Caption: Dr Davor Saravanja, Orthopaedic and Spine Surgeon, MQ Health Acute Spine Clinic

MQ Health has added three new clinic services to its suite of medical care provision.

The Acute Spine Clinic and the Capacity and Capability Clinic launched in the past month, and are unique in their multidisciplinary approach to healthcare, while the Pre-admission service moves from the Hospital to the Clinics with an expanded remit providing clinical risk assessment to pre-operative patients.

Brand new clinic for spinal issues

MQ Health’s Acute Spine Clinic is a first of its kind for NSW with a dedicated multidisciplinary team and triage structure to facilitate rapid and efficient care for all acute spine conditions.

The main conditions treated include any spine-related problem that are acute or chronic issues with an acute flare-up – disc herniations, arthritic degeneration, neurological compromise, back or neck pain, injuries not requiring emergency department care, and spinal tumours or fractures (e.g. osteoporosis).

Led by a team of highly experienced MQ Health clinicians, including spinal surgeon Dr Davor Saravanja, the clinic also brings in the expertise of physiotherapists and physicians and is underpinned by the University’s evidence-based spinal pain research.

“The advantages for the patients are world-class care on the same day as the initial appointment, if required,” Davor explains.

New clinic empowers vulnerable patients

In another first for the clinical space, the newly opened Capacity and Capability Clinic at MQ Health brings together medical and legal experts in an innovative service that supports decision-making for people whose cognition is impaired or being called into question by themselves or others.

The Clinic, operated by Autonomy First Lawyers in collaboration with MQ Health, helps patients faced with complex health, welfare, legal or financial decisions to find a tailored solution through medico-legal guidance.

“Academic circles acknowledge this combined medico-legal approach as best practice, so it’s an innovative model that we have established at the clinic, with a body of evidence behind us,” says Dr Jane Lonie, neuropsychologist with the clinic, and honorary associate with the University, who has 20 years’ of neuropsychology experience in the assessment, management and research of cognitive dysfunction in adults and older adults.

Through holistic, interview-based consultation with the client and family, the clinic can resolve requirements for informed consent to a range of decisions including medical treatment, aged care entry, evaluating and resolving complex financial decisions and family conflict.

Pre-admission Clinic opens in new location

MQ Health opened its relocated Pre-admission Clinic last week, with a newly introduced high-risk assessment and referral service.

The service includes a team of clinicians and support staff working together, allowing high-risk patients the ability to receive all of their pre-operative services in one day, including relevant tests, education with physiotherapists and nursing staff, as well as in-person appointments with staff physicians who provide necessary medical oversight prior to surgery.

The Clinic is now located in suite 306, 2 Technology Place in the MQ Health Clinic Building.