Alysha Spencer is Northern Health’s Rising Star, awarded for her work, diligence and passion at our recent Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards.

“I was so shocked to hear I won,” Alysha explains.

“It was very surprising.”

Alysha has been at Northern Health for around two years, staring as a business trainee and then as an employee of Northern Health from October 2018.

“With my team, it just makes me want to come to work every day,” Alysha said.

In her role as an Organisational Capability Advisor, Alysha assists with Northern Health’s Work Experience Program, and holds work experience orientation sessions every Monday morning, welcoming new students to our organisation.

“I also help with the Certificate 3 Program, as well as Certificate 2 students who come as Community Service or Business Administration students, and I really enjoy meeting new people,” she added.

While enjoying her role in welcoming students to Northern Health, she also adds that she enjoys working with her team.

“I wish to excel and exceed in my role, and I can see myself in the future working with the same people and getting to know my role more. In the future, I would love to do more in this role.”

Emily Dawson, Director Organisational Capability, nominated Alysha for the award saying that she has been a fantastic addition to Northern Health and always completes work with diligence, going above and beyond to ensure she is doing the best she can at all her tasks.

“She has picked up on everything very quickly and she will be supported to have a long career at Northern Health. She is a rising star, as she has demonstrated a great pathway into Northern Health, and it is her work ethic and passionate approach that has seen her rise from a work experience student, to a full time member of staff,” Emily added.

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 are now open: click here to nominate.

The evidence is clear. When maternity staff take part in best practice training, the health of mothers and babies in their care improves.

The Victorian Managing Insurance Authority (VMIA) Incentivising Better Patient Safety Program is about striving for better outcomes and encouraging participation in best practice training, which has been demonstrated to improve care and outcomes for mothers and babies in the birth suite.

The program supports Victorian public hospitals to train more staff and uplift the skills and capability of clinicians.

Northern Health Divisional Director of Women’s and Children’s Services, Dr Paul Howat, talks to VMIA in the below video about how patient care gets better when hospitals and insurers work together.

“I think it shows an investment in better care to the community,” Paul says.

Our Day Oncology Unit recently received a grant from the Northern Health Foundation for a treatment chair and two privacy screens, which will greatly improve patient experience and help to replace aging equipment.

Day Oncology Nurse Unit Manager, Melissa Gwynne, says the unit have been working towards replacing their older chairs for a number of years, and have been able to achieve this with the support from the Northern Health Foundation.

“The chairs we currently have are over ten years old, quite big and cumbersome, and not as comfortable for our patients,” Mel explains.

“The new chairs are slim line and are lighter – they’re actually easier for the nurses to maneuver around and put patients into resus position if needed.”

Mel tells us that patients will benefit greatly from the new treatment chairs – “they’re much more comfortable to sit in – the patient feedback has been really great – and they’re a brighter colour as well.”

The additional privacy is another feature patients will benefit from.

“The Day Oncology Unit is very open, and we don’t have curtains between chairs. When a patient requires some privacy, it will be really nice to have screens to provide that much needed privacy,” Mel says.

“The screens we are getting are quite compact and infection control compliant,” she adds.

Mel says family members will also benefit from the lighter, more compact treatment chairs.

“Because they’re smaller than the older chairs, it means more family can fit in the room and sit with their loved one,” she says.

When asked what it meant to the unit, Mel says, “It really means a lot – we’ve been very lucky when it comes to donations from our sponsors and without the Northern Health Foundation, we would be unable to do it,” she adds.

“They do a lot for us, and when the donors come in and see what we’ve done, they’re really happy. We get a lot of feedback and ideas from patients about what they want, so that really helps.”

Longtime Northern Health supporter and board member of the Northern Health Foundation Board, Trudi Hay, made this donation possible after raising $9,000 from her annual High Tea event.

The Northern Health Foundation is a philanthropic and fundraising arm of Northern Health and aims to raise $4 million for equipment and research between now and 2021.

In this week’s Get to know: Q&A with… we catch up with Josh Wallace from the Medical Workforce Unit.

What is your coffee order?

Depending on how I feel, a skinny cap or chai latte.

Can you tell us more about your role – what does it involve?

Working in Medical Workforce, we are responsible for the recruitment and rostering of Junior Doctors for Northern Health. My role is to look after Surgical Services and Critical Care. I also have a large involvement with recruitment of internationally graduated doctors, setting up VISA’s and Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) Registration, upon being successful.

What did you do before starting  at Northern Health?

Before starting at Northern Health I had a few jobs whilst I was studying. I had originally started a carpentry apprenticeship before giving that away. After that, I went back to uni to study an Advanced Diploma in Justice, whilst also working night shifts in a gaming venue. Studying and attending class during the day then working overnight was pretty intense.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

Working in an environment that is enjoyable and challenging, and being able to come in everyday and something new happen.

Do you have a bucket list item?

Yes, I’d love to be able to travel the world and go to all different types of sporting events (NBA, EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, World Cup, plus many others).

Where is a favourite place you’ve travelled to and why?

I haven’t gone there yet, but I’ve got some leave in July to go see the Ashes over in England which I think will be my favourite. If I have to pick one, climbing to the top of a volcano in Bali was pretty cool!

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

I own a Facebook group called Wallace Reviews, where I review movies and video games I watch and play. It started off as a little side project and got quite popular, so it was banned on Facebook. It’s back now though, feel free to check it out!

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Playing sports, video games and watching movies. I play footy for Diggers Rest Football Club and basketball two times a week. You’ll also often find me in the Members section at Mooney Valley on most Friday night meets.

What do you see yourself doing in the future?

I’d like to hopefully become a firefighter for the MFB.

How would you describe Northern Health in one sentence?

Growing into something special.

Who would you nominate next for a staff profile?

Elijah Armour from Human Resources – he is very good at what he does and the organisation needs to know more about him.

Our Emergency Department at Northern Hospital is currently the busiest in Victoria, providing care for over 100,000 patients a year.

We have a dedicated and hardworking team of doctors, nurses, allied health and other support services, who work tireless hours caring for our community. These demanding hours often mean our Emergency Department staff forget to take time out for themselves and practice self-care.

Ensuring those that work in healthcare are healthy and well themselves is crucial to the health of our communities, patient outcomes and sustainable practice.

Northern Health Emergency Department is proud to participate in the International Emergency Management Wellness Week 2019. Northern Health will be running this from Friday, 5 April to Thursday, 11 April. Wellness Week #IEMWell19, is a collaboration between the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), WraP EM, Australian College of Emergency Medicine (ACEM), and the College of Emergency Nursing Australia (CENA). The week will remind all emergency staff and their colleagues to take time to self-renew and make a conscious effort to become more healthy, to avoid burning out during the year.

The week began with a Therapeutic Relaxation and Enhanced Awareness Training (TREAT) Program, run by Jo Gibbs from Alfred Health who had this to say –”Rest and recovery is really about allowing staff to recover their nervous system, it’s about fatigue management, it’s about self-compassion and it’s just a way of creating a space so they can slow down, recover and then go back to the workplace feeling a lot more calm and having a lot more ease in the body.”

Clinical Nurse Specialist, Hannah Downie, took part in the session on Friday and said, “I feel relaxed and almost energised by the session and it’s just a really nice experience to have after a heavy ED shift.”

Dr Rachael Coutts, Associate Director, Medical Education and Emergency Physician, says Emergency Department Wellness Week #IEMWell19 is an opportunity to reflect on what determines our own wellness at work.

“Our work is in a complex environment, with multiple factors impacting on whether we thrive or experience burnout. The shared responsibility for our own wellbeing lies in a synergistic relationship between us, as individuals, our department and our organisation.”

“Cultural and systems changes requires leadership and commitment from the organisation. The values and behaviours of our department need to prioritise wellbeing and recognise its impact on quality and safety. At the same time, we have to look after ourselves and each other.”

Northern Hospital will be running a variety of wellbeing activities throughout the week from rest and recovery sessions, to massages, nutrition and exercise. The week will also feature a visit from our much loved Delta Dogs.

Each day will be centred around a key theme for staff to focus on and implement in their work life.

Workplace Wellbeing Coordinator, Alison O’Sullivan, is excited to be supporting the Emergency Department with implementing their first Wellbeing Week.

“I hope this week will lead the way for us to support other departments to implement initiatives such as this, to ensure staff are taking time for themselves. We are certainly committed to growing the wellbeing offering for staff, with a number of initiatives in progress or planned to be rolled out soon.”

For more information about Wellbeing Week and a calendar of events, please click here.

If you have any ideas for future initiatives within the organisation, please contact the OHS and Wellbeing Team.

It’s a busy day for Alison. Today is the launch of the Emergency Department (ED) Wellbeing Week – a program she helped organise.

“During ED Wellbeing Week, there will be a number of different focus areas. Today, we will have the Therapeutic Relaxation and Enhanced Awareness Training (TREAT) Program, with Jo Gibbs from Alfred Health. This program is a healthcare-specific, self-awareness and mindfulness program we are really excited to have at Northern Health.”

Wellness Week #IEMWell19, is a collaboration between the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), WraP EM, Australian College of Emergency Medicine (ACEM), and the College of Emergency Nursing Australia (CENA).

“It’s a great opportunity to celebrate what ED staff do, but also to ensure we are looking after the wellbeing of our staff,” Alison says.

Alison has worked in healthcare for 21 years as an occupational therapist and manager, and with the Department of Health. She has also completed additional studies in health coaching and mindfulness, so has first-hand experience of the demands of the healthcare system.

Alison says her role is “really about giving back to staff – making sure we are supporting them on a day to day basis across a number of different areas.”

She points to the increasing evidence available in the literature about patient outcomes and staff wellbeing.

“If we invest, support and ensure the self-care of our staff is attended to, then patients will ultimately receive better care.”

She says this is an exciting time for wellbeing at Northern Health, with some great offerings that align with our staff wellbeing focus, the overall strategic direction of the People and Culture team and more broadly, Northern Health’s strategic plan.

This includes the additional roll-out of the TREAT program, financial wellbeing seminars, staff massage, education sessions regarding self-care and wellness as part of the organisational capability training program, and partnering with Sleep Fit – an organisation that will provide evidence-based sleep hygiene education and an online platform to support staff around managing sleep and fatigue.

The ‘Northern Health Psychological Wellbeing Framework’ has three areas of focus: Protection, Prevention and Intervention – protecting mental health of workers, promoting wellbeing, and intervention to address mental health concerns.

“We are bringing in evidence-based programs – some initiatives are hospital-wide, others target particular areas of the hospital,” Alison says.

Alison is keen to find champions in each area who will partner with her, working as a team to listen and meet staff needs.

“I’m very keen on feedback from staff – what’s important to them and what can help them thrive at work and be the best version of themselves.”

Alison has one last request. She would like your input in re-branding the Wellbeing Program at Northern Health by completing a short survey.

By completing the survey, you enter the draw to win a Fit Bit.

Northern Health is launching a new service to treat babies with jaundice in the comfort of their own home.

Neonatal jaundice is the development of a yellowing of the skin that can rise to dangerous levels and requires a baby to be readmitted to hospital. Prior to this new service, babies with jaundice would have needed to be admitted to Northern Hospital’s Neonatal Unit for phototherapy treatment.

The new home phototherapy service will form part of Northern Hospital’s ‘Hospital in the Home’ (HITH) program, and will allow mother and baby to go home together, keeping families close.

Maternity Nurse Unit Manager, Michelle Morrow, said, “It’s important to us that we identify how we can improve the journey for women and their babies, and that includes a lack of separation at birth due to issues such as jaundice.”

Following an assessment, babies who fit certain criteria are able to receive the home treatment, which will allow otherwise healthy babies avoid a stay in the nursery. Families will be provided with education to use the equipment before they are discharged.

Nurses will make daily home visits to monitor progress, and families will be able to contact the Neonatal Unit 24 hours a day.

Barbara Rischitelli, Neonatal Nurse Unit Manager, said, “We have spoken to a lot of parents who seem really excited about this new program, as it means they can go home with their baby”.

“We are providing individualised and personalised care, and our aim is to keep more families together in the northern community,” Barbara said.

Natasha Fitzgerald’s baby boy, Jayden (pictured), received phototherapy treatment at Northern Hospital and said, “I would love to be able to take him home, it would make such a difference.”

Natasha’s husband, Justin, said, “it will be such a relief to use this at home – much less stressful for mum and everyone involved – especially when you can hold your baby.”

Northern Health is working towards keeping mothers and babies together at all times where possible.

Coinciding with the launch of the new service, this week we are celebrating Northern Health’s Jaundice Awareness Week, which helps increase awareness amongst staff and patients of at-risk babies.

The midwifery team at Northern Hospital are focused on creating new policies that help to diminish the incidence of jaundice developing in babies.

Skin to skin at birth, early breastfeeding and recognition of women that have higher risk factors for their babies to develop jaundice are all being highlighted in the weeks theme – ‘jaundice is no joke’.

You will see staff proudly wearing some form of yellow to increase awareness, and new breastfeeding education will commence each day at 11.00 am for women to improve their knowledge and confidence in breastfeeding their babies.

(Featured Image: Natasha Fitzgerald and baby Jayden receiving phototherapy treatment)

This week is National Advance Care Planning Week, an opportunity to prepare for our future healthcare. A time to speak up and be heard about what matters most to you.

Vera Ray, was already very knowledgeable about Advance Care Planning, when she met Anne Marie Fabri, Manager Advance Care Planning at Northern Health.

“What I didn’t know was all the new laws and rules. She alerted me to certain things I had no idea about. For instance, the fact that my GP had to be a part of the conversation and the process. She was very informative!”

Vera believes in planning ahead.

“I used to be a teacher. I worked until I was 82, then I went back to school – to uni, and I became a psychologist and I worked in private practice,” Vera says.

“I was a bit worried about being retired, but that was silly. I have never been busier than I am now. There is plenty to do!”

She took a similar approach to Advance Care Planning.

“You’ve got to write it down, otherwise people don’t know what you want.”

Advance Care Planning is a way to choose who you would like to make medical decisions for you, if you were too sick to do this for yourself. It starts a conversation with family, friends and healthcare providers about what your values and preferences for future healthcare are, and what you want them to consider for you.

“You have to really understand what you want. You have to express it so other people understand – you have to say how you want it.”

For some people, it is about lifting a burden off others. For others, it is about having a say, being in control.

“Look, I think everybody should have a plan and it should be written down very clearly,” Vera says.

Advance Care Planning is something we can all do – have you had the conversation?

For more information on Advance Care Planning, call 9495 3235 or email acp@nh.org.au

The photo is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent the person interviewed in this article.