Message from the

Chief Executive

You-Me-HealthTorres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Newsletter - June 2015

ABOVE: Jill Newland, Health Service Chief Executive.

I recently visited Badu, Moa, Mabuiag and Thursday Island with Andy Marshall (Executive General Manager North), Kim Veiwasenavanua (Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Northern Leadership Team), Kerry O’Shaughnessy (Director of Infrastructure) and Councillor Horace Baira (Board Member, Torres and Cape HHS).

The island visits were an opportunity for Executive sta� to meet with sta�, inspect infrastructure and discuss what the needs were at each Primary Health Care Centre.I also visited Bamaga and met with Amanda Ewart and Patty Yusia at the NPA Family and Community Services Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation. We have a good partnership with the Corporation and look forward to working with them on upcoming programs.On Thursday Island I also had the pleasure of meeting with George Akee and Janelle Power-Akee at the Meriba Mudh Hostel on Thursday Island which accommodates our patients from the outer islands.Regards

JillJill Newland Health Service Chief Executive

Northern Peninsula Area nurses celebrate International Nurses Day*

ABOVE: These are the wonderful murals at the Mabuiag Primary Health Care Centre.

ABOVE: Annie Kris (Advanced Health Worker) Mabuiag Primary Health Care Centre. ABOVE: Kubin Primary Health Care

Centre. From le�: Lucy Mosby (Health Centre Manager), Margaret Cowrie (CNC) and Wagie Ware (Health Worker).

*Top picture: Nurses at Bamaga. Back row from le�: John ‘Keith’ Schmidt, Adrienne Donnelly, Dulcie Agie, Cindy Rans­eld, Emily Moore, Geo� Shaw. Front from le�: Elizabeth Nish, Lucy Pullen and Janet Jerram.

ABOVE: George D Morseau (Cluster Coordinator, Near Western) with Jill Newland at Badu Island Primary Health Care Centre.

2 Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Newsletter - YOU-ME-HEALTH - June 2015

From le� seated: Mr Bob McCarthy (Chair), Mr Greg Edwards and Dr Ruth Stewart. Standing: Councillor Horace Baira, Mr Kevin Quirk and Councillor Fraser (Ted) Nai. (Inset: Ms Tracey Jia and Mr Brian Woods).

News from the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Board

Summary of June 2015 Board MeetingAt the June 2015 Board meeting a number of issues were discussed:• As the end of the �nancial year is approaching, the Board spent considerable time discussing �nancial issues. This included approving the latest agreements with the Queensland Department of Health. The Board also began discussion on the 2015-2016 budget• The terms of reference and workplans for the Audit and Risk, Finance and Performance and Safety and Quality Board committees were reviewed and approved. These documents will be made available to all sta�. • The TCHHS Strategic Plan was reviewed and approved in dra� by the Board. The Dra� Plan will be reviewed by the Department of Premier and Cabinet in Brisbane and then the plan will be made available to sta� on the intranet site.• The Board have asked the Health Service Chief Executive to investigate possible options for traineeships.• The Board noted that the Minister for Health has reserved any decisions on prescribed employer status until next year. • Mandatory training requirements and professional development were discussed. It was decided that a review of training activities would be undertaken across the HHS and reported back to the Board. • A number of major works are in the planning phase and initial discussions were undertaken on proposed building works across the HHS. The HHS now has a a 20 year plan around infrastructure which will be used to improve the management of funding and capital works.

The next Board meeting will be held in Cairns on 9 July 2015.The Board summary is a brief report on issues discussed at Board meetings. Any questions or queries can be forwarded to Chris Black, Board Secretary, chris.black@health.qld.gov.au

ABOVE: Board Member, Councillor Horace Baira (pictured right) recently visited several Torres Strait Island Health Care Centres with members of the Executive Management Team. He is pictured here at St Pauls Primary Health Care Centre with Councillor Toshie Kris (far le�) and Tomi Newie (Program Manager) (centre).

IT’S TIME TO SEE YOUR GP

Queensland Health

QH

526

5/15

It’s time to check your adult immunisationsRoughly one third of adults who contract measles need to be hospitalised. Fortunately, there’s a way to keep measles from making a comeback.Make sure your adult immunisations are up to date

Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Newsletter - YOU-ME-HEALTH - June 2015 3

Kidney Health DayThursday Island Hospital Renal Unit and Quality Lifestyles Team got behind Kidney Health Week in May with a BIG RED BBQ sausage sizzle. “Approximately 1.7 million Australians have indicators of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), yet less than 10% realise they have the condition,” said Dianne Du Toit (CNC Renal and Chemotherapy). “It’s important that we all get our kidneys checked every 12 months - as they are vital in keeping the body healthy,” said Dianne.The aim of the event was to let everyone know that it is important to ‘meet your kidneys’, look a�er them, and to learn about the risk factors and warning signs before it is too late. Blood pressure checks were o�ered to members of the community and information given on risk factors for kidney disease such as: hypertension, diabetes, smoking, obesity, a family history of kidney disease and being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent. “The day was a great success with 72 blood pressure checks and lots of information given out about early detection,” said Dianne.High blood pressure is an early warning sign of kidney disease. “Of the 72 tests, 30 people had high blood pressure,” said Dianne.“For people with high blood pressure, we gave them advice and referred them for further review or screening.“We talked about the things that people can do to keep their kidneys healthy like checking their health and being aware of the risk factors,” said Dianne.There are plans to carry out further kidney health promotion activities following the success of the BIG RED BBQ Kidney Health Day.

Above: The Thursday Island Renal Unit and Quality Lifestyles Team at the Kidney Health Week BBQ. Back: Richard Pearson and Reggie Matthew. Front: Dolly Barba, Dianne Du Toit and Lisa Harvey.

www.kidney.org.auConnect with us Freecall 1800 454 363

Meet your kidneys

Kidneys are the unsung heroes of our bodies and perform a number of very important jobs!

Blood pressure regulatorsThey keep your blood pressure regular

Water balancers Kidneys add excess water to other wastes, which makes your urine

Blood cleanersThey filter your blood to remove wastes and toxins

Vitamin D activatorsThey manage your body’s production of Vitamin D, which is vital for strong bones, muscles and overall health

4 Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Newsletter - YOU-ME-HEALTH - June 2015

Robotic mannequins for Cooktown

Two new robotic patients have joined the team at the Cooktown Multi-Purpose Health Service to help with training.Dr Alistair Frame, Rebecca Buldo (Nurse Educator) and Deirdre Murphy (Acting Midwifery Manager) travelled to Brisbane for an intensive week of training before Cooktown could receive the mannequins.“Both the mannequins are anatomically correct and fully computer operated,” Rebecca said.“We can simulate virtually every possible scenario from the simplest examination to an intense crisis situation.”The training sessions are controlled by a trainer from an iPad behind a two-way mirror.“Those working on a mannequin can examine its eyes, insert oral tubes into his mouth, perfom a tracheotomy, give them injections, insert catheters, take blood pressure and observe heart beats and pulse,” said Deirdre.“The options are virtually endless and will take Cooktown sta� to a whole new realm of training.”Part of the mannequins’ voice options include groans, screams and basic yes/no answers which are activated by the trainer.Deirdre and Rebecca praised the e�orts of Dr Tash Coventry (Medical Superintendent) for organising the new training equipment.Thank you to Gary Huchison from Cooktown Local News for this story.

ABOVE from le�: Deirdre Murphy and Rebecca Buldo with the male high �delity robotic training mannequin. This is one of two new mannequins for Cooktown. Photo courtesy of Gary Hutchison, Cooktown Local News.

ABOVE: James Tapau, Cooktown’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Hospital Liaison O«cer helps sta� undertand the importance of cultural awareness.

Pro�le: James Tapau

James Tapau is Cooktown’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Hospital Liaison O�cer.“My job is to ensure that the health services we provide to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients are culturally appropriate, safe and meet their needs,” said James.James also works with Wujal Wujal, Hopevale and Laura Primary Health Care Services to help patients when they are in hospital or on their way home.James helps deliver the Cultural Practice Program training for sta� and is the cultural mentor for Tropical Medical Training’s new General Practitioner Registrars who visit our health services.“Our sta� need to be aware of the culture of our Indigenous patients,” said James. “This helps sta� deal with the health issues facing our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. Cultural awareness is very important.”

ABOVE: Cairns-based sta� raised over $230 for the Cancer Council at an Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea event recently. Lyndall Finn (Infection Prevention and Control CNC, South) (pictured far le�) took advantage of the event to give some of the sta� this years’ flu vaccine.

Cancer fundraiser

Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Newsletter - YOU-ME-HEALTH - June 2015 5

International Nurses Day winning entryTo commemorate International Nurses Day, nurses and midwives from across the HHS were invited to submit a few words describing what they love about their job. Congratulations to Karen Akhtar, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Napranum Primary Health Care Centre for this rollicking poem. Karen has won a food hamper for her contribution.

Cape Nurses Rock Across the Tasman this kiwi did roamThe plan was to find..... a new Cape York home “CNC Napranum” the advert did readApply I did, with a great deal of speed From the day I arrived I have so loved my jobBest of all is to work everyday with the awesome Napranum mob Remote area nurses have a multitude of skillsWhere everyday work brings with it such thrills Snake bites, stings and trauma casesCaring, healing and all the smiling faces From STI screening to chronic diseasePrimary health care given with dedication and ease Across the lifespan and all its stagesRemote nursing, caring for all and all ages Lets celebrate us nurses on Florence’s big dayCape Nurses Rock- there’s not much more to say!!!! Wishing all Cape Nurses a fantastic International Nurses Day :)

Karen Akhtar

6 Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Newsletter - YOU-ME-HEALTH - June 2015

In May, J’Belle Foster (Clinical Coordinator, Tuberculosis Health Protection Strategy) conducted tuberculosis (TB) education sessions with about 200 women from both Sigabadaru and Mabadauan villages. “Women play a crucial role in TB prevention and control as they are o�en responsible for looking a�er TB patients in the home post-discharge,” said J’Belle. “The education helped the village women know the signs and symptoms of TB, in both adults and children, and understand the tests available and the treatment pathways,” said J’Belle. “We also talked about constructive ways to prevent the spread of disease.”“It was evident that many of the women were not aware of how TB is transmitted, and a lot of time was spent dispelling myths and providing ways in which women could play active roles in preventing TB in the community,” said J’Belle. “By stressing the need for strong women in the community we can start to address some of the socio-cultural barriers that o�en accompany TB prevention activities. By engaging strong women we e�ectively empower them to become community advocates,” said J’Belle.“We talk about the signs and symptoms of TB, how TB is and is not transmitted and the importance of going to the clinic if you have symptoms,” she said.“Tuberculosis usually requires very prolonged personal contact to be transmitted from person to person,” said J’Belle.“It is not spread by shaking hands, sharing food, touching the same objects as an infected person, intimate relations, or by mosquitoes.“If you have a cough for longer than three weeks, unexplained weight loss, coughing up blood, chest pain or fevers and/or night sweats, you should tell a nurse, doctor or health worker.’’J’Belle travelled to PNG with Dr Marc Blackstone from Torres and Cape HHS as part of a ‘Treaty Awareness Visit’ with representatives from DFAT, Immigration, Fisheries, Agriculture, the Australian High Commission and Daru Hospital. The purpose of the visit was to improve awareness of the Treaty’s provisions to PNG Treaty villages.

TB education in PNG treaty villages

Above: J’Belle Foster with Masluk Gibia at the Mabadauan Health Clinic in Papua New Guinea

Above: J’Belle Foster talking to community members at Sigabadaru in PNG about TB myths, signs and symptoms, treatment and prevention.

As part of the Cross Border TB Project, J’Belle will return to the Treaty Villages to continue to work with the women and the men of Mabadauan, Sigabadaru and Buzi.J’Belle thanked Clayton Harrington from DFAT for the opportunity and both Keibei Salee from Sigabadaru and Peter Papua from Mabadauan for their support.

Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Newsletter - YOU-ME-HEALTH - June 2015 7

Three new graduates

Congratulations to three of our sta� members who recently graduated with Graduate Diplomas in Indigenous Health Promotion from Sydney University. Well done to Denise Newman (Ear Health Coordinator Southern), Karyn Sam (Program Manager, Northern Peninsula Area) and Terry Savage (Health Centre Manager, Horn Island Primary Health Care Centre).The Graduate Diploma trains graduates in identifying community needs and strengths, developing a plan of action, putting it into practice, and evaluating it to identify the extent to which positive changes have occurred.

Please email submissions to: TCHHS-COMMS-MEDIA@health.qld.gov.auPhotos of people need to be accompanied by a signed photo consent form Phone: Heather Robertson: 4226 5689

The Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service respectfully acknowledges the

Traditional and Historical Owners, past and present,

within the lands in which we work.

Submissions

New website launched

Above: Denise Newman receiving her Graduate Diploma at Sydney University.

Apology: Richard Mola was incorrectly captioned in last month’s You-Me-Health story about Saibai. Richard is the Men’s Health Worker based at Thursday Island Primary Health Care Centre.

Torres and Cape HHS has launched our new website for members of the public. The site is atwww.health.qld.gov.au/health/torres-cape and joins our new Facebook page and LinkedIn pages as a way of connecting with the community. Join the conversation. Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/torrescapehhs

The Cunningham Centre invites applications for the RIPRN Forum to be held in Cairns on 15-16 October 2015. The RIPRN Forum will be delivered over two days, o�ering legislation updates, practical skills and strategies for Registered Nurses with Scheduled Medicines Endorsement (rural and isolated practice) to enhance nursing con�dence. It will also be an opportunity to share ideas and build relationships with peers from rural and remote areas.Early bird discount ends 30 July 2015For more information or to apply, please visit the Cunningham Centre website - www.health.qld.gov.au/cunninghamcentre

Above: Congratulations to Terry Savage (le�) and Karyn Sam who were awarded a Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Health Promotion from Sydney University.