Q. Firstly, what’s your coffee order?
A. A large latte with two sugars…particularly in the morning
Q. Why did you choose your specialty?
A. I’m very passionate about social justice, equity and equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mob accessing services, particularly in E.D. where I’m based. My aim is to give them a positive patient experience that’s also culturally safe.
Q. Do you have a bucket list item? Something you would love to do.
A. I’d love to travel the world, particularly Canada. I’ve always loved the culture, the country, and I find there’s a connection there to their First Nations mob and our history and stories here. And I’d love to own my own home one day, so I can have a bigger yard for all my pets.
Q. What’s something people might not know about you?
A. I love to paint, in a tradition Aboriginal, contemporary mix kind of style. My mum is an artist, and so I’ve been exposed to the medium all my life. And as part of the Bachelor of Social Work course I’m doing at the moment, I’m actually producing a series of paintings on canvas depicting Aboriginal history and culture as part of one of my assignments.
Q. Which superhero do you wish you could be?
A. Definitely Mystique from X-men. I’d love to be able to morph into anyone, use their skills and have different experiences. Or maybe Cyclops, because I wear glasses. If I saw someone mucking up, I could pull my glasses down and zap them! lol.
This week, Northern Health celebrates Cultural Diversity Week and Harmony Day.
Harmony Day is held every year on 21 March, to coincide with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The message of Harmony Week is “Everyone Belongs” and it promotes inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of their cultural or linguistic background.
With more than 50 per cent of Australians either born overseas or having at least a parent born overseas – this is a week to celebrate the cultural diversity of our country.
As far as Northern Health is concerned, this cultural diversity is prominent amongst patients, staff and volunteers.
Henni Wade, Manager of Volunteer Services, explained that, “Northern Health volunteers represent 23 birth countries and 25 per cent of our volunteers speak another language. We very much appreciate the diversity they bring to our team. Volunteers who can speak another language can make a real difference to the experience of our patients.”
David Le, Manager of Transcultural and Language Services (TALS), says, “One in five appointments are conducted with a patient from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background with the assistance of an interpreter. This demonstrates how culturally diverse the Northern Health catchment is and our commitment to provide equitable and inclusive care.”
For Natalia Dewiyani, Spiritual Care Coordinator, being able to hold a sacred space for a rich and diverse group of patients, family and staff is a true honour.
“It is a beautiful and enriching experience. I am privileged to work with staff who strive to meet the different cultural, spiritual, and/or religious needs of our patients. We can all learn from each other’s perspectives, traditions, and experiences,” she said.
This year, Harmony Day brought with it a renewed sense of celebration and unity, marking a significant milestone, as we gathered in person for the first time since the onset of the pandemic.
Displays were set up at Northern Hospital Epping, Broadmeadows Hospital, Bundoora Centre, Craigieburn Centre, and Kilmore Hospital. Staff from various departments worked together on the displays and this was also an opportunity to collaborate with a local childcare centre and a local school. The Green Leaves Early Learning Centre in Craigieburn donated a beautiful painting made by the kindergarten children. The children worked collaboratively to create a Harmony masterpiece that was displayed at Northern Hospital Epping during the Harmony Day celebration.
The Northern Hospital EppingBroadmeadows HospitalBundoora CentreCraigieburn CentreArtwork from the kindergarten children at Green Leaves Early Learning Center
St Monica’s College in Epping also donated a poster made by Year 7 students. The students chose orange, the official colour of Harmony Day, as the background and added hearts and flowers. This masterpiece was displayed at Bundoora Centre.
The Northern Health library has put together a display focusing on Culturally Safe Care (see attached photo) and resources can be found via the e-library: https://nh-au.libguides.com/home
Henry’s Café and Café 1231 have special menus this week, highlighting Cultural Diversity and international foods. click here to view Henry’s menu and here to view Cafe 1231 menu.
Staff were encouraged to wear something orange or their traditional costume on Harmony Day, to go into a draw to win a prize, by sending a photo of their team effort to TALS Enquiries by Friday, 22 March. The winning team will be announced on Monday, 25 March.
Kilmore District Hospital hosted a Cultural Awareness afternoon tea on Monday, 18 March and invited staff to attend an online education session on Cultural Competence delivered by Education and Engagement Manager, Stefania Zen. The presentation focused on Cultural Competence in Health Care and the importance of delivering effective, quality care to patients who have diverse beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviours.
“It is about recognising that we are all different, even within the same culture,” said Stefania.
On Wednesday, 20 March, the Northern Health Community Choir performed in the main foyer of Northern Hospital Epping, and on the same day, a new episode of the ‘Visiting Hours’ podcast was released, featuring Dr Fidel Touma who talked about his migration journey and what it was like to start a new life in Australia.
This morning, staff embraced the celebration and attended a live performance at Northern Hospital Epping by the Little Town North Cyprus Dancing Group. The performance was opened with a speech by Chief Allied Health Officer, Jason Cirone, who talked about how cultural diversity enriches us as a health service and as a community, and was followed by a morning tea, which included a variety of delicious traditional Turkish pastries.
Other gatherings during the week included the celebration of Nooroz, a secular cultural festival observed by diverse communities, including Iranians, Kurds, Azerbaijanis, Central Asians and others. Based on the Iranian Solar Calendar, Norooz/Noruz is the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The first day of Norooz festivity this year was 20 March, and the Transcultural and Language Services (TALS) team celebrated this event with traditional Persian food, provided by their lovely Persian Interpreter, Zoreh Karimi.
As the vibrant colours of cultural diversity adorned the corridors of Northern Health today, Harmony Day showcased the power of unity in embracing our differences, because today and always, we all belong!
Pictured in featured image: Staff from the TALS Department.
In line with the recommendations of the Royal Commission, a new model of care for Adult Community Mental Health is being launched. The aim of the redesign is to provide services at a level/intensity and timeliness that meets the consumer’s care needs, with the focus of keeping people well in the community.
Joy Barrowman, Director of Operations, North West Area Mental Health Service (NWAMHS) says, “We are shifting from an episodic to ongoing model of care that will provide better access and timely specialist mental health services, with focus on consumers’ recovery and prevention of relapse.”
The first phase began in February 2024 and involved the commencement of Consultant/Psychiatrist led Outpatient Clinics at the four community sites – Hotham Street, Hume, Merri-bek and Noogal Clinic.
The new model provides consumers with the option to transition to an outpatient stream of care with less intensive ongoing support for as long as they choose to engage. Early warning signs of relapse can be picked up, with an easy transition to more intensive treatment and care in the community setting. This will reduce the incidences of acute relapse and protracted recovery journeys.
Consumers eligible to be seen in the Outpatient Clinics are those who no longer require active case management in the community and consumers who are transitioning from a Northern Health Mental Health Inpatient Unit or Prevention and Recovery Care (PARC) Service and are deemed not to require case management. Internal referrals are identified at clinical review meetings and discussed directly with the Outpatient team.
Chris Ferguson, Manager – Lived Experience Workforce Manager, NWAMHS, says, “I’m excited about the provision of this new stream which better meets the changing needs of consumers accessing services. This new option is in line with the principles of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act which advocates for autonomy, supported decision making and access to diverse services. Northern Mental Health has shown real commitment and flexibility to meet consumers where they are at with our new model of care.”
Pictured Dr Owais Sharif and Aimee Kerr from the Noogal Clinic Outpatients team.
“I feel good knowing I have done it,” Diane Lonsdale, Northern Health consumer.
The National Advance Care Planning (ACP) Week runs from 18 to 24 March, and encourages people to “Share what matters most” with their Medical Treatment Decision Maker/s (MTDMs), loved ones, GP and/or Specialists. Advance Care Planning involves thinking about, talking about, and perhaps documenting future healthcare preferences, for a time when you may be unable to communicate.
The Advance Care Planning Program aims to increase awareness through engagement and supportive collaboration for people aged 18 years and over, throughout the Northern Health organisation and the community. The team consists of three staff members; A/Prof. Barbara Hayes – Clinical Lead, Ella Critchley – Advance Care Planning Program Manager and Karen Overall – Administration Support.
Recently, Ms Critchley sat down with Diane Lonsdale, a past consumer of Northern Health, to discuss her reasons for undertaking Advance Care Planning.
Q: What matters most to you?
A: For me, it’s planning and my autonomy, but above all, it’s my family. I first heard about Advance Care Planning (ACP) as a patient at Northern Health. I was interested and intrigued to know more and was given a brochure alongside a discussion with the medical team.
As time went by, I attended a community education session delivered by the Northern Health’s ACP Program Manager at my place of residence, a local retirement village. I knew this was my opportunity to complete ACP documents, after experiencing the uncertainty of illness within my family, and I just wanted to take the pressure off my family.
Q: In your opinion, what are the benefits of ACP?
A: When thinking about what happened to a family member, I reflected on previous ACP discussions. I appointed two people to be my MTDMs, people I trusted to make the medical decisions I would make for myself, and the importance of making it easier for my kids, by sharing knowledge of what I wanted.
With the help of Ella and my GP, I completed the appointment of a MTDM form and an Advance Care Directive, making it clear to my MTDMs and medical team, exactly how I wanted to be cared for, ever if I lose the capacity to provide consent. My GP discussed the forms with me and witnessed my signature.
Communicating preferences and values can be difficult, but the benefits of not having to make unprepared, in-the-moment decisions, far outweigh these difficult conversations. Reflecting on undertaking ACP, I feel good knowing I have done it and feel a sense of relief that it’s done.
“We are grateful to Diane for generously sharing her ACP story. We couldn’t agree more with Diane’s statement in which she says ‘Some people think you don’t need it. I say, ‘you do’,” said Ms Critchley.
“Being prepared and having a good understanding of a person’s preferences and values is paramount to receiving person-centred care.”
“We’re encouraging everyone during this week, and moving forward, to “Share what matters most” about future health care values and preferences!”, she said.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas yesterday visited Northern Hospital Epping to announce that the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) will be expanded to care for more than 1,000 people daily.
“We’re doubling the Virtual ED’s capacity so more Victorians can get the urgent care they need, from their own home – taking pressure off our busy emergency departments,” said Premier Allan.
Since rolling out statewide in October 2020, the VVED has provided clinical assessments, medical advice, treatment and local referrals to more than 256,000 patients.
The service has helped 86 per cent of patients avoid an unnecessary trip to hospital, freeing up physical emergency departments across the state for those who need them most.
Jennifer Williams, Board Chair and Siva Sivarajah, Chief Executive met with Premier Allan and Minister Thomas on Sunday morning to tour the VVED and meet with staff. They were also joined by local MPs Bronwyn Halfpenny, Member for Thomastown, Lily D’Ambrosio, Member for Mill Park, and Lauren Kathage, Member for Yan Yean.
The Labor Government will invest more than $235 million to continue the service and recruit additional clinicians to double its capacity. This will enable VVED to assist more than 1,000 Victorians with consultations directly from home or work, providing them with the care and advice they need, and potentially avoid an unnecessary trip to hospital in the process.
It will also support more direct referrals from aged care, paramedics in the field, primary health networks, the Nurse on Call service and self-referrals from the community.
“I welcome the funding announcement from the Victorian Government, which will enable us to continue to provide patients across the state with access to the right level of care, at the right time,” said Siva Sivarajah.
“This investment speaks to the exceptional talent and dedication of our staff in creating a service that is widely used and highly regarded. I am proud of the VVED and look forward to continuing to grow this exceptional service,” Mr Sivarajah said.
“Congratulations to our local Northern Hospital team who are delivering this service – they are working hard to improve care across the state and seeing real results,” said Member for Thomastown Bronwyn Halfpenny.
Meet Tom Cooper, Senior Physiotherapist, Northern Health.
Q. What is your coffee order?
Strong cappuccino to start the day, followed by a long black I make myself with the Aeropress. I have a caffeine problem.
Q. Can you tell us a bit about your career?
I started at the Austin Hospital as a new grad, rotating around different services to gain experience. I came to Northern Health in 2017 and start working in the Emergency Department and community outpatients at Craigieburn. It was a really challenging job, but I learned heaps and met great people. I have been supported to grow and develop into a senior clinician, including going on to complete my Masters degree and start credentialing as an advanced practice physio in the ED. I now run the Staff Physiotherapy Clinic, where I get to provide care to all our staff at Northern Health.
I have met lots of lovely people from all over the organisation, and what continually amazes me is that everyone who comes and sees me is really passionate about their job, trying to improve things in their area/department and want to get better with the care they receive from me so they can do their jobs better. I feel really lucky to serve a great bunch of patients.
Q. What is your greatest achievement or favourite memory since working here?
The day the Staff Physio Clinic got executive endorsement to become a permanent full time service at the end of 2021 was definitely the biggest achievement. The clinic was initially a pilot program for 12 months, only running three days a week. It was a massive undertaking to get it up and running from nothing. The outcomes we achieved in terms of people getting better, the high level of satisfaction from staff using the clinic and the positive contribution it made to organisation in reducing workplace injury claims were really strong. I was so relieved when we got the sign off. The support I had from the Physiotherapy and OHS departments was massive, and the clinic wouldn’t be where it is today without their guidance.
Q. How do you relax after a long shift?
No relaxing after work, I have two little kids to feed, bathe and get to bed in the evenings, so I relax before work with exercise. I’m up at 5 am most days, out for a run or hit the weights in the morning before the kids are awake. It sets me up for the day, I feel relaxed, less stressed and that I accomplished something good for myself before the day has even begun.
Q. Where is a favourite place you’ve travelled and why?
4WD trip through the outback of the Northern Territory and Eastern Kimberly in WA with my best mate. Our Ute got bogged in a crocodile infested river near Kakadu National Park and had to get towed out by a passerby while a bus load of tourists watched on from the side of the riverbed. I was certain we were going to end up on the news or YouTube. Australia is the best place to travel, get out and see your own backyard. Just don’t get bogged a water crossing full of crocs!
“Communication works for those who work at it.” — John Powell, a film music composer and an Oscar winner in 2011 for the music in the movie: How to Train your Dragon.
Communication is the key piece to bring everyone together to achieve positive safety outcomes. It is crucial that managers, staff and Health and Safety Representatives (HSR) communicate and work together to resolve health and safety issues.
Case study:
HSR sought assistance from OHS & Wellbeing (OHSWB) team, raising concerns about the layout of the workplace being inadequate. A Victorian Health Incident Management System (VHIMS) report was not submitted prior to this.
Steps taken:
Through effective communication and working closely together as a team, issues can be resolved by reducing exposure to hazards and promoting health and wellbeing.
If you have any health and safety concerns, the following steps should be taken:
Talk to your Nurse Unit Manager (NUM)/ Manager and Health and Safety Representative (HSR) about the concern/issue
Submit a VHIMS report (where applicable)
If the issue cannot be resolved or further supports are required, contact OHSWB
Work together to resolve the issue
The OHSWB team are here to support you. Here is how you can contact us:
World Delirium Awareness Day is an annual event in March to raise awareness about delirium and its impact on patients, families, and healthcare systems.
Delirium is described as a serious disturbance in mental abilities that develops rapidly and severely impacts a person’s perception, cognition and awareness. It can result in increased care requirements and longer hospital stays, and contribute to further complications such as falls, pressure injuries, loss of independence, dehydration and malnutrition.
“Patients with delirium can hear and see things that aren’t real. They can feel things that aren’t real and when you put that all together, it can be very much like you’re in a living nightmare,” said Kerryn Busuttil, Director of Nursing & Site Operations Director, Bundoora Centre.
“In hospital, they may think they are not in hospital – instead, they may think they’re in their bed at home, and then they start wondering why there are people in their room.”
Unfortunately, the condition is a challenge to diagnose. In fact, it is frequently misdiagnosed as it can present like a range of other conditions, such as psychosis or depression. Yet it is known that the longer a person is in a delirious state, the bigger the impact it has on their cognitive function. That is why, prevention is key!
What can you do?
SUSPECT, SPOT and STOP delirium!!!
SUSPECT – Assess patients within two hours of admission.
SPOT – Complete the delirium screening tools – risk assessment and 4AT in the EMR.
STOP – Commence delirium prevention strategies, educate and involve patients and carers.
Did you know?
Did you know that there is a Delirium Clinical Care Standard?
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care established the clinical care program to support clinical experts and consumers develop clinical care standards for health conditions that would benefit from a national coordinated approach.
The Delirium Clinical Care Standard is one of three mandatory standards that Northern Health must comply with.
World Delirium Awareness Day display at Northern Hospital Epping
Who are we?
Delirium and Cognitive Impairment Clinical Improvement Committee is a subcommittee under Standard 5 Comprehensive Care. The purpose of the committee to provide governance over the development or adoption of a system that uses best practice evidence – based improvement strategies in service delivery and minimises harm to patients who have cognitive impairment or are at risk of developing delirium.
Pictured members of the Delirium and cognitive Impairment Clinical Improvement Committee (L-R): Maree Glynn, Director Clinical Practice Improvement, Thi Nguyen, Divisional Director Medicine, Kerryn Busuttil, DON/Site director, Bundoora Centre, Lisa Wilkinson, Personal Assistant, Kim Jeffs, Geriatrician.
