Vmo - Icu - Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital

Employment Type: Visiting Medical Officer
Position Classification: Visiting Medical Officer
Hours Per Week: Zero hours reliever until 30 June 2027
Requisition ID: REQ533214

This role is to provide expert medical assessment and management of patients in the Intensive Care Unit, along with support for critically unwell patients in other areas of the hospital.

You will be working in a 13 bedded unit which comprise a mixture of Intensive care, high dependency and monitored low acuity cardiac patients. Admissions are split between emergency department, operating theatres and hospital wards. We also admit appropriate patients from Milton, Shellharbour & Wollongong hospitals and occasionally from Hospitals further afield depending on state ICU bed capacity.

The ICU is a CICM level 2 unit (current Role Delineation Level 4) and provides a level of service compatible with a Level 5 unit, i.e., long term ventilation, complex haemodynamic support, and renal replacement therapy.

The Intensive Care Unit has an integrated team approach to the management of patients. This is led by the Intensivist, who has the primary responsibility for patient management, with support and input from the admitting consultant/inpatient team. The input of all medical, nursing, and allied health professionals is expected and encouraged to provide the highest standard of care for individual patients.

One of the challenges of rural Intensive Care is the lack of comprehensive subspeciality support. This will inform our decision to admit or transfer patients to higher level care for definitive investigations and/or therapy.

There is currently no CCU, angiography service or separate cardiology specialist roster at Shoalhaven hospital. Cardiology patients requiring higher level care are referred to TWH Cardiology service in the first instance.

We’re looking for an Intensivist who proactively:

- Provide an accountable and high standard service consistent with the defined scope of clinical practice for ISLHD and all NSW Health Policies and as required by other senior medical staff and the facility.
- Be dedicated to a teamwork philosophy and be able to demonstrate ability to work as a team member within the Department and the broader multidisciplinary team.

Redevelopment to be completed in 2026.

The new ICU will have 20 beds. There is a planned expansion of subspecialities including a full specialist cardiology service including separate CCU and angiography.

We are looking for an enthusiastic consultant to join the team of two staff specialists and 5 VMOs who share the on-call requirements. We expect the new appointment to have a strong interest in teaching and education of nursing, junior medical staff up to transitional fellows.

An interest in Critical Care Ultrasound would be advantageous

Health services throughout the Shoalhaven Hospital region are undergoing a transformative phase with the ongoing construction of the Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment. This expansion project will introduce a new state-of-the-art clinical services building, doubling the current number of operating theatres and presenting substantial opportunities for the future. The new hospital is scheduled to commence operations in 2026.

Enjoy a healthy work-life balance with Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District.

From Helensburgh in the north to North Durras in the south, ISLHD covers an area of 5,687 square kms. That’s 5,687 square kms of beautiful beaches, coastal cycling tracks, lush rainforests, incredible bushwalks and friendly people. The region is also host to many annual food, wine and arts festivals and events.

ISLHD operate eight hospital sites, employ over 8,500 staff and provide community health services across 58 locations. Commute times are short, childcare and schooling options are plentiful, and Sydney is close by.

Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital is a busy acute care facility with 211 beds, which provides emergency care, medical, surgical, and orthopaedic services to around 22,000 patients each year. The hospital has an Intensive Care Unit that incorporates High Dependency and Coronary Care beds and provides Emergency Department services. As well as these clinical services, the hospital has a busy Obstetric Unit, and provides services for children under 16 years of age.

Shoalhaven Hospital is affiliated with the University of Wollongong and supports the training of Nursing, Medical and Allied Health staff. As such there are teaching and research opportunities through the UOW Graduate School of Medicine.

Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District is committed to equal employment opportunity and embraces diversity and inclusion within its workforce. As such, people from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. This includes but is not limited to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, People with Disability, Women and People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds.

An eligibility list may be created for f