March 2019
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Speech pathology department overjoyed with successful grant
The speech pathology department at Northern Health, recently received a grant from the Northern Health Foundation for a Fibre Optic Videolaryngoscopy, to support Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) assessments in patients who have swallowing difficulties. Associate Director Allied Health, Speech Pathology, Audiology & Orthoptics, Emma Beer, was overjoyed when she heard the news about the successful grant. “It was a mixture of relief, overwhelming happiness and achievement for the speech pathology department to receive this support from the Northern Health Foundation,” she said. “Now that we have FEES, we are able to upskill our staff and provide the safest…
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Katherine Healy: Improving the lives of patients
Northern Health Dietitian, Katherine Healy, recently received the award for ‘patient experience’ during our second round of Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards. Nominated by Rachael Evans, Associate Director Allied Health – Dietetics, Rachael said, “Katherine is committed to excellent patient care, and is extremely generous with her expertise, providing support internally to the dietetics and gastroenterology teams, and externally with various support groups and professional organisations.” “She has a unique professional background as both a Medical Scientist and Advance Practice Dietitian, and assisted in the establishment of a novel practice dietitian-led gastroenterology screening clinic at Northern Health, the first of its…
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Minister for Health opens new ICU
This morning, the Minister for Health and Ambulance Services, The Hon. Jenny Mikakos, officially opened Northern Hospital’s new Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Welcomed by Northern Health Chair Jennifer Williams and Chief Executive Siva Sivarajah, the Minister toured the facilities with local MPs, whilst discussing the benefits the new ICU will bring to the northern community, patients and their families. Minister Jenny Mikakos, said, “our hard-working doctors and nurses at Northern Health do an amazing job caring for people who need their help. We’re completing a once-in-a-generation redevelopment so they can do what they do best.” 59 year old former ICU…
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New Intensive Care opens
Today, our new Ward 17 (ICU) opens at Northern Hospital, with the ICU team moving into the space from 8.30 am this morning. The new state of the art ICU includes 18 intensive care beds and three dedicated paediatric bays. The space hosts latest patient information and entertainment screens, central monitoring, negative and positive pressure isolation rooms and switchable privacy window films. From today, the old ICU space will be renamed Ward 15. Dr Anthony Cross, ICU Director, said the move went smoothly due to extensive and detailed planning and preparation. “It has been a massive involvement of people to…
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Diabetes team wins two awards
In front of 250 attendants, the Northern Health Ambulatory Diabetes team received two awards at the Australian Diabetes Educators (ADEA) conference, recently held in Albert Park. Diabetes Nurse Educator, Susan Abraham, won the award for ‘Best Novice Oral Abstract Presentation’ on her project titled ‘Do people with diabetes change their self-management behaviours whilst on extended overseas holidays?’ The motivation for the project came from patients of different cultural backgrounds visiting the hospital. The diabetes team were unsure whether these patients were managing their diabetes properly when they were travelling overseas for holidays or family visits. “It was interesting to see…
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Close the Gap: Our health, our voice, our choice
Did you know that Australia’s Indigenous people on average, die 10 to 17 years earlier than other Australians? The Close the Gap campaign aims to close the health and life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation. The Close the Gap Campaign 2019 report, ‘Our choices, our voices‘, identifies three priority themes to boost progress in meeting the Closing the Gap targets. These are, targeted and needs-based primary healthcare, a responsive healthcare system and good housing for good health. The Northern Health Aboriginal Healthcare policy, focusses on six key priority areas of…
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Harmony Week: Everyone Belongs
Harmony Week is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background. Today, almost half of Victorians were either born overseas or have at least one parent who was born overseas. Here in the North, our patients were born in 184 countries, speak 106 languages and follow 90 religions and beliefs. Our Northern Health staff were born in 44 different countries and over 30 percent speak a language other than English at home, with over 50 different languages spoken. Harmony Week is an opportunity to reflect on what gives us all a sense of belonging…
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Get to know: Q&A with Evelyne Kollaras
In this week’s Get to know: Q&A with… we catch up with People & Culture Recruitment Coordinator, Evelyne Kollaras. What is your coffee order? Soy latte. Can you tell us a bit about your Northern Health journey? I started at Northern about two and a half years ago whilst I was still completing my HR degree. I was absolutely stoked to get my foot in the door as a HR Advisor, as I’d had a few questionable jobs – Red Rooster cashier, filing clerk, switchboard operator, the works! I’ve since moved into a Recruitment Coordinator position and absolutely love it.…