Dear colleagues,

Our world changes quite dramatically in a matter of 24 hours, there’s no exception to this in our Metro North EOC – you’ll note the change to our wonderful email banner (thanks MN Design!). As of tomorrow, Mark Butterworth, A/Executive Director, Clinical Governance, Safety, Quality and Risk and Michelle Stute, A/Executive Director, Metro North Allied Health, will join Liz and I in sharing the Incident Controller role. This will enable some sustainability from the Incident Controller perspective and allow Liz and I to focus on our ‘real jobs’ too! Welcome Mark and Michelle, it’s fabulous to have you on board!  For those of you who don’t know who they are their photos are above… for information… Mark is the chap with the glasses.

Further updates today are:

• Yes, there are 8 new cases in QLD today
• Metro North EOC EOIs
• Swipe IN to your facilities not out
• Shout Out to Our Cleaners

Queensland cases today

Over the last 24 hours Queensland has reported eight new positive COVID-19 cases. While this seems like a significant rise from our previous days, five of these cases are from one family and are linked to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre Outbreak and three to the Ipswich Hospital cluster. All are currently in quarantine with new contact tracing information released as Public Health uncover their movements.

I understand there is concern around the Ipswich Hospital cluster as two positive cases are Healthcare workers, and the third one of their teenage sons. The 17-year-old boy attends St Edmunds College which is now closed for deep cleaning and close contacts being contacted by Public Health. The student participated in a soccer game against St Patrick’s College at Shorncliffe over the weekend. The student is in quarantine and the contacts at that game are being considered casual contacts. Metro North Public Health Unit have released a casual contact letter for those concerned. We will continue to keep you in the loop if the situation changes or more information comes to hand but at this stage it is well under control.

Metro North EOC Expressions of Interest

In Metro North EOC, we are preparing for the long haul and even for the stand up of our EOC to be part of our new normal. As such, we recognise the need to move towards a more sustainable model and have placed EOIs on the Metro North EOI portal to fill some key positions on a temporary basis. Particularly, the positions we are seeking are to fulfil the functions of Planning, Duty Manager, Room Manager, Intelligence and Operations.  You will work with an awesome team and trust me you will learn some amazing skills.  I have learnt so much during my time as Incident Commander from my colleague Liz Rushbrook and the EOC team.  We are an excellent bunch to work with (if I do say so myself) and while it is a very serious and busy environment, the experience is invaluable, and we do know how to have fun when time permits!

Swipe IN to your facilities, not out!

A great point of discussion in today’s COVID-19 vidcast (you can watch the recording here) was the requirement for staff to swipe their IDs on entrance and exit to their respective facilities. We were able to clarify this, and staff are only required to SWIPE IN NOT OUT of their facility. Thanks to those who brought the discrepancies in advice to our attention. We are only human and while we try our very best to ensure all advice is consistent, this pandemic is a moving unruly beast and remember, we do work for the biggest health service in the country! Sometimes the information and the language gets a little skewed, so if you notice this please alert us to it and we will do our best to ensure consistency and clarity. 

Shout Out to our ‘Quiet Superheros’

I know the saying goes ‘it takes a village to raise a baby’ but I’d like to move that in the current world we change the saying to ‘it takes a village to respond to a global pandemic!’ Our Doctors and Nurses are, rightfully so, experiencing a lot of praise in the community for being on the frontline and the work they do. In today’s vidcast, there was a lot of praise for our cleaners, their work and how friendly and happy they always are. Jackie referred to these professions behind the immediate scenes as the ‘quiet superheros’ of Metro North and I couldn’t agree more. Thank you to all our Patient Support Services staff across Metro North – what you do certainly does not go unnoticed and I too love seeing your friendly faces around our facilities each day! You are awesome and valued….thank you!!!

RUOK? Day          

Don’t forget tomorrow is RUOK? Day – wear Y E L L O W  and pledge to ask your colleagues and loved ones if they are ok. There will also be an RUOK? Day Vidcast hosted by Chief Executive, Shaun Drummond and Chief Wellbeing Officer, Bruce Sullivan focussed on all things Self Care September at Metro North. Tune in – you’ll have the chance to ask any wellbeing or self-care related questions of Shaun and Bruce!

Today’s quote is ‘Aspire to inspire, before we expire.’ Never a truer word was said and now more than ever I hope that you are all aspiring to be the best version of you!!! By being the best version of you, you automatically inspire and the legacy you leave will be amazing! Thank you for all you do, all you are and all that you contribute. 

On that note, I’ll hand over to Mark, and talk to you all when my IC stint rolls back around. Take care of yourselves. I am hoping that by the time I talk to you next, I will have had cuddles with the beautiful Charlotte and been able to congratulate the new parents properly.

Kind regards,
Alanna Geary
Metro North Incident Commander

Metro North HHS – Overview of Cases*

*With effect 9 September 2020, 1000

**Metro North has three recorded deaths (one person a return traveller into NSW, who passed away in NSW)

*** These numbers reflect the cases being managed by Metro North.