Dr Catherine Crock - Chairman's medal 2004
Dr Cathy Crock has worked in the Haematology Department for six years and has become a wonderful advocate for patients and families. She conducts bone marrow and lumbar punctures for oncology patients, procedures that can cause children a certain amount of pain and distress. In an effort to minimise this distress, Cathy set about negotiating with her colleagues to provide anaesthetic lists for her patients.
During this time Cathy identified the need to address other issues related to pain management in children. She has developed several research projects aimed at reducing procedural pain for children; this research has been published in peer review journals.
She was instrumental in organizing music and play therapy to relax and distract patients while they waited for procedures. Cathy didn't stop here: she convinced friends from classical music circles to perform on two CDs -'Cello Lullaby' and 'The Hush Collection', and oversaw their production and promotion. The income from the sale of these CDs is used for research into pain management, and they are played various areas around the hospital to relax and calm children. Cathy negotiated with children's hospitals around Australia and 'The Hush Collection' is now marketed nationally and benefits other paediatric centers.
Cathy teaches registrars and residents how to perform bone marrow aspirate and lumbar punctures and she is highly regarded for her teaching skills. She recently developed a teaching video on how to perform lumbar punctures in children. To develop this material Cathy liased with numerous staff to ensure all relevant staff had input into the video.
Cathy continually strives to enhance services to patients. She used her negotiation skills to have pagers donated for families to use so they don't have to remain in waiting rooms for procedures. This system now extends to all outpatient services and operating theatres. She developed the concept and directed a video for oncology parents and patients to explain outpatient bone marrow procedures and lumbar punctures to reduce their fear and anxiety.
Cathy's initiative and dedication to oncology patients and their families have won her the respect and acclaim from colleagues and staff throughout the hospital. Cathy Crock is a very worthy recipient of The Royal Children's Hospital's Chairman's Medal.
Read by Paul Monagle