News archive
Metro North Dads N Peers Project provides dads with the tools to success
Father’s Day is a special day for every dad, but the most special day for many is the first one they get to spend with their precious newborn baby.
Caboolture Hospital delivering outpatient appointments at Super Clinic
Caboolture Hospital patients are accessing outpatient services in the community during the hospital’s expansion.
The Prince Charles Hospital delivers Australian-first heart procedure
An Australian first procedure delivered by The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH) in Brisbane may revolutionise treatment for the thousands of Australians living with an abnormal heart rhythm.
A time of reflection following a stroke
While the last few months have been very difficult time it has also been a period of reflection and recovery for stroke survivor Bob Sutcliffe. Bob, who has his 89th birthday in a couple of weeks, was quickly able to get back into some of the things he enjoys including life in the garden and playing lawn bowls.
Metro North Health delivers world-first breast scaffold surgery
A world-first surgery delivered by Metro North Health in Brisbane will pave the way for women globally requiring breast reconstruction with a safer alternative to silicone implants, leaving them with nothing but their own natural tissue within two years.
Non-urgent planned care postponed
Queensland is currently experiencing a COVID surge and our staff are prioritising the care of severely unwell patients. To do this, we have postponed some planned surgery and outpatient care.
Strengthening culture for our First Nations peoples
The Caboolture Hospital Redevelopment Project (CHRP) is another way that Metro North Health is helping to close the gap of health inequities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Metro North Launches Health Equity Strategy in Line With NAIDOC Week
Metro North Health has this week launched its health equity strategy to improve health outcomes and ensure life expectancy parity by 2031 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
New community service supports healthy ageing, hospital avoidance and early discharges
An enhanced community healthcare service will improve the care provided to the elderly, reduce hospital presentations and ensure faster patient discharges from hospital.
COVID-19 (coronavirus) Fever Clinics and Community Assessment Clinics
Metro North Health is conducting COVID-19 (coronavirus) testing at Fever Clinics and Community Assessment Clinics at a range of locations.
Let’s talk about men’s mental health
Did you know that men make up an average of seven out of every nine suicides each day in Australia? Beyond Blue’s data from last year tells us that alarmingly, many men feel they have nowhere to turn.
Caboolture midwife and local family celebrate ten years and four births together
Most women never forget the day they give birth to a new baby, but Rebekah White has a more dramatic recollection than most from the arrival of her second child, Malachi, at Caboolture Hospital.
Oral health collaboration focuses on improving patient outcomes in ICU
A new collaborative project collaboration will kick off mid-year to discover how the health outcome of patients in intensive care can be improved through improved oral hygiene.
Virtual reality helping young patients
The Common Good has used funds from the National Curing Homesickness initiative to purchase virtual reality goggles, which provide an immersive and interactive experience for young patients in the Paediatric Unit at Caboolture Hospital.
Emergency Department upgrade underway at Redcliffe Hospital
A $10 million upgrade has begun for the Redcliffe Hospital Emergency Department.
New website built by young mothers for young mothers
The Caboolture Young Mothers for Young Women (CYMYW) program recently launched a new website to ensure young women are in control of their pregnancy.
RIPE program embeds strong research culture
The Research in Practice (RIPE) program was developed to address a gap in research skills and experience among the prevocational doctor workforce at Caboolture Hospital.
Virtual reality trial opens potential new therapies for acquired brain injury
A promising trial of virtual reality (VR) technology involving patients with an acquired brain injury may lead to the development of new speech pathology therapies.
Participants sought for state-wide COVID-19 vaccine study
Participants are now being invited to take part in a community-based COVID-19 vaccine immune response study run by a collaboration of health and university researchers.
Mini-brains set to revolutionise epilepsy treatment
Researchers at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) and the University of Queensland (UQ) are trialling a new technology which is set to help epilepsy patients find the best treatment for their condition sooner.
Metro North Health Launches Health Equity Starts with Me campaign
Metro North Health has unveiled a bold new campaign – Health Equity Starts with Me - to drive health equity and eliminate institutional racism across the health service.
Call for blood donations to assist vital chemotherapy treatment
Half of all regular blood donors have been unable to donate during COVID-19 peaks in Australia recently, leaving many essential services vulnerable to short supply.
Pelvic pain vs endometriosis: a gynaecologist gives us the low-down
With endometriosis affecting one in ten women, and pelvic pain affecting as many as one in five – Redcliffe Hospital gynaecologist Dr Will Milford knows the importance of getting to the bottom of gynaecological pain, no matter the cause
RBWH engages student artists to create custom works for social work clinics
The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital social work clinical spaces have received a colourful overhaul, with the addition of five new paintings created by students at The Murri School.
Youth cancer patients lead the way in developing new resources
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital’s (RBWH) Cancer Care Radiation Therapy department has taken the lead from their consumers in designing informative video resources for their adolescent and young adult patients.
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RBWH mum Karen received a special belated birthday gift this week - baby Roman! 🥳
Roman, who was born two days after his mum's birthday, joins older brother Lawrence, 11, and older sister Ruth, 9, who all share a Samoan and Niue lineage. 🇼🇸🇳🇺
"We opted for a non-traditional first name for him, but he will have traditional middle names to keep the family happy. The kids have been calling him John Cena big nose, so Roman is a much better option!" mum Karen said.
"He was due on my birthday, so he let me have my birthday, but we will still share a birth month - I think he was stuck in there doing his hair, its so perfect!"
#FeelgoodFriday
You wouldn't expect to see a physiotherapist in the neonatal ward, but even some of our tiny babies need physio!
Alice is an RBWH advanced neonatal physiotherapist who provides crucial education and support to parents, as well as assessments, baby massage classes and outpatient baby play groups. 🥰
"We provide lots of education to parents on how they can best help the baby's development, how to change their nappy which can be tricky with wires and tubes, what positions are best for the baby so they build up strength, and on tummy time, bath time and relaxation in the bath," Alice said.
"We offer physical hands on therapy, but also support parents to be able to continue what we show them when they get home to help in their parenthood journey." ♥️
Our brand-new Rapid Access Heart Failure Service is here to provide expert care for patients in Metro North with chronic heart failure. 💔
Statewide Heart Failure Services Coordinator Annabel said the service helps patients when the heart isn’t pumping as well as it should.
“Most patients who present to emergency after being hospitalised with heart failure have signs of fluid overload for days prior to seeking help, and 90% of these patients end up being re-admitted,” Annabel said.
“The addition of this new model of care will allow us to respond to patients within 24 to 48 hours and keep patients out of hospital.”
If you’re a nurse practitioner looking for your next challenge, apply for positions available at RBWH, TPCH and Caboolture Hospital today. Click here for more information and to apply: bit.ly/3QW36Eq
#WorkforusWednesday
It's a common misconception that bowel cancer is 'an old person's disease' but young people can get it too.
Although the majority of newly diagnosed bowel cancer cases occur in people aged 50 years and over, Dr Matthew, Medical Oncologist from RBWH has seen a rise in these cases to now 1 in 10 (10.7%) Australians being diagnosed with bowel cancer under the age of 50.
"Bowel cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer death in Australia, and the rates are rising amongst younger people especially the number of left-sided bowel cancers, and rectal cancers - we are yet to determine if the cause is environmental or genetics, but the cancer in young people looks very similar to that of an older person," Matthew said.
"Don't be scared or frightened, if there is something going on, seek medical attention straight away and ask for a test. Early detection is proven to save lives.
"Symptoms that we should not ignore are change of bowel habits, blood present in stools, diarrhoea, constipation or abdominal cramping that lingers for a long period of time." 🏥
"I was on the project team as services manager for STARS from concept, to delivery and handover in November 2020. I never thought I would end up here as a patient following the discovery of a clot, twice, which led to a stroke and terrible seizures. I was so excited to go to STARS, I knew what this place was going to be like, and I know my way around. I am proud to be back here and seeing it being used the way we envisioned it."
#MondayMantra 💭 Colin 68 years-old, #STARS rehab patient and AFOL (adult fan of LEGO) 🧱