Recognising Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

We all learned with sadness this week of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty was much loved by many Queenslanders as evidenced by crowds in attendance for her last Queensland visit in the aftermath of the 2011 floods.

Those that would like to express their condolences can do so via an online condolence book available at www.qld.gov.au/condolences.

Staff Excellence Awards

Metro North Staff Excellence Awards are now open for nominations. The focus is on rewarding and recognising colleagues or teams for their achievements and who demonstrate our values of respect, teamwork, compassion, integrity and high performance. The categories include:

• People Focus
• Innovation
• Excellence in Performance
• Leadership
• Values in Action
• Excellence in Integrated Care
• Excellence in Training and Education

For the first time, two new categories have been introduced, First Nation Staff and Improving First Nations Health, to acknowledge and respect staff who are progressing initiatives to close the gap.

I encourage you to nominate individuals, teams, or partnerships for the awards. The closing date has been extended until next Friday 23 September. Please also save the date for the Staff Excellence Awards Gala Dinner which will be held on Friday 9 December, with tickets going on sale in early October for $70 per person.

New mandatory child protection training now live

Metro North has just launched a revised online child protection training program called Supporting all Families Everyday (SaFE) V2, replacing the original SaFE training. The new training provides staff with the vital tools to recognise risk factors for abuse and neglect and respond appropriately to any suspicions that a child is in need of protection.

SaFE V2 acknowledges that child protection is everybody’s responsibility and we each play a part in contributing to a child safe organisation.

Staff are required to complete one of the program’s three modules – non-clinical, clinical, and clinical (high risk child protection areas) according to their role and place of employment (please refer to the Managers Guide).

SaFE V2 is now available on TMS, and I encourage staff to log in and complete this important training as soon as possible.

Move to Tier 0

On Tuesday we moved to Tier 0 (Zero) which signifies a return to more business-as-usual activity.

A summary of what this means for Metro North Health:

• The COVID-19 IMT have had their last meeting and EOCs are transitioning and will be finished by next Friday.
• The virtual COVID-19 ward will continue to run to treat patients as needed.
• Training and meetings return as normal.
• We’ll continue to stay on top of our vaccinations, ensure staff are fit tested, and monitor and report staff sickness rates of over 3 per cent.
• We remain in moderate risk PPE and will update on any changes soon.

STARS opened during the COVID-19 pandemic and, therefore, has never experienced operations outside of these unprecedented circumstances. Opening a new, completely digital hospital in the middle of a pandemic was extremely challenging and I would like to thank everyone for their commitment and dedication during this time. As we transition back to business-as-usual please be patient with yourself and others as we adjust and find our new sense of normal.

STARS recognised as Best Public Building

I recently had the privilege of attending the 2022 Property Council of Australia Innovation and Excellence Awards. STARS was awarded the Best Public Building, recognised for innovation and excellence through all project aspects including design, construction, client satisfaction, finance, and community perception. STARS was also a Finalist in the Best Public Art Project category.

We can all be proud to work in a building which has received so many accolades and provides a wonderful space for both patients and staff alike.

Thursday 22 September public holiday – Day of Mourning for Queen Elizabeth II

Thank you to all our staff who are working during the 22 September public holiday. Penalty rates for this public holiday do apply and your line managers will be out to you shortly around arrangements for remuneration for the day.

September School Holidays

For those of you who are lucky enough to get some time out to spend with your family and friends during the upcoming school holidays have a well-deserved break. To those of you working over the holidays, thank you for continuing your great care.

Thank you as always for making STARS a great place for patient care.

Helen