Louise Oriti, Executive Director, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
My first few weeks in the Executive Director role have been insightful as I’ve made my way around to teams throughout the hospital. I’ve been impressed by how capable, competent and motivated the staff I have met are, and how friendly everyone has been. Thank you for your kindness.
I’ve already held two Brief the Boss sessions in the Level 1 Atrium. A number of staff have come down to say hello, tell me about their team and invite me to visit their area. It’s great to see so many staff engaging with this long standing initiative and I plan to continue it moving forwards. Please keep an eye out for the weekly email which will announce the date, time and location of Brief the Boss that week.
I also had the opportunity to get behind a trolley and collect meal trays. It was a good experience and provided me with a chance to walk through the wards and chat with patients. We recently received some positive feedback from a patient following his stay, who expressed that he “wasn’t sure if he was staying at a hospital or a resort with great food.” This kind comment highlights the impact of great meals and great care to the patient experience.
On Thursday 23 February as part of RBWH Staff Wellbeing Officer Liz Crowe’s 14 Day Self-Care Challenge, I attended the Boogie Wonderland Staff Disco in the Education Centre. It brought me so much joy to see everyone having a great time and dancing their troubles away. I even dusted off the dancing shoes myself! A big thank you to RBWH Anaesthetist and DJ, Dr Rom Ranasinghe, for keeping the vibes high with his DJ skills. Taking time out to have fun and be active is so important to our wellbeing and mental health. I encourage you all to do something active and joyful this weekend, whether it’s attending a gym class or going for a walk with a friend.
Many of you would have heard of Queensland Adult Specialist Immunisation Service (QASIS) during COVID-19, where the specialist team based at RBWH assisted hundreds of Queenslanders with complex medical conditions to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations. Recently, the service has expanded their scope of practice to provide vaccination advice on a broad range of vaccinations, with a particular focus on those in the National Immunisation Program. The service is available to people across Queensland aged 16 and over who have previously had an adverse event following immunisation or are at risk of a significant adverse event, have an underlying complex medical condition and are unable to be vaccinated in a primary healthcare setting, and require post immunisation supervision in a hospital setting. If you have a patient who could benefit from the service, I encourage you to get in touch with the team. You can find out more on the QASIS website.
On a personal note, I was very fortunate to attend an International Women’s Day lunch as a guest of the RBWH Foundation. RBWH’s Professor Leonie Callaway was one of the four women who spoke about their personal experiences in their career journey. It is always inspiring to hear the stories of women in diverse roles and learn from their career challenges and highlights.
Kind regards,
Louise.