Dr Rachael Coutts, Associate Director of Medical Education and Emergency Physician, has won the Inaugural Australasian College of Emergency Medicine (ACEM) Wellbeing Award.

The award celebrates the initiative(s) of groups, individuals, or whole emergency departments that have resulted in enhanced wellbeing for their emergency department colleagues.

Rachael was nominated by Will Halpin, Director, OHS & Wellbeing, for her work in developing a strategic wellbeing framework and an initiative to facilitate conversations on mental wellness.

“Rachael is a passionate advocate for improving the wellbeing of medical professionals, in particular, the protection and promotion of good mental health,” Will says.

Rachael played a pivotal role in the ‘Conversations on Mental Wellness’ initiative coinciding with R U OK Day in September; a week of speaking events, education sessions and wellbeing initiatives for the whole Northern Health workforce.

Our ‘Conversations on Mental Wellness’ week was about normalising the discussions related to the mental health and wellbeing of all staff.

Rachael says these conversations are relevant to all of us – our colleagues, staff, family and friends.

“If you think about mental wellness as being on a spectrum from thriving at one end, to severe mental illness at the other, any one of us could be at any location along the continuum at some time of our life,” she says.

“By opening up these conversations we can provide the opportunity for each of us to examine our own workplace environment, our unit, or department and question the culture and practice and begin to advocate for and create change,” she continues.

Some of the questions raised included:

• What does a mentally healthy workplace look like for your area?
• What protective factors exist?
• Are you able to speak up about mental health and wellbeing without fear of stigma or discrimination?
• Is there a culture of respect, openness and inclusivity in your department?
• Do you know where to seek help if you or a colleague need it?

Rachael says the award means that these conversations can be had at a much broader level, with the ability to share ideas, learn from each other and continue to advocate for change.

On a final note, Will says, “We’re lucky to have Rachael continuing to contribute to the implementation of the Northern Health psychological wellbeing strategy, and ultimately, a safer workplace for all of us.”

(Photo courtesy of ACEM) 

Northern Health Cardiac Nurse, Madonna Goro, was recently honoured with an Alfred Clinical School Award for Academic Excellence in Postgraduate Studies – cardiac nursing stream, from La Trobe University.

Currently studying a Master of Cardiac Care, Madonna received the highest marks across her course this year, excelling in both theory and practical components.

Previous to this, she completed a Bachelor of Nursing at RMIT. As part of the course, Madonna had the opportunity to work in different areas of the hospital – starting off in theatre then moving to pool nursing. It was during this time she found her passion in the field of cardiology.

“I have always been intrigued and fascinated by the heart and really enjoy working in coronary care looking after high acuity cardiac patients,” Madonna tells us.

Madonna has worked at Northern Health for four years and being able to help her community is what she enjoys most.

“Having grown up in this area, I feel I am contributing and serving my community,” she says.

“Working here is a way of giving back for me and I love that.”

Madonna sees herself becoming a cardiac educator, helping young nurses by offering her experience and knowledge. Madonna also has a passion for educating cardiac patients as she believes this is important to their recovery.

“On our ward, we prioritise education time for our patients prior to discharge. I think it makes a big difference when they have an understanding of what they’ve been through, what the next steps are, and how to live a better life. Having this understanding promotes confidence and prevents re-admission,” she says.

Madonna is very grateful for her team – managers, clinical support nurses and educators, who have been supportive and encouraging.

“We have a really good team on Unit D and I think when you work with supportive people it makes such a big difference. You’re happy to come to work and you apply yourself more,” she says.

Madonna would like to thank her whole team – Nurse Educator Maria Jolic, Clinical Support Nurse Natalie Kolegar, La Trobe University Course Coordinator Brendan MacDonald, and her managers Andrew Nixon and Gladis Thomas.

NECTAR, Northern Health’s Collaborative Group for Thrombosis And Research, has had a very successful year.

The NECTAR research team presented at Northern Health Research Week (4 orals, 5 posters), the World Congress of International Union of Angiology in Beijing (5 orals) and Blood/THANZ 2018 Conference (3 orals, 10 posters)  in Brisbane and had three publications this year.

Dr Prahlad Ho, Director of Haematology, said this work has showcased to Australia, and the world, the excellent research performed here through NECTAR at Northern Health, which has generated a significant amount of international interest.

“One of the biggest things we have done this year is we’ve been very well represented internationally. We’ve been to San Diego at a premier haematology conference, and had two posters there. For the size of our institution, that was very well represented,” he said.

When it comes to thrombosis, Dr Ho says that Northern Health has one of the premier thrombosis research institutes in the state and that we are producing more research than other organisations in the state.

“This is a testimony of the hard work the team does, particularly Dr Rowina Brook and Dr Yin Lim, as well as three medical students who are working with us and have already presented at international conferences,” he added.

“One of our students, Brintha Krishnamoorthi, won the Best Poster Award at Blood 2018 in Brisbane,” Dr Ho said.

It is the sheer volume of research that this team does which makes Dr Ho proud.

“We’ve come from a service that never had thrombosis research to now be one of the largest thrombosis research centres, at least when it comes to conferences. At the Australia and New Zealand thrombosis conference, more than 20% of all posters were from Northern Health,” he added.

Having a dedicated thrombosis research laboratory is unique to Northern Health.

“We are probably the only institution in the state, and maybe even in the county that has the full range of diagnosis and tests which measure the total amount of clot formation. This means that other researchers now come to us to perform the tests, as we recently had samples sent from Austin Hospital to the Northern”.

“That is a testimony of how good the service is and how respected NECTAR research is.”

After three months on display in the foyer of Northern Hospital, the sleek and stylish Audi A1 Sportback has found a new home.

The Northern Health Foundation Annual Car Raffle winner is Anne Gravette, Program Manager of Transition Care at Northern Health Bundoora. Her role is to support patients in staying well at home once they leave the hospital.

Anne’s ticket was one of 470 tickets sold this year. She bought the ticket because she wanted to support the work of the Foundation in improving services available to Northern Health’s community.

“I’d like to encourage people to show their support for the Northern Health Foundation, and buying a ticket was a great way of doing that. The Foundation is doing great things to help the community,” she said.

Funnily enough, Anne loves Audi’s and even used to own one about two years ago, giving her one more reason to buy a ticket online just a couple of days before the draw closed.

Anne was at home drinking a cup of tea and getting ready for bed when she received a call from the Foundation team – “I was completely shocked…I remember yelling, are you for real?”

“I didn’t buy the ticket thinking I would win the car, as I never win anything, and I had almost forgotten that I even bought a ticket,” she said.

“I hadn’t actually told my family I bought a raffle ticket. Lucky I answered the call!”

The new car came at the right time for her family – her daughter is currently on her learners permit and was going to inherit the family car. Dinner dates with her husband will also now become much more stylish.

“Winning the Audi means I don’t need to look at buying another car next year. Also, my husband and I have a date night every month where we go out to dinner in the city, so it will be nice to drive this lovely new car when we next go out,” she said.

The Northern Health Foundation Annual Car Raffle ended in November, with the lucky raffle ticket drawn at the Freemasons Victoria Grand Master’s Gold & Black Charity Ball.

Freemasons Victoria have pledged to dollar match the funds raised during the car raffle, with Maxxia generously donating the car to the Foundation.

The car raffle has raised $47,000, which will be used to purchase much-needed medical equipment for the Paediatric High Dependency Unit at Northern Hospital Epping.

The new Paediatric Unit will allow Northern Health to provide comprehensive care to the most vulnerable young patients. This will save vital travel time for patients and enable treating the children of Melbourne’s north locally.

Christmas should be a joyous time spent with family and loved ones, but sadly, many sick children will be spending this festive season in the Children’s Ward at Northern Hospital Epping.

To help spread some Christmas cheer and put smiles on the faces of some of our smallest patients, the ISS team (Santa’s little helpers) at Northern Health Bundoora, will be running their annual Christmas present drive.

ISS Facility Services Manager and Christmas drive organiser, Snezana Poposka, says “I’m a mum of two and this is very close to my heart. Nobody wants their children in hospital, let alone at Christmas time.”

Santa’s little helpers will be collecting kindly donated presents to give to the children over the Christmas period – because Santa definitely doesn’t forget about the children in hospital.

If you would like to make a child’s day this Christmas, please wrap a child-friendly present (ideas below) and pop a sticker on with an age group range written.

Some ideas for age groups: 

1 – 3: Soft toy

3 – 5: Toys

5 – 8: Colouring book

8+: Puzzle or game

In the spirit of giving, please bring your present to our Christmas tree at Café 1231 at Northern Health Bundoora, or to have your present collected, email snezana.poposka@au.issworld.com

Yesterday, Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation dedicated the Northern Hospital Paediatric Emergency High Acuity Unit in memory of Constable Neil Clinch, who at 22 years of age died in the line of duty.

For many years now the work of the Blue Ribbon Foundation has been a collaboration between our community’s protectors and its healers, and Northern Health is honoured to have the first Victoria Police Blue Ribbon dedication in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

In honour of Constable Neil Clinch, Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation donated $150,000 to the Northern Health Foundation, to support the Paediatric Emergency High Acuity Unit.

The police memorial dedication and awards ceremony, held at Northern Hospital Epping, welcomed representatives from the Blue Ribbon Foundation, members of Victoria Police, local community representatives, Northern Health staff and Clinch family members.

Commemorative plaques in Neil’s honour were revealed during the ceremony and the Clinch family had the opportunity to visit the Pediatric Emergency Department, with the High Acuity Unit now named in memory of Constable Neil Clinch.

“This project will greatly benefit the children who require resuscitation with a dedicated space within the paediatric emergency department” said Northern Health Board and Foundation Board Director Peter McWilliam.

“We thank Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation and the Northern Metro Branch for their generous donation and for choosing Northern Health to honour the memory of Constable Neil Francis Clinch.”

The project includes state of the art monitoring capability to four cubicles, allowing clinicians to manage high acuity presentations, high flow oxygen equipment to support management of asthma and bronchitis patients who require respiratory support, and neonatal resuscitaire for the monitoring and management of unwell newborns and infants.

The Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation preserves the memory of members of Victoria Police who have died in the line of duty through the support of community projects within Victoria.

For many years now, the work of the Blue Ribbon Foundation has been a collaboration between our community’s protectors and its healers.

The Dietetics department admitted their first patient for a routine Gastrostomy (PEG) tube change last week. PEG tubes are required in patients who are unable to meet their nutritional needs via eating, and are often managed via the Northern Health Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) service.

In 2015, Northern Health was one of five sites that received funding from DHHS to develop a credentialing program for dietitians to undertake advanced scope of practice in gastrostomy tube management. In 2016, the first Northern Health Advanced Practicing Gastrostomy Dietitian was credentialed.

At this time, an outpatient PEG clinic was set up in partnership with the Gastroenterology Department whereby routine balloon gastrostomy tube replacements were completed for HEN patients by the credentialed dietitian.

Two years post implementation of the PEG clinic, there are now two credentialed Advanced Practice Gastrostomy Dietitians; more than 80 PEG replacements have occurred; 80% of which were independently managed by the credentialed Dietitian, without the need for Gastroenterology or radiology input.

Tracey Martin, Advanced Practice Dietitian at Northern Hospital says that Advanced Practice Gastrostomy Dietitians have assisted in streamlining the care of patients with PEG tubes in the community. They also facilitate earlier discharge for inpatients requiring PEG tube replacements, allowing patients to bypass ED or radiology, freeing up these services for more urgent cases and reducing the demand on medical staff.

“From 6 December, PEG replacements and removals are conducted as an admitted procedure in the Allied Health (Foot) Procedure Unit single room; a space that is more suitably set-up for this procedure,” she said.

This will also allow for patients who are not managed by the HEN program to be admitted for routine PEG replacements, rather than their current pathway of coming into ED or radiology.

Lee-Anne is a patient with Cerebral Palsy who has had a PEG tube since 2012. Her mother, Lorraine, said that it’s much easier now for them to come directly to Allied Health.

“We now spend only half an hour, in a more relaxing environment. These procedures used to take half a day for us and we had to go through different departments. The communication with staff is a lot better,” she said.

The Advanced Practice Gastrostomy Dietitians are also working closely with the Gastroenterology Department, ward nursing staff and Emergency Department, to further improve the management of PEG tubes across the hospital.

Northern Hospital Epping hosted their Second Annual Venous Workshop, welcoming UK Vascular Surgeon, Dr Stephen Black, who came to supervise for the first time in Australia,  a complex endovascular recanalisation of inferior vena cava.

The workshop included procedures on two patients, with the first patient from Victoria and the second from Queensland, who came with his surgeon Dr Daniel Hagley to Northern Health specifically for this procedure.

Dr Iman Bayat, Head of our Vascular Surgery Unit, explained that these conditions arise when, despite taking blood thinning medication, veins never fully open and remain  partially and in segments, fully blocked. The patients suffered from a bursting sensation in their legs, especially when walking, as the partially blocked veins were not able to cope with the blood reaching the leg, therefore expanding and causing pain.

In the past, many patients like this were told that not much can be done.

“Today, we are opening these veins by using a fine wire to cross the blocked segments, then balloon the occlusions and finally keep these open using stents,” he said.

The first procedure was performed on a 40-year-old Victorian patient, a previously healthy stone mason, who after deep vein thrombosis developed pain in the leg and had his walking limited to only 50 metres.

“Today, we were able to successfully recanalise and open a completely blocked inferior vena cava and blocked right common iliac vein and very narrow and diseased left common external iliac and common femoral vein,” Dr Bayat said.

“We were able to come from both sides and the neck, working all together – Dr Daniel Hagley, Dr David Goh and myself, with the supervision of Dr Stephen Black. We were able to open this vascularly through three small punctures in the thighs and neck,” he added.

The dedicated team performed this complex procedure in only three hours, compared to the expected 4.5 hours.

Our guest, Dr Stephen Black, came to Northern Health to help with treating complex cases, and to try and put together an opportunity for their treatment.

“Dr Bayat has done a great job today and we are all hoping the patient will have a great result. Even though I am here just for a day, I can see the hospital is growing and everybody is putting in a lot of effort in building it up. Hopefully that success comes along with better outcomes for the patients in this area,” he said.

The Workshop is part of Northern Hospital’s vision of being a centre of excellence for complex venous disorders, and offering a complete spectrum of venous care.

The centre, unique in Victoria, offers a multidisciplinary approach to venous disease – closely collaborating with vascular surgery, haematology, radiology and wound care specialists. It offers both open and endovenous treatment for varicose veins and a weekly joint vascular and chronic wound clinic looking at venous ulcers. It also offers novel technology such as intravascular ultrasound.

The vascular surgery team believe this multifaceted and wide-reaching approach to venous disease will significantly improve health outcomes, whilst sharing their experience with other Victorian hospitals and learning from renowned world experts.