May 2022
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2222 – Our new emergency code number
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…
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Awarding our staff
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…
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Better Together: National Volunteer Week
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…
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IDAHOBIT Day: Wear a rainbow tomorrow
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…
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Welcome back Unit 3 Broadmeadows Hospital!
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…
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Celebrating International Nurses Day!
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…
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Virtual ED expands as it reaches 200 patients per day
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…
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Are you the new Peer Supporters?
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…