Head of Unit - Intensive Care, Victorian Heart Hospital

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About the VHH Intensive Care Unit

The Victorian Heart Hospital (VHH) is a joint initiative between Monash Health and Monash University. The VHH has innovative models of care and world class research and teaching facilities and is Australia's first dedicated Cardiac Hospital. It consists of 190 in-patient beds, an emergency department, ambulatory services, acute cardiac imaging center, operating theatres, intensive care, and cardiac catheter laboratories. The VHH cardiac surgical infrastructure has been designed to facilitate up to 1,500 cases requiring cardiopulmonary bypass per annum, supported by an Intensive Care with a maximum physical capacity of 16 beds.

Patient case-mix at the VHH Intensive Care includes elective and emergency cardiac/aortic surgical patients and acute cardiology patients. The VHH currently performs around 700 cardiac and aortic operations annually with plans for further expansion of surgical cases. The VHH ECMO service is managed by the Intensive Care and includes an eCPR program. The VHH Intensive Care also provides a TOE service for Intensive Care patients. The outreach service at the VHH is managed by Intensive Care.

The VHH clinical model has been established with a priority of integrated care and decision making. As a standalone cardiac hospital, clinical partnerships extend beyond traditional department decisions to promote multidisciplinary and integrated decision making between cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, intensive care, anaesthetic and emergency department groups. This is all aimed at improving a patient centric approach to clinical delivery.

VHH is located on the Monash University campus and has integrated research and teaching facilities. As part of the partnership approach to opening the heart hospital, Monash University established the Victorian Heart Institute (VHI) which connects the activities of VHH across the entire University ecosystem, including its faculties, international campuses and health service partners. Many members of the VHH ICU team are existing VHI members and a number of cardiac intensive care research and teaching programs are underway within the institute activities. The latest addition to an integrated research strategy, dedicated to translation to impact is the opening of the Velos Research Accelerator, which resides within the VHH precinct and will train and embed an acceleration culture, facilitate acceleration activities and be home to industry partners.

About the Role

The position has accountability for the clinical and operational performance of the Victorian Heart Hospital (VHH) Intensive Care. The incumbent is a leader in the Senior Medical Team who acts as a role model for the core values of the organisation and provides outstanding and effective leadership, coordination, and management of the VHH Intensive Care Services employees. The incumbent supports excellence in interdisciplinary clinical practice, facilitates clinical education and promotes and supports research to advance VHH Intensive Care services and deliver excellence in patient-centred care.

The incumbent will have extensive clinical experience in managing complex, critically ill cardiology, and post-cardiac surgery patients. Advanced echocardiography skills and qualifications (DDU equivalent) including trans-oesophageal echocardiography are desirable. Clinical experience in mechanical circulatory support for the critically ill patient is required. The incumbent will have strong leadership and an ability to work with the Program Director of VHH to implement and support new models of care that ensure streamlined and effective access to services, service delivery and co-ordinated care.

Reporting to the Program Director of VHH, the VHH ICU Head of Unit has accountability for the effective management and leadership of the VHH ICU. The VHH ICU Head of Unit will also be an essential member of the Monash Health Intensive Care leadership team and will assist in the provision of Intensive care services across Monash Health consistent with Monash Health's Strategic and Clinical Service plans. This additional link to the broader intensive care leadership within Monash Health is essential for both the VHH ICU leader and the ability to develop a world class cardiac intensive care service. The incumbent will establish the organisational structure of the Unit and appoint medical staff in consultation with the VHH Program Director and the Service Director, Intensive Care. The VHH ICU will manage the ICU in-patients, the ICU Outreach service and the ICU ECMO service. As a member of the Monash Health Senior Management Team the appointee will provide leadership in achieving and upholding Monash Health's Vision, Purpose and Values.

What you need:

• Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
• Fellowship of the College of Intensive Care Medicine
• Working with Children's Certificate
• Police check

What we offer:

• Salary packaging
• Discounted staff parking
• Discounted banking (BankVic)
• Access to professional development courses and seminars

We recognise the value of equal employment opportunity. We are committed to patient safety, promoting fairness, equity and diversity in the workplace and to Child Safe Standards. At Monash Health we are relentless in our pursuit of excellence and work to our six guiding principles and our five ICare values.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted via the Monash Health online EHub system. For information including how to apply and probity check requirements, please click here for the ‘Application Guide’ 

Applications will be screened upon receipt and selection activity may commence prior to the closing date. 

Offers of employment can only be made once all required probity checks have been completed. These include:

• reference checks
• a clear Police Check conducted within the last three months
• a current Victorian Employee Working with Children's Check (or proof of payment for same)

Enquiries are welcome, please contact Associate Adjunct Professor Tim Leong on 0419 770 104 or via tim.leong@monashhealth.org