Project Summary
The project's aim is to provide specialist trauma support from major Melbourne hospitals and Bendigo Health to regional hospitals in Echuca, Swan Hill and Mildura, in the Loddon Mallee region of Victoria.
This outcome is achieved by piloting the latest development in virtual clinical care, a mobile Medi-Cart in the country hospital, consisting of video conferencing and telemedicine solutions, connected back to city hospitals via ultra fast technology. A separate network will be established for the pilot which will require new infrastructure to be installed in all the participating hospitals.
The following hospitals to this pilot
-
The Austin Hospital, Melbourne
-
The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne
-
The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne
-
St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne
-
Bendigo Health
-
Echuca Regional Health
-
Swan Hill District Hospital
-
Mildura Base Hospital
Adult Retrieval Services will be the initial contact point for all regional hospitals, and will determine the best metropolitan hospital to engage for trauma and critical care support based on availability and skill set.
Bendigo Health is the primary referral site in the region for smaller hospitals; however all regional hospitals including Bendigo also receive trauma and critical care advice from a number of metropolitan hospitals via telephone.
There is a chronic shortage of specialist services outside Bendigo, with particular shortages in paediatrics, surgeons and trauma specialists.
Download the ViTCCU Project Brief v1.1.pdf (PDF 308 KB)