2020-21 AGM recognises Austin Health staff contribution

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Tuesday December 14

Austin Health held its 2021 Annual General (AGM) meeting at 5pm on Thursday 9 December 2021.

CEO Adam Horsburgh - who recently returned from a secondment to the Department of Health – described our staff response to COVID-19 as “nothing short of remarkable.”

Adam noted the collaborative work of the clinical and support services teams to develop our clinical response plan and thanked everyone for their hard work.

Adam described the plan as an enabler of the quick response that we were able to give to the needs of the community throughout the pandemic.

Throughout the 2020-2021 financial year, we:

• Processed more than 125,000 COVID tests through our Pathology Department and Screening Clinic
• Handled over 170,000 calls to our COVID call center, and
• Provided care to 209 COVID inpatients.

Adam said that our efforts would not have been possible without the enormous support received from the local community.

“More than $1 million in cash and in-kind support has now been donated to our COVID-19 Appeal over the past two years which has helped us care for COVID-19 patients and their families, and advance vital research in this area,” Adam said.  Another achievement highlighted at the AGM was the outcome of a five-year, world-first study into mechanical ventilation by our anaesthetists and intensive care specialists that will potentially change the way millions of surgical procedures are performed around the world each year.

Adam also highlighted the collaborative study with the Florey Institute demonstrating the benefits of using a ‘mega-dose’ of vitamin C to treat COVID-19. A sepsis patient was given the equivalent 5000 oranges over six and a half hours which resulted in improvements in blood pressure, arterial blood oxygen levels and kidney function.

2021 was Ross Cooke’s first AGM as Board Chair, following his appointment in February 2021. Ross tabled the 2020-21 Annual Report at the AGM and thanked all staff of Austin Health for their diligent work throughout 2020-21.

Ross said: “The key point for a health service is our staff. We’ve got 10,000 plus and they’ve done and continue to do a fantastic job.”

Ross noted Austin Health’s appointment to lead the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination program in the north-east, through the North East Public Health Unit (NEPHU). Through our involvement with the Unit,  we act as the hub for distribution of vaccines to other health services including St Vincent’s, Eastern Health, Northern Health and our local Primary Health Network.

“Overall, Austin Health has contributed to more than 1.1 million vaccinations being delivered across the north-east, a truly remarkable effort,” Ross said.

Watch the recording of the AGM:

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