Current Projects
MRI Machine
In February 2010, the Health Minister, John Hill, released a press release stating the State Government is investing $2.3 million on a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (‘MRI’) machine for the WCH.
LHF pledged a further $1 million towards the new machine.
An MRI uses magnetic field and radio frequencies to allow clinicians to see a very detailed cross-section of the body, including arteries, muscles, bones and the brain. The machine is a large cylinder with a couch that can move backwards and forwards through the cylinder and the pictures are taken inside the cylinder.
In 2002 LHF pledged $1 million towards the purchase of the WCH’s first MRI machine. At the time the WCH was the only children’s hospital in Australia that did not have one of these machines. The WCH shared the MRI machine at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (‘RAH’) and only children who were well enough to be transported to the RAH would receive a scan.
Since 2003 a significant number of scans have been performed and the MRI machine needs to be upgraded. The new machine will produce better quality images and scan times will be faster, which means less time under general anaesthetic for those children who require it.
This project will deliver a new MRI machine that will assist many thousands of young South Australians.
Haematology and Oncology Centre
We have committed a $2 million distribution to the new Haematology Oncology Centre (‘HOC’), which will be a state-of-the-art clinical treatment facility, delivering comprehensive cancer and blood disorder services in the one location for infants, children and young people between the ages of 0 and 18 years.
Our funding support to this project will assist with the creation of this Centre of Excellence enabling the provision of first class treatment, services and more specifically the co-location of inpatients and outpatients and facilities to children and young people in South Australia and Northern Territory.
Construction of the Centre is scheduled to start in February 2010 with the opening anticipated early/mid 2011. We are immensely excited about this project and proud of the contribution to the improvement of quality and services in this sector.
We are excited to announce that they have recently been granted the naming rights to the new centre.
Child Family Care
We have recently established a Children and Young Adult Survivorship program that aims to decrease the impact of the treatment related effects experienced by survivors and their families through the provision of services that can improve quality of life and provide a smoother journey in surviving cancer.
There are approximately 60 children and young adults diagnosed with cancer in South Australia per year. This figure includes children from areas also services through the WCH, such as the North Territory and other regional areas lacking their own paediatric oncology facilities.
The good news is that childhood cancer survival rates have increased dramatically over the last 30 years, from 25 % in the late 1960s, to today where the survival rate is now approximately 75%. As a result of this, worldwide research clearly demonstrates the need for increase services for survivors that assist them during their cancer treatment and after their treatment has finished.
After considerable research, the LHF identifies a significant gap in the provision of essential supports to children immediately following their diagnosis and thus decided to create a service model of child focused complementary care services known as Child Family Care . Both LHF and CFC ATO approved DGRs. The Child Family Care (CFC) aims to decrease the impact of the treatment related effects experience by children and young adults diagnosed with cancer and their families, through the provision of service that can improve quality of life and improve a smoother journey in surviving cancer.
To learn more about CFC click here.
Regional
South Australia is a large state geographically with in excess of 50% of the population within a small metropolitan area. LHF has recognised the need to provide a range of services and supports to the hospitals and local communities throughout regional South Australia. Discussions are well advance for the implementation of community initiatives that will make a difference to the local hospital facilities and services as well as providing locally based survivorship services. These services will assist the child living with cancer and will also prevent or reduce family disruption in the obtaining of services.