NSLHD News November 21

NSLHD News November 21

NORTHERN SYDNEY LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT NSLHD

Cheers to our Midwives NSLHD midwives have celebrated an outstanding achievement in helping women get healthy during pregnancy. Read more on Page 7

Universal Children’s day Page 3

Royal North Shore staff celebrate time in service Page 10 and 11

Leaders in healthcare, partners in wellbeing

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Message FROM the acting Chief executive Dr Tamsin Waterhouse

message FROM the Chief executive Deb Willcox

Last week saw our hospitals and the NSW health system operating under the State Emergency Management Plan as a result of the devastating bushfires and catastrophic conditions. Thankfully, at NSLHD, our hospitals and services were not affected by the bushfires but I would like to thank our NSLHD HSFAC Coordinator Anthony Dombkins and the team for overseeing our preparedness and to all our staff who were on standby. To our staff who may have family and friends affected by the fires, I would like to extend my thoughts and best wishes. Bushfires continue to burn and I urge you all to keep safe and remain vigilant during these times. I would also like to thank staff who are volunteering as part of the response to protect people and property. I commend your dedication and support of your community. As Christmas draws closer, this year we are partnering with our charity partner Dignity, who empowers people experiencing homelessness. Please join us to make this Christmas easier and more cheerful for vulnerable families in our community by donating to the Dignity Christmas drive. Christmas trees have been placed at our hospitals for staff and visitors to donate goods by Monday 1 December.

The district has identified planetary health as an important new initiative. Over the past century, significant advances in medicine, technology and urban development have increased our quality of life immensely. However, achieving these gains has led to negative impacts on the health and quality of our natural environment. As a health service with a large carbon footprint, we have the ability to improve the health of our environment whilst promoting the health and wellbeing of our patients, our workforce and our community. There are a number of key domains the district will endeavour to prioritise including: staff wellbeing, green space and healthy built environments, waste management and improvement, healthy communities, and sustainable capital works and procurement. I look forward to providing you further updates in this newsletter as we progress this important initiative. Finally, this Friday 22 November is our 2019 Annual Public Meeting being held in the Kolling Auditorium from 2:30pm. This year’s theme is “Our patients: their stories” and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at this annual event.

Deb Willcox Chief Executive Northern Sydney Local Health District

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Cammeray Public School’s Big Band wowed the crowd

celebrating our future: Universal children’s day 2019 The foyer at Royal North Shore Hospital turned blue and there were reports of Smurfs

They were created after extensive professional and community consultation. It was also D-Day for Herbie the Therapy Dog, who was the subject of a weight guessing competition. The Golden Labrador Retriever cross tipped the scales at 30.75 kilograms, with Declan Byrne from Corporate Communications guessing correctly, taking home a mini-plush Herbie of his own. Staff also attended the Improving Child and Adolescent Health Forum on Tuesday 19 November to hear about some of the latest developments in paediatric medicine and child and family health. Meanwhile, across the district staff participated in the day by decorating their departments, including RNSH’s paediatrics ED team, who decked their work station out in blue, as did the team in paediatrics at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai.

running rampant as part of the district’s Universal Children’s Day celebrations. Led by the Child, Youth and Family Health team and its Clinical Director Associate Professor Elisabeth Murphy, the day proved a hit with the young, old and four-legged. Attendees were encouraged to wear blue to mark the occasion, with everything from hair to tinsel being used to get into the spirit. Performances from the Cammeray Public School Big Band as well as an appearance from Herbie the Therapy Dog kept the crowd entertained whle CE Deb Willcox helped to launch the new ‘My Brain Matters’ infographs for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal patients. The infographs are a one page visual tool adapted from complex medical graphs that health and community professionals can use to promote awareness of the critical ages for young children’s early brain development.

CE Deb Willcox presents Declan Byrne his plush Herbie for winning the ‘Guess the Weight’ competition

Aboriginal Health Operations Manager Paul Weir helps to launch the My Brain Matters infograph

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awards galore for marg It has been a big year for NSLHD’s Professor Marg Fry, claiming multiple awards for her sterling efforts in the field of nursing. At the recent International Emergency Nursing

helpline on emergency department (ED) and hospital avoidance, mortality and morbidity rates and patient satisfaction.” The award comes fresh from claiming the Transforming Patient Experience NSW Health Award last month with colleague and Oncology Nurse Practitioner, Meredith Oatley for the oncology telephone helpline. The helpline is available to cancer patients and general practitioners. They can call and ask for advice on symptoms and side effects of cancer treatment. It partnered with workplace giving charity Dignity to ensure those less fortunate can still celebrate the festive season. Each hospital within the district has started its own Christmas with Dignity campaign, including trees at Ryde, Hornsby and Mona Vale where staff and visitors can donate non-perishable food items and new clothing for men, women and children. Royal North Shore Hospital will use its annual staff barbecue to raise funds for Dignity, with staff encouraged to contribute a gold coin donation on December 18. Dignity CEO Suzanne Hopman said the charity was grateful to all the staff who had signed up to workplace giving, as well as those who have made donations under the tree. “It’s touching to see so many

Professor Marg Fry

Conference, Professor Marg Fry was bestowed with the Leadership in Emergency Nursing Award by the College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. In addition, Marg was also award by the NSW Emergency Care Institute the Evidence into practice Best Paper for the study “Impact of a telephone

enables shared decision- making and empowers patients. The impact of this innovative research is making a real life difference for people with cancer and delivering greater support for their families.

Christmas with dignity With Christmas just around the corner, NSLHD has

people come together to help others who might be having a tough Christmas, for whatever the reason,” she said. “Christmas can be a busy time for Dignity, with a number of people finding themselves without a place to call home for various reasons like relationship breakdowns or financial pressures. “While the gifts are only something small, it will hopefully give people a reason to smile and spread some Christmas cheer.” Donations of food and new clothing can be made under trees in main reception at Ryde Hospital, level 5 of the Douglas Building at Royal North Shore, at main entrance near switch at Hornby Ku-ring-gai or the main foyer at Mona Vale. For more information on NSLHD’s workplace giving program or to sign up, please visit bit.ly/343VXsk

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Staff stop for a photo at the Person-centred Care Showcase

pERSON-CENTRED CARE TAKES CENTRE STAGE AT YEARLY SHOWCASE It is one of the most popular events of the year, with nurses and midwives from across the district turning out in force for the annual Person-centred Care Showcase. Leadership and Strategic presentations on the day drew a crowd of diverse staff. “The Person-centred Care Showcase is one of the most exciting events in our nursing calendar. It brings together nurses and midwives from across disciplines and facilities,” he said. Initiatives Nurse Manager Ken Caldwell said the variety of

“It’s not just a great chance for all of our nurses to connect with each other, but also a chance to hear about some of the excellent initiatives from nurses and midwives around the district.”

director scoops award NSLHD’s Clinical Director for Drug and Alcohol Services

medicine trainees.” Upon receiving his award, Mark acknowledged the impact that Dr Jon Rampono, Professor James Bell and Professor Nicholas Lintzeris have had on his career, and thanked his colleagues that work with him to deliver the best clinical care possible. In a double triumph, Research Co-ordinator Dr Lauren Monds won the Early Career Poster Presentation Award for her poster “How intoxicated are you? Comparing self & observer intoxication ratings to BAC.”

Dr Mark Montebello has claimed the Clinicians Award at the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol & other Drugs conference dinner. The award recognises excellence and leadership in clinical practice in the field of substance use in any discipline. Mark was nominated by his colleagues for “excellence in clinical care, development of treatment services, and teaching addiction psychiatry and addiction

Dr Mark Montebello

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WORLD FIRST DISCOVERY Kolling Institute scientist Dr Yo Otsu and a team of researchers have discovered a unique receptor in the brain which can regulate negative moods. The finding is the culmination of eight years of investigation, involving Dr Otsu and researchers from France, published in the top academic journal, Science, highlighting the discovery of the excitatory glycine receptor in a little known region of the adult brain, the medial habenula. the receptor plays a role in regulating negative moods. “The function of the medial habenula is not very well understood, but it is thought to play a role in depression, stress, anxiety and nicotine addiction,” said Dr. Otsu. “Therefore, the discovery of this rare type of receptor and Dr Otsu, said he and his colleagues now believe Canada and Hungary. The research has been

Dr Karin Aubrey and Dr Yo Otsu

up a whole new area of brain research. “Yo has brought such a depth of knowledge to the group. He interrogates every aspect of the >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12

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