Starting today, the Pharmacy team will be rolling out new colour coded resuscitation (resus) trolleys at Northern Hospital. The red trolleys will be rolled out in the Emergency Department (ED), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), theatres and Cath Lab 1, as a staged approach with ED and ICU starting first as part of phase 1 this week.

James Ash, ED and ICU Pharmacy Team Leader, explained the idea for the new trolleys came after the team noticed that there were resus trolleys in the wards and around the hospital that didn’t have consistent inventory in terms of medications, and were variable in terms of layout.

“We wanted to have new options, which will ensure medication is still secure, but easily accessible. As a result, we developed three different trolley types that are colour coded for easy selection and pin–pad locked in high-use areas. ED, ICU, theatres and Cath Lab 1 will be given a designated red trolley, with a uniform layout in all areas. Other areas in the hospital will get green trolleys, with uniform contents and layout. In the future, the plan is to develop colour coded trolleys for all our campuses,” he said.

Jier Nguyen, Associate Director, Pharmacy Operations, explained the overall goal is to one day have consistency across the whole of the organisation, maintaining the security and accessibility of the medications in the trolleys.

“A lot of work has been done with consulting key stakeholders and members of Standards 4 and 8 to facilitate a smooth transition to the new trolleys. During the initial rollout of this project, pharmacy will be attending all MET calls during pharmacy operating hours to assist with this changeover. They will take on feedback regarding the trolley setup, as well as assist with locating medicines to ensure optimal patient care,” Jier said.

“From a Standard 4 perspective, the medications are more securely stored, because the trolleys are locked now. In terms of Standard 8, the consistency in contents and layout benefits the deteriorating patient by providing prompt access to life-saving medications directly at the point of care. Hopefully improving patient care is the long term goal,” he added.

Crista Javier, Pharmacy Technician, explained that her role is to swap the trolleys currently in ED and change them over to the new red ones, while also being in charge of setting up the contents and labelling the drawers.

“This system will enable me to service the area better, as I can easily check where these trolleys are and what is in them. I will be able to check the expiry dates better and will be able to see if the amount of stock is appropriate. This makes my job easier, as everything will be standard across the board. The pharmacy technicians are in charge of monthly auditing the trolleys, to make sure the quantities are right and that the medications are in-date,” she explained.

Featured image (left to right): Crista Javier, James Ash, Jier Nguyen.

Basil likes a challenge. Be it achieving an operating surplus for five consecutive years, restructuring the revenue function, turning a negative operating cash balance to a positive balance, delivering an end-to-end procurement function, bringing our biomedical services in-house or ensuring stock levels and financial control through the pandemic.

Or even joining in an impromptu push-up challenge. See picture below.

After five years in his role as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Basil leaves Northern Health to take on yet another challenge as Chief Financial Officer at Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group.

Basil was accorded a moving and musical farewell, with bagpipes played by Anne Ramsay, Manager Supply and Procurement, fulfilling a promise she made to Basil when she first joined. 

 

For Basil, some of the highlights of his time here, include “the 75 per cent increase in WIES (Weighted Inlier Equivalent Separation) activity, seeing the growth in capability in my team, reporting to Siva and working with a very supportive Executive”.

In thanking Basil for his time at Northern Health, Siva Sivarajah, Chief Executive, said “You are dedicated, generous and liked by people. All of us will miss you!”

Kathryn Bartho, Director, Revenue and Financial Services, speaking on behalf of the Finance team says, “It has been an honour to work with Basil over the last eight years at both Monash and Northern Health. In that time, Basil has been an amazing manager, leader and most importantly a supportive mentor.”

“The role of a CFO is mainly focused on financial performance, however, Basil is able to combine financial performance with patient-focused priorities and services. He is always approachable and supportive to all whom he interacts with. Basil will always make the time to collaborate with his team and ensure cohesive understanding between both parties. Basil has built positive working relationships with his directorate with transparency, collaboration and inclusion.”

“We have all valued our time working with Basil and while he will be missed, we wish him all the best on his future endeavours,” concludes Kathryn.

“Basil will be very much missed but we are also excited for him and his future endeavours,” adds Rick Garotti, Financial Controller.

Greg Warman, Director Support Services, says, “Basil will be sorely missed. He has always gone to bat for Support Services, providing the necessary support to implement initiatives such as the Computer Assisted Radio Personnel System (CARPs).”

“Working at Northern Health has been the most enjoyable experience, because of the approachability and collegiality of all our staff,” says Basil.

“I will miss Northern and I will be watching it continue to punch above its weight,” he adds.

We are up to the challenge Basil. May we in turn wish you the very best in your new role.

Growing up in Kenya, Ashni witnessed a struggling and under-resourced healthcare system and how it impacts the lives of people around her. Her love for science, the human body and her desire to help others made her realise early in life she wanted to become a doctor.

At the age of just 18, Ashni came to Australia on her own to study, and now calls Australia home.

“It was a bit difficult in the beginning and I missed my family. But I met so many friendly and lovely people here and made lots of friends, and those friends became my family. I love Australia,” she said.

Ashni studied medicine at the University of Melbourne, and Northern Health was her clinical school for three years.

“My study experience here has been great. Doctors were great teachers and I always felt part of the team. The culture here is very friendly and I really enjoyed my time here as a student. That is why I applied to do the internship here, and Northern was my top choice,” she said.

As a student, Ashni was involved in numerous roles at Northern Health – research within the Respiratory Department, focusing on oxygen use, and helping with our COVID-19 response.

“We are looking at patterns of oxygen use in the hospital. It was an amazing experience which sparked my interest in research. I am hoping to get a chance to work with the team in the future,” she said.

Working as part of the COVID-19 response team gave Ashni new perspectives and insights into infection prevention, COVID-safe auditing, and also Northern working culture, which she describes as friendly and welcoming. It was also a chance for her to better understand the broad range of opportunities offered at Northern Health.

Last week, she joined Northern Health as one of our 2021 interns.

“We had a well-organised, socially-distanced orientation which was super useful. We learned about the policies and procedures at the hospital and were slowly introduced to our roles, as well as our lovely co-interns. I started on a general surgery rotation this week and it has been really good so far – a steep learning curve and early mornings, but it is really nice to be part of the team and contribute to a patient’s medical management, and ensuring they get the best possible care,” she said.

Currently, Ashni is just happy to be part of the team and local community, and provide holistic care to our patients. In the future, Ashni is interested in physician training as a junior doctor.

“I am interested in Cardiology and Respiratory, or general practice – I still haven’t decided which path to take. I am also interested in research and hope to expand my research experience here,” she said.

“It is exciting to be part of such a rapidly expanding health service, and see my career develop alongside the continued expansion of Northern Health,” she added.

This week marked two years of operation for Northern Pathology Victoria (NPV), celebrating becoming a well-established laboratory that has so far processed over 124,389 COVID-19 tests.

“I am very proud of the success NPV has had over the last two years in becoming an established laboratory, and especially how we have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said A/Prof. Prahlad Ho, Program Director, Diagnostic Services.

Uttam Punj, Operations Manager at Northern Pathology Victoria, agrees, adding that passing accreditation two years in a row was one of the biggest highlights for the team.

“As Prahlad said, I am also proud of our COVID-19 response, and how we were able to keep up with what is expected by the community, as well as the demands of the hospital. I am pleased to say we have outperformed and achieved what was required of us,” he said.

This year, NPV is looking forward to a new, modern Laboratory Automation Track System, expected to go live in late March.  The new system would allow the pathology team to expand their capacity, without having to rely on extra resources.

Dr Frank Hong, Director of Pathology explained this new system is the main project for 2021 and represents a transformational change for the laboratory.

“It will change the way we work – from specimen reception to sample analysis in haematology, coagulation and chemistry, making the lab more efficient and allow us to handle a greater number of samples in the future. This track system means a specimen will travel on a track to get to the instrument to be analysed and then be sent for storage,” he explained.

Reflecting on the pandemic, Dr Hong added that over the last year the team has expanded to be able to process a higher number of samples.

“When the pandemic started, we had great support from Health Information Services (HIS), as well as medical students. After the second wave, we have employed additional staff as part of our long term workforce planning to meet future demand. This allowed us to manage the surge in testing over the new year weekend, when we tested more than 1100 samples per day,” he added.

The NPV team is also proud that more test are now performed in-house, which means our community and patients get the results faster, allowing our medical staff to treat the patients a lot quicker.

“The staff have grown so much as a team, and all 101 staff are working great together. At the moment, we are based in Epping, but looking to expand our services to where ever  it’s needed,” Dr Hong added.

With temperatures expected to hit 39 degrees today, it’s important to stay safe and hydrated through the day, stay away from direct sun and to be aware of any fire dangers around you.

Heat can cause illnesses such as heat cramps and heat exhaustion which can lead to the life-threatening condition, heatstroke which is fatal in up to 80 per cent of cases.

Janice Fernandes, Emergency Department Nurse Unit Manager, advises limiting exposure to the sun from 10 am -4 pm, when UV rays are the strongest.

“Certain conditions, such as simple as sunburn and as serious as heat stroke, can be prevented by avoiding exposure and exertion during the hottest times of the day. Also, never leave infants, children or pets in a parked car. Stay hydrated and stay safe – check on your friends, family, and neighbours who may have a higher risk of heat related illness,” she said.

Jason Amos, Manager Emergency Management explained that as summer progresses, we will continue to experience hot days.

“Although we have had wetter periods and cooler temperatures towards the end to 2020, unfortunately this results in an abundance of grass growth throughout the state. All we need is a few days above 30 degrees like we are currently seeing and the grass will dry out rapidly resulting in greater grass fire risk,” he explained.

Staff travelling to or from work or our Home Visiting staff who undertake essential patient home visits throughout the day must ensure that they aware of the daily fire danger ratings.

“Also, whether you are travelling for work or travelling throughout Victoria while on leave, check to see if there are any fires along your travel routes by downloading the VicEmergency app on your phone or visiting www.emergency.vic.gov.au and ensure you have plenty of drinking water during your travels. Stay aware, stay healthy and most importantly stay safe in the heat,” he added.

Here are some tips on how to stay safe during a heat wave:

• Drink water, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Take a bottle with you always.
• Hot cars kill. Never leave kids, older people or pets in cars. The temperature inside a parked car can double within minutes.
• Keep cool. Seek out air-conditioned buildings, draw your blinds, use a fan, take cool showers and dress in light and loose clothing made from natural fabrics.
• Plan ahead. Schedule activities in the coolest part of the day and avoid exercising in the heat. If you must go out, wear a hat and sunscreen and take a bottle of water with you.
• Check in on others. Look after those most at risk in the heat – your neighbour living alone, the elderly, the young, people with a medical condition and don’t forget your pets.

Northern Hospital, Epping is a long way from Kandy, Sri Lanka where Dr Fathima Farook was born and educated. Currently a Hospital Medical Officer (HMO) at Northern Health, she says “Working here, to me, feels like I never left home!”

Fathima attributes this as much to the friendly and caring staff as she does to the confidence she gained from the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Observer Program she was fortunate enough to enlist in.

Says Fathima, “I was able to take full advantage of the Observer Program to enrich my knowledge and immerse myself in the Australian health system.“

Formally known as the International Medical Graduate Clinical Observer Program, this highly competitive program on average attracts five applicants for every position secured. It offers international medical graduates an opportunity to spend six weeks at Northern Hospital to acclimatise to the Australian health system.

“As an international medical graduate, it helps to know how the Australian health system works, and what is required in order to hit the ground running. This is where Northern Health makes a big difference.”

Typical placements involve three weeks on a general medicine unit and three weeks in the emergency department.

Says Fathima, “Northern Health actively engages the IMGs, recognises their skills and offers them a path for jobs.”

Dr Alison Giles, IMG Supervisor, says, “The International Medical Graduate Clinical Observer Program offers international doctors a chance to acclimatise to Australian health system. Some go on to get job offers which helps diversify our workforce to reflect our community.”

Dr Rachael Coutts, Associate Director Medical Education Unit, agrees. “IMG’s are an essential part of our workforce – both junior and senior medical staff.  Their diversity matches our multicultural community.”

“Transitions into new environments can be challenging, and our IMG program offers multifaceted supports including the observership program, an education program, support groups, mentorship and supervision. The program of support we provide helps us attract wonderful IMGs like Fatima, who is not only an excellent clinician but is kind and compassionate – embodying Northern values, ” she adds.

Saya Fathima, “I’m indebted to the Observership Programme for providing me that opportunity to be a cut above the rest. I am grateful that this programme was the doorway to continue my medical career in Australia.”

 

Featured image shows from left to right:

Dr Rachael Coutts, Associate Director Medical Education Unit, Emergency Physician, Rebecca Hartmann, Education Advisor, Medical Education Unit, Dr Fathima Farook, HMO and Dr Alison Giles, IMG Supervisor, Head of Palliative Care.

 

This week, 45 new junior doctors commenced as medical interns at Northern Health.

Dr Wanda Stelmach, Chief Medical Officer, warmly welcomed the interns, saying,”We are delighted to welcome 2021 interns, who commenced orientation this week, and officially start work next week. Some of this group assisted Northern Health during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, in areas such as pathology, and helped to conduct audits and work in our call centres, a contribution we value greatly.”

Susie Sangas, Medical Education Manager said the interns are very enthusiastic and the team is excited to welcome them, especially face to face.

“We worked hard to make this happen, and have organised the first day in two lecture theatres, to allow for physical distancing,” she added.

During the five day intern orientation, the interns will get to know the hospital system, practice their skills in the simulation lab where they will focus on basic life support, learning how to put Indwelling Catheters (IDCs), cannulations, writing on drug charts and they will spend the last two days of shadowing, where they have an opportunity to accompany an outgoing intern and learn more about the Northern Health’s wards.

“The program is design to orientate the interns in quite a practical way, so they get all the skills to function on the ward as efficiently as possible. The interns will be at Northern Health for the full year, rotating through different specialties like General Medicine, General Surgery and Emergency, with a couple of optional specialties”, said Dr Carol Chong, Intern Training Supervisor.

“The 2020 interns are also in their last week of internship, and we congratulate them on completing their year of training and attaining full MBBS status in spite of COVID! Thank you for working with Northern Health to manage the challenges COVID-19 presented during 2020,” Dr Stelmach said.

We welcome all of our new interns and wish you the very best in your career at Northern Health!

Following the recent outbreak in NSW and increase in community transmission in Victoria, Northern Health was required to rapidly scale-up our testing capacity over the weekend to help reduce the risks of COVID-19 within our community.

“I would like to thank the huge number of staff involved in COVID-19 testing over the New Year’s long weekend. Our Chief Executive, Siva Sivarajah, also extended his appreciation to all staff involved,” said Debra Bourne, Acting Chief Executive.

Chief Executive, Siva Sivarajah, visited our three testing sites on Sunday, to personally thank the staff involved.

“A big thank you to our nursing, pathology, administration, PSA and security staff for this tremendous effort. Many staff worked long shifts and others were called in at the last minute to assist. This is a great example of the dedication of our staff in keeping our community safe,” Ms Bourne said.

“We had record numbers of our community being tested across our Northern Hospital Epping, Craigieburn Centre and Glenroy testing sites, with over 1,100 tests undertaken on Saturday alone – more than any day during the busiest time in 2020!”

This week our Fever Clinic has exceeded 100,000 tests and our own Northern Pathology Victoria has been analysing over 1,000 tests each day.

“Northern Pathology Victoria has a done a fantastic job over the weekend, processing over 1500 samples per day. Our service has also made met a milestone of performing in-house testing for over 1000 samples with a median turn around time of 8-10 hours,” said Associate Professor Prahlad Ho, Program Director of Diagnostic Services.

“I would like to thank the pathology team for their hard work and dedication during this period, which has allowed us to seamlessly deal with this testing surge,” said Associate Professor Ho.

Staff are encouraged to keep up-to-date with the hot spots by viewing the DHHS website.

If you need to be tested for COVID-19, please attend the drive through testing clinic at NCHER and identify yourself as a Northern Health employee.