Stanford Hospital is using an AI-based model that predicts when a patient is declining and flags the patient's physicians and nurses. The alert system helps clinicians connect more efficiently and effectively as well as intervene to prevent patients from deteriorating and landing in the intensive care unit, said Ron Li, MD, a clinical associate professor of medicine and medical informatics director for digital health. Li is the senior author of the study by Stanford Medicine that shows the potential of AI as a facilitator of connection between doctors and nurses. In a news update with Stanfor ..read more

Age-related and contractual factors have been found to be stronger drivers of the UK’s National Health Service hospital clinical staff retention compared to organisational factors in a new study published in BMJ Open. Rather than applying a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, staff retention efforts need to be tailored to age and profession, the study suggests. Much better reward systems are needed to boost staff retention and ensure sustainability amid increasing demand for health care and an aging workforce, the authors suggest. To explore the range of factors informing healthcare professionals ..read more

HESTA has announced nine finalists for the 2024 HESTA Australian Nursing & Midwifery Awards. Among the finalists are a nurse from the Northern Territory, who opened the first private nurse practitioners’ general practice in her community after the only medical clinic closed; a midwife from Victoria, who created the nation’s first stillbirth support guide for Aboriginal families; and a Queensland-based organisation that developed a new approach to diagnosing and treating Hepatitis C. HESTA CEO Debby Blakey congratulated the finalists. “We owe a great deal to our nurses, midwives and the or ..read more

GenesisCare has officially opened its new $35 million cancer centre on the Northern Beaches with expanded services, including a new radiation therapy offering and access to clinical trials for eligible patients. Patients are already accessing the evidence-based, personalised services offered by GenesisCare’s doctors in the new four-storey facility including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, haematology and immunotherapy. Pathology services operated by NSW Health Pathology are also available and diagnostic imaging will be offered soon. GenesisCare’s General Manager of NSW, Richard Briggs, said ..read more

Calvary has partnered with Salesforce to build a digital platform aimed at transforming connectivity across the business and ultimately enhancing the experience of its patients, clients, residents, donors and staff. The Calvary Care System is designed to provide a seamless healthcare experience for people, enabling access to appropriate care in the place where an individual wants or needs to be. The digital platform aims to improve the customer experience for Calvary clients, residents and patients as they transition from one service to another, while staff will be able to more efficiently ad ..read more

When Anam Cara — a Geelong-based not-for-profit community service supporting people with life-limiting illness — outgrew its previous four-bedroom facility, its vision for the future was clear. To challenge traditional hospice designs and build “something very special” for the community. From the beginning of the project more than six years ago, the team at Tectura Architects worked closely with the Anam Cara team to collaborate with the ACHG board staff, families, community organisations, volunteers, specialists and the builder, Nicholson Construction, to bring the project to life — the ..read more

Victoria has seen a 34% increase in digital health startups in the past year, according to the latest data from commercialisation firm ANDHealth. Investment and support from the Victorian Government for digital health programs like LaunchVic, ACTIVATE and the Victorian Connected Health Innovation and Commercialisation Centre (CHICC) are helping startups access regulatory guidance and funding to advance to commercialisation. $20m+ raised These programs have seen over 1200 representatives of Victorian digital health companies participate and develop their technology to address some of Victoria ..read more

One day, an hour after the final call for visitors to leave, Professor Sue Matthews — now CEO of Royal Women’s Hospital — found a man by his wife’s bedside in the gynaecology ward she was working at. After asking the man politely to leave, Matthews noticed he had tears in his eyes. “My wife and I have just spent seven years and $35,000 trying to obtain the dream we just lost. You want me to leave her to grieve alone?” he said. It was in reference to the dilation and curettage procedure his wife had just endured following a miscarriage. The moment struck an emotional chord with Matthews, who v ..read more

The Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) has released the (primary health network) PHN Strategy (2023–24) outlining the crucial role the networks play in supporting health reform. The document clarifies the purpose, objective and key functions of the PHNs, highlighting how they drive local innovation to meet specific local health needs and supporting consistent local delivery of national and co-commissioned programs. PHN audit report and recommendations The release follows the Australian National Audit Office’s (ANAO’s) audit into the Effectiveness of the Department of Health and Aged C ..read more

Researchers have developed a new imaging method that may enable a dermatologist to scan the skin with a non-invasive ‘virtual biopsy’ to determine if it contains any cancerous cells. Similarly, the method may allow surgeons trying to determine whether they have removed all of a breast tumour to eventually rely on an image captured during surgery rather than wait for a pathologist to process the excised tissue. Developed by Stanford Medicine researchers, the method uses lasers to penetrate tissue and create a high-resolution, three-dimensional reconstruction of the cells it contains. From this ..read more