Helen Boocock, Executive Director, STARS

Closing the Gap

On Thursday we acknowledged the anniversary of the National Close the Gap Day, launched by the Coalition of Australian Government (COAG) to achieve life expectancy parity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by 2031. Metro North’s Health Equity Strategy demonstrates our commitment to Closing the Gap by providing high quality person-centred care that is culturally responsive.

A great example of this care is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Opportunistic Bowel Screening Program (OBSP) which is being trialled at STARS. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have lower participation rates for bowel cancer screening in comparison to non-Indigenous Australians. The trial will involve our Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officers delivering culturally appropriate bowel screening information and a testing kit to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inpatients. The program has been established to promote community knowledge and increase the bowel cancer screening rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Recruitment starting: Graduate Certificate Health Services Innovation

Metro North Health has recently awarded Griffith University the contract to deliver a Graduate Level Program in Health Services Innovation. The Program, which is designed for both clinical and non-clinical staff, aims to equip our staff with knowledge and skills of health systems, leading innovation, health economics/cost effectiveness, and implementation science. These are the skills we need to lead innovation and transform the health service to meet our current and future needs. If you want to take an active role in leading change, I encourage staff to put their best foot forward! Visit the Program website for more information or contact Metro North Research’s Learning Coordinator louise.dallura@health.qld.gov.au.

Peer Responder Week

Next week is Peer Responder Week, a chance to acknowledge and celebrate the 230+ staff we have across Metro North who have volunteered to take on the Peer Responder role and provide a listening ear to support their colleagues. If you have used the Peer Responder Program, you can even send an e-card to show your appreciation. A big thank you to our STARS Peer Responders:

• Alexis Austin (Nurse Unit Manager, Procedural Services)
• Dr Vishal Kaushik (Senior Staff Specialist, Gastroenterology)
• Jesseca Eglington (Pharmacist)
• Leanne Hepnar (Allied Health Clinical Educator Support Officer)
• Anthia Gouskos (Administration Officer)

For more information about the Peer Responder Program, including lunch box sessions on what the program is about and learning more about being a Peer Responder, visit the website.

STARS Celebration Day date claimer

I am pleased to announce that we have now a date claimer for a STARS Celebration Day – Friday 19 May 2023. The focus of the day will be to celebrate all of STARS wonderful achievements over the last two years. The day will encompass a range of activities including a free staff breakfast, official morning tea celebration with achievement highlights, facility tours and other fun staff engagement activities. Mark the date in your calendars and look out for further details in upcoming STARS bulletins. I hope you can all join us to celebrate not just our achievements but also the wonderful community we have built here at STARS.

Kind regards,

Helen.