This week, we celebrate all the Occupational Therapists (OT) employed at Northern Health. The theme this year is ‘Unity through Community’. This is also Mental Health Awareness Month and today we showcase occupational therapists working in our Mental Health Division. Occupational therapists are employed in a variety of roles including:

• Clinicians (Grade 1 to Grade 4 general roles) and Clinical Specialist roles
• Clinical Educators
• Professional Leaders (Chiefs)
• Research translation
• Operational management
• Projects and service development

This is what they have to say:

 

“I believe occupational therapists brings a vital perspective to the mental health field. Our holistic and practical approach to recovery through meaningful occupation helps our consumers have better health outcomes, a more satisfying life and probably a lot more fun!”
Laura Ferronato, OT Clinical Educator 

“Occupational therapy means growth and healing through doing what matters to us each day.”
Megan Turville, OT Research Lead

“OT means promoting health and wellbeing though participating in meaningful activities that we need and want to do. Occupational therapists are curious and keen to understand consumers’ lives and their typical days as “how we spend our days is how we spend our lives” (Annie Dillard, The Writing life)”
Carolyn Dun, Northern Area Mental Health Service (NAMHS)

“I believe that OT is more than a profession, it is a way of living, interacting and seeing the world. What excites me as an occupational therapist, is that we are in the business of creating opportunities for engagement, satisfaction, fulfillment and enabling people of all ages and abilities to live the life that they want to live. We are not magicians – rather we use skills, knowledge, experience, and evidence to make a sustainable change in the person’s life”.
Kieva Richards, Occupational Therapy Professional Leader-Specialist Older Adults Consultation Service/Aged Mental Health

“Mental ill health can impact all domains of a person’s life, as mental health occupational therapists, we have the privileged position to play a role in understanding what is most important to a person.  Then, either by supporting, coaching, advocacy, connecting, walk alongside the person as they take the steps towards living the life they define as meaningful, worthwhile and fulfilling”.
Erin Finch, Occupational Therapy Professional Leader- North West Area Mental Health Service (NWAMHS)

For me, the value and reward of being an Occupational Therapist is summed up in the following quote:
“Occupational Therapists are change agents who work to enhance the health, wellbeing and quality of life for individuals and communities” I love that our skills, knowledge and perspective mean that we are able to work and make a difference to peoples’ lives in a diverse range of roles and settings.
Sue Pike, Director – Service Development and Improvement.

 “As an OT, I am geared towards helping people identify and meet their own goals and thus like to think that I display an elevated level of empathy. It helps me to ask important questions, understand any barriers and discern a person’s strengths and also areas for improvement.

In addition, OTs are highly regarded and well known for their person-centred and strengths-based approach. We recognize the value of individual differences. These are important qualities in a leader as well. Leaders find a way to utilize each person’s strengths within a team, and alongside leading with empathy, OTs create environments that promote well-being, cooperation, and unity that enhance and focus on people’s growth and workplace success”
John Dermanakis, Director of Operations, Northern Area Mental Health Service (NAMHS)

 

Kilmore District Health and Northern Health boards welcome the Victorian Government’s approval for the two health services to unite as an amalgamated service. The new service will officially begin on 1 November 2023.

Under the new structure, Kilmore District Health will become a campus of Northern Health, joining its existing network of services across Craigieburn, Bundoora, Broadmeadows, Epping, Mill Park, Preston and Mernda. While under the Northern Health brand, the service itself will be known as Kilmore District Hospital.

This voluntary amalgamation builds upon the existing partnership between the two services which has been jointly serving the community of Mitchell Shire for many years.

An amalgamation between the services will ensure greater coordination of care across the Outer North and focus on meeting the community’s future healthcare needs.

It will deliver more care closer to home, attract and retain an experienced workforce and provide greater career development opportunities and employment flexibility for staff.

Jennifer Gilham, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Kilmore District Health, welcomes the State Government’s approval of the amalgamation.

“It is clear that working together is the best way to care for our rapidly growing community. By collaborating, we can expand our services to meet the needs of our patients. This means patients can receive care in a familiar setting, from familiar faces, and closer to home,” said Ms Gilham.

Northern Health’s Chief Executive, Siva Sivarajah, also welcomes the decision by the Victorian Government, saying that staff and the community can now expect a greater breadth of care locally.

“This is a natural next step in our partnership. I look forward to welcoming the staff and community to Northern Health. We already care for the same community, and the community and staff know our services well. So, we are confident we can deliver better care together – and not apart.”

Kilmore District Health Board Chair, Gillian Leach, praised the community and staff for their contribution to the service and welcomed the decision to join Northern Health.

“The community has been involved every step of the way – this is a win for our community, and we can be proud of the outstanding care Kilmore District Health has and will continue to provide in the future.”

Northern Health Board Chair, Jennifer Williams AM, also welcomed the decision and is looking forward to leading the expanded health service.

“This enhanced partnership presents a real opportunity to strengthen the way care is delivered for our catchment. We must find new ways to innovate and improve healthcare outcomes for all,” said Ms Williams.

“Our immediate focus is developing an integrated Strategic Plan and Clinical Service Plan. We want to develop a shared vision for the future. We can only do this together with Kilmore District Health, bringing together the voices of our staff and the community,” added Ms Williams.

Northern Health reaffirms its commitment to:

• The maintenance of local name and identity for Kilmore District Hospital.
• There will be no reduction in staffing levels as a direct result of the amalgamation. Staff will continue to work when and where they work today, unless they wish to change.
• Delivering care closer to home by increasing the ways local residents can access care in their local community and introducing more specialist services, which many Kilmore residents are already accessing at Northern Health.
• With more young families in the local community, we are committed to introducing a paediatric outpatient service at Kilmore to provide better care for children, closer to home.
• By strengthening local maternity services, more women will be able to give birth in Kilmore.
• Access to tertiary care will be streamlined through collaboration and improved communication.
• Engaging with staff and community to develop an integrated Strategic Plan and Clinical Service Plan within the first 12 months of an amalgamation.
• A positive and sustainable workplace for all. Our health workers are the backbone of care. We are committed to providing enhanced training and development opportunities for our staff to develop their careers.

 

Every October, Safe Work Australia runs National Safe Work Month – a national campaign to raise awareness of occupational health and safety (OH&S).

The main objective of National Safe Work Month is to encourage all individuals and organisations to prioritise safety in the workplaces and to work towards reducing the number of work-related injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

We all understand that safety and wellbeing are important and how it impacts everyone, even beyond the workplace. Please refer to this iNews article for the views of some staff on what OH&S means to them.

Everyone has a part to play to ensure that the workplace is safe for all. But most importantly, you are the missing piece in the puzzle and your contribution is critical for the safety of patients, your colleagues, visitors and yourself.

Your mental health also matters when it comes to the health and safety of staff in the workplace, and together, we can work as one to support each other’s mental health. It is important to care for yourself first so that you can provide care for others. There are many supports available to support your mental health. You can refer to this page for more information.

Watching your step to reduce slips, trips and falls is also a fundamental aspect in keeping everyone safe. There have been 87 trip and fall incidents reported across Northern Health since the start of the year. Staff play an important role in mitigating slips, trips and falls by being aware of your surroundings and not being distracted. Visit this page for more information. Together, we can reduce the number of slip trip falls.

This week, we have highlighted how the OH&S and Wellbeing teams are here to keep you safe. Refer to this page to find out more. However, this means nothing without the help and support of everyone from management to each individual staff.

The OH&S and Wellbeing teams have reached out to some staff and asked the question: “How does working together keep us safe?” Please refer to the below video to see what their views are.

 

As you can see, by working together, positive outcomes can be achieved. As we wrap up this National Safe Work Month for 2023, there is more we can do, and only by working together we can make a difference.

Featured image: Williams Akengowa, Nurse Unit Manager, McLellan House, Julie Mason, HRS for PSA/Carps and Graham Wilson, OH&S Director.

It is that time of year again, when we celebrate research at Northern Health. It seems such a long time since the last one and a lot of things have changed.

Northern Health looks different, with a new mental health building. We are now digital with the new EMR, and we have just welcomed radiology in house.

On the research side, we have a new Director of Research, Nik Zeps, a new Research Operations Manager, Justine Ellis and a new research structure with a Research Executive Committee and a research advisory group.

And through all of that change, our researchers have remained inspired and are now equipped with better capability to lead change and strive for future improvements to help our patients.

This year, following the pattern of change, we have a new format for Research Week, with an exciting programme which is sure to inspire the next generation of Northern Health researchers.

Some of the major work behind the scenes this year has been to re-engage with our university partners, and Research Week opens with the chair of the Research Executive Committee, A/Professor Prahlad Ho, sharing his view of the future for Northern Health, and two exceptional RMIT researchers, Professor Magdalena Plebanski and Professor Vipul Bansal, discussing immune disease biomarkers and nanotechnology.

We showcase some of the best that Northern Health has to offer the world before lunch, with Professor Don Campbell presenting his work so far, in one of the most prominent (and newsworthy!) studies led out of Northern Health, and A/Professor Lisa Hui is showing off the first Northern Health biobank and the opportunities that exist for placental research.

After lunch, some of our brightest minds will compete for the inaugural Peter Brooks Research Award, for the best abstract and oral presentation of the year.

La Trobe University has sponsored afternoon tea to lead into a session dedicated to our allied health rising stars – but not before the popular trivia session, which has proved impossible to leave out of the program.

The most memorable part of the day will be left to last. Professor Peter Brooks, AM has led a distinguished and successful career, and we were incredibly lucky that Peter spent the last few years of his career to boost the profile of research at Northern Health, opened doors for many projects, and mentored many researchers to reach new heights.

He is worthy of a big celebration, and we hope everyone makes time to attend this session at the end of the day and a drink afterwards with Professor Brooks. He will also get to enjoy awarding the inaugural award named after him.

Despite such an excellent programme that celebrates some established Northern Health researchers, the importance of Research Week lies in supporting and encouraging our most junior researchers. We can’t all be amazing researchers the first time we try, and it is imperative to practice the skills of sharing ideas and results through posters, oral presentations or even just networking with senior researchers.

Poster sessions will run through the week, prominently in the hospital foyer, and we will also have a dedicated student session to support some of the excellent student projects of 2023.

The research achievements of Northern Health researchers are an important facet of why we are proud to be part of the Northern Health family, and we hope that everyone comes ‘together’ in this year’s Research Week to support this.

 

Dr Russell Hodgson

Specialist HPB and General Surgeon

Head of Surgical Research, Northern Health

 

Justine Ellis, our new Research Operations Manager, is busy building towers – figuratively, at least. Justine says, “Many of the building blocks are already here, so my role is to work collaboratively to turn those blocks into towers!”

Click on image below to learn more

Q:  Justine, could I start with your coffee order?

A: A chai latte, please!

Q: Tell us about your role in the Research Office?

A: Overall, my role is to work with the Research Executive Committee and Director of Research to ensure research at Northern Health grows and prospers for the benefit of patients living in the north, and beyond. To make that happen, we need a happy, high-functioning Research Office (now the Research Development and Governance Unit), with streamlined research approval processes that tick all the boxes from a regulatory perspective. We also need to focus on developing researcher capability through support and training opportunities and work every day to further embed a culture of research into our organisation. It’s so important!

Q: Tell us about your journey to get here?

A: I ‘grew up’ as an academic researcher, leading a research program into better understanding juvenile arthritis. During that time, I had an opportunity to work on side projects aiming to enable research for others by identifying and removing barriers related to biobanking, and really loved it. So, I took a chance and jumped out of academia and headed down the research management path, stopping along the way to work for the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Alliance (VCCC), in program management. Now that I’m here at Northern Health, I feel like that chance I took was the right thing to do.

Q: Any lessons learnt that will be useful to your role here?

A: Researchers tend to spend a lot of time on tasks that might not be considered as doing the actual research. While many of these tasks are really important and a valuable part of the research project lifecycle (applying for funding, gaining ethics and governance approvals, etc), the more streamlined we can make these tasks, the more time researchers will have to discover new things. This is the philosophy I bring with me as we work to re-focus the work of our Research Development and Governance Unit.

Q:  Your first impressions of Northern Health?

A: Super-friendly! Everyone has been so welcoming, and it is a joy to interact with more and more of the staff here to understand their roles and contributions to Northern Health, and how the Research Development and Governance Unit can support their work.

Q: What are some of the challenges you foresee?

A: The people living in the north deserve to have better access to clinical trials at their local hospital. There is so much research that should be undertaken around care for culturally diverse populations that Northern Health is perfectly positioned to lead. We need to ‘think research’ in our day-to-day activities and grow research capacity and capability amongst our teams. A whole of organisation shift in thinking is a challenge, but there are clear benefits to making it happen – an easy sell in my opinion!

Q: What are the opportunities you see?

A: Quite simply, the more high-quality research we undertake, the more we can improve clinical care and outcomes for our patients.

Q: How do you unwind from work?

A: Hard to do when there is so much exciting stuff going on at work! I’m very family oriented, and love spending time with my two kids, aged 22 and 19, as well as my extended family who all live in Kilmore, where I grew up. I find short trips away in various parts of Victoria very refreshing, and I am a regular Airbnb user. I’m also a dog lover, and there’s always lots of activity focussed around our 18-month-old Border Collie cross.

Q: Tell us something about you that will surprise our readers?

A: On a Melbourne Cup Day in the mid-90’s I was head-down, finishing off a research thesis. A family member bought me a Melbourne Cup trifecta ‘mystery bet’ ticket where the numbers of three horses were randomly generated. I barely paid attention to the race but at some point, I happened to notice that the three numbers on my ticket were the same three numbers of the horses that placed first, second and third in the race. The winnings helped me along the road to a deposit for my first home – a pretty big deal for a broke research student! I have been forever grateful.

Q: Tell us of your involvement in Research Week?

A: Planning for Research Week was well underway when I joined Northern Health in mid-July. Since then, I have been behind the scenes with the team coordinating the planning. The working group, led by Prof Shekhar Kumta, has been working very hard, and the program is looking great! Attendees will get to hear from some outstanding researchers, and to share their own work. There will also be an opportunity for us to introduce the newly rebranded Research Development and Governance Unit, and the growing support that we offer. Looking into the future, I think Research Week year on year will be a great way for our organisation to see and acknowledge growth in research over time.

October is Telehealth Awareness Month, a time to celebrate and enthusiastically promote the numerous ground-breaking achievements and unparalleled opportunities offered by the transformative world of Telehealth, notably amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Telehealth involves delivering healthcare services remotely through the use of information and technology, with the added capability of supporting education. Telehealth is most commonly delivered through telephone and video calls.

At Northern Health, Telehealth and virtual care also encompass any projects where technology is used to assess or communicate with patients in a non-face-to-face setting, such as clinical apps or software.

This year’s theme for Telehealth Awareness month is “Telehealth: Enabling Sustainable Health Care” and it aims to highlight the role of Telehealth in:

• Enabling equitable consumer access to high quality health services closer to home, meaning less time away from community work and school
• Supporting clinicians to access peer support and upskilling in order to increase skill, reduce isolation and increase workforce retention
• Enabling healthcare providers to collaborate to deliver high quality, integrated care, regardless of where the consumer is located
• Reducing the environmental footprint of providing health care, via reduced clinician and consumer travel which will mean fuel savings and less carbon emissions

Sarah Davies, Telehealth and Virtual Care Manager, Northern Health, says, “My role of Telehealth and Virtual Care Manager comprises the whole Telehealth department! However, I sit within the Digital Division and work closely with the other departments. Recently, I have also been branching out of Telehealth to support the Antenatal Clinic team with EMR Go Live.”

Sarah assumed her role in February 2023 and, while she has already gained substantial knowledge, she acknowledges that there is a significant amount of learning yet to be undertaken.

“My background is a Neurological Physiotherapist, however I have also done various project roles and just prior to this role, I was working as Clinical Coordinator within the Community Therapy Services. In all the roles I have had, the thing I like most about my work is being able to help people – staff and patients. I consider both these groups to be my main consumers now.”

Despite the fact that Telehealth uptake has lessened dramatically since the pandemic, it still has the potential to provide amazing support and opportunity to staff and patients.

“At the moment, at Northern Health, telephone is used far more frequently than video call, but we know that video calls offer a far superior experience for both parties. My dream is to support patients to be able to avoid carparking challenges and crowded waiting areas, and support staff to overcome room booking challenges and cross site travel by utilizing video calls,” said Sarah.

“I appreciate that a blend of face-to-face and video call appointments is the way forward and I look forward to working with clinical teams in future to support staff to make this happen with hybrid models of care. I expect over time, as staff and patients get more practice and become proficient with using video calls, they will notice the benefits.”

As we continue to celebrate Telehealth month during the month of October, let’s remember that the importance of Telehealth extends far beyond a single month, as it stands as a vital cornerstone in shaping the future of healthcare.

Pictured in featured image: Sarah Davies, Telehealth and Virtual Care Manager.  

Today is Thank Your Cleaner Day, a special day dedicated to all cleaners who keep workplaces and public buildings clean, safe and hygienic.

Northern Health has an amazing team of Patient Service Assistants (PSAs) and ISS cleaners who go above and beyond in keeping our health service spick and span for staff, patients and the community.

Among our team is a lovely mother-daughter duo, Amiben Gor and Radhvi Gor. They both work as PSAs at the Northern Hospital Epping and are both proud to be part of team responsible for protecting our employee’s and patients’ wellbeing every day.

Amiben has worked at Northern Hospital Epping for many years and is grateful for the work environment it offers both her, and her daughter.

“Support Services has a great team, and I thank my managers for creating such a welcoming space. That is exactly why I also recommended this position to my daughter. It’s wonderful to see how everyone has been so inclusive and supportive towards her as well,” she said.

“Thank you Northern Health, for giving my family this opportunity.”

Wendy Nicol, Operations Manager, Support Services at Northern Health, said it was important to not only celebrate, thank and acknowledge our cleaners today, but to do it every day.

“Today, and every day, we would like to acknowledge the amazing work of our PSAs and ISS cleaners who work hard every day to deliver support services to our clinical teams and, most importantly, our patients,” she said.

“Their hard work and dedication help to keep the hospital functioning and clean and our patients happy. We appreciate all they do and thank them for their ongoing commitment.”

Saj Amerasinghe, ISS Key Account Manager, Northern Health, also extended his thank you to his team.

“On Thank Your Cleaner Day, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated ISS placemakers who go above and beyond to ensure that Northern health facilities remain clean and aseptic,” he said.

“Your unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of patients, staff, and visitors is truly remarkable. Thank you for shining brightly and tirelessly, day in and day out, throughout the year. Your hard work does not go unnoticed, and we are profoundly thankful for everything you do.”

From all of us here at Northern Health, we extend a heartfelt thanks for our unsung heroes who keep our spaces safe and spotless.

Featured image L-R: Radhvi Gor and Amiben Gor, PSAs.

The People Experience team believes the experience of our workforce is fundamental to Northern Health’s organisational success.

The team acts as the organisational ‘ears’ to understand current employee experience using people metrics and insights from engagement surveys, pulse checks and exit interviews.

The team supports and consults leaders to improve employee engagement, while also driving the implementation of initiatives within teams and across Northern Health to facilitate a people-focused workplace. This includes reward and recognition programs and culture transformation projects like Speaking Up For Safety. The team also works towards making Northern Health an employer of choice and has established our Employee Value Proposition to strengthen talent attraction and retention.

The team consists of Jade Ralston, Director People and Performance, Bianca Fazzari, People Experience Business Partner, Alysha Hooper, People Experience Business Partner and Ravinder Kaur, AGA Student supporting People Experience and Wellbeing.

Jade said when employees were engaged and supported by a positive workplace culture, staff had increased happiness and job satisfaction, productivity and quality service delivery, as well as greater staff wellbeing, retention and reduced turnover.

“In order to make every day a great day at work, we need to regularly listen to the voice of our people,” she said.

“I am so proud of Northern Health for investing in a dedicated People Experience team, as it demonstrates an organisational commitment to the experience of our hard-working employees. We have great things planned for 2023 and beyond, and I am excited for our staff to benefit from the strategy and initiatives we have in stall.”

For Bianca, she feels lucky to have the opportunity to make a positive difference to the working lives of Northern Health staff.

“Work is a huge part of our everyday lives, so it is really important that we are working in an environment that is safe, supportive, facilitates our growth and enables us to thrive,” she said.

“What makes it extra meaningful is that I have an opportunity to support a workforce that is crucial to our community. I’m dedicated to supporting our staff so that they continue to love what they do and where they work.”

“What I’m really enjoying about my work is that Northern Health is showing a real commitment to, and investment in, the employee experience with a dedicated team, emerging systems and new initiatives to support a positive workplace culture. We have lots of new and exciting things happening, so watch this space.”

The pandemic emphasised the importance of not only our staff’s wellbeing, but their overall experience at work and how critical the function of People Experience is.

With the country’s healthcare workforce facing major shortages throughout the pandemic, Northern Health responded by seeking to better understand and respond to staff needs so that we can attract and retain exceptional talent.

Processes, systems and initiatives were born out of that learning, including Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards, improvements to service awards and exit interviews and surveys, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, a number of wellbeing supports and initiatives, Employee Appreciation Day and many other staff recognition and appreciation initiatives.

The team is now focused on the future and is committed to creating a contemporary, engaging and high-performing culture. Following the challenges of the past few years, the team is dedicated to understanding what staff want and need to make every day a great day to work at Northern Health.

“It gives me great pleasure to be part of a team that promotes a positive workplace culture within our organisation, and for our local community hospital,” Alysha said.

“As a new member of the People Experience team, I love what I do because I can contribute to creating a workplace that our staff enjoy working in every day. We are giving staff a voice to shape important aspects of their working life at Northern such as reward and recognition, work life balance, professional growth and career development and anything they see as important to our Employee Value Proposition. It’s about making Northern the best workplace it can be.”

Ravinder says she is proud to be surrounded by a team of passionate and dedicated professionals who are committed to improving the employee experience at the organisation.

“Working as an AGA admin student with the People Experience team at Northern Health is incredibly motivating,” she said.

“The opportunity to learn from and contribute to this team, as well as the knowledge that my work is making a positive impact on the lives of employees, is what motivates me every day.”

Featured image: Alysha Hooper, People Experience Business Partner, Bianca Fazzari, People Experience Business Partner and Ravinder Kaur, AGA Student.