Tami Photinos, Executive Director, The Prince Charles Hospital
Welcome to the first day of February 2022. There is no doubt we are still in the midst of summer with the next couple of days going to be extremely hot, so please take care of yourselves by keeping cool and staying well hydrated, particularly if you are going outside.
Today marks the beginning of Heart Awareness month. This month is particularly relevant to TPCH given the hospital’s long standing reputation of excellence in the treatment and management of general and complex cardiac conditions.
But it also holds personal significance for me, with my recent health scare related to an unexpected problem with my heart. Being in my early 50s, and always having tried to live a healthy and active life, I would never have thought I was someone who would face this type of health issue. It was certainly a wakeup call to say the least! So I would like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to take care of their heart health, particularly with the busy and sometimes stressful days we have.
Here are some tips from our expert cardiology team about how to keep a healthy heart and live a long life:
- Do regular exercise – at least 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week
- Eat a good, balanced diet – moderation is the key
- Don’t smoke
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Watch your cholesterol – the lower the better!
- Manage your stress – find healthy ways that suit you
- Get proper sleep and find time to relax
- Have regular check-ups with your GP.
Today’s spotlight – Contact Tracing Team
l to r – Janice Geary, Sally Twentyman, Kate Wright, Marissa Galler, Catherine Moss, Emma Rawlings, Rachel Gothmann
As mentioned in my message yesterday, throughout this week we will highlight some of the teams and individuals who have been supporting TPCH’s COVID-19 response. Today we will highlight our Contact Tracing Team.
When the Queensland border opened and COVID-19 began spreading in our community, TPCH needed to support staff who were testing positive to the virus or were identified as a close contact. While the hospital had done this before in shorter episodes, it was soon realised that this time, it was going to be a marathon not a sprint. So TPCH Infection Management Service in conjunction with the Social Work Department, with some extra support from Safety and Quality staff established TPCH Contact Tracing team.
The aim of the team is to ensure staff feel supported, have the information they need, and if COVID-19 positive, ensure they recover from their infection.
The Contact Tracing team has been working seven days a week since 27 December 2021, contacting staff members providing advice, answering questions, and clearing them from isolation and quarantine.
During the last 37 days, the seven-member team has spoken to 907 staff who have tested positive or been a close contact. That equates to 2000 phone calls! Wow!
The response received by team members from impacted staff has been positive, especially when they tell them they are released from isolation or quarantine. They commonly hear the phase: “Thank you I can’t wait to get back to work.” A big thanks to this team for their great work and support.
Reminder – Staff Psychology Open Door – this Thursday
Join Staff Psychology Open Door
Some good news
Last Saturday’s Courier Mail had an article about a young man, Elliott Cox who underwent a lung transplant at TPCH after overcoming a long battle with cancer. Elliott and his family attribute his new found good health to the care provided by the many talented staff at TPCH who gave him a new lease on life. These stories remind us and make us feel proud of the important work TPCH staff do each day, to improve the lives of patients and their loved ones. Please enjoy the Courier Mail article – Fighting Chance.
My quote for today
“Take care of your body – it’s the only place you have to live” – Jim Rohn
Tami Photinos
Executive Director