northern health ceo update 11 november 2011

8/3/2019 Northern Health CEO Update 11 November 2011

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Northern HealthCEO Update

Fr i d a y 1 1 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1

CONGRATULATIONS TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR PETER BARLIS

Associate Professor Peter Barlis has recently been advisedthat the application he lodged as Principal Investigator foran Australian Research Council Linkage Project grant hasbeen successful. Funding for this innovative project, whichwas made in conjunction with the University Of Melbourne’s School of Engineering, amounts to $920,000with a further $800,000 of “in-kind” support being offeredin addition to the cash. The basis of the study is todevelop systems to better understand the fluid mechanicsrelevant to the coronary arteries. A/P Barlis will be usingthe optical coherence tomography that he was the first topioneer in Australia (at Northern) in 2009 “to create anumber of ex-vivo models of coronary arterial blood flowto assess how coronary stents influence flow”.

Sponsored by the Federal Government, Linkage Projectssupport research and development “involving collaborationbetween higher education researchers and other parts of the national innovation system (in this case A/P Barlis and

Northern Health) which are undertaken to acquire newknowledge and involve risk or innovation”. In this case the pairing is with theMelbourne School of Engineering. A/P Barlis previously developed strong linkswith engineering colleagues at Imperial College, London whilst studying for hisPhD there, and upon his return to Australia approached the Melbourne School of Engineering about the possibility of a joint collaboration.

The grant is one of the largest ever provided nationally and will enable A/P Barlisto use cutting edge technologies to determine the optimal design for futurecoronary stent devices. A truly remarkable achievement!

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NORTHERN HEALTH OVERSEAS WHEELCHAIR REPAIR SERVICE

Did you know that NH offers this service? If notread on.

Many of you will know of, or have experienced

first-hand, the beauty of Vanuatu. It is thepicturesque Pacific archipelago of eighty-oddtropical islands with magnificent beaches, clearblue waters, wonderful fishing, diving, sailing,volcanoes, friendly locals, and other touristattractions. But that’s another story.

Earlier this year, Fiona Beadle (ICU Nurse Educator), Nadeeka Jayasinghe (ICUCNS) and I visited Vanuatu as members of a primary healthcare team with thePrevention of Blindness Programme that operates each year. My wife (Sue) and I

decided to enjoy a holiday in the capital, Port Vila, one-week before Fiona and therest of the Team arrived from Australia. Yes, someone has to do all the hard work!

I had been in-and-out of Port Vila on three tours with the healthcare teams buthad never seen the beyond the main street. It was Sue’s first visit and she wantedto see a native Vanuatu village for herself. So she suggested we take a trip aroundthe island (of Efate).

I rang Tony, erstwhile local taxi driver and cousin of our Programme’s local ProjectManager. Yes, he was available on Monday, and could take us on a private day

tour!Tony showed us local villages, road-side stalls (fresh vanilla beans,pamplemouse, local fruits and nuts), cattle farms, coconut plantation, mineral

spring waterfalls, tropical forests, remnants of WWII occupation by US airforce andnavy, hot springs, Gideon’s Landing (where Survivor was filmed), and the idyllicand tranquil Blue Lagoon fed by subterranean fresh water. He also told us of thefascinating history of the island and the amazingly shaped islands surroundingEfate. But that’s another story.

For lunch we stopped at Beachcomber Lodge, a low-budget hot-spring and white-sand beach resort on the north coast. During our meal we were entertained by alocal Calypso music group busking with guitar, ukulele, and (hand-made) single-string box bass. The oldest member (named Kalo) supported them with voice andtambourine whilst seated in an old wheelchair.

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Tony explained that Kalo, together with his triplet brother and sister, had beenstruck down with paralysis and wheelchair-bound since his teenage years. Soafterwards we went over to throw them a few Vatu and talk to the band. I admitthis was more because of my medical curiosity, whereas Sue was intrigued bytheir musicality and vocal skills. Kalo explained that he had taught them all music!He didn’t know why “the muscles in my legs and arms disappeared when I was aboy”. No one had ever given him a diagnosis or an explanation. The same tragedy

struck had his brother (Ishmael) and sister (Madelyn) around the same time. Isuspected he and his siblings were polio victims (a disease which has not yet beencompletely eradicated) and were unfortunate to be left with severe permanent



disability. I explained this as best I could and enquired further.

For decades his family has cared for his needs and those of his two siblings in avery poor village with no external assistance. Many years after their original illnessthey received wheelchairs but the tyres and tubes were now flat, worn, andirreparable. With no footpaths or sealed roads, and weakness in their arm

muscles, getting around was very difficult, tiring, and time-consuming. Mobility isa basic necessity in a village community.

Their experience is a commonoutcome following permanentdisability in Vanuatu.Healthcare is limited to thebasics, with physiotherapy anddisability support services non-existent. Even their oldwheelchairs had been donatedfrom overseas. There wasnowhere in Vanuatu to getthem serviced or repaired. Nosuppliers exist in Vanuatu. Soeven something simple likenew tyres would be a greatboost to them.

Could I get him new tyres andtubes, size 24inch x 1 3/8inch,

Kalo asked directly. He knew exactly what he wanted. Most likely he had askedmany others before me, and clearly without success.

“Well … possibly … maybe … ummm … ahhh … I’ll see what I can do”, I repliedunconvincingly, not knowing anything about how to find replacement tyres. (Ihave never read “Zen and the Art of Wheelchair Maintenance.”)

“What about the Vila Hospital (the biggest hospital in the country)?” No, they hadtried there. They don’t supply, let alone repair, wheelchairs. “Where did you get

your chair?” “Donated, a long time ago”, he replied.

On the way back to Port Vila I mulled over possible solutions. Which companiessupply wheelchair tyres in Australia? How much do they cost or weigh? Wouldtyres from Australia be the right size? Who would fit them? What happens if theyare punctured the next day?

That night in the lounge of our hotel we met Jessie, a Taswegian OccupationalTherapist working with a voluntary group called the Vanuatu Society for DisabledPeople. (She was not staying at the hotel but was there to access the wirelessinternet in the hotel lounge!) She had a great deal of knowledge about wheelchairsand local services.

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We told her of our adventures and our dilemma. She confirmed the lack of supportservices for long-term disabilities in all age groups. She also suggested their



wheelchairs be fitted with solid-rubber non-pneumatic tyres that cannot deflatewith a puncture - essential in a poor and remote village. But, she warned, no-onesupplies them in Vanuatu and they are more difficult to fit than ordinarypneumatic tyres.

There was, in my mind, only one solution: On Tuesday I emailed our multi-

talented ICU PA back at TNH, Anna. “Do you know how I could get hold of 3 setsof 38” wheelchair tyres & inner tubes?” I asked. Maybe we can arrange for thetyres to be shipped over later in the year and I could ask Tony or Jessie to fitthem? Could she find out the cost?

Anna rang OT and asked Florian (ICU Physiotherapist) for details of possiblesuppliers. She rang a bicycle shop. And then she asked Mick (Engineering) foradvice. “What does he want 38-inch tyres for? That’s not a standard size! IsGraeme trying to repair a Penny-Farthing?”

Within 24-hours Anna had not only found the correct type and size and cost of replacing six tyres (two for each wheelchair owner), she came up with a betterplan than mine. She found a Melbourne supplier, arranged to travel intoAbbotsford to purchase them, then deliver them to Fiona’s house that same nightso that Fiona could take them with her when the Team flew out the following day!Wow. I was expecting it would take us weeks or months!

Anna rang Don MacRaild (Australian Project Manager for our teams) to inform himof her/our plan to purchase, transport, and replace the tyres, to seek his advice,and to gain approval for our ‘extra-curricular’ activity and expenses. Don knew of Kalo’s village but who are you, Anna? Once she explained herself, yes, he

approved. The Team had a contingency fund and room in the excess luggageallowance (for all the medicaland optometry gear).

Several other NH employeeswho heard of Anna’s story evendonated financially toward thepurchase of the tyres. Thankyou!

At 3am on Friday morning Fiona and another four Team members flew intoVanuatu with a dozen or more boxes of medical and eye equipment. Plus six 24-inch solid-rubber wheelchair tyres. No questions asked.Our plan to drive to Kalo’s village to fit the tyres the following morning wasthwarted by pouring tropical rain and the time taken to sort out the medical boxesprior to the 2pm flight out for the primary healthcare mission. But that’s anotherstory. All we could do is send a message to the village that we would try to call in

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Ishmael, Graeme, Madelyn,Sue and Kato – repairedwheelchairs with new ‘slicks’



upon our return in two-weeks time and the ‘medical tour’ was over.

12-days later, on the same day we were due to fly back to Melbourne, Fiona andGraeme were up at 5:30am for a 6am pick-up in Tony’s mini-bus. No time forbreakfast. We headed north for 55km to the village of Tarkara in search of threewheelchairs.

All the village women and children came out to view this odd and unexpected ‘mobile repair shop’ in action at 7:30am. By 8:15am we had three wheelchairssporting new ‘slicks’ and three grateful occupants: Kalo, Ishmael, and Madelyn.

As Jessie had warned us, the solid tyres were not easy to fit but with three blokes(Tony, Graeme, and a local), three screwdrivers, liberal amounts of elbow grease,plenty of (real) axle grease, and expert supervision from Fiona, we managed toget all six tyres fitted. One of the chairs had also lost one front wheel. The childrenscurried off with a description from Tony of the required parts. These were soonprocured and the wheel refitted, and ready for service.

We gave Kalo a couple of colour-prints of his band that I had taken during ourinitial meeting three-weeks earlier at Beachcomber’s. On return to Vila, Graemeand Fiona headed to Jill’s Cafe for an overdue breakfast of coffee & French toastwith maple syrup. Then, off for some last minute gift shopping before our flighthome in the afternoon.

Thanks to Anna, Fiona, Mick, Don, Tony, Graeme (and donations from anonymousNH staff) Kalo, Ishmael, and Madelyn are now mobile again.

Vanuatu Prevention of Blindness Programme – Donations wanted!

You can help the Vanuatu Prevention of Blindness Programme by donating any of the following items:

Sunhats – either new or in clean used condition.

Spectacles - either new or used - prescription or non-prescription

Sunglasses – either new or used - prescription or non- prescription

Please drop your donations off in the collection box located in the ICU tea room,any donations of the above items would be gratefully received and distributed inVanuatu. Thank-you.

Graeme Duke (ICU)

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It seems everyone remembers their first car so I thought I’d get a few people totell me about their very first car. In this edition Brian Pope (Director, CapitalDevelopment), Paula Lennox (Manager Nursing Workforce Unit), Kath Wilson(Projects Officer) have been good enough to send me their “first car” stories. Iwill kick off……

MY FIRST CAR – Greg PullenMine was a light blue 1954 Austin A30, registeredGOO-399 (“Little Goo”, as it became known). Itcost me $37 in 1971 and was acquired before I hadmy driving licence. It was cheap because it had acrook “big end” (which is something to do with thebearings) and dodgy brakes. As I bought it withouta roadworthy I could only drive it up and down thedriveway in Mildura and practice my gear-changingtechnique. With a little practice I could just about

have it into third before pulling up just in front of dad’s pride and joy, his 1964 Mark 111 Ford

Zephyr. My practicing came to an abrupt end the day the dodgy brakes failed andI ploughed into the front of the Zephyr. The old British cars were made to lastand Little Goo escaped almost unscathed, but the Zephyr’s grill was pushed backinto its radiator. Luckily dad was handy mechanically and after a trip to thewreckers for parts we were able to make the necessary repairs. I sold Little Goofor spare parts before heading off to begin tertiary studies. I obtained my licenceon Australia Day 1972, the day before I left for university. My next car was aVolkswagen, but I had to wait until I started earning money in 1975 before I could

afford it.

Brian Pope Our CEO’s first car was modern compared to my 1946 Ford Prefect

VK 752, with its transverse springs, 6 volt headlights mounted on top of themudguards and genuine leather seats with a floor shift three speed gearbox. You

had to keep your foot on the gearlever to stop it jumping out of second gear. It also had a wind-out windscreen, great for theDrive Inn. I can remember

parking alongside the FX Holden’swho needed to run their engineswhen it was raining to keep thevacuum windscreen wipers going.I couldn’t work out why theirwindows keep fogging up?

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The wind-up window in the backdoor proved to be made of verytough glass because we pulled

many Drive Inn speakers and attached poles out of the ground, trying to beat thecrowd out of the Drive Inn at the end of the film.



I first met my car whilst cleaning oil bottles at the local garage. Istarted off my part time engineering career as the chief numberone oil bottle washer and graduated to grease monkey when Igrew into the men size overalls. My little Ford Prefect arrivedevery Sunday morning for its 10 bob of super and tyre checkon the way to church. The church going family finally decided

to upgrade and I swooped in for my 35 quid purchase. When Ifinally got my pride and joy home, my father asked if I was trying to reincarnatethe dead. With a little blackboard paint, a couple of seat belts, modern turningindicators instead of those little stick out lights that came out of the door pillars, aconvert to 12 volts and we were off.

We actually made it to Apollo Bay once with out breaking down, all it took wasfour pints of oil. When a well maintained car come into the garage for an oilchange, I used to save the drained oil for topping up the Prefect. It worked a treat.

What I didn’t know until many years later was that whilst I was off playing golf with my future father-in-law, my unlicensed girl friend, Jan (now wife of 42 years)was off driving her mother down to Sydney Road on shopping trips. The reason Ididn’t discover these outings was that every time I got home to Jan’s place the carwas being washed, therefore, the reason why it had moved a little bit!

Like all budding engineers, I decided that I could develop more horsepower if Igave the four cylinder motor a little head shave and polished up the ports. I wasright, the motor roared, but the rest of the car fell to bits. We finally sold “BlackBess” for parts with a warning that the motor was hot. The warning was not

heeded and the parts recipient was growing grass under it in no time. The hotmotor strikes again.

Kath Wilson My first car was a 1983 Red Nissan Pulsar, called the red rocket….

Of course those were the days when cars were much simpler. Safety featuresincluded seatbelts and large side mirrors. It was light and small and went like theclappers, hence the name red rocket.

Not long after I got it home it sustained an injury. My quality gear changing led toa ‘tooth’ being snapped off in the gear box, consequently it wouldn’t go into

reverse. The quote to fix it was $400. At the time I was a poor student and workedat Coles for about $6 an hour. So, for a long time I only went in forward motion.This was easier said then done. It caused significant issues at times. I rememberonce the passengers in the car with me had to get out and push the car out anawkward situation.

The red rocket was dear to me, it saw e through the unidays and it holds fond memories of some great road trips.The red rocket came to its demise in the year 2000, whenit was involved in a nose to tail accident….ah the

memories…

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Paula Lennox My first car was a 1967 powder blue VW beetle, my father was

a motor mechanic who had plenty of experience with the temperamental VW’s andhe purchased the car for me in about 1982 for atidy sum of $250 dollars!! I loved driving andfelt so free. Unfortunately the beetle did not like

to go as fast as me and groaned every time Iplaced the key in the ignition. Highlights of thatcar were the mag wheels and the updatedcassette radio and speakers my then boyfriendinstalled in the car. Unfortunately the batterycapacity could not take all these fancymodifications and would not allow thewindscreen wipers to work when the radio was blasting out ABBA or 3XY. I sharedmany a fun time with that car and it was the start of my interest in emergencymanagement as my University buddies can testify. They were well versed in fire

drill which was just as well as the battery, which was located under the back seatcaught fire and we needed to evacuate the car and promptly bring thesmouldering car seat fibres under control. Ohh….. such good times.

FAREWELL MARIE MOHROn Wednesday the 9th November Northern Healthsaid good bye to Marie Mohr – as Director of Nursing and Director of Inpatient Services andSite Manager at Broadmeadows Health Service.

Marie is leaving NH to commence the next phaseof her career as National Coordinator of Healthand well being for the Good SamaritanCongregation.

Marie first commenced at BHS in 2001 and hasseen many changes to NH over the yearsincluding the ongoing growth and developmentof the organisation. In her role Marie hasprovided leadership and direction for staff inmanaging the impact of these changesparticularly in relation to the evolution of the clinical services at BHS through the Palliative care, Rehabilitation and GEMUnits.

Marie has been a strong advocate for the establishment of Palliative care servicesacross the region and has represented NH in many forums

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Jenny Peterson, Marie Mohr, Robynne Cooke

Paul McKenna, Marie Mohr, Maree Cuddihy



WRAP UP CHRISTMAS EARLY AND SUPPORT EPPING

AUXILIARY

Epping Plaza Shopping Centre will be holding a One Day Only Fare,with great bargains and activities this Sunday from 10.00 a.m. to6.00 p.m. The Epping Auxiliary will be providing a special giftwrapping service during the day, for a donation. Members will belocated outside Coles Supermarket, so please call past to say Helloand give them your encouragement (a few tips on tying special bowsmight also be appreciated!).

NATIONAL PHYSIOTHERAPY CONFERENCE PRESENTATION:

Anton Harms

The Australian Physiotherapy Association National Conference

took place at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centrefrom 27th- 30th October 2011. Over 1700 delegates attendedfrom around Australia including 4 from Northern Health.Anton Harms, Senior Clinician Physiotherapist in theOsteoarthritis Hip and Knee Service (OAHKS), presented onthe work of the OAHKS clinic and its positive impact onpatients’ access to services at Northern Health. The OAHKSclinic targets patients on the orthopaedic waitlist andfollowing attendance at the clinic may be referred on for

Orthopaedic consultant assessment or for conservative management with

physiotherapy and dietetics. Anton’s presentation was well received as suchinnovative clinics are not available in many parts of the country.

STUDENTS LEARN WITH, FROM, AND ABOUT ONE ANOTHER TO

IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING AND PATIENT CARE

Good patient care relies on high-quality teamwork. Although health professionalsusually work in teams, we mostly train people within their own discipline.Northern Health is taking steps to change this by training students together when

they’re on clinical placement to more closely resemble how they will work oncegraduated. This type of clinical placement provides the opportunity for students tonot only improve their unique discipline skills, but also to learn more about theroles of other disciplines, as well as their own role in patient care.

A team of 8 enthusiastic students (2 nursing students, 2 physiotherapy students, 2podiatry students on a “consultancy” basis, a social work student and anoccupational therapy student) recently completed a two week InterprofessionalPractice Placement (IPP) from 17th - 28th October on the PCW GEM unit at BECC.Under the supervision of qualified clinicians, the student team took a lead role in

the care of 6 patients. This was Round 2 of the IPP at Northern Health, followingRound 1 held at BHS earlier this year.

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During the IPP, the students worked together as a team for 8 shifts on the ward,including both morning and afternoon shifts. Working the combination of shifts hasmany benefits, such as giving the students a chance to appreciate how patientscan fluctuate over the course of the day. On the final day, the students treatedtheir supervisors and members of the IPP Advisory Group to a very entertainingand interactive presentation, highlighting their learning from the IPP experience.

As in round 1, the students seemed to get a great deal out of the placement. Onestudent commented “during this placement I learnt how to communicate withother professions and how to make decisions with others.” Another student stated

“teaching my skills to others helped me to feel more confident in myself and what

I know.” Feedback from the facilitators involved in the program was also positive –

“I enjoyed watching the students take responsibility for their clients, interact witheach other and develop skills in workplace planning, prioritising andclient management as a team.”

Given the success of the program this year – with great input from the wards andclinical educators involved, the IPP Advisory Group is making plans for thisinnovative model to become a routine part of student clinical education atNorthern Health. In 2012, the plan is to include students from other healthprofessions and to trial two student teams on placement concurrently (one teamon the morning shift, handing over to the other team for the afternoon shift).

If you have any questions about this exciting project, please feel free to contactSarah McMillan (IPP Project Officer) on 9495 3382.

UPDATE ON THE STEP UP STEP OUT CHALLENGE

We are well into the final week of the Northern Health Step Up, Step OutChallenge and all teams have exceeded expectations of the distances

that the teams could cover.

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Teams have trekked from Melbourne, to Darwin, down the west coast of

Western Australia, back up the east coast to Cape York, back down throughthe Red Centre, around Tasmania and back to Melbourne.

The Round 2 IPP student team:From left to right: David Doyle and

Abraam Mikhail (Physiotherapy students),

Stephanie Dragwidge (Social Workstudent), Anna McRorie (OT student),

Shuchi Bohidar and Katrina Jones(Podiatry students), Lili Zhang and Kahlia

Safstrom (Nursing students)



At the end of the fourth week teams had covered an aggregate distance of anincredible 114,711369 steps, and we’ve only lost a couple of teams along the way.

The best advice received on keeping your step count up each week has come fromRebecca from the 4 Aces & a Joker team who says .. ‘I’m sure if we asked those

people with limited activity how much time they spent watching television, thenthey make time for that. If you can make time to watch TV then you can maketime for exercise.”

The most interesting question so far has come from Les and the Zoomers … It maynot be a straight line but the Zoomer’s are staggering on …. does crawling count?

As well as the overall Challenge of staying the distance for 5 weeks, we believethere is a bit of internal friendly rivalry happening between our NH campuses andwork areas - there has been a rumour going around that a certain member of The

Executive should be penalized because she always takes very small steps (possiblyto increase her step count!) .... we are wondering where that rumour started!

Although a couple of teams have already crossed the finish line, the Challengeofficially ends on Sunday 14th of November at midnight, so just a few more days of Stepping up and Stepping out to go.

A YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENTS… AND MORE GREAT CHALLENGES

AHEAD

Recently, the Audiology, Dietetics, Orthoptics, Orthotics, Podiatry and SpeechPathology Departments held their inaugural celebratory event.

Following planning within each team for projects to be included on next year’swork plan, the teams came together to share an afternoon tea to discuss theirsuccess’s and achievements for 2010-11 and outline future team projects for2011-12. Some of the successes from the past 12 months included presenting atnational conferences; a NH-wide malnutrition screening and education to nursingby dietetics; doubled EFT & expanded services in Orthotics; development andimplementation of NH wound chart by podiatry; audiology participating in renal

research with Prof Judy Savage; procedure for triaging referrals coming into thespecialist clinics for orthotics; and finally, the commencement of a SpeechPathology weekend/PH service at TNH.

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Roster On IS HERE FOR THE JUNIOR MEDICAL OFFICERS

The Junior Medical Workforce Unit (JMWU) has been workingwith the RosterOn Project Team to implement the electronicrostering system RosterOn, for the junior medical workforce.

This implementation is now complete and all Junior Medical Officers will be paid viaRosterOn from this current pay period, pay N-11 ending Sunday 20 November.

One of the benefits of RosterOn is that the JMWU can now manage the roster andpayment for each of the 230 junior Doctor on a day by day basis, rather thanwaiting until the end of each pay fortnight.

Other benefits are that junior Doctors can access RosterOn to view their ownrostered shifts and Wards & Clinical Units have the ability to view which juniorDoctor is rostered.

This implementation culminates an intense volume of work over the past 12months by both the JMWU & the RosterOn Project Team as part of theorganisation wide roll out of RosterOn.

RECIP E OF THE WEEK – CHERRY PECAN DESSERT CAKE

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Jenny Peterson (Manager Quality, Safety and Risk) has provided this week’srecipe. Jenny says that this is a family favourite and is especially popular with hergrandchildren. Fresh cherries are coming into season now so try it with fresh

cherries instead of canned.

Serves 8Prep time 20 minsCooking time 1hr 10mins

2 eggs lightly beaten1 cup caster sugar1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 cup plain flour, sifted1 teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon salt3/4 cup (90g) chopped pecans2 cups (1 ½ tins) pitted cherries, plus extra to serve1 cup (250ml) cream, whipped to serve

Preheat oven to 180degrees C or 160 degrees fan forced.Grease and line a 22cm round springform pan.

Combine eggs, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat with electric mixer until paleand creamy. Fold in combined flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in pecans andcherries (no syrup/juice).



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Pour batter into prepared pan and level the top.

Bake 1hr 10mins (sometimes less, depending on oven), until a skewer comes outclean and top is either fudgy and golden or firm and torte-like (you can decide).Cool on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar.Cut into wedges and serve with cream and extra cherries. And enjoy!

If you would like your story, article or favourite recipe published in the CEO Update please send it

to [email protected]

GREG PULLENCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

mailto:[email protected]



northern health ceo update 11 november 2011

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