Neuro-Interventional Specialist
Challis Recruitment is currently recruiting a Neuro-Interventional Consultant who has interest in joining a world class team delivering Neuro-Interventional services with Staff Specialist or Visiting Medical Officer contracts available.
This exciting opportunity is open to both experienced Consultants and those who have just completed or are due to complete their Neurointerventional specialist training.
FAST FACTS
• World-class Department known for high quality neurological and neurosurgical services
• Work with State of the Art Technology
• Leading Sydney Teaching and Research Hospital proving world class, innovative and compassionate healthcare
• Neuro-Interventional suite due for completion by the mid-2016
This leading and expanding department was most recently selected to launch the first national guidelines for the Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standard by the Australian Commission
on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
As a member of the team you will complement the existing high quality Radiology, Neurology, and Neurosurgical services that are already in place.
The Role – Neuro-Interventional (NI) SPECIALIST
The Neuro-Interventional (NI) Specialist will provide planned and after-hours Neuro-Interventional services at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA), Sydney Local Health District (SLHD).
Key Role Accountabilities
• Collaborate with colleagues in their own and other Departments across RPA to ensure treatment of patients in a timely and high quality manner, consistent with Neuro-Interventional protocols
• Show a commitment to continuing medical education and professional development particularly in the field of Neuro-Interventional
• Participate in supervision, education and training of junior medical staff
• Participate in Neuro-Interventional data collection and research
• Participate in Quality Assurance activities
• Participate in on-call roster for Neuro-Interventional and other on-call rosters relevant to the Department
• Adhere to statutory regulations, contractual requirements and NSW Health, SLHD and RPA policies and procedures
• Undertake other relevant activities as directed by Chief Executive, SLHD
For further specific role information please refer to the document – Position Description – Neuro-Interventional Specialist. PDF attached
HOSPITAL: ROYAL PRINCE ALFRED HOSPITAL (RPA)
This exciting opportunity is located at The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA), one of Australia’s leading teaching, research and tertiary referral hospitals. RPA provides an extensive range of diagnostic and treatment services to more people in NSW than any other public hospital. RPA is part of a network of hospitals within the Sydney Local Health District and is the principal teaching hospital of the University of Sydney. RPA remains one of the nation’s most respected hospitals, with a distinguished history serving the health needs of local, statewide, national and international communities.
Founded in 1882, the hospital is a major teaching facility of the University of Sydney and offers a comprehensive range of clinical services including the following:
• Neurosciences and Bone, Joint and Connective Tissue Services including clinical specialties of neurosurgery, neurology, neuropathology, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, pain management, orthopaedics, rheumatology, plastics, reconstructive surgery and infectious diseases.
• Services incorporating the clinical specialties of cardiology, interventional cardiology, nephrology, renal transplantation, cardiothoracic surgery and vascular surgery.
• Gastroenterology and Liver Services including gastroenterology, upper gastrointestinal, colorectal, hepatobiliary, liver transplant and general surgery.
• Aged Care and Rehabilitation Services for the elderly, people with disabilities and those with general medical problems in inpatient, ambulatory care and community settings.
• Critical Care Services includes emergency medicine, intensive care and anaesthetic services.
• Respiratory Service covers the respiratory ward, sleep unit and smoking cessation clinic.
• Women and Babies includes the clinical specialties of obstetrics, ultrasound and foetal medicine, neonatology, reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and general gynaecology.
• Cancer Services incorporating haematology.
• Medical Imaging Services including X-ray, CT, MRI, PET-CT and interventional radiology.
• Allied Health Services includes the professions of physiotherapy, podiatry, psychology, speech pathology, social work, orthoptics, nutrition and dietetics, occupational therapy and orthotics as well as library services and health care interpreter services.
• Paediatric Services includes the children’s short stay unit.
• Chronic and Complex care including endocrinology and immunology, HIV dementia (The Bridge).
All clinical services are delivered from the Missenden Road campus in Camperdown including the RPA Institute of Rheumatology and Orthopaedics and Statewide Renal Service.
In 2014/15 RPA reported 72,297 ED attendances, near 900,000 outpatient presentations and occupied an average 913 inpatient beds.
A key to RPA’s high quality clinical care is the translation of its research directly into positive patient care outcomes. RPA has substantial and widely recognised relationships with world leading research groups including Baird Institute, Centenary Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Heart Research Institute and the Woodcock Institute of Medical Research.
THE DEPARTMENT: ROYAL PRINCE ALFRED RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
This world-class department located within the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital is renowned for delivering high quality neurological and neurosurgical services.
Comprehensive diagnostic and imaging services are provided 24 hours, 7 days per week, with the department performing over 150,000 studies per year across modalities of general x-ray, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, mammography, CT, MRI and angiography.
The department is fully accredited with both the Royal Australian New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) and National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA). The RANZCR/NATA program affords accreditation to sites who demonstrate “good practice” in accordance with the international standard ISO/IEC 17025 and the RANZCR Accreditation Standards for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology.
The philosophy of this leading department is to maintain a high standard of practice, and to achieve this the department operates within a quality framework focusing on regular evaluation, education and continuing improvement; This ensures the services provided to patients is of the highest standard of health care possible.
Neurosciences & Imaging
Most recently the department was selected to launch the first national guidelines for the Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standard by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
Focused on providing excellence in healthcare for all, Sydney Local Health District recently held a Neurosciences Think Tank in partnership with the George Institute to identify the most important top priorities for investment and development in Neurosciences over the next five years.
Recent Interventional Enhancements
In 2016 the department is to add a significant advancement in the diagnosis and treatment of stroke, brain aneurysms, brain and neck tumors and other neurological conditions with the acquisition of a state-of-the-art interventional biplane angiography suite.
The new third interventional biplane suite will accompany the two single plane angiography suites also scheduled for an upgrade in the same year. The three suites will be housed in a specifically designed purpose built integrated interventional wing within the Radiology department.
While the two single plane angiography suites have long been a valuable tool within the department in servicing over 2000 patients per annum in both general angiography and neuro-angiography procedures, the biplane technology, with its advanced imaging capabilities to map blood vessels, supersedes the current technology for intracranial procedures and will represent a giant leap in helping physicians diagnose and treat neurological abnormalities and then treat them with invasive endovascular procedures.
The images produced by the biplane system will aid Physicians in performing procedures such as clot removal, aneurysm repair, and the treatment of arteriovenous malformations, carotid artery blockages, brain and neck tumors, intracranial hemorrhages, spinal compression fractures, and refractory epistaxis.
The dramatically enhanced visualization of arteries and vessels in 3-D will also cut surgery time-in many cases by as much as half. Additionally, the biplane technology will replace the need for multiple injections of x-ray dye, reducing the amount of contrast fluid used. It also uses less radiation than traditional brain imaging equipment. Another advantage is that the equipment has CT scan capability, which will enhance the effectiveness of some procedures and allow the patient to have an additional test without leaving the room.
This multimillion dollar capital investment into technology solutions will support RPA in its commitment to continue to expand its services in the world of image-guided invasive surgery and increase RPA’s capacity to treat patients with stroke, vascular disease, aneurysms, and other complex neurological and vascular conditions in an efficient, cost effective and clinically advanced manner.
The Neuro-Interventional suite, due for completion by the middle of this year (2016), will include a biplane angiogram machine, which is the most advanced in the world. The statewide training program will include simulator training, networking with other hospitals and partnerships with training institutions overseas to ensure clinicians are well equipped to provide this specialised service.
This investment will ensure RPA continues to be a world-leading hospital delivering excellent patient care.
The Neuro-Interventional Model of Care
Sydney Local Health District is pleased to be enhancing its Neuro-Interventional services by recruiting additional Neuro-Interventional Specialists, taking a team approach to complement the existing high quality Radiology, Neurology, and Neurosurgical services that are already in place at RPA.
THE HEALTH SERVICE: SYDNEY LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT
Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) is committed to providing excellence in healthcare for all and is recognized as one of the best performing health districts in NSW.
This progressive Health District located across central Sydney provides care to approximately 600,000 people living locally, as well as to a large population outside the District that require tertiary and quaternary healthcare services, such as trauma care, intensive care and transplantation surgery.
Actively hosting world-leading biomedical, clinical, health services and public health research, along with a team of world leading clinicians, researchers, research institutes and research centres, all contribute to the success of translation of research into innovative, evidence-based practice.
This year (2016) they were recognised as being among the world’s best for using medical research to improve patient care as Sydney Health Partners, a collaboration between Sydney, Western Sydney and Northern Sydney Local Health Districts, the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, their medical research institutes and the University of Sydney, was named one of four National Health and Medical Research Council Advanced Health and Research Translation Centres.
Sydney Local Health District is the home to world renowned hospitals such as the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA), Concord Repatriation General Hospital, as well as Sydney Dental, Balmain and Canterbury Hospitals. With nearly 152,000 patients attending their emergency departments last year (2015); they performed 29,000 operations and delivered more than 6,700 babies (between RPA and Canterbury Hospitals).
With more than 11,000 staff, this Local Health District is one of the biggest employers and service providers for people living in Sydney and beyond. They employ approximately 1450 doctors, 5300 nurses, 1000 allied health staff, 450 scientists, 300 oral health staff, 680 cleaners and 1700 administrative staff. Committed to their staff, they know that their ongoing support and development is essential for maintaining world class, innovative and compassionate healthcare for future generations of Sydney’s ever growing communities. Together they continue to strive to help the community be fitter, healthier and able to live full and meaningful lives.
Why the Royal Prince Alfred hospital is the place to be
The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) is a principal referral (group A1) hospital with affiliations to the University of Sydney, providing tertiary and quaternary health services to a local inner west catchment, other metropolitan residents, rural, interstate and overseas patients.
With a 135-year history in public health care delivery, its proud history showcases it leading innovation in health care including being the first to undertake a number of life changing treatments for patients; these include aortic valve replacements, coronary angiography and the first hospital in Australia to have triage nurses.
RPA has also led the way in research and education, both nationally and internationally working closely with its neighbour the University of Sydney. In 2016, RPA continues this proud tradition.
Last year just under 80,000 admissions and discharges moved through the Hospital with more than 73,000 presenting through the Emergency Department, over 22,000 arriving by Ambulance and 5,000 babies were delivered.
However, while the numbers are large they are only a small part of this historical and advanced medical facility’s story. It is the high quality of care and the complexity of the services this hospital provides that confirm Royal Prince Alfred’s reputation as a leader in public health care delivery.
RPA is an international leader in liver and kidney transplantation. It has been a pioneer in the fields of kidney and liver transplantation since 1967. RPA performed its first deceased kidney transplant in 1967, first living kidney donor transplant in 1973 and performed the first liver transplant in NSW in 1986. In 2005, the hospital performed the first liver, kidney and pancreas transplant in Australia. In 2012/13, RPA undertook 71 liver transplants and 81 kidney transplants.
In October 2014, SLHD announced Australia’s first dedicated organ donation and transplantation academic unit to be located at RPA, in a bid to increase donation rates across the state. Access to organ donation for transplantation is essential to ensure the best outcomes are achieved for people with end stage disease such as kidney, liver, heart, lung or pancreas failure or for people receiving tissue donation (bone, corneas or skin) to improve the quality of their lives. The strategic plan, Organ Donation for Transplantation Plan 2014-2017 was developed through extensive consultation with clinical experts from RPA, other districts and overseas, and the NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service. Over the past five years since NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service has been operational, there have been 1382 organs transplanted from 442 organ donors – 51 per cent greater donor numbers than there were when our service was first established.
The Intensive Care Service cares for some of the sickest patients from across the city and the State. A number of these patients had severe respiratory failure who required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Many of these patients have been retrieved on ECMO from as far afield as Queensland, the Northern Territory and Noumea. The Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society reports that RPA has the most complex patients and the best outcomes across Australia and New Zealand.
The Clinical Emergency Response (CERS) program developed at RPA provided the foundation for the Between the Flags program developed for the State by the Clinical Excellence Commission. The CERS program has seen cardiac arrest on the wards reduce by 50 percent. The number of calls has steadily increased during the years however the number of cardio respiratory arrests remains encouragingly low. Deteriorating Patients (rate per 1000 separations) rapid response calls is 21.79.
RPA Newborn Care admitted over 900 babies last year with approximately 300 needing intensive care and 130 of these babies born before 32 weeks’ gestation. The youngest and smallest survivor was born at 24 weeks weighing just 580 grams. Survival rates rank with the best in the world and survival in preterm babies born after 27 weeks are close to 100%.
RPA is very proud of its surgical performance. They are the only hospital in the State that has consecutively been on triple ‘000’ – that is no patient has waited longer than the clinically appropriate time for their surgery for over 4 years. This year almost 12,000 patients will be admitted for elective surgery and of these around half will be admitted on the day of their surgery.
Teaching and research are deeply embedded in the role and function of RPA. The RPA precinct is flanked by research partners. These include the University of Sydney, the Centenary Institute, The George Institute, the Woolcock Institute, the Brain and Mind Institute, and the now completed Professor Marie Bashir Centre and Charles Perkins Centre. The opportunity these relationships provide is significant. In 2012, RPA’s total research income was over $50million including more than 550 published articles. Additionally, there were a number of RPA medical, nursing, scientific and allied health staff who were recipients of awards from national bodies.
During 2013, Sydney Research was formed to harness and optimise biomedical research, clinical trials, clinical research, public health, primary care and health services’ research within the central Sydney area and in particular on the RPA campus. Sydney Research aspires to be Australia’s leading translational research entity, converting discoveries into better health for the people of Central Sydney, Australia and the world. To date, across the District they have many clinical trials underway, 1015 Ethics and Governance submissions have been reviewed, and more than 3000 publications have been produced in the last 5 years.
The RPA Institute of Academic Surgery (RPAIAS) is a recent initiative, established in 2014. For RPA to continue as a leader in as the forefront tertiary and quaternary hospital in Australia, it requires a strong academic presence to encourage critical analysis, evaluation and research in surgery-related clinical issues, practices and outcomes.
The RPAIAS will enhance the current models of academic surgery at RPA, such as those developed by the Baird Institute and the Surgical Outcomes Research Unit (SOuRCe). The RPAIAS will develop research and education collaborations with universities, colleges and government bodies involved in the training of surgical disciplines. The RPAIAS will aim to be a leader in the education and training of graduate, fellowship and post-fellowship surgeons and associated surgical specialty disciplines at a national and international level.
A Co-Rehab team at RPA was established in 2014 with the aim to provide intensive early rehabilitation to targeted patients. A feature of the program is to improve clinical outcomes and cost savings through the more efficient use of hospital beds.
In relation to cancer services, RPA continues to care for patient with complex cancer needs. The Chris O’Brien Lifehouse ambulatory chemotherapy care opened in November 2013 with inpatient services commencing in March 2015. Following extensive consultations with senior RPA Clinicians a detailed model of care was developed for specialist cancer and supporting services. The framework of care outlines when patients are transferred to Lifehouse under a novel relationship whereby RPA will purchase cancer services for public patients from Lifehouse.
RPA will operate a number of clinics in Lifehouse and importantly provide the full suite of radiology services for Lifehouse patients. Like any tertiary/quaternary hospital radiology services are critical. The new department within Lifehouse will free capacity within the current department and provide further opportunities to improve patient flow. A ‘think tank’ with senior clinicians held in 2013 provided the foundation for a strategic plan for radiology services across the District and at RPA in particular. Furthermore Sydney Local Health District has approved additional staff including Radiographers, Systems Manager, Workflow Coordinators, Staff Specialist, and Porters, to support the main department at RPA as well as the department located in Lifehouse. The District has invested $4M in equipment, to not only service the Radiology Department at Lifehouse but also to modernise the equipment at the main department at RPA. A new 3T MRI scanner is currently being installed in the RPA Radiology Department.
In 2014 RPA welcomed the latest addition to the campus when the University of Sydney celebrated the official opening of the Charles Perkins Centre Research and Education Hub.
The Charles Perkins Centre aim to look beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries to improve the health of individuals, communities and the nation, with a focus on finding real-world, big-picture solutions to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The multidisciplinary structure of the centre has the potential to revolutionise the way research and teaching is conducted, both in Australia and internationally. The centre will feature an advanced clinical research facility, operated in conjunction with the Sydney Local Health District, used to treat patients, test new models of clinical care, and conduct research trials, with a metabolic kitchen, overnight stay rooms, gym equipment and associated clinical facilities.
In November 2014 RPA welcomed the Professor Marie Bashir Centre, a purpose-built mental health facility. The 73-bed centre provides a unique opportunity to bring together the world’s best mental health practice and cutting-edge research. The centre is a joint initiative of the NSW Government, SLHD and the University of Sydney. The six-storey centre features a six-bed short stay unit, an assessment unit, physical therapies suite, acute adult inpatient services, with capacity to manage mothers and babies in a defined pod, and a high dependency unit. It also houses the state’s eating disorder services under the one roof for the first time, and provides seven University of Sydney beds dedicated to translational research. The centre represents a new era in the way we care for people in our community and the research and education programs will make real and direct benefits to individuals and families affected by mental illness.
RPA is leading the world in research on Pelvic Exenteration, focusing on innovative surgical techniques and the short and long term clinical and patient reported outcomes of the most complex cancer cases. Professor Solomon is also the founding Director and Head of the Surgical Outcomes Research Centre at the University of Sydney. The centre, known as SOuRCE, was established as a multidisciplinary, academic research unit dedicated to the advancement of evidence-based surgical practice through the conduct of outcomes-orientated surgical research. The Pelvic Exenteration Research Program was the first to combine pioneering work addressing the most technically challenging lateral pelvic recurrences and a database of clinical and patient reported outcomes to monitor and evaluate health service impact and patient survival and quality of life. This lateral pelvic exenteration surgical approach is not performed elsewhere nationally or internationally and reflects the development of complex surgical techniques in a highly specialised unit. Under Professor Solomon’s leadership, the RPA colorectal team has demonstrated a zero per cent mortality and acceptable morbidity with this approach. RPA has the largest single centre experience in sacrectomy for cancer with a series of more than 100 cases and has developed two different approaches. It is the only unit in Australia that performs high sacrectomy. In 2013/14, Professor Solomon and the multidisciplinary surgical team undertook 53 pelvic exenteration surgeries.
THE LOCATION: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Sydney is the capital of New South Wales and is Australia’s largest city. It has a population of around 4.76 million and is located on the coast of Australia’s south east.
This famous city boasts thriving arts, cultural and hospitality scenes. Here you can dine at restaurants ranked in the world’s top 50, indulge in world-class shopping, see performances at the famous Sydney Opera House, swim and surf at golden beaches or relax in lush parklands.
In Sydney you can create a home in cosmopolitan, cultured communities and enjoy some of the highest living standards in the world. You can choose from buzzing beachside suburbs, leafy family neighbourhoods and rural farming towns.
Boasting Australia’s most multicultural state, with 40% of its residents born overseas, and where over 200 different languages are spoken, the people are friendly and welcoming. Regardless of where you come from or where you decide to settle, you will find social and support networks with communities from many different backgrounds and religions.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2014 Livability Survey, Sydney is the seventh most liveable city in the world and received perfect scores for healthcare, education and infrastructure.
This incredible city enjoys one of the world’s leading healthcare systems, which is affordable, easily accessible and positioned at the forefront of medical research.
Sydney provides one of the finest education systems in Australia and the world. The Australian public school system was ranked 9th in the world education rankings according to the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) survey (the USA was 17th and the UK was 25th). The city’s residents are offered a vast selection of educational options from public schools through to a diverse range of private schools, which cater to different religious denominations and teaching philosophies.
Tertiary education is of a high global calibre. Some of Sydney’s renowned Universities rank within the top 500 worldwide, attracting great international talent making Sydney a leading destination for international students.
Famous for its blue skies and sunshine all year round, Sydney is blessed with mostly temperate weather, where people enjoy an alfresco lifestyle. The eastern coast is renowned for its sunshine, and in Sydney it has been calculated that there are only 23 days a year when the sun doesn’t shine.
This exciting career opportunity provides a clinical position within a high achieving department, in a professional environment where you will be a valued and respected team member, whilst enjoying a prosperous, modern and diverse lifestyle in a world-class city.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for this opportunity you will ideally be currently practicing, and have experience in Neuro-Interventional, and be registered or be eligible for registration with Medical Board
of Australia (MBA):
• Fellowship, or qualifications recognised as comparable to Fellowship, of one of the following Colleges:
– The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists
– The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons as a Neurosurgeon
– The Royal Australasian College of Physicians as a Neurologist
Applications are currently being accepted from both Australasian and overseas trained specialists with qualifications that make them eligible for specialist registration (by having comparable Overseas qualifications as listed above) with MBA. Please note Challis Recruitment have a dedicated Medical Registration Team that can assist with qualifications, training and clinical practice preliminary Specialist evaluation. Full assistance with all Medical Registration, including Specialist Assessment will also be provided to the successful applicant if required.
For any overseas based successful applicants in addition to our Medical Registration Team, our in-house registered migration agent will also provide you with immigration advice and assistance every step of the way.
Should you be interested in this fantastic opportunity, please contact me directly on +61 (0)2 9509 3000 or via email jaime@challisrecruitment.com.au for further information and/or a confidential discussion.
Alternatively, if you have any colleagues who may be interested in this exciting opportunity please feel free to forward this information on to them.