Adj Assoc Prof Jackie Hanson, Chief Executive, MN Health

It’s been a busy week across Metro North with a lot of events and activities celebrating staff achievements and connecting with consumers and patients.

Throughout the week The Prince Charles Hospital has been celebrating Charlie’s Week. Like so many events, Charlie’s Week was delayed this year due to COVID, but it’s been in full swing. The week has included length of service recognition, research presentations, lots of fun activities and today the staff excellence awards. It also included the postponed TPCH NAIDOC Awards which I attended last night. Congratulations to the organisers of Charlie’s Week and the NAIDOC Awards.

(pictured with RBWH Cultural Capability Officer Geoffrey Binge, Uncle Alex Davidson, Aunty Judy Conlon and Uncle Gary Cobbo)

I was also very pleased to attend the launch of iPEPA’s Kam Biman program. This is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander palliative care initiative that supplies blankets to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients during their palliative care stay as well as viewing sheets for families. The artwork has been designed by Aboriginal artist Robin ‘Goma’ Conlon. iPEPA were the recipients of Metro North Better Together funding in 2019 to develop this initiative.

This week I also attended the RBWH QuARRIES Awards which recognise safety and quality initiatives. There are so many great quality improvement activities happening across the hospital, and our broader health service, and it was a pleasure to hear more about them and celebrate staff who are championing patient safety. Congratulations to the nominees and winners.

Those familiar with our MN32 strategy will know that Metro North has ambitious plans in the research and innovation space. This week I attended a community forum held by our Comprehensive Breast Cancer Institute to update breast cancer survivors and advocates about some of the initiatives and research happening in CBCI. The forum was hosted by Professor Owen Ung and very well attended.

We had a World Café planned for this week with the Institutes as well but due to a number of attendees being unwell it was cancelled. It’s important for cross pollination to occur and to get a broader understanding of and support for Institute activities. The Strategic Developments team is organising a schedule for each Institute to meet with each directorate and stream instead. The schedule will be finalised before Christmas.

Metro North is committed to developing our people and nurturing the best health leaders possible. We offer a range of leadership and development programs such as Leadership Essentials, the CLAAS mentoring program, and the Executive Leaders Program. Applications are now open for the 2023 Executive Leaders Program. This is a statewide program aimed at directors who are looking to move into an executive position in the next few years. If you would like to know more, visit the ELP QHEPS page.

We’re now officially in December. Many of you will have children starting school holidays and will be taking some leave yourselves. For those who celebrate Christmas, have a great festive period. For those who don’t celebrate Christmas, enjoy your time with family and friends.

The Board Chair and I will be doing the last vidcast of the year on the 23rd of December.

For those not yet heading off on a break, have a good weekend.

Kind regards,

Jackie