April 2008

Retrieval service names medical director

Marcus Kennedy has been appointed the inaugural Medical Director for Adult Retrieval Victoria.

Dr Kennedy was formerly the Director of Emergency Medicine at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria’s busiest adult emergency department and a major trauma centre.

‘I’m delighted to have the opportunity to develop ARV,’ Dr Kennedy said.

‘This is a service that saves lives.

‘It is also a service we intend to improve significantly so we provide a truly responsive one-stop retrieval and critical care outreach service to the whole state.’

The 24-hour service provides clinical advice over the phone (often to regional hospital doctors), coordinates access to intensive care and coronary care hospital beds and provides adult emergency retrieval services for critically-ill patients, mostly from rural Victoria.

The Metropolitan Ambulance Service took over the retrieval service late last year.

It was previously known as the Victorian Adult Emergency Retrieval and Coordination Service (VAERCS), run from St Vincent’s Hospital.

The service deals with about 2,000 patients each year.

In coming weeks, ARV will be consulting clinical staff across the state about the future of the service.

‘This is part of the planning phase that is looking forward to 2009–2010 and beyond with the opportunity for a newer and broader vision,’ Dr Kennedy said.

•           For more information or to contribute to the planning phase visit info@arv.vic.gov.au.