July 2019

Pharmacist Min Chu, recently received the award for ‘Excellence in Safety’ at our Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards, for her commitment to patient experience and safe, trusted care. Min began her Northern Health journey back in 2007 as a clinical pharmacist. She then moved into the emergency department as the Hospital Admission Risk Program (HARP) pharmacist in 2011, where she concentrated on identifying patients with complex needs at risk of medication mismanagement at the point of admission. From there, Min returned to the general medical wards, one of which was the first medical ward to start admitting oncology and haematology patients…

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The first meeting of the newly established Ethics Committee that focuses on low risk was held yesterday at NCHER. The committee was established in May, as a response to the growing interest for research within Northern Health. Amina Khayre, Low Risk Ethics Officer, said the need for the committee was identified as low risk studies are different to quality improvement and clinical audit activities. “They involve more risk due to the more interactive nature of studies. These studies must be reviewed to ensure the best possible safety and outcomes for both researcher and participant,” she said. The committee comprises of…

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It’s that time of year again where our hardworking Northern Health nurses and midwives get to let their hair down at their annual ball – and tickets are selling fast! Held this year at the recently opened Mantra Hotel in Epping, on Friday 26 July 2019, guests will enjoy a three course dinner, beverages and entertainment. Multi-award winning nurse-themed comedian, Zule – the nurSING diva (AKA Zuleika Khan) will serve as entertainment, as well as JayEss’s five piece band back by popular demand. Tickets for the event are $99 – all nurses and midwives are welcome, so get your dancing…

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Northern Health celebrated NAIDOC Week with an official launch in the Northern Hospital front foyer. NAIDOC originally stands for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. Its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920′s, which sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. This year’s theme – Voice, Treaty, Truth, highlights the three key elements to the reforms that were set out in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The Statement outlines the path forward for recognising Indigenous Australians in the nation’s…

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As part of our Winter Strategy, the team have been looking at different ways to support patients in their transition from hospital to home. That is how the targeted, population-specific Supported Transition to Assist Recovery (STAR) program was born and launched yesterday. Dr Katharine See, Director of Respiratory Medicine, said the team identified the age group over 70 with a few common conditions were representing to hospital within 72 hours. “Those conditions include Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), pneumonia and heart failure. When we explored the reasons for this, we found that these people were often coming back to hospital not…

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Lauren Scott, Care Coordinator in the Transition Care Program (TCP), received the ‘Rising Star’ award at our recent Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards. She was nominated by Vanessa Goss from Bundoora Transition Care, who said Lauren was successfully able to reinvent herself as a Care Coordinator and utilise her previous experience as a social worker to adapt to the new role. “She took on this challenge with resilience and fortitude, and conducted herself with professionalism, while developing excellent outcomes for her clients. She brought her social work skill set and provided TCP colleagues with a new insight and skills into managing…

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