Bayside Health Alfred

06/03/2026

It’s officially Grand Prix season, and no one is more excited than orderly at emergency and radiology Mike O’Brien.

He’ll be working trackside as part of the team at The Grand Prix Medical Centre for the fifth year in a row.

Run by The Alfred since 1996, the team is on hand for all F1 workers – from drivers, support crews, marshals and all corporate workers.

Located just down the road from The Alfred, The Grand Prix Medical Centre is fully equipped to deliver a high level of emergency medical care, from the serious to the simple.

More here: https://bit.ly/3N0efXg

05/03/2026

Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Bayside Health Alfred community came together today to reflect on the impact of truly equitable healthcare, driven by this year’s theme of ‘Balance the Scales.’

ABC broadcaster and writer Jacinta Parsons and Gender Equity Victoria CEO Micaela Drieberg led a powerful conversation about how systems, policies and language shape women’s experiences of health and the importance of recognising every woman as an individual.

“Every single person has different needs depending on their stage of life, or their biological makeup, or where they live and what they're dealing with every single day," Ms Drieberg said.

“When we're talking gender equity, we recognise the differences between biological sexes and genders, but we also recognise that each of us has different needs.”

Director of Patient Experience at Bayside Health Alfred, Katrina Lewis, echoed this, emphasising the importance of seeing the whole person behind the patient.

“A better experience starts with recognising that every woman arrives not just with symptoms, but with a story, a culture, a family, and a lived reality that shapes how she understands health and care."

“Before she is a patient, she is a person.”

04/03/2026

Have you been a patient, family member or carer involved with one of our services?

Do you want to use your experience to help drive meaningful, accessible and compassionate care for others?

We’re looking for health care consumers and community members to join the Bayside Health Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and contribute to the future of our new health service.

CAC members provide advice to the Bayside Health Board and Chief Executive to enhance patient experience, and are offered ongoing support, training and opportunities to be involved in other organisational committees, working groups and service improvement activities.

People from diverse backgrounds who live in Victoria’s south, including metropolitan Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula, Koo Wee Rup, South Gippsland and Bass Coast are encouraged to apply.

If this sounds like you, visit: https://bit.ly/4cXjX6C

Applications close 13 March, 2026.

02/03/2026

A research network tasked with paving the way to better understand, manage and treat melanoma has been awarded the 2026 Universities Australia 'Shaping Australia' Problem Solver Award.

Congratulations to the Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging and Diagnosis (ACEMID) - which is made up of 15 research sites Australia-wide, including its lead Victorian site at The Alfred.

Over 9000 trial participants are involved with ACEMID studies, including close to 1000 from The Alfred, with advanced imaging being used to create the largest melanoma database in the world.

Prof Victoria Mar, Director of the Victorian Melanoma Service at The Alfred and Chair of the ACEMID Executive, said the work of collecting unique patient data collected through the hospital's total-body 3D scanner - the Vectra - will revolutionise early detection.

"We're also gaining new knowledge about disease biology and working towards training the technology to identify which melanomas are more likely to become life-threatening," Prof Mar said, pictured with ACEMID team members.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4sjWiSy

19/02/2026

Ukraine’s leading heart‑transplant team joined staff at The Alfred recently for a week of collaboration and shared learning.

Led by Prof Borys Todurov, Director of the Heart Institute of the Ukrainian Ministry of Health in Kyiv, the team of four met with Alfred clinicians from a range of specialties, including heart and lung, surgery and trauma.

Included was a demonstration of technology used to extend the time a donor heart can be kept safely outside the body, called hypothermic machine perfusion (pictured).

Despite the different circumstances in Australia and Ukraine, the week was mutually beneficial, said Prof Silvana Morasco, Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at The Alfred.

“I was wondering what they could possibly learn from us, given the immense complexity of the conditions they work in every day,” Prof Marasco said.

“But while we can share ‘surgical secrets’ and show some of the critical care and transplant developments that have become best practice here, it’s the sense of care and unwavering commitment to patients that actually sustains and connects us both.”

Read more: https://bit.ly/3ZFyNHj

16/02/2026

A partnership between The Alfred’s Hospital Admissions Risk Program (HARP) and charity Social Health Australia is improving health outcomes by pairing patients with volunteer ‘companions’.

John Davey (pictured second from left) spent eight months in a hospital bed, having undergone a quadruple amputation after a battle with meningococcal disease and contracting septicaemia.

Soon after he received a visit from Joe Sehee (pictured right), a non-religious chaplain then working as part of The Alfred’s pastoral care team.

“He wasn’t trying to fix anything for me, and he didn’t claim to have all the answers,” John said.

“He simply listened.”

This experience became the blueprint for Social Health Australia, a volunteer run charity co-founded by the two men, which pairs patients with companions.

More here:

A partnership between The Alfred’s Hospital Admissions Risk Program (HARP) and charity Social Health Australia (SHA) is improving health outcomes by pairing patients with volunteer ‘companions’.

09/02/2026

Meet Karen, one of the first patients to be scanned using our new world-class advanced total body Quadra PET scanner.

Karen has multiple sclerosis and metastatic melanoma, which means she has to undergo lengthy MRI and PET scans every three months.

"I'm in a rare-ish category of people, where doctors need to regularly track whether there's any progression of both my MS and my cancer," said the Melbourne-based mother of two, pictured (from left) with oncologist A/Prof Andrew Haydon and Director of Nuclear Medicine A/Prof Ken Yap.

Thanks to the Quadra, these scans have been cut from over 35 minutes long, to under ten minutes.

And they're opening the door to new research, trials and treatments in cancer and beyond.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4qkTpPJ

05/02/2026

For World Cancer Day, patients and staff were treated to a special afternoon tea where they could catch up over a cuppa and something sweet.

World Cancer Day is a global initiative aiming to raise worldwide awareness, improve education and compel action against cancer.

For those with lived experience of cancer such as patients Paul and Tracey, the day is about connecting over shared experiences.

“A while back I was determined to find a community of people who could relate to the type of journey that I am going through,” Tracey said.

“My oncologist suggested I look into what they were doing at the Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre.

“I took an eight week cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness course, and as a result I found my people – including Paul - along the way.”

Paul said being able to participate in the workshops and have a welcoming place to visit has been invaluable.

“It's an opportunity to get out of the house and connect with people who understand,” Paul said.

“Doing the workshops can give meaning and purpose in a place where you feel safe and protected."

01/02/2026

Staff from The Alfred and our wider Bayside Health family turned the streets of St Kilda rainbow-bright today as part of Midsumma Pride March, showing their continued support for LGBTQIA+ staff, patients and wider community.

Marching for the first time under our new name, and led by Bayside Health Board Chair the Hon. Martin Foley, friends, family and coworkers joined more than 35,000 participants and community supporters.

“Our LGBTQIA+ community is a proud and important part of Bayside Health’s workforce,” Mr Foley said.

“Our mission is to make sure we include the diversity and strength of the rainbow community in our work and our future.”

For Mental Health team member Shelley (left, with Danielle and Maayan), participating in the event was an opportunity to connect with other staff while sending a strong message to the community.

“It’s important that we as a service support our community so everyone feels welcome. Everyone should be able to be themselves – whether you’re a staff member or a patient.”

29/01/2026

Morgan Mansell was just 25 when she died from melanoma. Today would have been her 33rd birthday.

"There’s not much of a bigger vibe killer than being told you have cancer,” Morgan wrote on her blog, shortly after being diagnosed.

In her memory, her parents Julie and Peter created Check for Spots Day, urging Australians to check their skin and be all over melanoma.

Considered ‘Australia’s cancer’, skin cancers will affect two in three Australians in their lifetime, and around 2,000 people lose their lives to the disease each year.

But if found early, most melanomas are curable.

Head of the Victorian Melanoma Service at The Alfred, Prof Victoria Mar, says self-monitoring is one of the simplest ways to be ‘spot safe’ and can make all the difference for early detection.

“No one knows your skin like you do,” said Prof Mar. “The simplest approach is to look out for significant change in size, shape or colour, and ‘ugly ducklings’ – those moles that don’t look like the ones around them.

“Other key things to look out for are asymmetry, irregular edges, uneven colour and moles that are larger than 6mm in diameter or that are new and growing.”

“If you’re concerned about any of those characteristics, you should then head to your GP.”

Find out how to Check for Spots at alfred.org.au/checkforspots

26/01/2026

How wonderful to have several members of our Alfred community recognised in today’s 2026 Australia Day Honours list.

Honouring distinguished and conspicuous service, the list includes both current and former colleagues at The Alfred, including:

• Our outgoing Director of Research Prof Stephen Jane (pictured), for distinguished service to medical research, haematology and translational medicine and to advancing access to clinical trials in regional and rural communities.
• The late Penelope Jones, co-founder and former manager of Spleen Australia for service to medicine and spleen research.
• Neurosurgeon Dr Rondhir Jithoo, for service to neurosurgery
• Respiratory physician Prof Robert Stirling for significant service to respiratory oncology as a clinician and researcher.

Also receiving a gong was former allergy and respiratory physician, the late Prof Peter Holmes, as well as Ms Maryjane Crabtree, who served on The Alfred’s Medical Research Ethics Committee.

The generosity and ongoing support of two major Alfred philanthropists and Alfred Patrons was also acknowledged.

Paula Fox AO received a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for eminent service to the arts, medical research, and to children and youth through philanthropic giving, fundraising and governance. Of note, was Paula’s role in the establishment of our Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre.

Additionally, Mr Gerard Ryan OAM was honoured as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to sports governance, tourism and the hospitality industry, to business and the community through philanthropic contributions.

We congratulate each of these honourees, whose care of our patients, leadership, dedication or long-time generosity will continue to shape clinical healthcare for our community.

23/01/2026

Our burns specialists and emergency clinicians are urging people to prioritise safety when tending to campfires and barbecues as we head into the long weekend.

Nurse practitioner Lisa Braithwaite has been working in emergency medicine for more than 20 years and is no stranger to the common and unfortunate increase in patients needing burns care each summer.

“Patients come to The Alfred and often tell us they were using spare petrol from a jerry can to reignite a campfire fire that went out overnight,” Lisa said.

“The end result is a disaster, and they end up with significant burns.”

Mel Nealy, Burns Nurse Clinical Lead from the Victorian Adult Burns Service at The Alfred said that while summer is a great time of year to spend time socialising with friends and family, a short lapse in concentration can result in a serious lifelong injury.

“I’ve seen patients sustain major burns from gas barbeque explosions, some covering over 20 per cent of the body,” Mel said.

Top safety tips for campfires and BBQs:

🚫 Never use accelerants on fires
✅ Check gas cylinders and connections before lighting
🍻 If you’ve been drinking, leave the barbie to someone sober
🧑‍⚕️ Seek medical help early — delays can turn minor burns into life‑changing injuries

More here: https://bit.ly/4bK2UEv