Spleen Australia

Without a functioning spleen, you are at an increased risk of developing life-threatening infections from certain types of bacteria. Spleen Australia aims to give you the information and strategies for reducing the occurrence and severity of these infections.

We provide telephone education and materials to you, your doctors and, where appropriate, your family. Your education kit contains information on how to reduce the risk of infections, a medical alert card and a vaccine record card.

We also create an individualised vaccine and antibiotic plan based on current medical recommendations. It is then up to you with your medical practitioner to review the medical recommendations frequently to ensure you remain up to date. Changes to the medical recommendations will be updated on our website.
We are currently funded to register people who live in Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia.

Meet the team

VICTORIA
Dr Nenad Macesic – Medical Director, Infectious Diseases Physician – Alfred health
Ms Sharon O’Brien RN – Manager
Ms Sharon Willems RN – Clinical Nurse Coordinator
Ms Ella Brown RN – Clinical Nurse Coordinator
Ms Megan Harvey RN – Clinical Nurse Coordinator
Ms Amber Plumley – Senior Administration Officer
Mr Brian Price – Operations Manager
Associate Professor Ian Woolley – Infectious Diseases Physician – Monash Health
Professor Allen Cheng – Infectious Diseases Physician – Monash Health
Associate Professor Andrew Stewardson – Infectious Diseases Physician – Alfred Health
Dr Amanda Davis – Haematology Department – Alfred Health
Professor Karin Leder – Infectious Diseases Physician – Royal Melbourne Hospital
Dr Kate Martin – Trauma Unit – Royal Melbourne Hospital
Mr Ken Dickinson – Consumer Representative (retired GP)

PHARMACIST
Louise Grannell – Medicines Information Pharmacist

TASMANIA
Shannon Melody – Specialist Medical Advisor – Health Protection – Department of Health – Tasmania
Dr James Wolffe – Infectious Disease physician, Royal Hobart Hospital

QUEENSLAND
Associate Professor Stephen Lambert – Public Health Physician & Epidemiologist – Queensland Department of Health
Ms Wendy Morotti – Clinical Nurse Consultant- Queensland Department of Health

WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Professor Christopher Blyth – Infectious Diseases Physician – Perth Children’s Hospital
Dr Alan Leeb – GP representative
Dr Hannah Gooding – Consumer Representative
Professor Dieter Weber – Trauma Surgeon – Royal Perth Hospital
Jo-Anne Morgan – Immunisation Program Manager – Department of Health – WA

Funding bodies

• Department of Health and Human Services, Victoria
• Department of Health and Human Services, Tasmania
• Queensland Health
• Government of Western Australia, Department of Health
• Alfred Health

Acknowledgements

Syd and Ann Wellard Perpetual Trust
Marian & E H Flack Trust

Patron

Daryl Braithwaite