July 16, 2021You see them cheerfully going about their work, which includes ensuring our health service complies with the Department of Health, Cleaning Standards for Public Health Facilities. COVID-19 further underlined the importance of the role they play in keeping our patients and community safe.
They also assist in other ways such as transferring patients, equipment, urgent bloods, mail, and medical records.
They are our Patient Services Assistants (PSA’s).
Earlier this week a handful of them follow Wendy Nicol, Operations Manager, PSA and Cleaning Service Contracts, to the courtyard near Allied Health unsure of what to expect. Seeing Debra Bourne, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer there, further piques their curiosity.
Bill Petrovski, PSA says, “When Wendy told me, ‘you have to work tomorrow’, I wondered what’s going on? What’s going to happen? At the same time I was excited!”
Steve Carnell, CARPS Supervisor, is in on the secret.
It’s the Shine Awards – where we recognise our PSA’s who actively live and role model the Northern Health values of safe, kind and together. He has nominated Kerrie Lazarra, one of his protégés, for the ‘Together’ award.
As Debra presents the awards, he is pleased to see Kerrie recognised for her “amazing work with students making their experience so much better.”
Steve says, “She goes the extra mile to ensure they have a positive experience at Northern.”
Bill too is recognised, along with Morty Kathiramoothiya, in this same category for their work in preparing for Accreditation. Wendy says, they went over and beyond and “nothing was too hard for them.”
It wasn’t only the PSA’s at Northern Hospital Epping who were recognised at the second Shine Awards for 2021.
Mary Scicluna, PSA at Bundoora Centre, wins the ‘Safe’ award for ‘focusing on the correct protocols at all times.’
Her nominators, Mustafa Tus and Faye Parra, describe Mary as “very organised and works well with the staff.”
There still remained one more category to be announced, and that is the ‘Kindness’ Award.
Much to his surprise, it is Steve who is announced as the winner in this category.
Says Wendy, “Steve has worked tirelessly to ensure that the students all receive a thorough and professional experience at Northern Health. His attitude towards the program is second to none and he shows nothing but kindness to all students.”
Which brings us to yet another role of the PSA’s (and in particular Steve), alluded to above, and that is to provide placement training for students following the Certificate III in Health Services Assistance at various universities and TAFEs.
Matthew Moore was one such trainee. See our story here.
“Steve was an awesome trainer; he’s passed on his knowledge,” says Mathew.
“It was very unexpected,” says Steve on winning the award and adds, “It is credit to all the PSA’s who do all the hard work.”
(Which makes us wonder if perhaps there should be yet another award category – an award for Modesty and Unassuming Service? A trait that Steve has in common with a lot of our other PSA’s?)
Please join us in congratulating the winners – and in applauding the tireless work of all our PSA’s.
“We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won’t need to tell anybody it does.
Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to their shining – they just shine.” – Dwight L. Moody
Pictured above: Wendy Nicol, Steve Carnell, Kerrie Lazarra, Bill Petrovski and Debra Bourne.
Absent: Morty Kathiramoothiya and Mary Scicluna.
