Northern Health became a designated Mental Health Service on 1 July 2022, welcoming Northern Area Mental Health Services and North West Area Mental Health Services, as well as the staff of Merv Irvine Nursing Home and McLellan House.

A year later, we welcome the Broadmeadows Aged Persons Mental Health Unit (BAPMHU) and the new Specialist Older Adults Consultation Service (SOACS), completing the transition of services.

Belinda Scott, Executive Director Mental Health, said, “I am thrilled to lead an amazing team that is committed to improving outcomes for consumers experiencing mental ill health and their families and carers. Together, we are creating a more accessible and responsive mental health service.”

SOACS is a community service that provides assessment, treatment and rapid response for older adult consumers with a mental health diagnosis and frailty, who live in the northern community.

Sue Pike, Director, Service Development and Improvement, is excited about the launch of this service.

“We have designed a model of care that we believe will best meet the needs of the consumers in the north,” she said.

In August this year, the new mental health facility at Northern Hospital Epping will commence operations. It was designed with input from our clinicians, nurses, stakeholders, and people with lived experience of mental illness.

The Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, said, “This new facility will allow people in Melbourne’s growing northern suburbs to receive the support they need close to their homes, families and support network.”

The facility offers 30 acute inpatient mental health beds with a contemporary and modern design to support recovery. It features technologically enhanced sensory rooms and courtyards, and consumers also have access to a range of shared internal spaces for social, therapeutic and recreational activities.

“Our service and this building reflect a significant shift in thinking about the way people experiencing mental illness are treated,” Ms Scott said.

“Consumer-centred care has underpinned the development of all aspects of this new facility and our service.”

 

Pictured from left to right: Kale Frost, Senior Exercise Physiologist, Belinda Scott, Executive Director, Jake Gale A/Team Manager, Ambulance Victoria,  Shaveta Sood, Program Manager, Chris Collard, A/Senior Team Manager, Ambulance Victoria and Jason Ray, Senior Occupational Therapist.

 

 

#WeAreNorthern

Meet Katelin Blackwood, Transformation Lead, Outpatient Services.

Q: What is your coffee order?

A: Tea at home and hot chocolate if I am out.

Q: Tell us about your role at Northern Health?

A: I have been at Northern Health for 15 years and currently work in the Outpatients Department. I started as a Clinic Lead for the Gastroenterology Portfolio in 2018, and have now transitioned into a new role as a Transformation Lead, working to further enhance and develop our processes. Currently, I am working on streamlining our planned appointment process by aligning all of our systems terminology, as well as reviewing and implementing new templates for each specialty across Outpatients, to ensure they meet the current needs of the service.

Q: What motivates you to work hard?

A: The opportunity to learn something new, develop professionally and most importantly make an impact is what motivates me.

Q: What is your superpower?

A: Making my colleagues laugh and listening.

Q: Sweet or savoury?

A: Savoury.

Tracey Webster OAM, Director, Clinical Leadership, Effectiveness and Outcomes (CLEO), was recently awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours.

This prestigious honour is in recognition of Tracey’s many decades of service to nursing and community health.

“It’s still a shock because I thought they seriously got the wrong person. But it is also an honour,” Tracey said.

“I am not someone that would get something like this, I am just a nurse. When you look at the list of people who received this honour, they are all amazing and I am very ordinary.”

Tracey’s career began as a student nurse in the UK in 1985, where she went on to become a paediatric nurse working in hospitals and across the community. In 2004, Southern Health, now Monash Health, was advertising to UK nurses to come and work down under. Tracey decided to move half-way across the world to Australia, where she began working as a specialist paediatric nurse.

“Since I have been here in Australia, I’ve been a paediatric state-wide palliative care nurse, I’ve done case management, health promotion, supported care screening for cancer patients and I have also been the director of a community health service,” Tracey said.

“I also went out to Marysville for three months, helping to set up all the counselling and support services, which was quite confronting during the bushfires. It was a privilege – I learnt a lot about myself as a nurse. It was some of the most challenging nursing I have ever done, but also just a massive privilege to be on that journey.”

Tracey began working at Northern Health in 2019 as a quality coordinator. When COVID-19 struck in 2020, Tracey was instrumental in setting up Northern Health’s Telehealth service as the Telehealth Project Officer. Tracey was acknowledged for this work during Northern Health’s Quarterly Staff Recognition Awards in August 2021, where she won the Patient Experience Award. Tracey has also assisted Dr Katharine See in setting up the first lung cancer pathway.

Now, Tracey is the Director of CLEO team – a digital health team responsible for supporting clinicians with the redesign of models of care, including the developing and implementation of digital care pathways.

“I have loved my time here at Northern Health. I love the community we serve, I love the diversity of the staff,” she said.

“I love the fact that people come here to do the best that they can every day and Northern Health is probably one of the main places that I have felt that. Every single person genuinely comes here every day to do their best for the community we serve.”

“I have done some really great innovative work, and everything I have done, is as a team. I am now working with Dr Katharine See which is amazing and this is the most excited I have ever been working as a nurse.”

“We need to use technology as an enabler. We have to keep changing in nursing and give nurses time back with their patients by embracing the use of technology, using it to your advantage because there are going to be a lot of changes with the use of technology in patient care in the next 10 years.”

Tracey is hoping her achievements as a nurse, and being awarded this prestigious honour, encourages future and present nurses to continue pursuing their dream of nursing.

“Nursing is a fantastic career, especially with the breadth of jobs you can do as nurse. You can achieve anything with nursing,” she said.

“I am hoping nurses realise that they can achieve anything. It’s been rewarding to serve our community and making a difference in the lives of our patients and rewarding to support colleagued in giving them back time with patients.”

Here is what some of our staff had to say about Tracey’s achievement.

“Congratulations Tracey, amazing!” – Lisa Cox, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer.

“Congratulations Tracey! So proud to be working with such an amazing inspirational leader in health. Your humble yet determined leadership will move mountains. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things.” – Elisha O’Dowd, Effectiveness and Outcomes Manager, CLEO.

“Congratulations Tracey Webster, absolutely amazing!” – Hayley Gray, Nurse Unit Manager, Victorian Virtual Emergency Department.

“Congratulations Tracey. Such a well-deserved honour in recognition of your many years of service to the community.” – Melanie Moore, Spiritual Care Leader, Counsellor, Supervisor.

On behalf of everyone at Northern Health, we give Tracey a big congratulations on this amazing achievement.

Over the past two months, Northern Health (NH) and Kilmore District Health (KDH) have undertaken a thorough consultation process to explore the future delivery of healthcare services in the Northern Growth Corridor.

Part of this process included engaging directly with the community of Kilmore and surrounds, and KDH staff and stakeholders so we can collaboratively determine what is needed and wanted. The end result will be closer and stronger partnerships, with the possibility of a voluntary amalgamation between both services.

Please click here to read the Better Connected Care Newsletter – June 2023.

This is a significant time to be working in the mental health sector, as we declare our commitment to the ambitious reform agenda, set out by the Mental Health Royal Commission.

Next week, we welcome the Broadmeadows Aged Persons Mental Health Unit (BAPMHU) and the new Specialist Older Adults Consultation Service (SOACS). This is the final transition of services, as recommended by The Royal Commission, into Mental Health.

Today, we speak to Huggins Mhlanga, Nurse Unit Manager – Broadmeadows Aged Persons Mental Health Unit.

Let’s start with your coffee order?

Extra hot latte – no sugar.

Tell us about your role and what it entails?

I’m the Nurse Unit Manager at Broadmeadows Aged Persons Mental Health Unit. I’m responsible for the overall operational management of the unit. This includes supporting our multidisciplinary team to deliver effective and efficient care to our service users, their families and other stakeholders. In collaboration with key strategic partnerships both internally and externally, the role is also responsible for ensuring that our service has the necessary resources required to enable quality service delivery to our communities.

Tell us what you were doing prior to this role?

I have worked in mental health nursing since 2000, both here in Australia and the UK. Most of my career I have worked in various clinical settings in adult mental health services both in inpatient units and community services.

Prior to this role, I worked in the community residential recovery programs at North West Area Mental Health Community Care Unit (NWCCU) and North West Area Mental Health Prevention and Recovery Care Service (PARC). I held a few clinical leadership roles during this time including the Secure Extended Care (SECU) liaison role for Northwestern Mental Health before joining the team at Broadmeadows Hospital Older Adults Mental Health Unit in 2018.

What does a typical day look like for you?

There is no typical day on an inpatient mental health unit. However, my day usually starts with meetings relating to bed management including clinical handover, to name a few. The rest of the time is spent supporting the team as required to manage the daily demands of the unit, including engaging with our service users, their families and other stakeholders.

What excites you about your role?

The passion, collaboration and commitment of our clinical team to deliver quality care in spite of the ever-changing nature of healthcare service delivery.

What are some of the challenges of this role?

Too many to mention but there are always opportunities, despite these challenges, to improve the way we do things.

Lastly, what would people be most surprised to know about you?

I’m not an AFL fanatic, however, when I’m asked which footy team I support, I always say St. Kilda. When I arrived in Australia, I was told that every Victorian was “required” to pick an AFL team to support, and when I did my assessment, they were the only team that wore the same colours as my beloved Manchester United.

Northern Health’s Transition Care Program (TCP) provides care coordination and low-level therapy for clients that have had a recent hospital admission, for up to 12 weeks.

Based at Bundoora Centre, the program allows clients to continue their recovery while appropriate long-term care arrangements are finalised; this may be a return to the community, with or without community services, including Home Care Packages or permanent residential aged care.

There are two arms to the TCP – Home-Based (HB) and Bed-Based (BB).

The Home-Based Program is offered in the client’s own home. The Bed-Based program is located within Baptcare, Wattle Grove in Lalor.

Whilst on the program, the client will receive care coordination, brokered home support services (HB only), medical support and low-level therapy based upon the specific needs and goals of the client. Care Coordination is provided by the TCP care coordinators and medical support is provided collaboratively by the client’s GP and the TCP Geriatrician.

During the pandemic, the team faced many challenges including remote working and facilitating virtual care to clients who were reluctant to receive in-home care services. But, despite all the hurdles, TCP staff were praised by their clients for their perseverance and dedication to the service.

Edgar Menchavez, TCP Care Coordinator, commenced with the TCP in 2019 and has received outstanding feedback on a number of occasions from the many patients he has worked with, and their families, outlining his compassion, empathy, dedication and knowledge of community supports.

“Working with TCP can be a challenge. It is a constantly changing environment; we all have to adapt and respond to the changes appropriately. Nevertheless, I consider this job a privilege. I love working with older adults and our wonderful team,” he said.

This year, the team is looking forward to the implementation of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) which will support open communication to the inpatient teams, increasing awareness of clients receiving community services via Northern Health.

“The Transition Services Team is one of the most flexible, dynamic and adaptable groups I have had the pleasure to lead,” said Matthew Wood, Transition Services Manager.

Pictured: L – R back row: Elza Alice Joseph, Vanessa Hodge, Najeebuddin Mohammed, Sharyn Green, Sally-Anne McFawn, Mathew Wood, Elizabeth Pentland, Sharyn Stockdale, Sara Faccini., Jill Rachel, Rachel Raucci.

Front Row: Yin Min Aye, Jenny Christof, Edgar Menchavez, Kirk Ombina.

Northern Health’s Electronic Medical Record (EMR) super user training kick starts today.

From designing and building the EMR to testing and endorsing the workflows, the time has finally come to get our staff ready for our EMR go live in September.

EMR training will be mainly delivered by our team of 15 EMR trainers. However, we have some special guests who will also be taking on the role to train their peers during the 10-week training period.

Jake Geertsema, Ben Peake, Ben Wong, Jamie Mackay, Charlie Harding, Ben Wong, and Jason Ma, Anaesthetists at Northern Health, volunteered to undergo a ‘train the trainer’ program on 19 and 20 June to learn the new workflows and familiarise themselves with the training module, before providing formal classroom training to their peers.

There will be theatre slowdown to allow the team of seven trainers to train the 77 consultants and 30 JMOs in the department within the eight-week training schedule.

To prepare for training, Jason Ma, Deputy Director of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, said they have started incorporating EMR demonstrations into their weekly meetings.

“This slowly introduces the system and allows us to answer questions. In August, every meeting will have snippets to refresh those who may have had their training much earlier and provide updates on processes.”

Jason is excited to see how EMR can improve workflows across Northern Health.

“Simple things like recording observations five minutely will be a thing of the past, allowing us to concentrate more on patient management. It will be easier to see current patient issues and should reduce the amount of copying of information,” he said.

Cliff Wiltshire, EMR Training Manager, thanks the leadership’s involvement.

“The team has been able to nominate five staff as EMR trainers, which will set them up to train the more than 100 consultants and JMOs and have the expertise to support their team members at go live,” Cliff said.

All EMR classroom training will commence today and continue until 2 September to train more than 4,000 staff working in the inpatient setting, Emergency, Theatres, and some working in specialist maternity clinics.

“Remember, no training, no EMR access.  Make sure you are booked into training and attend the scheduled session,” Cliff adds.

Thank you to all of you who were involved in this tremendous task and let the EMR go live countdown begin.

Featured image: Ben Peake, Jake Geertsema, and Jason Ma, Anaesthetists attending EMR ‘train the trainer’ program. 

Since October 2022, Northern Health has focused on a targeted program of attracting and recruiting internationally qualified nurses and midwives, as part of its Nursing and Midwifery recruitment strategy.

In undertaking this work, senior nursing leaders from Northern Health recently attended job fairs in Ireland, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, promoting the diverse and exciting healthcare opportunities available both in Victoria, as well as in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.

Grant Taylor, Director of Nursing Workforce, advised that the program has been an enormous success having recruited and onboarded a total of 18 new nurses since the program began, with another seven about to join Northern Health soon.

Grant continued, “Our new international recruits have joined Northern Health from a variety of overseas countries including the United Kingdom, Singapore, India, New Zealand, Ireland and Canada.”

Working across numerous wards at Northern Health in departments as diverse as Emergency, Paediatrics, Mental Health and Operating Theatres, the recruits bring new perspectives and transferable skill sets.

Lisa Cox, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, said, “It has been fantastic to see the influx of highly qualified and experienced nurses and midwives from Northern Health’s international recruitment program. These nurses and midwives support our local applicants and current staff and provide a unique opportunity to create a truly diverse nursing and midwifery team.”

Director of Nursing (Mental Health), Gary Ennis, commented, “Over the past four months the Division of Mental Health has welcomed a number of mental health nurses from New Zealand and Canada. There has been a steady stream of interest from overseas mental health nurses enquiring about coming to work for us at Northern Health, with a number of UK based nurses preparing for a move later this year.”

“Our values of Safe, Kind and Together really appear to resonate with the nurses who have applied for positions at Northern Health. There is a lot of choice for mental health nurses when picking a health service to work for and it’s great to see that the division of Mental Health at Northern Health continues to attract quality overseas applicants.”

Northern Health warmly welcomes our new international recruits, and trusts your time with us will be a symbiotically fruitful one.

Pictured in featured image: Grant Taylor with some of our new international recruits.