ISSUE 12 : december [ 2007 ]
the official Newsletter
of the Children,
Youth and Women’s
Health Service
Self hypnosis trial provides relief in labour
Siobhan Fleetwood, pictured here with Poppy and Charlie. Photo by The Advertiser
The anaesthesia research team at the
Women’s and Children’s Hospital is
looking for participants to take part
in a trial to see whether hypnosis can
help pregnant women have a more
comfortable labour and childbirth.
Hypnotherapist Dr Celia Whittle, who is
assisting with the trial, said hypnosis appears
to be an every-day state of mind we drift in
and out of for a few seconds, many times
each day when daydreaming, meditating
or under intense concentration.
The Hypnosis Antenatal Training for
Childbirth (HATCh) trial will involve 450
mothers who are between 34 and 38 weeks
pregnant and who are planning a normal
birth.
Women participating in the HATCh trial will
be divided into three groups – two groups
will be taught self hypnosis techniques
in addition to their usual preparation for
childbirth, while women in the control group
will be asked to continue their childbirth
preparation as usual.
Senior Consultant Anaesthetists Dr Allan
Cyna and Dr Marion Andrew, in consultation
with researchers in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
at the University of Adelaide, have designed
the trial to investigate whether learning self
hypnosis in late pregnancy is an effective
and safe technique to help prepare women
for childbirth.
“Previous research suggests that antenatal
self hypnosis may help relieve pain and
anxiety, reduce drug use, and increase the
incidence of spontaneous vaginal birth,”
Dr Cyna said.
“If self hypnosis training for childbirth turns
out to be effective, we will be in a position
to consider this as a clinical option in other
hospitals,” Dr Whittle said.
The trial, which began in January 2006, has
so far recruited 232 participants but more
women are needed to participate before the
study can be completed.
Siobhan Fleetwood signed up for the trial
when she was pregnant with her second
child, Poppy.
“My first labour with my son Charlie was
difficult and quite traumatic so I was
feeling anxious about my next childbirth
experience,” Siobhan said.
“I heard about the trial during one of my
yoga classes and I decided to take part after
hearing about hypnosis and how it can assist
with pain relief in labour.
“My second childbirth was a breeze
compared to my first. I would recommend
self hypnosis to any mother in late pregnancy.
It was the best thing I could have done.”
Dr Cyna said any benefits of the trial are
currently unknown as the results cannot be
analysed until the trial is completed.
For more information about the trial, please
contact the Hypnosis Antenatal Training for
Childbirth (HATCh) team on 8161 8419 or
visit our website www.hatch-trial.org
Celebrating
Service Excellence
With the red carpet rolled out, a sea of
elegantly dressed people swarmed into
the Adelaide Convention Centre on
9 November to celebrate at the 2007
Service Excellence Awards Gala Dinner.
Read more on Page 4.
From the Chief Executive
Excellence in service delivery
BY THE HON CAROLYN PICKLES,
CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
As Chair of the Board, my focus is firmly
on improving health outcomes for the
children, young people and women of
South Australia.
I believe that as a Health Service, we can
celebrate the significant contribution we make
to this across the State.
However, it is easy to forget that women and
children in many other countries do not enjoy
access to services in the same way that we do.
In this issue, our last for 2007, we profile
some of the fantastic staff who make
this organisation what it is. Without such
dedicated people, it is impossible for us
to provide excellence in health care and
improved health for the children, young
people and women of South Australia.
The staff profiled are just a snapshot of
those nominated for the 2007 Service
Excellence Awards. Under this year’s
program, 116 people or teams were
nominated, a testament to the dedication
and quality of our staff.
Throughout the year, many of our staff have
responded outstandingly to our increased
focus on safety and quality. There have
been many staff from across the region
concertedly working to ensure the processes,
systems and environment in which we
provide care and services to our patients and
clients are of the highest quality.
I recently had the opportunity to host a
delegation from China’s National Population
and Family Planning Commission who visited
us to gain a greater understanding of our
expertise, experience and approach to the
delivery of family and maternal health services.
In recent years, the Chinese government has
initiated a process of reforming its approach
to population and family planning. During their
visit we provided them with an overview of
just a few of our important services including
our Universal and Family Home Visiting
Program, the wonderful Parent Helpline and,
importantly, our position on patient rights and
responsibilities.
The excellent manner in which CYWHS staff
deliver services was highlighted at the 2007
Service Excellence Awards Gala dinner, held in
early November.
I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate
all of the staff nominated for awards through
this program. It was pleasing that such a large
number of people attended the dinner to see
the winners announced and enjoy a good night
out with their peers.
Thank you for a wonderful year, and on behalf
of the CYWHS Board, I’d like to wish you and
your families a safe and happy Christmas.
Campaign puts breastfeeding
under the spotlight
“Mothers also benefit from breastfeeding
as it reduces the chances of breast cancer
development and assists in recovery following
childbirth. In addition to the day to day
benefits of breastfeeding, these health benefits
are cumulative, so the longer a mum
breastfeeds, the greater the benefits.
The ways in which we provide care and
services were recently surveyed by the
Australian Council on Health Care Standards
(ACHS).
The ACHS conduct accreditation for
most health care facilities in Australia.
Participation in the accreditation process
is voluntary but all organisations that
participate are required to demonstrate a
progressive journey of quality improvement
in all areas across their organisation.
“Apart from these health benefits,
breastfeeding is a really important way of
strengthening the bond and attachment
between mother and baby.”
More than 80 percent of babies are breastfed
when they leave hospital but that number
drops significantly once the family returns
home. By six months of age, fewer than
25 percent of babies are breastfed.
Whilst we are not expecting to receive the
final report from the ACHS until next year,
preliminary feedback from the surveyors was
extremely encouraging.
During the week of the survey all
the surveyors were impressed by the
commitment of staff and management to
continuous quality improvement throughout
the region to ensure safe and appropriate
care is provided to the children, young
people and women of South Australia.
“We support the World Health Organisation’s
recommendations that women should aim to
breastfeed for at least 12 months. However,
we know that to do this breastfeeding mothers
need support.
“Partners, family and friends have a significant
role to play in encouraging and supporting
mothers to keep breastfeeding. In addition,
many women look to return to work around
this time and workplaces can assist by doing
what they can to support breastfeeding
mothers in the workplace.
Specifically, they highlighted the information
systems that are in place to ensure all staff
across the region are able to access the
organisation’s policies and processes.
They also acknowledged the outstanding
collaborative working relationships, and the
leadership that South Australia demonstrates
in child, family and community health.
These comments are testament to the
outstanding and ongoing effort from all
staff, and particularly those from the Clinical
Governance Unit who coordinated the
accreditation process.
Rima Staugas
Chief Executive
THE HON CAROLYN PICKLES with jani baker
at the service excellence awards
The benefits of breastfeeding for longer
were promoted in a community awareness
campaign which aired in September.
Developed by the Centre for Health Promotion
with assistance from the Communication and
Public Relations Unit, the campaign urged
families to ‘breastfeed for longer as every
month is a bonus’.
This message was carried across the State
in television, radio, print and outdoor
advertisements, as well as on posters and
postcards in GP Clinics and across other health
services.
Tracy Buchanan, Program Manager for Infant
and Maternal Health with the Centre for
Health Promotion said the campaign promoted
two key themes - that breastfeeding gets
easier over time, and the important role
that partners and families play in women
breastfeeding.
“Breastfeeding can be difficult at first, and we
wanted to let mothers know that they’re not
alone with this, that it does get easier, and
give them some encouragement to continue
for as long as they can,” she said.
“We know breastfed babies have a reduced
risk of suffering from gastrointestinal and
respiratory tract illness and are less likely
to become obese as adults.
Positive feedback was received on the
campaign with a significant increase in people
seeking more information on breastfeeding
from www.cyh.com.
More than 2500 people viewed the
advertisement on www.youtube.com
leaving comments like “I really like the catch
phrase for this ad, ‘every month is a bonus’;
it encourages those who prematurely wean at
six months or whatever to just try one more
month, which could lead to one more and
one more, etc; it also encourages those who
are longer term BF-ers to just keep going, and
perhaps allow the child to decide when to
wean”.
Family Home Visiting Program
Expanded
“The Generational Health Review told us that
we must focus more on primary health care
and on breaking down inequity in health care –
and that’s exactly what this program does.
“It is one of the State Government’s most
significant health programs; it really is about
giving our children the best possible start to
life.”
The Family Home Visiting Program is part of
the Every Chance for Every Child initiative, a
program introduced three years ago, under the
philosophy that every child deserves a chance –
and parents deserve support to help them give
that chance to their baby.
A CYWHS nurse visits most families in the
weeks following the birth of a new baby to do
a health check. At that visit parenting needs
are assessed with the family, and all young
mothers under 20 years and Aboriginal families
are immediately given the opportunity to
participate in the program.
Mum Jules with Jamila, Metao and Nurse Cathy Sant. Photo by The Advertiser
More South Australian families with
newborn babies will benefit from extra
support following the expansion of the
Family Home Visiting program.
Health Minister John Hill said each year more
than 1000 families are seen by nurses from
CYWHS under the Family Home Visiting
Program.
The $2.4 million expansion including the
western suburbs completes the final roll out of
the program across the metropolitan area. The
program also operates in a number of regional
areas.
“This is an outstanding and incredibly valuable
service to families who have particular needs
or difficulties in the first few years of their new
baby’s life,” he said.
In addition, if the nurse assesses the family
would benefit from some additional support,
there is potential for them to be enrolled in the
Family Home Visiting Program
Manager of Family Support Services Nan Davies
says the Family Home Visiting program aims
to establish a partnership between the nurse
and the family, where the nurse can provide
important nursing and child development
information specific to the needs of that family.
“The nurse visits each family up to 34 times
before the child’s second birthday and develops
a strong relationship with them. They work
closely with the family to overcome any
parenting challenges they may face”, she said.
“In recent years, an increasing amount of
research evidence has shown us that the right
kind of support in the first few years of life can
significantly improve long term outcomes for
children.”
The Cernovskis are one of many families
to benefit from the Family Home Visiting
program.
“We moved to South Australia from
Queensland just before Jamila was born, and
I am so grateful for the support from this
program,” Jules Cernovski said.
“The program has benefited us in so many
ways, especially as we have been so socially
isolated with no extended family around to
give us moral support.
“You have the confidentiality of a person
coming once a week or once a fortnight. Cathy
ended up becoming a friend and has helped us
with many things including behavioural issues
and sleeping problems,” Jules said.
Research into ‘fat eggs’ wins
Young Investigator Award
The eighth annual Young Investigator of the
Year award was announced at the Adelaide
Convention Centre in late October.
The three finalists presented their research to
an audience of around 190 who included the
Minster for Science, The Hon Paul Caica, SA
Chief Scientist Prof Max Brennan and Women’s
and Children’s Hospital Foundation Chairman
Mr Nicholas Begakis AM.
Topics covering areas such as ‘fat eggs’, ‘gut
damage in cancer patients’ and ‘eating disorders
and the media’ kept the audience on their seats.
After much eager anticipation by the
audience, Cadence Minge from Obstetrics and
Gynaecology at the University of Adelaide was
announced as the Young Investigator of the
Year for her discovery of scientific evidence
that high-fat diets can contribute to infertility
in obese women.
Together with this prestigious title, Cadence
received $12,500 in prizes, presented to her by
the Minister for Science, the Hon. Paul Caica and
CYWHS Board Chair, the Hon. Carolyn Pickles.
Congratulations go to all 21 researchers who
entered the Award this year and especially to
the three finalists. Here’s a snapshot of their
research.
Why fat eggs are a key factor
in infertility in obese women
University of Adelaide’s Cadence Minge’s
research confirmed that consuming a diet high
in fat causes damage to eggs stored in female
ovaries. As a result, when fertilised, these
eggs are not able to undergo normal, healthy
development into embryos.
By studying this in mice, the PhD student has
also discovered a way to completely reverse
the effects of obesity enabling afflicted eggs
to develop into healthy embryos, completely
reversing the effects due to the obesity.
Ms Minge believes these findings emphasise
the importance of a healthy lifestyle for women
interested in conceiving children naturally and
she hopes they encourage people to carefully
consider the impact of lifestyle choices on
longer-term quality of life.
Eating disorders and the media
Flinders University researcher Dr Simon Wilksch
has designed a program to empower teenagers
to recognise, analyse and challenge unrealistic
body images often presented in the media and
advertising.
Trialled with year 8 students, the series of eight
lessons focused on interactive learning activities
and class discussions with the aim of educating
students about the unrealistic body imagery that
is portrayed in the popular media.
Dr Wilksch believes the research findings indicate
that prevention programs may be required
for girls at a younger age, for example preadolescence, and that boys definitely benefit
from involvement in such a program. This is
important because boys are often not included
in eating disorder prevention programs, while
girls often do not receive such programs until
they have completed high-school and are already
showing problematic eating attitudes and
behaviours.
Reducing gut damage in cancer patients
Women’s and Children’s Hospital researcher
Dr Katie Tooley has applied a newly developed
and innovative non-invasive breath test to
detect damage to the small intestine caused by
chemotherapy treatment in children with cancer.
Damage to this small intestine can lead to
postponement of chemotherapy treatment
and a reduction in drug dosage, leading to a
poorer quality of treatment for cancer sufferers.
However the 13C-sucrose breath test (SBT),
can now detect this damage.
Dr Tooley said that the SBT is also effective in
detecting damage sustained by the gut due
to different chemotherapy drugs. It can also
successfully monitor the effects of a particular
probiotic, Streptococcus thermophilus, in the
reduction of chemotherapy-induced gut damage
in rats.
“The future use of the SBT is exciting; it enables
us to monitor intestinal health in patients on
a course of chemotherapy and also measure
the effectiveness of potential treatments
for mucositis, a common side effect of
chemotherapy,” she said.
Thank you to: Platinum Sponsor - Children,
Youth and Women’s Health Service; Gold
Sponsor - Women’s and Children’s Hospital
Foundation; Silver Sponsors – University of
Adelaide, University of South Australia and
Flinders University; Supporting Sponsor –
Women’s and Children’s Health Research
Institute; and Media Sponsor – Channel 9.
The three finalists. From left,
Dr Katie Tooley, Cadence Minge and
Dr Simon Wilksch
Celebrating excellence at the 2007 Service Exc
Close to 400 of our staff, family and friends came together to recognise the fantastic work
and commitment over the past 12 months, and to congratulate not just the award recipients
but the 116 individuals/groups who were nominated as part of the awards program.
Translating research into better diagnosis and
new treatments
Award recipients spanned the entire health service and each demonstrated a high level of
excellence, engagement and a commitment to service improvement.
Reaching women in
a culturally sensitive
manner
Wide engagement
through online
learning
Rene Weal, Project Officer from Women’s
Health Statewide was acknowledged for her
outstanding contribution to the Female Genital
Mutilation program (FGM), which has reached
many women through its 10 year history.
Lyn Dean, Acting Executive Director Acute
Services presented the award for ‘Excellence in
teaching and innovation’. This award recognises
individuals and teams who demonstrate
outstanding teaching ability and introduce
innovative methods or strategies that contribute
to improving working knowledge and practices.
Rene received the award for ‘Excellence in
illness prevention, health promotion and early
intervention’.
Executive Director Strategic Development
and Management, Susan Pettifer said Rene
has successfully conducted the statewide
FGM program. The program included
educational programs, health promotion, case
management, advocacy, professional training,
consultancy and networking to ensure female
genital mutilation ceases.
“Rene works to establish strong and
respectful relationships based on integrity with
communities from Africa, Asia and Middle
Eastern countries,” she said. “Her work with
peer educators from these communities ensures
that social and health programs are culturally
appropriate and effective.”
The judging panel was particularly impressed
with one of the programs - a gym program
- that fosters social connections between the
women and helps them to increase their fitness
and confidence.
Nominated for their cutting edge approach,
Sandy Cleghorn, Richard Sprod and the
e-learning team developed a web-based
resource to aid regional and rural clinicians
treating children with cancer.
Ms Dean said the project has been strongly
guided by key stakeholder evaluation. “The
result has been the development of a secure
web-based learning community that will
engage rural healthcare providers. This
engagement ensures they will be part of
the caring team throughout the treatment
journey for the child and their family.”
The pilot is due for completion in May 2008
and is being developed by a very positive team
of people including medical and nursing staff in
the Haematology/ Oncology Unit and graphic
and programming staff from the Centre for
Education and Training and the Digital Media
team.
John Damin and the Epilepsy Research Group
The award for ‘Excellence in research’ recognises
individuals and teams who, through their high
quality research, which includes population,
social, epidemiological, laboratory and clinical
research, contribute to achieving the vision and
mission of our Health Service.
The award for this category was presented to
the Epilepsy Research Group by John Damin,
Executive Director Corporate Services.
Mr Damin said the Epilepsy Research Group
has earned a strong international reputation
for advancing the knowledge of genetics of
epilepsy. They have discovered approximately
half of the known epilepsy genes, and as a
commercial group have established productive
Dr Gill Bricher received the award for ‘Excellence
in quality and integrated services’ from
Gail Mondy, Executive Director Primary and
Population Health.
Lyn Dean and the E-learning Team
“They have led gene discovery research
since 1995 when the first epilepsy gene was
discovered at the Women’s and Children’s
Hospital,“ he said.
“The team is led by Associate Professor John
Mulley and their work immediately translates
into laboratory testing and provides insights
into the causes of seizures to enable the
development of new treatments.
“This team’s research outcomes are making a
real impact of better diagnostic and treatment
protocols.”
Continuous clinical improvements
This award recognises individuals and teams
who demonstrate an outstanding achievement
in patient safety, quality improvement and/or
effective service integration and coordination.
Susan Pettifer with Rene Weal and
Arefa Mohamoud
relationships with commercial and charitable
entities.
Ms Mondy spoke about Gill’s work which
includes establishing the Acute Pain Service
and her strong track record in continuous
improvement in clinical service and safety issues.
“This is exemplified by her recently developed
resource - Safe use of opioid pain relief
standard,” she said.
“Gill works collaboratively with multidisciplinary
teams and is involved in education and
treatments. She presents at interstate and
overseas conferences and is acknowledged by
her peers to be an expert in her field.”
Gail Mondy with Gill Bricher
Encouraging Aboriginal people to use our Health Service
Nominations were received from many areas
in Aboriginal health across the Health Service
this year. The judging panel found it difficult to
separate the merits of two particular teams.
Tracy Carroll, Acting Regional Director Nursing
and Midwifery announced the joint winners at
the Gala celebrations. Yvonne Clark and Rob Hall
from the Mary Street Program, and the Aboriginal
Burns Team were awarded for ‘Excellence in
improving the health of Aboriginal children,
young people and women’.
Tracy Carroll with members of the
Aboriginal Burns and Mary Street
teams
Ms Carroll said: “The Mary Street program
focuses on young Aboriginal sexual offenders and
takes an early intervention approach towards the
offender taking responsibility for their actions.
Yvonne and Rob’s approach is to work with the
offender and their family to help stop the cycle of
abuse.”
“Yvonne and Rob work in partnership to
encourage and engage people in the service.
The strength of the Mary Street program is based
on the inclusive reference group of Aboriginal
community members and Elders, service providers,
the courts and SA Police,” she said.
Ms Carroll spoke about the work of the Aboriginal
Burns Team, which is an initiative of Burns SA, a
partnership with the Royal Adelaide Hospital and
our Health Service. “The team was nominated
due to their outstanding example of adopting an
integrated service approach for burns education
and prevention for Aboriginal people,” she said.
The team consists of Sarah McRae, Kurt Towers
and Linda Quinn. “They work closely with key
stakeholders in the Aboriginal community and
provide essential information regarding burns
education and prevention in communities,
advocacy, and cultural appreciation training in our
workforce. A major focus has been the education
about management of burn wounds when people
return to their communities,” Ms Carroll said.
“Their work complements the Aboriginal Health
Strategy by ensuring the program is delivered in a
holistic manner with cultural respect.”
cellence Awards Gala Night
Strong partnerships with volunteers
Valuing and
respecting
Chief Executive’s
Prize
‘Excellence in community, consumer or carer
involvement’ was a strongly contested category.
This award acknowledges individuals and teams
who demonstrate excellence in engaging with
the community, consumers or carers to improve
health services and health outcomes.
Executive Director Clinical Governance,
Education and Research, Phil Robinson
presented Vesna Petiq with the award for
‘Demonstrated commitment to the values
of the CYWHS’.
Chief Executive, Dr Rima Staugas announced
the winner of her inaugural Chief Executive’s
Prize as Sarah McRae from Paediatric Surgery.
Presented by Gail Mondy, Executive Director
Primary and Population Health, Rae Plush
received this award for her dedication and
professional management of community
volunteers and friends of Child and Youth
Health.
for developing a partnership with TAFE SA which
formally recognises the training of volunteers,”
Ms Mondy said.
She spoke of Rae’s ability to establish
partnerships with other agencies, especially in
country areas, which has meant that volunteers
in the rural and remote areas are supported:
“These initiatives have realised an increase in
volunteer numbers to the organisation, at a
time when other organisations are experiencing
difficulties in recruiting.”
“Rae has developed a variety of partnerships
to strengthen the support to volunteers and
families in the community. She is congratulated
Dr Staugas described Sarah as an inspirational
clinical leader and role model.
This award recognises individuals and teams
who consistently display the CYWHS values in
the way they behave and interact with clients,
partners and each other.
“Sarah is a strong and focussed professional
who is proud to be a nurse and work as part
of the innovative CYWHS team,“ she said.
Mr Robinson said Vesna is a highly valued team
member of the Biochemical Genetics Section in
the Department of Genetic Medicine.
“Sarah was selected from the nominees
across all categories for this prize due to
her exceptional contribution to the CYWHS
strategic direction.”
“Vesna receives accolades from her line
managers for her outstanding customer
focussed service for patients of the metabolic
clinic and their families. She is the face of our
Health Service for these patients and their
parents, and understands and respects their
differing needs and is respectful in the way she
deals with people,“ Mr Robinson said.
“Vesna always goes the extra mile for the
clinical and laboratory staff that she works
with, providing them with support and respect.
“This award acknowledges that Vesna’s respect
and demonstrated values are the way that we
strive to deliver excellence.”
Rima Staugas and Sarah McRae
Gail Mondy with Rae Plush
Phil Robinson and Vesna Petiq
Three winners acknowledged for exceptional teamwork and collaboration
Chief Executive, Dr Rima Staugas presented
three winners for the category of ‘Exceptional
teamwork and collaboration’. This award
recognises individuals and teams who
demonstrate excellence in partnerships,
collaboration and/or multidisciplinary team
work. It was a hotly contested category
with 53 nominations.
The joint winners were: Christine Shetliffe,
Manager of Country North region of Child
and Family Health; Behavioral Intervention
Services, CAMHS; and Jani Baker, Director
Communication and Public Relations.
Dr Staugas said that Christine faces many
challenges in her role as Manager of Country
North region. These include a vast area
to cover; the cultural and socio-economic
diversity of clients, and recruitment and team
communication issues.
“Chris’ exceptional support and ongoing
encouragement has resulted in a cohesive and
effective team. Her collaborative work with
hospitals, Aboriginal agencies and other remote
and rural services greatly assist the development
of services within country areas,” said Dr Staugas.
Dr Staugas congratulated the Behavioural
Intervention Service team for their respectful
work with children and young people who have
long standing challenging behaviours.
”The Behavioural Intervention Service includes
clinical and education staff who work tirelessly
to ensure programs developed are engaging
and ensure a positive experience for the young
people,” Dr Staugas said.
“The team works collaboratively with young
people, their carers, schools and other agencies
to maximise positive outcomes. The team often
deals with very aggressive behaviour, and their
strong team commitment helps them stay
positive.”
Jani Baker was congratulated by Dr Staugas
for her exceptional collaboration when working
with the many clinical and primary health care
units of our Health Service. Dr Staugas said:
“Jani’s style of collaboration, her respect and
accountability are openly displayed whether she
is interacting with executive, senior managers,
her own staff, other CYWHS employees, or
consumers.”
“Her ability to work under pressure helps us
to achieve positive outcomes, especially at times
when the media has been involved.”
the Hon Carolyn Pickles with Chris Shetliffe, Jani Baker and the Behavioural
Intervention Service team
New cadetship program
creates opportunities
The program can take anywhere between
12 months and two years to complete,
depending on the length of the study
component.
The cadets, who all currently live in the
Adelaide metropolitan area, are from a range
of Aboriginal kinship connections on the
Yorke Peninsula, Western NSW, Adelaide and
the West Coast. They went through a series
of information sessions, applications and
interviews to be accepted into the program.
“Being the first time we have offered this
program the level of interest from potential
applicants was very high,” Marjorie said.
“We are so pleased to see so many people
within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
community taking an interest in working in
health care.
Greater job opportunities for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people are on
offer thanks to the new CYWHS Aboriginal
Cadetship Program.
The program, a training and work experience
initiative aimed at recruiting Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people to the CYWHS,
commenced in August with nine cadets
beginning their work placements within various
areas of our Health Service.
Made possible through a partnership with the
Department of Further Education, Employment,
Science and Technology CareerStart SA
program, Department of Health’s Aboriginal
Health Division and numerous Divisions within
CYWHS, the program is targeted at all ages
and works to fulfil the CYWHS’ commitment to
the South Australian Strategic Plan.
“Furthermore, it is a learning experience for the
CYWHS as this type of student placement and
training combination is new to the region.”
Marjorie Stroud, Project Officer and Service
Development Consultant for the program,
believes the program will benefit the cadets
by providing work experience and training and
assist CYWHS with such a unique collaborative
model.
Located in a range of areas including CAMHS
and Child and Family Health Services, each of
the cadets will undertake a mix of work and
study, with the aim of completing a Certificate
4 health-focused qualification. Four cadets have
commenced their Enrolled Nursing training
and will be undertaking their work placements
in Aged Care agencies and then following up
with placements and work in the Paediatric
wards in the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
“We believe this program will be a successful
form of training and employment for
Aboriginal people in the key CYWHS core
business units,” Marjorie said.
“CYWHS is taking an important step with this
program and giving these young people the
opportunity to make their mark in the Health
Service.
“It also gives us an opportunity to promote
CYWHS as an employer of choice to Aboriginal
and Torres Strait people and encourages them
to undertake studies in health and gain on-thejob skills and experience. This, in turn, will help
ensure that our services are culturally accessible
and responsive to the needs of the Aboriginal
communities in South Australia.”
Premature babies
helped by repeat
steroids
Yarrow Place takes
lead role in forensic
medicine
A major international study published
in the New England Journal of Medicine
has shown benefits for premature babies
of giving their pregnant mothers repeat
doses of corticosteroids.
Yarrow Place Rape and Sexual Assault
Service continues to play a key role in the
development of Forensic Medicine across
South Australia.
“The network has really brought us together
as a profession making it easier to know where
to go to for advice and information on specific
issues,” Lyndall said.
With only a small number of Forensic Medical
officers in the state, Yarrow Place saw a
need and took the opportunity to establish
the Adelaide Forensic Group and develop a
Forensic Medicine GP Trainee Attachment
Program.
The GP Trainee Attachment program also
aims to increase the understanding of forensic
medicine across the State. In the last two
years, six GP registrars have spent one day per
week, for up to 12 weeks, increasing their
understanding and knowledge of forensic
medicine, with a focus on sexual assault.
The study, led by University of Adelaide
researchers, is now at the two-year follow-up
stage. It has shown no harm from repeat doses
of corticosteroids given to mothers at ongoing
risk of very premature birth (before 32 weeks).
At two years of age, the children are showing
no adverse effects from the corticosteroids.
Study leader Professor Caroline Crowther,
who is based at the Women’s and Children’s
Hospital and heads the Australian Research
Centre for Health of Women and Babies, said
the initial results of the trial showed that repeat
doses of corticosteroids reduced breathing and
other respiratory problems in the premature
babies. These babies were also less likely
to have other serious health problems than
babies whose mothers did not receive repeat
corticosteroids. There had been concern that
such treatments could inhibit the babies’ later
growth and development.
“Our new results show that at two years old
the children born to mothers who were given
repeat corticosteroids were no more likely to
have health or development problems than
those born to women who weren’t given the
repeat doses,” Professor Crowther said.
“There were no differences seen between
the study treatment groups for body size
measurements of weight, height and head
circumference.
“Our recommendation from these latest results
is that given the clear early health benefits,
without harm, repeat corticosteroids can be
considered beneficial where women are still
at risk of very pre-term birth, a week or more
after the first course of corticosteroids.”
The study, known as the Australasian
Collaborative Trial of Repeat Doses of Steroids
(ACTORDS), is the largest in the world to date,
with 982 women and their babies recruited,
and involving 23 hospitals in Australia and New
Zealand. The two year follow up assessed 1047
(96 percent) of the children involved in the trial.
The children were seen by a paediatrician and
a developmental psychologist who assessed
vision and hearing, their developmental
milestones, body size, blood pressure,
behaviour and general health.
The next step in the study, now funded by the
NHMRC, is the early school age follow up for
the children enrolled in the ACTORDS trial.
Yarrow Place doctor, Lyndall Young, believes
both initiatives have been invaluable in
increasing collaboration, networking and
improving the knowledge of these critical
professionals.
“Many of us had been working in the forensic
medicine field for years and had limited
professional contact, so the establishment of
the Forensic Network has given us a chance to
network and also find out more about each
others’ specialities”, she said.
“The meetings provide a forum to discuss
case studies and improve our knowledge.
There are some extremely knowledgeable and
unique members of the network - forensic
odontologists, toxicologists and forensic
pathologists.
“We’ve heard personal accounts of forensic
work at the 2004 Tsunami, discussed forensic
medical elements of criminal investigations,
looked at the scenario of drug-facilitated sexual
assaults and have been briefed on proposed
changes to the sexual assault legislation.
“We believed there was a need to build
the capacity and understanding of forensic
medicine in the general practice community,
with specific reference to sexual assault,”
Lyndall said.
“Some of the GPs involved in the program are
from regional areas, and during their time with
us they are present during examinations, spend
time with the Child Protection Unit and also
visit the Sexual Crimes Investigation Branch of
the SA Police finding out more about their role.
“After the 12 weeks they leave with a far
greater understanding of forensic medicine
and the importance of an appropriate medical
response and evidence collection following
sexual assaults. This practical knowledge can
only help them to more effectively manage any
assaults reported to them in Adelaide and rural;
and regional areas,” she said.
Our little ‘miracle’ baby
Every baby is someone’s little miracle
but for little Tayah Louise Porter it is
especially true. She was delivered, healthy
and without complications on Tuesday
13 November despite her proud parents
having their own medical hurdles to
overcome.
Twenty-four-year-old Tamara Jungfer has
Cerebral Palsy and partner Damien Porter,
29, has Diastrophic Dwarfism. Both have
been long-term patients at the Women’s and
Children’s Hospital.
Tamara and Damien wanted to make sure that
they could conceive a healthy baby before they
began focussing on starting a family so they
underwent a series of medical tests.
“We were so relieved when our doctors
ensured us that the chances of our daughter
suffering from either Cerebral palsy or
Diastrophic Dwarfism like her parents was
slim,” Tamara said.
“We have been told that Tayah is a carrier of
the Diastrophic Dwarfism gene but does not
have the condition herself. She is perfect in
every way, and we couldn’t have asked for
more than that.”
The couple’s Clinical Geneticist Dr Lesley
McGregor said that to have Diastrophic
Dwarfism an individual needs two copies of the
abnormal gene, like Damien. As Diastrophic
Dwarfism is a very rare condition, it is very
unlikely that Tamara would also carry a single
‘silent’ copy of the same abnormal gene, so the
risk to Tayah was very low.
“While Tayah must be a silent carrier of the
abnormal gene, she would need to have a
child with someone who also carries the same
abnormal gene for their child to be born with
it,” Dr McGregor said.
Damien and Tamara met through wheelchair
sports five years ago but it wasn’t until tragedy
struck that the two got together.
they couldn’t conceive naturally so they sought
advice and medical support from Repromed.
The couple went through a fertility process
called Intrauterine Insemination, a procedure
where selected sperm are placed in the uterus
at the time of ovulation.
For five months, the couple experienced
several failed pregnancy attempts and hope
of conceiving began to waver. “Each time the
procedure failed, our hope of ever having a
child began to fade,” Tamara said.
“We learnt not to get our hopes up because
it just became too much to take when we
received bad news. Our relationship was
buckling under the stress, and we were just
about ready to give up.”
But on the fifth attempt, the couple fell
pregnant, much to their own surprise.
“When my pregnancy test came back positive, I
took another two tests just to be sure. Even then
I wasn’t convinced so we went to Repromed for
confirmation. We were literally over the moon
when they confirmed that I was pregnant.”
Nine months later, little Tayah Louise was born.
“If it wasn’t for the staff at Repromed and the
many doctors at the Women’s and Children’s
Hospital that reassured us that we could
conceive a healthy baby, we wouldn’t have
Tayah with us now,” Damien said.
Now that Tamara and Damien have their
fairytale ending, they hope their story will
encourage others in a similar situation to not
be afraid to look into starting a family.
Baby Tayah with proud parents Damien and Tamara. Photo by The Advertiser
“Our family is proof that having a disability
doesn’t mean you can’t live life and have the
same rights as other people,” Damien said.
“Sure life is often a challenge, but it’s all worth
it. Look what we have after all the heartbreak we went through – a little bundle of
perfection.”
The couple got engaged not long after moving
in together, and it soon became clear that
The Second Story continues it’s
commitment to young people
The Second Story Youth Health Service
(TSS) is continuing it’s commitment to
working in partnership with young people,
through the establishment of a Youth
Advisory Group (YAG).
Meeting on a monthly basis, the YAG was
established to provide advice on a range
of relevant issues and contribute to health
service planning, decision making and policy
development, ensuring TSS remains relevant
and accessible to the youth sector.
Youth Participation Project Officer, Kelly Harper
believes the establishment of the YAG was a
logical next step for the health service which
has embraced the skills and commitment of
young people for many years through the
development of a range of Peer Educator
programs.
“Giving young people the chance to contribute
to the community with their ideas, energy
and enthusiasm is an important part of youth
participation,” she said.
“TSS is committed to developing partnerships
between young people and adults and the
YAG is one way of doing this. It provides a
forum where their views, ideas, suggestions
and opinions are taken seriously.
“The 11 young people who form the group
take their role seriously as they know they
represent and reflect the needs and views of
their peers.”
Josh Johns, aged 19 is one of the young people
involved in the group, and understands the
responsibility involved in representing other
young people through this forum.
“We’ve had five meetings so far, as well as a
lot of training in areas such as working in a
group, confidentiality, supporting others and
on the processes involved in being on a formal
committee. It wasn’t just a matter of putting
your hand up to be involved, there was a pretty
challenging selection process where we had
to put in an application and attend a panel
interview”, he said.
“I wanted to be involved to help make
decisions about the services that affect us
as young people. This is one way in which I
can give back to the community and to an
organisation which has supported and helped
me so much in the past five years.
“It’s great to see an organisation genuinely
interested in hearing what young people have
to say and to involve them in making decisions.
“At a recent meeting we gave our views on a
range of initiatives and spoke at length on the
focus TSS will be taking into the future, and
these views were taken on board.”
The YAG is a sub group of the CYWHS Peak
Consumer and Community Advisory Group
who report directly to Executive.
Community
Roundtable on Body
celebrates $300,000 Image and Eating
renovation project
Disorder Prevention
A Prevention Forum and Roundtable was
recently held in response to the growing
number of concerns about body image and
eating disorders.
Such concerns were expressed by Adelaide
Thinker in Residence Professor Ilona Kickbusch.
Developed by a multidisciplinary planning group
from the CYWHS, University of South Australia
and Flinders University, Young Women’s
Christian Association, Eating Disorders
Association of SA, Office of Women, Office for
Youth and the Department of Health, the event
included a number of well-known speakers.
Max and Douglas Thornton soak up the bright and fresh atmosphere.
Photo by The Advertiser
Patients at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital
are benefiting from a newly renovated Paediatric
Outpatients Clinic.
The Hospital is once again proud to be
beneficiaries of the generosity of the Christian
Churches of South Australia.
Hundreds of volunteers from a number of South
Australian churches completed the renovation
project valued at $300,000 in just five days.
The South Australian churches successfully
undertook a refit of the Accommodation Block for
families in 2006.
The Clinic, which provides more than 230,000
services to children and their families each year,
has new child friendly waiting areas with new
flooring, furniture, lighting, television sets and
DVD players.
“The Christian Churches of South Australia have
expressed a desire to work towards a long-term
relationship with the Women’s and Children’s
Hospital,” Dr Staugas said.
Chief Executive, Dr Rima Staugas said it was
wonderful to have such committed and wide
ranging support from the Churches of South
Australia.
“My sincere gratitude goes to all the volunteers
from the Christian Churches of South Australia
who helped renovate our Paediatric Outpatients
Clinic,” Dr Staugas said.
“Through their dedicated efforts, the Women’s
and Children’s Hospital now boasts a child friendly
Paediatric Outpatients Clinic.
“The new waiting areas are stunning and bursting
with vibrant colours and child friendly features
designed to appeal to children and families.
“Community support achieves great things. The
Hospital is very fortunate to have established such
a fruitful relationship with the Christian Churches
of South Australia. We look forward to working
with them again in the future.”
Senior Minister of Edge Church International
Ps Danny Guglielmucci said the Christian
Churches of South Australia wanted to provide a
brighter environment for South Australian families
in their time of need.
“It has always been our desire to do something
to serve the community of Adelaide, and through
working with the Women’s and Children’s
Hospital, we have been able to see this happen,”
Ps Danny Guglielmucci said.
“Each area provides a distraction for children and
families awaiting appointments. Many staff and
consumers have provided overwhelming positive
feedback on this upgrade.”
The aims for the session were to develop
guiding principles for future plans targeted at
healthy weight, body image and eating disorder
prevention and early intervention strategies; to
establish common ground and understanding
about healthy weight, body image and eating
disorders; and to identify recommendations for
action. These aims were achieved.
Introducing the forum, Executive Director
Susan Pettifer set the scene with the statistic
from the Mission Australia 2006 survey of
young Australians that body image is the most
concerning issue for young people aged 15 to
19 years and is rated by them as significant as
family conflict.
Sarah Miteff, Dr Edna Bates, Vanessa Raschella
Editorial Statement
Healthy Focus is the official newsletter of the Children, Youth and Women’s Health Service (CYWHS).
It highlights the goal of the CYWHS, to promote, maintain and restore the health
of children, youth and women.
To contribute to Healthy Focus, email [email protected]
“I am very encouraged that initiatives such
as the Roundtable have come to fruition,”
Prof Kickbusch said. “It shows South Australia’s
commitment to being a ‘health in all policies’
global leader.
“Real solutions to problems such as body
image and eating disorders can only flow from
a joined up government approach, partnership
between different sectors of society, and the
involvement of citizens. We must empower
people to make healthy choices by addressing
new types of 21st century health determinants,
such as marketing and celebrity culture.”
In October, current Adelaide Thinker in
Residence Professor Ilona Kickbusch delivered
the third annual CYWHS Oration ‘Will we live
longer than our children?’.
Prof Kickbusch has had a distinguished career
with the World Health Organisation in Geneva
and also at Yale University in the United States.
She now works as an independent global health
consultant based in Switzerland advising the
Swiss Federal Government and World Economic
Forum.
“This is not about individuals, it is much more
complicated. Our health is very much interfaced
with how our societies develop and change.
Regular contributors
Summarising the afternoon, Prof Kickbusch
herself took the floor providing advice on
developing strategic linkages with other
key initiatives including the Healthy Weight
Programs and Health Literacy Alliance.
Oration provides
food for thought
“There is a mismatch between our genes and
how we are set up to live in this world and
interact with our environment,” Prof Kickbusch
said. “Somehow our bodies are not able to deal
with the pressures of society. Strategies to deal
with obesity must address this.
Krista St John (Editor), Jani Baker
”The percentage of young people with eating
disorder behaviour more than doubled in South
Australia between 1995 and 2005, from 4.7
percent to 11 percent,” Dr O’Dea said.
For more information see:
www.cywhs.sa.gov.au
In discussing obesity, Prof Kickbusch pointed out
that the growth of obesity in many countries is
causing a global crisis.
Editorial team
Key note speaker Associate Professor Jenny
O’Dea from the University of Sydney, spoke
about the increase in the number of young
people who often diet excessively or use other
harmful behaviours such as vomiting to try
and reduce their weight.
“Health determinants are influenced by
globalisation and cultural issues, as well as our
genetic profiles. We are a consumer society
and our time-poor demands also determine our
health.
“The rise in obesity correlates with the growth
of supermarkets. We want it quick, convenient
and cheap and to have a certain type of
shopping experience.
WCH Foundation Chairman Mr Nicholas
Begakis AM presents Prof Kickbusch
with a gift of appreciation
“We are made promises through goods which
are never fulfilled,“ Prof Kickbusch said.
To begin to overcome the obesity epidemic she
advocates “making health everyone’s business”,
“making the healthier choice the easier choice”
and “ensuring equity”.
In her own words, “people will only become
thinner when they are included in society”.