Tami Photinos Executive Director Community and Oral Health

It has been a very challenging time since the last Community and Oral Health Express, and it is important that we acknowledge some of the great work that has been done since earlier in the year.

The COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on all of us and has fundamentally changed the way we work and view life.

Thank you to our staff across the directorate for your agility and your strength while standing up, supporting each other and our patients, and re-inventing some of our services at a very critical time.

This year has not been easy and has seen many of us step well and truly out of our comfort zones and into spaces we never thought we would be.

It has been very challenging, but we are making progress and the work we all have done together has fundamentally helped keep our community, patients and staff safe.

In the past six months we have seen a lot happening across the directorate including:

• the temporary scaling back and scaling up of oral health services
• the movement of many staff into important temporary roles to support the COVID-19 response
• ramping up our bedded and home care services
• rapid introduction of community assessment clinics at Brighton, Pine Rivers, Redcliffe, Fig Tree Pocket and hotels which has helped divert thousands of patients away from our hospitals and help track possible community transmissions.

Thank you for supporting this huge effort. It makes me proud to say that I am the Executive Director of Community and Oral Health and work alongside so many compassionate and caring staff.

Your commitment, teamwork, integrity and respect for one another is clear.

I hope you enjoy this very special newsletter which captures many snippets from over the last six or so months.

Thank you all.

Tami Photinos

Executive Director

Community and Oral Health