More detail provided about satellite hospitals

New purpose-built satellite hospitals at Caboolture, Bribie Island and Kallangur will deliver improved access for patients to a range of non-urgent health services close to home.

Reducing unnecessary trips to hospital means staff will have more capacity to deliver quality urgent care to acutely unwell patients.

Services for the three Metro North Health sites were selected based on feedback from the community and known service demand.

As a result, residents will be able to access a broad range of clinical services without having to travel too far from home.

For more information visit www.health.qld.gov.au/satellite-hospitals.

Rollout of Better Together artwork

Many of you will now see Better Together artwork adorning and making our oral health clinics and facilities more welcoming to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The following graphic details the meaning of this important artwork.

Rehabilitation embraces the Better Together initiative

While we have seen the Better Together Indigenous artwork adorning our facility entranceways, for the first time the artwork is proudly displayed in the dining space at Brighton Rehabilitation Unit. 

Clare Lutton and Emma Glenn initiated the discussions to install local Indigenous artwork in the dining room, which has completely brightened up the space.

It looks fantastic with three main pillars and the upper/lower component of the folding glass doors covered with beautiful artwork.

It’s official – Warra View!

It was good to get outdoors and join staff, our COH gardeners and members of the Sandgate and Districts Men’s Shed to officially unveil the sign for the new dedicated staff, visitor and patient area called Warra View. 

Warra View, which means open sheet of water, was an apt name for the hill/rise which sits alongside Dolphin House at Brighton Health Campus, and adjacent to Moreton Bay.

It is a great location for staff to have a break, relax and enjoy the peacefulness, beautiful spaces and sea views Brighton has to offer.

Gardeners welcome mean green machine

From what we have been told the new mean green machine mower at Brighton Health Campus has all the modern energy saving upgrades and much more! 

The new fully electric 74-inch Ecoteq mean green machine is Metro North’s first electric mower and arguably the most advanced mower in the state.

It includes a 2×100 watt solar panel roof, attachable electric leaf blower pack at the front of the unit and get this, military grade Tweel wheels to stop flat tyres.

And don’t forget the roof fan for the driver, front / rear flashing hazard lights, front and rear charging ports and a tow hitch just in case you have the urge to drag a few things around.

Now enough about the special features the estimated carbon reduction for the mower is five tonnes per year. It is already saving 75 litres of diesel each week and reducing the hours that the gardeners take to manually blow leaves and grass from Brighton paths.

Low value focus improves bedside communication 

A low value care project has found that effective bedside patient boards are leading to improved patient care and teamwork in Interim Care. 

This project found the need for customised whiteboard designs to align with the needs of each clinical area.

Specifically, the ‘forget-me-not’ cognitive symbol scheme helped staff recognise when someone is experiencing memory problems or confusion.

This allowed staff to take more time when communicating with patients who have difficulty understanding information and offer additional help or support with tasks where needed, such as eating, drinking and being accompanied off the ward.

Prior to changes to the communication board the items were completed only approximately 50 percent of the time, mainly on initial admission and not throughout the patient’s length of stay.

Following changes to the communication board, this increased to 92 percent of the time. Similarly, accuracy has improved from 51 to 92 per cent following the changes made.

COH again at renewable forefront

If it isn’t Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems or green machines, Community and Oral Health continues to be at the forefront of renewable energy initiatives. 

The latest addition to our renewable credentials is the installation of charging stations at the Nundah Community Health Centre.

Shout outs reveal hidden gems

Every day we hear great stories of individuals putting the Metro North values into action. 

Congratulations to our recent shout out champions:

• Justine Leach, Nurse Unit Manager, North Lakes Cancer Care
• Joanne Knight, Occupational Therapist, Post Acute Care Service
• Alicia Chaplain, Service Development Officer, Innovation and Research Centre
• Anne-Marie Parisi, Senior Pharmacist
• Dr Irina Leonida, Principal Dentist, Oral Health Centre
• Kirstin Howie, Nurse Navigator.

Read more shout our champions at the Metro North Staff Shout Out page.

Ekka time at Cooinda!

It is always wonderful to see some of the great recreational activities our staff organise for residents at Cooinda and Gannet House. 

Our wonderful staff are always finding ways to bring joy to the residents. Last month was no exception with the Ekka coming to Cooinda House and the residents absolutely loved it!

Well done team, there were some great photos from the day.

Service improvements

Rapid Access to community programs

Community and Oral Health was successful in receiving funding for our Rapid Access to Community Care Program.

The Rapid Access to Community Care Program is providing fast tracked access via a Community Care Co-ordination Hub to community care as an alternative to hospital referral.

This is involving direct clinician to clinician referrals via phone from General Practitioners, Virtual Emergency Department and Queensland Ambulance Service seven days a week.

If the referral identifies that there is a need for additional assessment of the patient, then a clinician will provide this via telehealth or in the patient’s own residence within 24 hours of referral.

This new service will link patients to already established community-based services such as Post-Acute Care Service, Hospital in the Home, PHN Team Care Coordination program, Community Palliative Care and/or to rapid access outpatient clinics such as Diabetes.

Rapid access pathway for brighter smiles

Metro North Oral Health Services has commenced the Rapid Access Pathway for Dental Presentations to Emergency Departments from late August. 

With the weekend dental clinics commencing mid-September, this team will play such an important role in triaging urgent dental cases away from Caboolture and Redcliffe Hospital emergency departments.

Brighton Brain Injury pilot

Brighton Brain Injury Service (BBIS) was successful in receiving 2022-23 Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Project funding to support the implementation of a pilot framework for additional assessments and interventions for people with prolonged disorders of consciousness. 

This is a very exciting development as the BBIS service will be the first in the state to offer specialist rehabilitation services and therapies for people with the prolonged disorder of consciousness (PDOC) condition.

Compliment of the month – Brighton Brain Injury Service

“My brother was recently transferred to Brighton Brain Injury Service after suffering a severe traumatic Brian injury 10 weeks ago and spending eight of those in RBWH.

“Since transferring to this awesome facility he has improved a lot in a short amount of time. This I believe is due to the care and commitment to his rehabilitation by the staff at BBIS.

“From the moment my brother entered and my sister-in-law and I walked through the doors we have experienced nothing but smiling faces and dedication to care.

“Kath (social worker) is a gem!! She’s caring and knowledgeable in all the areas of help that anyone experiencing this kind of trauma would need and does it all with a smile and gentleness that is refreshing and very much appreciated.

“Every staff member we have encountered has been lovely and welcoming and has made the future look encouraging. It has been a long road since my brother’s injury and it has been hard … but we know he’s in a wonderful place to do his rehabilitation journey. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

FAST FACTS – Oral Health

More than 55,000 eligible adults were seen at our General Practice Oral Health clinics in Redcliffe, Caboolture, Sandgate, Pine Rivers, Stafford and by the rural and remote team last financial year.