Louise Oriti, Executive Director, Redcliffe Hospital

After nearly seven years, this will be my last message to you all as the Executive Director of Redcliffe Hospital. It has been a busy seven years, and I leave Redcliffe proud of what we’ve achieved together.

In reflecting on those years, it’s amazing how much our hospital has changed.

We’ve grown in services, beds, and staff numbers. That growth has happened alongside a massive uplift in the standard and quality of the hospital’s clinical facilities and supporting infrastructure too.

There are, quite literally, hundreds of people working at Redcliffe Hospital today who wouldn’t remember what Level 2 looked like five years ago; or what the old Level 6 looked like before we moved Cancer Care and Kidney Health Services into their new home in MBICC. From an additional operating theatre to a new MRI and CT machine, we’re a hospital that everyone who works here can be proud of.

Looking back, it’s clear that Redcliffe is at its strongest when it’s working together. We saw that through years of infrastructure works, where teams collaborated and found ways to limit impacts on patients. We saw that same focus on patient care during our COVID pandemic response. I have every confidence that it will be on show again as the Redcliffe Hospital Expansion gets underway too.

I’ve also noticed over those years an evolution in how the hospital approaches problems – now with a more open mind that is ready to try new ways of doing things. What has made that evolution possible has been the way people now share information across services and professions and how they’re open to collaborating toward finding innovative solutions. Please don’t stop working toward those solutions; continual improvement is everyone’s job.

Particular acknowledgements

I would specifically like to thank the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) for their support, advice and tireless effort during my time at Redcliffe. Together we have planned, made decisions and implemented change over the years. We have been a cohesive group that speaks our mind in a respectful way, focusing on patient care and safety, workforce, infrastructure, finances and the future of the hospital.

Clinical Council has also been a strong advisory group to me. Alan Yan, the current Chair and Hamish Pollock, the former chair, have always been forthright in their views and have provided me with strong and sensible advice on what matters to staff.

To all staff of Redcliffe Hospital, I acknowledge your commitment, energy and skill. I have appreciated the way you can adapt swiftly to situations and bring your A-game to work to look after our community.

COVID and 6 East-East

We’ve seen again this week how COVID continues to be present among our patients and our staff.

On Monday, we stood up a COVID area in Ward 6 East-East to help us safely manage our growing number of COVID-positive patients. It’s not something to be alarmed about, but it does underline the continuing presence of COVID in our community.

Once again, please consider wearing surgical masks when working in clinical areas or whenever you feel the need. I know that many people choose to wear masks at the shops and in other crowded places too. We do better work when we care for ourselves and each other.  

Yarns with Sherry

On Tuesday, we were pleased to welcome Sherry Holzapfel, Executive Director Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and her team to our Staff Courtyard for a yarn with those interested in knowing more about our Health Equity agenda.

Sherry has told me how impressed she was with the positivity around our Health Equity Agenda here at Redcliffe and the work of our Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group.  I’m told that many staff asked informed and insightful questions, and others shared positive feedback from community members about how things are getting better for them at Redcliffe. Staff had many good things to say about our IHLOs, and about Elwyn Henaway and Leicha Wone-Grant in particular.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to drop by and chat with Sherry and her team.

National Apology Day morning tea

More than sixty staff joined our National Apology Day morning tea on Monday morning.

Welcoming our new graduate nurses

We gave a warm welcome this week to around two dozen graduate nurses, all starting their careers at Redcliffe Hospital.

On a personal note from me

Next Monday, Redcliffe Hospital will welcome its new Acting Executive Director, Louise O’Riordan. Louise is well-known across the hospital and our local community. I’ll be at Redcliffe on Monday and Tuesday, handing over to Louise before I start my role at the RBWH on Wednesday.

Thanks again to everyone who came along to make the farewell afternoon tea such a special occasion. In particular, I’d like to thank Elwyn for the song and Anne Maree for taking everyone along on a trip down memory lane.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Louise.