St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney
Encyclopedia
St Vincent's Public Hospital, Sydney
is located in the inner city suburb of Darlinghurst
. Though part of the New South Wales state public health system it remains under the auspices of the Sisters of Charity
.
, who had migrated to Sydney in 1838 with a mission to help the poor and disadvantaged. Some of their early work included helping victims of the 1844 influenza
outbreak, and prisoners and their families of the nearby Darlinghurst Gaol
. Three of the Hospital's founding Sisters had trained as professional nurses in France
, and they brought their knowledge to the colony
, establishing a hospital
that was free to all people, but especially for the poor. The original site for the hospital was in the neighbouring suburb of Potts Point
. As demand grew, the establishment was moved to its present location in Darlinghurst in 1870. The hospital celebrated its sesquicentennial birthday in 2007.
The main building that exists today in Victoria Street
was designed by Wardell and Denning and built in 1921 in the Inter-War Free Classical style.
facility
. It has been at the forefront of innovation in areas such as heart
, lung
and bone marrow
transplantation
, being the first hospital in Australia to conduct a heart transplant. The hospital was also the first Australian hospital to implement a successful cardiac transplant programme. The head of the transplant program was Dr Harry Windsor, but the surgeon who conducted the first transplant in 1982 was Dr Victor Chang
Chinese-Australian
cardiothoracic surgeon
. One of the first patients to receive a new heart at St Vincents was 14 year old Fiona Coote
who, on 7 April 1984, became Australia's youngest and first female heart transplant recipient at the time. Cardiothoracic surgeons performed the first heart/lung transplant.
The hospital was also one of the first health care facilities in Australia to begin treating AIDS
patients when the epidemic reached Sydney
in the early 1980s. This was a direct result of the hospital's close geographic position to the predominantly gay
areas surrounding nearby Oxford Street
and the injecting drug using population of notorious red-light district
, Kings Cross
. The first patient to be diagnosed with AIDS in Australia was at St Vincent's on 2 May 1982. As the AIDS epidemic grew in Sydney, the hospital led the way in the compassionate treatment of the sick
and the dying, continuing to apply the original values of the Sisters' Mission. This early exposure to the frightening implications of a possible pandemic
, was responsible for St Vincent's becoming one of the leading centres of immunology
research
and practice in the world. The hospital was also one of the first health care facilities in Australia to suggest the idea of a needle exchange program, in an effort to stem the spread of the virus among IV drug users in the local community, an idea that was highly controversial at the time, and raised the possibility of criminal charges against doctors and other health care workers who implemented it.
The immunology ward of the hospital was highly regarded and strongly supported by the local gay community
, who staged numerous charity
events to raise money for AIDS care. However, on 24 November 2007, the hospital announced that this ward would be closed because beds allocated for HIV care were not being used due to advances in HIV treatment (namely, more effective anti-retroviral medication
s), resulting in fewer patients needing to be admitted for HIV/AIDS related conditions. These patients will in future, be admitted onto an oncology
ward of the hospital. The decision initially upset sections of the HIV community in Sydney, given that the hospital is regarded as one of the leading HIV health care facilities in Australia, and that the announcement was made only days before World AIDS Day
on 1 December. This was soon rectified after hospital management held discussions with leaders of HIV/AIDS groups in Sydney, explaining the reasons for the ward closure, and highlighting an increase in outpatient and ambulatory care
services that will be provided in future for these patients. The hospital has since leased the ward to the Royal Australian Navy
, whilst their Balmoral Navy Hospital is refurbished, using their own staff, but making use of St Vincent's pathology
and radiology
services.
In 1996, St Vincent's joined the Sisters of Charity Health Service, which already encompassed 17 other health care facilities, and which is now, Australia's largest not-for-profit health care provider. The hospital was extensively upgraded in 2001. The hospital is a primary teaching facility, and offers a wide array of clinical experience to students studying medicine and nursing in particular. It was originally affiliated with the University of Sydney
from 1923 to 1968, when it changed affiliation to the University of New South Wales
. It also has links with University of Technology, Sydney
, Australian Catholic University
, University of Tasmania
and University of Notre Dame Australia
, making it one of Australia's leading teaching hospitals.
As of 2009, the hospital comprises over 320 medical and surgical beds, and treats more than half a million patients from throughout Sydney and New South Wales each year. The Emergency Department
was one of the first in NSW to implement a PECC (Psychiatric Emergency
Care Centre), in response to the high number of people with a mental illness
residing in the inner suburbs of Sydney, as well as the increasing incidence of people affected by illegal, psychoactive drugs such as heroin, GHB
and crystal meth
. In line with the Sister's original mission, the hospital oversees the largest population of homeless people in Australia (many of whom also have a mental illness), concentrated in the neighbouring suburbs of Kings Cross, Surry Hills
, and Woolloomooloo
. The hospital's catchment area also includes some of Sydney's most affluent suburbs, including Vaucluse
, Paddington
, Bellevue Hill
, Rose Bay
, Point Piper
and Darling Point
.
The Darlinghurst campus comprises St Vincent's Public and Private hospitals, Sacred Heart Hospice, The Garvan Institute of Medical Research
, and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
. The hospital has a sister affiliation with The Mater Hospital, Sydney, based in North Sydney
. St Vincent's has earned international recognition in the field of medical research, and is at the forefront of developing new therapies for the treatment of many diseases, including cancer
, heart disease
, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's disease
and Alzheimer's disease
, arthritis
, asthma
and diabetes.
In 2006, building work commenced on Stage 1 of the St Vincent's Research and Biotechnology Precinct; a joint partnership between St Vincents, the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. In 2008, building work commenced on a new facility within the grounds of St Vincent's that will encompass a mental health
, drug
and alcohol
, and community health
unit.
The hospital forms part of the South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service
. It is also a recognised trauma centre, resulting in the majority of major trauma cases that occur in and around the inner city being referred to St Vincents, despite Sydney Hospital
being geographically closer to Sydney's central business district
. Recently, St Vincent's, along with other hospitals in the Sydney metropolitan area
has discussed implementing a 24 hour medical clinic
, in order to alleviate the pressure on the Emergency Department
caused by increasingly, non-urgent presentations. This increase is thought to be the result of patients being forced to seek care at hospital Emergency department
s, because of the growing shortage of general practitioner
s in private practice, and the decreasing number of doctors in Australia who bill Medicare
for the cost of providing those consultations, a process known in Australia
as "bulk billing
". Prior to the decline of bulk-billing, many Australians with a Medicare
card were able to visit a GP for non-urgent treatment, free of charge.
St Vincent's has been forced to close beds in the past because of inadequate government funding, despite huge increases in the number of patients admitted in recent years. This resulted in further pressure at times, placed on Sydney's already over-stretched health care
system, with subsequent increases in the number of patients on waiting lists for elective surgery
, the time spent on those lists awaiting surgery; an increase in the time spent waiting to see a doctor
in the Emergency Department
, in the time spent awaiting transfer to a ward if admitted, and an increase in the number of days that ambulance
s need to be turned away because the Emergency Department
is closed to all, but life-threatening
only (LTO) admissions. The most recent example of this, prior to the closure of the HIV/AIDS ward, was January-March, 2007, when an entire surgical ward was forced to close in order to cut costs, which in turn placed tremendous pressure on the rest of the hospital. Those beds have since been reopened.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
is located in the inner city suburb of Darlinghurst
Darlinghurst, New South Wales
Darlinghurst is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the City of Sydney...
. Though part of the New South Wales state public health system it remains under the auspices of the Sisters of Charity
Sisters of Charity of Australia
The Sisters of Charity of Australia is a congregation of Roman Catholic women religious who have served the people of Australia since 1838...
.
History
It was originally established in 1857 by five Irish Sisters of CharitySisters of Charity of Australia
The Sisters of Charity of Australia is a congregation of Roman Catholic women religious who have served the people of Australia since 1838...
, who had migrated to Sydney in 1838 with a mission to help the poor and disadvantaged. Some of their early work included helping victims of the 1844 influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
outbreak, and prisoners and their families of the nearby Darlinghurst Gaol
Darlinghurst Gaol
Darlinghurst Gaol was an Australian prison located in Darlinghurst, New South Wales. The site is bordered by Victoria, Burton and Forbes streets, with entrances on Forbes and Burton Streets.-History:...
. Three of the Hospital's founding Sisters had trained as professional nurses in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and they brought their knowledge to the colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
, establishing a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
that was free to all people, but especially for the poor. The original site for the hospital was in the neighbouring suburb of Potts Point
Potts Point, New South Wales
Potts Point is a small, densely-populated suburb of inner-city Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Potts Point is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney....
. As demand grew, the establishment was moved to its present location in Darlinghurst in 1870. The hospital celebrated its sesquicentennial birthday in 2007.
The main building that exists today in Victoria Street
Victoria Street, East Sydney
Victoria Street is a street in Sydney, Australia, which goes through the suburbs of Darlinghurst, Potts Point and the locality of Kings Cross. It is 1.6 kilometres in length.-Description:...
was designed by Wardell and Denning and built in 1921 in the Inter-War Free Classical style.
Current hospital
St Vincent' is a leading medical, surgical and researchResearch
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
facility
Medical facility
A medical facility is, in general, any location at which medicine is practiced regularly. Medical facilities range from small clinics and doctor's offices to urgent care centers and large hospitals with elaborate emergency rooms and trauma centers. The number and quality of medical facilities in a...
. It has been at the forefront of innovation in areas such as heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
, lung
Lung
The lung is the essential respiration organ in many air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart...
and bone marrow
Bone marrow
Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the interior of bones. In humans, bone marrow in large bones produces new blood cells. On average, bone marrow constitutes 4% of the total body mass of humans; in adults weighing 65 kg , bone marrow accounts for approximately 2.6 kg...
transplantation
Organ transplant
Organ transplantation is the moving of an organ from one body to another or from a donor site on the patient's own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of regenerative medicine is allowing scientists and engineers to create organs to be...
, being the first hospital in Australia to conduct a heart transplant. The hospital was also the first Australian hospital to implement a successful cardiac transplant programme. The head of the transplant program was Dr Harry Windsor, but the surgeon who conducted the first transplant in 1982 was Dr Victor Chang
Victor Chang
Victor Peter Chang, AC , was a Chinese Australian cardiac surgeon and a pioneer of modern heart transplantation. Born in Shanghai to Australian-born Chinese parents, he grew up in Hong Kong before moving to Australia...
Chinese-Australian
Chinese Australian
Chinese Australian is an Australian of Chinese heritage. In the 2006 Australian Census, 669,890 Australian residents identified themselves as having Chinese ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry....
cardiothoracic surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
. One of the first patients to receive a new heart at St Vincents was 14 year old Fiona Coote
Fiona Coote
Fiona Coote was the second, youngest and first female in Australia to undergo a heart transplant. The procedure was performed by notable Chinese-Australian cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr Victor Chang and was successfully carried out on in April 1984, when Coote was 14 years of age...
who, on 7 April 1984, became Australia's youngest and first female heart transplant recipient at the time. Cardiothoracic surgeons performed the first heart/lung transplant.
The hospital was also one of the first health care facilities in Australia to begin treating AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
patients when the epidemic reached Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in the early 1980s. This was a direct result of the hospital's close geographic position to the predominantly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
areas surrounding nearby Oxford Street
Oxford Street, Sydney
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in Sydney, Australia running from Whitlam Square on the south-east corner of Hyde Park in the central business district of Sydney to Bondi Junction in the Eastern Suburbs. Close to the CBD in particular, the street is lined with numerous shops, bars and...
and the injecting drug using population of notorious red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
, Kings Cross
Kings Cross, New South Wales
Kings Cross is an inner-city locality of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 2 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
. The first patient to be diagnosed with AIDS in Australia was at St Vincent's on 2 May 1982. As the AIDS epidemic grew in Sydney, the hospital led the way in the compassionate treatment of the sick
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
and the dying, continuing to apply the original values of the Sisters' Mission. This early exposure to the frightening implications of a possible pandemic
Pandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
, was responsible for St Vincent's becoming one of the leading centres of immunology
Immunology
Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...
research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
and practice in the world. The hospital was also one of the first health care facilities in Australia to suggest the idea of a needle exchange program, in an effort to stem the spread of the virus among IV drug users in the local community, an idea that was highly controversial at the time, and raised the possibility of criminal charges against doctors and other health care workers who implemented it.
The immunology ward of the hospital was highly regarded and strongly supported by the local gay community
Gay community
The gay community, or LGBT community, is a loosely defined grouping of LGBT and LGBT-supportive people, organizations and subcultures, united by a common culture and civil rights movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality...
, who staged numerous charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
events to raise money for AIDS care. However, on 24 November 2007, the hospital announced that this ward would be closed because beds allocated for HIV care were not being used due to advances in HIV treatment (namely, more effective anti-retroviral medication
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
s), resulting in fewer patients needing to be admitted for HIV/AIDS related conditions. These patients will in future, be admitted onto an oncology
Oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
ward of the hospital. The decision initially upset sections of the HIV community in Sydney, given that the hospital is regarded as one of the leading HIV health care facilities in Australia, and that the announcement was made only days before World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day, observed December 1 every year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. Government and health officials observe the day, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an...
on 1 December. This was soon rectified after hospital management held discussions with leaders of HIV/AIDS groups in Sydney, explaining the reasons for the ward closure, and highlighting an increase in outpatient and ambulatory care
Ambulatory care
Ambulatory care is a personal health care consultation, treatment or intervention using advanced medical technology or procedures delivered on an outpatient basis Ambulatory care is a personal health care consultation, treatment or intervention using advanced medical technology or procedures...
services that will be provided in future for these patients. The hospital has since leased the ward to the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, whilst their Balmoral Navy Hospital is refurbished, using their own staff, but making use of St Vincent's pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
and radiology
Radiology
Radiology is a medical specialty that employs the use of imaging to both diagnose and treat disease visualized within the human body. Radiologists use an array of imaging technologies to diagnose or treat diseases...
services.
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
from 1923 to 1968, when it changed affiliation to the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. It also has links with University of Technology, Sydney
University of Technology, Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney is a university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1981, although its origins trace back to the 1870s. UTS is notable for its central location as the only university with its main campuses within the Sydney CBD...
, Australian Catholic University
Australian Catholic University
Australian Catholic University is a national public university. It has six campuses and offers programs in five faculties throughout Australia.-History:...
, University of Tasmania
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
and University of Notre Dame Australia
University of Notre Dame Australia
The University of Notre Dame Australia is a private Roman Catholic university established in 1989 in the Western Australian port city of Fremantle, . While the University of Notre Dame Australia has "strong collegial links" with the American University of Notre Dame located in Notre Dame, Indiana,...
, making it one of Australia's leading teaching hospitals.
As of 2009, the hospital comprises over 320 medical and surgical beds, and treats more than half a million patients from throughout Sydney and New South Wales each year. The Emergency Department
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
was one of the first in NSW to implement a PECC (Psychiatric Emergency
Emergency
An emergency is a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or environment. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation, although in some situations, mitigation may not be possible and agencies may only be able to offer palliative...
Care Centre), in response to the high number of people with a mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
residing in the inner suburbs of Sydney, as well as the increasing incidence of people affected by illegal, psychoactive drugs such as heroin, GHB
Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid
γ-Hydroxybutyric acid , also known as 4-hydroxybutanoic acid and sodium oxybate when used for medicinal purposes, is a naturally occurring substance found in the central nervous system, wine, beef, small citrus fruits, and almost all animals in small amounts. It is also categorized as an illegal...
and crystal meth
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
. In line with the Sister's original mission, the hospital oversees the largest population of homeless people in Australia (many of whom also have a mental illness), concentrated in the neighbouring suburbs of Kings Cross, Surry Hills
Surry Hills, New South Wales
Surry Hills is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Surry Hills is located immediately south-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, and Woolloomooloo
Woolloomooloo, New South Wales
Woolloomooloo is a harbourside, inner-city eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woolloomooloo is located 1.5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney. The suburb is located in a low-lying, former...
. The hospital's catchment area also includes some of Sydney's most affluent suburbs, including Vaucluse
Vaucluse, New South Wales
Vaucluse is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Vaucluse is located north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of Waverley Council and the Municipality of Woollahra....
, Paddington
Paddington, New South Wales
Paddington is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Paddington is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Sydney and the Municipality of Woollahra...
, Bellevue Hill
Bellevue Hill, New South Wales
Bellevue Hill is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bellevue Hill is an affluent suburb, located 5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra....
, Rose Bay
Rose Bay, New South Wales
Rose Bay is a harbourside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Rose Bay is located 7 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of Waverley Municipal Council and Woollahra Council .Rose Bay has views of both the Sydney...
, Point Piper
Point Piper, New South Wales
Point Piper is a small, harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located six kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area known as the Municipality of Woollahra....
and Darling Point
Darling Point, New South Wales
Darling Point is a harbourside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darling Point is located 4 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Woollahra Council....
.
The Darlinghurst campus comprises St Vincent's Public and Private hospitals, Sacred Heart Hospice, The Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Garvan Institute of Medical Research
The Garvan Institute of Medical Research was founded in 1963 by the Sisters of Charity. Initially a research department of St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, it is now one of Australia's largest medical research institutions with approximately 500 scientists, students and support staff.Funds for its...
, and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute or VCCRI is a scientific institution based in Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia. The institute opened in 1994, three years after the death of renowned heart surgeon Dr Victor Chang...
. The hospital has a sister affiliation with The Mater Hospital, Sydney, based in North Sydney
North Sydney, New South Wales
North Sydney is a suburb and commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Sydney is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of North Sydney...
. St Vincent's has earned international recognition in the field of medical research, and is at the forefront of developing new therapies for the treatment of many diseases, including cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
and Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
, arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
, asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
and diabetes.
In 2006, building work commenced on Stage 1 of the St Vincent's Research and Biotechnology Precinct; a joint partnership between St Vincents, the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. In 2008, building work commenced on a new facility within the grounds of St Vincent's that will encompass a mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
, drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
and alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, and community health
Community health
Community health, a field of public health, is a discipline that concerns itself with the study and betterment of the health characteristics of biological communities. While the term community can be broadly defined, community health tends to focus on geographic areas rather than people with shared...
unit.
The hospital forms part of the South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service
South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service
South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service was formed in 2005 from the amalgamation of the Illawarra Area Health Service and South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service...
. It is also a recognised trauma centre, resulting in the majority of major trauma cases that occur in and around the inner city being referred to St Vincents, despite Sydney Hospital
Sydney Hospital
Sydney Hospital is a major hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Macquarie Street in the Sydney central business district. It is the oldest hospital in Australia, dating back to 1788, and has been at its current location since 1811. It first received the name Sydney Hospital in 1881.Currently...
being geographically closer to Sydney's central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. Recently, St Vincent's, along with other hospitals in the Sydney metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
has discussed implementing a 24 hour medical clinic
Clinic
A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
, in order to alleviate the pressure on the Emergency Department
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
caused by increasingly, non-urgent presentations. This increase is thought to be the result of patients being forced to seek care at hospital Emergency department
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
s, because of the growing shortage of general practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
s in private practice, and the decreasing number of doctors in Australia who bill Medicare
Medicare (Australia)
Medicare is Australia's publicly funded universal health care system, operated by the government authority Medicare Australia. Medicare is intended to provide affordable treatment by doctors and in public hospitals for all resident citizens and permanent residents except for those on Norfolk Island...
for the cost of providing those consultations, a process known in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as "bulk billing
Bulk billing
Bulk billing is a payment option under the Medicare system of universal health insurance in Australia. The health service provider, usually a Doctor is paid 85% of the scheduled fee directly by the government by billing the patient via their Medicare card. The service provider receives only 75% of...
". Prior to the decline of bulk-billing, many Australians with a Medicare
Medicare (Australia)
Medicare is Australia's publicly funded universal health care system, operated by the government authority Medicare Australia. Medicare is intended to provide affordable treatment by doctors and in public hospitals for all resident citizens and permanent residents except for those on Norfolk Island...
card were able to visit a GP for non-urgent treatment, free of charge.
St Vincent's has been forced to close beds in the past because of inadequate government funding, despite huge increases in the number of patients admitted in recent years. This resulted in further pressure at times, placed on Sydney's already over-stretched health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
system, with subsequent increases in the number of patients on waiting lists for elective surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
, the time spent on those lists awaiting surgery; an increase in the time spent waiting to see a doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
in the Emergency Department
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
, in the time spent awaiting transfer to a ward if admitted, and an increase in the number of days that ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
s need to be turned away because the Emergency Department
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
is closed to all, but life-threatening
Medical emergency
A medical emergency is an injury or illness that is acute and poses an immediate risk to a person's life or long term health. These emergencies may require assistance from another person, who should ideally be suitably qualified to do so, although some of these emergencies can be dealt with by the...
only (LTO) admissions. The most recent example of this, prior to the closure of the HIV/AIDS ward, was January-March, 2007, when an entire surgical ward was forced to close in order to cut costs, which in turn placed tremendous pressure on the rest of the hospital. Those beds have since been reopened.
External links
- Village Voice (Australia) report on St Vincent's
- "HIV beds moved to make way for Navy"
- Kingsclear Books