I hope that you all had a happy and safe Australia Day weekend, surviving the heatwave!
Strategic Plan 2019-2024
A key focus for us this month is our work towards developing our Strategic Plan 2019-2024.
One of the ways we are finding out what matters to staff is through an online Strategic Plan staff survey. I am pleased to let you know that the survey is now open.
The survey will only take a few minutes to complete, and will provide us with valuable insights into how you think Northern Health should look five years from now.
The survey will be open for three weeks – giving everyone plenty of time to participate and get actively involved.
It is important that we all share our views, working together to build a health service we all enjoy working in, while we continue to provide trusted care to our community.
Along with the survey, our strategic planning team will be visiting all campuses over the next couple of weeks to talk to our staff about their vision and strategic goals for Northern Health. I encourage you to participate in the conversation and have your say.
This will be a great opportunity for you to have a conversation with the planning team, share your vision of Northern Health in 2024, and contribute to creating strategic pillars for the future.
My upcoming Chief Executive Forums will also be a time to find out more about the Strategic Plan. [Please see below]
Welcome to our 2019 interns and graduates
This month we are welcoming 40 new interns, 10 new hospital medical officers and 54 graduate nurses and midwives to our health service.
It is always great to see our Northern Health community grow, and with each new intake comes passion, skills and knowledge that will ensure we continue to provide trusted care to our community.
I wish all new staff good luck on the beginning of their Northern Health journey, and hope they have an enjoyable and rewarding time working and learning with us.
Thank you to everyone on a fantastic start to the year.
The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology recently held the annual Chris Maxwell medal for best registrar presentation at NCHER.
This medal honours the contributions of Dr Chris Maxwell, who worked at PANCH and Northern for over 35 years and was a dedicated teacher and trainer of junior medical staff.
Four Obstetrics and Gynaecology junior medical staff entered the competition, and the winner was Dr Gina Ibrahim, who was presented with a $500 prize and medal by our guest judge, Professor Sue Walker from Mercy Hospital for Women.
Dr Paul Howat congratulated the other participants – Dr Amanda Quatrocelli, Dr Kelly Mirowska-Allen and Dr Bee Ng (pictured below) for their participation and fine efforts, and the winner, Dr Gina Ibrahim, on an excellent presentation.
“Gina impressed the judges with a stylish and innovative presentation, and was also well across the subject and able to respond comprehensively to the audience’s questions,” he said.
Gina presented a rare case about a woman who had an ovarian cyst causing her to have psychological and neurological symptoms. Gina said it was very hard to diagnose at the beginning as the patient presented with psychological symptoms, and was even admitted under the psych team for two weeks.
“As well as having an interesting case, my presentation style was also unusual as it was all animated as a board game. I explained the case in a step by step manner; how she presented to the Emergency Department, what investigations she had, then revealing the diagnosis at the end, which kept everyone intrigued. Most of our team had not heard about such a case before,” Gina said.
Gina has been with Northern Health for almost a year and what she loves most is the work environment.
“I’ve worked in many hospitals both overseas and in Australia, and have never truly felt comfortable and happy. Here, all the bosses are so friendly and very easy to approach. Even before starting, my interview with Dr Howat was the most comfortable interview I’ve had,” she said.
On a final note, Paul said, “we hope this achievement will help Gina attain her dream of being accepted into the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Specialist training program.”
Photos:
Above left to right: Professor Sue Walker, Dr Gina Ibrahim, Dr Amanda Quatrocelli, Dr Kelly Mirowska-Allen and Dr Bee Ng
Feature image left to right: Professor Sue Walker and Dr Gina Ibrahim
In recognition of International Day of People with Disability, the Northern Health Disability Working Group ran an art competition titled, ‘Celebrating Ability’.
First prize was shared between Emiliano Zucchi for his photograph – ‘Music for my eyes’, and Mike Masilamani, for his poster design – ‘Feet, what do I need you for?’
The Transcultural and Language Service (TAL’s) team came a close second, with their poster entry titled ‘Differently Abled’.
Emiliano had this to say about his entry:
“When I go to galleries, I always have my noise-cancelling wireless headphones on. I love listening to music, especially in quiet places like galleries; it helps me connect to the artwork and to my inner self. On this occasion I was in Brisbane, at the Queensland Art Gallery. I saw this cool man, in a cool wheelchair, framed in a beautiful, accessible public space, doing exactly what I like to do.”
Mike said, “My poster brings together two sources of inspiration – an image from the Invictus Games, and a quote from one of my favourite artists Frida Kahlo, who had multiple disabilities including polio as a child, and spinal and pelvis damage from a car accident. Throughout her life, Kahlo came face-to-face with her disabilities and turned them into art.”
The second placed entry from the TAL’s team:
Operations Director, Community, Gillian Dickman, said the aim of the competition was to underline Northern Health’s commitment to promoting respect and inclusion, and celebrate individual differences.
Thank you to everyone who participated!
Do you have an interesting story for iNews? Please send it to our team at iNews@nh.org.au.
This week, we welcome 54 graduate nurses and midwives to Northern Health.
For the 2019 intake, a record number of applications were received and from that, 127 graduates have been employed by Northern Health – 107 General Nursing and 20 Midwifery & Nursing/Midwifery.
Chief Nursing & Midwifery Officer, Debra Bourne, said, “it’s always an exciting time of year when we welcome our new nursing graduates to Northern Health. We welcome the opportunity that these graduates provide in bringing their knowledge, enthusiasm and passion to nursing at Northern.”
“In turn, we aim to ensure that we will support and further educate these newly qualified nurses to become highly-skilled health practitioners that will at all times, reflect key Northern Health values of kindness and empathy,” she added.
The aspiring nurses and midwives will take part in a two-day orientation of training and workshops, before commencing their rotations.
Orientation to Northern Health is designed specifically to support graduate nurses and midwives, addressing both clinical and administrative aspects over a comprehensive program in our state-of-the-art Northern Centre for Health Education and Research.
Rotations across varied clinical areas allow time to consolidate, build confidence and independence, while graduates have the opportunity to work across all Northern Health’s campuses – Northern Hospital Epping, Broadmeadows Hospital and Bundoora and Craigieburn campuses.
As a tertiary teaching health service, Northern Health offers three streams of graduate programs: General Nursing, Midwifery, and Combined Nursing & Midwifery, providing a number of options for graduate nurses and midwives.
Our graduate programs aim to support beginning practitioners as they make the transition from student to registered nurse or midwife, with opportunities provided to merge undergraduate theory and knowledge with practical skills.
Graduate Program Co-ordinator, Katia Forbes said, “support is the key to success as a graduate nurse or midwife.”
“We have many experienced clinical staff who provide practical assistance and support to our graduates at Northern Health,” she said.
Congratulations and good luck to all nurses and midwives beginning their Northern Health journey in 2019.
We asked some of our new graduates what they are most looking forward to about working at Northern Health. Check out what they said in the video below!
Do you have an interesting story for iNews? Please send it to our team at iNews@nh.org.au.
This week, we welcome back our wonderful Northern Health volunteers.
The hospital halls and wards haven’t been the same without the smiling faces and cheerful personalities of our volunteers, with many of our staff commenting on how much they have been missed during the holiday break.
Senior Coordinator Engagement, Henni Wade, says, “everyone was asking me where the volunteers were and when they were coming back, because they’ve really missed their presence – not just their happy, smiling faces, but also their assistance with everything behind the scenes, like putting together hundreds of administration packs a week.”
“Some people were also getting lost around the corridors because the volunteers weren’t there to help them find their appointment rooms or friends or family members staying at the hospital,” she says.
Speaking to the volunteers, it was very clear they couldn’t wait to come back. When asked if they missed the hospital whilst on holidays, it was a big resounding “Yes!” from the group.
The volunteers said what keeps them coming back is the friendships, the smiles from the people they help, and making a difference in the community.
Henni says the whole hospital system works better with the help of the volunteers, as they have various tasks and schedules during the day, which contributes to seamless flow of patient care.
“Sometimes, it’s difficult to realise how much the volunteers contribute to the hospital and our community and how much they help until they’re not here,” she says.
One in particular, Brian Hoctor, a Northern Hospital volunteer driver, demonstrated true Christmas spirit at the end of last year.
When he heard one of the winners from our annual Northern Health Foundation Christmas raffle was having difficulty getting to the hospital to pick up her prize basket, Brian jumped at the chance to make the special delivery to her home.
In between picking up patients and dropping them off for appointments, Brian made the trip to see Phyllis (picture below) to personally deliver her prize.
Henni says, “This is just another day for our volunteers…doing wonderful things that make a real difference.”
“Our volunteers are an integral part of how the hospital operates and our mission to provide trusted care.”
Brian Hoctor with raffle winner, Phyllis
Do you have an interesting story for iNews? Please send it to our team at iNews@nh.org.au.
When a 16-year old Andrew Ngu left tropical Borneo for Australia fifty years ago, he couldn’t speak English and didn’t know anyone in Melbourne, but had something many successful people carry – a strong desire to study, medicine in particular, and the determination to succeed.
“I had a terrible first year in Australia. My father sent me here to study, I had never been away from home before. I was so homesick, I didn’t know the language and the weather was different – I felt so lonely,” he recalled.
Facing tough competition in Australia, he knew he would have to be the best in order to get into medicine.
“I had to do very well to get into medicine, because there were so many students who wanted to study medicine, but there were only eight spots in Victoria at that time. I had to be a top student,” Dr Ngu added.
During his studies, he maintained good marks and got accepted to participate in training at the Royal Women’s Hospital.
He then met Dr Hugh Robinson from Glasgow, the city where the ultrasound was invented. Dr Robinson was the first person to be trained by Dr Ian Donald, the man who invented the ultrasound.
In 1978, Dr Robinson said to Dr Ngu, “Andrew, you have great skills, you should learn ultrasound.”
“At the time, I didn’t know what an ultrasound was. In my training to become an obstetrician, I used to spend every Wednesday with him learning about it. I also went to London to learn more about ultrasound, and became the second person to be trained in obstetrics ultrasound in Australia,” Dr Ngu said.
That was the break-through point for his career, and steered his professional life on the road to success.
In 1986, Dr Andrew Ngu started at PANCH health service as a consultant and moved with the hospital when it was relocated to Epping in 1998. He has been with Northern Health ever since.
When he compares the hospital back then to now, he says one of the major changes is the expansion of the number of patients and services provided, along with the growth of infrastructure and administration. He also noticed the increase of staff, as the hospital grew from a family-type hospital to a big organisation.
Dr Ngu now works at Northern Health one day a week, as he also runs a very busy private practice in East Melbourne. Besides his work at Northern Health, he was previously a consultant in the ultrasound department at the Royal Women’s Hospital from 1983 to 2012, and worked as a Senior Lecturer at Melbourne University until 1996.
His collaboration on Rebecca Judd’s ‘The Baby Bible’ book has made him known to a wider audience.
He looked after all of Rebecca’s pregnancies, and during her last pregnancy, while she was expecting twins, she suggested writing a book together, emphasising how an ultrasound can help with a safe delivery.
“After brainstorming, we decided on writing a book that was structured into the three trimesters of pregnancy. Through the chapters, we follow all three and explain how ultrasound can assist in each of these stages, and address common problems and questions,” he said.
To illustrate the importance of ultrasound, Dr Ngu explained that in the first trimester, doctors can rule out down syndrome, check and measure the structure anomalies and so many other risks. In the second trimester, they look at the structure of the baby in more detail and the cervical length, to see if the chance of delivering the baby prematurely is high or low. In the third trimester, they can check the growth and the well-being of the baby.
“I really hope that through this book, we can help women with what to expect through all stages of pregnancy, how to get prepared, and how to keep themselves fit and eat the right thing. It is a really informative book and it is amazing to see how many patients have read the book.”
Dr Ngu added that he advises women to have a baby earlier in life, rather than later, and to live a healthy lifestyle before falling pregnant and take vitamins like folic acid six months before falling pregnant.
The book has had an influence on Dr Ngu’s popularity, and he sees the good and the bad side of people recognising him now, saying he is quite a shy person and not used to so much attention. He also made an appearance on Channel 7’s “Yummy Mummies” show, which has also raised his public profile.
“Some people ring my practice and say they want to see the famous Dr Ngu who wrote the book. Others come up to me and congratulate me on the book. Whether I see it as good or bad, I’ve become a known individual in the world of ultrasound,” he added.
Dr Ngu is married and has four successful sons, and four grandchildren, who live all over the world – in Paris, London and Melbourne.
“To succeed in life, you have to have the desire to succeed. That is the first thing. Second, you need the opportunity. When you get the opportunity, don’t let it get past you,” he added.
He also adds that family life was crucial to his success – “you need a good family life to balance you. Work can be exciting, but work alone cannot sustain you.”
Dr Ngu said he never imagined his life would be like this.
“You never know where life takes you. That is why you have to grab an opportunity at the right time, just throw yourself into it and get the best out of it.”
“I thought I’d come to Australia and study medicine, as I’ve always wanted to do that and after university go back to Borneo Island, where I grew up. Fifty years later, I am still here. People say I am lucky, but for me luck means being given the opportunity. There is a path we were destined to go along.”
To give back to his home country, Malaysia, he started an ultrasound school in 2003, where he examines and teaches future practitioners.
“When I retire, I’ll do more teaching in ultrasound in underprivileged countries.”
Dr Ngu has been a Board member of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology since 2006, serving as its president from 2014 to 2016, and is a Founding Director of the Australian Institute of Health Education. He also served on the council of The Australian Society of ultrasound in Medicine for 12 years including being its president from 1998 to 2000.
Bec Judd with her book, ‘The Baby Bible’
Do you have an interesting story for iNews? Please send it to our team at iNews@nh.org.au.
Epping local, Yasmin Shah, is one of our many excited medical interns starting at Northern Health this year.
Yasmin feels privileged to have been a medical student with us for the past three years, saying the workplace culture has a strong sense of community at every level, which creates an invaluable environment for interns to thrive in as individuals and as a team of health professionals.
“This allows for positive relationships and mentorships that leads to better patient care and also professional development,” she said.
“During my clinical placements, I witnessed how this health service has been rapidly developing and enhancing its services. This is what made Northern Health one of my top choices for internship,” she added.
Through her placements, Yasmin noticed that Northern Health has patients from such diverse backgrounds, who may sometimes feel vulnerable in an environment unfamiliar to them.
“I am most looking forward to being a compassionate healthcare professional and striving to make all patients’ health journeys as comfortable and seamless as possible for them and their families,” she said.
The future is exciting for Yasmin, as she finds many areas of health fascinating and has been fortunate to meet many inspirational health professionals who have fostered these interests. She is particularly passionate about surgery and aspires to be a plastic surgeon, eventually focussing on paediatric trauma and burns.
“Along the way, I am determined to learn many different skill sets, especially the art of being a holistic doctor,” she said.
“I also aspire to have a meaningful role in health service development, research and teaching, to really give back to my community.”
For Yasmin, Northern Health represents a sense of belonging and a culture of contribution, and we are sure that all new interns starting their journey this year will have a significant impact on growing and sharing that culture.
Do you have an interesting story for iNews? Please send it to our team at iNews@nh.org.au.
Last week, Northern Health welcomed 40 new Interns and 10 new Hospital Medical Officers to our health service.
Our newest members took part in a one week hospital orientation program which involved a series of introductions, presentations and workshops.
The workshops involved a refresher in resuscitation, intravenous cannulation, catheterisation and safe patient handling. Other tutorials included diabetes, pain management and fluid management.
Northern Health Medical Education Officer, Susie Sangas, and Geriatrician and Supervisor of Intern Training Northern Health, Dr Carol Chong, were pleased to see such passionate and energetic young doctors.
“They are an enthusiastic and engaging group of young doctors who are ready to contribute to the community.”
Director Medical Services, Dr Michael Kirk, said, “this is an exciting time of the year in which 40 of the best and brightest become Northern Doctors.”
“We are blessed to welcome our new interns and hope they have a long career serving our community in Melbourne’s north,” he added.
The Northern Hospital intern recruitment program provides interns with a wide range of rotations including anaesthetics, orthopaedics, psychiatry and urology.
Intern positions are full-time and recruited directly by Northern Health via the Postgraduate Medical Council of Victoria (PMCV) match. Full time interns rotate through 5 terms (4 terms at 10 weeks and 1 term at 12 weeks). A minimum of 10 weeks is spent in Surgery and Medicine and a minimum of 8 weeks in Emergency Medicine.
Internships at Northern Health include rotations in Aged Care, Anaesthetics/Pre-Admission Clinic, Orthopaedics, Urology, Vascular/Thoracics, Psychiatry, Stroke/Neurology, General Medicine and medical specialties, Emergency Medicine, and General Surgery and surgical sub-specialties.
Next week, we also welcome a new group of Nursing and Allied Health graduates.
Below are photos from orientation week.
Do you have an interesting story for iNews? Please send it to our team at iNews@nh.org.au.
