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Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Seven

New Technology for Pindara Emergency Pindara Private Hospital has launched the Emergency Department (ED) clock, an innovative new tool to inform patients of potential wait times for treatment in the Pindara Emergency Centre. The tool, which is displayed on a TV screen in the Emergency Department reception area, reports in real time the waiting times you can expect and the number of people before you. The ED clock is also viewable online on the hospital website homepage. The Pindara Emergency Centre operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The centre was the first private emergency facility to be opened in Australia and it continues to be one of the busiest in Queensland. Hospital CEO Trish Hogan said the new ED clock will help patients choose when and where to go in times of an emergency and is one of many new technological innovations being introduced by Ramsay Health Care to facilitate and improve the delivery of patient-centered services. “The simple clock face is very easy to read and gives the patient an idea of how long they might have to wait – sparing them from frustration and anxiety in a time of stress,” Trish said. “We have trialled the clock for several months before launching it to the wider community, and feedback from patients has been very positive. They regard it as a wonderful innovation that is focused on meeting their needs in times of emergency.” Pindara Facebook If you haven’t already, check out our Pindara Facebook page and 'follow' or 'like' us. In case you missed it, here is one of our most popular posts about Dr Leong Tan… "When I was a teenager I did something that would change my life forever. I was the eldest son in a family of ten working on my family’s rubber plantation in Malaysia. My family was poor and I was ill with malaria twice. I began to wonder if life might hold something more for me. Without telling my parents I wrote to the Australian High Commission and applied to come to Australia to finish high school. Once it was approved I told my parents. My father was shocked, but secretly delighted. My mother was very upset because she expected me to marry and settle in my small village, even though I was only 17. When I arrived in Australia I tried to focus on working as hard as I could but it was not easy. I lived with other boys in a flat in Sydney and we had to look after ourselves. I struggled to understand Australian English and this was a problem at school, where I was trying to succeed. I had never been away from home before and I was homesick for my family and village. Many times I wanted to give up and go home, but due to my parent’s financial difficulty there was no money for an airfare. Also, I didn't want to bring shame to my family. I realised there was no choice but to put my head down and finish school and university so I could finally afford to buy a ticket home. I studied every minute of the day. I even brought my textbooks to the toilet with me! The hard work paid off. I was accepted into medical school, kept working hard and eventually specialised in one the most challenging areas of medicine - neurosurgery. When I finally returned to the village years later, my mother and father were incredibly happy and proud of me. I was the only person from the village to ever become a doctor, let alone a brain surgeon. NEWS I have been very fortunate to have opportunities and success. My proudest achievements are my 37-year marriage to my wife, my two sons and every patient who walks out of the hospital who smiles and simply says 'thanks'." - Dr Leong Tan Neurosurgeon 2016 pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 9


Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Seven
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