April 2022
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Interested in improvement? LISN workshops are for you!
The LISN (Learning Improvement Science at Northern Health) workshop has returned after a two-year pause due to the pandemic. The LISN program is a full day, face-to-face workshop run by the Transformation Unit in the NCHER building. The program incorporates theoretical content on improvement science, including understanding value and waste, built in quality, continuous flow, pull systems and levelling. “The theory is incorporated into a live simulation of a Day Procedure Unit. Every attendee on the day has an active role in the simulation,” explains Laura Hughes, Project Manager. The LISN program is a foundation pillar of the Transformation Unit…
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Have a phone charger to spare?
The first round of ‘Big Idea 2022’ submissions is now closed, with 84 ideas received from a wide range of departments across the organisation. Twenty-two of these ideas were selected for refinement and 11 will advance for scoping and implementation. Some ideas are being implemented immediately. One of them is an idea from Dr Sian Cole, Senior Health Psychologist, who noticed a number of her ward patients were asking about getting their phones charged, but access to chargers was limited and inconsistent. “With the visitor restrictions, patients have been socially isolated and social needs are an important part of how…
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Healthier options on the menu
Staff, patients and visitors to Northern Health have a healthier selection of food and drink in all of the vending machines across the health service. Northern Health made the switch to Provender – a fresh food vending machine company – to provide the healthier options. Our new vending machines offer a range of muesli slices, natural nuts, protein bars and low calorie, low sugar and gluten free options. The food and drinks available in the new machines have been carefully selected to meet the Victorian Department of Health’s Healthy Choices Policy Directive. From 30 September 2022, vending machines across Victorian…
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Handy Sandy keeping everything dandy
Meet Sandy, the latest innovation at Northern Health. Sandy is a LeoScrub, a robotic floor scrubber, designed to bring cleaning efficiencies to the health service. Northern Health is also the first health service across Australia to have Sandy implemented into hospital operations. Saj Amerasinghe, ISS Key Account Manager, said Sandy will allow hospital cleaners to redivert their focus on other jobs and find efficiencies while Sandy scrubs the floor. “If staff are wanting to clean the main foyer, that takes about 45 minutes. But we can get the LeoScrub to do that job, and have staff for 45 minutes, do…
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Analgesic stewardship pilot program on the way
Northern Health is working with Safer Care Victoria, Acute Pain Service (APS) and surgical teams to create a pilot program focusing on analgesic stewardship across Northern Hospital, aiming to produce significant, positive changes for our patients. Danni Miatke, Project Lead and Grade 3 Analgesic Stewardship Pharmacist, explained one of the priority actions for Australia, on the basis of World Health Organization recommendations and the global patient safety challenge, is to develop a national guideline for high-risk medicines, with analgesics and opioids a part of this. “We are looking at safer ways to prescribe and administer opioids and other analgesics within…
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Research week 2022: Listening and learning from our patients
Dr Vicky Kartsogiannis (PhD), Research Coordinator, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, here at Northern Health, summed it well when she said, “Just wanted to congratulate everyone involved in organising Research Week amongst all challenges in the background. Brilliant as always!” She went on to say, “Despite being a virtual event, I think it has been a blessing as it allows people to join in from home or wherever they may be.” Research Week, when we celebrate our many inspired researchers at Northern Health, was marked on 28, 29 and 31 March. Congratulations to the team of Dr Faten ‘Faye’ Zaibak, Director,…
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Partnering with consumers: Sarah and Maxine
Sarah Charles, Quality and Medication Safety Lead Pharmacist and Maxine Vu, Consumer, are working together on the important topic of medication safety. Both have a flexible approach to making things work, and Maxine’s help has been especially appreciated during the last year and a half, and her fitting in to assist Northern Health whilst raising her two young children through lockdowns. We’ve had a chat with Maxine and Sarah to find out what helps them work well together, how they make a difference and what feels rewarding. How have the two of you collaborated together? Sarah: Maxine commenced as a…
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Let the EMR ‘go-live’ countdown begin!Â
We are one year away from Northern Health’s Electronic Medical Record (EMR) ‘go-live’ on 3 April 2023. Looking ahead, this will be an exciting year for all staff including our EMR analysts, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), champions and Accountable Leaders.  As the EMR workflows are being built and tested in the coming months, there will be more opportunities for EMR champions, super-users and staff, to see and learn more about the system before training starts in early 2023. Thank you to our EMR champions who have been involved and who joined the March EMR champion briefing, where the EMR patient…