|
Community Programs
Wolper Jewish Hospital provides specialised
community programs that meet individual
health needs outside the hospital
environment. The aim is to maintain health
and prevent illness in our community.
The Outreach Program
The Outreach Program delivers a range of
support services to members of the
community unable to leave their homes
unassisted, including:
• Private appointments
• Daily lifestyle preparation
• Shopping assistance
• Support network introductions
Genetic carrier testing
Genetic carrier testing is carried out at
Wolper by appointment on the first Sunday
of each month for those over 16 years of
age and especially for young couples
planning a family. Wolper also provides a
Genetic Carrier Testing Program at the
Jewish Day Schools.
Hatzolah
Wolper Jewish Hospital has provided
an emergency response vehicle to Hatzolah,
an established medical emergency response
service for the Jewish Community. The
Emergency Response Vehicle carries
resuscitation equipment, first aid gear and
oxygen, and is also utilized as a Command
Centre. Wolper continues to support
Hatzolah.
Gift of Life Australia
(recruiting to the Australian Bone
Marrow Donor Registry)
The Gift of Life Australia aims to encourage
more people in our community to register as
potential stem cell donors and save lives of
leukaemia and lymphoma patients.
As DNA is inherited, the likelihood of finding
a tissue type match is highest within one’s
ethnic group. Potential donors should be
between 18 and 40 years of age, in good
health, and have not lived in the UK between
1980 and 1996 for more than six months.
Registration/blood
testing is held at
Wolper every Sunday.
www.giftoflifeaustralia.org.au
Wellbeing Program
The theme of ‘Wellness’ is the focus
of the Wellbeing Program. The program
aims at delivering high quality health
promotion activities with an emphasis on up
to date information provided by experts in
their fields.
Camp Sababa
Wolper supports Camp Sababa, a residential
holiday camp that provides activities during
the summer holidays for schoolchildren with
physical and intellectual disabilities. Wolper
funds 24 hour nursing care at the camp.
Hereditary Cancer Program
This Wolper sponsored program continues to
provide information and support to those
people and families who may be genetically
disposed to familial cancer such as breast,
cervical, and ovarian cancers.
Mum for Mum Program
Wolper sponsors the National Council of
Jewish Women’s Mum for Mum program,
which pairs a trained volunteer with a young
mother who, for a range of reasons, may
need support.
Building Program Goes Ahead $8 Million Development for Wolper Hospital to go ahead
On Wednesday night 20th April, Wolper’s Board of Management agreed to forge ahead with its program to redevelop the hospital at a cost of $8 million dollars.
Approval for the Development Application has been received through the Woollahra Council and it remained for the Board to put the final seal of approval on the changes which will transform the hospital to a state-of-the-art facility with much improved amenities for patients, greater scope for rehabilitation and improved accessibility.
Wolper is financing this development through its own reserves as it has managed to establish a strong financial base since the elective surgery closure over two years ago.
“Wolper does not need to seek communal funds for this project,” said Wolper president, Graham Einfeld.
With an increase in utlisation, it has become necessary to enlarge and improve services. Medical patients tend to be frailer and older than elective surgery patients and require private facilities with their own toilet and shower. “It is no longer acceptable to transport frail patients to common showers and toilets,” said hospital CEO, Harry Aizenberg.
Among people seeking rehabilitation in a private hospital, there is the expectation that they will be accommodated in private rooms with ensuite facilities.
Shared ward accommodation was used to accommodate surgical patients whose average length of stay was 1.8 days. Medical patients stay longer and shared facilities are unsuitable.
The inpatient Rehabilitation Unit is increasing from 18 to 26 beds. The total number of beds in the Hospital will reduce from 71 to 67; comprising 41 medical and 26 rehabilitation. “The Day Rehablitation program is fully utilized with waiting lists,” said hospital CEO Harry Aizenberg. “We will be enlarging the hydrotherapy pool and improving both the Day Patient and In-Patient Physiotherapy areas. Patient care and comfort is paramount in our thinking,” he said.
Jewish Admissions Double Jewish admissions double at Wolper
Wolper Jewish Hospital is flourishing since the closure of its surgical theatres with the percentage of Jewish admissions doubling since the year prior to the closures. Since Wolper decided a year ago to shift its focus and become an acute medical hospital offering the full range of geriatric services, it has also increased its total occupancy.
“Jewish admissions have increased from 24% - 50% in the 11 months January to November since the closures” said Wolper CEO, Harry Aizenberg.
“Average occupancy has increased from 54% in 2002 to 66% in 2003 and total occupied bed days by 7%” he added.
Wolper has redirected its energies and continues to increase its range of services centred around geriatric medicine and conditions which are not suitable to be treated in public hospitals. This includes the rehabilitation program which is held in high regard in the community and accounts for consistently high occupancy rates.
Other initiatives responsible for improving occupancy include the of the transfer of patients from Emergency Departments and Public Hospital wards where the patient may not have a GP with admitting rights to Wolper and the latest innovation, a day rehabilitation program, is operating at capacity after only three months.
“We are expanding into additional aged care services” said Murray Landis the chairman of the Board. “Resources are increasingly being channelled to identified needs of the community and the closure of the surgery has enabled us to concentrate our efforts towards areas most in need. We will be expanding the Day Rehabilitation further and enhancing the medical services we provide,” he said.
Fighting Leukaemia Wolper continues to play a leading role in the fight against leukaemia, through blood testing for the Bone Marrow Registry, a worldwide campaign for ethnic specific databases on bone marrow compatibility. Blood testing is the best way to identify compatibility with matches more common in family groups but also people of the same genetic origin.
Blood testing takes place at the Hospital every Sunday between 9 and 11 am. Donors are listed on the Red Cross Bone Marrow Register. For further information please ring Shula Endrey-Walder on 9337-6660.
Wolper Jewish Hospital News and Events information is managed by NewsPro.
|
