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Tweed Hospital Auxiliary members Pat Hall and Marie Gaardsted, Obstetrician Dr Steve Abbey, Auxiliary Secretary Annette Alexander, Dr Bianca Bryce and Auxiliary member Jenny Pearce, with the GE-Voulson E6BT19 Ultrasound Machine donated to the hospital at a cost of $74,730. The machine offers both 3D and 4D technology, gives better picture detail during ultrasound, and can perform umbilical artery Doppler studies for babies who are small for their gestation age.

LHD aims high amidst strong demand growth

In advance of an annual general meeting postponed for several weeks because of the region’s bushfires the Northern NSW Local Health District, covering the area from Tweed to the Clarence, released a yearly snapshot of its achievements for 2018-19

Declaring the ambitious goal of working towards being the “leading regional local health district in Australia” the LHD said it provided healthcare for more than 300,000 people in Northern NSW. It added that significant growth meant the region’s population is projected to grow by eight per cent over the next decade.

Details: Published: 21 November 2019

Special General Meeting of the NRGPN to change the Constitution

The Annual General Meeting of the Northern Rivers General Practice Network (NSW) Limited ACN 062 273 036 will be held at St Vincent’s Hospital meeting room on the 19th day of December 2019 at 6.15 pm.

It will be followed at 6.30 pm by a Special General Meeting of the NRGPN for the consideration of and, if thought fit, passing of the appended resolutions as special resolutions for the amendment of the Constitution.

Voting for the AGM can be done at the meeting or by downloading the voting pack from the NRGPN website.

Details: Published: 17 November 2019

Master cabinet maker Geoff Hannah with former student Colin Fardon and the latter’s creation, Three Little Birds, sold for $68,000.

Glorious way to give up the day job

Robin Osborne meets local cabinet maker Colin Fardon, a master craftsman in the making.

A chance meeting at a party in Brisbane has resulted in Casino-born woodworker Colin Fardon selling his milestone creation for the astounding sum of $68,000 and in the process deciding to become a cabinet maker full-time.

“Now I can give up the day job and follow the dream,” Colin joked as he carefully handled one of the beautifully crafted drawers from his inlayed collector’s cabinet titled “Three Little Birds”.

The work is part of the exhibition Chesta Drawz and the LowBoys that ran recently at Lismore Regional Gallery. The other works, less ambitious in scale but also superbly executed, were by passionate locals – including former Lismore City councillor Brian Henry - who had studied with nationally acclaimed cabinet maker and local resident Geoff Hannah. Geoff’ latest masterpiece was in the show, while in a nearby room stood his million-dollar (literally) creation the ‘Hannah Cabinet’, the subject of an intensive fundraising effort aimed at keeping this wonderful work in Lismore.

Colin said he had trained with Geoff for one day a week for 16 years (Colin is now aged 31). The master had never raised his voice or expressed a cross word.

Details: Written by: Robin Osborne; Published: 08 November 2019

Advances in the Modern Management of Ischaemic Stroke and Secondary Prevention

In recent years breakthrough advances have occurred in the management of ischaemic stroke, greatly improving clinical outcomes. Along with the availability of clot retrieval for acute management of stroke there have been advances in stroke secondary prevention. The following article summarises the highlights of the talk given on the Modern Management of Stroke at the Nordoc conference in June 2019 and focuses on recent updates in the field.

Facts about stroke:

Stroke is one of Australia’s biggest killers and a leading cause of disability, killing more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer (1). Even when patients survive, most suffer a disability that impedes their carrying out the activities of daily living unassisted (2). Therefore, it is of utmost importance to look for new ways and strategies to reduce the detrimental consequences of stoke.

Endovascular therapies:

One of the breakthrough advances has been the implementation of clot retrieval in the management of stroke caused by a large vessel occlusion. A series of clinical trials published in 2015 showed consistently that endovascular treatment, in combination with best practice medical treatment, was superior to the latter treatment alone for patients suffering acute occlusion of the internal carotid artery or the main stem of the proximal middle cerebral artery. The number needed to treat in most studies ranges between 3 to 7 to achieve a positive outcome and functional independence (3,4,5,6,7).

Details: Written by: Dr Jowita Anna Kozlowska | Specialist Physician | Lismore Base Hospital; Published: 06 November 2019

We r not OK - mental health report highlights failings

In a draft report widely described as “damning” the Australian Government’s Productivity Commission has said that mental ill-health and suicide cost the nation nearly $500 million per day - $180 billion per year – and called mental health “an add-on to the physical health system”.

Amongst a raft of recommendations, the report emphasises the need for better support for young people.

"75% of those who develop mental illness first experience symptoms before they turn 25, and mental ill-health in critical schooling and employment years has long lasting effects for not only your job prospects but many aspects of your life. Getting help early is key to prevention and better outcomes," Chair Michael Brennan said.