Hand hygiene is always very important in healthcare.

On Ward 3 at Northern Hospital it is particularly important, as the ward cares predominately for oncology/haematology patients, who are often immunosuppressed and vulnerable.

Recently, the ward’s hand hygiene results increased from 79% to 96%, and graduate nurse, Acqua Makomo, is a big reason for the impressive increase.

Ward 3 were looking to increase their hand hygiene results, to improve patient care, which is where Acqua stepped in.

Acqua undertook a hand hygiene-based project as her quality and safety activity which graduates complete as part of their 12 month program.

Through her research, she was able to raise awareness of the important areas for staff to focus on, which results in patients being better protected.

Graduate nurse projects are based on a particular topic or clinical issue of their choice that directly relates to patient care. Mentors from Education and Quality & Safety are allocated to each graduate to assist with planning and implementation of each activity.

Nicole Campbell, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Infection Prevention, provided guidance and advice to Acqua along with the ward staff. The staff have pledged to continue Aqua’s good work to sustain this result.

Graduate Nursing & Midwifery Program Coordinator, Kate Duggan, said, “The overall aim is to introduce our graduates to the process of improving patient care through analysis of experience, data and processes, and the implementation of simple strategies at a ward level that improve patient experience. They then remeasure to assess the outcome, and develop recommendations of findings.”

Graduate Nurse, Acqua Makomo, said, “It was a really good project – I got to research about the five moments of hand hygiene, and how important it is for us as nurses to stick to the five moments, especially for us here in the Oncology Ward (Ward 3). Our patients are having chemotherapy and their immune system is low so it’s very important we prevent spread of infection.”

Aqua is rightly proud of her project and said: “This is a really good achievement and I feel that our patients are now much safer!”

What is your coffee order?

Strong long black. More strong than long.

When at work I use fresh ground coffee from home and use a plunger my wife bought at an op shop. I only have one per day but it’s the equivalent of about 4 cups!

What does a typical work day look for you?

I generally like to start about 7 am and get away by 5 pm.

Board or Committee papers are published on Friday afternoons and so each week is geared to meeting this week’s deadline and having the feelers out for papers for subsequent weeks. I have the privilege of working with a broad range of good and smart people to bring reports and proposals to the Board for discussion and decision.

Tell us about your Northern Health journey?

I started at what was the precursor of Northern Health – PANCH – in late 1997.

I moved into a HR role and one of my first jobs was running staff tours of the new and vacant Northern Hospital which opened in February 1998. I was eventually appointed as Director of HR at Northern Health. I have been in my current role as Director of Corporate Governance for a bit over four years.

Can you tell us a bit about your career before starting at Northern?

I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up. I had numerous part time jobs when I first attempted university: hotels, hamburger chef, milkman, hay carter, cleaner. After some time on the road and unemployed, I realised I had to get a real job and ended up training as a nurse, doing a critical care course, some years as a Nurse Unit Manager and so on. There’s a wide variety of opportunities in health and always something new to learn.

What is your greatest achievement or favourite memory since working here?

I’m surprised that I’ve been here over 20 years now. There is a scene in the book Siddhartha by Herman Hesse where the young Buddha is sitting next to a river and realises that while it’s the same river, it’s always changing. Such is Northern Health, except the river has got much bigger!

One of my greatest pleasures is getting to know the people and the satisfaction they get from acquiring new skills, growing their careers and meeting the challenge of providing healthcare to the community.

What are some things people don’t know about you?

I do like to try and fix things myself, whether it’s the car, the lawn mower, our house. Some years ago I bought a car that was going to the wreckers, so I parked it in our driveway and pulled it apart down to the last nut and bolt to find out how it worked. I also like to grow vegetables using seed from the previous year but have lost touch with that over recent years.

What do you like to do after work?

Over the last 10 years I have become…yes…addicted, to cycling. After discovering the many cycle trails around Melbourne and seeing some stages of the Tour de France live, I bought a good road bike. This opened up a new world of experiences; meeting people from diverse backgrounds and local back roads I wasn’t aware of. Weekdays I train to be fit for the Sunday morning group ride which usually heads out via Diamond Creek to a range of roads with hills, great views, kangaroos and kookaburras. Each year I join a group for a few days cycling in the Victorian Alps. It brings me closer to the landscape and helps me feel young.

We are aware you are a Melbourne Rebels supporter – how did your interest in rugby union come about?

I was blessed to have grown up on a farm in central NSW, however, there wasn’t much entertainment except for sport. I had big brothers who played rugby so I followed their path. At 16 I went on a regional representative tour to New Zealand – the peak of my rugby career! Despite over 40 years in Melbourne I still can’t watch a full game of AFL, so I take my son to all of the Rebels home games.

How would you describe Northern Health in one sentence?

Health services are large complex organisations – community expectations are increasing and resources are limited. Generally, Northern Health people are up for the challenge and are committed to doing the best possible by finding new ways to provide effective services. The notion of empowered health workers described by the HRO initiative gives me hope that the sum of all of our skills and experience will be harnessed to bring a bright future. Perhaps that’s more than one sentence?

Who would you nominate next for a staff profile and why?

In this role I have lost contact with many staff at the clinical coalface. I was heartened to read the recent story of Graduate Nurse Lauren Parkinson. I recall meeting Maree Glynn in the early days prior to the move to Northern and admire her consistent commitment to the organisation. I think she will have some interesting insights.

Northern Health has joined forces with Sleepfit to celebrate Sleep Awareness Week from 5 – 11 August. Sleepfit is a digital health company focused on bringing sleep health to millions globally, working with organisations to provide awareness, education, screening and treatment at scale for sleep issues and disorders.

Staff will have access to two great offerings – Sleepfit Essentials – a tool for understanding your sleep health, risks and action plan, and attendance to a Seminar delivered by the CEO of Sleepfit, Melissa Webster (pictured above).

Melissa is an advocate for evidence-based strategies and works with a talented team of people including sleep and respiratory physicians and clinical psychologists.

Northern Health Workplace Wellbeing Coordinator, Alison O’Sullivan, says, “We are very excited to welcome Melissa all the way from Sydney to teach us how we can get more from life simply through a proper night’s sleep!”

To learn more about why sleep is so important, how sleep works and strategies you can use to boost your sleep, Melissa will be running two sleep seminars on Wednesday, 14 August.

• Seminar 1, 1.30 pm – 3 pm (NCHER Lecture Theatre 1) This Seminar will also be video linked to Bundoora Centre (Meeting and IT Training Room, First Floor) and Broadmeadows Hospital (Meeting Room 1 and 2).
• Seminar 2, 5 pm – 6.30 pm (Northern Hospital Lecture Theatre 1 – near library)

To secure your place, click here to book.

“Ideally, it’s important to complete the five minute Sleep Essentials quiz online prior to the seminar, so Melissa can answer any of your burning questions and help you better understand your sleeping needs,” Alison adds.

“To ensure our staff have access to this great tool, the Sleep Essentials quiz will remain open for the month of August,” she adds.

The Essentials report will show you your risk of common sleep disorders, and, in addition, areas where small changes to your lifestyle and sleeping habits could lead to big changes in your energy and wellbeing. It will also provide you with a personalised sleep action plan and tip sheets – if you’re at high risk of a sleep disorder, you can download a report for your GP as part of your action plan.

To complete the quiz, click here.

Northern Health is partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Swinburne University in a 10-week Innovation Challenge to answer the question “How might we better support life-long self care of early stage Diabetes Type 2 patients who have been diagnosed within their first 6 months to 2 years.”

Kim Anderson, the AWS Digital Innovation Lead for Cloud Innovation Centers, says “The Swinburne Data for Social Good Cloud Innovation Centre is the first Center of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere addressing some of Australia’s biggest social challenges by growing our future-ready leaders, whilst also supporting industry partners with accelerating innovation.”

“It connects Swinburne’s Research Institute and innovation capabilities, and is an approach to solve real-world global challenges, such as Diabetes Type 2 and drive meaningful health and well-being outcomes for Northern Health’s patients,” says Kim.

Diabetes affected an estimated 1.2 million (6%) of Australian adults aged 18 years in 2014-15. The consequences of poor self- management are potentially devastating for an individual with diabetes, but the pressure on the health care system is equally alarming and unsustainable. For example, 40% of Australia’s health budget, ($55 billion) of costs are for chronic conditions.

Dr Suresh Vardarajan, Endocrinologist at Northern Health says there is an urgent need to develop technological solutions to support and coach people with diabetes in self-management and monitor their medication adherence.He explained that as self-management is a behavioural change, the workshops will focus less on the clinical and more on how behavioural change can impact in a positive way.
A series of workshops that started Monday 8 July, will run at Northern facilitated by AWS to clarify the extent of the problem and define the solution set from which an appropriate digital solution can then be designed.

Integral to the success of the workshops was the input from patients and clinical users. Two patients: one newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes & one long-term stable diabetic were interviewed.

 

The clinical users consisted of endocrinologists, diabetic educators and diabetic nurses. Professor Nilmini Wickramasinghe Professor of Digital Health at Swinburne University, says:

“By engaging with clinicians and patients and collaborating with a hospital partner, not only do we try to engage all key healthcare stakeholders we also try to develop a solution that works for everyone involved which is a great way to develop effective solutions in digital health.”

“Given the rapid developments in advanced technology solutions such as Internet of Things, machine learning, data analytic and gaming, we have an opportunity to develop tailored solutions, grounded in state-of-the-art behaviour change principles, to support people with diabetes,” says Dr Michael Kirk, Director, Medical Services at Northern Health.

The Family Violence: At Risk communities Breaking Through the Barriers half day forum scheduled for Friday, August 16 will focus on practical ways to be more supportive, approachable and effective in supporting people when family violence is present, both in a clinical and non-clinical role.

Last year, Northern Health and Kilmore District Hospital held the inaugural Family Violence Forum organised by our Strengthening Hospital Response to Family Violence team.

Taylor Woodward, Public Affairs went to the forum last year and said she learned a lot about family violence and the different topics associated with it.

“I found the forum really helpful, even working in a non-clinical environment,” she said.

This year, the forum will focus on new vulnerable community groups.

Natasha Knapic, Project Officer is excited about the variety of topics and presenters, and the organisations involved.

“The speakers will also help us gain an understanding of the resources available for particular vulnerable groups which we may not know about,” she added.

“When it comes to children, the Australian Childhood Foundation will be investigating the effects that family violence can have on the developing brain. They will also discuss alternative treatment, and therapies apart from traditional counselling, such as body art,” she said.

The team is particularly pleased to have Janet Glover from Foundation House presenting on the day to give an in depth view on asylum seekers and family violence which is a unique opportunity.

“There will also be a session dedicated to mental health, as we know that this is a high risk factor for people experiencing family violence. The intersection between mental health and family violence is often poorly understood and there are misconception that mental health is a driver of family violence,” she added.

The session on sexual assault will discuss the resilience and recovery journey of people affected by sexual assault through family valence and how to assist them in their healing toward an improved quality of life.

“I would like to encourage everyone to come to the forum. Family violence is a health issue and we all have a responsibility to increase our awareness,” Natasha added.

Sneza Filiposki, Project Support Officer added that family violence is a major national health and welfare issue and this forum is Northern Health’s opportunity to increase our knowledge and skills when working with vulnerable communities.

“We know those communities face additional barriers around disclosing family violence and accessing support. As healthcare workers, we all have a role to play in making a difference to the lives of people affected by family violence. Let’s help strengthen those vulnerable communities,” she said.

The tickets are available through Eventbrite and the money raised will be donated to a family violence service.

 

Family Violence: At Risk Communities – Breaking Thorough the Barriers

Friday, 16 August, 8.30 am – 2 pm, NCHER. Morning tea and lunch provided.
Ticket price $15.00- please click here to get your tickets through Eventbrite.

Speakers and topics:

Kaye Rigby, Northern Centre Against Sexual Assault – Sexual Assault: Resilience and Recovery
Amanda Dashwood and Lisa Hebel, North Western Mental Health – The Intersect between Mental Health and Family Violence
Pat Jewell, Australian Childhood Foundation, Children: Invisible Victim/Survivors of Family Violence and Alternative Therapies
Janet Glover, Foundation House, Supporting Asylum Seekers
Training on how to Recognise and Respond to Family Violence using sensitive inquiry is available after the forum from 2.00pm to 3.30pm. Please register for training here.

 

This morning, Northern Health Foundation hosted the grand opening of the emergency accommodation for families of patients who travel long distances to visit loved ones receiving care at Northern Hospital Epping.

The three bedroom house in Wollert is fully equipped with amenities and items for families to feel comfortable during their stay, with no direct cost to the families of patients.

Northern Health Board Chair, Jennifer Williams, officially opened the property and told guests, “This accommodation aims to lessen the burden on the families of patients in our care by providing a home near the hospital.”

“A key priority is to support families from rural or regional Victoria who are visiting loved ones,” she added.

Over 1,000 patients travel in excess of 80 kilometres per year to seek treatment at Northern Hospital Epping. To care for their loved ones, families of patients need to follow them to hospital, leaving for Melbourne often on short notice, and needing to find accommodation in unfamiliar surroundings during what is already a highly stressful time.

Northern Health Chief Executive, Siva Sivarajah, said, “We understand how difficult it can be for families when their loved ones are in hospital. Our new accommodation will provide much needed relief and support for families travelling from rural areas, keeping them closer to their loved ones in their time of need.”

“Thank you to our very generous donors who have helped us see this vision become a reality.”

The house is part of the Foundation’s 2017 Accommodation Relief Appeal, which was made possible by Northern Health patron and philanthropist, Paul Wheelton, as well as JT Reid Charitable Trust and Collier Charitable Foundation.

Paul Wheelton’s son, Matthew, and daughter Amy, (pictured above) attended the opening on his behalf and were pleased to see their father’s vision come to life.

The project has also been made possible by generous corporate supporters, philanthropic trusts, donors and the northern community, and will provide much needed accommodation to the families of Northern Health patients when they need it the most.

Featured Image (left to right): Jennifer Williams (Northern Health Board Chair), Amy Dillon and Matthew Wheelton

The orthoptists working in the ophthalmology department at Broadmeadows Hospital won the ‘Clinical Excellence’ award at the Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards held in May.

They were nominated by Dr Jonathan Kam, Ophthalmologist, who said it was this team who motivated him to join their department.

“The clinical excellence of the orthoptists at Broadmeadows working in the ophthalmology department for Northern Health, are the single most important reason the ophthalmology department has been able to service so many patients without fail over so many years, despite multiple medical team changes. They are the reason I joined the ophthalmology department team as a Visiting Medical Officer (VMO), after I had seen them in action whilst I was a registrar.”

The team was excited to win, and said the award for them means recognition, appreciation and a great sense of achievement.

“This award encompasses the entire ophthalmology team who continue to thrive towards excellence and patient-centred care in the eye clinic. We enjoy contributing to the care of our patient’s visual health and have an input in improving their sight, quality of life and wellbeing. We also enjoy working with a dedicated team of ophthalmologists who are highly supportive and committed to our professional development,” the team said.

They describe Northern Health as a team which is “committed, dedicated and working collaboratively towards excellence,” and has big dreams for the future.

“We hope to see the orthoptic and ophthalmology department expand to become a fully operational, sustainable service managing patients with complex cataract, glaucoma, retinal and neurological vision disorders, both surgically and non-surgically across five days.”

When they talk about the future of Northern Health, in five years from now they hope to see a “continued improvement of the organisation, meeting strategic goals that contribute to the delivery of excellent patient experiences, and expanding to meet the growing needs of the community.”

The orthoptic department have been a part of Northern Health for over 10 years and relocated from Northern Hospital Epping to Broadmeadows Hospital in 2013. The team consists of three permanent senior clinicians and have recently welcomed a new casual and grade 1 staff member.

Sponsored by Maxxia and BankVic, our Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards have been designed to formally recognise outstanding contributions by our employees and celebrate staff excellence. Nominations for the next awards are now open. To nominate a staff member, click here.

Featured image (left to right): Leyla Avci, Senior Orthoptist (Sitting); Zeina Dayoub, Senior Orthoptist (Sitting); Anastasia Giantsis, Senior Orthoptist (Standing); Hiba Casado, Grade 1 Orthoptist (Standing). Team member absent on the day: Adam Kaucki (Orthoptist).