Louise Oriti, Executive Director
I want to acknowledge the time and effort that Nursing and Midwifery have put into the implementation of the IWFM and TrendCare systems. New systems entail extensive training, alternate workflows and considerable problem solving. Many thanks to the NUMs, MUMs, NMs and senior nurses for their ongoing extraordinary effort.
A big thanks as well must go to the IWFM project and support teams.
Nursing and Midwifery Clinical Excellence Awards
Nominations are now open for the 2024 Sir Ian McFarlane Award for Nursing and Midwifery Clinical Excellence. The award has been funded by the RBWH Foundation in honour of former Board Chair Sir Ian McFarlane, who was a passionate advocate of RBWH nurses and midwives. The Award recognises outstanding patient care and provides financial assistance for career improvement through course fees, study leave or research expenses. Nominations close 3 June. For more details, click here.
RBWH Reconciliation Week event – create a Sea of Hands
Next week (27 May to 3 June) is National Reconciliation Week. This year’s theme is ‘Now more than ever’ — a reminder to all of us that the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will, and must, continue.
To kick off the week, on Monday you are invited to join in creating a RBWH ‘Sea of Hands’.
The Sea of Hands is Australia’s symbol for reconciliation – the mutual commitment to each other’s wellbeing. It’s a way for all Australians to engage in reconciliation.
Join RBWH staff to create a Sea of Hands as an act of recognition, identity, culture and history. You will be supplied with a hand in the colours of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags to create our own ‘Sea of Hands’.
When: Monday, 27 May – 9:30am
Where: Meet at RBWH Main Entrance flag poles
Laryngectomy Support Visitor Brien farewells us on Volunteers Week
This week is National Volunteers Week, so I’d like to acknowledge all those who give their precious time to contribute at the Royal and across our health system. They truly make a huge difference to people’s lives, and their generosity does not go unnoticed.
One shining example of this is Brien Hands who, after volunteering in the Laryngectomy Support Visitor role for the last 18 years, recently announced his retirement.
Brien underwent a laryngectomy, which is the removal of the voice box, 20 years ago. This procedure leads to significant changes to the way that patients communicate, breathe and swallow.
As the sole Laryngectomy Support Visitor in Brisbane for nearly two decades, he spent time with the patients and their families prior to the operation and gave them the opportunity to ask questions to someone who has experienced the surgery firsthand.
He supported patients right across the state using telehealth technology based in the Speech Pathology Department of RBWH. The feedback on Brien and the work he has done has been overwhelmingly positive. Here’s one example:
“Until I spoke to Brien, I wasn’t aware of what was really going to happen to me. I was really scared. After I met with Brien, I felt that there was light at the end of the tunnel. He explained to me that things would be hard initially but that they would improve over time. Brien gave me hope that things would get better”.
Brien was given a fond farewell at a morning tea on Wednesday in the Speech Pathology Department. We wish him all the best and warmly thank him for his many years of service.
Successful fellowships awarded at RBWH
Congratulations to RBWH’s Dr Lata Vadlamudi (Neurologist), Dr Krispin Hajkowicz (Infectious Diseases Physician) and Dr Eoin O’Sullivan (Nephrologist) who were successful in their submissions for Queensland Health Targeted Clinical Fellowships.
Dr Hajkovic’s project will develop a fully implementable clinical genomics in the RBWH haematology ward to allow same-day diagnosis – ensuring patients receive the antibiotic treatment that they need and importantly avoid the overuse of antibiotics which drive resistance.
Dr Vadlamudi’s research looks at the management of women with epilepsy, which is a health priority with enormous implications in terms of societal and economic burden.
Her project forms the framework for longer-term health and social impacts, with the development of evidence-based practice and consumer guidelines. The new knowledge gained from this project in conjunction with future national and international collaborations will inform more targeted research, for greater impact for women with epilepsy.
Dr O’Sullivan’s research aims to discover new treatments to stop the progression of chronic kidney disease. The fellowship provides crucial support to allow him to carry out research with the support of people living with kidney disease in Metro North, build a network of like-minded researchers and use cutting edge single-cell transcriptomic techniques to find biomarkers, new insight and ultimately treatment to change the course of their kidney disease.
Giving Day
A big shout-out to staff who are actively involved with RBWH Foundation Giving Day, Wednesday 12 June. I encourage anyone who is interested to join us in the live Seven Sunrise Giving Day broadcast from 5.30am, helping launch the day nationally. We also have quite a few service lines fundraising for this wonderful cause and I have been told their eyes are firmly on the Giving Day Cup. The coveted Cup is awarded to champion Team Royal fundraisers each year and it’s never too late to get involved. Register at https://www.rbwhfoundation.com.au/event/giving-day/fundraise. There’s a lot planned for the day, including some fun physical challenges for those with a competitive streak. The aim is to raise $550,000 this year, with the funds distributed across RBWH and STARS through the Foundation’s two annual grant rounds. Let’s help raise spirits, raise awareness and raise funds to help RBWH go above and beyond.
Positive feedback
We recently received this positive feedback about the Day Surgery Department:
“I conducted an public servant escort for a patient and I must say the staff in Day Surgery from the front desk, the OR and post op recovery were all fantasctic. Helpful, polite, friendly and caring towards us and the patient. Keep up the great work, and know you have some great people there.”
As I mentioned last week, this will be my last message for a couple of weeks as Sarah Black takes over as Executive Director while I act in the Metro North Chief Operating Officer role.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to our patients.
Kind regards,
Louise.