Culture Council members Dona Daniel and Ellen Grant at a recent Staff Listening Post in the staff dining area.
TPCH’s Culture Council is a group of staff whose focus is to help build a culture that focuses on the shared goal of caring for our people to the best of our ability. Its aim is help drive genuine cultural change through initiatives that focus on improving the patient experience and supporting staff through compassion, commitment, innovation and connection.
The group, which meets monthly, operates on the premise that positive culture is built not only through the quality of clinical and practices, but through everyday personal behaviours and interactions with patients and staff.
Executive Director Michele Gardner said that culture plays a key role in influencing the quality of the patient’s experience.
“At TPCH, we want to create a safe and welcoming environment for our patients, staff and visitors where people feel respected and cared for, both physically and emotionally,” Michele said.
“It’s about staff putting the values of respect, integrity, compassion, high performance and teamwork into their everyday work, irrespective of their role.
“How we conduct ourselves and how we make others feel, is integral to how others respond and how they perceive the caring we are giving them.
“TPCH’s Culture Council is about progressively improving our culture so that patients, visitors and staff receive a high quality experience when they come to TPCH, whether it be to receive clinical care, or to support the delivery of it.”
Since its inception in October 2019, the Culture Council has been involved in driving various organisational activities including Feel Good Wednesday, Ekka strawberry sundae stall, and Staff Listening Post.
The Staff Listening Post was introduced during the initial stages of the COVID-19 response earlier this year, to provide staff with a face-to-face channel to give feedback and ideas about how to improve workplace culture. It is run by members of the Culture Council every Wednesday in the staff dining area, between 11.30am and 1.30pm, however due to recent changes with COVID-19 restrictions, the initiative has moved to a roving model whereby Council members visit various departments throughout TPCH to listen and discuss ideas with staff.
The Staff Listening Post has received some good feedback from staff to date with common themes including hospital environment, Safe Space, parking and social/cultural activities. All feedback is formally recorded and then tabled at the Culture Council’s monthly meeting for discussion and action as required.
As a result of feedback, the hospital is planning to shortly undertake a refresh of the staff dining area, establish a Green Teams sustainability committee to focus on recycling and waste management, and introduce a Breakkie with the Executive Director initiative.
If you are interested in finding out more or joining TPCH’s Culture Council, please contact Karen Leighton, A/Facility Services Director on ext. 4868 or email: Karen.Leighton@health.qld.gov.au
Who’s on our Culture Council?
Michele Gardner, Executive (Chair)
Karen Leighton, Executive
Cecily Brasch, Neuropsychology
Tracey Brighton, Allied Health
Alex Chaudhuri, Infectious Diseases
Dona Daniel, Thoracic Ward
Ellen Grant, Occupational Therapy
Benjamin Hay, Physiotherapy
Wayne Hazell, Emergency Department
Madeline Hentschel, Safety and Quality
Paula Mogg, Occupational Health and Safety
Tanya Mountford, Children’s Emergency Department
Jane Bebbington, Communications
Shaun Pandy, General Medicine
Margaret Porra, Heart Lung Program
Lisa Jane Purse, QuEST
Tricia Rolls, Psychology
Melanie Rule, Emergency Department
Rhonda Steel, Endoscopy
Kylie Sykes, Thoracic Ward
Melissa White, Patient Support Services
David Wood, Children’s Emergency Department
Susan Adams, Thoracic Ward
Jim Crowhurst – Radiology
Kerrie Wilson – Surgery and Critical Care