June 2019
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Stow Family Garden revitalised at Northern Hospital
The Stow Family Garden was originally established at Northern Hospital by the Stow Family in 1998, and has recently been rejuvenated by Stows Waste Management, together with the Northern Health Foundation. Managing Director of Stows Waste Management, Paul Stow, said, “The Stow Family Garden was donated by my parents, Neil and Wynette Stow. Following in their footsteps, I wanted to rejuvenate the garden to bring joy to the patients, families, visitors and staff at the Northern Hospital.” “Stows Waste Management are a family owned and operated business, and take great pride in giving back to the community and environment in…
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KAW Nurses: Providing patients with moments of happiness
The Kath Atkinson Wing (KAW) at Bundoora Centre provides care, evaluation and management of individuals who are experiencing cognitive decline and medical illness. Recently, the KAW nurses received the award for ‘Patient Experience’ at the Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards. The team were nominated by Lilian Oparanozie, who said, “KAW unit is a challenging unit with patients who have behaviour and psychological symptoms of dementia. Despite the difficulties they face, the KAW nurses deal with patients with great empathy and understanding.” Leanne Shannon, Nurse Unit Manager, says, “It can be very challenging and isolating down here, so to get that recognition…
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Graduate Nurse: Lauren Parkinson
Can you tell us why you chose a career in nursing? Nursing has always been something I wanted to do from a young age, and I set myself a plan on how to achieve this as soon as I got to high school. Unfortunately, I lost my mum to cancer when I was eight. During her battle, I watched multiple nurses go out of their way to give the best care possible to her and keep her dignity right until the end. My family and I remember these nurses to this day, for the amazing person-centred care they gave my…
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What’s new in June
Builder appointed for Stage 2 Expansion Project at Northern Hospital The Minister for Health has approved Kane Constructions as the main works builder for the Stage 2 Expansion Project at Northern Hospital. Kane have extensive experience in building public hospital infrastructure. This next stage will increase the tower from three to seven floors, including three 32-bed wards accommodating 96 acute in-patient beds and three new operating theatres. The seventh floor will include shell space for future expansion. Works are expected to commence almost immediately with an anticipated completion date of late February 2021. Staying Well In health care, we know…
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GP education for a healthier community
The education evening on ‘Osteoarthritis – Joint Management with General Practice’, is an example of how Northern Health is working collaboratively with the General Practitioner (GP) for the best patient outcome. It was initiated by our Orthopaedic Department and developed and coordinated through the Primary Care Liaison Unit. Seventeen GP’s attended the event, which sought to provide a forum for GP education regarding best practice non-surgical management of hip and knee osteoarthritis (exercise and medication). Karen Overall’s role as Primary Care Liaison, is to provide the expertise of Northern Health’s medical specialists to present the most up-to-date and relevant medical…
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Inaugural Palliative Care CUSP
Our Inpatient Palliative Care Unit at Epping Gardens recently kicked-off their Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) meetings. Dr Alison Giles, Palliative Care Physician and Head of Unit, sees the CUSP as a great problem-solving and team building opportunity. “CUSP meetings are a great opportunity to get together as a team and problem solve at a grassroots level. We also see it as an opportunity to think about our safety and ensure high quality care for our patients,” she said. CUSP is a key component of Northern Hospital’s HRO transformation, providing a clinical method for improving patient safety through improved teamwork,…
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Twins, Liam and Logan: One year on
Westmeadows local, Natalia O’Keeffe, knows the Neonatal Unit at Northern Hospital very well after her premature twin boys, Liam and Logan, spent over two months in the nursery. After being born at just 32 weeks during an emergency caesarean after Natalia’s placenta ruptured, the twins were transferred to Northern Hospital a week after they were born. Liam spent 69 days in hospital, while Logan spent 59. Born on 22 March 2018 at only 1.3 kg and 1.4 kg, the proud mum was excited to share the news recently of an exciting milestone – their first birthday. “They’re doing amazing –…
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Get to know: Q&A with John Cozzolino
In this week’s Get to know: Q&A with…we chat with John Cozzolino, Team Leader at Payroll Services. What is your coffee order? As a born Neapolitan, I can’t go past an espresso using the flip coffee pot. What does a typical work day look like for you? My day starts early, at 3 am. I’ve been passionate about health and fitness from a young age, so I’m off to the local 24 hour fitness centre for an hour session, then back home to take the dog for a run. I typically start work at 7.30 am. My role is deadline…