For Georgina Hayden, having the ability to meet many kinds of people from all walks of life is a special experience not many modern jobs offer.
That’s why she’s so passionate about working in emergency medicine, and why she was recently appointed as the Director of Emergency Medicine at the new Victorian Heart Hospital.
“I like the variety because you never know who or what will come through those doors every day,” she said.
“I really enjoy interacting with patients and learning about their stories when they come in, I like to provide a little comfort and care and you hope it will make their experience a bit better at a time that is usually the worst of their week or even year.”
Moving across from St John of God Hospital in Geelong, Georgina said she was excited to apply for a role at the VHH because she was up for the challenge of establishing new processes and procedures in a specialised cardiac emergency department (ED).
“We’re starting with a blank slate so we can create and build the department in the ways we want without being confined by old or existing practises,” she said.
“I’m passionate about providing a good patient experience so I felt coming into a new ED we would have the opportunity to design some new systems and a new model of care where the patient would be the focus and centre.
“I want excellent clinical care, but I feel that will be a given as a centre of excellence for cardiac care – so I really want to provide a wonderful patient experience where they’re seen as individuals and not just a number.”
The 20-bed ED will be the first in Australia to have embedded cardiology services with an integrated model of care, and will also provide state-of-the-art technology, including Point of Care Ultrasounds (POCUS) such as bedside Echocardiograms.
“These are going to give us some real-time information which will help with quick decisions for senior decision-makers,” Georgina said.
The new Director said the opportunity to build her own team from scratch was very exciting.
“Everyone we’ve hired so far have come from such diverse backgrounds and vast distances, we’ve even got some doctors who have trained overseas,” Georgina said.
“They will all bring different ideas, skills and passions and I’m excited to think about what they will create in this new ED.”
There are still vacancies in Georgina’s team and in wider teams within the VHH – and if you’ve been thinking about applying, she said you shouldn’t delay.
“I’d really encourage people to apply even if they’ve got a little bit of interest,” she said.
“We’re open to casual and part-time positions if people want to start there and see how it goes, there’s really something to fit everybody.”
To learn more about career opportunities at the Victorian Heart Hospital, visit our Careers page.