Alfred Health

As we mark the beginning of a new chapter, we invite you to join us for the final Alfred Health Annual Meeting. This event is an opportunity to reflect on 17 years of innovation, research, and compassionate care that have shaped our journey and strengthened our commitment to the community. 📅 Date: Wednesday, 3 December 🕑 Time: 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM 🔗 Details: https://bit.ly/4rj7Fdz We look forward to seeing you there!

Just a few times throughout the year, The Alfred’s Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y) program – usually reserved for school groups – opens to members of the public aged 16-25, along with their family and friends. A backstage pass to what happens behind the scenes at The Alfred, P.A.R.T.Y is designed to give young people a better understanding of the consequences of risk-taking behaviours. Clinical Nurse Specialist Kate Ursprung leads P.A.R.T.Y tours through The Alfred’s Emergency and Trauma Centre and says having parents join their young people makes the experience even more powerful. “I love having the parents there because you see them grappling with the issues too,” Kate said. “Sometimes I see them thinking, ‘I’m never letting my kid leave the house again,’ but they always come round by the end. It’s part of the reason P.A.R.T.Y is so effective and popular. “P.A.R.T.Y makes things real for participants by providing a space where they can talk to people who see the consequences of risk-taking behaviours every day including nurses, doctors, paramedics and former patients, who just tell them how it is. “We don’t sugar-coat things, but we also don’t take away anyone’s fun. “Ultimately the message is to go out and have fun, get the most out of life, but be safe and take care of your friends while you’re at it.” The next public P.A.R.T.Y program is on next Tuesday, 2nd December from 5:30 to 8pm. Tickets can be booked here: https://bit.ly/48eBpzx

Congratulations to Professor Eric Chow, who leads the Health Data Unit and co-heads the HIV/STI Clinical Trials Unit at Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, on receiving the 2025 Asian Australian Leadership Award in Medicine. With over 437 peer-reviewed publications and more than 13,000 citations, Professor Chow ranks among the top experts worldwide in sexual health research. His collaborative and inclusive approach continues to inspire meaningful change across the sector. A well-deserved recognition for an outstanding leader driving innovation and impact in public health!

Gippsland cancer patients can now access specialist radiation treatment closer to home, as part of The Alfred's ongoing partnership with Central Gippsland Health. Bairnsdale resident Rosemary Cooper, 91, was the first patient to undergo superficial radiation therapy at the new Radiation Oncology service at Sale Hospital, saving over 90 minutes of additional travel time to receive her 10 minute treatment. Delivered by Alfred specialists working in Sale, Superficial Radiation Therapy is a highly effective non-surgical treatment option, using low-energy X-rays to target and treat skin cancers and some non-cancerous skin conditions. “Being able to access this care in their own communities means patients can avoid some of the strain that comes from having to travel for treatment - like planning logistics, the cost and inconvenience of travel, time off work and pressure on caring responsibilities,” said Cath Beaufort, Operations Manager Radiation Oncology at The Alfred. "It also means patients can stay closer and connected to their support networks, which can make a great deal of difference during treatment and recovery."

After 40 years of care for patients at The Alfred, Professor Denis Spelman, Deputy Head of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, is retiring. In a career garnering countless awards, achievements and milestones, Prof Spelman said he is most proud to have been the co-founder and Head of Spleen Australia alongside the late Penny Jones (pictured right) and Dr Ian Woolley, which includes the Spleen Registry. “In the early 2000s, I saw a patient who had come into the emergency department very unwell with severe sepsis,” Prof Spelman said. “Despite our care, unfortunately she died. It turned out that she had her spleen removed eight years earlier, which was part of her treatment for lymphoma. “As you may know, the spleen is an organ that helps to fight off infections, especially severe ones. “Her death raised the question, ‘What can we do to prevent this from happening to others?’” Spleen Australia was set up to ensure all registered patients would receive education about the risks of developing severe sepsis, and how to best prevent and manage it; as well as contributing research in the area. With offices onsite at The Alfred, there are now more than 12,500 active patients from across the country registered with Spleen Australia. “What makes me proud is Spleen Australia saves lives,” Prof Spelman said. "We have since demonstrated those people who have lost their spleen and are registered with Spleen Australia have a lower mortality rate than those who are not registered; which means our work is making a difference.” In retirement, Prof Spelman said he’s looking forward to spending more time with his children and grandchildren and catching up on reading. “I must say it has been a great privilege to work at the Alfred since 1983 and to work with so many wonderful Alfred staff,” Prof Spelman said. "My overriding feeling towards The Alfred and its staff is one of immense gratitude for employing me, for the opportunities that I have been given, and for the great friendships and support I have received throughout my time there.” Thank you, Professor Spelman, for the lifesaving work you have done for the community. We wish you the best in retirement!

For 55 year old Justin, who has metastatic melanoma, the possibility of having quicker, safer and higher precision scans to track the progress of his disease would be a game changer. “Having had cancer now detected in my lung, bones and liver, scans will continue to be a part of my life - both to see eventually how my body has responded to treatment and to see if it pops up again,” Justin said. Now, Victorian cancer patients will have access to one of the most advanced imaging technologies available globally, with The Alfred becoming the first public hospital in the state to install a total-body Quadra PET scanner – the fastest and most precise of its kind. The scanner enables earlier detection of very small cancers, faster and safer scans, and real-time assessment of treatment progress, said Prof Mark Shackleton, Director Oncology at The Alfred. “We’ll be able to see how a patient is responding to a particular treatment in near-real time, potentially adjusting their treatment as needed based on side effects the patient may not even know they’re experiencing yet,” Prof Shackleton said. “It will also give us the ability to match therapies to individual tumour biology – a field known as theranostics – and significantly elevate what we can discover through clinical trials and research.” For Justin, access to the Quadra gives him both hope and comfort. “Being able to have the scan look at the entire body at once and with less radiation than a traditional PET is a huge improvement to the experience of people like me,” Justin said, pictured far right with Alfred Health Chief Executive, Adj. Prof Adam Horsburgh; Director Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Prof Meng Law; Prof Mark Shackleton; and Minister for Health, the Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas MP, with the Quadra. “And knowing this technology can pick up the tiniest change is going to take out so much of the unknown.” Read more here: https://bit.ly/3K20qpw

The Alfred community gathered today to mark Remembrance Day, with Major Francis Dignam, proud army reservist and recipient of the 2025 Prince of Wales Award, speaking powerfully about the collective nature of service. “Service isn’t something I do alone,” said Major Dignam, who is also The Alfred’s Deputy Director of Operations and Nursing – Acute and Integrated Care for Home, Acute and Community, pictured second from left. "And the importance of service extends beyond the individual and the family. It lives within the communities we come from — especially in the workplaces that make it possible." "It also lives in the image of the generations of men and women who rallied, and in our shared responsibility to carry forward their legacy." Following the service, attendees paid tribute to those who had lost their lives in battle, with the symbolic laying of their wreaths.

The Designate Board of Bayside Health is pleased to announce the appointment of Adjunct Prof Adam Horsburgh as the inaugural Chief Executive of the new Bayside Health. Currently Chief Executive of Alfred Health, he was previously Chief Executive of Austin Health and served as Interim Chief Executive of Melbourne Health. This appointment marks a significant milestone in establishing Bayside Health, which will unite five existing health services into a single, integrated health service from 1 January 2026. The merger brings together Alfred Health, Bass Coast Health, Gippsland Southern Health, Kooweerup Regional Health Service and Peninsula Health. More here: https://bit.ly/3LSPpY8

We have fantastic Alfred Health representation at this year’s Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH) Forum, an event highlighting initiatives that advance a culturally responsive mental health system. Emceeing the day’s series of presentations and panels is Lived Experience Participation Lead Tharindu Jayadeva, or TJ, who says he is excited by the breadth of research and knowledge that will be shared. “The Forum is really about communities within the mental health system,” TJ said. “This work is about ensuring that our communities, which include our consumers, carers and each other, are seen with dignity within these systems, that their humanity is recognised, leading them to access the care they need.” More here: https://bit.ly/3WJJGX0

Did you know Alfred Health is the lead agency of three headspace centres in Syndal, Elsternwick and Bentleigh? Each centre has a Youth Advisory Committee made up of young people passionate about mental health – including Serena, Jade, Tania and Sully, who gave some great advice to VCE students and their parents in the paper on Friday. Have a read!