About Us
Dr Bilinski has her own private practice and is no longer available to conduct locums for her colleagues. She has kept the business name and the ideal of offering excellent service to a select group of her own private patients. She visits Greenslopes Private Hospital exclusively. Working exclusively at one campus has afforded her the ability to create a wonderful working relationship with the ward staff, allied health professionals, and medical colleagues at Greenslopes Private Hospital.
Dr Pretoria Bilinski
Medical oncologist & palliative care physician
Dr Pretoria Bilinski (nee Irwin) is a general Medical Oncologist and Palliative Care Physician with a particular interest in the adjuvant and palliative treatments of breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate and pancreatic cancers. She also has a special interest in symptom control, the management of geriatric oncology patients, and in the care of terminally ill patients with malignancy and end-stage chronic illness.
Dr Bilinski graduated from the University of Queensland in 1994. She completed basic training and fellowship exams whilst training at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. She completed advanced training in both Medical Oncology and Palliative Medicine in Queensland, at the Royal Brisbane, The Prince Charles, and Redcliffe Hospitals, as well as in NSW and Victoria.
She spent the first 4 years of her consultant practice in Cairns as the sole resident Oncologist. Following this she ran her own business conducting locums in SEQ, NSW, and Victoria in both the private and public sectors.
During her advanced registrar training and early consultancy she has undertaken and completed two Masters Degrees – Palliative Care (Flinders 2003) and Health Administration (UNSW 2007). She has been a tutor for the Palliative Care Masters degree course (during the completion of her own degree).
Dr Bilinski established her private practice at the Ramsay Specialist Centre in 2010 and as of April 2011 visits Greenslopes Private Hospital exclusively.
Professional memberships include the following:
Australian Medical Association
Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Medical Oncology Group of Australia
American Society of Clinical Oncology
Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine
International Society of Geriatric Oncology
Asbestos Disease Support Society
Lung Foundation Australia
Representing the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Dr Bilinski is a Local Examiner for the Physician Examination (2016 – current). She has also been a reviewer for the Palliative Care Subcommittee since May 2014 and for the Medical Oncology Group of Australia since April 2019.
Dr Bilinski is also an authorised prescriber of medicinal cannabis for patients with metastatic cancer.
Dr Bilinski performs a number of clinical trials through the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation at Greenslopes Private Hospital. Click here for a list of the trials.
Ms Janelle Suffern
Janelle Suffern is Dr Bilinski’s practice manager. She has been involved in the private practice since its inception in early 2010. Ms. Suffern has been involved in healthcare for 20 years. She is proficient in practice management and attending to all other aspects of the patient’s care to complement Dr Bilinski’s medical care.
Please direct all non urgent matters and queries to Ms. Suffern during consultation hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 8am to 5pm.
Patient Information
Under the Health Insurance Legislation a referral is required for all consultation and treatments provided. Referrals are required for reimbursement from Medicare.
Referrals from other specialists are valid for a three month period from the time of initial consultation; referrals from general practitioners are valid for a twelve month period from the date of issue.
It is the patients’ responsibility to ensure that referrals are current for all appointments and treatment.
Whilst Dr Bilinski is happy to consult public patients in her private practice and offer a second opinion regarding their management, in order to have ongoing treatment under her care patients are required to have private health insurance in order to access care at Greenslopes Private Hospital.
Scroll down for Consultations, What to bring, Procedures and Costs.
Consultations
Dr Bilinski currently consults on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from her rooms at Suite 206 at the Ramsay Specialist Centre.
Family members and friends are welcome to attend the consultation. However in the case of larger families, one nominated member to act as a spokes person is preferable.
Ongoing maintenance of a relationship with the patient’s general practitioner is encouraged and all correspondence regarding the consultation will be sent to the general practitioner within 48 hours of the consultation.
Please be advised that we no longer book DVA cars. Patients will need to book their own via 1800 550 455.
Dr Bilinski offers a limited home visit service for her terminally ill patients who chose to die at home. She is the only palliative care physician in private practice to offer this service. She works in conjunction with a number of general practitioners and community nursing agencies to offer this service.
What to Bring
Please bring any recent x-rays and a list of current medications (including naturopathic and over the counter medications).
For initial consultation patients will be requested to complete a questionnaire regarding details of Medicare and Health Fund memberships (please bring relevant cards to assist with this process).
Costs
We are a bulk billing practice provided there is a current referral. Credit card and Eftpos facilities are available including the ability to claim the Medicare rebate portion of the account at the time of payment.
Inpatient accounts are submitted directly to the Health Fund. Dr Bilinski has a NoGap policy with all major Health Funds. Excess payments in relation to hospital admission need to be discussed with the Accounts Department of Greenslopes Private Hospital.
Regular blood tests and diagnostic imaging required during the course of treatment may incur out of pocket expenses.
Clinical Trials
OPEN TRIALS
Sub investigator. Merck EMR 200647-001 A phase I, open-label, multiple-ascending dose trial to investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, biological and clinical activity of MSB0011359C in subjects with metastatic or locally advanced solid tumours and expansion to selected indications. 09/2016
PI AstraZeneca PROpel trial A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre phase III study of Olaparib plus Abiraterone relative to Placebo plus Abiraterone as First-line therapy in men with metastatic castration-resistance prostate cancer. 09/2018
Sub investigator. Merck MK MK-2475-495 A phase II precision oncology study of biomarker-directed, Pembrolizumab based combination for advanced non-small cell lung cancer. 04/2019
PI Merck. Keynote 641. A phase III, randomized, double-blind trial of Pembrolizumab plus Enzalutamide versus placebo plus Enzalutamide in participants with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. 08/2019
CLOSED TRIALS
Sub investigator. Merck EMR 200647-001 A phase I, open-label, multiple-ascending dose trial to investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, biological and clinical activity of MSB0011359C in subjects with metastatic or locally advanced solid tumours and expansion to selected indications. 09/2016
PI AstraZeneca PROpel trial A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre phase III study of Olaparib plus Abiraterone relative to Placebo plus Abiraterone as First-line therapy in men with metastatic castration-resistance prostate cancer. 09/2018
Sub investigator. Merck MK MK-2475-495 A phase II precision oncology study of biomarker-directed, Pembrolizumab based combination for advanced non-small cell lung cancer. 04/2019
PI Merck. Keynote 641. A phase III, randomized, double-blind trial of Pembrolizumab plus Enzalutamide versus placebo plus Enzalutamide in participants with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. 08/2019
Contact Us
Consulting at
Suite 206 Ramsay Specialist Centre
Newdegate Street, Greenslopes
QLD 4120.
All Correspondence to
PO Box 473
Cannon Hill QLD 4170
07 3847 9901
07 3847 9902
*After hours, please phone Greenslopes Private Hospital switch on 3394 7111 and request Dr Bilinski or the Oncologist-on-call.