Victoria is one of the most fire-prone areas in the world and the Country Fire Authority (CFA) has declared the Fire Danger Period in our Municipality well and truly upon us.

Northern Health has been advised that Tuesday, 15 January has been declared a Severe fire danger day in the North Central District.

These conditions may have a serious impact on Northern Health and our community, and have the potential to place patients, staff, volunteers and other workplace participants at risk.

On this day, hospital services at Northern Hospital Epping, Broadmeadows Hospital, Bundoora and Craigieburn will continue as normal. Home visiting services will not be provided outside of the major urban areas affected by the rating after 10am, and there will be restrictions on staff attending the Kilmore and Seymour Hospitals.

It is anticipated that emergency department attendances will increase with the high temperatures, and there is the risk that in the event of severe bushfires, Northern Hospital Epping may need to treat bushfire casualties.

Northern Health has a clear policy outlining operations on fire danger days, highlighting fire danger ratings and potential changes to Northern Health services. It also includes where to find information, radio stations that car radios should be tuned to on days of high fire danger, and how to act on those days.

According to the CFA, radiant heat is the biggest killer in a fire. It is the heat you feel from a fire and the CFA strongly advise the best protection is distance.

Michael Vermeulen from the Yarrambat CFA (and also a member of our Northern Pathology Victoria team) says fires are unpredictable and it’s important to always be prepared for Victoria’s hot, dry summers.

VicEmergency and CFA websites display Incidents and Warnings. You can download the VicEmergency App to receive notifications of fire incidents and warnings in their area. Alternatively, you can ring the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226 (Ring 000 if it’s a life-threatening emergency).

For staff and patients who live in fire prone areas, the CFA website has some great tips for preparing for a fire.

Some final points to remember:

• Understand your risk (bush or grassland)
• Have a survival plan, know your triggers, review it, practice it, do it
• Plan for pets and livestock
• Stay informed and understand the levels of emergency warnings
• Connect with your neighbours and help them plan if needed
• Prepare your property for fire

Northern Health recently hosted the ‘Choosing Wisely’ workshop inviting Better Care Victoria, NPS MedicineWise and 11 other hospitals, including metropolitan and rural hospitals.

Choosing Wisely is a global initiative aimed to encourage health professionals and consumers to consider rationally which tests, treatments and procedures are evidence-based and necessary and which are not.

Led by Australian colleges, societies and associations, Choosing Wisely Australia challenges the way we think about healthcare, questioning the notion, ‘more is always better’.

The workshop included a showcase of all projects underway at all health services, where there was a sharing of valuable resources. This provided an opportunity for health services to come together and discuss their achievements and lessons learnt.

Sandy Ayoub, Project Lead, said these workshops are always interesting and reinvigorate everyone.

“There is a sharing of information and resources between the health services, and project teams leave the workshop feeling motivated and keen to apply our new learnings,” she said.

The Choosing Wisely Project Team at Northern Health presented an update on our projects (visit our intranet page to learn more) and invited Consumer Participation Coordinators, Sherrilyn Ballard and Kate Serong, to explain their work in consumer engagement and how important it is for projects such as Choosing Wisely.

The Choosing Wisely Executive Sponsor, Dr Alison Dwyer, also attended the presentation, along with Dr Kristen Pearson, Clinical Lead and Sandy Ayoub, Project Lead.

Nominated for being a “true rising star”, Northern Health Intern, Dr Lauren Rogers, was recently awarded for her hard work and dedication at our Inaugural Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards.

Lauren began her internship at Northern Hospital Epping just a year ago, having put the hospital down as her first preference.

“I had a really good vibe from the Northern. I talked to a few people from here, everyone loved it and said the culture was great,” she says.

Nominated by Orthopaedic Registrar, Jaye Yick, who says, “Lauren is an exceptional intern. She is a dedicated Junior Medical Officer who pursues excellence in all she does. She never hesitates to ask questions from her seniors whenever she’s unsure and treats everyone with respect.”

“In speaking with associate nurse managers, they compliment her friendliness, being approachable and last but not least – her thoroughness in her work,” she added.

When asked what winning the award meant to her, Lauren says she was initially embarrassed as she doesn’t believe she is an exceptional intern, but tells us that she tries really hard so was very thankful.

“I think that’s the thing with your internship, you don’t have to be the most knowledgeable or most confident, you just have to try really hard and put in the time,” she says.

In the future, Lauren hopes to work in obstetrics and gynaecology, as she’s particularly interested in women’s health.

She tells us her favourite part about working at Northern Health is her team – “definitely the people, without a doubt, I wouldn’t even hesitate to say that.”

“I’ve worked at a lot of different hospitals and the big stand out at the Northern is the people – the communication is fantastic and patient care is so much better impacted because of that,” she says.

“I don’t want to leave this hospital for that very reason – I think that’s a great quality in a hospital and something they should be really proud of,” she adds.

This week, we welcomed 40 new interns to Northern Health, beginning their journey in the same position Lauren was only a year ago.

Lauren tells us, “for the upcoming interns, I’d just like to say, try your absolute best.”

“You may feel like you’re struggling at times and feel overwhelmed, but there’s always people around you that can help and support you, so just keep trying and you’ll be surprised at how much you learn along the way!”

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 Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards are now open. To nominate a staff member or team, please click here.

In our pursuit of our ‘High Reliability – Trusted Care’ transformation, Northern Health has established a series of programs, meetings and groups, focussing on patient safety, improvements and moving towards zero preventable harm.

The Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program (CUSP) aims to improve the culture of safety, while providing frontline caregivers with the tools and support they need to identify and tackle the hazards that threaten their patients at a unit or clinic level. The CUSP is a cornerstone in High Reliability Organisations (HRO) in healthcare.

Developed by Johns Hopkins University safety and quality researchers, the five-step program has been used to target a wide range of hazards, including patient falls, hospital-acquired infections, medication administration errors, specimen labelling errors and teamwork and communication breakdowns.

Northern Health currently has two CUSPs – Unit B/Med 3 chaired by Dr Yana Sunderland, which is six months old and Respiratory CUSP.

The first Respiratory CUSP took place 14 months ago, and since then, the team has held monthly meetings.

The CUSP, chaired by Dr Katharine See, Head of Respiratory Medicine, is an opportunity for all staff to be briefed, be part of the team and actively participate in initiatives to improve patient care.

“In the previous year, we’ve completed more than twelve projects and they can be things as simple as developing a form, or completely redesigning a procedure room,” Dr See said.

“It’s inclusive of all staff – from allied health to nursing, medical and cleaning, and it’s a good opportunity for everyone to speak up about safety concerns on the unit,” said Maureen Goodwin, Respiratory Clinical Nurse Consultant.

Amy Wilson, T2 Ward Clerk, feels it’s important for everyone to participate.

“I just find it interesting, as I am not part of the clinical staff, but from an administration point of view it’s interesting as we are learning new things,” she said.

Clare McCarthy, Project Manager, said this is an amazing collective of our staff coming together each month to focus on safety.

“This is where you experience our HRO transformation first-hand. The principles of HRO are played out here, like being alert to risk and avoiding simplistic interpretations,” she said.

To hear more about Respiratory CUSP achievements and goals, check out the video below:

Victoria’s first public in-house laboratory service established in 40 years opened at midnight last night at Northern Hospital Epping.

After two years of teamwork and collaboration across various departments, Northern Health is proud to have an in-house laboratory which marks a significant milestone in Northern Heath’s growth and development.

Shiraz Lubke, Operations Manager Northern Pathology, said that the team is extremely happy and that the transition went smoothly.

“We had no major problems, and everyone held together really nicely and we got through it. We didn’t get any complaints from departments which proves it was a smooth transition,” she said.

Dr Brian Beer, Director of Pathology, confirmed that the midnight transition went really well and the team quickly overcame minor challenges.

“When I got here this morning, everyone was happy and things are working out. The hospital is also happy and ED is getting good service,” he said.

Dr Prahlad Ho, Director of Haematology thanked all other departments and Northern Pathology staff for making this transition so successful.

Midwifery Educator at Northern Health, Marie Iacopino, received the award for ‘Compassionate Care’ at our inaugural Staff Recognition Awards.

Marie is the perfect example of how a small gesture, like checking in on someone during a tough time, can make a world of difference.

Marie was nominated by Graduate Midwife Larissa Hudgson, who says, “Marie is not just an amazing midwife, but she so genuinely cares for the graduates she supervises, and has gone above and beyond for me.”

“Any graduate or patient who is lucky enough to work with Marie is sure to feel respected and important,” she continues.

Larissa’s father passed away unexpectedly, and it was during this time that Marie reached out and offered help and support, meeting with Larissa to debrief and organise time off work for her.

“Despite being part of such a large organisation, Marie helped me feel important to the hospital but also ensured I had time to grieve,” Larissa says.

“She showed me where to find support and since restarting back at work, has checked on me.”

The award came as an unexpected, but much appreciated surprise for Marie, who only found out on the day she was receiving it. Marie was truly touched to read what Larissa had written in her nomination, as she didn’t realise the impact she had on her with everything going on.

“Larissa has had a tough year and I was truly humbled to know that I was able to help her through a difficult time,” Marie says.

“I was beside myself when I read her entry…I got a bit teary,” she continues.

When asked why she enjoys working at Northern Health, Marie says it’s the connections she has formed with both women in maternity and staff, to the supportive and encouraging environment she works in.

“I didn’t realise how much you could enjoy your work until I came to Northern Health. If you’re working with a good team and have a good support network it makes all the difference, and that’s what I have here,” she says.

On a final note, Marie says, “I’ve heard from women coming through our maternity services that they’ve had a really great experience at Northern Health and that’s what we want to provide.”

“If we’re doing well from our side, they’re doing well from their side.”

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 Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards are now open. To nominate a staff member or team, please click here.

Happy New Year to you all. I hope that many of you have enjoyed a Christmas and New Year break – and thank you to those who worked over the holiday period caring for our patients.

This month marks a significant milestone in Northern Heath’s growth and development as we open our own pathology service – Northern Pathology Victoria. This is Victoria’s first public in-house laboratory service established in 40 years.

Northern Pathology Victoria’s main laboratory is located at Northern Hospital with a range of pathology and collection services at Bundoora, Broadmeadows, and Craigieburn.

The service will initially provide Haematology, Transfusion Medicine, Microbiology and Biochemistry testing for all in-patients, out-patients and private patients. We will be partnering with Alfred Pathology Service for anatomical pathology and complex testing services, supported by a regular and efficient courier system.

Northern Pathology Victoria will have a specific emphasis on patient safety, clinical efficacy and quality reporting. As part of this commitment, we have purchased cutting edge technology, including a fully automated track system (commencing September 2019) and molecular testing service in microbiology, in addition to setting up a complex special coagulation service with a full suite of testing.

The planning for the process commenced two years ago, and we are pleased to have received provisional accreditation to commence our laboratory services at midnight 8 January 2019.

Congratulations to our pathology team led by Dr. Prahlad Ho and everyone else involved in creating our own pathology service.

 

Siva Sivarajah

Chief Executive

 

Featured image: Dr. Prahlad Ho and Chief Executive Siva Sivarajah

Below image left to right: Chief Scientist Uttam Punj, Meg Ginete, Shamila Ratnayake and Nicole Davidson

Palliative Care Services at Northern Health aim to improve quality of life for patients with life-limiting illness and their families, through management of symptoms, support and decision-making about future care.

In June 2018, Northern Health’s Palliative Care Service relocated from Northern Hospital Epping to a new site at Heritage Epping Gardens Aged Care Facility. The Epping Gardens unit consists of 16 large single rooms fitted with ensuites and a number of open areas including a cinema, lounge, chapel, hairdresser and sports bar for patients and their families.

The move is in the interim while new facilities for a dedicated Palliative Care Unit at Northern Hospital Epping are being planned.

The team have been working hard over the Christmas period to ensure compassionate end-of-life care and support for patients and their families during a difficult time.

After being treated at Peter Mac Hospital, Joseph Schrembi (pictured above) was in need of Palliative Care. Joseph’s family brought him to Epping Gardens on 7 December 2018, and are very happy with the care and support he has received.

Joseph’s family said, “Staff, nurses and doctors were always so kind and caring for Joe. The facilities at Epping Gardens are always clean and well looked after with many zoned areas for family and friends to be comfortable whilst visiting. We would definitely recommend Epping Gardens in the future.”

Featured image: Joseph and his family enjoying the outdoor space at Epping Gardens.