Glynis Schultz, Executive Director, Community and Oral Health
As I reflect on another very significant and rewarding year, I want to thank everyone for their continued efforts and dedication.
I am privileged to lead and support our approximately 1,500 strong health care professionals across the directorate.
Thank you for your extraordinary efforts this year, and a special thank you to everyone who continues to put up their hands to support our bedded services over the next few weeks.
If we review 2022, there have been some clear highlights. Following are just a few:
- The COVID-19 Hotel Quarantine Management team officially hung up their boots after two highly successful and safe years caring for returning travellers.
- Our last community vaccination clinic closed with more than 640,000 vaccinations administered across Metro North to individuals as young as five and up to our most elderly citizens.
- Hundreds of patients are now supported through geriatric assessments and treatments in the community and the home via the enhanced Post Acute Care Service.
- We established weekend dental clinics as part of a trial to support our emergency departments at Redcliffe and Caboolture Hospitals.
- We fast tracked access to community care through direct clinician to clinician referrals via phone from General Practitioners, the Virtual Emergency Department and Queensland Ambulance Service seven days a week.
- Hospital in the Home also saw a rapid increase in demand and is continuing to safely monitor, test and care for patients with more complex medical conditions in the home.
- We acknowledged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s connection to Country and the importance of the care environment to help in recovery by opening the Moora View Healing Garden.
- The Complex Chronic Disease Team partnered with the Australian Catholic University (ACU) to enhance the availability of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services in the community, including a new program at the Burpengary Leisure Centre.
Christmas across COH
There have been many great festive celebrations across community and oral health – some of which I was able to attend including resident and family celebrations at the Halwyn Centre. Please find following some great photos from the Gannet House festive celebrations.
Christmas Decorations 2022
There were many halls decked with holy this year and a number that stood out as part of the 2022 COH Christmas Decoration competition.
Congratulations to our dual winners and highly commended recipients for their thoughtful storytelling and themed displays:
COH 2022 Dual Christmas Competition Winner
Gannet House – For their resident, staff and family focused Christmas decorations and their regular activities to bring joy and festivity each and every day during December. And many families took advantage with an ‘Elfie!’ on their phones!
Community Transition Care – For their encompassing decorations inspired by well-known Christmas songs, inspired Christmas Stain Glass Illustrated windows, and fabulous team and community spirit – with donated gift packs to patients home alone over Christmas!
COH 2022 Highly Commended Winners
Zillmere Transition Care – For their involvement of patients and staff in the creation of a highly welcoming display to the centre.
COH Research and Innovation Unit – For their thorough and highly researched work uncovering whether Santa is really real? And the answer, based on the evidence uncovered was an overwhelming YES!
Five Star acknowledgement for our residential aged care team
This week, our team and residents at Gannet House had a visit from the Federal Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells MP.
Gannet House has been acknowledged as one of five aged care facilities in the state and the only public provider to receive a health care rating of five stars on the My Aged Care site.
The new aged care star ratings system helps families make informed decisions when choosing an aged care home, especially around the level and quality of care that is provided.
What an outstanding result, and a totally deserving reflection of a great team and service.
And, not forgetting Cooinda House also received a four-star rating.
You can find out more at https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/find-a-provider-choice
And, what families are saying
And, to follow up that rating, here is a wonderful quote from a family member about the care provided at Cooinda House.
“I wish to thank you and all your team at Cooinda House for the wonderful care you provided Dad during the time he lived there and made it his home.
“The staff did a great job making his days comfortable and listening to his many stories, he was a real character and although he was unable to acknowledge the care he was given, I would like to thank each and every staff member who contributed to his care.
“I would also like to thank the staff for the ongoing care that Mum continues to receive.
“The moment at Dad’s funeral where the attending Cooinda House staff embraced and supported Mum was truly genuine and a fantastic example of the staff who work at Cooinda House.
“Many family members and friends who attended Dad’s funeral or witnessed this moment on livestream, have commented how lucky our parents are to be residents of such a kind and caring Aged Care facility.”
Over this Christmas period, however you celebrate personally, may the joy that is Christmas fill your heart and home with wonder and love.
For the many of the COH staff team who will be working over Christmas to provide services to the people we serve, I thank you and hope that you get the opportunity to spend time with the people who are important to you.
For the staff who are able to take a break, I wish you happy holidays and hope you get time to rest and restore.
For each of you in the COH team, thank you for your great work and for being willing to serve with compassion and kindness.
Glynis Schultz
Executive Director
Community and Oral Health