ICT Infrastructure Engineer, Vikramjit Multani, was on holiday in Amsterdam when he received a message from Northern Health staff needing assistance.

Vikramjit offered to help from his hotel but he didn’t have much time – he had a bus to catch in just over an hour for a trip around Holland.

He ran down to reception and requested he borrow a laptop. The only problem…it was in Dutch.

“It was interesting trying to figure out the laptop,” he laughs.

“I eventually got in and offered to stay on the phone and help while I was on the bus,” he tells us.

From the other side of the world, Vikramjit was able to remotely access our systems and work with the team back home to fix the ICT problem – which is why he recently won the award for ‘Above and Beyond’ in our first Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards.

He was nominated by both Northern Health Chief Information Officer, Bill O’Brien, and Mike Masilamani from Public Affairs.

“Vikramjit is a critical part of the ICT support services with unique skills and a fantastic work ethic. He is accountable, knowledgeable and most importantly, reliable,” Bill says.

“I can’t speak highly enough of Vikramjit and his willingness – along with the team in ICT – to readily help out when we’ve  had problems with both the website and intranet, which Public Affairs manage,” says Mike .

On winning the award, Vikramjit says, “It feels great to be acknowledged for our efforts, and in fact the whole team.”

With a Master of Information Technology Systems and studies in Computer Networks, Vikramjit has worked at Northern Health for over a decade. His current role is to look after  infrastructure systems  available for use by clinicians.

As an Epping local, Vikramjit appreciates the efforts of Northern Health staff in providing trusted care to our community.

“Having my kids born at Northern Hospital Epping, I understand just how hard everyone tries to provide quality care,” he says.

“I have a passion for technology, and as technology is the backbone nowadays for patient care, I just love being part of a team trying hard to deliver their services effectively,” he adds.

Vikramjit says the best part about working at Northern Health is his colleagues and seeing people work together at different levels.

“I love working as part of a smart, hardworking infrastructure team, with positive energy and a can-do attitude in what can sometimes be a challenging environment.”

Sponsored by Maxxia and BankVic, our Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards have been designed to formally recognise outstanding contributions by our employees and celebrate staff excellence. Nominations for the next Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards will open December 2018.

Shortness of breath, a repetitive cough, increased phlegm and feeling tired are all possible signs of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

COPD, a term used to describe lung conditions including emphysema, chronic bronchitis and chronic asthma, is a progressive lung condition that obstructs airflow and makes it difficult to breathe.

However, many people with COPD often mistake their symptoms as signs of ageing or lack of fitness. They automatically think to adjust their daily activities to accommodate symptoms rather than seeking help.

Dr Katharine See, Department Head for Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, says COPD is the second leading cause of preventable hospital admissions in Australia.

“One in seven adult patients admitted to Northern Health last year had a confirmed diagnosis of COPD,” she says.

Whilst there are many medicines available to treat COPD symptoms, there are also a number of lifestyle habits such as smoking cessation and  individualised exercise programs which can dramatically improve symptoms, and even slow disease progression.

With the right diagnosis, support and care, patients can dramatically improve their quality of life.

Barry Howden, pictured above with Maureen Goodwin, Respiratory Clinical Nurse Consultant, has just successfully completed six weeks of pulmonary rehabilitation at Northern Health.

“It has helped me with breathing, as well as understand more about my lungs,” Barry says.

“I now have a different outlook on life and can do more than I could do previously!” he continues.

“Early diagnosis is critical to improve outcomes and quality of life,” maintains Dr See.

To learn more about World COPD Day, please click here.

In recognition of the International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) on Monday, 3 December, Northern Health Disability Working Group (DWG) is running an art competition titled ‘Celebrating Ability’.

Operations Director, Community, Gillian Dickman, says it underlines Northern Health’s commitment to promoting respect and inclusion, and celebrating individual differences.

“We are encouraging teams, wards and departments to be as creative as possible in interpreting this year’s theme – Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality,” she says.

Celebrated internationally, IDPwD is a United Nations official day that aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability.

The competition welcomes all art genres/media – e.g. photography, painting, sculpture, animation.

The winning team entry will collect $100 in addition to attractive individual prizes.

Closing date for entries is Sunday, 2 December, so get creating!

For more information about IDPwD, Celebrating Ability Art Competition and Northern Health’s Disability Working Group, please click here.

Last week, we welcomed over 15 students from the Employment Pathways Program at Melbourne Polytechnic College to Northern Hospital Epping to thank them for raising funds for the Northern Health Foundation.

Their annual fundraiser raised $900, which was collected at a morning tea earlier this month. The students made delicious treats and received a gold coin donation from all attendees.

Northern Health Foundation staff met students for a cheque presentation and thanked them with morning tea.

Northern Health have been in partnership with Melbourne Polytechnic College since 2013 and during that time, have raised over $5,000 for the Northern Health Foundation.

Students from the college who are learning English as a second language come into Northern Hospital Epping to practice their speaking and listening skills.

They are buddied up with our hospital volunteers and help offer tea and coffee in outpatients and the emergency department waiting room and sell raffle tickets. The more confident students guide our visitors around the hospital.

Some students even return after the completion of their placement and become registered volunteers with Northern Health.

Northern Health Foundation Director, Yvonne Amos, expressed her appreciation for their ongoing support to our commitment of providing trusted care to our community.

“On behalf of the Foundation, I would like to thank the students from Melbourne Polytechnic for their support of Northern Health by raising funds from their annual morning tea,” she said.

“The support they have shown for their local hospital is a reflection of the community spirit that is ever present here in the north.”

Family violence is a prevalent health issue in our community and Northern Health is committed to improving response to family violence for our patients and staff.

On Friday 23 November, we will host our first ‘Breaking Through the Barriers’ Forum, focussing on practical ways professionals can be more supportive, approachable, and effective in supporting people when family violence is present.

Anyone can be a victim/survivor of family violence, but there are some communities within society who face a higher risk.

Northern Health’s primary catchments, the City of Hume, City of Whittlesea and Mitchell Shire Council, experience the highest rates of family violence in Victoria, making it vitally important for our staff to develop skills to help them effectively identify and respond to family violence.

We are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of those experiencing family violence in Melbourne’s north. Northern Health is the second health service in Victoria to be awarded White Ribbon Accreditation, a program which recognises workplaces that promote respectful relationships and gender equality.

The Forum will feature presenters who work within these at risk communities. Presenters include:

• Charelle Jackson – Elizabeth Morgan House (Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Communities)
• Matthew Parsons – LGHV (LGBTI+ Communities)
• Lucia Prinzi – inTouch (Culturally & Linguistic Diverse Communities)
• Stephanie Hosking – GV Health (Workplace Disclosures)
• Alison Maclean – 3whitehorses (Rural & Regional Communities)

Alison Maclean from 3whitehorses says, “Encouraging gender equality in our every day lives and being positive role models for others (particularly our children) is a key focus.”

The forum is suited to professionals of all levels of experience who work with people experiencing family violence. It is a free and open event and everyone is encouraged to attend.

For more information and to register head to Eventbrite.

Justine Slattery, Senior Paediatric Speech Pathologist at Northern Health, recently received the award for ‘Innovation’ at our inaugural Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards.

Justine was nominated by Associate Director Speech Pathology, Audiology & Orthoptics, Emma Beer, for her continuous learning and development of best practices in the Neonatal Unit (NNU) and children services.

She has implemented initiatives such as the infant feeding scales, which promote developmentally supportive feeding practices for premature babies and their families.

“Justine is motivated, dedicated and positively engaged, serving as a true inspiration,” Emma says.

With over 25 years’ experience as a speech pathologist, Justine is considered a “guru” in her field. She has a particular interest in early identification and intervention for neonates and infants with feeding, swallowing and neurodevelopmental difficulties, and has research publications in this area.

On receiving the award Justine says, “It’s really nice for somebody out of the blue to acknowledge your efforts and contribution. It reinforces what you’re doing and the value of it – I found that really powerful for me.”

Continuing her strides in innovation, Justine, in collaboration with Janet Henry, Senior Paediatric Occupational Therapist, successfully received a grant for the DHHS Advancing Practice Allied Health Workforce Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Initiative.

“It’s really nice to be in a health organisation where you can be contributing and also have the opportunity to look at ways to improve what’s going on,” Justine says.

The grant will improve the pathway from referral to diagnosis, providing a clear procedure that will support both families and clinicians to participate in early, open conversations regarding possible ASD assessment and intervention, which is currently not available at Northern Health.

When asked why she enjoys working at Northern Health, Justine says, “I love that there is a really diverse community that access our services and I really like the people I work with.”

“I’ve worked in a lot of different organisations over the years and the strong focus on collaboration here is fantastic. Northern Health have a really good model that other health organisations would be happy to have.”

Sponsored by Maxxia and BankVic, our Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards have been designed to formally recognise outstanding contributions by our employees and celebrate staff excellence. Nominations for the next Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards will open December 2018.

Over the past few years, we have welcomed a large influx of refugees and asylum seekers to Melbourne’s north.

In 2017 alone, we welcomed approximately 3,500 new refugee arrivals in the Hume/Whittlesea area.

We know the tragedy, disruption, trauma and torture that underpin the experiences of these people before they arrive in Australia.

Many start life here with a range of health concerns, including mental illness and chronic diseases. Our health system is difficult to navigate, and without knowledge and confidence of health services, many people come to the place they are most familiar with for health care – the hospital.

The Northern Health Refugee and Asylum Seeker Health Study Day in September outlined the latest refugee and asylum settlement data in Whittlesea and Hume catchment areas. It also showcased the support services available and focussed on clinical issues such as the mental health of young refugees, paediatric, general health and infectious diseases.

This included a very personal and moving presentation by an Azari refugee, Pouya. He captivated the audience with his heart-rending story of fleeing Iran following episodes of torture.

Participants commented favourably on his story – “hearing a refugee speak about his experience was absolutely amazing,” and “the refugee guest speaker was great – eloquent and articulate, funny, open and honest.”

Organised by the Northern Health Refugee and Asylum Seeker Working Group, the study day has contributed to making our services more responsive to the needs of this vulnerable community group.

With nearly 100 attendees, the day proved a great success and will now become an annual event.

 

Photograph left to right: Jason Cirone, Director Transformation, People & Culture, with refugee speaker Pouya.