Jim McGowan AM, Metro North Board Chair

The Metro North Board met at the Nundah Community Health Centre at Nundah on 27 September. It was wonderful to resume our commitment to meet in different locations across the region.

Prior to the meeting, Board members met with some consumers and volunteers. They expressed their frustrations during the COVID restrictions but looked forward to a return to the activities and opportunities that should be possible as we return to more normal times. The opinions and suggestions of our consumers and volunteers are important to shape our models of care and our services more generally. The Board also met with some staff members over our lunch break, again an important opportunity to ensure that our deliberations are grounded by the views of our people.

An important presentation to the Board was on the progress of the Green Metro North Sustainability Strategy by David Walker, Director of Sustainability, and Kate Copeland AM, Executive Director Strategy, Planning, Assets and Infrastructure. The commitment to a sustainable future is important from a whole of Metro North level, but the initiatives from individuals and work units was particularly pleasing.

Board members were also impressed by the progress from the Medicine Stream in relation to achievements under the Diabetes, Palliative Care and Kidney Health Plans, through presentations by Katrina Campbell, Acting Executive Director Clinical Services, Dr Jeff Rowland, Executive Director Medicine Stream, and Rebecca Moore, Program Director Medicine Stream. We were provided with data in relation to presentations from people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds as we are committed to ensuring their specific needs are being recognised and our services are effectively responding to their needs.

We had a very interactive session with Glynis Schultz, Executive Director Community and Oral Health. As we seriously look to health services reform, the role of community health, the provision of services in non-hospital environments, and our engagement with primary care and the community-controlled sector become urgent priorities.

One of the great benefits of chairing the Metro North Board is that I get to attend a number of very uplifting events, particularly in the presentation of awards to staff in recognition of their excellence in the provision of health care services or in areas of clinical research and innovation. In early September, I was privileged to present some research awards as part of Heston Health Precinct Symposium. With Jane Hancock, the Chief Operating Officer, I attended a morning tea at Rosemount to acknowledge the fantastic contribution of the Public Health Unit to safety and wellbeing of the community and our staff during COVID. I was unable to attend the Redcliffe Hospital Staff Excellence Awards on 26 September, due to an unexpected personal commitment. I would like to formally apologise to the award nominees and recipients at Redcliffe, but Board member Bonnie Barry told me about her pride and pleasure in being able to present the awards.

On 23 September, Minister for Health the Honourable Yvette D’Ath, our Chief Executive Jackie Hanson, and Board members Dr Kim Forrester, Neil Roberts and Bernard Curran and I attended the graduation of our Deadly Start trainees. One could see the pride in the graduates and their families and friends. The Deadly Start program is a Metro North initiative that provides opportunities for First Nations school-based trainees to obtain formal qualifications in healthcare, while completing their Year 11 and 12 school obligations. A central element of our Health Equity Strategy is the increased recruitment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to our Health Service. The evening was genuinely an inspiring event, but we need to do much more!

Earlier that day, Jackie and I attended the launch of the Stryker R&D Lab. This is a state-of-the-art research and innovation facility at Herston. It is the result of a collaboration between Stryker, The University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, the Queensland Government and Metro North. While Stryker had options to establish this facility, which will link directly with its extensive research and development facilities across the world, anywhere in Australia, it chose Herston and Metro North. I felt as if I was walking into the future but essentially that is what the lab is!

The establishment of this R&D facility is consistent with our goal of Metro North being a national leader in medical research and innovation in which our clinicians will have greater opportunities to participate in groundbreaking research and innovation, while continuing to enhance their clinical expertise and skills in our hospitals. It is worth a visit physically or virtually.

Quotes about the future of work:

“The future of work consists of learning a living.” (Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980,) Canadian philosopher and author on the media.)

“Dreams are extremely important. You can’t do it unless you imagine it.”  (George Lucas (b1944), American filmmaker including the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.)

Our future success is directly proportional to our ability to understand, adopt and integrate new technology into our work.”  (Sukant Ratnakar (b1944), Canadian author on change and change management.)

Regards,

Jim McGowan AM
Metro North Board Chair