The last 2 years have been very eventful. We’ve all been dealing with COVID and the changes that it has made to the way our clinics operate. However, there have been many other changes at VRH. We thought that we would reach out and let you know all the changes that have occurred at VRH in the last 2 years.
Of course, we moved into our new building. The hospital is truly impressive and has greatly enhanced our workflows and added lots of new facilities. We had originally planned to have CPD nights in the new hospital so that everyone could come and have a look around. However, COVID intervened and we’ve had to delay these.
We have also added some new departments.
Neurology
The neurology department has been up and running since August 2020, taking full advantage of our 1.5T GE MRI machine to complement all our other facilities (including CT). They have recently also acquired an ultrasonic aspirator to help with brain tumour removal and can offer the full suite of electrodiagnostics for investigating patients with neuromuscular disease (including BAER testing for deafness). Appointments are available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – but we endeavour to always accept patients with urgent conditions that cannot wait and who present through our ICU. Emergency spinal surgery can also be performed on the weekend if required. The team is supported by two nurses – Alex and Toni.
- Dr Sam Long is a board-certified neurologist (ECVN) who, with the rest of the team, joined VRH in August 2020. He fulfilled his residency and a PhD in Glasgow, Scotland in 2005 before moving to Philadelphia to work at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2009 he returned to Australia to start a neurology service at the University of Melbourne and moved to private practice in 2017. Dr Long joined us having moved from CARE with the rest of the neurology team.
- Dr Simon Choi started his residency with Dr Long at the University of Melbourne, then joined him at CARE and then moved to VRH. He has now finished his official training and is due to sit his specialisation exams.
- Dr Kylie Grant started her residency with Dr Long at CARE in 2017 and is currently taking a short break for maternity leave. She comes from a neurology internship at the University of Melbourne which followed an internship at the University of Sydney and a stint in private practice. She will return to take up the third year of her residency in December this year.
- Dr Dana Leben has started as a neurology intern with us this year. Although originally from the USA, she did her vet degree in Edinburgh and has spent time in practice as an emergency vet.
Oncology
Dr. Claire Cannon is a board-certified oncologist (Dip ACVIM (Oncology) and joined VRH in August of 2021. She, along with oncology nurse Emma Corbett, is excited to offer specialist oncology care to patients at VRH. She is a strong believer in patient- and client-centered care, and in offering owners a variety of options and helping them make the decision that works best for their family. Oncology appointments are available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Contact: 1300 385 374 or oncology@vrh247.com.au
Anaesthesia
We are privileged to have a board-certified anesthesiologist working with our high risk cases Monday Friday, to keep your patients as safe as possible during their procedures and to give clients peace of mind. Our anesthesiologists work with us to ensure that your patient is pain free and comfortable from the start of their visit and through their recovery at home.
- Dr Leah Bradbury graduated from the University of Sydney as a veterinarian in 1999. Following graduation, she worked in a number of veterinary practices in Australia and the UK before commencing a residency in anaesthesia and critical care at the University of Liverpool in the UK in 2003. During this residency Leah was a awarded a Royal College Certificate in Veterinary Anaesthesia. In 2008 she became a Diplomat of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia by examination. Following completion of her residency she returned to work in Australia at the University of Melbourne where she led the anaesthesia team for 5 years. Leah then relocated to Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. Leah remains an adjunct senior lecturer for Charles Sturt University
- Dr Eleanor Holden graduated from the University of Queensland and then spent time in mixed general practice in Lilydale followed by a small animal rotating internship at the University of Melbourne. After returning to the University of Queensland as a clinical anaesthetist for a few years, she undertook a residency in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Eleanor became a Diplomat of the European College of Anaesthesia and Analgesia in 2017. Eleanor joined the VRH team in 2021.
Radiology
Dr Rob Turner is a Massey University trained veterinarian from Zimbabwe. He completed his ANZCVS Memberships in Small Animal Radiology in 2015 and continued into a veterinary diagnostic imaging residency at U-Vet Werribee Animal Hospital. He is excited about joining and working with the VRH team and veterinarians in Melbourne in optimising patient care by providing expertise in diagnostic radiography, ultrasonography, fluoroscopy, CT and MRI. He is currently doing a PhD, investigating the image characteristics of the pancreas and body composition determination by various imaging modalities.
CONGRATULATIONS
We also have congratulations to offer two of our newly qualified specialists. Dr Lucia Yu (Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine) and Dr Rob Turner (Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists, Veterinary Radiology) achieved board certification this year. To become board certified, a veterinarian must have completed a residency program (usually 3 years) and passed a series of rigorous examinations, so this achievement is a huge milestone! We are proud that Lucia and Rob have been officially confirmed to be the excellent clinicians and experts we knew they were! All the clinicians at VRH have a commitment to providing support to interns, residents and registrars.
These additions bring us to 10 board certified specialists, the most of any private referral practice in Melbourne. The team works to provide a multi-disciplinary and holistic approach to the care of our patients
STREAMLINING REFERRALS TO VRH
Making sure your patient is helped at VRH as soon as possible is always our goal. To ensure the process is quick and smooth, we welcome vets to call us prior to referring – we can discuss the best way of helping your client and patient, the expected costs and likely diagnostic and treatment paths that will be available.
When you are referring a patient to VRH please ensure that your client is prepared for their appointment by discussing expected costs and procedures. Please ensure that you send all relevant history, imaging results (images and reports if possible) and test results that are relevant to your patient’s condition. A summary of your patient’s health issues always helps clarify the most important problem and can streamline the referral process. This can be in an email, or by filling out the referrals form on our website: https://www.vrh247.com.au/referral-form/
For emergency referrals, please endeavour to call VRH to advise us of your patient prior to sending them to the hospital so that we are adequately prepared for their arrival, and we can help you stabilize your patient prior to transport.
Please send patient records through to admin@vrh247.com.au; this way we can avoid repeating tests and know the best way of helping your patient and client.
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