Contents Welcome to our hospital 3 Our people 4 Our Senior Medical Staff 5 Carmel — The next generation 6 Gerard — Paving the way 8 Lisa, Amy, Richard, Andrew, Matthew, Rebecca, Kaye — A different perspective 10 Valerie & Jascie — A tradition of patient support 12 Sue — Honouring patient-centred care 16 Lucy — Unsparing in her efforts 18 Mike — Working behind the scenes 20 Our patients 22 Graham & Graeme — Breaking the sound barrier 23 Lily — Hearing clearly 26 Leah — A brighter outlook 28 Janet & Paul — A familial approach 30 Dianne, Maurice & Murray — A vision for the future 32 Our teaching & research 34 Kerryn — Supporting innovation 36 Bill — A legacy of professional standards 38 Daniel & Alice — Valuing Voice 40 Jean — A foundation for hearing research 42 Joanne — Seeing the light 44 John — Reinvigorating education 46
Our people Our history Volunteers have long played a critical role in the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital’s patient- centred approach to clinical care. Those who choose to generously volunteer their time to the Eye and Ear do so because, not only do they wish to help others, but often the hospital resonates with them on a personal level. Once you begin to chat with one of our volunteers, a complex connection with the hospital is often revealed. Since 1922, the Eye and Ear has benefitted from the amazing contribution of generations of Victorians. There are currently 30 active volunteers at the Eye and Ear, who fulfil a variety of roles within the hospital from our concierge service formed in 2008, roles within our emergency department, gift shop and fundraising.
The first volunteers at the Eye and Ear were often the wives of Committee of Management members, who would read to patients, bring food to the hospital or take younger patients on trips to the Fitzroy Gardens. The first official volunteers joined the hospital in 1922 as members of newly formed Auxiliaries. The first Auxiliary originated from Olinda and Sassafras in the Dandenong Ranges and eventually consisted of a large network of volunteers and fundraisers around the state. As the decades progressed, the funding and patient support Auxiliaries provided proved increasingly important to the hospital. During the severe rationing periods of World War II and the Great Depression, Auxiliaries helped supply patients with ‘luxuries’ such as fruit, eggs and poultry and since the 1960s have supplied a ‘Good Samaritan’ fund, to assist low- income patients in getting to and from the hospital. To date, Auxiliary fundraising has provided millions of dollars to fund critical hospital resources and equipment for our patients. Auxiliary members with new theatre lights, 2005 Concierge volunteer, Gim The Eye and Ear Opportunity Shop
Our patients Janet & Paul “If I can’t help myself then maybe I can help my son or maybe even my grandchildren, who might develop it and we don’t really know yet. I don’t mind what I do, so long as I can help somebody.” says Janet. CANVAS, or Cerebellar Ataxia with Neuropathy and Vestibular Areflexia Syndrome, is a medical condition affecting three key parts of a person’s balance system: the cerebellum (impacting coordination and balance) the vestibular system (the part of the inner ear keeping us balanced) and peripheral sensation (impacting the ability of your arms and legs to feel things, such as the floor beneath your feet). At the Eye and Ear, general dizziness and balance problems are among the most common presentations to our emergency department at 2000 patients annually. The hospital’s specialty outpatient clinics see an additional 3000 patients per annum.