Next week is NAIDOC Week – an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories, and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.

This year’s theme is Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! Here’s a video on this year’s theme:

This year, in addition to the display in the foyer at Northern Hospital Epping and at our other sites, we also have for the first time a Video Gallery, as part of our online display.

Narrun Wilip-Giin, Aboriginal Support Unit, has also put together a quiz that will test your knowledge and reward you with exciting prizes. Click here for the NAIDOC Week quiz.

On Thursday, 7 July at 8 am, the speaker at our Grand Round will be Jack Bulman, a Muthi Muthi man, and Chief Executive Officer of Mibbinbah Spirit Healing. Jack has extensive hands-on experience in social-emotional wellbeing for Indigenous males, through to the development of culturally appropriate traditional and therapeutic programs. Click here to join the Grand Round.

Here at Northern Health, another cause for celebration is the Narrun Wilip-giin Cultural Space, which is to be opened shortly.

Anecdotal evidence tells us that Indigenous people find hospitals uncomfortable, alienating, stressful, and not culturally safe. Negative experiences can lead to reluctance to access services, disengagement with clinicians and care in these settings, and high rates of discharge against medical advice. These can, in turn, affect the health and wellbeing of our indigenous patients.

During recent Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) consultations, one community member said, “When you’ve got people looking you up and down, it makes you feel bad. All eyes on you, makes you ashamed always, like you shouldn’t be there.”

Karen Bryant, Senior Aboriginal Liaison Officer and proud Gunditjmara woman, says, “Culturally appropriate, high-quality care is of primary importance in the delivery of health services.”

“Indigenous patients attract larger numbers of carers and visitors, whether in maternity wards, outpatient clinics, intensive care, or in palliative care. The stories confirm hospital design and culturally safe environments matters to Indigenous patients and their families.”

A cultural space for Indigenous consumers and patients “allows them to come and make a cuppa, sit, relax, read or have a cry.”

“A welcoming environment is about creating a place where Indigenous people feel safe, comfortable, accepted and confident that they will be respected, will be listened to and will receive high quality care,” Karen said.

“Northern Health also displays Aboriginal artwork, Acknowledgement to Country plaques and showcases multiple areas with an Indigenous influence, another way of being more inclusive and welcoming.”

“Welcoming spaces enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and employees to uphold their cultural practices and beliefs. The physical, emotional and personal aspects of spaces are all critical components of creating welcoming environments.”

Happy NAIDOC to all! We hope you all have the opportunity to join in the spirit of this very significant week.

Our Palliative Care Unit has moved into their new home in Ward 3 at Northern Hospital Epping!

The palliative care team successfully completed their move yesterday – Wednesday, 29 June.

At the beginning of 2022, the Palliative Care Unit was required to move from Heritage, Epping Gardens due to the existing healthcare facility being expanded.

Julius Quiring, Palliative Care Unit Nurse Unit Manager, explained that staff were attached to the space at Epping Gardens due to its beautiful, homely surroundings – one that their patients and families embraced.

“Change is part of life and rather than being sad about leaving, we need to embrace the future and look at the positives about returning to the Northern Health main site,” he explained.

The priority for the team was to ensure the transition was as smooth as possible for patients.

“Just like when moving house, there was a lot of planning required and the move came with its challenges, given the entire unit was planned to be relocated over just a few days,” he said.

Julius said the team was flexible and generous when assisting with the move.

“Ward 3 is a big space which is clean and has recently been painted. It’s a canvas which we will expand on and make our own. We desire a homely environment where, on entering, patients and their families feel the positive vibes of staff within a relaxing home-like entity,” he said.

Having our Palliative Care Unit located at Northern Hospital Epping comes with a number of benefits for patients, families and staff.

“All of the different departments who previously needed to visit us at Heritage will now be just minutes away. For example, I’m sure the pharmacists will feel this benefit, as we admit and discharge patients,” Julius said.

“Our urgent referrals necessary for palliative patients will also predominately be available sooner. And, the big one being, as patients arrive at the Emergency Department, if requiring admission, transport to an external facility will now be avoided.”

To enhance the Ward 3 courtyard for our palliative care patients, funds raised from this year’s Dry July campaign will go towards the refurbishment of the garden.

“A garden to be created for patients to sit outside while sharing time with their loved ones will be an excellent start to our new journey!” Julius said.

“A beautiful garden helps restore the soul, and reminds people that despite being unwell, they remain very much connected to their community.”

Julius and his team are excited to make their new space a home.

“Goodbye beautiful Heritage building – we created so many wonderful memories there, and, did so much great work. The cards and letters prove ‘we did a fabulous job’! However, we are on the move and we will create more of the same. At the end of the day, the building and its surroundings are one thing, but it’s the people within the walls that count. You can count on us to make our new home one that we can be all proud of and, importantly, meets the needs of our patients,” he said.

“Thank you to everyone who were very sensitive to our needs over this period. Finally, I can’t thank the palliative care team enough for their hard work, flexibility and understanding. Having confidence that they are supporting the unit and will do everything that they can to contribute, continue to inspire me to lead this extraordinary team.”

The new unit can be contacted on 9485 9258. Please note: The referral and admission process for palliative care will remain the same, via the palliative care consulting team on 0407 002 473 or the On Call Palliative Care Consultant out of hours via switchboard.

Featured image shows our Palliative Care Unit staff.

After two years of swabbing for COVID-19, our testing site at Northern Hospital’s Northern Centre for Health Education & Research (NCHER) has officially closed.

Since the pandemic began, we have been extremely impressed with our staff and proud of their dedication to caring for the community – even during challenging times.

Rain, hail or shine, our staff on the frontline donned their PPE each day, facilitating the testing of almost 300,000 community members in total.

Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Lisa Cox, expressed her appreciation for our staff during this time.

“I would like to thank all staff – nursing, administration, security and traffic management for providing such an invaluable community service to Northern Health staff, patients and the general community,” she said.

Previously named the ‘Fever Clinic’, the COVID-19 testing site at Northern Hospital Epping was first established in March 2020, operating next to DPV Health. Shortly after, the service was developed into a drive-through testing site at NCHER.

“This was Northern Health’s longest serving COVID-19 testing site, commencing in July 2020 and testing many Victorians and interstate travellers throughout its operations.”

Lisa commended the team on their rapid response during peak times.

“The ability to surge during local outbreaks and various COVID-19 waves was highly impressive. The NCHER COVID-19 testing site was one of the superior services in terms of queue management and timely results for our staff and community.”

At some of our busiest times, our combined sites tested over 1,100 community members in one day alone.

“After having the Northern Health testing sites in operation for two years, it seems strange to decommission the service,” Lisa added.

Madelaine Flynn, Director of Operations, Infection Prevention, said the testing site has been invaluable to the community.

“The staff have worked incredibly hard in all seasons and with large influxes of patient numbers!”

Thank you to every single staff member who worked at the testing site over the last two years. You have played such an important role in protecting our community and we are so grateful.

This morning, Northern Health welcomed Victoria’s new Minister for Health and Ambulance Services, The Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas, to Northern Hospital Epping.

In her first week of her new role, The Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas met with Jennifer Williams AM, Northern Health Board Chair and Siva Sivarajah, Northern Health Chief Executive for a tour of Northern Hospital.

After arriving at the Main Ward Block, The Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas proceeded to the Emergency Department (ED) where she received a tour of the area and was briefed on the latest developments and news. During her tour, she stopped to chat with our ED staff and thanked them for their important contributions and hard work during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We wish The Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas all the best in her new appointment.

Featured image (left to right): Jennifer Williams AM, Northern Health Board Chair; The Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas, Victorian Minister for Health and Ambulance Services; Siva Sivarajah, Northern Health Chief Executive

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System made significant recommendations regarding the way mental health services are organised, integrated and governed, and proposed reforms in north and west metropolitan Melbourne. These reforms will lead to a more accessible, responsive and well-resourced mental health service over the coming months and years.

Northern Health will become a designated Mental Health Service from 1 July 2022 and will play a key role in the implementation of these reforms.

On 4 July, we will welcome Northern Area Mental Health Services (NMHS) and North West Area Mental Health Services (NWMH) to Northern Health. We will also welcome the staff of Merv Irvine Nursing Home and McLellan House.

Collectively, this will make us the third largest Mental Health Service in Victoria.

Today we speak to Jane Pickworth, Project Director, North Western Mental Health Disaggregation, Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH).

Jane, let’s start with your coffee order?

Long black thanks.

Tell us about your role as Project Director, North Western Mental Health Services, Disaggregation?

I’ve been in the role for almost six months and it is still evolving. Essentially, although the project’s overall objective is to transfer governance of the services to the local health service in the community in which consumers reside, a spin off is greater integration of general and mental health. You can’t separate the brain from the body and the world around it. I’ve had to get an understanding of what sites and services exist within the northern corridor and then understand which ones are transferring and when. Follow this up with a list of what needs to occur to make that happen and work through existing dependencies. I have been meeting and working alongside so many people, each possessing a myriad of expertise in supporting NWMH, mostly behind the scenes, but absolutely invaluable to the day-to-day operations of a very large clinical team. Northern Health have been willing partners in the process.

Tell us what you were doing prior to this role? 

I joined the COVID-19 pandemic support contingent, caring for returning travellers from overseas and refugees entering Australia. Our role was to help them stay well whilst in hotel quarantine through the coordination of a primary health agreement between Healthcare Australia and COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I talk to a lot of people and stare at a Gantt chart. I’m constantly accumulating more information to put on the ‘to do’ list to ensure items get captured and attended to. I have global awareness across a range of activities which helps me coordinate the moving parts. I enjoy meeting with the expert working groups, executive representatives and the Department of Health, and being able to help problem solve issues as they arise. 

What excites you about your role?

That I am doing my best to make sure the receiving health service, in this case Northern Health, is best placed to continue to support staff in the work they do with consumers. The vision of the Royal Commission is a worthy one and this work helps move transformation forward.

What are some of the challenges of this role? 

Adequately reassuring individuals that everyone from the RMH, NWMH and the receiving health services are doing all they can to ensure a seamless transition. My experience of health services is that they aggregate and disaggregate from time to time, on different scales, and for lots of reasons. I view this change as an opportunity, but I know lots of change, or change not managed well, can feel overwhelming for some.   

Lastly, what would people be most surprised to know about you? 

Back in the late 1990’s, I wrote a minor thesis on the purpose and process of the Ministerial Review of Health Care Networks, its proposal for change and how it was perceived to impact on management, staff and client care in one component of a Health Care Network – an Area Mental Health Service. At that time, I was working in the Northern Area Mental Health Service.

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System made significant recommendations regarding the way mental health services are organised, integrated and governed, and proposed reforms for north and west metropolitan Melbourne. These reforms will lead to creating a more accessible, responsive and well-resourced mental health service system over the coming months and years.

Northern Health will be a designated Mental Health Service from 1 July 2022 and play a key role in the implementation of these reforms.

On 1 July, we welcome Northern Area Mental Health Services and North West Area Mental Health Services to Northern Health. We will also welcome the staff of Merv Irvine Nursing Home and McLellan House.

Collectively, this will make us the third largest mental health service in Victoria.

Today we speak to Belinda Scott – Executive Director, Mental Health, Northern Health to understand her role and get to know her better.

Belinda, let’s start with your coffee order?
Almond Chai Latte

Tell us about your role as Executive Director, Mental Health and what it entails?

My role is to enable the team to deliver best care to consumers, carers and families through effective advocacy, strategic planning for the future. I also need to ensure key issues are communicated to my executive colleagues and the Northern Health Board.

Tell us what you were doing prior to this role?

I was the Chief Executive of Djerriwarrh health services, I left this role when the health service was amalgamated into Western Health.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My typical day includes many meetings, phone calls and chai.

I can be doing 10 different things in 10 different meetings throughout the day, including discussions about food, workforce, budgets and legal matters. My role covers the breadth of clinical, non-clinical and support service delivery.

What excites you about your role?

What excites me are the challenges and the opportunity to be involved in the reform of the service system for consumers experiencing mental ill health and their families and carers. It is an inaugural appointment. I am also thrilled at the opportunity to lead an amazing team to improve outcomes for consumer, carers and families.

Speaking of challenges, what are some of the challenges of this role?

Workforce planning is a challenge, staff fatigue and feeling safe at work is a challenge. The increasing incidence of mental ill health and and demand on services in the north.  

Lastly, what would people be most surprised to know about you?

I have 24 and 22 year-old daughters. I am also allergic to chocolate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ISS has recently renewed its contract with Northern Health, signing on for another five years with the health service.

There are more than 400 ISS staff members across Northern Health, who provide cleaning, catering and hospitality services.

Saj Amerasinghe, ISS Key Account Manager, said the contract extension was a massive milestone for staff.

“This is a reward for our staff, especially during a pandemic,” he said.

“We have worked with Northern Health and the partnership we have built, the extra projects we took on board, it is all thanks to the staff.”

“As managers, we steer the ship, but the staff are out there working. It is a compliment and reward.”

ISS has been at Northern Health since 2016, and has undertaken important roles for the health service, especially during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are not just limited to cleaning and catering. We took over concierge, we were involved in the South Morang vaccination clinic and we have Ward Assistants,” Saj said.

“We are bringing innovations, trying to work more towards sustainability, and we have a few projects coming up. We are all working together.”

Saj said the key highlights for ISS over the past six years included welcoming the ISS Global CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen to Northern Health, transitioning into the new state of the art kitchen, and expanding their services across Northern Health.

“There was never a dull moment,” he said.

“They are happy staff and at the end of the day, that is the culture that ISS always wants to drive.”

Featured image: ISS staff

There is only one week left to sign up for Dry July.

The Northern Health Foundation is once again taking part in this fundraising initiative. The aim is to raise money to refurbish the outdoor area in Ward 3 at Northern Hospital Epping, that will soon become the Palliative Care Unit (PCU). Currently, the PCU is at Epping Gardens.

There are lots of great prizes for those who join the Northern Health Foundation Dry July team and ultimately for the most successful fundraisers.

If you sign up today, you will go in the draw to win a gift hamper or a voucher, valued up to $50. Individual team members who raise over $1,000, have a chance to win an overnight penthouse accommodation stay at Mantra Epping, with a full buffet breakfast for two adults. An overnight accommodation stay in a one bedroom apartment at Mantra is also up for grabs, with a full buffet breakfast for two adults. Furthermore, you can win a full buffet breakfast for two adults at Mantra Epping, as well as other gift hampers and vouchers.

Alternatively, if you sign up at our office in the Northern Hospital Epping foyer, you will receive a free can of Lyre’s Spirit Co non-alcoholic beverage.

Our prizes have been generously donated by Pacific Epping, Lyre’s Spirit Co, Bunnings Epping, Mantra Epping and Big W Epping.

Konstantina Halastanis, Fundraising and Relationship Manager, encouraged everyone to get involved in Dry July this year.

“We continue to be amazed by the enthusiasm staff and the community have shown towards the Dry July campaigns. Your efforts have helped make the cancer journey a little easier for some, and for that, we are so grateful,” she said.

“Our gratitude is also extended to everyone who is sponsoring the Northern Health team this year. A special thanks to Lyre’s Spirit Co, Bunnings Epping, Pacific Epping, Mantra Epping and Big W for their remarkable generosity. We thank them on behalf of the staff and patients at Northern Health.”

When you join our team, you can decide what to give up for July. For those giving up alcohol, a Golden Ticket can be purchased for $25. This allows participants to take a night off their challenge, while still making a difference to the lives of people affected by cancer.

With the money raised from this year’s Dry July campaign, the outdoor space in Ward 3 will become a beautiful garden oasis for families to enjoy with their loved ones, who are in end of life care.

“Our team is dedicated to reaching our goal, but we need you to help us,” Konstantina said.

2022 is the third year Northern Health has taken part in Dry July. Last year, a massive $31,199 was raised, which went towards the purchase of a new car for the NOAH@Home program. This program provides oncology and haematology patients the opportunity to receive certain chemotherapy or supportive treatments in the comfort of their own homes.

Now it is time to do it all again! To join our team or donate, click here.