Dr Amanda Baric, one of our very own anaesthetists, has been awarded the highest state honour of Mongolia, the Order of the Polar Star, in recognition of her contribution to Mongolia’s healthcare sector.

Ambassador of Mongolia to Australia D.Davaasuren presented the award on 3 December in Canberra.

Previous winners of the Order of the Polar Star include former US President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Northern Health anaesthetists have a long standing association with Mongolia, starting with Associate Professor David Pescod. He first visited Mongolia in 2001 to attend the Mongolian Society of Anaesthesiologists (MSA) 40th-anniversary meeting. Dr Ganbold Lundeg, then president of the MSA, invited David to return and initiated a collaborative learning model and development of the anaesthesia profession.

Amanda first visited there in 2006, helping David deliver training and initiating conversations about the potential for the advancement of anaesthesia training in Mongolia.

In 2008, the Australian Society of Anaesthetists (ASA) signed an MOU with the Mongolian Government to improve anaesthetic training.

The following year, the MSA first delivered an 18-month training program in Mongolia. The training program was developed by David, Amanda, and other Northern Health anaesthetists in collaboration with the MSA.

Since 2008, a combined MSA/ASA scientific congress has been held annually in Mongolia. Each year, the team includes at least six doctors from Northern Health and some of our nursing and midwifery colleagues.

The “Emergencies in Anaesthesia” course was first delivered in Mongolia by doctors, mainly from Northern Health, in 2012, and from this initiative, the specialty of emergency medicine emerged in Mongolia.

“Part of the attraction of coming to work at Northern Hospital is that it has a worldwide reputation of providing education and service in low to middle-income countries,” says Associate Professor David Pescod.

As for Amanda’s achievement, David says, “There can be only one polar star and that is Mandy!”

Chief Medical Officer A/Prof. Wanda S Stelmach agrees. She says, “Mandy, is Northern Health’s shining star albeit a silent one! Her engagement in so many aspects of our health service is appreciated by all who work with her. She is truly a team leader, leading by example yet acknowledging all these around her. Her work in Mongolia is known to her colleagues but what this has meant to the peoples of Mongolia was never really appreciated us  – a totally well-deserved acknowledgement!”

Dr Amanda Baric with her signature modesty, is quick to point out the hard work the Australian volunteers and the members of the MSA have done to make enormous improvements to health care in Mongolia.

“The MSA has been exceptional in its vision and leadership. Without that, we visitors would not have enjoyed the success we have all had together,” she says.

Featured image shows Associate Professor David Pescod, Ambassador Davaasuren and Dr Amanda Baric.

Northern Health Volunteer, Shoukry Sidrak, has been announced as Senior Citizen of the Year in Whittlesea City Council’s 2021 Community Awards!

Shoukry Sidrak has been a Northern Health Volunteer since 2013. His main role has been a volunteer driver until the program was cancelled in 2020.

Shoukry would pick up patients from their home and take them to the hospital for appointments. The trips to the hospitals with Shoukry would often be one of the few social connections these patients would have. While waiting for the patients to finish their appointments, Shoukry would come into the volunteer tea room and join other volunteers doing admin tasks.

Henni Wade, Manager of Volunteer Services commented, “Shoukry is such a kind and friendly person and very generous with his time. His actions are a great example of how our volunteers model our Northern Health values of safe-kind-together.”

Shoukry has spent more than two decades volunteering his time and expertise helping the City of Whittlesea community.

Since settling in Mill Park in 2001, he used his background as an accountant to provide free tax return assistance to low-income earners and has also been a volunteer community visitor.

He is a long-time volunteer with Whittlesea Community Connections and he helps community members in both English and Arabic.

Shoukry and his wife also deliver free sustainability assessments to local residents and businesses.

Plenty Valley Community Health, Whittlesea U3A, the multiphase network and the Jewish Christian Muslim Association of Australia have all benefited from Shoukry’s voluntary contributions and desire to make a difference within his local community.

Congratulations Shoukry, from your Northern Health family.

Today, Northern Health’s third Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards ceremony for 2021, showcasing the brilliant achievements of our dedicated staff, was held online.

More than 110 nominations, for six categories, were submitted by the winner’s colleagues.

Siva Sivarajah, Chief Executive, opened the virtual presentation. He said the awards recognised the “outstanding contributions by our employees and celebrate staff excellence.”

“Northern Health has over 5,700 staff who work across a wide range of areas who are committed to providing great care,” Siva said.

“Through these awards, we recognise staff for their hard work and dedication to our patients, staff and community. Award winners today are staff who exemplify a strong and positive workplace culture and commitment to our patients.”

Nicky Tully and Sue Hull, from the Community Monitoring Program, were awarded the Above and Beyond Award, for going above and beyond to provide care or support to a patient, family or work colleague.

They were nominated by Cassie Bramston, Project Manager, for their hard work on establishing the COVID-19 Community Monitoring Program during the 2020 outbreak.

The Clinical Excellence Award, for a person or team who are generous with knowledge, instil confidence in patients and colleagues, and achieve the best patient experience outcome, was presented to Broadmeadows Surgical Centre team.

They were nominated by Rochelle Sanchez, Clinical Nurse Specialist.

Dr Loren Sher, Head of Paediatric Emergency, won the Innovation Award, for implementing a better way to deliver care or service through a new idea or initiative. In Loren’s case, that was our successful Virtual Emergency Department, established in October last year. Loren was nominated by Dr Michelle Horne, Anaesthetist.

The Excellence in Safety Award was presented to our Rapid Antigen Testing team, for making Northern Health safer for patients, visitors and staff. The team was nominated by Yvonne Hersusianto, Head of Microbiology.

Michelle Brooks, Care Coordinator, won the Patient Experience Award, for making a significant achievement in improving the care experience, including showing kindness and compassion towards a patient, family or work colleague. In Michelle’s absence, the Award was accepted by Johanna Hayes, Divisional Director. Michelle was nominated by Hallie Silver, HARP Team Leader.

And lastly, Nicholas Caruana, Reception Manager, took home the Rising Star Award, for having potential to grow and develop his career at Northern Health. He was nominated by his colleague Elizabeth Anagnostou, Receptionist.

Congratulations to all the award winners!

The Staff Awards are sponsored by BankVic and Northern Health Foundation.

To watch the ceremony recording, please click here.

Featured image: L-R top row: Brylie Willson (accepting the Award on behalf of Broadmeadows Surgical Team), Nicholas Caruana, Johanna Hayes.

L-R bottom row: Nicky Tully and Sue Hull, Vi Nguyen (accepting the Award on behalf of RAT team), Dr Loren Sher.

As part of Northern Health’s Thank You Week, we have collated heartfelt messages from volunteers, donors and the local community, expressing their gratitude to staff.

Although our volunteers haven’t been walking the halls of Northern Health for much of the year due to the pandemic, this didn’t stop them from spreading the love to our hard working and dedicated healthcare workers.

Mandy Davis, Volunteer, chose to thank all the “doctors and nurses in our Emergency Department. A big thank you to all the nurses in Day Procedure Unit and a a big thank you to our nurses doing the COVID swabs. You are all amazing.”

“I would also like to say a very big thank you to all healthcare workers, main reception, our wonderful cleaners and an extra big thank you to our volunteer coordinators.”

Volunteers Ann and Ian Ellis acknowledged the challenging times our healthcare workers have gone through during the pandemic.

“Thank you times a million to the wonderful staff at Northern Health for their untiring work ethics. It is at times like what we have had for two years that you discover how unselfish emergency workers are. You are our frontline troops and too often go unrecognised.”

Christine Lorkin, also a Volunteer, thanked the doctors and nurses in the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for saving her son’s life after he suffered from a heart attack.

“They were able to revive him on two occasions and clear a 100 per cent blockage to the main artery in his heart. He has made a remarkable recovery since being back home. The family cannot thank Northern Hospital Epping staff enough for the important and initial role they played in his recovery.”

Our COVID-19 testing team, from nurses, traffic controllers and to the Pathology team, have also been recognised.

“Thank you to the COVID-19 testing team who are working under really trying conditions – cold and wind. They are all so friendly and happy to answer any questions,” Joan, Volunteer, said.

The ‘Shout a Coffee to Healthcare Workers’ campaign was an initiative led by Northern Health Foundation, for the community to show their gratitude for staff who are working tirelessly to keep our community safe.

Tricia Lee, Board Member Northern Health Foundation, showed her thanks and appreciation to our staff by shouting 1,000 coffees to frontline medical staff.

“We are very grateful for the hard work of all healthcare workers in Victoria. They are working so hard to keep us safe. We wanted to do something to show our appreciation. When we came across this campaign, we thought it was the perfect way to connect directly with the staff at Northern Health and show we care,” Tricia said.

Lalor Primary School put together some care packages for Northern Health staff. Janene Tessari, Business Manager, and Trevor Robinson, Principal, said it was the school’s way of showing their thanks and expressing how grateful they are to our staff who had given so much time and dedication to ensure our community was protected and cared for during the past two pandemic years.

They were humbled to think that their ‘small’ gift of gratitude could have an impact on the hospital staff. Janene stated that they were only a small school community but the students and their families were proud of what they had achieved.

 

As the end of the year is approaching, I would like to thank you, for everything you have done for our patients, our community, and for supporting each other during the year.

This year, more than ever, our values of safe, kind and together have been fundamental to our daily work.

This year has brought numerous challenges and changes in the organisation, and I am proud of the adaptability and strength our staff have shown. While we all had difficult days, we have showed that by working together, with kindness and safety at the forefront of everything we do, we can come to the end of this year feeling proud.

To celebrate you, and your work, we have decided to dedicate this week to acknowledging your work and thanking you.

During Northern Health’s Thank You Week, you will be able to view messages here from our patients, volunteers and donors, as well as other prominent personalities from the Victorian community, thanking you for your hard work during the pandemic. Please keep an eye on the Intranet, as well as Northern Health’s social media accounts, as we share their messages.

We are very pleased The Honourable Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria, personally thanked Northern Health staff. See message below.

 

This week, we will be announcing the winners of the Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards and, next week, the Length of Service Awards. Staff acknowledged during these awards symbolise the care, professionalism and achievements of all of our 5,700 staff.

From me personally, and from our Board Chair, Jennifer Williams AM, the Board and the Executive, I congratulate you on another year of dedication to your work and our patients.

Kind regards

Siva Sivarajah

Chief Executive

Today is the International Day of People with Disability (IDPWD).

 

 

 

 

 

This year’s UN theme is, ‘Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.’

There are many different kinds of disability. A disability may affect mobility, ability to learn things, or ability to communicate easily. Some people may have more than one. Disabilities may be visible or hidden, temporary or permanent and may have minimal or substantial impact on a person’s abilities.

Today, we share the thoughts of four people living with disabilities and the challenges they face.

Jane Spracklan is one of the consumer members of our Disability Sub-Committee.

Says Jane, “As a person living with vision impairment, what matters most to me is that I am met with awareness and inclusion. That I have the opportunity to maintain my independence, but that there is also ready support available when I need it. Accessibility features throughout facilities, like large print signage is vital.”

“Pre-conceptions can sometimes be quite challenging. For example when someone grabs hold of me, to physically lead me along.”

“Moving forward, I believe the involvement and inclusion of the disabled community into planning and design is imperative. I would like to see this applied throughout all public facilities,” she says.

Stephanie Grassi is another consumer member of our Disability Sub-Committee.

Says Stephanie, “Because of my physical disability, I use crutches or mobility scooter. At the checkout, it is very hard to see the screen on the eftpos machine and I have to ask for them to tell me just what is the next instruction.”

“Often people in shopping centres or on footpaths will ignore the fact you’re there and need a little more room to manoeuvre and will either not get out of your way or look the other way and walk in front of you,” adds Stephanie.

Michelle Fenwick is the Chair of our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and Executive Director, People and Culture.

“I now have and live with a disability, reducing my mobility after an accident two years ago. It has affected the way I approach each day and caution now has a front row seat. I consider where I park, my footwear, all whilst trying to be somewhat active with a nine year old.”

“Days like today help grow awareness and remove barriers – not just to entrances or stairs – for I now know what was important before, is now super important,” says Michelle. 

Filipina ‘Pina’ Montagna is a patient of Northern Health, who describes her disability as ‘a mild form of cerebral palsy’.

Says Pina, “In my humble opinion, the most important thing is for the disabled to be told the truth about societal attitudes and discrimination against the disabled. We should never feel that, if we’re struggling, it must be because we’re doing something wrong.”

“In reality, as the research shows, the disabled are discriminated against throughout society, not least of all in the workforce, which determines participation in all other sectors.”

“One very important milestone for me was accepting all of the above. I immediately stopped resorting to self-deprecating humour to put others at ease with my disability, and I stopped fighting for approval,” says Pina.

Referring to the theme for this year, Pina believes that leadership is born of participation. “You can’t lead in that which you are not a participant. Any leadership roles would be disingenuous without real participation. And from these participants, we will have great leaders,” she adds.

Today, we re-launch the refreshed Disability Action Plan to mark IDPWD here at Northern Health.

The Northern Health Disability Action Plan sets out Northern Health’s whole-of-organisation approach to reducing barriers and promoting inclusion for staff, consumers and community members with a disability at Northern Health and has four main goals:

• Reducing barriers to obtaining and maintaining employment at Northern Health;
• Promoting inclusion and participation with Northern Health;
• Achieving tangible changes to attitudes and practice which discriminate; and
• Reducing barriers to Northern Health services and facilities.

Today, we would also like to highlight our new Disability Awareness and Communication Access training, now available on Northern Health’s Learning Management System (LMS). The course aims to raise general awareness regarding disability and improving communication skills when communicating with people with disability.

The training is designed and presented by people living with disability. Staff will hear real-life stories and engage with a range of thought-provoking activities. Staff can access these training modules via the LMS ‘Find Learning’ page and searching ‘disability’.

Chelsea Simpson, Chair of the Northern Health Disability Sub-Committee, says, “On this day of celebration, we acknowledge the contributions of our staff and consumer representatives with a disability. We also thank our consumer representatives for their leadership and participation in implementing the Northern Health Disability Action Plan and participating in planning for our future services and facilities.”

Featured image shows staff from across our hospitals and centres, proudly wearing their IDPWD badge to mark the day.

Our Hospital in the Home (HITH) Program is rapidly expanding to provide more in-home care to patients. This is in response to both the current pandemic and the preference of many patients to be treated at home. In addition, it provides the opportunity for additional patients to be admitted for acute care in hospital.

Anne Marie Fabri, Associate Director, Community Programs, explained that, from November this year, the program received additional funding to expand from the current 50 beds to 70 beds.

“The additional funding will increase the capability and complexity of the patients that the team can manage with additional nursing, medical, allied health and administrative support. Nurse educators and chronic disease specialists will be recruited to offer additional support to staff, and expert care to patients. Discussions and planning is already underway with the surgical teams to consider new pathways once elective surgery resumes,” she said.

The team have already started implementing some of the work, including developing pathways with the Virtual ED and diverting admissions for management of hydration and emesis for COVID-19 patients to HITH. This service is designed for patients with moderate symptoms of COVID-19 and further work will be done on additional care for COVID-19 patients in the community.

One of the first patients with COVID-19 seen by HITH was Mary*. Mary had been diagnosed with COVID-19 a few days earlier, and “couldn’t keep anything down”. With two young children at home, she was reluctant to leave the house to see a doctor.

“I felt so dizzy I thought I might collapse,” she said, so she called the Virtual ED, who, after a virtual assessment, referred Mary to HITH. The team visited her at home the next day, started intravenous fluids to help with dehydration, and was able to discharge Mary the next day.

“Without the nurse and doctor from HITH, I would have had to leave my children and go into the hospital. Getting this care in my home was the best thing for me,” she said.

Antonio* is another patient who benefited from this home-based personalised care.

“I was stuck in the hospital because I had COVID-19 and needed blood tests every day. My usual blood test nurses wouldn’t come to my house because of my COVID-19. I was so worried about my wife at home alone,” he said.

Antonio was able to go home with HITH nurses visiting daily to take the blood tests and check on his recovery.

“I was so happy,” said Antonio. “I could go home to my wife, and have the nurses come to me.”

Rabin Sinnappu, HITH Head of Unit, says, “We work closely as a clinical team to ensure the patients receive the best care that they can – and always with a smile behind our masks.”

Lynne Santamaria, HITH Nurse Unit Manager, describes the team as “a really dynamic team to be a part of, seeing a mix of patients in their homes and being able to develop relationships with them”.

The HITH Program is going on a recruitment drive for staff who are interested in working in a friendly, progressive and dynamic team. Experienced nurses will be needed to join the team in providing high quality care in people’s homes.

This is a great opportunity to develop new knowledge and skills in a supported environment.

*Patient names have been changed.

The Northern Health Department of Gastroenterology Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Service, is offering a Subcutaneous Biologic Home Delivery (SILVER) Service in collaboration with the Department of Pharmacy.

Launched earlier this year, The SILVER Service is expected to eventually deliver to over 100 of the IBD Clinic patients.

This world-first service is a home delivery service providing delivery from the hospital’s pharmacy of self-injectable IBD medication to patients’ homes, offered to patients at Northern Health’s IBD Clinic.

The medication is ordered and dispensed within the pharmacy, and is delivered by a Pharmacy Technician who is part of the IBD Team – Andrew Leake – the first IBD Pharmacy Technician in the world.

A/Prof Mayur Garg, Director of Gastroenterology, says, “Biological medications are prescribed for those with moderate-severe IBD (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), which have a significant impairment on quality of life. Subcutaneous biologics require patients to fill their scripts at local community pharmacies and self-administration. Stock availability of these specialised medications at local pharmacies can vary, and many patients require additional compassionate medications that community pharmacies are unfamiliar with handling. Furthermore, many patients are anxious about self-administering subcutaneous medications, and hence need additional support.”

“These anxieties have been compounded in the COVID era, with limited face-to-face contact with clinicians. The SILVER Service enables additional support, with patients not having to worry about obtaining stock, and allowing direct reporting of any concerns about these medications to our team,” he adds.

Andrew states, “It has been quite exciting to be a part of starting this service, and the patients in general have been very thankful. They have appreciated how it has made things easier for them, especially during COVID, and are often pleasantly surprised that we offer the service. The extra layer of support and connection with these patients has already been valuable for the quality of their care on numerous occasions.”

“The SILVER Service is a first-in-world initiative that aims to increase patient adherence to medications, engagement, empowerment of this vulnerable group of patients with a chronic disease, and one that is already showing very promising results. Northern Health can be truly proud of this service,” says Mayur.

Vinod Chellaram, Director of Pharmacy, says, “Northern Health Pharmacy is always exploring innovative ways to deliver pharmacy services to the community and this is a valuable initiative. The SILVER Service is one way that we are providing the best care to our patients. The extension of pharmacy technician roles into different areas such as this, is evidence of the positive impact it has, on not only patient health outcomes, but also a positive patient experience.”

Featured image shows from left to right: Kate Murphy, IBD CNC, Andrew Tsoi, IBD Fellow, Nicola Dalgleish,  Gastroenterology Research Nurse, Tanya Williams, IBD CNC, Meera Rajendran, IBD Pharmacist, A/Prof Mayur Garg, Director of Gastroenterology and in the foreground Andrew Leake, IBD Pharmacy Technician.