Neela Konara, Northern Health’s new Director of Partnerships, says, “As the leading health service in our catchment, we can only provide adequate health services if we understand our population’s diverse and evolving needs.”

A case in point is the current initiative Neela is supporting and that is the Healthy Schools for Healthy Futures campaign. The campaign aims to advocate to the Victorian Department of Education and Training to update the Healthy Eating and Other Food Services Policy for schools.

This policy change will result in school canteens across Victoria providing healthier choices to school children. This is a local campaign led by DPV Health, which is the community health service in Hume and Whittlesea.

“Our local partner organisations that work with these communities daily, have in-depth knowledge about the needs of these communities. Their input is invaluable when developing inclusive health services, along with our patient feedback,” Neela said,

“Partnerships are essential to provide effective health services to a catchment as diverse and fast-growing as ours.”

Hume LGA, for instance, which is in our catchment, has the second highest humanitarian intake in Victoria, and many newly arrived refugee families settle in this area. In addition, many new and established migrants and young families move into this catchment.

Neela brings to this role her credentials as the former Manager of Population Health and Community Engagement at DPV Health.

There, she was responsible there for rolling out inclusive preventative health initiatives with local partners across Hume and Whittlesea, with funding by the Department of Health. Prior to that, she worked with Cancer Council, primary care partnerships and local government.

Neela’s short-term objectives include setting in place effective systems for us to work more closely with local primary care providers.

“This would help us achieve our goals as a High Reliability Organisation and improve our equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives,” she says.

In the long term, she sees partnerships playing a vital role in bringing together all levels of health and community services, “to provide a client-centred approach to improve health outcomes for all, including the most disengaged communities in this catchment.”

“My hope is that the Partnerships team can contribute to Northern Health’s strategic directions, including creating healthier communities,” Neela said.

Research Week at Northern Health was held 10 – 14 October 2022, and showcased a range of innovative research projects and presentations from research leaders, both locally, and around the world.

As Faye Zaibak, Director, Research Operations, said at the outset, “Research Week allows us to come together as an organisation and celebrate the achievements of our researchers.”

The week started with Professor Zoe Wainer, Deputy Secretary for Public Health in the Victorian Government Department of Health, challenging us to think about Value Based Health Care. At the Grand Rounds, Professor Leigh Kinsman, La Trobe University, presented on social determinants in rural health and the value of the good old community shed in empowering engagement in better health.

Our discipline highlight this year was Emergency Services. The Emergency Service presentations were rounded out by Dr Loren Sher. Director, Victorian Virtual Emergency Department, at the Northern Health Foundation Corporate Breakfast.

“To hear the journey of the team from a ‘Big Idea’ to a funded state-wide integrated service was inspiring,” said Faye.

Northern Health also hosted a stellar cast of speakers showcasing ground-breaking research projects.

At the oral presentation, the role research can play in helping to improve exercises delivered digitally amongst patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis, was discussed. This earned Iryoung Fan, a graduate of the Stepping into Research Program, the People’s Choice Oral Presentation Award.

The Best Oral Presentation award went to Angela McLoughlan, Clinical Leader, Occupational Therapy for her work on the preparedness of the health care workforce to continue using technology to support patient care beyond the pandemic. The quality was exceptional, with Helen McDougall and Eleanor Johnson also receiving awards.

The Virtual Poster Q/A session was a first. Rachel Cheong, Medical Registrar championed further research into early predictors of need for salvage therapy in patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis. Sarah Findlay, Social Worker accepted the People’s Choice Poster Award for her poster titled ‘When NDIS and Family Services are involved with Complex Discharge Planning’.

The most coveted award, as always, was the Trivia Session Champion – first place going to Jeff Khoshaba who edged past Craig Aboltins at the finish line. Special thanks to our host Shane Huntington and Mark Tacey, the mastermind behind all the hard questions.

The event was made possible by a number of volunteers, the Northern Health Foundation and Public Affairs  team; Mr Peter McWilliam from the Northern Health Foundation Board; Professor Peter Brooks AM,(facilitator, judge and organising committee member); Zana Stefanovski (coordinating the entire event program); and last but not least, all our researchers who prepared over 54 abstracts and posters and presented 10 oral presentations, peer reviewed abstracts, hosted sessions and championed the value of evidence into best practice via research.

Big thanks also to the sponsors – the Northern Health Foundation, JR Medical and Ramsay Health Care.

The Northern Health Pleural Medicine Unit recently hosted a successful two-day workshop focusing on pleural disease and thoracic ultrasound.

Pleural medicine is now widely recognised as a sub-speciality of respiratory medicine, the body of evidence is both large and compelling. Despite the advances in quantity and quality of pleural research, clinic inertia remains, leading to a delay in the translation of research into everyday clinical practice.

“The Pleural Medicine Unit at Northern Health is leading the way in Victoria and has an international presence that contributes both to research and improved patient outcomes for patients with pleural disease,” said Dr Katharine See, Head of Respiratory Medicine.

“To assist in creating awareness and supporting the translation of pleural research into practice, we developed the ‘Pleural Disease and Thoracic Ultrasound Workshop’. This two-day workshop aimed to increase knowledge and confidence of emerging clinicians, with the use of thoracic ultrasound in assessing and performing pleural procedures for patients with pleural diseases, explained Dr Sanjeevan Muruganandan.

“The course provided participants with an interactive and practical learning environment in which they were guided by a diverse and dynamic teaching team from different specialities including respiratory, emergency medicine, thoracic surgery and interventional radiology,” Sanjeevan said.

The feedback received from participants was overwhelmingly positive.

“We have already seen meaningful change in practice at multiple external centres as a result of the course. Feedback has highlighted the gap in knowledge and translational delay in implementing evidence into care, across other centres. It is evident that Northern Health has the potential to impact care across the state,” Sanjeevan said.

The Pleural Medicine Unit is incredibly passionate about providing high quality person-centred evidence-based care for patients with pleural diseases.

“We believe sharing knowledge, developing skills and confidence of next generation clinicians is key to ensuring the ongoing transformation of care for patients with pleural diseases,” said Kirstin Tirant, Pleural Clinical Nurse Consultant.

With this in mind, the Pleural Medicine Unit aims to provide this unique learning opportunity to healthcare professionals around the country bi-annually.

“The Pleural Medicine Unit at Northern Health is leading the way in the provision of expert, safe, evidenced-based and timely care to patients with pleural diseases. It is an innovative, world class service providing person-centred care that ensures the optimisation of quality of life for all its patients. These workshops will ensure the clinicians of the future have the tools to ensure the continuation and improvement of such care into the future for all patients of the northern community and beyond,” Katharine said.

On Friday, 14 October, Northern Health had the pleasure of hosting its first face-to-face Corporate Breakfast since 2020, as part of Research Week.

The day started early with the team preparing to welcome local business and community leaders to the event, with several guests’ speakers set to highlight current research projects at Northern Health.

Dr Loren Sher, Director, Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED), spoke on the new and innovative ways Northern Health is making a difference to care for patients in our community. The VVED launched earlier this year to the wider public, allowing our nurses and doctors to connect with patients who have non-life-threatening emergencies. Currently, the VVED is receiving up to 300 calls a day, with the service expecting to expand in the future as our northern population grows.

“We’ve been doing a lot of work in the Hume region for example, after recognising that there are patients within that region that have limited access to the level of expertise that we perhaps have in metro,” Loren said.

“We are now able to provide that expertise using digital technology, which is absolutely brilliant. The fact that it’s coming out of Northern also shows that we are very much an innovative and adaptable hospital.”

Pina Di Donato, Executive Director Public Affairs and Foundation, was thrilled by yet another successful event, saying, “It was great to have members of the Northern Health community in the same room, from across health care disciplines and across different sectors of industry. These events are a wonderful opportunity to exchange ideas and to plant seeds for the future. It was a privilege to showcase the wonderful work being undertaken by Northern Health staff to our guests.”

Chris Turner, Northern Health Foundation Board Member, proudly reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to supporting Northern Health through the funding of research, training and the purchase of medical equipment.

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all supporters of Northern Health Foundation, and for the wonderful turnout of business, and community leaders. Northern Health has been doing some fantastic work, and we were thrilled to be able to share some of these ideas with our guests. Dr Loren Sher gave us a very informative insight into the VVED, and the important part research has played from its inception,” Chris said.

A special thanks to Mantra Epping for providing their wonderful venue, and Ramsay Health Care for sponsoring this event. Many thanks to the team and volunteers involved in the planning of this event.

The Foundation looks forward to its continued support of Northern Health as it works towards its vision of a healthier community for every person, every day.

 

Dr Loren Sher, Director Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED)

Stella Gibbon, Volunteer Northern Health

Kerry Lannu, Business Development Manager, Ramsay Health Care

This week, we celebrated Emergency Nurses Week, as a way to recognise all of our Emergency Nurses and the tremendous work they do to care for our patients and local community.

As part of this week, on Wednesday, 12 October, we celebrated International Emergency Nurses Day. Established by the Emergency Nurses Association in the 1970’s, and observed globally, Emergency Nurses Day is a day to say thank you, and recognise the extraordinary commitment, hard work, and tireless efforts our emergency nurses give each day.

Throughout the week, our emergency nurses have been celebrating together, with Stella Gibbons, Northern Health Volunteer, surprising the department with her famous cupcakes.

Jamie Lee Hamer, Clinical Nurse Unit Manager Emergency Department, said, “Celebrating ED nurses day is very important to me. It means we are able to truly recognise the continuous hard work every single nurse in the department puts in – day in and day out.”

Agnieska Kuciel, Acting Director, Operations – Emergency Services, also highlighted their efforts to plan lots of ways to show their appreciation to their staff, and make a positive difference in the workplace.

“I am very proud of all the nurses in the Emergency Department. They are an amazing team who always look out for each other, with genuine support and care, especially in times of high acuity. This week allows us to acknowledge their daily commitment to our department, our patients, and each other.”

Northern Health’s Emergency Department is the busiest in Victoria, with hundreds of patients triaged every day. This makes our nurses some of the hardest working in the state. Our nurses are professionally trained to handle difficult cases and to think quickly on their feet, providing the best possible care to our patients.

Tenielle Holland, Clinical Nurse Unit Manager, highlighted the importance of our nurses, saying, “Emergency Nurses are a unique group who are supportive, caring, determined, passionate and understanding. It means working in a team environment, sometimes stressful, always fast-paced which requires an advanced skill-set. Being an Emergency Nurse means caring for the most vulnerable, sickest people, and supporting them and their families.”

Among many other activities, including a visit from a therapy dog, afternoon tea and coffee cards, the nurses have still been extremely busy treating patients. Julia Beckman, ED Nurse Unit Manager, said, “Emergency nursing is a challenging, yet rewarding career – you are at the person’s side in their most vulnerable state, and offer support to families in a crisis situation. It is truly an honour to be able to offer that support, and you can proudly say you make a difference in peoples lives.”

As our population in the north grows, so do we. That’s why Northern Health is continually finding new and innovative ways to care for our community.

The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) was introduced earlier this year, where you can connect with our nurses and doctors to receive medical advice. Our sickest of patients are brought into our Emergency Department, and cared for by our nurses.

Lora Davies, Divisional Director Nursing, Emergency Services, said, “This week is about recognising the emergency nurse community’s remarkable strength, resilience, intelligence, and compassion. During the tough times Northern Health ED nurses have faced, they have continued to work as a team and deliver care to our community. They are a family, and pride themselves on working with our Northern Health values; safe, kind and together.”

Thank you to all our ED nurses. We hope you have enjoyed the activities this week as a way to recognise your ongoing dedication to our community.

 

 

 

Restart a Heart Day, held on Sunday, 16 October, is part of Shocktober – a month-long campaign to highlight, raise awareness, and educate the community about learning Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

Thousands of Victorians suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest every year.

Liz Ward, Acting Clinical Deterioration and Resuscitation Coordinator, said when cardiac arrest occurs, immediate action is critical.

“Every day, around 19 Victorians have a cardiac arrest, with only one in 10 people surviving,” she said.

“Together, we can improve cardiac arrest survival rates by knowing how to perform CPR and use an AED. CPR is the technique used to pump oxygenated blood around the body by pushing on the chest. Effectively, CPR does the job of the heart.”

“When performing CPR, you are pumping oxygenated blood through the body to the brain and other body organs. It is essential to maintain this blood flow until the paramedics arrive and take over.”

Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, at anytime, anywhere. To ‘restart a heart’, Liz says there are three steps involved – call, push, shock.

“Call Triple Zero if someone is unconscious and not breathing normally. The call taker will guide you through how to start CPR,” Liz said.

“Push – start CPR. To perform CPR, kneel up straight with your knees next to the person’s chest. Put the heel of your hand in the middle of the chest, at the nipple line. Then place your other hand on top and lock your fingers. Lean over the chest with your arms straight and elbows locked. Push on the chest, hard and fast. This is vital to provide circulating blood to the brain – anyone can perform CPR.”

“Shock – connect a defibrillator (if available). An AED should be used if available. This checks the heart rhythm and will guide you through delivering a shock to restore the normal rhythm.”

If cardiac arrest happens onsite at Northern Health, staff need to call a Code Blue via 2222 and the Code Blue Response Team will attend.

There are a number of accredited first aid courses available to anyone who would like to learn how to provide CPR. There are also a number of resources on the Ambulance Victoria website, with instructional videos to guide through the steps of CPR.

“Try not to let fear get in the way of performing CPR. Remember the three steps – call, push and shock. Any CPR is better than no CPR,” said Liz.

On Friday, 14 October, there will be CPR education and activities, including a cardiac arrest simulation, for staff and visitors who are onsite at Northern Hospital Epping. The event will be held in the Northern Hospital Epping main foyer from 9.30 am – 3 pm.

 Featured image: Loren Tong, Simulation Clinical Nurse Educator wearing the heart suit, with Liz Ward, Acting Clinical Deterioration and Resuscitation Coordinator.

Spring is in the air, and so is pollen and thunderstorms. The warmer weather and longer days can also trigger asthma and hay fever allergies. These symptoms include an itchy and runny nose, sneezing, coughing, wheezing and/or chest tightness. Some of these symptoms can become very severe, very quickly, and may require urgent medical assistance.

As we enter the Epidemic Thunderstorm Asthma (ETSA) season from October through to December, Northern Health is taking a proactive approach to ensuring we have the right systems and processes in place to manage an ESTA event.

Jason Amos, Emergency Management reminds staff that, the Code Brown – External Emergency procedure and the Code Brown Subplan – Thunderstorm Asthma procedure are available on prompt to ensure appropriate response to Code Brown/Thunderstorms Asthma events.

“This is a timely reminder for staff to ensure they are aware of our emergency plans for such events,” said Jason.

On 21 November 2016, the state of Victoria witnessed the largest ETSA event ever recorded worldwide, an event that was unprecedented in size, severity and impact. Thousands of people developed breathing difficulties within a short period of time, and for many of them it was their first asthma attack.

ETSA is caused by uncommon combination of high grass pollen levels and a certain type of thunderstorm. There is no universal definition of ETSA event as such, but this includes large numbers of people with sudden onset asthma in temporal and spatial relation to the storm, and large geographical areas affecting multiple health services, with a resultant strain on health and emergency systems.

Epidemiologists recommend that people with current, past or undiagnosed asthma, and those with seasonal allergic rhinitis, have a current asthma action plan to follow (updated by their GP). They should also learn asthma first aid, stay out of storms from October through to December. Further advice during an ESTA event is to stay inside and close your doors and windows and, if you have your air conditioner on, turn it to recirculate.

It is also important for everyone in the community to be able to recognise the symptoms of someone having an asthma attack and to know the four steps of asthma first aid:

Step 1: Sit person suffering the attack upright

Step 2: Shake the blue/grey reliever puffer and give them four separate puffs using a spacer if available

Step 3: Wait four minutes and give four more puffs if the person cannot breathe normally

Step 4: Call an ambulance if they still cannot breathe normally and keep giving reliever puffs as above until an ambulance arrives.

Hayley Grey, Nurse Unit Manager (NUM) VVED, added, “if you are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of asthma, or are unsure of the severity of what you’re experiencing, please contact the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department at https://www.vved.org.au/ for further assistance or visit your GP. It’s essential that we keep our Ambulances and Emergency Departments available for those that are critically ill.

You can access daily forecasts for ETSA events here.

 

This week is Malnutrition Week ANZ – an opportunity for health services to increase focus on malnutrition identification and management.

The theme for this year’s Malnutrition Week is, ‘Be a nutrition champion’.

Nadia Obeid, Senior Dietitian, said nurses, doctors, allied health staff, and food service professionals, all play a key role in championing nutrition and improving the quality of life of the patients they care for.

“Helping professionals and staff to upskill in identifying malnutrition risk is invaluable,” she said.

Malnutrition occurs when a person does not consume enough energy and/or protein for their body’s needs. Malnutrition can also happen to anyone, regardless of usual body size.

“Malnourished patients tend to stay longer in hospital, are more likely to be readmitted, and can cost two to three times more to treat,” Nadia said.

To help prevent malnutrition, Nadia says clinicians should refer patients to a dietitian when there is unintentional weight loss and reduced appetite and food intake.

Every Northern Health inpatient is also required to be weighed and screened for malnutrition within 24 hours of admission to hospital. Further re-screening is also required weekly thereafter.

“We are constantly undertaking quality work to prevent and reduce malnutrition amongst our patients. Most recently, Northern Health nurses were surveyed on what strategies they think would help improve weighing and malnutrition screening of inpatients. The most popular strategy was to have a dedicated Weighing and Malnutrition Re-Screening Day across all Northern Health inpatient wards,” Nadia said.

“A dedicated Weighing and Malnutrition Re-Screening Day strategy will commence the weekend of 15 October, with Saturday being the day for wards to aim to weigh all inpatients, and re-screen for malnutrition, with the aim to have everyone completed by the end of the weekend.”

“This Saturday, start your day with a weigh. Become a nutrition champion and improve the quality of life for those you are caring for.”

For more information on the dedicated Weighing and Malnutrition Re-Screening Day, visit the Intranet.

There is also a Malnutrition Quiz to test your knowledge on the topic. Click here to enter the quiz for your chance to win some prizes!

Featured image: Nadia Obeid, Senior Dietitian and Bree DeGabrielle, Registered Nurse.