Congratulations to Tanya Hayward for her highly commended in the Community and Oral Health Staff Excellence Awards.

When the global pandemic arrived in Australia and we went into lockdown in March 2020, Metro North Oral Health was reduced to two open clinics and many staff redeployed, some within oral health and others across the service.  

Tanya’s role was to manage the centralised stores for Metro North Oral Health from the base hub at Flinders Parade in North Lakes. This was not a position she was asked to perform but she has embraced the role with passion and gusto.  

Oral health therapist Margaret Herzig said she has navigated high security levels and daily stocktaking for essential PPE items – gloves, masks, gowns – and was responsible for fulfilling the orders for these two clinics.  

“As the year progressed, Tanya was a key player in restocking the clinics as they were scheduled to reopen,” she said.  

“Due to supply issues, not all items were available. Tanya professionally negotiated alternative items with the dentists and senior dental assistants.  

“Her knowledge of order quantities has helped to streamline the ordering process and she knows where everything is stored.”   

Tanya has evolved in the role, making changes to how and where items are stored at Flinders Parade, grouping commonly requested items together in easily accessible areas.  

“Urgent orders are always prioritised, and no problem is too big or request too difficult. This is no small feat when supplying items to the Oral Heath Centre at Herston, the GP clinics, school clinics and mobile dental vans,” Margaret said.  

“Tanya is always happy and smiling at work. She is invaluable in her role and an asset to Queensland Health and the Metro North Oral Health Service.”