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Good patient care requires many approaches – and Westmead Private Hospital is adding an animal touch along with its latest advanced treatment offerings.
Patients and visitors at the Ramsay Health Care facility in Western Sydney are being greeted by a special new furry team member with a gift for lifting spirits.
Charlie, a 10-year-old golden retriever, is visiting wards and common areas as a therapy dog alongside her owner, Julie Quinn of Paws Pet Therapy.
"Charlie absolutely loves people. She lights up when someone stops to pat her. She has such a gentle nature and seems to know when someone needs a little extra comfort," Julie said.
Hospital CEO Andrew Spillane said Charlie's visits reflected Westmead Private's commitment to caring for the whole person.
"Healthcare is about more than medical treatment. It's about compassion, connection and creating an environment where people feel supported," he said.
"Charlie and Julie bring warmth and joy to our hospital community, and we're delighted to welcome them as regular visitors."
As well as Charlie's new role in helping people who may be feeling anxious, unwell or far from home, Westmead Private Hospital has also recently introduced a program to support earlier diagnosis of suspected lung cancer.
Its new cone beam CT-guided bronchoscopy is a low-dose scan performed on the operating table while the patient is under anaesthetic.
It helps clinicians to more accurately locate lung lesions and plan the safest biopsy pathway than is possible with earlier techniques.
Westmead Private Hospital's new biopsy program is helping to make earlier diagnoses for patients
"When CT imaging is performed before the day of the procedure, the lesion may not be in the same position once the patient is under anaesthetic," interventional pulmonologist Dr Peter Wu said.
"By performing a low-dose CT scan on the table with minimal radiation exposure, we can significantly increase diagnostic accuracy."
Westmead Private Hospital is now welcoming referrals for assessment and biopsy of undiagnosed pulmonary nodules using cone beam CT-guided bronchoscopy.
"It has been very satisfying to incorporate new technology to improve diagnostic accuracy and offer earlier diagnosis for lung cancer, designed to improve outcomes for patients," Dr Wu said.
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