August 2024
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Important Message from Jennifer Williams AM Board Chair
Today, the Premier of Victoria, Jacinta Allan, and Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas, visited Northern Hospital Epping to make a special announcement regarding health service budgets. The Premier has announced a further $1.5 billion for the health sector, which we welcome. It was further announced that a new agency within the Department of Health will be created with the purpose of overseeing the financial performance and sustainability of Victorian health services. This agency will be known as ‘Hospitals Victoria’. In creating this new agency, it was announced that our Chief Executive, Siva Sivarajah, is being appointed as its inaugural Chief…
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A F.A.S.T. accreditation for the Northern Health Stroke Unit
This week is National Stroke Week, which shines a spotlight on how to recognise the signs of stroke and save lives. It is also a fitting time to celebrate a significant achievement for the Stroke Unit at Northern Health. In January 2024, the unit successfully underwent a detailed accreditation to become one of just 15 certified Stroke Units in Australia. Stroke Unit certification is a voluntary process that assesses units on the quality of care being delivered for people with stroke. It affirms excellence in governance systems, including local policy and procedures, in line with the Australian Commission of Safety…
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Thanks for caring: Aged Care Employee Day
Aged Care Employee Day, celebrated annually on 7 August, is an important day to remember the caring and professional work of our aged care staff. These staff are important to the health sector, as they work tirelessly to make the lives of older Australians better. Funded Aged Care programs at Northern Health support some of our community’s most vulnerable people. Dedication and compassion are key traits of individuals who work within aged care. At Northern Health, we are fortunate enough to have amazing nurses, allied health professionals and many other support staff who work with our older population. Northern Health…
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Staff Recognition Awards 2024: Kudos to all the winners
This morning, Northern Health hosted the Staff Recognition Awards, virtually coming together to honour and celebrate the exceptional contributions of our staff. The ceremony was hosted by Michelle Fenwick, Executive Director, People and Culture. “Northern Health has thousands of staff who work across a range of areas, departments and sites, dedicated to providing care to our community each and every day,” Ms Fenwick said. “I am proud to work in an organisation where staff are collaborative and kind and turn up to work every day to provide such incredible care to our patients and community.” “We thank you all for…
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Books, journals and beyond: Library and Information Week 2024
“Libraries have their roots in providing free and equitable access to information, roots that extend and connect people and communities with the services they need.”* Last week was Library and Information Week. To celebrate, we’re highlighting the outstanding work and invaluable new resources and services provided by the dedicated staff at the Northern Health Library! From 1 May this year, all new Northern Health staff members have enjoyed automatic library membership via their employee numbers, granting them immediate access to the full range of library resources — print and eBooks, eJournals and databases. This seamless integration allows newcomers to dive…
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Get to know: Dr Matthew Ligtermoet
#WeAreNorthern Meet Dr Matthew Ligtermoet, Deputy Director of the Neurology Unit at Northern Health. Q: What’s your coffee order? A: Either a piccolo or a cappuccino. Q: Tell us about your role at Northern Health? A: I am the Deputy Director of the Neurology Unit. I work with the junior medical staff and multidisciplinary team on Ward 21, managing neurology and stroke inpatients. My other roles are in the Progressive Neurological Diseases/Motor Neurone Disease (MND) clinic at Bundoora Centre (one of only three MND services statewide), and the Neuroimmunology clinic in Epping. I am also actively involved in teaching medical…
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Sharing knowledge with the Mongolian Society of Anaesthesiologists (MSA)
Northern Health anaesthetists have a long-standing association with Mongolia, starting with Associate Professor David Pescod AO, and Dr Amanda Baric, AM. In 2021, Dr Baric was awarded the highest state honour of Mongolia, the Order of the Polar Star, in recognition of her contribution to Mongolia’s healthcare sector. More recently she received the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division. Continuing this tradition, in June 2024, a team of medical professionals from Northern Health and the Australian Society of Anaesthetists (ASA) visited Mongolia to contribute to the annual Mongolian Society of Anaesthesiologists (MSA) meeting. One highlight…