Terry Houge supervising a couple of the community ambulance officers at Cann River

The Mallacoota workshop

A two-day ALS Physical Assessment workshop in Mallacoota in the far east of the state recently provided an excellent training opportunity for community ambulance officers.

Mallacoota is about 235 km east of Bairnsdale (or 520 km east of Melbourne).  Run by Terry Houge, Paramedic Community Support Coordinator with Ambulance Victoria, and assisted by Laurea Atkinson, the SLE Project coordinator, the workshop was attended by 23 Ambulance Community Officers, all volunteers.

It is an exciting development for the SLE project to reach remote parts of the state.

Laurea also visited Cann River, a little closer to home at a mere 165 kms from Bairnsdale, where participants took part in a workshop using the equipment available for off-site training.

Laurea and her mannequins are well sought after throughout East Gippsland for training opportunities and workshop participation which, until now, was very difficult given the distances required.

South Gippsland - the view at Port Welshpool

While SLE Project coordinator Laurea Atkinson was loading up her mannequins to head further east to the picturesque town of Mallacoota Deb Johnson headed south to cover leave in South Gippsland.

Photos were being exchanged as to who had the best views when they got out of bed each morning.

Being budget conscious, Deb was staying at her Mum’s in Port Welshpool and Laurea was staying at the short term ambulance accommodation in Mallacoota.

We will let you be the judge as to which you think is the best breakfast view, however it was decided that the coast from South Gippsland all the way to far East Gippsland is pretty spectacular.

Emily Modridge

Emily Modridge is this year’s successful applicant for the East Gippsland Education Trust scholarship.

The Education Trust was established in 2010 in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Sale, the Wellington and East Gippsland Shires and the community to assist local students who gain a place to study MBBS with Monash.

Emily tells us that the money will be well used towards text books and accommodation expenses as she embarks on her first year of study at Clayton campus.

Charlotte D'Amore

Eleanor Mitchell and Angelo D’Amore, of East Gippsland Regional Clinical School and MUDRIH, are celebrating the arrival of their baby girl Charlotte, on Monday 25 March.

Parents and babe are all doing well and East Gippsland staff are lining up to assist with babysitting duties.

Contrary to the sign on Charlotte’s cot blanket, Angelo assures us that she is not for sale.

Baby statistics (statistics being Angelo’s forte) are:

Name: Charlotte Antonietta Margaret D’Amore
Born: Bairnsdale Regional Health Service
Birth Date: 25 March 2013, 5:05pm
Weight: 3,260kg, 7lbs 3oz
Length: 48cm
Head circumference: 35.5cm

Congratulations to both Eleanor and Angelo.

Loy Perryman

Congratulations to Loy Perryman, Year 4C Coordinator and Clinical Educator at the Sale Campus of the East Gippsland Regional Clinical School, who has graduated from Monash University with a Masters of Nursing (Education).

Loy is hoping to use this degree to further improve her current clinical practice as a nurse and to build on future research into the MBBS curriculum.

While her undertaking the full time position at the Sale campus, Loy still manages to engage in the clinical setting at the Emergency Department of the Bairnsdale Regional Health Service in her “spare time” so completing the Masters as well has been no mean feat.

Highly regarded Gippsland paediatrician Dr Austen Erasmus, who is also Senior Lecturer with the East Gippsland Regional Clinical School Year 4C program, gets a real kick out of teaching junior doctors and students.

Following are his thoughts on the benefits gained by using the simulation facility at the Sale campus.

As part of the Junior Medical Resident Officer (JMRO) Paediatric rural rotation, Loy Perryman and myself have organised a simulation evening during the resident rotation to Sale.  

We specifically present a scenario where the young doctor has to prepare for, then put into action and practically demonstrate how they would go about managing an ill baby or toddler.  

This not only tests the young doctor’s theoretical knowledge but more importantly helps us, in a friendly and non-threatening environment, to constructively give them pointers to improve on their skills. It also helps them to consider very important resuscitative principles that they may not know, possibly may have forgotten or even simply not practiced in a long time.

The Monash Sale Simulation Centre and the equipment available are fantastic and state of the art.  It’s a spacious, well set out lab and conducive to excellence and learning.  

I applaud the staff who work tirelessly behind the scene and give up their own personal time, and accommodate all personnel and students.

The best ‘kick’ I get from this program is that, by teaching junior doctors and imparting knowledge that can be life-saving, they are taught good habits that will stay with them and help them to be safe, capable physicians who are more confident in their abilities.  

If inspired they have the opportunity to come back and practise more intubations, look through equipment, even practise drawing up drugs or “play” with the defibrillator – all under supervision of course!

– Dr Austen Erasmus, Paediatrician, Central Gippsland Health Service, Senior Lecturer, EGRCS Year 4C Program, Sale campus

Dr Austen Erasmus is pictured with an intern during a training session in the simulation lab at Sale.

Pictured at the prize presentation are, from left, top student for Traralgon campus Ali Nguyen, overall highest achiever Bree Morris, Professor Daryl Pedler and the top student for Warragul Rachel Elliott.

Former Director of the Gippsland Regional Clinical School, Professor Daryl Pedler, returned to his old stomping ground in February to take part in a welcome for 2013 students and present prizes for Gippsland clinical school’s top 2012 Year 3B  students.

The welcome event for the 2013 cohort was held in one of Traralgon’s reception centres and, as well as a dinner to welcome the students to the Gippsland Regional Clinical School, allowed new students to mingle with staff and tutors before getting into the year proper.

Daryl clearly enjoyed the chance to catch up with everyone and also take part in the prize presentation for 2012.

The overall highest achiever was Bree Morris. Rachel Elliott and Ali Nguyen were runners-up.

Year 3B students listen intently during their welcome luncheon at Sale.

A group of around 40 attended a lunch to welcome the Year 3B students to the Sale Campus of East Gippsland Regional Clinical School.

School Director Dr David Campbell addressed the gathering, introducing the students to local clinicians and other health care professionals. The attendees also included representatives from the Rotary Club of Sale and the Community Advisory Committee.

South Gippsland staff, Marlene Archbold, Dr David Iser and Nicole Kellow, at the start of year events.

The South Gippsland group of Year 4C students have started their year, and are now under the auspices of the East Gippsland Regional Clinical School and the Gippsland Regional Integrated Community Curriculum (GRICC) program.

The students, Margaret Young, Michael Craig, Brandon Cheong, Rachel Boyd, Alexander Gordon, Elizabeth Cole and Rachel Elliott, are placed in medical practices in Leongatha, Foster, Wonthaggi and Korumburra for the full year.

They started their year in February with a welcome held at Dr David Iser’s house.

David is the Academic Supervisor for the South Gippsland School and is ably supported by Nicole Kellow, clinical educator and Marlene Archbold who handles all administration at the School.

The students spent a couple of days at the Bairnsdale campus for orientation with both the Sale and Bairnsdale student groups.

Year 4C students from Bairnsdale, Sale and South Gippsland, who are now under the EGRCS banner and part of the Gippsland Regional Integrated Community Curriculum (GRICC) program, are pictured at the Bairnsdale campus during orientation.

The Gippsland Rural Integrated Community Curriculum (GRICC) this year sees the South Gippsland area incorporated into the East Gippsland Regional Clinical School integrated education model (year-long integrated placement) .

There are 23 Year 4C students spread across an area stretching from Omeo, Orbost, Lakes Entrance and Bairnsdale in the East, through Sale, Maffra and Heyfield in Central Gippsland and to Yarram, Leongatha, Foster, Wonthaggi and Korumburra in the South.

The first week in Gippsland for the students was spent in orientation and they came together at the Bairnsdale campus for two days, attending talks by local clinicians covering the broad scope of their studies for this year. A dinner was held at which Dr David Campbell, Director of the East Gippsland Regional Clinical School, outlined the year ahead and encouraged the students to involve themselves in the local community during their stay.

Guest speaker was Dr Sally Singleton. Sally has spent a number of her training years in the East Gippsland area, specifically her fourth year in 2009 at the Bairnsdale campus. Sally spoke of the positive influences and experiences while in the area and her subsequent career path. She answered a number of questions put to her by the students about the program.

The final day of orientation was spent on clinical skills including Emergency scenarios, Children’s Health and General Practice. During the sessions students put their newly acquired knowledge into action, practicing consultation skills and clinical procedures.

The students are now being introduced to their specific medical practices and all are very enthusiastic about being part of the unique integrated program offered at East Gippsland Regional Clinical School.