Today is White Ribbon Day, an opportunity to think about how we can each play a role in eliminating gendered violence and understand that anyone can be affected by domestic and family violence (DFV). Metro North is committed to building a safe workplace that promotes respectful relationships and gender equality, and demonstrates a culture of zero tolerance of violence against women, with a workforce that better recognises and responds to violence against women and family violence.

There are multiple training options available to staff, with the Recognise, Respond, Refer training, available on TMS being mandatory for all staff who work at Metro North Health. You can read more here – Domestic and Family Violence | Metro North HHS (health.qld.gov.au)

TPCH Charlies Week is now only just over one week away, 28 November to 2 December. For those staff who haven’t celebrated a TPCH Week before, the week is about saying thank you to the team at TPCH for all of your great work throughout the year. It’s been another big year, so our celebrations will be bigger and better than ever before. We even have some new events and activities including a Charlies Comedy Night on the evening of Tuesday 29 November at the Kedron Wavell Services Club which has been specially organised for staff, family and friends of TPCH. The show goes for little over an hour, and includes two comedy entertainers, Luke Heggie and Cal Wilson who are flying up from Melbourne to give us a good laugh, all at a heavily discounted price. It should be a great night, so I encourage you to get a group together and buy your tickets before they sell out. More information at www.tcg.org.au/comedy-night

Please also check out TPCH Week program below and join in where you can.

TPCH Charlies Week Program

Executive Walkarounds

This week we hosted a special event to recognise some of the important international research partnerships held by TPCH’s Critical Care Research Group which supports vital medical research into improving care for critically ill patients. We welcomed some key guests including Mr Kapchianga Simatwa, Minister and Counsellor, High Commission of the Republic of Kenya, representing the Kenyan High Commissioner, as well as Professor Kathryn Maitland who delivered a very interesting keynote address about her game changing research, and career working in Africa caring for critically ill children. The event was also attended by Professor Keith McNeil, Chief Medical Officer for Queensland Health who acknowledged the innovative research work and state-of-the-art care we deliver at TPCH. A great opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the many partnerships and people that make research happen on our campus.

This week I accepted a special plaque on behalf of TPCH presented in acknowledgement of our hospital’s commitment to health equity and achieving better outcomes for First Nations people, in support of Metro North’s Health Equity Strategy.

Executive Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Service for Metro North, Sherry Holzapfel and her team visited TPCH to present the plaque to Assistant Nursing Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Service, Kirsty Leo; members of TPCH Indigenous Hospital Liaison team and myself. We appreciate and respect the opportunity to promote our shared commitment to drive health equity and improve the journey of First Nations people at TPCH.

Manager Strategy and Performance, Katie Tully and I also visited Ward 1E, our Infectious Diseases Ward, where we met with staff and had the opportunity to walk through the ward and view some of the COVID safe improvements made during the pandemic. Thank you to Nurse Unit Manager, Angela Coram and the Ward 1E team for taking the time to speak with us.

This week I also attended TPCH Foundation Board meeting as a guest to talk about some of the great work we are doing at the hospital. The Common Good, as part of TPCH Foundation is an important partner of the hospital, which helps support many of TPCH’s innovative research projects and activities across the areas of heart disease, lung disease, mental health and dementia. The Common Good is also our key partner in the upcoming TPCH Charlies Week celebrations, and requires staff members to volunteer and help support their annual Giving Day on Wednesday 30 November.

Volunteer shifts are 2-hours long, and during that time, you’ll be required to make outbound phone calls to supporters of The Common Good and invite them to make a donation to vital medical research. If can spare a few hours on November 30, please register your interest ASAP.

FAST FACTS

This week we will share some fast facts about our Quality, Effective Support Team (QuEST).

Did you know?:

• QuEST provides clinical expertise and quality risk management for the central storage, coordination, maintenance, evaluation and education of high-use medical equipment, care of the bariatric patient, as well as falls and pressure injury prevention and management.
• The team of 11 nursing staff manages 135 different types of equipment.
• Each month, QuEST undertakes around 80 Riskman reviews on pressure injuries and around another 80 Riskman reviews on falls.
• QuEST is a leader in pressure injury management, having been involved in the development of the international pressure injury guidelines.
• The service supports the state with equipment tenders and advice, and is a state leader in bariatric care, hosting the Queensland Bariatric Interest Group.
• QuEST undertakes educational activities including ward in-services and short roving sessions, as well as run statewide symposiums.

Staff Profile

This week we will profile Facility and Support Services Manager, Bianca Neaves. In this role, Bianca supports and manages Operational teams in Patient Support, Food Services and Protective Services.

Each day is different and can include tasks to help support managers with the effective day-to-day operation of their service, as well as looking at ways to improve service delivery and work smarter into the future.

Having previously been Manager for Food Services at TPCH and RBWH for the last 10 years, and originally a dietitian, Bianca has immense appreciation for the operational staff who keep patients moving, in clean spaces, nourished and safe. She values the role operational staff play in supporting clinical services to provide the best possible care to patients, and enjoys equipping and empowering others to do their jobs successfully and improve patient outcomes.

In her spare time, Bianca follows Rugby Union and is presently following the Test Series (disappointingly!). She would like to make to France in 2023 for the World Cup, and of course, for the decadent food and culture!

Shout out

This week’s shout out goes to Professor Dan Chambers, Head of Research, Queensland Lung Transplant Service (QLTS) at TPCH for being nominated as leading field researcher in Transplantation in Australia by The Australian Research 2023 publication.

This is a wonderful achievement and recognition of Dan’s leadership and the ground-breaking work of the QLTS research team. Congratulations Dan!

Today’s quote

“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – Warren Bennis

Tami Photinos
Executive Director