Louise Oriti, Executive Director
Thank you for continuing to go above and beyond to ensure our community receives the care it needs. Please know how appreciative I am of your work and commitment to the Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital.
Executive update
In March, the RBWH Executive team will be participating in a three-to-five-year outlook planning session to define and consolidate our key priorities and vision for the future. Following this meeting, we will reach out to the broader staff cohort for consultation before developing our official strategy. We are excited for the future and look forward to working with you all to ensure the Executive vision is aligned with our staff and community’s needs and expectations.
Closure of TMR car park
We have been advised this week that due to planned construction works, Transport and Main Roads will be taking back possession of the car park at 35 Butterfield St, Herston from 12 March, 2024. TMR has allowed RBWH to use the site since March, 2020 under a temporary arrangement. I’m aware that many of the staff who have access to the site have already transitioned to other parking arrangements elsewhere on campus, but I acknowledge this will be inconvenient for some staff. We are currently working through alternative parking options and will advise those staff who have access to 35 Butterfield St of your options as soon as possible so you can make your arrangements.
RBWH Short Notice Assessment update
Almost four weeks have passed since the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) assessors visited RBWH. We expect to receive a written report from them in the next couple of weeks. This report will clearly identify what we did well and make suggestions around areas for improvement. We have already started work on some of the issues that need to be addressed and we will build on this when we receive their final report. I know I can trust you all to get involved with whatever work needs to be completed to ensure that we continue to provide the best, high quality, safe care to our consumers.
Refurbished Angiography Suite 2
Completion of angio suite
Congratulations to the Department of Medical Imaging team who have completed a refurbishment of Angiography Suite 2, a significant enhancement to the facility that underscores our dedication to quality healthcare. The project’s success can be attributed to the collaborative efforts of the dedicated project team. Construction began in October 2023 and was completed in December 2023, with the first patients to utilise the facility coming through on Monday. The new suite offers a semi theatre environment with dedicated HEPA filtration and HVAC and will be used for all body interventional radiology procedures.
Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery
In the coming weeks, Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery Andy Carter will be concluding his role at RBWH to explore a new challenge.
Photo (L to R): RBWH Executive Director Cancer Care Services Associate Professor Glen Kennedy, RBWH Executive Director Louise Oriti, the Governor of Queensland Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM and Royal Brisbane Hospitals Nurses Association Inc. President Cluny Seager.
Andy is a well-respected member of the Executive team who has been working at RBWH since 2021, and in Metro North since 2012. Andy played an integral role in the hospital’s response to COVID-19, the introduction of the Ambassador role in Surgery and Perioperative Services, and much more. His dedication to our nurses and midwives will be missed. We will be commencing recruitment shortly to appoint a new Executive Director, Nursing and Midwifery.
Honouring Joyce Tweddell
Tens of thousands of patients per year receive life-saving cancer care and infectious disease treatment in the Joyce Tweddell Building at RBWH, and this week I was pleased to attend the opening of a display honouring the remarkable woman the building is named after. Joyce Tweddell was a pioneer in Therapeutic Radiography, dedicating herself to the treatment of cancer patients following her time spent as a prisoner of war during World War II. We welcomed the Governor of Queensland Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM, who spoke glowingly of Joyce as a role model and mentor to so many nurses. The Joyce Tweddell display, curated by The Royal Brisbane Hospital Nurses Association, can be viewed in the Level 4 foyer of the Joyce Tweddell Building.
Thank you to all staff for the kindness and compassion you provide to our patients.
Kind regards,
Louise.