Jane Hancock, Acting Chief Executive

I hope everyone was able to find some time over Christmas to catch up with their family and friends and have some rest and relaxation. I also hope that you found moments of joy. If you were one of our wonderful staff who worked over the public holidays thank you so very much for your continued care of our patients and consumers.

The past week has seen severe weather across the state, with flooding, severe storms, and heatwave conditions continuing today. More storms are expected over the weekend. Many of us have been directly or indirectly affected and I hope that if you are one of those people you have a good community to support you through this very challenging time. I also want to remind you that we have a range of support services available for staff who need them. They can be accessed through the extranet, so you do not need to be on a work computer or device. Thank you to those staff who have taken up the call to assist our colleagues in affected areas.

For some, the forthcoming New Year is a time of renewed energy and excitement for what the future will bring. For others, however, the start of a new year can leave them feeling somewhat lacklustre. Returning to the ‘real world’ after a lovely holiday break, for example, can certainly be a challenge!

If this is you, remember to take care of yourself at this time. Planning something enjoyable to look forward to is always a great way to combat New Year doldrums. Whether that be travel or pursuing a new hobby, I encourage everyone to schedule in these events now to ensure the busyness of life doesn’t get in the way of the things that lift our spirits.

There are of course many other ways of finding happiness and energy for the year ahead – perhaps focus on what you know energises you and find ways to integrate this into your daily routine at work. I have found that positive energy at work often comes from knowing and practising my strengths. I think you may have some different interests and passions to me, for example you might get excited by planning activities – if this is the case, can I suggest you find an opportunity to get involved in these types of activities in your work unit, Staff Council or Directorate. This may not be your thing, you may feel energised by supporting and coaching others. If coaching energises you then get involved in the Metro North Coaching Program. You can reach out to the team through an email to MNcoaching@health.qld.gov.au. There are lots of way to connect with your inner strengths and passion at work.

Your call to action:
Spend time thinking then deciding on ONE activity that truly energises you at work, then find a way to bring this to your work in 2024.

Achievements in 2023 and new projects

This year was an extremely busy year for Metro North with the opening of several large infrastructure projects. In August, Metro North’s first Satellite Hospital opened at Caboolture, followed by the opening of the Kallangur Satellite Hospital in December.

Next year it will be Bribie Island’s turn with the Satellite Hospital due to open there mid-year. The Bribie Island community will greatly benefit from the Satellite Hospital, no longer having to travel as far as as Caboolture Hospital for urgent, but non life-threatening care.

In November, we also opened the new Clinical Services Building as part of the Caboolture Hospital Redevelopment. The new building houses an expanded Emergency Department and provides 130 additional beds for the growing community. The addition of a new Palliative Care Unit and Geriatric Evaluation and Management Unit also means that some of the most vulnerable of our patients can be cared for closer to home.

Next year the Mental Health Crisis Stabilisation Facility at The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH) will become operational. This facility is a new model of care for our community, offering assessment and treatment for consumers experiencing mental health crisis. The purpose built, home-like environment was co-designed with consumers and staff and will feature a multidisciplinary staff inclusive of lived experience workforce.

I look forward to bringing you more updates of these exciting projects throughout 2024.

Vale Dr Kong Liew

I was so very sad to hear about the recent death of Dr Kong Liew who passed away peacefully on Christmas Day surrounded by his family. Dr Liew was a well-respected member of the Redcliffe Hospital emergency department team and a man of deep Christian faith. His funeral service will be held on 2 January. See here for further details, including online condolence messages and a livestream link to the service for those who can’t attend in person.

Our thoughts are with Kong’s family, friends, and his Metro North colleagues at this difficult time.

Executive update

I wanted to let you know that Kristal Lowe, Chief People and Culture Officer has advised me that she will be leaving Metro North and her last day will be 20 January 2024.

Kristal joined Metro North Health from the Department of Education in August 2022.

Kristal was our inaugural Chief People and Culture Officer and some of her achievements include:

• Consolidating the restructure of HR into the new People and Culture Function
• Working with a range of staff and stakeholders to develop a 10 year workforce strategy and roadmap to create more sustainable approaches to workloads and resourcing
• Strong commitment to building leadership capability and capacity, introducing new manager orientation and coaching programs
• Leading Metro North’s preparedness for the introduction of the new Psychosocial Code of Practice including introduction of a supporting framework, education and training, and a reporting dashboard
• Introducing a suite of new People and Culture reporting, and
• Strong sponsorship of the health equity agenda

I would like to sincerely thank Kristal for her contribution and commitment to Metro North Health and for the support she has afforded me, executive colleagues, the Board and Metro North staff and I know you will join me in wishing her every success in her future endeavours.

Barack Obama famously encouraged people at the start of a new year to recommit to shared values. I think this is a great basis on which to start 2024, that is, recommitting to our organisational values, for the benefit of our patients, consumers, the communities we serve and each other. I will certainly be doing that as I look to 2024.

Warm regards,

Jane.