Dr Maria Coperchini
The SMART (standing for “Symptom Management and Referral Team”) Clinic is a partnership between the Western Health Palliative Care and Pharmacy Teams and Mercy Palliative Care. It is a multidisciplinary Palliative Care outpatient clinic for patients who require specialist input for management of symptoms. Patients may still be having treatment for their underlying condition. The aim is to encourage early referral to Community Palliative Care and remove as many barriers as possible to a Palliative Care referral.
This clinic operates at two campuses:
Footscray campus (Wednesday morning) and
Sunshine campus (Monday morning and Thursday morning)
Click here for a detailed description of this clinic within the cancer services web pages.
Please include any relevant past history, results of investigations and a list of current medications.
1. Footscray campus – Patients who:
Have a malignancy or other non-malignant life limiting illness
Have ongoing appointments at Footscray Hospital outpatient clinics (eg: Lung oncology)
Live close to Footscray Hospital
2. Sunshine campus – Patients who:
Have a malignancy
Have ongoing appointments with radiation oncology
Require allied health input
Live near Sunshine Hospital
Patients with chronic non-malignant pain.
Patients with severe, unstable symptoms.
1. Footscray campus: As per usual Western Health process. See here for information on how to refer and general contact information. Fax referrals to 8345 6856.
2. Sunshine campus: A referral letter complete with provider number to be faxed to 8395 9830
1. Footscray campus: Palliative Care Registrars via switch on 8345 6666.
2. Sunshine campus: Sunshine Hospital Radiation Therapy Centre: 8395 9999.
For general enquiries: Phone: 03 8345 6490, Fax: 03 8345 6856