Jackie Hanson

This week the Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS) has undergone full accreditation.

The accreditation summation yesterday provided fantastic feedback to the STARS team. While we are yet to receive the final report, the feedback received is testament to an enabling team culture that is exactly what we want for our patients and staff.

An early congratulations from me to the whole STARS team.

Yesterday I held a vidcast with Sherry Holzapfel, ED Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, to talk about health equity and our work to close the health outcome gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

We have started a series of workshops for middle managers which cover in detail the five key performance areas that will be in our health equity strategy. Staff who are interested can find the workshop series in TMS by searching for health equity.

As we develop the health equity strategy, I’m asking everyone in Metro North to ask yourself what you can do in your role to help close the gap and what action you can take towards eliminating institutional racism and unconscious bias. You can read more about our work to achieve health equity on the Metro North health equity website.

Between the COVID surge, the floods and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has been emotionally difficult start to the year. Our Metro North peer responder program came as a result of the 2019 Have your Say staff survey, and it has been a valuable support system for staff over the past two years.

We currently have 179 trained peer responders across Metro North who have had more than 650 conversations with staff. We have peer responders based in all of our hospitals and the program is about to commence in Community and Oral Health. We are also recruiting two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peer responders.

Thank you to all of our peer responders who give your time to support the wellbeing of your colleagues.

Information about how to find a peer responder, or how to become one, is available on our wellbeing extranet, along with details on our other staff wellbeing support services – the staff psychologists, the RUOK? network, and our employee assistance service Benestar.

Across Metro North we are rolling out our action plans in response to the Have your Say staff survey. In the 2021 survey, TPCH staff said they would appreciate more outdoor areas to take their breaks and catch up with the colleagues. As a result, TPCH has made improvements to its physical environment including the installation of shade sails in the outdoor areas of the main staff café and Building 14.

Financial Control Services are also working through their action plans. Every team has asked staff to identify three things they’d like to stop, three things to start, and three things to continue.

On Monday Jane Hancock will be starting with us as the Acting Chief Operating Officer. I would like to welcome Jane to Metro North and look forward to working together.

Regards,

Jackie