Jane Hancock, Acting Chief Executive
Today will be my last Friday message as Acting Health Service Chief Executive as we will welcome Jackie Hanson back on Monday from leave. I will be taking a few days off so Louise Oriti will continue until 13 June in the role as Acting Chief Operating Officer.
It has been an immense privilege to see the organisation from this leadership perspective. As leaders, we have the opportunity to learn something new every day, and my most recent lesson revolves around partnerships, which was highlighted at the South East Queensland Health Equity Meeting where it is clear that partnership is making a difference to health outcomes. The importance of flexibility and willingness to share power cannot be overstated.
As a large health service with specialised teams and services, we must acknowledge our strengths while remaining curious about the strengths of our partner organisations. It is by understanding, sharing our strengths, and recognising our limitations that we can create better outcomes for our organisation and the communities we serve. Our partners are diverse and may include another directorate, health service, non-government organisation or another agency.
While competition often seems easier than cooperation, true cooperation requires humility, integrity, and a shared commitment to a common goal or vision. We need only look at the finalists from Metro North for the Queensland Health Excellence Awards to see the remarkable achievements that can result from such partnerships. These initiatives are successful because of the unwavering commitment to better outcomes, and all have required effective partnerships.
As we look to the future and the growth in service demand, developing the skill and art of partnership must be a priority for our health service. By embracing collaboration, we can achieve far more than any of us could alone. Let us lead the way in fostering strong, mutually beneficial partnerships that drive better outcomes for our communities.
Queensland Health Awards for Excellence
The 2024 Queensland Health Awards for Excellence will be announced on 19 June and I am very pleased to see that Metro North has finalists in most of the nine categories.
Congratulations to our finalists:
- Breast Cancer Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy (IORT) Health Service – Transforming Health
- Pulmonary and Cardiac Telerehabilitation (PaCT) – Transforming Health
- Rapid Access to Community Care – Strengthening our patients’ care
- Urban Indigenous Respiratory Outreach Clinic (UROC) – Strengthening our patients’ care
- Deadly Feet – Partnering with our consumers
- Implementation of the Comprehensive, High-dose Aphasia Treatment (CHAT) at the Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS) – Embracing research and innovation
- Dietitian First Gastroenterology Clinic – a statewide, virtual care model providing timely access to care, closer to home – Digitising healthcare
- Green Metro North – Sustainability Strategy 2021-2026 – Advancing sustainability
- Metro North – Transforming Waste into Sustainability – Advancing sustainability
CrazySocks4Docs
Today is CrazySocks4Docs Day and I’m enjoying the wild socks I’ve seen so far today. You can read more about CrazySocks4Docs in Liz’s message below, but I want to thank everyone who is taking part in starting this discussion about the mental health and wellbeing for doctors and all healthcare workers.
Metro North SET forum
Yesterday the Metro North Senior Executive Team met at Caboolture Hospital throughout the day and held a staff forum. There were more than 100 people in attendance in person and on Team. Unfortunately, I was unwell yesterday (and followed the Tier 1 advice to stay home), but I’m told the discussion was productive and an opportunity for staff to ask about Metro North’s demand management and workforce management strategies.
The past few years have seen significant changes in healthcare, with many people choosing the leave the profession across the world. We are working on strategies for clinical staff to not only work to top of scope but also to their full scope and also looking at our options for recruitment and retention in a constrained employment market. Please rest assured that managing the demand you experience daily is part of our daily executive discussions and decision-making as well.
10,000 Steps Challenge
Thank you to everyone across Metro North who participated in the Queensland Health 10,000 Steps Challenge. This was a state-wide initiative championed by the Director-General and it was excellent to see so many staff and teams right across Metro North getting involved. The winners for Metro North were the Redcliffe Patient Services team who clocked up an average of 508,338 steps per person over the month!
If you’d like to keep up your movement momentum throughout winter, Pine Rivers Community Health Centre Psychologist and fitness guru Chris Pomfret has shared his tips for boosting your wellbeing through exercise.
How to get moving to improve your mood
There is a wealth of research on how participating in exercise is good for your mood and can help with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Exercise, for example, causes your brain to release ‘feel good’ chemicals like endorphins and serotonin which help improve a person’s mood.
Having the motivation to exercise, however, can be a real barrier, particularly for those experiencing a low mood.
Pine Rivers Community Health Centre Psychologist and fitness guru Chris Pomfret knows that while starting a regular exercise routine seems easy, for many it can be a challenge.
“Even if people know that regular exercise is a good idea, it can be difficult to know where to start,” said Chris.
Satellite Hospital co-naming
Last Friday we unveiled the co-names of Metro North’s three Satellite Hospitals ahead of a Yarning Table at the Bribie Island Satellite Hospital. This is a significant development for Metro North in creating culturally safe and welcoming spaces, and a big step on our journey to health equity. You can read more about it in Sherry’s message below.
The three facility co-names are:
- Caboolture Satellite Hospital (Kabul)
- Kallangur Satellite Hospital (Kalangoor)
- Bribie Island Satellite Hospital (Yarun)
A sincere thankyou to each one of you and your teams for all the work you do every day – you are truly remarkable.
“Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” – Mattie Stepanek.
Warm regards,
Jane.