Louise O’Riordan
A/Executive Director
Redcliffe Hospital

Redcliffe Hospital is committed to health equity and to closing the gap. As part of that commitment, our Cultural Capability Officer, Elwyn Henaway, led an online Yarning Circle this week for National Close the Gap Day.

This week’s yarning circle was broadcast on Teams and focussed on the positive things that Redcliffe and Metro North have been doing to help close the gap for our local communities.

Participants yarned about our new Deadly Feet program – a specialist outreach service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients with, or at risk of, a foot condition related to diabetes or peripheral vascular disease.

We yarned about how we’ve doubled the strength of our Indigenous Health Liaison team and how IHLOs are now available at Redcliffe Hospital seven days a week.

Elwyn and Dr Alan Yan yarned about our Deadly RED project and how we’re making the Emergency Department culturally and clinically safer through listening to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.

There’s still a lot more to do, but yarning together is essential to the co-design methodology at the heart of our health equity journey.

Redcliffe Hospital Expansion

More than 140 staff came along and joined the Redcliffe Hospital Expansion staff briefing last Monday morning. We’ll be running another session like this again soon to keep everyone informed about what is happening next and what to expect in the coming weeks and months.

Delirium Nurse Navigator, Louise Hutt with the DAFU team wearing yellow for World Delirium Awareness Day.

World Delirium Awareness Day

Delirium is everyone’s business. This week’s World Delirium Awareness Day was the perfect opportunity to be reminded of how all clinicians have a role to play in recognising, preventing, and caring for patients with delirium.

Thanks, in particular, to Louise Hutt, Sarah Jensen, and the Eat Walk Engage team for arranging many of those activities and displays across the hospital and for making the day engaging for patients and staff.

The enthusiasm for World Delirium Awareness Day reflects the dedication of the Medicine Service Line which works to improve delirium care every day at Redcliffe Hospital.

CE and COO Listening Post

Everyone is invited to drop by the Staff Courtyard on Monday morning to chat with our Metro North Chief Executive Jackie Hanson and Chief Operating Officer Jane Hancock. The Listening Post is an important way for everyone who works at Redcliffe Hospital to access our organisational leadership – to ask questions, make suggestions, and learn more about how we’re making Redcliffe Hospital and Metro North Health a truly great place to work.

Metro North Staff Expo

Also on Monday, we’ll be hosting Metro North’s Staff Expo. The Staff Expo is an annual event across Metro North. On Monday, we’ll have a range of service providers available to help staff manage everything from salary packaging to superannuation.

The Staff Expo will be on from 11am to 2pm in the Staff Courtyard and in the ZEN Den.

Health Services Innovation program

Metro North Health is now working with Griffith University to deliver the graduate program in Health Services Innovation. The program builds knowledge and skills in health systems, innovation, health economics, and implementation science. It’s an excellent program that I recommend for both clinical and non-clinical staff. Find out if this program might be for you, or talk to Louise Dallura at the Metro North Staff Expo on Monday.

Lastly this week, a happy St Patrick’s Day to those who are celebrating today.

Louise.