The future for patients requiring plastic and maxillofacial surgery at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne (RCH) is looking even brighter with the establishment of ‘The Jigsaw Foundation Chair of Paediatric Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery’, announced today.
University of Melbourne Professor and RCH plastic surgeon Tony Penington has been appointed the inaugural The Jigsaw Foundation Chair of Paediatric Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery – a position made possible through the advocacy of the Jigsaw Foundation.
Professor Penington will lead a clinical research program that will influence plastic surgery practice ensuring patients across Australia and internationally receive the highest level of care.
The position is a joint appointment with The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics, the RCH and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute.
The RCH department of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery is already a clinical leader both in Australia and internationally in multiple areas of practice, including cleft and craniofacial surgery, congenital hand deformities, facial palsy, ear reconstruction and the treatment of vascular anomalies.
The department received international acclaim for its contribution to the successful separation of formerly conjoined twins Trishna and Krishna in 2009.
RCH CEO Professor Christine Kilpatrick says the instalment of the academic Chair will further enhance patient care.
“Clinical research and the constant evaluation of how we deliver care play large roles in improving clinical outcomes for our patients,” Professor Kilpatrick said.
“Not only will the research lead to evidence-based changes in plastic surgical approaches, but also innovations that benefit patients right across the hospital and the potential to inform health planning at a state and national level,” she said.
The esteemed position transpired thanks to the advocacy and contribution of the Jigsaw Foundation, and generous funding from the RCH Foundation, and the Federal and State governments, totalling $15 million.
The funds will support the permanent Chair position along with additional staff and infrastructure required to undertake research activities.
The Jigsaw Foundation Chair of Paediatric Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, Professor Tony Penington, says he is looking forward to his new challenge.
“The Jigsaw and The Royal Children’s Hospital foundations, and the State and Federal governments are investing in the idea that medical research has the capacity to transform the lives of children who suffer from deformity and disease,” Professor Penington said.
“The children who come under our care deserve not only the best care we can give them today, but the hope for a better future that only medical research can provide.
“At the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, exciting research is going on today, especially in the area of genomics, that in the next few years will lead to changes in the way we understand disease, and that will lead to new and better treatments. I am very excited about what can be achieved,” he said.