2021
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Northern Health is Dry this July!
Team Northern Health is showing great momentum in our 2021 Dry July Campaign. Last year was the first year Northern Health participated in Dry July. This year, Northern Health is once again taking part to raise important funds for cancer patients in our northern community. In 2020, Northern Health launched the chemotherapy in the home service – ‘Northern Oncology and Haematology at Home’ (NOAH@Home). The service provides oncology patients the opportunity to receive certain chemotherapy treatments in the comfort of their own homes. This means patients no longer have to travel for appointments and there is less stress on the…
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Name change to reflect Ian Brand residents
Ian Brand Nursing Home has officially been changed to Ian Brand Residential Care. The name change was presented to and endorsed by the Northern Health Board in early 2021, with the change formally taking place on 1 July. Kirralee Jensen, Site Operations Director and Director of Nursing at Bundoora Centre, said the name change was influenced by the residents and their families. “We consult residents and their families on changes within Ian Brand. There was a survey done a couple of years ago and then we did it again late last year about the name change,” Kirralee said. “Nursing home…
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Dancing and fundraising for cancer services
Put on your dancing shoes and support our cancer services here at Northern Health. Long-time Northern Health Foundation Patron, Josie Minniti’s annual Dinner Dance Cancer Fundraiser is on Saturday, 31 July, at the Ferraro Reception Centre, 14 Onslow Avenue, Campbellfield. The event, which has been running for 25 years, 13 years of those for Northern Health, raises money for vital equipment in our Oncology Unit, so cancer patients are comfortable while they are receiving treatment. Josie Minniti said the event promises to be a fun-filled evening. “The guests can expect a fun-filled evening with lots of food, drinks, dancing, followed…
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Why Acknowledgement of Country matters to me
As we conclude NAIDOC Week, Briana Baass, Chief Allied Health Officer and Partnerships, reflects on the significance of ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ and why we do it. I love my job. I feel really blessed to get to work with the variety of teams within this Division at Northern Health. There is such a rich and diverse pool of knowledge across the Division and I find myself learning new things from these teams every week. One area I find particularly rewarding is working with Narrun Wilip-Giin, Aboriginal Support Unit. They have been extremely generous with their knowledge in educating me about…
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Dr Yiannis: Talk to your doctor about getting a COVID-19 vaccine
Dr Yiannis Efstathiadis, Emergency Department Registrar, made headlines last year when he shared his story on contracting COVID-19 and ending up in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) fighting for life. A year after, and now fully vaccinated, he looks back at the scariest time in his life. The 35- year old doctor had all the usual symptoms – fever, headache, muscle ache, joint ache, and worsening lethargy. “By about two weeks in, I started to get the dry, annoying cough and by the third week, I couldn’t look after myself. I was home alone, as I had to self-isolate. When…
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Celebrating NAIDOC Week with children
This week marks NAIDOC Week, an annual event that acknowledges the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. To celebrate NAIDOC Week, Narrun Wilip-Giin (Aboriginal Support Unit), have kindly gifted Aboriginal designed children’s colouring books, supported by Northern Health Foundation, to all children in the Northern Hospital Epping Children’s Ward. The book’s artwork has been created by Gary Saunders, a proud Bangerang, Yorta Yorta, Wiradjeri, Dja Dja Wurrung man. In the book is a selection of animals, birds and symbols that are important to Aboriginal people, such as the Kangaroo. The Kangaroo is of cultural and…
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Have you submitted your Big Idea?
‘What’s the Big Idea?’ initiative, launched mid-June invites staff to submit their creative ideas that, if selected, will be turned into successful projects in just 90 days. It has been a busy two weeks on IdeaScale, Northern Health’s portal for innovation and idea sharing, with 45 creative and out-of-the-box staff ideas submitted so far. “We have quite a range of clinical and non-clinical ideas, a lot of tech ideas like apps and process redesign, ideas on utilising our volunteer service, garden and staff spaces, COVID-19 vaccination, linking with our community, refugee health and research,” said Cassie Bramston, Project Officer. “If…
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NAIDOC Week 2021: Trinity Saxby’s long journey
NAIDOC Week recognises the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year NAIDOC Week theme is ‘Heal Country’. It calls for all of us to continue to seek greater protection for our lands, waters, sacred sites and our cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration and destruction. As part of our NAIDOC Week celebrations, we had two eminent physicians – Dr Angela Dos Santos and Dr Graham Gee speak at a virtual Grand Round last Thursday. Angela spoke on the importance of providing more awareness about strokes in Aboriginal communities. Her presentation highlighted statistics that showed a…