In today’s ‘Get to know’ profile, we catch up with Chrissy Nicolaidis, Acting Operations Manager Health Information Service (HIS), and co-chair of the Rainbow Working Group.

Firstly, what is your coffee order?

Soy latte please!

Tell us about your Northern Health journey – when you started and your roles here.

I came to Northern Health after working at the Department of Health and Human Services. I wanted to be working closer to the coalface of health service delivery, so I joined as a Health Information Manager in 2016, filling in on a six month maternity leave contract. Nearly seven years later, and I am still here. I have worked in a variety of roles including Operations Manager of Ward Clerk Workforce, Manager of the Datasets Reporting Unit, and now Acting Operations Manager of HIS. I’m fortunate to have worked with many colleagues at Northern Health, whom I now consider great friends.

What are you most passionate about?

Equality. Making sure that all patients, staff, and visitors to Northern Health are treated with respect, and that we celebrate our strength in diversity. I am co-chair of the Rainbow Working Group, and a member of the Refugee and Asylum Seeker Working Group. I am proud that we are making progress to make our health service a safer space for marginalised groups.

What is your greatest achievement or favourite memory at Northern Health?

Marching at the Northern Health Pride March in 2020 and 2021 – showing our community that Northern Health is progressing towards a more inclusive environment for LGBTIQA+ community.

How would you describe Northern Health in a sentence?

Northern Health is full of good people who genuinely care about providing quality care to our diverse community, often in challenging circumstances.

Which Northern Health value do you best relate to and why?

Together – its so imperative that we all work together towards our common goals, to continue to make our organisation a safe and trusted health service.

Do you have a bucket list item?

I have lots! I love to travel and would love to go back to Nepal and climb Annapurna. I also have an unused skydiving voucher waiting for me to build up the courage to go.

What would people be most surprised to know about you?

I have travelled to over 30 countries and been to every continent except Antarctica!

Being a Receptionist and Switchboard Operator necessitates a very consumer-centric focus, while at the same time, demands a vast amount of knowledge of Northern Health and its ever changing operations.

There are over 40 Reception and Switchboard Operators who work across Northern Hospital Epping, Broadmeadows Hospital and Bundoora Centre. The role is chiefly responsible for greeting and assisting patients, staff and the general public, answering and directing phone calls from internal and external stakeholders, and prioritising and responding to the 2222 Emergency Code phone.

Outside of these duties, the team control the paging system across the health service, maintain and process the mail rooms, manage the phone directory with over 6,500 phone extensions and distribute and reconcile CabCharge vouchers.

To ensure a Switchboard Operator has up to date information and is able to assist with any query, they utilise a minimum of nine systems at any one time.

Two years ago, the Reception and Switchboard Department at Northern Hospital Epping was averaging 30,000 calls per month. During the 2021-22 financial year, they averaged 45,000 calls per month, a 50 per cent increase in only two years.

An average waiting time of 42 seconds was achieved for callers to speak to a Switchboard Operator. This was a huge achievement, despite the steep increase in call volume. Broadmeadows Hospital and Bundoora Centre Switchboard also averaged 5,000 and 3,500 calls per month respectively.

The surge in activity was attributed to the increase in patient beds and the high number of COVID-19 testing and vaccination enquiries, as well as the introduction of visiting restrictions.

A ‘Ward Contact Numbers’ list was developed and published on the Northern Health Intranet to help reduce internal calls, where possible. It is available here.

The team also help to ensure the safety and welfare of our patients, staff and visitors by receiving calls through the 2222 Emergency Code Phone. Over the last year, they received and actioned a total of 23,700 emergency codes that were called through 2222, with the Northern Hospital Switchboard responding to more than 19,000 of those. Each code requires the Switchboard Operator to follow one of 15 individual procedures, depending on the type of code.

Nick Caruana, Hospital Reception Manager, says, “I would like to recognise and sincerely thank the Reception and Switchboard Operators for their hard work and dedication, especially over the last year. They go above and beyond to assist the public and staff of Northern Health, and display great patience and kindness, even in the face of extraordinary call volumes. I have been so fortunate to have the opportunity to meet and work with such a charismatic and dedicated team of individuals over the last year, and I’m looking forward to what the future brings for this department.”

Northern Health’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Department and Wellbeing Team are excited to announce the launch of the staff Exercise Physiology Service.

This new Staff Health Clinic is an expansion to the successful staff physiotherapy service. With the health and wellbeing of staff in mind, it is aimed at promoting a culture of fitness and increased physical activity at Northern Health.

Exercise Physiologists specialise in clinical exercise prescription and the delivery of lifestyle modification programs for the prevention and management of chronic disease, musculoskeletal injuries and improved wellbeing. “We all know that being physically active is essential for good physical and mental health and wellbeing, but unfortunately more than half of us are not active enough” says Dylan Perera, Exercise Physiologist, who leads the clinic.

The Staff Health Clinic – Exercise Physiology, is a short-term service. Staff will be provided with up to a maximum of six visits over a period of approximately 12 weeks, with an ESSA (Exercise and Sports Science Australia) Accredited Northern Health Exercise Physiologist. As well as face-to-face appointments, telehealth modalities, including video call, are available.

Dylan says, “You will have a thorough and comprehensive assessment to evaluate your needs, goals, and physical fitness. Then we provide you with a tailored exercise plan as well as support and health coaching for the long-term.”

For staff to access this service, they must:

• be a Northern Health employee (full time, part time, casual)
• have goals of increasing exercise and physical activity levels
• and/or need support with exercise behaviour or healthy lifestyle change
• and/or have a stable chronic medical condition that would benefit from Clinical Exercise Physiology interventions
• and/or may be referred from Staff Health Clinic Physiotherapist to progress musculoskeletal rehabilitation, promote secondary prevention, or address other health and wellbeing goals.

Dylan has worked at Northern Health since 2014, and has vast clinical experience in community therapy services, having worked in outpatient clinics across our sites. He is passionate about exercise physiology and believes strongly in the significant role it plays in impacting the health and wellbeing of the community, which also extends to Northern Health staff.

“We’ve all done an incredible job to contribute to the delivery of excellent patient care during unprecedented challenges over the past two and a half years. However, it’s important that we also prioritise our own health” explained Dylan.

The Staff Health Clinic will run Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Northern Hospital Epping. There is no cost for the service.

Staff members can make their own referral by completing the Terms of Service form and returning to staffexphys@nh.org.au

Importantly, the service is not exclusively for ‘gym people’. Dylan points out that “high quality exercise training can be achieved in various different settings, including at home.”

In addition to one-on-one appointments, the service will also establish site-wide health promotional activities, such as campaigns to reduce sustained periods of sitting, on-site exercise classes, and post and pre-work walking/running groups.

For more information, visit the Intranet page here.

Picture shows Dylan instructing a staff member.

The Northern Health Cardiology Heart Failure team is aiming to improve outcomes by empowering patients to self-manage their condition, with appropriate clinical support.

The Cardiovascular Ambassador Project involves 20 participating health services and hospitals, including Northern Health, and aims to improve the quality of cardiac care delivered to patients and reduce unplanned hospital readmissions.

Participating hospitals have received funding for a cardiovascular liaison nurse to plan, lead, implement and coordinate appropriate multifaceted interventions for each site’s model of care.

Heart failure self-management has been regarded as a central part of heart failure care. Self-management is the central pillar that allows patients to be managed in the community, with the support of their general practitioner.

Patients who are admitted to hospital with decompensated heart failure have an opportunity to become “activated” participants in their own management while they are in hospital.

Project Lead and Head of Heart Failure Services, Associate Professor Gautam Vaddadi, proposed a new model of care, with patients directly involved in fluid intake and weight documentation, medication management, and self-assessment of fluid status while in hospital, and in the Hearts at Home virtual ward.

“Traditionally, patients are passive recipients of care – nurses deliver care, patients receive one hour of education about self-management as per standard practice and are discharged. This is even worse for those with poor health literacy, diverse cultural backgrounds and those who are non-English speaking. This group of patients are a very large proportion of the Northern heart failure case-mix, and require additional targeted support,” Gautam said.

Madonna Goro, Northern Health Cardiac Liaison Nurse, said, “Readmissions incur significant costs, and demand challenges for healthcare services. Targeted activity to improve inpatient cardiac care, discharge processes, follow up and communication across care settings have been successful in reducing readmissions.”

“By June 2023, we aim to increase patient and carer confidence, and knowledge of self-management practices for health failure patients. We also aim to increase nurse confidence and knowledge to provide education to heart failure patients, and support them in self-management practices, whilst admitted as an inpatient.”

Madonna expressed the joy of being able to go on the journey with these patients, to empower and equip them with the appropriate tools to self-manage their heart failure condition.

“Understanding where the patient is at and what matters to them is so important in the education process. We help them understand that we are here to support them in their health journey, and bring a sense of hope that what they are going through can be well managed,” she said.

“We also want to improve the transition from the acute sector into the community by increasing referrals to relevant services such as heart failure rehabilitation, Hospital at Risk Program (HARP), and Hearts at Home virtual ward for eligible patients.”

As the Cardiac Liaison Nurse, Madonna is educating patients on heart failure self-management strategies, and is offering support to patients to practice these strategies whilst in hospital. She is also providing patients and carers with resources in their own language.

“I then follow them up with a phone call at 30 days and 90 days to evaluate whether the interventions result in sustained use of self-care strategies and to see if they require further advice or support,” Madonna said.

“We chose these time points as we found these were the vulnerable periods for heart failure readmissions. We hope by intervening here, this could prevent a readmission,” Gautam said.

The project is also helping to upskill nurses to reiterate education and heart failure action plans to patients through their everyday practice.

“We hope that, by nurses being well-equipped in supporting heart failure patients, and heart failure patients empowered and connected to the right services at discharge, that readmission rates reduce,” Madonna said.

Featured image: Associate Professor Gautam Vaddadi, and Madonna Goro.

This week is Speech Pathology Week – an opportunity to promote the speech pathology profession, and the work being done by speech pathologists.

According to Speech Pathology Australia, 1.2 million Australians have a communication disability that affects their ability to understand, and be understood by others. Levels of limitation range from mild to profound, and be can temporary or last a lifetime. Children and older people make up the majority of those with a communication disability.

The theme for this year’s Speech Pathology Week is ‘Good Communication, Better Communities. Northern Health’s Speech Pathology department know that good communication for all, results in better communities.

“Communication is a basic human right. It is fundamental to a person’s ability to participate fully in the social, educational, economic, and sporting aspects of our community,” says Jasmine Wong, Speech Pathologist at Broadmeadows Hospital.

“Many Australians with a communication disability cannot maximise educational, health, and social outcomes without the intervention of a speech pathologist.”

Communication, by definition, involves at least two people, which is why it is important that everyone understands that communication is more than just speech. Technology also plays a growing and vital role in keeping Australians with communication difficulties engaged with their family, friends, and those in the community.

“People with communication difficulties communicate with others using a variety of ways, including sign language, electronic speech devices, or word-based pictures or picture-based communication boards or books,” explains Jasmine.

“Greater public dialogue about communication disabilities broadens awareness, and helps create more informed and empathetic communities.”

In recognition of Speech Pathology Week, staff are encouraged to participate in a Silent Cafe activity across all Northern Health sites.

The Silent Cafe initiative is designed to promote the use of methods other than speech to communicate. This involves using a communication board – one of the many alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) systems speech pathologists use to help clients express themselves.

Communication boards will be placed at the counters of each Northern Health cafe until 27 August.  At Northern Hospital Epping, boards will be available from 3.30 pm. Bundoora Centre will have boards between 10.30 am to 11.30 am, and 1.30 pm to 2.30 pm, and Broadmeadows Hospital at any time of the day. Staff at each cafe will be prepared to take your hot drink order using the communication boards. Portable versions will be available at Craigieburn Centre to use at the local 7-Eleven or McDonalds. An email was communicated to staff last week, with more details.

For more information about Speech Pathology Week, please click here.

Featured image: Northern Health Speech Pathology Department.

In today’s ‘Get to know’ profile, we catch up with Kathryn Bartho, Operations Director – Outpatient Services, and Acting Site Director & Director of Nursing, Bundoora Centre.

Kath, let’s start with your coffee order?

I don’t drink coffee, but will occasionally have a tea or hot chocolate.

Tell us about your Northern Health journey?

I started in 2006 and have held continuous employment in various forms and roles at Northern Health.  Beginning my time as a ward clerk on UNIT E, I also worked as Clerk in the Emergency Department, and weekend Ward Clerk while completing my Bachelor of Nursing degree.

I completed my grad year at Northern Health, and continued to work for nurse pool for a number of years across the service. With my mixed experience, I had also been working at another health service as the Revenue Manager, and then returned to Northern Health in 2017 in a full time capacity to work on projects with Finance and Endoscopy, and eventually for the Revenue Services Director and Financial Projects.

I worked on a number of projects around Northern Health with my amazing colleagues including (but not limited to) CARPS, Payroll, QFlow, ECLIPSE, IODM, MBS Policy and Funding Guidelines, h-trak, Operational Readiness and COVID response.

Last year I was successfully recruited into my current role of Operations Director – Outpatient Services.

What do you like most about your role?

I really like the people I work with. I enjoy feeling like I am contributing and helping people (both patients and colleagues).  Personally at work, I enjoy process improvement and getting a sense of achievement.

What do you find challenging?

Switching off after work and maintaining work life balance. (Ha ha ha!)

What does a typical day look like for you?

There is no such thing, every day is different.  I always try to start my day by engaging with my team. Some days are hectic, others have space to explore opportunities for improvement.

What’s your favourite inspirational quote or figure?

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I’m Possible” by Audrey Hepburn.

If you were a superhero, who would you be and why?

Aren’t we all already superheros?  I think we should all aim to make the world a better place, not all superheros wear capes.

Which Northern Health value do you relate to best?

Kind – I think kindness is very important, building relationships with your colleagues through kindness then brings the other two values, working together for safety.  Even with masks on, a smile and a genuine hello makes a difference to someone’s day.

You may have noticed changes in the selection available in Northern Health catering menus, cafes, and vending machines. In line with the Healthy Choices: policy directive and guidelines for Victorian public health services (the Policy directive)’, Northern Health is working to offer healthier food and drink choices to staff and visitors.

The Healthy Choices Policy directive is an initiative led by the Victorian Government, and supported by the Healthy Eating Advisory Service. The directive outlines a set of targets to ensure healthier foods and drinks are made available at public hospitals and health services. The policy helps to reinforce health services and hospitals as places that support the health and wellbeing of their staff and visitors.

From 30 September 2022, vending machines and in-house retail food outlets across Victorian health services, including Northern Health, will offer more healthy drink options, will not sell high-sugar drinks, and will limit the provision of artificially sweetened drinks. Following on from this, in 2023, our vending machines, catering menus, and cafes will also offer a range of healthier food choices, in line with the policy directive targets for food.

Lisa Cox, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, and Executive Sponsor for Healthy Choices at Northern Health, is working with key Northern Health staff to ensure healthier food and drinks are offered across all our vending machines, catering, and food retail outlets.

“Northern Health’s work to meet the policy directive targets will mean healthier food and drinks for staff and visitors, and will align with the organisation’s strategic priority for a healthier community,” she said.

Sandra Molinaro, Manager Support Services, said she was excited to see Northern Health offer healthier food and drink options.

“Northern Health is looking forward to offering delicious, healthier options,” she said.

Northern Health is proud to be working with food providers to promote healthier options for staff, visitors and patients. Next time you are at one of our Northern Health sites, make sure to check out the changes to the food and drinks options made available to you.

Earlier this year, Northern Health made the switch to Provender – a fresh food vending machine company – to provide healthier food and drink options in all the vending machines across the health service. The vending machines offer a range of muesli slices, natural nuts, protein bars, and low calorie, low sugar, and gluten free options.

Learn more about these changes, please click here.

Featured image: Lisa Cox, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, and Executive Sponsor for Healthy Choices at Northern Health, and Sandra Molinaro, Manager Support Services.

Yesterday, the new South Pod – Chest Pain Evaluation Unit (CPEU) at Northern Hospital Epping officially opened.

The 12-bed modular unit is located to the south of the hospital, between the back entrance and the multideck car park.

The CPEU is a short stay unit to support flow, and facilitate timely access to care for patients who present to the Emergency Department. The team will work closely with the Emergency Department, Cardiology Unit (Ward 5), and SSU to provide services for patients in the northern catchment presenting primarily with low risk and low probability chest pain.

The CPEU will be led by new Nurse Unit Manager, Hannah Downie, who has worked in our Emergency Department (ED) for several years.

“It’s been a really exciting opportunity to be a part of opening the CPEU and I want to thank all the staff that have come on board to join the team. I’m looking forward to continuing our new collaboration with Cardiology to provide a streamlined service for our Northern Community, Patients and Emergency Department. I’d personally like to thank Bronwyn Matthews, Jesse Fraser and Carolyn Ullyatt for their contributions and ongoing support,” Hannah said.

The unit comprises four negative pressure bays with ante rooms, and a further eight single bays that can have droplet and contact isolation patients, or be a negative pressure area (the eight bays and staff areas) with single donning and doffing rooms on entry and exit.

All bays have hard-wired cardiac monitoring with 12-lead ECG capability, with central monitors located at staff stations 1 and 2.

Before being accepted into the unit, patients will be identified by the ED medical and nursing team and be assessed against inclusion criteria.

Grant Taylor, Director Operations – Emergency Department and CPEU, said, “The Chest Pain Evaluation Unit is an exciting new service at Northern Health that will assist our Emergency Department to streamline care for patients who present with chest pain, as well as further support our community.”

“I would like to thank all staff who have contributed to the construction and operationalisation of the CPEU and look forward to working closely with Hannah to support the service to the benefit of our patients.”