen Charitable Trust

Arcare Family Foundation

Associated Retailers Limited

The Bachrach Charitable Trust

Jack and Meg Bowen

In Memory of Jan Bucknall

The CASS Foundation

Charter Security Group

The Davidson Family

The Fryer Family

Gibson Property Corporation

Bagot Gjergja Foundation

Brian Goddard In Memory of Margaret Goddard

Peter Heffernan

Paul Henderson

Mr and Mrs Higgins

Mrs Kerrie Hunter and Family

The Valda Klaric Foundation

Dr Laurence LeWinn Foundation

Peter and Judy Lowthian Family

Peter Marriott

The Matthey Family

Mayer Page Research Fellow

Kylie Minogue OBE

Richard and Susan Mizgala

Paul Mullaly QC

Philip Munz AM and Sylvia Munz

Frank O’Shea OAM

The Family of Duncan Powers

In Memory of Marlene Regan

M and J Rockman Foundation

The Sasse Family

Mr and Mrs P Selzer and Family

Signorino Family

Victor Smorgon Charitable Fund

Graham and Annette Smorgon

Joe Spano

G and K Stansen

David and Chasya Tamir

PF and RA Tomaino

Margaret Walkom Trust

Geok Hua Wong Charitable Trust

Zagora Foundation

BENEFACTORS

Alan and Mary-Louise Archibald Foundation

Martin Armstrong

Pat and Sheril Aughterson

Besen Family Foundation

The CR Brad Foundation

W and G Bradshaw Trust

Howard and Jenny Brown

Dr Emma Burrell

Care Park

Carter Family Foundation

Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Australia

Cher Family Foundation

John and Anna Christophersen

Commonwealth Bank Of AustraliaCorporate Financial Services Vic/Tas

Reginald and Natalie Corke

Robert Dalziel AM and Barbara Dalziel

Pat and Bruce Davis

The De Luca Family

In memory of Nereo Dizane

Downie Family

Mary Drenen

The Duggan Foundation

Mr and Mrs Wal Edgar

Jaan Enden

Mr Andrew C Facey

IM & SK Families Fund

Mr Geoff and Mrs Lesley Freeman

Eli and Kerry Goldfinger

Ron Goldschlager and Family

In Memory of Peter Royston Gray

Grenda Foundation

Judi and Michael Gronow

Mr John Grossi

Sino and Barbara Guzzardi

The Hall Family

Mr Michael Halprin

P and M Harbig (Holdings) Pty Ltd

Greta and Stephen Harnetty

Herschel Asset Management Limited

Des and Cheri Jackson

Patricia Janes

Jack and Sheila Jenner

Mary and Charles Kerstjens

In memory of Dorothy Keyte

John T King and Lalla C King

Mrs Judith Lang and

The Gideon Lang Foundation

Annie Rose and Andrew Lazar Foundation

Lynette and Kevin Lee

The Estate of Peter Lemon

Dr Norman Lewis

In memory of Mrs Patsy Littlejohn

The Lochtenberg Family

Jeff Loewenstein

Joan Loton

Andy Lyas

Helen Macpherson Smith Trust

Mr Colin and Mrs Jannene Madden

Matear Family

BENEFACTORS

Mazda Foundation

McArthur Foundation

Christine and Denis McConnell

Alison McElroy

M McGauran

Beverley McGlead

Beatrice, Jessica and Caroline Mense

The Mezo Family

MIA Victoria

Sarah Miskin Palliative Care Nursing Scholarship

Gordon Moffatt AM

Doris Mohl OAM

John Allison Monkhouse

Mr Bill Montague OAM and

Mrs Elaine Montague

Mr Hugh Morgan AC and

Mrs Elizabeth Morgan R

M Morgan AM

David and Vivienne Munro and Family

Mr John and Mrs Pamela Murphy

Mr Patrick Nalty

In memory of Mary Nesbitt

John and Gaye Newton

Bruce Parncutt AO

In memory of Maxwell Charles Parsons

Natalie Postma

Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia

Elinor Rabinov

John Reeves

Margaret and Tony Reeves

Lady Susan Renouf

Gary Richardson OAM

Roche Products Pty Ltd

Irvin Rockman CBE

Dr Sue and Phil Ronaldson

Rotary Club of Malvern

Timothy Russell

The Russell Foundation

The Sandford Partnership

Margaret Savill

In Memory of John Selwyn, Our Beloved Husband and Father, from his Wife and Daughters

Dr Richard J Simmie

The Brian Smith Endowment

Smith and Nephew Pty Limited

Margery E Snowball

Sotheby’s Australia

Paul and Rose Spano

In memory of Diane Spielvogel

Spooner Family

Jean St Leger Educational Scholarship

Bib Stillwell BMW

Mr Bernard Sweeney

In memory of Charlotte Tait

Pethard Tarax Charitable Trust

Eleanor Keamy and George Tate

Tattersall’s, The Estate of The Late George

Adams

Mrs Valma Truin

David and Roslyn Tumbull

Henk and Debbie Verhagen

Peter T Wain and Family

The Wallis Family

Max Walters

Marie and John Warnock

Mr Stewart and Mrs Ingrid Webster

The Werled Foundation

Sue Williams

Dr Charles William (Bill) Edgar Wilson

Ms Margaret Wonson

Yarra Valley Travel

In Memory of Julie Young

In Memory of Suzanne Young

LET’S BEAT BOWEL CANCER 2023 PARTNERS

PLATINUM

Deague Group

Natural Selection Group

GOLD

Anderson Partners

Beck Family

Chadwick Investments

Commonwealth Bank

Gibson Property Corporation

Jayco

Kay & Burton

LGT Crestone Wealth Management

Logical Staffing Solutions

Mercedes-Benz Berwick and Waverley

Nike Asia Pacific

Parklea Pty Ltd

RMBL Investments Ltd

The Mat Group

The Highland Foundation

Urban Planning Collective

SILVER

Cevol Industries

Florey’s All Stars

GolfSelect

Mason Property Law

Proclaim

Smart Ease Australia

SW Accountants & Advisors

HOLE-IN-ONE

SMS Aircraft

BEQUESTORS

Claire Abrahams

Estate of Gustav G.H. Apituley

Ellen M Balderstone

Nola Evelyn Barnes

Neil Beauglehall

Elaine Louise Benger

Rose and Herbert Birchall

Carmel Mary Blanton

Gweneth Mabel Bowles

Doris Elaine Boyd

Ann Brewer

Rosina Violet Brown

Nance Nevasa Buchanan

Maxwell Chapman

Annie Marjorie May Clarke

Agnes Ferguson Clarke

Roger John Cleary

Gary George Conway

Patrick Corbett

Joyce Mena Coxall

David Roy Cross

John Lawrence De Yong

Rino Della Bosca

John Robert Edwards

Dr Betty Elliott

Barbara Feil

Emeritus Professor Peter FitzRoy

Harold Francis

Ursula May Frawley

John Gaidzkar

Dorothy Cecelia Garbutt

Judith and Ian Gardiner

John Anthony Gill

Rosemary Gleeson

Angela Felicity Glover

Pamela Golding

Derek John Grantham

Dr Patricia Ann Gray

Peter Greenham

Hamling Bequest in memory of

Fiona Hamling

Patricia Murray Hancock

Diana Mary Harcourt

Pamela Mary Harper

Clement Godfrey Harrison

Noel Arthur Hatherly

Mary Kathleen Hauser

Doris Mary Hawkless

Kenneth Swanson Hewitt

Peter Richard Hicks

Rita Mae Hunt

Florence Sheila Johannes

Doreen Johnson

Heather Jones

Valda Irene Keil

Douglas Alan Keillor

Irene Kozica

Paul Krongold

Belinda Lim

Margaret Littledale Tutton

Alison Loftus-Hill

David MacDonald

Dr Maureen Mackay

Robert Benjamin Mackey

Katherine Jane Mactier

Rita Anversa Magris

Brian and Katherine Mander

Mary Alice Mann

Lynette Mary Manzie

June Masson

Hubert Frances and

Margaret Mary McCarthy

Graeme and Lorraine McClymont

Allan Norman McNicol

Graham Avery Menzies

Frances and Kiril Miltenov

Marita Therese Mulcahy

Marjorie May Murdoch

Michael Lloyd Niall

Rex Arthur Oxnam

Leslie Charles Parkinson

Bruce Pearson

Domenico Romeo Pertile

Veronica Choo Neo Png

Family of Duncan Powers

Lindsay G Quinn

William Clifford (Peter) Rawlins

Paula and Alexander Reinders

Margaret Rickard

Anthony Carmel Saccasan

Grace Saunders

Elaine and Charlotte Seccull

Alan Selwyn

Leslie Alfred Shapland

Carl and June Simpson

Maria (Lina) Concetta Sinelli

Keatha Maude Stebbins

Brian J Sutton FRCNA

Bella Taft

Margaret Joan Titulaer

Noel William Turner

Hugh Lauder Wallace

Betty Geddes Wood

Mioko Wood, Author and Teacher

Secondiano Zanon

Cabrini Health

181 -183 Wattletree Road

Malvern Victoria 3144

T: (03) 9508 1222

W: cabrini.com.au