Calvary Health Care

Part of the Calvary SA Breast and Endocrine Service, we provide expert care for all breast care needs here at Calvary North Adelaide Hospital:

• One convenient location

• Triaging of diagnostic appointments

• Specialised surgical team

• Minimal surgical appointment wait times

• Experienced breast care nurses

We know that this may be an anxious and confusing time for you. We aim to make things a little easier for you, by having all your breast care needs covered at the one location. In addition, we have expert service providers onsite so you can rest assured that you are in good hands.

The Day Chemotherapy Unit is located in the heritage listed Kimberley House. Treatments include chemotherapy, immunotherapy and supportive care treatments such as blood transfusions and iron infusions.

Patients are able to receive other supportive care treatments, including reflexology, massage and acupuncture. These treatments may assist with the management of symptoms such as nausea and fatigue.

Patients may attend one of the ‘ Look Good Feel better ‘ workshops scheduled at Calvary North Adelaide Hospital during the year. Please ask staff for the dates.

Volunteers are present each day to help make your stay with us as comfortable as possible.

St Helens ward is a 24 bed unit, providing care for patients with acute medical and chronic illness, as well as highly specialised care for patients with a wide range of oncological and haematology malignancies and disorders.

Adjacent to St Helens ward is a day infusion room, offering oncology and haematology treatments in an ambulatory setting. In this area, patients can access scalp cooling therapy to minimise cancer treatment induced hair loss.

We pride ourselves on providing a high standard of professional care with compassion and expertise. Our dedicated team of expert nursing staff, medical oncologists and haematologists work closely with other health care professionals to provide a multi-disciplinary approach to your care.

In addition, patients have access to after-hours telephone triage assessment in consultation with our Visiting Medical Oncologists and Haematologists.

Cold cap therapy

Calvary North Adelaide Hospital offers the cold cap therapy system to patients.

Cold cap therapy (or scalp cooling) is a simple treatment that can prevent hair loss caused by certain chemotherapy drugs. The use of scalp cooling has proven to be an effective way of combatting chemotherapy induced hair loss.

The dedicated unit for this therapy is located in St Helens Ward.

Mary Potter Hospice

Admission to Mary Potter Hospice is for private patients with life-limiting illnesses whose care-needs require specialist palliative care management. Care is provided by a multi-disciplinary team which is comprised of doctors, nurses, social workers, allied health and pastoral care.

Established in 1976, the Mary Potter Hospice has developed an excellent reputation in palliative care for people with terminal illness through the skilled and dedicated services provided by our team, all of whom are supported by a committed team of volunteers.

The unit is comprised of 15 private rooms with ensuites. Each room has outdoor access to garden areas. Two lounge areas and a kitchen is available for visitors. A chapel is open 24 hours a day for prayer or quiet contemplation.

We encourage visitors to our patients and have flexible visiting hours. The number of visitors and time of visiting may be restricted at the discretion of the nursing staff depending on clinical requirements and consideration of other patients in the area.

In the best interest of your recovery we encourage you to enjoy our hospital quiet time between 1pm and 2pm each afternoon.

Mary Potter Palliative Care Unit is supported by the Mary Potter Foundation.

Palliative care in the home

Experienced palliative care clinicians provide your individualised care requirements with skill and empathy in your own home.

Providing increased choice for patients to remain under the care of Calvary and choose the location of their care (Home or Hospice) is a key focus for our Calvary Palliative Home Care Service.

Our nurses will work with patients and their carers to assess and develop an appropriate care plan and will liaise with other health practitioners including their GP and medical specialists. We will endeavour to help identify the right balance between home based and inpatient palliative care by exploring and optimising the use of palliative home care for those who wish to live the remainder of their life in the comfort and privacy of their own home.

Should the need arise, we work in close collaboration with Mary Potter Hospice and Calvary North Adelaide Hospital to ensure patients receive the best care in the most suitable location whilst honouring their desires and in consideration of their care needs. We strive to ensure a more seamless experience for patients as they transition between care environments.

The Calvary palliative home care service is funded through private health insurance.

Arrange a booking

For further information and discussion regarding clinical criteria for acceptance to this service, please contact the Calvary Palliative Home Care Service team directly:

DR P.C Lee and Dr Oui Ju have more than 20 years’ experience in treating complex infections, including infections in people who have cancer. The cancer specialists may refer patients to Dr Lee or Dr Ju for advice and treatment if an infection develops.

Dr P.C Lee and Dr Oui Ju provide inpatient consultations at Calvary Hospitals in Adelaide.

The RALI (Rapid Assessment of Leucodepleted Infection) program is a unique service offered to oncology and haematology patients and doctors of Calvary North Adelaide. It means in the event of illness you can be directly referred to the ICU for treatment.

Treatments include

• Neutropenia

• Sepsis

• General illness investigation

How does it work?

If you are unwell and meet the criteria your treating doctor can refer you to the Intensive Care doctors. You will either be directly admitted to the ICU for treatment, or to the ward and reviewed by the ICU Medical Team on arrival.

The program has shown great success in the early detection and treatment of infection, and has significantly reduced the length of stay for patients, getting them home earlier.

Please talk to your treating physician for more information.

The fast track colonoscopy and endoscopy service at Calvary North Adelaide Hospital aims to provide patients without complex symptoms or comorbidities with quick and convenient endoscopy and colonoscopy services without the delay of a specialist consultation. You can access this service via your GP who can refer you directly to our fast track service.

Adelaide Oncology and Haematology’s RESTORE Program is funded by donations to The Mary Potter Foundation.

Patients undergoing cancer treatment at Kimberly House & Calvary Central Districts Hospital have access to this program at no cost, thanks to The Mary Potter Foundation.

RESTORE provides a foot or hand massage during chemotherapy treatment by qualified massage therapists. Chemo affects each patient in different ways. For some, the massage alleviates discomfort such as swelling and nausea. For others, the massage is purely pleasurable or a welcome distraction – making the chemotherapy sessions less confronting and more enjoyable.

RESTORE also offers free information workshops which are held 4 x times a year. Patients can attend a 4-hr workshop, where they learn to regain some control. Topics include nutrition, diet, exercise, meditation, sexual health, pain management, spirituality, and financial/estate planning. Each workshop also includes a Q&A session with a qualified oncologist.

Oncology reconditioning programs

Our oncology reconditioning programs are designed to assist people undergoing treatment for cancer to regain their quality of life and functional ability. They cover:

• Fatigue management and pacing

• Goal setting

• Diet, nutrition and the benefits of exercise

• Use of medications and assessment

• Psychological impact of cancer and gaining confidence and coping strategies

• Complementary therapies and meditation

• Management of financial affairs

• Improved endurance and muscle strength

Calvary Rehabilitation Hospital at Walkerville also offers two oncology reconditioning programs;

1. The breast cancer rehabilitation program is designed to rehabilitate women overcoming breast cancer. The sessions are conducted by a team of health professionals including occupational therapy, nursing, physiotherapy, medical dietetics, psychology and pharmacy. It is a 9 week program.

2. The reconditioning oncology program is an exercise, behavioural change , social support and medication It is an 8 week program.

Referral to Calvary Rehabilitation Hospital is by general practitioner, specialists, health care providers or other hospitals between 8am and 5pm. Our physiotherapist will co-ordinate patients’ programs and help with setting achievable goals.

Clinical trials at Adelaide Oncology and Haematology

The Clinical Trials unit opened in 2008 at Calvary North Adelaide, and more recently at Calvary Central Districts. Clinical Trials are conducted in conjunction with Calvary Healthcare Adelaide. Up to August 2018, Calvary North Adelaide Hospital in conjunction with AOAH has participated in clinical trials researching new treatments in both medical Oncology (Breast, Colorectal, Brain) and Haematology (Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma).

What is a clinical trial?

Clinical trials are research investigations in which people volunteer to test new treatments, interventions or tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage various diseases or medical conditions. Some investigations look at how people respond to a new intervention* and what side effects might occur. This helps to determine if a new intervention works, if it is safe, and if it is better than the interventions that are already available.

Clinical trials might also compare existing interventions, test new ways to use or combine existing interventions or observe how people respond to other factors that might affect their health (such as dietary changes).

The World Health Organization (WHO) definition for a clinical trial is:

‘any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes’.

Clinical Trials at AOAH are conducted in accordance with International safety standards as defined by the International Conference on Harmonisation- Good Clinical Practice (ICH –GCP). These guidelines advocate for the safety of clinical trial participants, the efficacy of a trial protocol, and the collection of quality of data in the clinical trial setting.

Further information on these guidelines can be found here https://ichgcp.net

All trials are reviewed by the Calvary Human Resource Ethics Committee (HREC) and must be approved by HREC prior to patient participation.

Have questions?

These links will give you some guidance on clinical trial participation and things to ask your treating doctor.

Useful Links

• www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/treatment/clinical-trials.html

• www.australianclinicaltrials.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/consumer_guide_clinical_trials_web.pdf

• For more information about cancer trials, visit www.cancertrialsaustralia.com

Current trials

We currently have several trial underway, in Haematology and Medical Oncology.

How to get involved

• Trials take place at Calvary North Adelaide Hospital Cancer Services, Kimberley house

• A referral by specialist or healthcare providers is required

• Please contact 08 8239 9100