January 2024
-
Stars of New York
The New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world. The race is held on the first Sunday of November and attracts professional competitors and amateurs from all over the world. Because of the popularity of the race, participants are chosen largely by a lottery system. Lorinda McPherson and Enisa Birdahic, both from our Acute to Community Coordination team, were two such lucky participants last year. Says Lorinda, “I wanted to run an iconic world major marathon; there is none more iconic (in my opinion) than the New York marathon!” “The New York City Marathon was incredible and…
-
We are Northern: This is the Public Affairs team
Welcome to the realm of the Northern Health’s Public Affairs team – where words mingle, stories dance, and quirks are our favourite accessories. Meet the wizards behind the scenes who work tirelessly to share the heart and soul of Northern Health and turn everyday news into a symphony of smiles. Get ready for a journey with the coolest crew in communications! Pina Di Donato: As the Executive Director of Public Affairs and Foundation, I get to fulfill my passion for both philanthropy and communications, fields I have worked in over many years. I have a love of storytelling and content…
-
Standard 1: Clinical Governance
Each week in the lead up to Accreditation, Northern Health will focus on a different Standard. You will hear from the Chair of each of the Standard Committees about the key points you need to know. This week, we speak with Dr Bill Shearer, Executive Director Quality, Safety and Transformation about Standard 1: Clinical Governance. What is this Standard about? Standard 1: Clinical Governance is the way we ensure safe, quality care for our patients. Put simply, it’s about the processes we undertake to assure ourselves, our patients and the community that we are delivering on our vision of “A healthier…
-
Northern Health Foundation: A heartfelt reflection
As we reflect on last year’s fundraising efforts of Northern Health Foundation, we are proud of the remarkable sense of community achievement. In 2023, the Foundation worked tirelessly throughout the year, alongside individuals, businesses and organisations to support the growing healthcare needs of the north. The stories of resilience, generosity and unity are what constantly inspires the team to support these important initiatives within our health service. The Foundation will continue with its innovative approach to fundraising, including the ongoing support from our Workplace Givers and Northern Health Foundation patrons: Josie Minniti, Bev Carman and Trudi Hay. In 2023, the…
-
Summer’s bite battle: Snakes vs. Mosquitos
Summer is the best season of the year, they said. Except for the occasional slithering snakes and the abundance of mosquitos! During the hot summer days, snakes are becoming increasingly active and put both humans and pets at risk of snakebites. According to The Australian Snakebite Project, in over 10 years, approximately 1,500 people were bitten by snakes – with approximately 87 people a year being envenomed. Brown snakes are the most common, followed by tiger snakes. Luckily, in Victoria, we only have three overall snake species that are endemic – brown, tiger and red-bellied black. It’s important to know that…
-
Welcome back volunteers
It is wonderful to see the smiling faces of our enthusiastic volunteers at Northern Health again after their Christmas and New Year break. They returned to duty last week and are all eager to get back to doing what they love to do – gifting their time to make a difference. “Volunteers are an important part of Northern Health and partner with our staff to extend our capacity,” said Henni Wade, Manager Volunteer Services. It’s been a busy start to 2024 for our volunteers. Admin volunteers have been putting green books together for Maternity, assembling packs for the Day Procedure…
-
Vale Norma Boyer
Staff at Unit 2 Broadmeadows Hospital are remembering their dear colleague Norma Boyer, who passed away late last year. Norma began her nursing career with Northern Health during her graduate year, working on the GEM Unit at Broadmeadows Hospital, before she moved to Unit 2 (Rehabilitation Ward). Unit 2 was where Norma fulfilled her duties as a dedicated registered nurse for more than 10 years. Norma’s strong leadership qualities and compassionate nature saw her become the assistant nurse unit manager of the ward where she was a great role model and advocate for staff and patients. Even though Norma was…
-
Get to know: Lynne Santamaria
#WeAreNorthern Meet Lynne Santamaria, Nurse Unit Manager, Hospital in the Home (HITH). What is your coffee order? My order is a weak latte, if I have a full strength my heart goes into overdrive. Tell me about your role at Northern Health and what it entails? I am the unit manager of the Hospital in the Home (HITH) program, we are based at the Northern Hospital Epping. What that really entails though is managing staff and financial resources; ensuring patient and staff satisfaction; maintaining a safe environment for staff and patients; ensuring standards and quality of care are maintained; and…