February 2019
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Brian Hoctor: Along for the journey
The smiling faces of our volunteers are the first people you see as you enter the hospital. Our volunteers form an integral part of how the hospital operates and help us to provide trusted care to our community. Brian Hoctor is a volunteer driver who has been with Northern Health for five years, and is a wonderful example of true community spirit. A humble man, Brian says, “I’m not here for pats on the back, I’m here to help.” His role is to drive patients receiving chemotherapy or dialysis to and from their appointments at the hospital, and to make…
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Thrombosis research success
Dr Prahlad Ho, Program Director of Diagnostic Services and Director of Clinical Haematology, was recently awarded his PhD for his thesis, ‘Evaluation of the management of venous thromboembolism and application of novel global coagulation assays’, completed in conjunction with the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne. Dr Ho is a joint NHMRC and Heart Foundation Scholar, who studied the risk of clot recurrence in patients with venous thrombosis by the use of novel global coagulation assays. His work has defined subgroups with higher risk of recurrence, as well as identified unique mechanisms that regulate clot dissolution, adding…
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Living with diabetes for 70 years
Broadmeadows Hospital patient, Keith Vandome, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was just 7 years old. Today, he is 78, manages his condition very well, exercises regularly and with the help of new diabetes technology, he hopes to see the usual day to day blood glucose monitoring become easier. “The insulin choices and treatments at the time I was diagnosed were nothing like today. I’ve seen a lot of changes over the years, and the management of the condition got much better,” Keith said. Last year, Keith received the 70th Kellion Victory Medal through Diabetes Australia, for recognition…