Today is National Sorry Day. It is an occasion that allows us to reflect upon the painful chapters of our history and acknowledge the injustices and hardships faced by our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Earlier today, we held an event at Caboolture Hospital to acknowledge the strength, resilience and spirit of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and apologise for the past wrongs inflicted upon them.

It is also a day that seeks to promote reconciliation, understanding and unity amongst all.

We must continue to strive to provide culturally appropriate and accessible healthcare services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. By doing so, we can help bridge the gap and work towards achieving Health Equity.

Tomorrow is the start of National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June).

During the Sorry Day event today, the CKW Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) team encouraged people to write a few words about what reconciliation meant to them on a small cardboard hand, which we’ll display on the window between the cheesegrater and main building for everyone to read during National Reconciliation Week.

We’ll also host an event at Caboolture Hospital on Wednesday 7 June to recognise Mabo Day. More details to come next week.

For our colleagues at Kilcoy, the CKW RAP team will host a National Reconciliation Week morning tea and the hand artwork activity at Kilcoy Hospital on Thursday 1 June.

Welcome Ty

A warm welcome to Ty Cleary, who recently joined CKW team as our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Senior Health Worker. Ty has a nursing background and comes with a wealth of experience and knowledge working in a clinical setting.

He will provide Clinical Cultural Support in the Emergency Department and Specialist Outpatients Department to create access to healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on their health journey.

Short Notice Accreditation update

As you may have seen in her message today, Jackie has announced that Metro North will be proceeding with short notice accreditation as individual directorates, rather than a singular entity.

This decision has come as the Health Service continues to settle into our new BAU, following three years of pandemic response.

I would like to thank each and every one of you for the tremendous amount of work you have done so far to prepare for our transition to short notice accreditation. Please continue to keep up the momentum as we get closer to 1 July.

Safer Baby Bundle recognition

Caboolture Hospital received two awards at yesterday’s Stillbirth CRE Safer Baby Bundle Workshop.

This was the Excalibur Award for best performing site for data collection, audits and surveys.

The Caboolture team also won the highest award ‘The Buzz Lightyear Award’ for best overall achievements in implementing the Safer Baby Bundle and service improvement in the Antenatal space.

In the two years from January 2020 to December 2022, our stillbirth rate decreased by 50 per cent – from two per 1000 births to one per thousand. The target is 25 per cent over five years.

This has not been seen anywhere else in Queensland, so we can be very proud!

Care Collective success

The Health Alliance is a collaboration between Brisbane North PHN and Metro North Health. It works strategically to break down barriers to healthcare in the north Brisbane and Moreton Bay regions.

An innovative Health Alliance pilot program at Caboolture Hospital, the Care Collective—Caboolture, focuses on reducing Emergency Department (ED) presentations from patients who live with chronic conditions – including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF) or those that lead to presentations for debility (for example, dementia and falls).

Patients receive an individual program of care tailored in response to the specific health needs of the person referred, ensuring timely access to care.  The program also places complex care coordinators in general practices which reduces the need for hospital visits.

ED presentations for patients enrolled in the Care Collective program has reduced by 77 per cent since it started in June last year. A great result for patients and easing pressure on our emergency medicine team.

Following its initial success, the Care Collective will now be expanded to additional regions to improve integration and enhance hospital and primary health pathways.

It clearly demonstrates the importance of strong partnerships between community, primary and tertiary healthcare providers to improve health outcomes for our community.

Courageous Conversations training

Expression of Interest are now open for the next Metro North Health Virtual Courageous Conversation: The Experience™ (VCC) on Thursday 8 June and Friday 9 June virtually via ZOOM.

The sessions will be held in three blocks:

8 June – Session One: 9am-11.30am
8 June – Session Two: 1.30pm-4pm
9 June – Session Three: 9am- 12pm

You must have your managers approval (all details are in the link below) and be available to attend all three sessions.

Register online. For more details, contact Ricko Abednego via mail and reference MN VCC.

Have Your Say reminder

Have you completed your Have Your Say survey? Earlier today, CKW’s response rate was 13 per cent, so there’s still a way to go!

You can check how other Metro North teams are going by viewing the current response rates.

Complete the Have your Say survey.

Have you had a flu vaccination?

Vaccinations remain available from the Caboolture Hospital Infection Control office on the ground floor on Tuesday afternoons from 2pm to 3.30pm (until Tuesday 27 June).

When accessing Infection Control via the Children’s ward, please look out for tailgaters before entering. It is a secure department and members of the public should only enter with permission from ward staff.

Finally,

Don’t forget to visit the annual Kilcoy Hospital Auxiliary Fete, which will be held in the hospital grounds tomorrow (27 May) from 10am to 2pm.

Take Care,

Angie.