August 2024
-
Get to know: Sharon Caruso
#WeAreNorthern Meet Sharon Caruso, Doctor Liaison Officer and Cashier Revenue Services. Q: Firstly, what’s your coffee order? A: Skinny latte, us Melburnians love coffee don’t we! One of my favourite things to do is visit our Melbourne city laneways and have a latte! Q: What do you like most about your role? A: My team. We are a united, close-knit team. We all multitask and cross train within each other’s roles, and of course, we make sure we have a little bit of fun along the way. Q: What are some things people don’t know about you? A: Prior to…
-
Perioperative Digital Care Pathway launches at Northern Health
Dr Jamie Mackay, Anaesthetic Consultant, began a journey three years ago as part of the Big Ideas Campaign, led by the HRO team. His vision aimed to improve communication between the hospital and surgical patients through a digital platform, enhancing patient preparedness for elective surgeries. This innovative project has now come to life with the launch of the Perioperative Digital Care Pathway (DCP) via the My Health @ Northern app on 20 August, 2024. “The digital care pathway provides patients with a source of information that’s tailored to them and that they can trust. It is a sign of Northern…
-
International Overdose Awareness Day: Together We Can
International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), observed annually on 31 August, is a powerful campaign dedicated to ending overdose, remembering those who have died without stigma, and acknowledging the grief of their loved ones. Associate Professor Joe Anthony Rotella, Clinical Toxicologist and Emergency Physician (Addiction Psychiatry and Toxicology), poses a poignant question: “What is the difference between those who overdose and us? For most of us, we have not endured the same suffering or experiences. I sincerely hope no one ever does.” He explains, “In some cases of overdose, it was a recreational mishap. There was no suicidal intent, there was no…
-
Australian Medical Association 2024 President’s Award
Northern Health anaesthetist, Associate Professor Suzi Nou, has recently been awarded the Australian Medical Association’s (AMA) 2024 President’s Award for her outstanding advocacy work on private practice. Suzi’s award was announced on 3 August at the AMA’s national conference, AMA24, on Queensland’s Gold Coast. AMA President, Professor Steve Robson, said A/Prof Nou, the immediate past president of the federal Australian Society of Anaesthetists (ASA), was committed to improving conditions for medical professionals and ensuring patients have access to the best possible care. “A/Prof Suzi Nou is an exceptional anaesthetist who is highly respected by her colleagues.” “As federal ASA president,…
-
Speech pathologists and the continuum of care
This week is Speech Pathology Week 2024 and the theme is ‘Communicate Your Way.’ Speech Pathology Week is all about celebrating the diverse ways that people communicate and to raise awareness about the work of speech pathologists. In Australia, there are an estimated 1.2 million people with communication support needs. Speech pathologists work with people to achieve their communication goals, whether it’s a child with a developmental language delay, someone recovering from a stroke, or anyone needing support to communicate. According to 2021 Australian Early Developmental Census (AEDC) data, on average one in five children in Victoria (28 per cent…
-
Get to know: Genevieve Lane
#WeAreNorthern Meet Genevieve Lane, Hospital Coordinator, Kilmore District Hospital, Northern Health. Q: Firstly, what is your coffee order? A: Long black with full cream milk on the side. Cup, not a mug. Q: Tell us about your role as hospital coordinator at Kilmore District Hospital? A: I have been a hospital coordinator for the last three years. My role includes a fairly detailed oversight of the running of the facility when the management have left for the day/weekend. I have worked at Kilmore District Hospital for 25 years, mostly as an ANUM RN RM on the acute ward. I also…
-
General Surgery Registrar Prize Night
The bi-annual General Surgery Registrar Prize Night is the brainchild of Professor Hamish Ewing, inaugural Associate Professor of Surgery at the Preston and Northcote Community Hospital (PANCH). It is a way of celebrating and rewarding our accredited surgical registrars for their dedication and hard work across the six months of their rotation at Northern Health. And what better way to reward them than to make them present a case report and literature review in a competitive environment! The Prize Night, held on 25 July, was a particularly good one. The rules of the competition are that registrars must present a…
-
Healthy choices in Kilmore: Making it easier for staff to eat well
Kilmore District Hospital staff will soon have more access to healthier food options, thanks to the latest efforts aligned with the Victorian Government’s Healthy Choices Policy Directive for Public Health Services. The policy directive aims to improve the availability of healthy food and drink choices at public hospitals and health services, supporting the health and wellbeing of staff and visitors. Northern Health has embraced these guidelines to ensure a greater number of healthy food and drink choices are available across its facilities. In recent audits, food options available for staff to purchase at Kilmore District Hospital were analysed in depth…