Jackie Hanson

As challenging as it has been over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has created opportunities for innovative healthcare delivery. I continue to be impressed with how quickly we can pivot and adapt to the changing situation to continue delivering care.

This week we stood up our RADAR rapid response QAS co-responder program. The program providers care pathways for residents of residential aged care facilities as a substitute for emergency department presentation. RADAR rapid response improves our ability to respond to calls from QAS at or prior to attendance at an aged care facility and provide a clinically appropriate alternative care pathway. The service includes nurse practitioners, advanced practice skilled nurse navigators and senior pharmacists (pictured on the road and in training). Senior medical officers will join the team over the coming weeks. We have already seen a number of residents this week, including plastering a fractured wrist in the home, which previously would have resulted in ED presentations.

We have reduced planned care across our acute facilities but our team at STARS continues to offer elective surgeries, rehabilitation and planned care. As with our other facilities, STARS is also caring for patients with COVID-19. Thank you to the staff in those areas who have stepped up to rapidly implement the changes required to safely care for COVID positive patients. The team have demonstrated flexibility and agility and are doing an admirable job with support of the Infectious Diseases team.

We are planning for continued surging over the next few weeks as we approach the COVID surge peak. This week we started transferring non-COVID patients to private hospitals to create capacity in our acute facilities. Thank you everyone who has worked through the logistical and clinical requirements to make this happen.

I’m aware that there are still some clinical staff who need to be fit tested and I have tasked a team to work through all options for increasing access to fit testing immediately. This includes training additional fit testers and purchasing new testing machines. The PPE management group is also carefully managing our mask stocks to ensure there is available supply at each facility. If you arrive for your shift and your fitted masks are not available, please talk to your line manager who will escalate to the local EOC.

Thank you to those staff who are working from home and reducing the number of people at our facilities. Many staff have put their hands up to be redeployed to support the COVID response either from home or in a different workplace than usual.

Please get your booster if you are eligible. It is the best protection against significant illness from COVID-19. Our vaccination and testing services are open this weekend.

Thank you all and please take care of yourselves – you are precious!

Regards,

Jackie