Message from the Acting Executive Director

Each week seems to get busier and busier across our service and I am always appreciative of the valuable work you do.

It is my second day covering for Glynis while she takes a well-earned break but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a lot to talk about and share.

Our Brighton Shining Stars

Next week the executive roadshow will continue with our visit to Brighton Health Campus on Tuesday 21 March with a staff afternoon tea at 2.00 pm (now in the courtyard at 19th Avenue).

But before that event, I would like to announce our shining star nominees for Brighton, with the winners announced on Tuesday. Congratulation to our 34 nominees:

Joanna Tierney, Physiotherapist, Brighton Rehabilitation
Elaine McGivern, Physiotherapist and Clinical Educator, Brighton Rehabilitation
Vaughan Travers, Administration Support Officer, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Team
Brighton Rehabilitation Unit
Kylie Edwards, Administration Officer, Brighton Health Campus
Sarah Fitzhenry, Advanced Physiotherapist, Brighton Rehabilitation
Kate Hacking Director Speech Pathology and Allied Health Assistants
Jessica Dennis, Physiotherapist, Brighton Rehabilitation
Tegan Cowell, Physiotherapist, Brighton Rehabilitation
Terri-Ann Morton, Senior Administration Officer and Michelle Molineux, Facility Admin Officer at Brighton Health Campus.
Clare Lutton, Physiotherapist, Brighton Rehabilitation
Michelle King, Occupational Therapist, Brighton Rehabilitation
Maddy Sheehy, Occupational Therapist, Brighton Rehabilitation
Verity Lingard, Occupational Therapist, Brighton Rehabilitation
Janice Morgan, Social Worker, Brighton Rehabilitation
Elizabeth Mosis, Social Worker, Brighton Rehabilitation
Lauren Harris, Speech Pathologist, Brighton Rehabilitation
Jenny Song, Speech Pathologist, Brighton Rehabilitation
Julie Euler, Recreation Officer, Gannet House
Rachael Baker, Allied Health Assistant, Brighton Rehabilitation
Irena Lebar, Allied Health Assistant, Brighton Rehabilitation
Helen Kane, Learning and Development Facilitator, COH Education team
Amrutha Joseph, Allied Health Assistant, Brighton Rehabilitation
Bincy Jacob, Senior Speech Pathologist, Brighton Brain Injury Service
Jennifer Byers, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Brighton Rehabilitation
Loren Hughes, Administrative Officer, Brighton Health Campus
Jules Whitmore, Team Leader and Sarah Manahan Speech Pathologist, Interim Care
Grant Walker, Occupational Therapist, Brighton Rehabilitation
Caitlin Reid, Physiotherapist, Brighton Rehabilitation
Siobhan Brown, Dietitian, Brighton Rehabilitation
Kathleen Dare, Allied Health Assistant, Brighton Rehabilitation
Christel Bruggeman, Clinical Neuropsychologist – Advanced

Please take the time to congratulate your fellow shining star nominees!

Next week, I will also announce our broader monthly COH Shining Star winners so please keep an eye out for that.

Stay Connected – Sandgate visit by CE and COO

Next week we have the pleasure of hosting our Chief Executive Jackie Hanson and Chief Operating Officer Jane Hancock at Sandgate Dental Clinic.

This is a very good opportunity to catch up with Jackie and Jane, and I encourage you all to take the time to have an informal chat with our leaders.

The Listening Post will be held on Friday 24 March between 1.00 – 2.30 pm at the Sandgate Dental Clinic.

Community and Oral Health poloshirts

Over the past few years our Reconciliation Action Working Group has been actively creating culturally safe spaces across our facilities for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who access our services and to Close the Gap.

This included a range of initiatives such as the display of local artwork and the roll out of Community and Oral Health poloshirts which feature the Better Together artwork.

This year, we want to expand the offering to include a poloshirt for Oral Health staff and from the design below you can see how amazing this new corporate shirt looks!

It includes the broader Metro North Oral Health Services Better Together artwork which we have also been rolling out across our dental clinics.

Please click on the image to the right to read the story behind the artwork.

Online ordering is expected to open in late April, and further information will be provided in the coming weeks about how to order these amazing shirts.

For community staff we will continue to offer the popular black poloshirts from the last few years.

Clinical Director of Community and Oral Health

I want to pass on a very big thank you to Kerri Gane who has been the Senior Director Clinical Operations. Kerri will be leaving us to take up a new career opportunity which she couldn’t pass up.

Good luck Kerri, we wish you all the success in your new role.

Thank you also to Michael Bishop who has been acting in the role while Kerri is on leave.

Following an internal EOI, I am pleased to announce that we have accepted the nominations for three of our doctors to be Acting Clinical Directors till the end of the financial year – pending a more formal process.

The successful applicants are:

Dr Ashika George – A/Clinical Director Rehabilitation – covering BRU, CBRT, BBIS, PDOC etc
Dr June Chia – A/Clinical Director General and Geriatric Medicine Unit – covering HITH, Interim Care, PACS, CCDT, and now ResiTCP
Dr Bill Lukin – A/Clinical Director for Palliative Care Unit – covering all the palliative care areas and VAD

This is in addition to Dr Julian Langton-Lockton who formally transferred to us as Clinical Director of Sexual Health.

I would like you to join me in congratulating these doctors, who will work with us as to continue to grow our Community and Oral Health services.

Recruitment starting: Graduate Certificate Health Services Innovation

If you are passionate about improving our health service, please put yourself forward!

Metro North Health has awarded Griffith University the contract to deliver a bespoke Graduate Certificate in Health Service Innovation program for a select cohort of 30 emerging change champions (clinical and non-clinical) from across the health service.

Applications close on Friday 21 April for the program commencing in July 2023. More information is available @ Leading Health Services Innovation Program – Metro North Health or reach out directly to Metro North Research’s Learning Coordinator (Louise.Dallura@health.qld.gov.au).

Mario de Silva
A/Executive Director
Community and Oral Health