We are all feeling the demands of our busy winter period which is likely to continue for several weeks. Large admission numbers, COVID, flu and staff illness are all impacting our services, so I thank everyone for stepping up when needed to ensure we can continue to provide great care to our patients.

I appreciate these periods can be overwhelming at times, so it’s essential that you support each other, be compassionate and patient, and really look after yourselves.

Executive update

This week, I unfortunately haven’t had the opportunity to do my usual walk arounds. I along with other Executives and staff from the programs have been involved in the recruitment of the three new Director of Operations positions as well as the shortlisting for the Director of Allied Health role, which we hope to finalise and announce over the coming weeks. I’ve also had to chair the recruitment process for the Executive Director STARS role so it’s been a busy week.

Next week, Sue Bullock, TPCH Acting Director of Nursing and Cherie Franks, who is the current Acting Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer for Metro North and myself, will be meeting with nursing staff in the Emergency Department, so I look forward to that.

Also, a few staff have been asking me why I am leaving, as they must have seen the EOI for the Executive Director TPCH role. This is because I am heading back into Metro North for a two-week period starting Monday 25 July as the Acting Chief Operating Officer, but will returning to TPCH following this.  I’m not going anywhere as I’m very committed and pleased to be part of TPCH.

Staff appointments

We have just announced a new Clinical Director of Children’s Services, Dr Peter Stevenson who will commence on 5 September 2022. Dr Stevenson has most recently been the Acting Director Medical Services, Wide Bay South Hospital and Health Service. His substantive appointment since 2013 is Director of Paediatrics at Hervey Bay. We look forward to having Dr Stevenson join the team at TPCH.

Dr Ivan Rapchuk has recently been appointed as the new Director of Anaesthetics since Dr John Murray stepped down from the role earlier this year.

Also, Maryanne Humphries, our Acting Nursing Director Clinical Effectiveness is taking a seven-month secondment as Nursing Director Patient Safety Quality Improvement with Clinical Excellence Queensland starting Monday 25 July. We wish Maryanne all the best!

Staff Profile

This week, we will profile Hannah Marrinan, Manager, Critical Care Research Group (CCRG) and Research Program Manager, COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium.

In this role, Hannah’s objective is to streamline the administrative requirements for CCRG’s many research projects. This can include contract facilitation, budgets and planning, onboarding international researchers, and managing project officers.

With the COVID Critical project supporting researchers and clinicians from over 400 sites across more than 60 countries, no two days are ever the same! Read more.

For Hannah, the best part of her role is the diverse team she works with. Researchers come from all over the world to join CCRG, with each person bringing their expertise to drive translational research with the vision to help critically ill patients.

Hannah is passionate about supporting research as she understands its necessity in driving better patient care. She knows that by taking away some of the time consuming administrative tasks for researchers, she can make their day a little easier so they can focus their attention where it’s needed most.

When not supporting discovery in the office and laboratory, Hannah enjoys her own discoveries as an avid traveller. With COVID restrictions now easing and countries opening up, she is looking forward to undertaking more travel adventures!

COVID-19 update

In the last couple of weeks, since the change of tier, a number of events across Metro North have been postponed due to the risk of COVID and other respiratory illness related transmission.

While we appreciate it’s important for people to get together and support each other, work related gatherings pose a genuine risk to the health of staff which impacts on our ability as a hospital, to care for patients.

In light of this, we ask that any area or service planning to hold a work related gathering or event in the coming weeks, postpones their event until the warmer months when the peak period of COVID and flu is over. I trust that everyone understands the position we are in, and thank everyone for their cooperation and support.

Please take the time to read the daily Metro North Incident Controller messages as these have the most up-to-date information about current requirements relating to our COVID and influenza response.

Shout out

This week’s shout out goes to Jack Bell, Bianca Neaves and the entire Dietetics and Food Services teams for the introduction and progression of Room Service at TPCH.

The team had a second research paper published this week with lots of interest from around the country. Read the paper: Qualitative analysis of the implementation of a hospital room service in a large metropolitan hospital: foundations for transformation

Today’s quote

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better” – Maya Angelou

Tami Photinos
Executive Director