Following on from last week’s announcement about the impressive number of nominations for the 2023 Community and Oral Health Staff Excellence Awards, I want to share some more positive stories.

Congratulations to Brighton Brain Injury Service’s Michelle Crawford, Community Transition Care Program’s Wendy Adamson and Halwyn Centre’s Patricia Turner who completed their Graduate Certificate in Health Science (Health Service Innovation).

The Queensland University of Technology course, which is supported by Metro North Health, aims to enable senior clinicians and health service administrators to develop, assess and implement innovations within the healthcare setting.

Cooinda do it again!

Thank you to the many COH leaders and staff who are prioritising their mandatory training – it certainly ticks over quickly and you can be up to date one day and overdue the next!

COH has improved so much in recent weeks however, we have to remain mindful that unless we are at 100 per cent we will be assessed as not meeting accreditation.

This week, I joined an Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission exit meeting at Cooinda House to hear the feedback from the unannounced visit which focused on a number of standards.

• Standard 1- Dignity and choice
• Standard 3- Personal care and clincal care
• Standard 5- Organisations servcie environment
• Standard 7- Human Resources

The feedback was exceptional and the accreditors commented positively on the engagement of Cooinda staff with residents and relatives; how well staff knew the residents; and how well residents were involved in care planning.

They also rated highly our processes around documentation and risk management, and there were no recommendations for improvement – our service delivery was at such a high standard.

Well done team Cooinda!!!

Oral Health Staff Development Day

Each year, the Metro North Oral Health Service have their Staff Development Day which seems to get better and better.

This year, there were some really informative presentations relating to dental trauma management, 3D printing, virtual reality exposure therapy to manage phobia, general anaesthetics for children, managing patients with mental health, a visit to the biofabrication unit and much more.

Each year, the staff development day also provides a time to come together and celebrate the length of service milestones of many of our staff.

Congratulations and thank you for the great work that you do each and every day.

Compliment – Oral Health Centre The care provided by our staff at the Oral Health Centre is always of a very high standard, and it isn’t only me that says that! “I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the outstanding care I received at the Oral Health Centre. “When I sought treatment for a fractured tooth, the extraction proved to be challenging, prompting a referral to another clinic within the same building. “When my tooth was finally extracted, I must say that the experience was transformative. Unfortunately, I forgot the name of my doctor, who was not only incredibly skilled but also exhibited a level of professionalism that left a lasting impression. “He meticulously reviewed my medical records, rectifying inaccuracies and took the time to ensure I understood the specifics of the procedure. What truly set this doctor apart was his compassionate approach. He offered me a lemonade to stabilize my blood sugar since I hadn’t had lunch, and he made certain I was fully informed about the tooth he was working on. “Post-surgery, he generously shared invaluable advice to expedite my healing process, demonstrating a genuine commitment to my wellbeing. Moreover, the doctor went above and beyond by personally addressing my bridging appointment with the secretary, ensuring that I was on the list. This level of dedication and patient-centric care is truly commendable and greatly appreciated. “I am immensely grateful for having had the privilege of the doctor and his dental assistant attending to my dental needs. Their expertise, kindness and attention to detail have not only alleviated my dental concerns but have also restored my faith in healthcare providers. “Metro North Oral Health Service can take pride in the quality of care it offers to its patients.”

Daffodil Day celebrations at Nundah

On Thursday 31 August 2023, our staff at Nundah Community Health Centre celebrated Daffodil Day with our patients.

As part of Daffodil Day, 60,000 fresh daffodils are used by the Cancer Society to raise money which goes to cancer care and research, education, and to help people with cancer and their families.

Find out more about this great fundraiser at the Cancer Council.

Enterprise Scheduling Management (ESM) training now available

Staff identified as requiring training in Enterprise Scheduling- Management (ESM) are now able to complete prerequisite training on Talent Management System (TMS).

This prerequisite online training is the first phase of ESM training, which staff are able to register for and complete themselves. I would encourage staff to complete this online training as soon as practicable. In person-training sessions will then commence from Monday 25 September 2023.

If you require further information on what ESM is or how to register for training, please refer to the Metro North ieMR Program’s Community and Oral Health QHEPS page.

If you believe you require training in ESM, and have not yet received an email from the Metro North ieMR Program, please first discuss with your line manager before escalating to the ieMR Program at: ieMRProject-MetroNorth@health.qld.gov.au.

Glynis.