Hospital CEO reflects on the lives transformed over the past 10 years

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Macquarie University Hospital and Clinical Services CEO Walter Kmet discusses the patients and staff who have contributed to the numerous medical milestones achieved over the past decade.

“On the ten-year anniversary of Macquarie University Hospital, it is a time to reflect.

At the beginning of this journey, we set ourselves an immense challenge – to create a health setting unique in Australia but well-established as a model of excellence overseas.

High-quality hospital care integrated with advanced training and research saw the birth of Australia’s first non-profit, fully integrated private hospital on a university campus.

Since we opened our doors in 2010, we have worked steadily to achieve many milestones along the way.

Introducing new techniques to Australia, performing world-first procedures, investing in state-of-the art technologies, building streamlined clinics, participating in important international trials and bringing the best medical professionals to work with us – these have all laid the strong foundations of our first decade.

Today, we have a well-honed strategy centred around seven clinical areas. Each of these key areas responds to community needs by providing essential care, and leads health care into the future through innovative practice that can treat rare, emerging and complex conditions.

Our culture of collaboration, within what is now MQ Health, has become entrenched in how doctors, researchers, trainees and all medical staff see our organisation and work together to solve problems to deliver excellence in healthcare.

Our record of surgical innovation and its benefits to patients is extensive, but some examples of our success are indicative of what we are all about – giving patients the best treatment available, taking on challenging and complex cases and, not only returning quality of life, but saving lives.

At Macquarie University Hospital, we performed the southern hemisphere’s first percutaneous repair of a tricuspid heart valve using MitraClip technology – a last resort for an otherwise fit and heathy man who had developed aortic disease at a young age.

A young woman who had to have her bladder removed, due to a high-grade carcinoma, underwent a minimally invasive procedure that fashioned a neo-bladder using her own small intestinal tissue – all done robotically inside the body.

Combined ophthalmology and ENT surgery endoscopically removed a large, rare orbital tumour located deep within the eye socket of a nine-year-old boy. Importantly, the challenging procedure successfully preserved his vision.

Twelve years on from being diagnosed with a benign skull-base meningioma, a patient at the height of her career is delighted that the Gamma Knife treatment she had at our Hospital has ‘stopped the tumour in its tracks’.

In an advanced surgical procedure, our orthopaedic surgeons utilised external fixation and percutaneous minimal-incision surgery to correct a foot deformity, followed by a total ankle replacement, in a complex case of long-term severe rheumatoid arthritis.

And a double above-knee amputee, also a young war veteran, who had bi-lateral transfemoral osseointegration surgery at Macquarie University Hospital in 2014, says the surgery changed his life.

Finally, primary care is now a fully-fledged service, helping students, staff and our local community access all areas of health – including aged care, preventative medicine, mental health and men’s health services.

There are dozens more of these types of examples, and it’s impossible to list them all here. Perhaps some of these examples are most impressive when they bring into place genuine team-based care and collaboration, in areas in which there is so much more opportunity. It is in this approach and one that emphasises ongoing relationships with patients and integrated care that the future lies.

And so I’d like to acknowledge all the staff and other professionals, including specialists and surgeons, who have been with us for many years. Thank you for your engagement at the frontiers of health and medical care in Australia – and globally. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve the excellence for which we have become known. In all of these achievements it is telling that, in my experience, patients remember us most when we understand them and care for them personally.

Many of our staff have been with us for 10 years and a special shout out to all of you, and many more of you who will stay with us for a long time. We hope that our culture can continue to develop as such, so we all feel like it is the best place to be, to develop both personally and professionally.

To our many partners, like MQ Health Neurology and MMI that have become part of MQ Health in the past 12 months, and to those who have clinics and services that help us provide a better service – your contribution has been an essential ingredient in  our journey.

Ten years on, and we can safely say that we’ve proven that our unique model is bearing fruit and, as we continue to invest and upgrade our outstanding facilities, has become sustainable in Australia.

In these recent challenging times, perhaps more so than most in the past, we’ve consolidated a position of future sustainability not only as part of Macquarie University but in the health system more broadly.

I look forward to shaping the next decade with you.”

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  1. I sent this to Mr Kmet on 8/9/20. As yet I have not received a reply. Please follow up and reply.
    
    
    Dear Mr Kmet,

    I hope you are the right person to be writing to. After looking at the hospital’s web site and the roles of the Executive team, you seem to be the person responsible for its day to day running.
    I wish to share with you my experience at your hospital recently.
    I was admitted on 28 July prior to my knee replacement surgery on 29 July 2020.
    I was discharged on 3 August. My surgeon was Dr Adrian Low.
    After the operation I was admitted to the ICU overnight on 29 July.
    On the morning of 30 July I was taken to the Orthopaedic ward on the 2nd floor at around 2pm.
    The Room Saga
    I was wheeled into a shared ward. I objected to this as I was a private patient. I was told the ward was full and there were no other beds. I simply said that I was not moving until a private room was found. I sat in my wheel chair and after about 15 minutes I was told, miraculously, that a private room had been found. Incredible.
    The Belongings Saga
    When I got into the room I asked about my belongings and was told that a porter would bring them up shortly. Later that evening I again asked about my belongings and was told by the nurse that she would look into it. Nothing happened. Next morning I again asked about my belongings. Same outcome. Later in the evening I became irate and demanded that my belongings be found and brought to my room so that I could have a shower, shave and brush my teeth. At around 7pm my belongings were brought to me by a porter.
    The Cannula Saga
    During my stay of 7 days I had 7 cannulas inserted in my arms! I thought I had become some sort of pin cushion. There is appears to be a lack of expertise in this ward regarding this process. It simply is not good enough. The only cannula that was properly installed was by a doctor using ultra sound equipment.
    Back Rash
    On about day 4 my back became itchy and I asked the nurse to have a look at it and was told that it was a bit red but ok. No ointment or cream was offered or applied.
    Compression Stockings
    I kept having problems with my compression stockings. They kept rolling down and at night bunching up. I asked on about day 4 how long I would need to keep the stockings on and was told by the nurse it would be about 6 weeks. On day 5 I said I wanted to change the stockings so that they could be washed and I asked for a new pair. I was told that I would have to pay for a new pair which I agreed to.
    The Food
    There is only one way of describing it. It was woeful. All meat and chicken was overcooked and inedible. It was probably the worst food I have had in the past 30 years. As a result I opted for fruit and salad for most meals.
    The Nurse Call System
    The bells! Every time a person calls for assistance a bell rings loudly throughout the whole ward. This goes on 24/7. Surely a less intrusive and disruptive call system can be installed to stop this torture.
    Nursing Staff
    The nursing staff seemed to be competent but, apart from the more experienced or older staff, they are impersonal and lackIng common courtesy. They regularly barged into the room without knocking. More attention was focussed on their trolly mounted computers, reading and entering data, than on me. I was amazed at the lack of questioning about how I was feeling by the younger nurses. In fact there seems to be an extraordinary amount of bureaucracy involved in the duties of the nurses which may be contributing to this behaviour.
    The Move to Hunters Hill Private Hospital.
    On 3 August I was admitted to Hunters Hill Private hospital for rehabilitation.
    The first thing they noticed was that the compression stockings were the wrong size and were replaced.
    Next they told me that I had a rash on my back and some flaking of skin on my buttocks. This required daily application of Cortisone and zinc cream to treat it.
    After 3 days the new stockings were removed which was contrary to the 6 weeks previously advised at Macquarie.
    The nursing staff were a lot more helpful and engaging than at Macquarie.
    The nurse call system was silent so I did not have to endure the torture of a loud bell ringing off and on 24/7.
    The quality of the food at Hunters Hill was very good. It was fresh and flavourful, a far cry from the meals served up at Macquarie.
    In summary, I had heard very good reports about Macquarie Private Hospital but my stay at your hospital left a lot to be desired.
    I would appreciate a reply to my email please.
    Yours sincerely,
    Ronald Quill B.E., PSM.

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