Children's Program

Southern Health is Victoria’s second largest, and Australia’s third largest provider of integrated children's health services, with over 30 specialist services and programs.

Our Children's Program provides the highest levels of care right where it is needed in the growing south eastern suburbs of Melbourne. With approximately 330,000 young residents aged 0-19 years living in our catchment area - a quarter of the state's child population - our Children's Program operates from three of our major sites serving newborn, child and adolescent needs:  

• the internationally-renowned Monash Medical Centre, Clayton which operates the only tertiary paediatric service and paediatric intensive care unit in Victoria outside of the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH).  

• Dandenong Hospital providing the full range of primary and secondary paediatric services

• Casey Hospital providing the full range of primary and secondary paediatric services.

The Children's Program at Clayton, together with the Royal Children’s Hospital, is responsible for delivery of all Victoria’s tertiary paediatric services, including neonatal intensive care, paediatric intensive care, emergency and inpatient facilities.

Our Children’s Program provides an integrated multidisciplinary team of specialist medical, nursing, and allied health professionals offering care and services to meet the clinical, physical, social and psychological needs of patients and parents. 

The Children's Program offers the full range of paediatric services including:

Adolescent Medicine

Orthopaedic Surgery

Paediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes Ambulatory Care Service (DACS)

 

Multidisciplinary Clinics And Other Collaborative Services

Metabolic Bone Disease Clinic.
Body Composition Laboratory
Biochemistry
Inpatients
Outreach Clinics

Paediatric Gastroenterology

Paediatric Neurology

Paediatric Renal & Continence Service

Paediatric Rheumatology

Paediatricians Annual Update

Medical Therapy Unit

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit & Special Care Nursery

Children's Cancer Centre

 

 

Head of Unit:         Dr Jacinta Coleman

Consultants:  Dr Phil Bergman
                     Dr Catherine Lynch

Clinic Details:

• Outpatient Clinical Appointments: 9594 2372 or 9594 2373
• Clinic A: Thursday pm. Bookings via usual public outpatient procedure. We see a range of patients with medical and psycho-social problems.
• Eating Disorder referrals via Michelle Caughey on 9594 4643 or 0427 845 623
   

Clinical Services:

• Adolescent medicine provides in- and out-patient services for a variety of acute and chronic medical problems and/or psychiatric difficulties in adolescent aged patients (12-18 years inclusive).
• Particular areas of expertise are eating disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome and chronic illness.
• There are 6 acute beds for young people with an Eating Disorder on Ward 42N who require management of the physical complications of the illness.
• There are also 2 beds in the Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Unit (Stepping Stone) for those patients with an Eating Disorder who have an additional psychiatric co-morbidity.
• A Day Program is also available for young people with an Eating Disorder. This provides more psychological support than can be provided by outpatient services but less intense physical support. Patients with mental health issues are co-managed with the Adolescent Psychiatric In-patients Unit (Stepping Stones), hospital consultation liaison psychiatric team and local CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services).
• The multi-disciplinary team includes three paediatricians with expertise in adolescent health, dietitians, consultation liaison psychiatric team, social worker, teacher, art and music therapists and physiotherapy, as required.
• We also provide consultation in the management of patients admitted under other sub-specialty units who require a specialist approach for their adolescent needs.
   

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Head of Unit:        Jonathon Hooper

Clinic Details:

• Thursday am outpatients at Monash

• Wednesday pm operating list at Monash

Clinical Services:

• Paediatric orthopaedic surgeon with special interest in children with congenital and acquired problems related to the lower limbs. Practice also in reconstruction surgery for adults with disabilities affecting their mobility.
• Other interests are in service and education regarding orthopaedic problems and trauma management in developing countries. Military surgeon [RAAF-Specialist Reserve] with concurrent appointment at Alfred Hospital Department of Trauma Surgery.
• Appointments:  9594 2372 or 9594 2373.

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Head of Unit: Dr Christine Rodda

Clinic Details:

OUTPATIENT SERVICES:

• Diabetes Ambulatory Care Service to enable outpatient stabilisation in both otherwise well newly diagnosed children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes, and those previously diagnosed, with unstable diabetes or for insulin pump education.

• Paediatric Diabetes Clinic (Clinic A Outpatients) appointments 9594 2372.
• Young Adult Diabetes Service (YADS) appointments via Nellie Balm on 9594 4342.

• Paediatric diabetes (less than 15 years old): 3 dedicated multidisciplinary Diabetes Clinics per month held in the Clinic A outpatient area attended by a biochemistry technician (to provide immediate and ‘on-site’ HbA1C results), 2 diabetes nurse educators, a dietician, Dr Mark Lowen (Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist) and social worker, in addition to 3 consultant and 2 resident medical  staff.
• Young Adult Diabetes Service (YADS):  This is a multidisciplinary clinic for young people aged 15 - 25 years with diabetes, and it is attended by a biochemistry technician (to provide immediate and ‘on-site’ HbA1C results), 2 diabetes nurse educators, dietician and podiatrist, in addition to the consultant staff.  Runs in Clinic A outpatients on the 2nd and 4th Monday evenings in the month from 5:00 - 8:30pm.
• There are three paediatric endocrinologists (Drs Clarke, Rodda and Bergman) and 3 adult endocrinologists (Drs Engler, Lim Tio and Zeimer) who attend this clinic.
• Paediatric endocrinology:  Appointments 9594 2372.  Held in Clinic A Outpatients on the 1^st and 5^th Friday mornings of the month and provides services for children with precocious puberty receiving Zolodex implants (generally unobtainable outside tertiary paediatric centres) and insertion of testosterone implants (by Dr Rodda) to hypogonadal males.  The latter requires special equipment and needs to be administered using a sterile technique, which also involves nursing assistance.
• Paediatric Endocrine FFS Clinic Appointments 9594 4175.  There is also an alternate weekly, Thursday afternoon ‘Fee for Service’ Paediatric Endocrine Clinic has been established to manage patients requiring minimal allied health support and are seen by Dr Philip Bergman.
• Monash Medical Centre is one of the two paediatric ‘Growth Centres’ in Melbourne (the other being RCH).  We co-ordinate Federal Government regulated growth hormone treatment.  Instruction and support for growth hormone administration is provided by Rosie Attard R.N. NUM, Clinic A Outpatients.
• Monash Medical Centre is the Southern Region site for follow up of infants with congenital hypothyroidism identified by Victorian Clinical Genetics Newborn Screening and this is co-ordinated by Dr Phil Bergman.

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• Metabolic Bone Disease Clinic.  Appointments by referral form available from Christine Rodda 9594 4493.  This clinic was established in 1999 with Dr Rodda co-ordinating this clinic and providing the endocrine support.  The clinic runs on the 4th Thursday morning of each month in Clinic A outpatients, adjacent to the Paediatric Orthopaedic Clinic which runs in Clinic B OPD.  Sub specialists attending this clinic include paediatric orthopaedic surgeons, Paediatric Nephrologist, Dr David McCredie, and Paediatric Rheumatologist, Dr Sue Piper.
   

• Body Composition Laboratory.  Drs Rodda and Clarke collaborate with Dr Boyd Strauss, Head, Clinical Nutrition, to provide paediatric and adolescent bone density measurements in particular, and in various paediatric research projects.  The clinical application of bone density measurements are specifically important in children and adolescents with fragility fractures, anorexia nervosa and chronic immobility (e.g. associated with severe cerebral palsy), to enable early recognition and treatment of osteoporosis.

• Biochemistry.  Clinical Biochemist Dr Jim Doery (9594 4522) reviews paediatric endocrine and diabetes biochemistry results with the consultants and resident staff on the 1^st Friday of each month after paediatric endocrine outpatients.  These sessions provide an opportunity for both ongoing education and to ensure quality assurance.  In addition, Dr Doery performs growth hormone exercise tests as a screening investigation for children aged 3 years and older with short stature. on an outpatient basis.  The children are exercised on a motorised treadmill in the MMC Physiotherapy Department for 15 minutes.  The results of this standardised test are highly discriminating and this relatively simple test, in the large majority of cases, avoids the use of more hazardous and invasive growth hormone provocative tests, which also require an inpatient admission.  This facility, in addition to outpatient synacthen stimulation  tests (also performed by Dr Doery) are also available to consultants outside the paediatric endocrine unit, including general paediatrics and other paediatric subspecialties at MMC and elsewhere within the SH and from other hospitals, such as Peninsula.

Inpatients

• We have on average 10-11 inpatients per month, and these mainly comprise newly diagnosed children with diabetes (average 1 per week) and children with diabetes who are admitted with intercurrent medical or surgical conditions.  One to two Endocrine provocative tests are performed monthly.  A same day (if possible) referral service is available.  Two to three referrals from the Neonatal Service and other paediatric units are received monthly.  A growth/endocrine surveillance program for children and adolescents with beta thalassaemia major is provided jointly by our paediatric senior registrar and Dr Rodda.

Outreach Clinics (Privately Funded Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Service)

• Dr Rodda has 4 monthly outreach clinics at Warragul in collaboration with local paediatricians Drs Hamilton, Nowotny and Smith on an alternating basis.  Drs Bergman and Clarke also alternately provide an outreach service to Drs Goss and McCubbin at Sale on a 6 monthly basis and to Dr Joseph Tam at Traralgon on a 3 monthly basis. Telephone consultation is maintained for all centres between outreach consultations.

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Head of Unit:     Associate Professor Don Cameron

Clinic Details:

• Hospital Outpatient Clinic - Tuesday mornings, Clinic A.  Appointments: 9594 2372

• Paediatric Endoscopy - Thursday mornings, Endoscopy Suite, level 3.Telephone 9594 3185.  (All requests for endoscopy via Don Cameron or registrar)

• Don Cameron can be contacted at any time via switchboard, or Call Service (9387 1000)

• Private rooms 1:  17 Murray Street, Clayton, 3168.  Telephone 9543 7652 Fax 9540 0170

• Private rooms 2:  Suite 42 Cabrini Medical Centre, Malvern, 3144.  Telephone 9509 2578 Fax 9509 9071

• Private rooms 3:  Private Consulting Rooms, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, 3052.  Telephone 9345 6440 Fax 9345 6520

Clinical Services:

• All areas of paediatric and adolescent gastroenterology and hepatology (except liver transplantation) from newborn to school leaving, in close coordination with all other paediatric units, and the adult gastroenterology service. Special interests in endoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease and oesophageal function.

• Procedures include gastroscopy, colonoscopy, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, liver biopsy, oesophageal pH monitoring.  (Contact registrar for pH monitoring bookings)

• Planned special nutrition clinic for multidisciplinary care of children with special nutrition requirements, gastrostomies, and other forms of enteral feeding.

• Don Cameron is happy to discuss any patient management questions at any time and can be contacted via the hospital switchboard or the Call Service (9387 1000).

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Head of Unit:     Lindsay Smith

Clinic Details:    NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME DUE TO CHANGE IN MARCH.Call 9594 2240.

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Head of Unit:   Dr Amanda M Walker

Clinic Details:

• Paediatric Continence Service, Kingston Centre, Cheltenham. Bookings via 9594 4234 Fax 9594 6259
• Paediatric General Nephrology Outpatients, bookings 9594 2372
• Paediatric Chronic Renal failure, dialysis & transplantation service, bookings 9594 4497, Fax 95946259
• Paediatric Vasculitis Clinic, Bookings  9594 2372
• Paediatric Nephrology/Urology Clinic, Bookings 9594 2372
• Paediatric General nephrology Fee For Service Clinic 9594 4175, Fax 9594 6259

Private rooms: Dr. A Walker

• Dept Paediatrics, MMC bookings 9594 4497, Fax 9594 6259
• Dept Nephrology, RCH 9345 5054, Fax 9345 5611

Private Rooms: Dr L Johnstone

• Private Consulting Suites, MMC phone 9594 2489, Fax 9594 6465
• Dept Nephrology, RCH 9345 5054, Fax 9345 5611

Clinical Services:

• Paediatric General Nephrology Outpatient Clinic:  multidisciplinary care for children with nephrological disorders, urinary tract infections, haematuria/proteinuria and congenital renal disorders.

Staff - Paediatric Nephrologists, Nephrology Fellow, Junior medical staff with allied health support.

• Paediatric General Nephrology Fee for Service (Medicare) clinic:  office based management of children with uncomplicated nephrologic disorders.

Staff - Paediatric Nephrologist and General paediatricians.

• Paediatric Hypertension Fee for Service clinic:  investigation, assessment and management of children with hypertension or cardiovascular risks (e.g. family history of early AMI, hyperlipidemia).

Staff - paediatric nephrologists, general paediatricians and paediatric cardiologists

• Paediatric Chronic Renal Failure, Dialysis And Transplantation Service:  coordinated care for children with renal impairment up to the age of 18 yrs. Onsite dialysis and transplantation is offered within the Children’s program.

• Paediatric Vasculitis Clinic:  complete medical and allied health care for patients with SLE and other vasculitides.

  Staff - paediatric rheumatology and nephrology staff.

• Paediatric Continence Service:  located at Kingston Centre, Cheltenham.  Management of children with day and night time wetting, continence management of children with complex urological disorders and learning disorders. It is a major resource centre for advice to metropolitan, regional and rural paediatricians in this regard.

Staff - General and Developmental paediatricians, Paediatric Nephrologists, Continence Physiotherapists and Continence Nurses. 

• Paediatric Urology/Nephrology Clinic:  links with the continence service to provide further surgical and medical management for children with complex urological disorders. It is staffed by Paediatric Nephrologists and Surgeons with strong links to ultrasonography, radiology and nuclear medicine professionals. This service, with the assistance of the Foetal Diagnostic Unit also provides antenatal counselling and management of congenital renal disease diagnosed during pregnancy.

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Head of Unit: Dr Sue Piper

Clinic Details:

• Paediatric Rheumatology Clinic each Monday 9-12 am except 3^rd when starts at 10 am. Referrals reviewed and booked according to priority.

• Vasculitis Clinic (with Paediatric Renal Unit) 3^rd Monday of month 1.30-2.30.  Referrals via specialty registrar or consultant.

• Metabolic Bone Clinic each 4^th Thursday of Feb, May, Aug and Nov.  Referrals through Dr Christine Rodda.

Clinical Services:

Outpatient, inpatient and consultative service in all areas of Paediatric Rheumatology. 

Contact via Paediatric Rheumatology Registrar, contactable via switchboard 9594 6666

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Head of Unit:     Assoc Prof Don Bowden

Clinic Details:

• Day treatment centre for patients of all ages with Beta thalassaemia major and other clinically significant haemoglobinopathies.  I Tuesday-Saturday.

• Out patient clinic.  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons

• Patient bookings through Nurse Unit Manager Libby Reid.  Telephone 9594 2756, fax 9594 6648

Clinical Services:

This is the State service for the management of all Paediatric and adult patients with these conditions, including carriers and individuals who need identification of their carrier status. Outpatient services are comprehensive and includes the Southern Health genetic counselling service for individuals and couples who are carriers of thalassemia or other haemoglobinopathies.

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