August 2022
-
Get to know: Kathryn Bartho
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…
-
Northern Health making healthier choices available
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…
-
New South Pod – CPEU opens at Northern Hospital Epping
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…
-
EMR design and build is now complete!
The design and build of our own Electronic Medical Record (EMR), will finally come to an end in early August, thanks to the hard work of our EMR team, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and Accountable Leaders. The first EMR workshop kick-started back in May 2021. During workshops one to three, the team worked closely with stakeholders to collect data to inform the initial EMR build. Northern Health’s current workflows were analysed, and decisions were made on how future workflows should look when we start using the EMR in 2023. In September 2021, with another spike in COVID-19 cases, all workshops…
-
Peer support for Northern Health staff
To ensure our staff are supported, Northern Health is committed to strengthening our culture of care, and supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our staff. We acknowledge that staff have different preferences and needs for how they wish to support their wellbeing, and we understand the importance of our staff having access to a variety of internal and external supports. Renee Camilleri, Wellbeing Advisor, said staff wanted access to peer support, where they feel supported by a peer who shares the experience of working at Northern Health. This was how the Peer Support Program was born. “The Northern Health…
-
Get to know: Elisha O’Dowd
In today’s ‘Get to know’ profile, we catch up with Elisha O’Dowd, Nurse Unit Manager – Infection Prevention and Surveillance. Firstly, what’s your coffee order? Soy latte, IV please. Can you tell us about your Northern Health journey? Originally, way back in the day, I studied business (HR and organisation behavior!) Then, after becoming a mum, I decided to switch to nursing. I started as a graduate nurse in cardiac/medical in Unit D (the old-old Unit G, now Ward 15). After six months, I moved to emergency and fell in love with emergency nursing. I quickly did my postgrad in…
-
Northern Nightingales shooting goals
The Northern Hospital Epping Emergency Department (ED) team have played their first games as part of a new netball tournament amongst fellow healthcare workers across Melbourne. The idea for the 2022 Inaugural ED Netball League – ‘Battle of Melbourne Metro Hospital’s Emergency Department Staff’ – was born during an ED night-shift. Hannah Downie, Nurse Unit Manager of the South Pod – CPEU, brought the idea to her colleagues after hearing about it from fellow ED nurse, Amanda Wanasingha, from St Vincent’s Hospital, who created the tournament. Northern Hospital staff were keen to take part straight away. The ‘Northern Nightingales’ mixed…
-
Northern Health opens new Infusion Centre
On Monday, 8 August, Northern Health commenced operating a new Infusion Centre located at Epping Private Hospital. Due to the growing demand for outpatient treatments and infusions for medical patients, the team required a new space. “Ward 1 at Northern Hospital Epping was required for inpatient bed capacity, so moving over to the new space at Epping Private allowed us to create a purpose-built Infusion Centre for our patients,” said Melissa Gwynne, Nurse Unit Manager. “We will continue to treat current and new patients that require blood product transfusions, iron infusions, monoclonal antibodies and some low risk chemotherapy and immunotherapy,…