Royal Melbourne Hospital Foundation News Updates

Professor Finlay Macrae, one of Australia’s leading bowel cancer experts, has been honoured by the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) for his professional and personal contributions to the field of gastroenterology.

Professor Macrae, Head of Colorectal Medicine and Genetics at The Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) received the 2013 Masters of the WGO (MWGO), which is the highest honour WGO can bestow.

The MWGO is granted to those individuals who have provided outstanding dedication to the mission of the WGO and achieved distinction in such areas as scholarly research, teaching, service to the WGO and the community at large.

Professor Macrae spoke recently at the Friends of the Royal Melbourne Hospital Public Lecture and has received much support from the Foundation supporters for his wonderful work at the Hospital. 

The Foundation congratulate Professor Macrae and his team for this well deserved international recognition.  Read more on the Melbourne Health website: mh.org.au

The 2013 Home Lottery has sold out again!  Thank you to everyone who support the lottery.  You are helping to support vital research, care and education at The Royal Melbourne Hospital. To date, lottery funds have improved our patients’ lives by supporting many key research projects and contributing to vital equipment and a major renovation.

Tickets are still available for the Holiday for Life until Midnight 23 May 2013 @ rmhhomelottery.com.au

You can also subscribe for home lottery tickets and make sure you never miss out!

Friday March 15, marks our 165th anniversary! From our humble beginnings in a 10-bed hospital on Londsdale Street to being a world-renowned academic and research hospital, we have cared for more than 20 million people over the past 165 years.

Our origins are simple: a group of community-minded citizens came together to give the people of Melbourne, a rapidly growing village access to medical care.

This ethos remains at the heart of all we do. The generous community support of The Royal Melbourne Hospital ensure the Hospital continues to provide world-class care to our community.

Trace the hospital’s journey through history

View an interactive timeline on the RMH website or MH intranet and trace through significant historic events at the hospital by visiting the Hospital's website here.  Interactive Timeline

The RMH as it appeared        Nurses being put through    
when it first openeded its    their paces in the 1920's
doors in 1848

The infamous RMH historical lantern tours start again in May at Royal Park Campus. Join RMH history buff and story-teller-extraordinaire Jeff Whittington (pictured) from 7-9:00pm for a stroll through history.

Jeff will dorn his frock coat, vest, top hat, cane and fob chain, taking staff and friends on a tour of the grounds and sharing fascinating stories from the past. The tours feature ghosts, graves and many good stories. On some nights even Matron from 1869 appears!

The tours are free but a donation would be most appreciated with all proceeds applied towards the campus.

For 2013 historical lantern tour information email Jeff at jeff.whittington@mh.org.au or phone 8387 2163.

Tours will take place from May – October:
10 May – booked out
24 May – booked out
1 & 7 June 2013
5 & 19 July 2013
2, 16 & 30 August 2013
13 & 27 September 2013
4 October 2013

For Janie Fearon the luck of the draw proved to be in her favour.  From living in a one-bedroom bungalow with her finance Winston in Burwood, Ms Fearon is now the lucky recipient of The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Home Lottery’s $2.2 million show home in Brighton East.

While secretly hoping to win a holiday, Ms Fearon bought a five-ticket pack to the home lottery, which is only one of three charities she contributes to before paying bills. Upon stepping inside her new home Ms Fearon was overwhelmed and moved to tears.

“We’re in shock,” Ms Fearon said. “It’s absolutely wonderful.”

When her mum and dad were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia, the 46-year old and her partner moved into a tiny one-bedroom bungalow at the back of their house in order to provide them with full-time care.  Now, Ms Fearon, her finance Winston, her parents and their dog Sasha are preparing for the big move from their home in Burwood to their new luxury Bayside retreat.

Ms Fearon and her family will be moving into a four-bedroom, fully furnished, professionally decorated and landscaped property in Brighton East, worth $2.2 million.  Funds raised from the Home Lottery helps The Royal Melbourne Hospital are used to support vital research, care and education

This was the first year two Home Lotteries were held for The Royal Melbourne Hospital, both selling out before the early bird deadline. This year, entrants into The Royal Melbourne Hospital Home Lottery had a one in 25 chance of winning a prize ranging from the grand prize of a new house to an Ipod shuffle – that’s 3,515 prizes in total.

The 2013 Home Lottery is about to open, register today for your chance to win and support the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Visit rmhhomelottery.com.au

The Royal Melbourne Hospital has partnered with Charity Greeting Cards to offer you a wonderful range of cards for all occasions, in support of our Outpatients Transformation Project at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Charity cards are a perfect way for any organisation, group, club, or individual to send meaningful cards to clients, supporters, friends & family, while supporting our outpatient transformation at The Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Choose from a wide variety of cards for Christmas and personalise them with your own text and logos.

Most importantly, 40c from every card purchased goes to the Outpatients Transportation Project at The Royal Melbourne Hospital

You can view the cards available by clicking here. Christmas Cards

The staff from the Commonwealth Bank Royal Melbourne Hospital Branch were thrilled to be able support the Royal Melbourne Hospital with a $5000 gift to our Palliative Ward this week.

Branch Manager, Laura Calipari, and her team nominated the Hospital as a recipient of the Commonwealth Bank Community Program.  Spending every day looking after the staff and patients from the Hospital has meant the bank team have formed great relationships and the team were glad to be able to make such a generous gift back.

The funds will be used to purchase special beds for the Palliative Ward, ensuring our patients receive the best care possible in the most difficult times.

Laura and her team presenting their gift to Dr Brian Le, Unit Head, Department of Palliative Care.

Dry July has ended for our 2012 Dry July participants however that hasn’t stopped the Melbourne community supporting their ‘Dry’ friends in the name of a good cause.

The Melbourne community were urged to take a month off the booze this July to make a positive difference to the lives of adults living with cancer cared for by The Royal Melbourne Hospital. Our community has been extremely generous with over 2000 participants and over $320,000 already raised so far.

“Now in our fourth year of Dry July, the generosity of our supporters and our community continue to exceed our expectations. So much good has come out of our Dry July participation.”

“The Cancer Services at The Royal Melbourne Hospital has been under pressure from substantial growth in patients needing our care, so these funds are really helping”, said Foundation Executive Director Michelle Eunson.

“Cancer touches so many people. It is important to ensure we have the best facilities here to ensure that patients and their families get the best treatment possible. We were not sure if the community was aware that up to 40% of our patients at The Royal Melbourne Hospital require cancer care, so to see so many supporters signing up and ‘going dry’ for us has been wonderful.”

Proceeds from Dry July will go to The Royal Melbourne Hospital Cancer Services. You can donate to Dry July until the end of August. Dryjuly.com

JULIA Cannell's first concern was for her unborn baby when, at 28 weeks pregnant, doctors told her she had an aggressive form of leukaemia. Mrs Cannell was referred to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, which works closely with the Royal Women's Hospital to manage such rare cases.

Please make a donation today to support Cancer Services at The Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Read more: www.theage.com.au

The Dry July campaign in support of the Royal Melbourne Hospital was formally launched at the Royal Melbourne Hotel in Bourke Street.

Dry Juler's are invited to join our ambassadors, Shaynna Blaze, Pia Miranda, Wayne Schwass and Paul Dimattina to name just a few, in supporting the Royal Melbourne Hospital's cancer services this July.

We are hoping to have over 2000 people on board this July in support of the Hospital, raising funds to support our adult patients living with cancer.

The mocktails were a huge hit and make a month off booze all that much easier.  Aussie actor and Dry July ambassdor Pia Miranda (picture) says she will swap her evening wine for hot chocolate once her toddler is in bed.  Shaynna Blaze, Channel 9's The Block (picture left) was honoured to be invited to lend her support to the Hospital.  "Giving up alcohol for a month is easy compared to the challenges that someone with cancer faces everyday" says Shaynna.

Visit dryjuly.com and register today.

Congratulations to Dr Harry Derham, NorthWestern Mental Health, and Mrs Barbara Haynes, Royal Melbourne volunteer, for receiving honours in The Queen's Birthday 2012 Honours List. Dr Derham, Consultant Psychiatrist, Eating Disorders Unit, NorthWestern Mental Health, was recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to psychiatry, particularly in the field of eating disorders.

Mrs Haynes, known for her philanthropic and volunteer roles within The Royal Melbourne Hospital, was recognised with a Medal  of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to the community through her support for a range of medical research, arts and social welfare organisations.

Our sincere congratulations to Harry and Barbara for the very deserving recognition of their work in our community.

Click here for biographical notes on Dr Derham and Mrs Haynes

In February this year, Lynne Welsh lost her dad (83) when he finally died after three months in palliative care.

When Lynne arrived home from the hospital after her father had died, her Home Lottery tickets had arrived in the mail that same day. Instead of buying one ticket which has been her habit, this time she bought five tickets. And one of those turned out to be the winning ticket!

“The care for my dad over those three long months had been fantastic. I very much wanted to buy extra tickets to say thanks to the Hospital,” says Lynne.

Now Lynne, a single mother from Sunbury, is moving to North Balwyn, to live in the superb new home she won back in May. “It’s a magnificent home,” says Lynne, ‘and I am moving into it with my two adult children’.

Lynne has been the Receptionist at the Dianella Community Health Centre in Broadmeadows and when she won the home she promptly resigned her job. ‘I am going to miss the people,’ she says, ‘but it is a new life for us now’.

When Lynne was contacted and told she was the lucky winner of a $2.5 million home, she promptly burst into tears. Tears of joy, of course, but also tears of sadness as she thought about her dad who had died at the hospital just three months earlier.

Kilmore mum, Lauren, pregnant with her second child was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. The Royal Melbourne Hospital's Sleep Specialist, Dr Jeremy Goldin, explains the importance of an early diagnosis.

Click here to watch the video on Vimeo

Victorians, who have a family history of bowel cancer, are being urged to take part in a study that looks at links between red wine and preventing bowel cancer.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital is looking for more participants to take part in a research trial that investigates the potential positive effects of resveratrol, a component in red wine, in reducing peoples’ risk of bowel cancer.

Head of Colorectal Medicine and Genetics at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Professor Finlay Macrae, said bowel cancer was the second biggest cancer killer of Australians.

“Victorians have an opportunity to be part of a unique trial,” Professor Macrae said.

“We are looking for people who have an above average risk of bowel cancer, and that includes either a family history of the disease or have been diagnosed with adenomatous polyps.

“Almost 5,000 Australians lose their lives to bowel cancer annually so trials like this one are vital in helping to solve the bowel cancer puzzle.”

Research has shown that resveratrol – a polyphenolic compound in red wine – was capable of promoting a range of anti-cancer activities in vitro and in vivo studies. The randomized controlled trial compares resveratrol with placebo in patients at high risk of bowel cancer, measuring the protective effects on cells lining the bowel.

The nine-week clinical trial involves participants following a special diet and drinking 100 mls of de-alcoholised red wine each day. Participants must also be able to visit The Royal Melbourne Hospital for three short visits during the nine-week period. Participants can start the trial at a time suitable to them.

For more information about taking part in the trial contact research co-ordinator Virginia Bird on 9342 8995 or email virginia.bird@mh.org.au

More Australians die of bowel cancer than road trauma each year according to Australia’s leading colorectal expert.

But a simple test at home could help reduce the 5000 Australians who lose their lives to bowel cancer annually.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Head of Colorectal Medicine and Genetics, Professor Finlay Macrae, said he and his colleagues were at a loss to explain why Australians were not testing themselves for bowel cancer.

“Bowel cancer kits are readily available to Australians, however few are taking up the opportunity to test themselves for this life threatening disease,” Professor Macrae said.

“We know that those who accept and do a Faecal Occult Blood Test can expect a 33 per cent reduction in the chance of dying from bowel cancer compared to those who don’t do the test.

“Bowel cancer is the most common internal cancer to affect both men and women and is the second biggest cancer killer of Australians.

“We now have the means to test for bowel cancer that is simple and easy to do at home and yet the number of people who don’t do the test is startling and they could sadly die from the disease.”

The Royal Melbourne Hospital today launched its You never know when you’ll need us - Bowel Cancer Surveillance campaign, aimed at motivating Victorians who keep putting off doing a bowel cancer screening test to do it now.

The Federal Government currently funds a one off test for 50, 55 and 65 year olds and is set to extend the program to 74 year olds over the next four years. However, kits are available to all Australians through a GP or through the Cancer Council (13220).

Professor Macrae said the Federal Government’s announcement to extend the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program could save 1200 lives annually.

“A National Bowel Cancer Screening Program is not only cost effective, but given the escalating costs of new drugs for established cancer, the lives that can be saved far outweigh the expense,” he said.

"We welcome the extension of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program to immediately include those turning 60 years and then expanding the program by 2017-18 to include testing in age groups 50 to 74, every two years – thus meeting NHMRC guidelines.

“Currently, The Royal Melbourne Hospital picks up the gaps in the federal program through our Bowel Cancer Surveillance service, which works with individuals and families who have high risk of bowel cancer. We will continue to provide this life saving service.

“However, regardless of age the bowel cancer message is simple, if you have noticed changes in your bowel habits or have a family history of bowel cancer, get tested today – one simple test could save your life.”

For more information about The Royal Melbourne Hospital Bowel Cancer Surveillance service phone 9342 8423 or to request a BowelScreen test kit visit www.bowelcanceraustralia.org

To make a donation to The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Bowel Cancer Surveillance Service visit http://www.rmhfoundation.org.au