On 1 November 2021, Northern Health transitioned our internal code phone number from 444 to 2222 following the Department of Health requirement for Victorian health services to introduce the 2222 phone number by the end of 2021.

Since the transition, the previous in-hospital emergency number (444) has continued to run in parallel with 2222, to ensure no emergency calls are missed. However, from 1 June 2022, the old number 444 will no longer be in use and all emergency calls will need to be made to 2222.

“Prior to the rollout of the new emergency number 2222, there was no standardised number for activating emergency calls including Code Blues and Medical Emergency Team (MET) throughout different hospital organisations. Many of our staff work across different organisations and it can be difficult to recall the different emergency numbers at a time of high pressure and urgency,” explained Jason Amos, Manager – Emergency Management.

“Alignment with other hospitals, not only state or country-wide, but internationally, allows for a decreased risk of dialling the incorrect number, thus decreasing the risk of delay in escalation and response of the clinical emergency.”

The Emergency Management Team undertakes monthly audits of phone calls made to 444 to identify areas where additional support and education is required to assist with the transition to the new 2222 emergency number.

Audits of calls between November 2021 – March 2022 identified a continuous downward trend in the number of calls being made to 444.

Between November 2021 and March 2022, Northern Health averaged between 2,000 and 2,500 calls a month to the emergency code phone. In November last year, 21 per cent of those calls were still being made to 444, however, this rate reduced to approximately five per cent in March.

From 1 June 2022, staff who accidentally call 444 instead of 2222 will be greeted with a recording advising them that 444 is no longer active and 2222 must be called. Calls to 444, while irregular, will lead to a short delay in initiating emergency code response.

All internal phones should have a new 2222 sticker on them, however, if you notice a phone in your area doesn’t have the new sticker, they can be ordered by contacting Jason.Amos@nh.org.au.

Featured Image: Teneille, Emergency Department ANUM with Jason Amos. 

Today, Northern Health virtually held its first Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards ceremony for 2022, showcasing the great work of our staff.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions that were in place over December and January, today’s ceremony recognised 2021 Quarter 4 winners, as well as 2022 Quarter 1 winners.

More than 200 nominations, across six categories, were submitted by the winner’s colleagues.

Siva Sivarajah, Chief Executive, opened the virtual ceremony. He said the awards had been designed to formally recognise the outstanding contributions by our employees and to celebrate staff excellence.

“Northern Health has over 6,300 staff who work across a wide range of areas and who are committed to providing great care,” he said.

“Through these awards, we recognise staff for their hard work and dedication to our patients, staff and community. Award winners today exemplify a strong positive workplace culture and commitment to our patients.”

The Paediatric Nursing staff at La Trobe Kids in Care and Recruitment and Payroll teams were presented with the Above and Beyond Award, for providing extra care or support to a patient, family or work colleague.

The Clinical Excellence Award was given to Dr Mikael Dunlop, Paediatric Registrar, and Dr David Langsford, Renal Consultant. Both staff showcased generosity with their knowledge, instilled confidence in patients and colleagues, and achieved the best patient experience outcomes.

The Innovation Award, for a person or team that implemented a better way to deliver care or service through a new idea or initiative, was presented to Keith Stockman, Director of Service Design and Innovation, Hospital Without Walls, and the COMET Team (COVID Early Therapies).

Melissa Sajeva, Operations Manager Coding and Casemix, and the Falls Committee, won the Excellence in Safety Award for making Northern Health a safer place for our patients, visitors and staff.

The Patience Experience Award, for making a significant achievement in improving the care experience, including showing kindness and compassion towards a patient, family or colleague, was presented to Christine Nunn, Enrolled Nurse Antenatal and Gynaecology, and Julius Quiring, Nurse Unit Manager of the Palliative Care Unit.

And lastly, Aaron Woods, Health Information Manager, Data Integrity, and Vanessa Dicianni, Paediatric Speech Pathologist, both took home the Rising Star Award. This award represents growth potential in developing a career at Northern Health.

Congratulations to all our award winners!

The Staff Awards are sponsored by BankVic and Northern Health Foundation.

To watch the ceremony recording, please click here.

Featured image (left to right top row): Barbara Rischitelli, Sharyn Schon, Dr Kristen Pearson, Melissa Sajeva; (bottom row) Falls Committee – Paula Dimakos-Pugliese and Uyen Phan, Julius Quiring, Aaron Woods.

This week is National Volunteer Week, the country’s largest annual celebration of volunteering, and a chance for us to recognise the vital work of volunteers.

Our Northern Health volunteers play an important role at the health service. They are always there to offer their assistance with a friendly smile and are always a welcoming presence.

The theme for this year’s National Volunteer Week is ‘Better Together’. Volunteering brings people together, it builds communities and creates a better society for everyone. Today, our volunteers came together at a picnic to celebrate their amazing work.

2022 is a special year for one of our volunteers. Kerry Wall is marking 40 years of volunteering service at Bundoora Centre.

Together with other volunteers, Kerry has worked tirelessly at the Busy Fingers Shop, keeping it stocked with a variety of items. She is also the president of the shop, and has been for 12 years. Most of the goodies in the shops are handcrafted by volunteers and proceeds from the sale of these items have enabled the purchase of essential medical equipment for our wards.

The Busy Fingers Shop has donated over $2 million to Bundoora Centre, which includes over $200,000 for life-changing equipment for the health service over recent years.

“Volunteering became part of my life. You have to live for today and I have just done many of them. You take the opportunities as they present themselves to you and work the hardest you can at it,” Kerry said.

“A truly amazing and significant contribution that needs to be acknowledged,” said Henni Wade, Volunteer Services Manager.

Kerry’s mother and father were also Northern Health volunteers, dating right back to the beginning of Bundoora Centre. Between the three of them, they have clocked up over 110 years of service.

“We feel privileged to have had Kerry and her family support Northern Health for such a significant period of time,” said Christine McGowan, Volunteer Coordinator at Bundoora Centre.

The Volunteer team is looking forward to the reopening of the Busy Fingers Shop, after closing its doors due to COVID-19 restrictions. Northern Health also recently welcomed back our volunteers back on-site, after the pandemic restricted on-site volunteering.

Henni said the 2022 National Volunteer Week theme of ‘Better Together’ was fitting when talking about our volunteers.

“They make our workplace better by supporting us in lots of different ways. I love watching our guides interact with our visitors, showing interest in their journeys and making them feel welcome,” she said.

“I also love the buzz of the volunteer tearoom where volunteers work together to busily prepare packs for different wards or are doing other admin tasks while sharing stories of what has been happening. The volunteers are like a family, supporting eachother through tough times, looking out for each other and sharing fun times.”

Natalie Carroll, who now coordinates the How-R-U Social Support Program,  and Monica Polimeni, Community Visitor Scheme Program Coordinator, thanked the volunteers who used their time to make regular contact with vulnerable community members, especially during the pandemic.

Featured image (L-R): Natalie Carroll, Volunteer Coordinator with Kerry Wall, Volunteer.

Tomorrow is IDAHOBIT Day. IDAHOBIT stands for International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia.

The day is celebrated across Australia, where we get to take a stand against discrimination and support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and asexual (LGBTIQA+) people.

IDAHOBIT Day acknowledges 17 May 1990, when the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality as a mental disorder in the International Classification of Disease (ICD).

Christine Nicolaidis, Chair of the Rainbow Working Group Committee states, “Although we have come a long way since then, people who form part of the LGBTIQA+ community still experience discrimination. Research indicates 75 per cent of LGBTQIA+ youth have experienced some form of discrimination, and 77 per cent of trans and gender diverse people report being discriminated against in the past 12 months.”

“This discrimination leads to poorer health outcomes, including mental health. In fact, 39 per cent of LGBTQIA+ people have experienced depression in the past 12 months, compared to 6.2 per cent of the general population.”

“Sexuality and gender identity aren’t always visible, so creating a culture where everyone feels safe is important. We want to create a space where staff, consumers and families at Northern Health are respected and celebrated for who they are.”

Dr Paul Howat, Divisional Director, Women’s and Children’s Services says, “For me, IDAHOBIT is a day of celebration. When I was 18 and a first year medical student, being gay was punishable by a jail term in Victoria. Now we can get married, and we no longer have to hide our personal lives.”

“I’ve always felt welcomed at Northern right from day one, and proud to bring my full self to work and be accepted. However, there is still a long way to go, and our trans brothers and sisters are under threat and at high risk of self-harm. Let’s be a kind community and care for each other.”

Christine says, “It is important for us to continue to work towards building an inclusive and safe space so our staff, patients and community know that Northern Health is a place where you will be treated equitably and fairly, and be celebrated for who you are.”

If you would like to join the working group, please reach out to Christine on Christine.nicolaidis@nh.org.au or 8405 8084.

To show their support for IDAHOBIT Day, staff are encouraged to wear a rainbow ribbon, pin or piece of clothing tomorrow.

Featured image shows Northern Health staff marching at the Pride March in 2021.

Unit 3 at Broadmeadows Hospital reopened its doors this week, welcoming back their dedicated staff.

The unit closed in August last year so staff could assist with Northern Health’s COVID-19 response. Unit 3 staff were deployed to Wards 20, 22, 13 at Northern Hospital Epping, Kath Atkinson Wing and Wards 1 and 2 at Bundoora Centre.

Belinda Nash, Acting Site Director at Broadmeadows Hospital, said it was great to see Unit 3 open and vibrant.

“We are so proud of their contribution to Northern Hospital Epping and we are glad to see them return to Broadmeadows Hospital,” she said.

“Staff are glad to be home and are also enjoying the updated refurbishment. We are very thankful to Unit 3 staff for their hard work and dedication.”

“We would also like to welcome the new Nurse Unit Manager, Jochie Pantaleon.”

Jochie commenced at Northern Health in April and was asked to recruit more staff in time for the unit’s reopening.

“I was excited to meet all the new staff and reopen the ward. Words are not enough to actually thank the staff for their hard work. They sacrificed a lot during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and I must say, they deserve to be treated kindly and nicely,” she said.

“I would also like to thank Lucia Bento and the rest of the Broadmeadows Hospital staff for their warm welcome. They made me feel like I am one of them – I am supported, I belong.”

Staff undertook a smooth transition earlier this week to move patients into the unit, with assistance from Unit 1 at Broadmeadows Hospital.

“Thanks to the phenomenal work from Unit 1 in moving patients, but also with the multiple admissions. Thanks to the engineering team for ensuring the works were completed in time,” Belinda said.

Featured image: Unit 3 staff

Today is the International Day of the Nurse, celebrated annually on 12 May – the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birthday.

This year’s theme – ‘Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Invest in Nursing and Respect Rights to Secure Global Health,’ focuses on the need to protect, support and invest in the nursing profession to strengthen health systems around the world. International Day of the Nurse celebrates and acknowledges the compassion, professionalism and round-the-clock commitment of nurses caring for patients. Florence Nightingale was the founder of modern medicine.

Belinda Nash, Acting Site Director, Nursing and Operations – Broadmeadows Hospital and Craigieburn Centre, said she had genuine gratitude for nurses turning up to work very day and doing their best to achieve patient outcomes.

“Our profession is more a vocation and more so during COVID-19, as this has shown that we are dedicated and amazing people,” she said.

“Seeing our patient’s improve, being discharged home and being thankful to staff for their care, is my favourite thing about nursing. A young woman came to our unit after having a neurological event – it was a real sense of achievement when she walked out of the unit with her husband and small child. It was a real goosebump moment.”

To anyone considering a nursing career, Belinda said being prepared to be flexible and resilient was the key to a successful nursing career.

“You never know what each day will bring. Be kind and incorporate that in your day – that helps you when challenges arise,” she said.

Kirralee Jensen, Site Director Operations and Director of Nursing at Bundoora Centre, said nurses and the nursing profession were so important because they are always there for their patients.

“They are the ones holding the hands of patients when their relatives cannot. A simple task or gesture made by a nurse towards a patient or their family can have a profound impact,” she said.

“They make a difference and we would be lost without them. Nurses are the most trusted profession and I am very proud to call myself a nurse. I would like to say a big thank you to each and every nurse for their dedication, commitment and compassion, and for providing outstanding care to their patients on a daily basis. You are appreciated!”

Lora Davies, Director of Nursing, Northern Hospital Epping, said nursing provided her with a real sense of purpose.

“Nurses play a critical role in how patients and families experience the health care system when they are at their most vulnerable and it’s important to always remember this,” she said.

“It is not always easy, but the smile or thank you that you get from a patient or family makes it all worthwhile. Thank you to all the nurses for continuing to come to work and care for the community, in what we acknowledge are extremely challenging times.”

Lisa Cox, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, thanked our dedicated nurses for everything they do for our community, not just today, but every day.

“Nurses are invaluable to the health care system and community. They provide and play so many roles on the health and life continuum of people within our catchment, from antenatal through to death,” she said.

“A nursing career can offer so much variety. It also offers so many opportunities and pathways – clinical, research, education, nurse specialists, advances practice or practitioner pathways. There is always a role or opportunity for a nurse that extends well outside a health service.”

We asked some of our wonderful nurses to tell us what being a nurse means to them. Here’s what they had to say:

Our Virtual Emergency Department, now expanding to become the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED), has reached a milestone of 200 patients a day!

Northern Hospital Epping has been designing and developing the virtual emergency service since October 2020. Initially a pilot project born during the early days of the pandemic, it is now expanding in stages to service a wider region.

The team is closely collaborating with Ambulance Victoria to get more ambulances back on the road, whilst relieving pressure on our Emergency Department (ED) staff. The results are already showing, with 87 per cent of people referred to the virtual service avoiding a trip in an ambulance to the hospital ED.

Dr Loren Sher, Director Victorian Virtual Emergency Department, says this is an important landmark for the team.

“We are so excited and looking forward to seeing many more patients. The current figures give us a sense of how far we’ve come. We’ve started as a small project, seeing around 15-25 patients a day, and the current numbers are phenomenal,” she said.

Approximately 60 per cent of patients using VVED are self-presenting patients, and about 40 per cent of patients are from Ambulance Victoria or other health services. More than half of the patients being treated virtually have COVID-19.

“Patients are presenting from across the state, which is fantastic to see. Currently, Ambulances and COVID patients can connect to VVED from anywhere in the state. In terms of non-COVID patients, we are currently accepting patients from northern and eastern suburbs, including patients from Austin Hospital and St. Vincent’s Hospital catchment areas and expanding to the Hume region,” Loren explains.

The Hume expansion is part of the strategic partnership through the northern corridor.

Dr Bill Shearer, Executive Director, Quality and Safety, said, “Northern Health developed the Virtual ED in response to the growing demand pressures on Emergency Departments and Ambulance Victoria resources. Now, together with Ambulance Victoria, Public Health Networks (PHNs) and health service partners across the Hume region, we are fast-tracking the rollout of the VVED in the region. We are committed to supporting patients and health care providers from the region by ensuring they have access to care via the Virtual Emergency Department in a safe and convenient way.”

VVED’s phased expansion approach is designed to match the patient demand with the amount of VVED staff.

“We have over 100 staff at the VVED for medical, and 25-30 nursing staff. We are a large team of around 150 people working together. Not everybody works full-time, but we all work passionately to support the virtual care model,” Loren explains.

Dr Sher adds the team is on an exciting journey, and working on ways to maximise the utilisation of digital health in the community, as well as monitoring the impact of VVED to relieve the pressures in the Emergency Department.

“We enjoy helping patients receive emergency care from home. The feedback we get is generally amazing. Patients love the service and tell us they feel reassured by it. It saves them time in many instances. Patients are grateful for the service, as most of the time we can manage them at home, and provide advice and referrals. Most patients find amazing that they don’t have to get in the car and come here, especially at night or with children,” she explains.

Under the program, COVID-positive patients can also be referred to the service through the COVID Positive Pathways program which helps Victorians recover from the virus at home.

Northern Health’s Wellbeing team is calling for staff interested in supporting their colleagues and creating a mentally healthy workforce, to become new Peer Supporters and help launch the new Peer Support Program.

Casey O’Brien, Wellbeing Project Psychologist, explains this is an opportunity to be part of a multi-disciplinary team assisting colleagues to cope with typical reactions to stressful events.

“Whether it is a work-related event or a personal challenges that our fellow employees may experience, Northern Health Peer Supporters will provide valuable, confidential support and a key link to further support where appropriate,” she said.

Peer Supporters will be volunteering their time and won’t be providing counselling or emergency response service. Instead, they will provide contact, support and a referral service, with an emphasis on brief, practical interventions, helping colleagues with work and non-work related issues.

“We are aiming to initially recruit 20 Peer Supporters and training will be provided for them,” says Casey.

Tameeka Robertson, Allied Health Education, is looking forward to the new program and will be applying to be a supporter. She is hoping to use her skills and expertise as an experienced Allied Health Supervisor and Educator to provide support to others in need and positively influence staff wellbeing.

“I think the Peer Support Program is a great initiative as a step towards embedding staff wellbeing into our culture here at Northern Health. It is well known how difficult the past few years have been for health professionals, and having a dedicated person you can turn to for support and advice that understands the complexities and stressors of being a health professional during a pandemic is invaluable,” she explains.

“Ensuring all staff have access to the support they need in their workplace has motivated me to apply to become a Peer Supporter. Having the skills and knowledge to effectively support my peers and colleagues from a variety of disciplines across the workplace makes me feel that I am making a difference to staff morale and positively influencing staff wellbeing across the organisation.”

Staff will be able to contact the new Peer Supporters between 7.30 am and 5.30 pm, five days a week. Peer Supporters will have their profiles on the Intranet, and all staff will have the opportunity to read the profiles and contact the Peer Supporter of their choice. The supporters would be contacted via email or via People and Culture reception.

Renee Camilleri, Wellbeing Advisor, added: “Peer support can be personally and professionally rewarding, offering opportunities to connect with fellow colleagues, listen and understand their concerns or challenges and provide practical and emotional support as well as appropriate referrals.”

Tameeka encourages all staff to be involved in this program, either as a Peer Supporter or as a staff member seeking peer support.

“Staff wellbeing is and will continue to be ever so important for healthcare workers as we grapple with the new norm,” she adds.

Would you like to know more and apply? Please see more information on the Intranet.

Featured image: Katherine Anderson, People and Culture, and Tameeka Robertson, Allied Health Education.