Tomorrow it’s Crazysocks4docs Day! It is a day where we think about mental health and the impacts on our health care workers.

I know it says docs but let’s have some fun and roll up those socks across all of our services and oral health clinics.

Tomorrow, I want to see as many odd, crazy, bright, cute, ugly, weird and wonderful socks as possible.

Send me a photo of your team having a bit of fun at work to COH-Communications@health.qld.gov.au or upload them to #crazysocks4docs.

If we get enough photos I will share them next week.

The COH Rainbow Room service is now available!

Community and Oral Health’s Rainbow Room was launched last week from three separate locations along with a virtual link across our services.

The launch was presented by COH staff along with our three new peer supporters Anton, Eli and Stephen all of whom will be supporting this new service out of the Brighton Wellness Hub from June 5 between 2.00 – 4.00 pm.

Thank you to everyone who showed their support last week.

The Rainbow Room provides access to Peers with Lived Experience from the LGBTIQA+ community, to support staff and consumers with education, resources, and navigation to relevant services for social and emotional care.

The service provides consumers with the opportunity to speak with a peer on issues that will assist them to have an improved health journey in COH.

For staff that were unable to make the launch all information will be made available over the coming weeks on the Consumer and Brighton Wellness Hub web pages.

All Community and Oral Health Centres have been provided with a range of information about the new services so staff can contact their Centre Managers to find out more or by calling the hub on 3631 7568.

Thank you Katie, Claire, our peers and the whole team for developing such a wonderful initiative.

In addition, I am pleased to share our peer Anton’s inspirational story which appeared in the Moreton Daily just recently.

Short Notice Assessment update

Thank you to everyone who is working behind the scenes to get ready for the short notice assessment.

Last week, Metro North’s Chief Executive Jackie Hanson announced a change to the way short-notice accreditation will be rolled out. Instead of all Metro North hospitals and directorates being assessed together, accreditation will occur directorate by directorate.

This doesn’t change the fact that Community and Oral Health still needs to be ready for accreditation assessment any time from 1 July this year.

To help everyone prepare for short notice accreditation assessment, Metro North has a series of vidcasts focussing on each of the national standards.

The latest of these vidcasts was broadcast yesterday, focussing on comprehensive care.  There are three more vidcasts to come, including:

• Preventing and controlling infections – 10.00 am Monday, 12 June
• Blood management – 1.00 pm Wednesday, 28 June
• Communicating for safety – 11.00 am Friday, 30 June

If you’ve missed any of these vidcasts, they’ve all been recorded and are available on QHEPS.

Please welcome our new Staff Council Chair

I would like to congratulate and welcome Belinda Sawtell, Nursing Director, Specialised Aged Care as our newly appointed COH Staff Council Chair.

Belinda has worked with Metro North since 2005 across multiple facilities as a nurse. She has worked across acute and community settings and has been in a leadership role since 2017 as a Nurse Unit Manager and Nursing Director.

Belinda has completed the Executive Leadership program, completed a Graduate Certificate in Health and Human Sciences and is currently finishing her Masters in Healthcare Leadership.

She is passionate for driving and delivering high quality safe health care and her philosophy is always to have the residents at the heart of all decisions.

During her role in Aged Care, Belinda has been an advocate for professional development, building a positive workplace culture, and recognising and rewarding the staff across COH.

I am very excited for the COH Staff Council journey ahead. Belinda will be eagerly looking for a Deputy Chair to progress the Council.

Latest executive appointment

Please join me in congratulating Kate Schultz on her permanent appointment to the Director of Allied Health position.

Kate has a long and proud history as an Allied Health clinician and leader and performed various roles in innovation and research, and strategy and planning divisions across COH and Metro North.

In the time that Kate has been relieving in the role, she has progressed the development of an Allied Health workforce plan, reinvigorated the Clinical Council and wellbeing agenda to increase connectedness across COH.

Kate is committed to multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary care and has been instrumental in developing the workforce plan and diversity plans for COH.

Kate has a passion for embedding Allied Health Professions into care and has been committed to supporting and developing her teams.

Congratulations Kate!

Glynis.