As we reach the end of another busy week, I would like to thank everyone for their unwavering efforts and support. Your hard work and commitment are ensuring TPCH can continue to provide great care to our patients, despite the high demands we are experiencing on our services and workforce.

I acknowledge the present environment we are working in is asking a lot of from all of us, so please continue to support each other and take care of yourselves.

This week, I am continuing as the Acting Chief Operating Officer for Metro North, while still managing some of my responsibilities as TPCH Executive Director. It is great to have the opportunity to be involved with and support the operations of other Metro North facilities, while keeping across the priorities of my home hospital. As mentioned in my message last Friday, I have had COVID so have been working from home for the last week. The good news is that I am almost recovered, and plan to return to the office at Metro North next week.

We are in the process of finalising the recruitment of TPCH’s three new Director of Operations positions and hope to announce these in the near future.

NAIDOC Week Ward Competition

Congratulations to Ward 1G who are the winners of this year’s NAIDOC Week Ward Competition. Ward 1G created an impressive display around this year’s theme of ‘Get up, Stand up, Show up’ by promoting many important aspects of NAIDOC Week and First Nations health including Metro North’s health equity agenda. The display sparked conversations between staff, patients and their families, with a highlight being the interesting variety of native inspired food on offer. Well done to Ward 1G for their amazing efforts! Thanks to all the other wards and areas who entered the competition in support of NAIDOC Week.

Staff Profile

In recognition of Donate Life Week, we will profile TPCH’s Donation Specialist Nurse – DonateLife Queensland, Kate Bird. As part of a larger team which facilitates organ and tissue donation across Queensland, Kate’s role is to support families during their loved one’s end of life journey. She also educates hospital staff about the organ and tissue donation process, through dedicated education programs with areas including the ICU, operating theatres and wards.

For Kate, who is also a clinical nurse at TPCH, the most rewarding part of her role is seeing families who have lost a loved one, find some comfort in their darkest times through their decision to change someone’s else life through organ donation. She values the privilege to have difficult conversations with families, which creates a special and ever-lasting connection with these families who remember the support and empathy shown to them.

Kate is particularly passionate about honouring and progressing a family and their loved one’s decision to become an organ or tissue donor, which ultimately saves the lives of others.

Outside of work, Kate enjoys spending time with family and friends and participating in fun and sporting activities. Last Sunday, she competed in DonateLife’s ‘Great Race to Register’ in the CBD with some of her TPCH colleagues to launch Donate Life Week, winning the wooden spoon. At least it will come in handy in the kitchen Kate!

Farewells

This week we farewell longstanding staff members, Ewan Kinnear – Director Allied Health Service, and Rita Dodsworth – Casual Reliever, Administration Services.

Ewan Kinnear

Ewan joined Metro North in 2006 as a podiatrist, working at various locations including the former Eventide and Pine Rivers Community Health Centre, before being appointed as the first Metro North Director of Podiatry in 2007. Since then, Ewan has built High Risk Foot Services within Metro North from the ground up to what is now a leading national service. Ewan has also served as the Chair of the Queensland Statewide Diabetes Foot Working Group over the past decade, developing and leading numerous initiatives, including the Queensland Government’s statewide ambulatory high risk foot specific funding commitment roll-out, the statewide inpatient diabetic foot disease pathways project, and statewide podiatry research program. These initiatives have resulted in Queensland reporting the world’s first-ever population-based reduction in both diabetic foot hospitalisation and amputation rates, and having the largest diabetic foot registry globally.

Since 2013, Ewan’s Directorship of Allied Health Service has resulted in many positive advances and changes including the significant expansion of Allied Health services in the Emergency Department to assist with hospital avoidance and patient flow, and the establishment of several specialty Allied Health clinics.  Ewan has held Metro North and statewide portfolios including being the Allied Health representative for the Medicine Stream for Metro North, Chair of the Allied Health Learning Committee, and he also has been an active member of TPCH Clinical Council.

As a leader, Ewan is well respected for his integrity, fairness and personable manner. His commitment to excellence, balanced with a strong support for his team, has helped build and nurture a high performing service dedicated to improving the quality of allied health care and research at TPCH. We thank Ewan for his outstanding contribution to TPCH and wish him all the best in his retirement.

Rita Dodsworth

Rita has been a valued member of TPCH’s Ward Reception team for the last 23 years.  During this time, she has been a Casual Reliever covering short term contracts and casual call ins, becoming well known across the wards by all professions.  Rita has always been willing to take on any challenge in the ward where she was rostered, often called in at short notice and going above and beyond to meet the needs of the patients and staff.  She has always embodied the organisational values, displaying compassion and respect to all patients and their families.  The Ward Reception team will miss Rita’s lovely calm nature and friendship. We thank Rita for her excellent work and wish her well in her retirement.

COVID-19 update – boosters

It’s important to keep your COVID-19 vaccinations up-to-date, which means having all boosters you are eligible for to provide an extra layer of protection against COVID-19.

You can get your booster by making an appointment with your GP or local pharmacy.

To record your COVID-19 booster:

• Download your COVID digital certificate from your myGov account
• Go to the COVID-19 Vaccination Hub
• Choose the +Booster Vaccination option
• Add your booster details
• Upload or drag and drop your certificate
• Save

Shout out

We’ve had many staff who’ve been stepping up over the last few weeks to support the timely delivery of high quality patient care. This week’s shout out goes to Dr Miran Stubican, Principal House Officer in Orthopaedic Surgery, and the surgical teams at TPCH for supporting our junior doctor cohort over the last couple of weeks. Current staffing absences and a peak in COVID activity have put pressure on our junior doctors who, like many, have been extending their efforts to provide care for our patients at TPCH. This week Dr Stubican worked a week of surgical ward call, normally covered by our junior doctors, to support our junior medical workforce. A huge thank you to Miran and the surgical teams at TPCH!

A big thanks also goes to all the senior medical staff who’ve concentrated their efforts towards facilitating additional medical discharges. This has allowed the hospital to undertake more urgent surgeries, and maintain flow through the emergency department and broader hospital. Well done all!

Today’s quote

“Cooperation is the thorough conviction that nobody can get there unless everybody gets there” – Virginia Burden

Tami Photinos
Executive Director