With a great occupational therapy team, comes great patient outcomes.

The Occupational Therapy department at Northern Health celebrated Occupational Therapy (OT) Week back in October, to promote the many ways occupational therapy can help people at all stages of life to reach their potential. The theme for OT Week this year was “Unity Through Community”. OT week was an opportunity to celebrate Occupational Therapists for their invaluable input in making a difference in the patients’ lives.

Occupational Therapists (OT’s) play a vital and dynamic role in helping people engage with and participate in their community – in whichever way is meaningful to them. They work across a broad range of settings and help people engage in meaningful occupations.

“I am so privileged to work within a great team and in a rewarding role, I am always very supported. The Occupational Therapy team feels like its own community – we are all here to support each other,” said Betriece Gesuale, Grade 1 Occupational Therapist (SACS), Northern Health.

Northern Health has an extensive range of Community Therapy Services, such as:

• Sub-acute Ambulatory Care Services (SACS) – a Community Rehabilitation Service aiming to provide rehabilitation to clients following a recent event that resulted in injury, hospitalisation or an illness.
• Rehabilitation in the Home (RITH) – provides a home-based service to clients aiming to get clients home sooner from hospital and to provide appropriate services to the client in their own home.
• The Early Stroke Discharge Program (ESD) – which has been developed to help patients with stroke return home earlier by providing rehabilitation within the patient’s home environment.
• Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and Home and Community Care Program for Younger People (HACC PYP) for Allied Health, Continence Nursing and Community Nursing – a wellness approach that focuses on maximising a person’s independence.
• Geriatric Evaluation and Management at Home (GEM@Home) program – provides interdisciplinary aged care and rehabilitation services to patients after an illness or injury.
• Transition Care Program (TCP) – provides care coordination and low-level therapy for clients that have had a recent hospital admission, for up to 12 weeks.
• Hospital Admission Risk Program (HARP) – provides services for people with chronic diseases and complex needs who need assistance with keeping safe and well at home.

“Being an Occupational Therapist enables me to help others achieve their goals to live their lives to the fullest by re-engaging in daily activities and to be as independent as possible,” said Reanna Liberatore, Grade 2 Occupational Therapist (CHSP/NDIS), Northern Health.

“A story that stands out to me, was when I was working in the SACS community therapy team with a patient who had a stroke and had reduced strength in both of his hands. His main goal was to be able to read his newspaper in the morning with a cup of coffee. Through working closely with him and developing task specific exercises to assist with strengthening his hands, he was able to grasp onto the newspaper, without it slipping from his hands. Even though it sounds like a simple goal, it made a big difference to his morning, and he was extremely grateful to be able to re-participate in this activity that he found very meaningful,” said Alana Evans, Grade 1 Occupational Therapist (Acute Wards), Northern Health.

For more information about Northern Health Occupational Therapy please click here.

Featured Image: Broadmeadows Hospital OT team

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a global campaign that calls for an end to violence against women and girls.

The annual international campaign begins on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (25 November) and concludes on Human Rights Day (10 December).

The campaign was started by activists at the Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and continues to provide a spotlight every year for campaigns working to prevent and eliminate gender-based violence.

Violence is often thought as a physical act causing physical harm. But for women and girls around the world, violence has many faces. It can be subtle and not easily recognised, but still deeply damaging.

According to the World Health Organization, gender-based violence is a global public health, gender equality and human rights priority affecting one in three women worldwide.

While violence affects women everywhere, women and girls in certain groups – such as those living with disability, adolescent girls and older women – often face even greater difficulty in having their voices heard and to access support.

Too often people respond to violence by blaming or shaming the victim – for instance, for what they wore or what they did, or because they belong to a particular group, or people hesitate to offer support because it takes place in ‘private’ or among people we know.

Northern Health recognises that family violence is a serious health issue that can have a profound impact on the psychological and physical wellbeing of victim survivors.

Tanya Ellis, Strengthening Hospital Response to Family Violence (SHRFV) Project Manager, says 16 Days of Activism is a time for everyone to reflect on gender inequality and social norms which excuse and exacerbate gender-based violence and bring an end to inequity, discrimination and abuse.

“Choosing to lead with respect in our relationships can ultimately prevent violence against women and girls,” she said.

“At Northern Health, Family Violence Training is mandatory for all staff members and volunteers.  The training has been uploaded to each staff member’s LMS Mandatory Learning Plan. Please ensure to complete the training and use the Family Violence Screening & Identification Tool when working with a patient who is experiencing family violence.”

Northern Health encourages the community to get involved in the campaign by wearing something orange, visit the information display in the main foyer, and to call out any disrespectful behaviour.

The SHRFV team is also available to facilitate family violence training in a face-to-face capacity.  Please contact the SHRFV team if you would like to organise training in your area (8405 8519).

“We can all play a role in preventing gender-based violence in all its forms – so join us with leading with respect, and calling out discrimination,” Tanya said.

For further information, please click here.

Featured image L-R: Tanya Ellis SHRFV Project Manager and Regi McKinlay, Kilmore District Hospital.

The Great Gatsby Party was hosted by Northern Health Foundation on Saturday, November 25, where they transported attendees back to the opulent world of the 1920s.

The venue was alive with the clinking of glasses, laughter, and the rustle of flapper dresses and tailored suits as Northern Health staff members, patrons, sponsors, and guests gathered in their finest attire.

Beyond the glitz and glamour, the heart of the event was the collective commitment to supporting Northern Health Foundation’s fundraising initiatives that were woven into the festivities, adding a layer of purpose to the celebration. The main foyer hosted a lively balloon pop which was a quick sell out, as eager participants had the chance to win fantastic prizes.

The raffle table was adorned with prizes that ranged from luxurious getaways to a beautiful diamond pendant, kindly donated by Paton’s Place Jewellers. The silent auction, a hub of anticipation, allowed guests to bid on items, turning the night into a thrilling competition for a good cause. The generosity of sponsors and donors was evident in the array of prizes, allowing attendees to support Northern Health Foundation’s mission of building a healthier community for everyone in the north.

Together, guests contributed to raising over $70,000 for the Women’s and Children’s Department at Northern Hospital Epping, which is an incredible effort.

Melissa Grenville, Director Foundation, was thrilled by this outcome, saying “thank you to every person who attended and helped raise valuable funds at this event. We were thrilled with the result and are so impressed with our community who are great supporters and advocates for Northern Health. A special thank you to all our sponsors, including ISS, who partnered as our major event sponsor, and Lendlease, Henrys Café, and Casa D’Abruzzo who also sponsored the event.”

“I’d also like to thank all Northern Health Executives, Northern Health Board Members, Foundation Board Members and our patrons, Josie Minniti OAM, Bev Carman and Trudi Hay for their support.”

The success of the Great Gatsby Party extended beyond that of the event. It symbolised a community coming together, using the allure of the past to build a brighter future for healthcare. As guests departed, they carried with them not just memories of a glamorous night but also the knowledge that their contributions would reverberate in the form of improved healthcare services, a testament to the power of unity and generosity.

From everyone at Northern Health Foundation, thank you for your ongoing support.

To view photos from the night, please click here.

Featured image: Great Gatsby Party MCs David Tran and Seda Kiroglu with Great Gatsby performers.

L-R: Rino and Josie Minniti OAM

 

L-R: Michael Cooney, Nurse Practitioner, Oncology, and Sallyanne Miller 

The Northern Health Foot Procedure Unit (FPU) is a National Association of Diabetes Centres (NADC) core-level accredited high-risk foot service, focused on the assessment and management of complex foot problems such as ulcerations, infected ingrown toenails and other.

Operating across three sites, Northern Hospital Epping, Broadmeadows Hospital and Craigieburn Centre, FPU staff focus on preventing lower limb amputations for patients in the northern suburbs and regional surrounds.

Primarily operated by a core group of Podiatrists and Orthotists, staff work closely with medical, surgical, nursing and allied health colleagues as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Core clinical day-to-day activities include:

• Vascular (including TCPO2) and neurological assessments
• Wound management, including sharps debridement
• Total contact casts for charcot feet

The Foot Procedure Unit recently expanded their staffing with the addition of Robert Beavan in the new role of FPU Clinical Lead. Robert brings 15 years of clinical and management experience to Northern Health from the National Health Service in the UK and regional Victoria. He spent most of 2023 getting to know the FPU team.

“It’s been great working with a group of competent clinicians who hold each other accountable to the highest standards,” he said.

Foot Procedure Unit patients usually present with foot ulcerations caused by conditions such as diabetes, Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) and foot deformity. Their situation may be complicated by an infection and lifestyle factors (i.e. smoking). Anxiety and depression may add further complication, if the foot ulceration has led to a reduction of income from work, or inability to lead their previously normal life. FPU staff often build deep clinical relationships with patients by guiding them through the complex process of wound management and towards the desired outcome.

In January 2023, the FPU expanded its high-risk foot services to include Broadmeadows Hospital and Craigieburn Centre in addition to their main service at Northern Hospital Epping. As a result, more patients are now able to conveniently access high-risk foot services closer to home.

“We are really blessed to have a number of dedicated and long-standing staff who have been at Northern Health between 10-20 years. Our podiatrists Tim, Paul, Virginia, Claire and Jas provide the team with a wealth of knowledge gained from working many years across all the Northern Health sites,” said Robert.

During the pandemic, staff were challenged by the increased need to focus on the patients most at risk of presenting to the emergency department and subsequent admissions into hospitals, and on those with deteriorating foot ulcerations due to PAD and/or infection. All urgent priorities were attended to, however, important activities, such as supporting community partners were put on hold. FPU Clinical Lead, Robert Beavan and FPU Senior Podiatrist, Claire Ackland are now beginning to travel around the Northern Health catchment area to reconnect with local Podiatrists, to ensure they are aware of FPU and the support they offer.

Moving forward, in 2024, the FPU team is looking forward to consolidating their recent expansion by aspiring to achieve NADC “Centre of Excellence” status, when renewing their accreditation status next year. The FPU staff are also looking forward to participating in the upcoming Lower Extremity Amputation Prevention (LEAP) Conference in Melbourne, in October 2024.

Good luck and thank you for all that you do!

Pictured in featured image: The Foot Procedure Unit team. 

#WeAreNorthern

Meet Tanya Rando, OHS and Injury Management Administration Advisor, Northern Health.

Q: Firstly, what is your coffee order?

I have discovered, almond dirty chai latte.

 Q: Tell us about your Northern Health journey? 

I started at PANCH back in 1996, working in the project team to help build Northern Health. This was a two-week project and I stayed for 18 years. In that time, I have worked in many areas of the hospital from Outpatients department, Ward Clerking, Health Information Services department, Allied Health department and many other areas. With a heavy heart I left Northern Health to work at Victoria Police in their Human Resources department – Payroll Services and WorkCover.

The call was still in my heart to come back home – Northern Health. This was realised as back in January 2019 as I was hired back at Northern Health in the Payroll Department. The payroll services were brought back inhouse (from Melbourne Health) and I worked closely with the team to transition this process across.

Currently I am working within the OHS Wellbeing team as an OHS/Injury Management Administration Advisor and I love it.

 Q: What is your greatest achievement since working here?

My greatest achievement is coming back to Northern Health with new knowledge I achieved whilst working at Victoria Police. This has helped me work with other departments in health.

 Q: How would you describe Northern Health in one sentence?

How much our health services have grown since we have opened the doors to service our community.

 Q: Are you a travel bug? Any destinations on your wish list?

I love to travel, I would anywhere in the world as long as I have my family with me. Italy and Malta have always been on my wish list.

Earlier this month, Northern Health entered a voluntary amalgamation with Kilmore District Health, which will allow for greater coordination of health services across Melbourne’s north and the Kilmore region.

Along with being able to offer better connected care for the northern community, Northern Health has also gained over 400 talented, dedicated and committed staff.

The outstanding care of these staff members was recently celebrated at the Kilmore District Hospital REACH Awards. Held quarterly, the REACH awards acknowledge an individual or team’s efforts in supporting their colleagues and consumers.

Since 2018, Kilmore District Hospital has recognised employees who exemplify the health service’s values of Respect, Excellence, Accountability, Compassion and Honesty.

Award recipients are nominated by their peers, making it all the more special that their commitment to Kilmore District Hospital and its community is not going unnoticed.

As well as being recognised against a specific value, an overall REACH Superhero award is also bestowed upon those who are judged to represent all five of the values in their approach to their job.

The most recent winners were:

Respect

• Rachael Hinrichsen – Outpatients
• Environment Services team

Excellence

• Kate Brown – Food Services
• Caitlyn Marinier – Health Information

Accountability

• Tenneale Florence – Infection Prevention
• People and Culture team
• Amanda Byrne – Education

Compassion

• Tess Gueli – Dianella Hostel

REACH Superhero

• People and Culture Team
• Amanda Byrne – Education team

As the newest campus of Northern Health, Kilmore District Hospital presented its REACH Awards for the final time this November. From 2024, Kilmore staff will be recognised as a part of the Northern Health Quarterly Awards.

On Friday, 17 November, Northern Health acknowledged World Prematurity Day, reasserting our commitment to safely prevent preterm and early term birth and its far-reaching impacts.

A staggering one in 12 babies in Australia is born premature; for Aboriginal babies, this rate is almost double at 15 per cent. In Australia, more than 26,000 babies are born preterm each year and more than 13.4 million globally. In 2020, preterm birth was responsible for more than one million deaths worldwide.

Northern Health is a key part of the Every Week Counts National Preterm Birth Prevention Collaborative – a national program which aims to safely reduce preterm and early term birth across Australia by 20 per cent through supporting hospitals in the adoption of evidence-based changes in clinical care.

Those born at the earliest gestational ages may suffer from severe and life-long problems such as cerebral palsy, developmental delay or blindness. For those born at a later gestation, even approaching full-term, there may be behavioural and learning problems.

This Commonwealth-funded national program involves obstetricians, midwives, GPs, sonographers, neonatologists together with consumers and quality improvement experts from more than 63 Australian maternity hospitals.

These hospital teams, representing every state and territory, range from the very largest tertiary services to key services in regional and remote communities providing local care.

During the Collaborative, Northern Health has been supported to accelerate its learning and develop reliable systems to ensure all women are offered the care and public health information that is known to reduce early birth. Key system improvements made at Northern Health include:

• Creating staff and consumer awareness of the importance of ‘Every Weeks Counts’ through survey’s, staff in services and emails.
• Improving our processes and reasons for booking women for early term induction of labour and caesarean sections.
• Staff and consumer awareness surrounding the importance of monitoring and escalating cervical lengths between 16 and 24 weeks gestation.

To mark World Prematurity Day 2023, Northern Health hosted a stall in the main hospital foyer, providing information about the impacts on babies and families when preterm and early term birth occurs and how our organisation can continue to improve our preterm and early term birth rates.

Northern Health Foundation was established in 2005 to care for the needs of a growing northern community. Throughout this time, the Foundation has celebrated countless achievements, many of which have been due to the hard work and dedication of the incredible patrons who tirelessly fundraise for Cancer Services at Northern Health: Bev Carman, Trudi Hay and Josie Minniti OAM.

Throughout the months of October and November this year, Bev, Trudi and Josie individually hosted their special fundraising events, each in the name of a good cause.

On 13 October, the Northern Health Foundation team joined Trudi and her guests at her High Tea event at Mandalay Golf Club. Given that October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Trudi’s event was the perfect opportunity to turn the spotlight to Northern Health’s Cancer Services, and in particular, promote awareness about breast cancer. The beautiful event raised over $13,000 for cancer services at Northern Health.

Josie Minniti OAM hosted her 26th annual Dinner Dance on Saturday, 28 October. This is a popular yearly event, attended by guests who are passionate about making a difference through fundraising. The event, which featured Northern Health oncologist, Dr Frances Barnett, as special guest speaker, raised funds for cancer services at Northern Health. Josie’s unwavering support and the generosity of her guests over the years has helped provide essential resources and care for individuals and families affected by cancer.

What started out as a cold Oak’s Day morning turned into a beautiful, sunny afternoon at Kilmore Racing Club. On Thursday, 9 November, Bev Carman hosted a beautiful Oak’s Day luncheon, which included the highly-anticipated Fashion on the Field parade. Guests strutted their stuff down the runway in support of raising funds for cancer. Thank you, Bev, for your display of kindness and dedication to those battling this disease with yet another successful event which raised over $7,000.

Executive Director of Public Affairs and Foundation, Pina Di Donato, was privileged to attend the three events and expressed gratitude for the unwavering commitment and selfless efforts of the three patrons.

“We are very fortunate to have such amazing support from our patrons. Not only have their efforts over the years touched many lives, but they have created a ripple of hope throughout our northern community. It is with immense gratitude that we extend our sincere thanks to each patron who has devoted time, energy, and passion to make a difference in the lives of those affected by cancer.”

“Proceeds from the three events will enable work to begin on the very first Cancer Wellness Room for our health service. This is a very exciting time at Northern Health,” says Pina Di Donato.

We look forward to seeing the impact of their fundraising efforts continue to make a positive difference to our patients, staff, and our community.