Tackling an emergency

A big increase in the number of emergency patients admitted to Victoria’s metropolitan hospitals in the past three years emphasised the growing importance of emergency medicine, says Health Minister John Thwaites.

Officially opening the Joseph Epstein Centre for Emergency Medicine Research at Western Hospital in Footscray, he said the Government was committed to improving access to emergency services.

‘Emergency medicine is becoming increasingly important nationally and, in particular, in Victoria.

‘Emergency patients admitted to the major 12 Melbourne hospitals have increased from 154,000 in 1996/97 to 189,000 in 1999/2000—a 23 per cent increase,’ Mr Thwaites said.

‘Western Hospital now has a world-class facility in the Joseph Epstein Centre and is a leader in the relatively new field of research into emergency medicine and pre-hospital care.’

Mr Thwaites said the Centre’s aim was to translate evidence—gained through quality research across medical disciplines—into better health care.

‘The Government is committed to tackling the complex issues around emergency services demand, which require developing new management approaches and a system-wide approach.

‘This Centre is fostering quality research into all aspects of emergency medicine with a focus on collaborative studies with other health care agencies such as rural ambulance services, Mr Thwaites said.

‘The Government is keen to strengthen partnerships between health professionals and researchers and I am particularly pleased about the strong collaborative relationships being developed between the Joseph Epstein Centre and other health services across Australia,’ he said.

Emergency medicine is a relatively new medical specialty with the forming of the Australian College of Emergency Medicine in 1984 and the recognition of emergency medicine as a principal specialty by the Commonwealth in 1993.

The naming of the centre recognised Professor Joseph Epstein’s achievements in clinical medicine in the western suburbs, nationally and internationally.

As the Co-ordinator of Emergency and Critical Care for Victoria, Professor Epstein had made a major contribution to Victoria’s emergency system, Mr Thwaites said.

The director of the Centre is Professor Anne-Maree Kelly, the first senior academic appointment in emergency medicine by the University of Melbourne.