Last week, our Daily Safety Brief welcomed guests from Western Health, Mercy and Sunshine Hospital who visited Northern Hospital to learn more about how we manage and solve our daily safety and operational challenges.

Saini Gurnit, Innovation and Improvement Advisor at Mercy Health, said she is thankful to Ariana Carrodus, Acting Director Project Management and HRO, for organising the visit.

“It’s been great to see the Daily Safety Brief here and get some ideas and understanding how other services run these sessions. All health services, whether is Northern, Mercy or Western experience the same challenges and we are all here for the same purpose – to serve our patients. And it’s OK to have these issues, as we are working collaboratively to actually work through them,” she said.

Joanne Cocks, who works at Western Health on implementing a standardised discharge process across the organisation agreed that it’s important to see how things work in different organisations.

“There are things we are doing really well, but there are areas that need improvements. We have a similar 9 am meeting, with less people and details. I really like your visuals – the boards and colours. The electronic systems and dashboard is something Western could look at using,” she said.

Out third guest, Christine Crow, Access Manager at Sunshine Hospital added: “It is important to see how other hospitals work. It’s great to take some things back that can help us improve and we can share ideas that we do really well also.”

Ariana Carrodus added we’ve had different health services come and visit, as well as people from Safer Care Victoria.

“It’s important to learn from each other to do better. I am always happy to have people visiting and vice versa,” she said.

Northern Health’s Daily Safety Brief is a morning huddle and the initiative is part of numerous activities and programs Northern Health has been undertaking in its High Reliability Organisation transformation.

Featured Image (left to right): Our guests, Saini Gurnit, Joanne Cocks, Christine Crow with Ariana Carrodus and Edward Savill from Northern Health.

During October, Northern Health held a Mock Accreditation Survey to check our readiness for a full accreditation assessment next May. It was a very full four days with the three surveyors who visited clinical areas and held meetings with each of the Standards committees.

Experienced surveyors providing observations and advice helps us prepare for our Survey in May, 2020 with a clearer focus.  It was also an opportunity to showcase some of the great work that we have been doing. The surveyors were generous in sharing their knowledge and gave us positive feedback, as well as identifying areas for improvement.

They were impressed with staff awareness and knowledge of the standards, as well as how quickly pathology was brought in-house. They also had positive comments on our Koori Maternity Service, our approach to the CARE record, as well as My Health Record implementation.

Some of the areas we need to work on are consistent documentation of evidence of care, clearly displaying fire wardens, the need to display more Rights and Responsibility posters, staff compliance with immunisation and some of our patient information needs to be updated.

The surveyors also provided us with observation of practice that can be improved and gave helpful and constructive advice that will be implemented over the upcoming months.

Our Quality Coordinators who escorted our survey team to and from meetings, played a valuable role in being the ears on the ground gathering improvement opportunities. Thank you to Maree Glynn, and everyone involved in preparing for the mock survey. Well done.

Strengthening Hospital Response to Family Violence

As an organisation we promote respectful relationships and gender equality within the workplace and demonstrate a culture of zero tolerance for violence. Through programs like the Strengthening Hospital Response to Family Violence initiative Northern Health has an ongoing commitment to stopping violence against women and creating a safe and respectful workplace for all.

You may have read recent media reports where domestic violence charity White Ribbon Australia has gone into liquidation.  Although our previous White Ribbon Australia Accreditation is now not appropriate, our commitment to stamping out violence continues.

We are committed to equipping staff to identify and respond to family violence, as well as supporting our staff members personally affected by family violence.

Winnie Tjong wins the WorkSafe Award

Please join me in congratulating to our Risk Management Coordinator, Winnie Tjong, who recently won the WorkSafe Victoria Award for ‘Return to Work Coordinator Excellence’. Winnie champions Northern Health’s commitment to return injured workers back to safe work as soon as possible. Well done Winnie! Read more here.

I hope you have a great week ahead.

Siva Sivarajah  

Chief Executive

 

 

Northern Health Injury Management Coordinator, Winnie Tjong, recently won the WorkSafe Victoria Award for ‘Return to Work Coordinator Excellence.’

On winning the award, Winnie said, “this was a surprise and would not have been possible without the support of my team, management and most importantly the staff I work with.”

Some of the initiatives Winnie has established include the staff injury assist phone triage service, onsite exercise physiology, information packs and training for managers, and job demands checklists for GPs and practitioners.

Director of OHS & Wellbeing, Will Halpin, said, “Winnie richly deserves this award and we’re lucky at Northern Health to have her as our Injury Management Coordinator. She has a strong work ethic, provides technical expertise and has a person–centred approach. Although her role is specific to staff injury management, Winnie has been instrumental in the staff injury prevention space also.”

Winnie champions Northern Health’s commitment to return injured workers safely back to work as soon as possible, which includes ensuring there are suitable or pre-injury employment options available. Every injured worker is treated the same in the return to work process, regardless of whether their injury is work-related.

Winnie is driven to continuously improve processes to make them easier for injured workers.

To learn more about Winnie’s award, watch the video below:

This week is the last week to purchase tickets to our Northern Health Foundation Dinner! In the lead up to this year’s 80’s themed event, we sat down with Foundation Director, Yvonne Amos, to find out what she was doing in the 80’s! Read her story below. To purchase your tickets to the Dinner, please click here.

What were you doing in the 80’s?

The 80’s for me was a decade full of adventure and extremes! Moving from Victoria to Darwin by myself to a place so remote it felt like Australia’s last frontier.  Then to Sydney where those casual warm days were replaced by a much faster pace! Flip flops were no longer an option! Time to get with it!

Tell us if you were travelling somewhere exciting.  What made it exciting?

My first ever overseas trip was to Singapore!  Change Alley, Chilli Mud Crab, Little India, Raffles Hotel and the shopping are my fondest memories.

Where were you working?

My first ever job was with the NT Department of Health supporting the team who managed registrations for nurses and medical professionals. When I moved to Sydney I worked for Svenska Handelsbanken, it was there I learnt to love all things Swedish including roll-mops (pickled fish) and blueberries always served in cold milk! Somehow I managed to get by without speaking a single word of Swedish except Hej! Or Hello!

What’s your best memory from the 80’s?

I tell my team that I can’t remember the 80’s because I was asleep but the more I think about the 80’s, it was jammed packed full of fun times and memories – Expo 88, Sydney’s Bicentennial, Australia II winning the America’s Cup, getting married, toga parties, studying and travelling throughout Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, China and NZ! Best of all trips back home to stay with my mum and dad!

Did you go to any concerts or festivals?

When I was living in Darwin, a group of us went to see Bullamakanka, their biggest hit was ‘Home among the Gum Trees’ – yes a bit daggy – but it was in a hall in the middle of nowhere off the Arnhem Highway! It was a magical time and place! A local hotel in Darwin ran the annual Crab Tying Competition – anyone brave enough had to tie up live mud crabs with their fingers and toes! I have the poster to prove it! Lastly, Darwin’s Beer Can Regatta – whilst I never took to the ocean in a boat made from cans, it was Darwin’s answer to Melbourne’s Birdman Rally! Iconic, fun and pretty pointless!

What were you listening to in the 80s?

Two standouts from the 80’s for me was Mental as Anything – Live it Up! and Bruce Springsteen  – The River!  It was also the decade we stopped spinning vinyl and moved to CD’s. I still have my record player and there is no other sound like it!

What was your favorite thing to do on a Friday or Saturday night?

In the 80’s, Friday nights were spent dancing and Saturday night our gang gathered to watch movies on our brand new VHS recorder – in those days it cost $15 to hire a movie! Blues Brothers and National Lampoons Animal House were in high rotation…no streaming then!

What was the daggiest  80’s outfit you wore?

Many daggy outfits from the 80’s ….but at the time I loved them all!

Did you own a boom box?

I had a fire truck tape deck that was never ever far from reach!

Did you cry when Scott and Charlene go married?

Um no! Never got into Neighbours!

Did you watch RAGE on Saturday mornings?

No – I loved Countdown too much to move on!

Who was your favourite character on Country Practice?

Definitely Molly and Fatso the Wombat!

Was there anything that made your heart stop in the 80’s?

There were a couple of moments! The Space Shuttle Challenger flight that lasted just 76 seconds!

When Australia II won the America’s Cup in 1983! We stayed up all night to watch it, then had to go to work in the morning!

Our Prime Minister, Bob Hawke’s quote – “I tell you what …. any boss who sacks someone for not turning up today is a bum.” We weren’t game to take Bob up on his word and shuffled off to work in the Green and Gold!

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, which provides the opportunity to raise community awareness of lung cancer and the signs and symptoms of the disease.

Alison Hirth, Lung Mass Nurse, says the symptoms of lung cancer can often be vague and mimic those of other conditions, so it’s important for everyone to be aware of ongoing symptoms and to discuss with their GP, as earlier diagnosis improves outcomes.

“It’s a very common misconception that only smokers get lung cancer. We see patients with lung cancer who have never smoked. The most common lung cancer symptoms include a new or changed cough, coughing blood, persistent chest infections, weight loss, chest pain or a hoarse voice,” she said.

One of those patients is a 42-year old nurse and mother of two children, who wished to remain anonymous.

“I am a non-smoker, never smoked, and have never tasted alcohol. I was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer four months ago. I had always considered myself very fit and healthy. The gym was my second home but the diagnosis came anyway,” she explained.

Since her diagnosis, she has heard numerous misconceptions about lung cancer patients, especially around their lifestyle.

“l have been a victim myself with people telling me in my face that l have led a reckless lifestyle so the diagnosis was self-inflicted. I have never lived that way, but spent most of my time working as a nurse and giving back to the community. Why is it that other types of cancers are given more attention than lung cancer?” she said.

Patients who come to Northern Health Lung Mass Clinic present with different stages and symptoms. The clinic is dedicated to urgent assessment and management of patients with lung nodules/masses.

“A team of respiratory physicians, thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists are available in the same clinic, so patients can be seen by more than one specialist on the same day,” Alison explained.

Patients, Morag Henderson and John Marshall, were both referred to the clinic and worked closely with lung mass, oncology, and thoracic teams.

“In March this year, I was first admitted because I had fluid in the lungs, and after testing it was discovered I had lung cancer. My journey had it’s ups and downs, with the chemotherapy being difficult. Now that I am on immunotherapy, I feel better. It’s important to be positive about beating cancer, and I always had that approach, as well as a strong network of supportive friends,” Morag said.

John, a former smoker, noticed symptoms during a snorkelling day in Queensland.

“I was struggling to swim and kept coughing, and I am a strong swimmer usually, even though I am 76 years old. When we came back to Melbourne, I was still feeling unwell. Fortunately, I had an immediate X-ray and CT scan. Then we came here, met Alison, and I couldn’t be happier with the care I received. And I loved the multicultural atmosphere at Northern Health,” John said.

Luckily, due to this early discovery, John was able to have surgery, as his cancer was contained in a specific part of the lungs.

“Surgery is an option for patients who are referred to us early. Unfortunately, due to vague symptoms of lung cancer, people may not recognise the symptoms. But if we can raise awareness of the symptoms of lung cancer, earlier diagnosis results in much more effective treatment,” Alison explained.

Currently, due to late diagnosis, lung cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia with more deaths per year than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.

Featured image (left to right): John Marshall and his wife Pamela and Morag Henderson

In the lead up to this year’s 80’s themed Northern Health Foundation Dinner, we sat down with Director of Engineering, Colin Woodward, to find out what he was doing in the 80’s! Read his story below. To purchase your tickets to the Dinner, please click here.

What were you doing in the 80’s?

I was at school, at a college in Broadmeadows and then I started my apprenticeship in Greenvale, which later closed and all the services got transferred to what we know was Broadmeadows Hospital.

Did you travel somewhere exciting?

Only around Australia.

What’s your best memory from the 80’s?

Island cruises, Treads footwear which were very hippy. Blokes wore tight jeans with pink jumpers!

Did you go to any concerts or festivals?

I haven’t, but I was a big fan of The Bangles. All boys loved them.

What was your favourite thing to do on a Friday or Saturday night?

We would normally find our way to a nightclub somewhere.

What is the daggiest outfit from the 80’s that you wore?

Tight blue jeans and a pink jumper, with a white T-shirt underneath!

Did you own a boombox?

I had a walkman.

What was your favourite 80’s character in Home and Away?

Ray.

What was your favourite character on Country Practice?

Polly.

Was there anything that made your heart stop in the 80’s?

My wife. I saw her when I was 13, and she was 15, on the steps of the Broadmeadows Townhall. We started going out when I was just about to turn 21.

Fidel Touma is a Consultant General Surgeon here at Northern Hospital. Fidel says everyone he works with are very helpful. “They are like friends – brothers and sisters helping everyone.”

“They always have time for my questions about the health system. I feel part of a big family here at the Northern,” says Fidel.

Family has always been a big consideration for Fidel. It is the reason he left his home country of Syria for Australia, arriving here on 1 July 2014.

Prior to joining Northern Health, Fidel served as Director of Surgery of the Assuqaylabiyah National Hospital in the province of Hama in Syria, and Head of the Laparoscopic Units in many other hospitals. Fidel was the pioneer of laparoscopic surgery (keyhole surgery) in his province, starting with laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) and extending to other laparoscopic operations.

“It gave me a very good life – I didn’t want to leave,” says Fidel of those heady days.

That was until the war in 2011 destroyed everything. Fidel recalls how people had to start thinking of safety and food and basic requirements, instead of advancing their skills.

“Everything was in short supply – resources were limited and we had only the basics and that too only for emergency situations.”

After three years of war, Fidel started looking for a safe resort for his family to start a new life.

Initially, the family found it hard settling in Australia. His children were too young to comprehend what was happening and found learning a new language a big barrier.

“Everybody we contacted regarding my recognition as a surgeon here was not optimistic,” says Fidel. They suggested he might have to start the surgical program again from scratch. However, as part of a career guidance course (SLPET) at Melbourne Polytechnic Preston, Fidel was able to get a two week observership at Northern Hospital in mid 2015.

“Everyone was very kind and ‘human’ at the Northern– I use this word because I started feeling at home and everyone was helpful and supportive,” Fidel says.

“Wanda Stelmach (Divisional Director of Surgery) was amazing – she extended my observership by another two weeks.”

“From our first contact with Fidel, it was obvious that he was a very experienced surgeon, but he did not advertise this outright. It was from his considered comments and suggestions that this experience became obvious,” says Wanda.

“His approach to the opportunities that were given to him was humble and, as his training was recognised, and when he finally gained FRACS (Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons), his true personality started to shine,”  she says.

After his interview with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) in October 2015, Fidel was deemed to be substantially comparable to Australasian surgeons and waived any further exit fellowship exams. After that, he immediately got his first job here as an International Medical Graduate General Surgery Fellow.

It was about this time Fidel started dreaming again – daring to believe he could build a career at Northern Health.

“To me, this was a crucial part and key step of my journey, that put me on track again to restore my career. I started thinking and dreaming of a new pathway with lots of achievements and loving life again!”

Fidel, as it turned out, fitted in very well at Northern.

“He is always willing to engage with the care of patients, with the education of colleagues, registrars and medical students and with the activities of the health service,” continues Wanda.

“His love for his family is truly obvious as he proudly describes the achievements of his wife, son and daughter – you get the feeling they outshine his own amazing achievements! Fidel really exemplifies the attributes of the migrants that are the backbone of the northern suburbs.”

Fidel has the final say, “I love to work in this hospital. This kind of collegial environment you can’t find anywhere else – I feel very much at home!”

Safe Work Month is a national health and safety awareness campaign developed by Safe Work Australia. This year’s theme, “Be a Safety Champion,” is about highlighting that anyone, employers or employees from any occupation, can be a champion for work health and safety. Everyone can support a safety culture in the workplace.

At Northern Health, we have Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) who have taken on the role of being a Safety Champion for their work group. HSRs are the highly dedicated representatives who work to maintain a safe and professional workplace.

One of them is Steven Micallef, who works in the Engineering team. To him, safety means the, “team gets to go home at night without incident and feel that they can work in a safe environment every day.”

“At the start I wasn’t sure why I was voted in, but I took on the role and have been able to provide information to our team at meetings. Also, I was making sure we were always doing things in a fashion which meant that we could reduce the risk of injury significantly to the point where we don’t have any incidents at all,” he said.

His colleague, Nathaniel Gee, is a Senior Clinical Physiotherapist in Acute Services at Broadmeadows Hospital.  He is the HSR for the Allied Health area and safety to him means, “we all go home happy and well.” He put his hand up to become an HSR because he is involved in the Physiotherapy Wellbeing business plan.

“I think that wellbeing and safety go hand in hand. I also believe that safety is good for everyone… patients, staff and the organisation as a whole,” he said.

“I see my role as HSR as providing a listening ear to my workgroup on the ground and also being an advocate for safety. Being a HSR also allows me to help push through safety issues to management and make sure they don’t fall through the cracks,” he added.

Today, at the Melbourne Health and Safety Month Conference, Suzanna Tan, Manual Handling Risk Coordinator, will present on the Patient Handling Injuries Review of Systems (PHIRES) toolkit she has worked on with WorkSafe Victoria to improve and reduce patient handling injuries.

The month of events culminates in WorkSafe Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner on 31 October, where Winnie Tjong, Injury Management Coordinator,  has been nominated as a finalist for the RTW Coordinator Excellence award – good luck Winnie!

Featured Image (left to right): Julie Mason, HSR for Support Services; Roderick Greig and Sivanjini Devi, HRSs for Ward 17 (ICU); Jaxxon Roberts, HSR for Quality and Safety