Welcome to the end of another week. TPCH remains in Tier 3 and we are gradually resuming semi-urgent and long wait category 2 planned care, with a focus on virtual appointments where possible.

Thank you to everyone for continuing to support our current response.

It is pleasing to see that the number of TPCH staff who are in isolation and quarantine is reducing and I welcome these staff back to the hospital. I am sure you are equally glad to be back at work.

A reminder that we all need to keep following the guidelines around correct mask wearing, Check in QLD app, and physical distancing – these are essential in helping keep everyone safe.

Fit testing

With fit testing still a high priority, TPCH has recently redesigned its fit testing booking system with the following two options:

• Initial Assessment (30 mins)
• Priority Assessment (15 mins)

An audit of the booking system has been completed, with appointments available for staff to manage their own bookings.

Transition of Staff Testing Clinic

From Monday 21 February, TPCH’s Staff Testing Clinic will transition to be co-located with TPCH’s public fever clinic at the Chermside Community Health Centre.

This means that staff requiring a COVID-19 test or collection of a RAT will need to present to the public fever clinic from this date. For staff attending the clinic, please see the concierge staff on arrival, as you are not required to queue in the general public lines.

Please note: TPCH staff testing clinic located in Outpatients B will be still be open this weekend, 7am – 2pm.

Contact tracing service – weekend availability

Please note that tomorrow, Saturday 19 February and next Saturday 26 February, there will be no TPCH Contact Tracing service, as the service is in the process of reducing their hours due to a decrease in the number of staff in isolation or quarantine. The service will be available on Sunday 20 February and Sunday 27 February from 8am to 12pm.

From Monday 28 February, the service will resume it normal hours of operation, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.

TPCH Contact Tracing team can be reached via email: TPCHContactTracing@health.qld.gov.au

Staff Profile

This week, we will profile TPCH’s Duty Manager, Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), Tanya Mountford.

As EOC Duty Manager since July 2020, Tanya plays a key role in planning, preparing and managing TPCH’s local COVID-19 response. Sharing the role with Lyn Bridge, and working closely with Metro North EOC, Public Health, Health Directions, Infection Management Service and TPCH’s Executive team, Tanya holds many areas of responsibility including keeping TPCH up to date with current COVID-19 guidelines, response plans, visitor restrictions, exemptions, lockdowns, Tier responses, isolation/quarantine criteria, vaccinations, fit testing, fever clinic and COVID-19 patient management.

Having a passion for and extensive training in emergency preparedness, Tanya has a naturally good fit with the role, armed with the skills and qualities needed for such a dynamic and fast paced job. She possesses a high attention to detail, can think critically, has endurance, adaptability and motivation – all reinforced by her nursing background in intensive care, emergency and paediatrics and her substantive position as Clinical Nurse Consultant, Children’s Emergency Department, TPCH.

Tanya values being able to support and care for people in the midst of the pandemic, by providing efficient, safe, respectful and compassionate family centred care – something developed through years of paediatric nursing and through her own experience of having COVID-19.

When Tanya is not in the EOC office, she enjoys travelling (albeit not at the moment), photography, a good book and a cuppa. For this pocket rocket, the simple things in life are often the best!

Values in Action at TPCH

I would like to share with you a couple of compliments I received this week from some family members of patients cared for at TPCH. Each compliment highlights the wonderfully talented and caring staff we have at TPCH, who make a positive difference to the individual journeys of our patients and their loved ones. These compliments makes me feel proud to work at TPCH. I hope they do the same for you.

Please note: compliments have been de-identified to protect and respect patient and family privacy.

Compliment 1 – Intensive Care Unit

Dad came into your care with difficulty breathing as a result of COVID-19. From the moment he arrived until the moment he passed, the level of care provided by every single staff member was beyond excellent. In his own words, your team tried everything to help him. No stone was left unturned. It wasn’t just standard care provided by ICU 3. It was exceptional. Thinking outside the box to come up with as many solutions as possible to help Dad. But it wasn’t just the type of care provided that was excellent. The personal care, providing him dignity, respect, following his wishes and each staff member’s compassion for my father was so overwhelmingly beautiful and outstanding.

The extra care for us, his loved ones, you provided in supporting us through this difficult time is beyond what any amount of good words can possibly convey. The compassion, particularly of Dr Tom and Dr Joel in communicating so honestly, but with so much care, difficult news, was so incredibly appreciated. The additional special lengths you went to in gaining approval for us to stay by Dad’s side for his final hours, so he wouldn’t be alone without his family is something we and Dad appreciated so very much, that we will all never forget.  It was one of Dad’s final wishes that we write ‘a rip-roaring letter of thanks to all the staff, doctors, nurses, wardies, specialists, social workers, everyone at The Prince Charles Hospital for the exceptional care to me.’ We hope we have achieved this with our words.

Compliment 2 – Children’s Emergency Department
(from a Metro North staff member)

You might have heard that my 8 year old had his foot driven over yesterday evening. I took him to TPCH kids ED without hesitation, knowing he would be well cared for and they didn’t disappoint.
Unfortunately I can’t recall the name of the triage nurse but she was excellent. The assessment was rapid and thorough. My son was seen well within his category timeframe and we had excellent care from every staff member we encountered. Special mentions to nurses Danni, Drew, Mary and Mel and doctors Lily and Faye. The referral to QCH has been efficient and the letter to our GP is comprehensive.

I felt quite proud to be part of a team that delivers this level of care every day. I told my son on the way to the hospital that the staff there were excellent and they’d all be really nice to him and take good care of him. When we got home he said I was right. The staff were all really nice and they didn’t hurt him a bit.

Shout out

I would like to give a shout out to the Critical Care Research Group (CCRG) who was acknowledged as one of the January highlights at The Australia Show at Expo 2020 Dubai, a long standing global expo that showcases great innovations that shape today’s world. CCRG’s Director, Prof John Fraser participated in the Expo’s World Maljis panel, a vibrant forum where diverse points of view are shared on important topics relating to the current world. Each conversation brings together 8 to 10 globally recognised thought-leaders who invited for their exceptional contributions and unique perspective on the topic which was the ‘Speed of Life.’ Well done to John and the CCRG!

Quote for today

“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care” – Theodore Roosevelt

Tami Photinos
Executive Director