June 2022
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Welcome home Palliative Care!
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,…
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The end of an era: Goodbye COVID-19 testing site
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,…
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New Minister for Health visits Northern Hospital
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…
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Meet Jane Pickworth – Project Director, North Western Mental Health Disaggregation
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…
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Meet Belinda Scott – Executive Director, Mental Health
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…
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New five year contract for ISS
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…
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Don’t forget to sign up for Dry July
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…
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From Syria to Northern Health
This week is Refugee Week, a chance to highlight aspects of the refugee experience and to provide the community with an insight into what it is like to be a refugee. For Wadeed Salboud, coming to Australia from Syria was the right move for his family. Despite the fear of the unknown in a new country, Wadeed has created a new life with his family, right here in Australia. Wadeed lived with his wife and two children in Aleppo, a city in Syria. He had a clinic, a house, and was working hard to build a future for his family.…