Editor: Fiona Baker, Manager Media and Corporate Communications

Phone: 6620 2141

Email: fiona.baker1@health.nsw.gov.au

Northern Exposure is published 8 times a year by the Northern NSW Local Health District. We welcome your contributions, suggestions and feedback.

2020 VISIONIf you’re like me, it can be hard to find momentum again after the summer break. Thankfully, there are external factors to give me the nudge I need. School’s back and the alarm clock is plugged in, so it’s onwards and upwards into the year ahead.

One thing front and centre is honouring the nurses and midwives across our Health District. This year, being The Year of the Nurse and Midwife, we’re taking every opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the amazing work they do.

In this edition, we’re featuring experienced nurses with 30 plus years of knowledge under their belts, newly-graduated nurses and midwives just joining our service, and those who are taking the next step in their careers by transitioning from one specialty to another or upskilling in clinical leadership.

If you have a great nurse or midwife in your life, be it a colleague, friend or family, let them know how much you appreciate their work, and the difference they make!

Two people who’ll have their work cut out this year, are our recent winners of Big Ideas. Project leads Casey James and Deb Woodbridge have come up with great initiatives to help shift workers improve their nutrition, and to harness the power of super heroes to help young people reduce harm and stay safe.

Who knows what the rest of the year will bring? I’m ready to find out.

www.facebook.com/northernnswlocalhealthdistrict/

https://twitter.com/NNSWLHDTweed Nurse Tina Spence and her daughters Shannon, Alana and Kendyl.

Beach Photo: Jeremy Billett

As we move past the holiday period and we turn our attention to the year ahead, I’d like to take a moment to reiterate that my thoughts are with our colleagues, neighbours and friends who have been dealing with the devastating bushfires both here and around the state.

Our immediate threat in Northern NSW has decreased, but other areas such as the

South Coast are still dealing with fires and extreme weather.

I visited that part of NSW over Christmas, and found myself part of the largest civilian evacuation in our country’s history. It was a stressful and difficult experience, and I can only imagine the affect it would have on people whose livelihoods and homes are being directly threatened.

I congratulate our emergency services and armed forces who assisted in the evacuation effort, but I hope the situation never repeats itself.

On a local level, we are working with our Board to develop a NNSWLHD Climate Action Plan, and more information will be provided over the next few months.

You may be aware that 2020 has been named by the World Health Organisation as

Executive Update

Wayne Jones Chief Executive

‘Work together to deliver quality health outcomes across our communities.’

This statement is the “purpose” of Northern NSW Local Health District, and was developed as part of our new five-year strategic plan launched last year.

The words “work together” are very important and should be front-of-mind for us all.

During the holiday season I reflected

on the importance of teamwork and collaboration in delivering health care to our communities.

We work in a very complex system. It is a multi-disciplinary service in which doctors, nurses, specialists and support staff need to work together and communicate often to deliver the best outcomes for patients.

If anything, clinical care is becoming even more complex due to our ageing and growing population, the increase in chronic diseases, and increasing demand for services. Good teamwork and good communication will be essential if we are to meet these challenges.

Researchers tell us that teamwork in health helps to reduce medical errors, increase patient safety and make a more enjoyable workplace and engaged workforce.

All individuals in a clinical environment have important roles, however gone are the days where one person is solely responsible

Brian Pezzutti Board Chair

The Year of the Nurse and Midwife. Keep an eye out for celebrations throughout the year to acknowledge the amazing care our nurses and midwives provide to our patients.

Nurses and midwives are the backbone of our excellent public health service, and they play an essential role in so many facets of our system. It’s a great chance for us to show how much we appreciate and value the work they do.

During the coming year I encourage you to continue supporting your colleagues, as the demands on our health services continue to grow. We need to care for each other at work so that we can provide care to our patients.

Together we will be ready to meet the challenges, and celebrate the milestones along the way.

From the Board Chairfor a patient’s health. Many patients now have multiple health problems and receive treatment from different clinical areas. Working together is vital to make sure we get the best outcome for these patients.

We must also remember that the patient themselves has an important role to play. Patients are encouraged to become active, involved and informed members of the healthcare team. Not only do staff need to work closely with their colleagues, but we need to involve our patients and listen and act when they provide feedback or complain.

Similarly, when we are reviewing our services, designing clinical pathways or improving models of care, we should involve our patients and adopt a customer-focused approach.

As we start a new year, I encourage you to think about the importance of teamwork in health and how it can contribute to a healthier, happier and safer organisation.

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 3

Tina’s daughter Kendyl has also found the same satisfaction following in her mother’s footsteps.

“I already love being a nurse and will be incredibly lucky to find a specialty that I love as much as my mum loves Paediatrics,” Kendyl said.

Daughter Alana also fondly recalls her time at The Tweed Hospital.

“My favourite working memory is at The Tweed Hospital, working at the same time as my mum, and being recognised as her daughter by all the staff we had grown up around,” Alana said.

Tina’s story is one of many nursing and midwifery stories the Northern NSW Local Health District will be sharing throughout 2020 as we celebrate the World Health Organization’s International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.

Nursing is a central part of Tina Spence’s life, and now she has not one, not two, but all three of her daughters following her into the profession.

Tina Spence started nursing training more than four decades ago, and today she still turns up to work with a smile on her face and no regrets about her choice of profession.

Tina is now a Clinical Nurse Specialist at The Tweed Hospital Paediatric Ward, where she has worked for more than 32 years, almost since the very first day the new ward was opened in 1987.

“I am very lucky to work on a ward I love and enjoy, and I have great colleagues who I can also call my friends,” Tina said.

Tina says her nursing story became even more special when all three of her daughters followed her in her footsteps, all taking up nursing and even going on to

work at The Tweed Hospital.

“To say I am proud is an understatement.

“To think myself and my three daughters have all been employed at The Tweed Hospital is such a great accomplishment.”

Tina admits when she was first offered a job in the Paediatric Ward it was intimidating, having never worked with so many children.

Thanks to the supportive environment, Tina excelled in her position and went on to complete a Graduate Certificate in Paediatrics, among other qualifications. She now specialises in the field and has also run several rural paediatric seminars.

“I think you’ve just got to give things a go, that’s how I found what I loved doing,” Tina said.

Following in her footsteps: 2020 Year of the Nurse and Midwife

Main, Tina Spence (second from right) with daughters,

Shannon, Alana and Kendyl

Inset, Tina received her nursing qualification in 1979

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 4

Six nurses are heading off to work in new Mental Health roles after graduating from a special training program.

Transition to Mental Health Practice (TTMHP) held at Lismore, is a 12-month course providing nurses with the skills they need to move into mental health work.

The six participants in the 2019 cohort included both newly-graduated nurses embarking on a career in nursing, as well as those who had come to nursing after pursuing a previous career outside of health.

Course participant, Aaron, said the TTMHP program helped him discover what he really wanted to do and cement his future in the field.

“It has allowed me to find my place in the nursing world,” Aaron said.

All six participants are going on to begin work in mental health roles, with five being based in Lismore and one in Melbourne.

General Manager, Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol, Dee Robinson, said the whole service benefited from this education course.

“One of the great things about graduate programs is that they bring fresh eyes. It makes us embrace the new lenses that you bring to our practice,” Dee said.

The course is now in its 8th year, with

40 participants having been through the training program in that time. An amazing 78 percent of course graduates are still working in Northern NSW Local Health District today.

Educator and Mental Health program coordinator, Ryan Rooney, had this encouragement for the nurses:

“It’s exciting to see where you’re going to go. Put yourself where you want to be, and then go get it!”

New mental health nurses by the half-dozen

Program graduates Ashley, Jordan, Aaron, Tess and Obum with Lismore Mental Health Education staff Ryan Rooney, Shane Scofield, Casey House and General Manager MH & D & A, Dee Robinson

A new project is developing training pathways for Mental Health Clinicians in Northern NSW and beyond.

The Mental Health Pathways in Practice (MHPiP) program is set to enhance capabilities and learning opportunities for clinicians through four innovative learning pathways being introduced from early 2020.

The project, led locally by Mental Health Clinical Nurse Consultant Ryan Rooney, is co-founded by the NSW Nursing and Midwifery Office (NaMO) and the Northern

NSW Local Health District and will offer contemporary professional development for clinicians at any stage of their careers wishing to increase their Mental Health clinical knowledge.

It will also focus on strengthening partnerships between Local Health Districts, Sydney specialty Health networks, NaMO and HETI in the development and sustainability of mental health nursing capabilities. Using a co-design process, with input from every LHD, it is expected that MHPiP will allow staff to access a wide variety of evidence based learning opportunities.

‘’The project is currently in the design and development phase, and there will be an opportunity for staff to participate through involvement in Subject Matter Expert groups in the future,” Ryan said.

The programs are set to launch for all LHDs during 2020 - 21, with the long-term goal of having mental health learning pathways available for the professional development of staff in all areas of health including general nursing, midwifery, emergency, drug and alcohol, medical officer and all allied health streams.

For more information contact Ryan Rooney, Ryan.Rooney@health.nsw.gov.au, 0452 008 865.

NEW LEARNING PATHWAYS FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Ryan Rooney

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 5

For those struggling with opioid addiction, a clinical redesign in Grafton has helped slash wait times and improve access to treatment.

In February 2019, Clarence Valley Opioid Treatment Service began a comprehensive clinical redesign aimed at improving services for people in the Clarence Valley.

There was a clear need to reduce waiting times, and also a desire to strengthen the GP referral pathways. Before the redesign, around 70 percent of patients were eligible for GP care, but almost none were being referred on.

A new approach would also help the service prepare for the expected increase in population coming with the opening of the new Grafton Jail.

Working with the Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI), the team set some ambitious targets which are already starting to create better outcomes for patients.

Integration and Redesign Lead for Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol, Sandra Obrien, said the project focussed on reducing hurdles for patients to access the service, and on improving patient safety and the overall patient experience through guidance and peer support.

“We created a fold out roadmap for patients, called ‘My Care Passport’, which shows them what their care pathway can look like, and encourages their involvement in decision making about their care,” Sandra said.

In redesigning the care process for clients coming into treatment, they cut waiting times from 25 days down to 15 days.

A major innovation for the service is the 12-month trial of a new CNS2 position - Clinical Care Coordinator, starting this year. This clinician will offer intensive support before treatment, when people are most vulnerable.

The service is currently working with representatives from the Drug and Alcohol

Advisory Committee (DACAC) to design a position for a lived-experience worker that is proposed for trial in 2020 to partner with the CCC providing wrap around care for new patients.

“During our workshops, patients told us they wanted the support of lived experience workers who could best understand the challenges of participating in an opioid treatment program and the stigma and isolation they often felt from the community,” Sandra said.

Redesigning a vital service

Top, The Clarence Valley Opioid Treatment team,

From left, Shellie Hayman, Georgie Brown, Christine McGrory, Paula Walsh, Kristen Burgess Absent - Jill Kitchings, and Dr Trish Collie

Bottom, from left, A-Prof Brian McCaughan, Sandra O’Brien, Shellie Hayman and Dr Pieter Van Bam at their ACI graduation

In the meantime, the workshop members have formed a social group to get together and invite other members who just need company and a laugh.

Moving forwards, the team will continue to develop the key solutions and provide leadership in this area, and will be helping roll out these improvements at Tweed and Lismore opioid treatment services in 2020.

To find out more about the Clarence Valley Opioid Treatment Service, contact Shellie Hayman, Nurse Unit Manager on 6641 8709.

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 6

Congratulations to the winners and finalists who presented their BIG IDEAS in Lismore on 5 December 2019.

We are pleased to announce that the judging panel selected two winners this round, as they found it too difficult to choose between the two equally impressive entries.

The two winners are:

ä Fuel Your Shift – nutrition workshops for shift workers – Casey James, Project Lead

ä North Coast Super Heroes Captain Competent and Clued-Up Claudelia reduce harm and save lives! – Deb Woodbridge, Project Lead

The judging panel were impressed with each and every finalist, and awarded funding to all five finalist’s projects.

There were 77 entries this round, making it a challenge for the Big Ideas working

committee to select the five finalists, who each presented their project in front of a four-person judging panel, Executive Leaders, their colleagues and peers.

Thanks to everyone who presented their ideas. You are clearly passionate about your projects and we look forward to seeing these ideas come to life over the next 12 months.

The winners will now receive project support and training from senior staff, as well as

THE WINNERS OF BIG IDEAS ROUND 2

funding to help their ideas become reality.

If you have a BIG IDEA that can help improve patient care, boost health outcomes in our community, or benefit staff in the workplace, get ready for the next round of applications commencing early in 2020.

To see more pictures from the day go to the Big Ideas intranet page.

Chief Executive Wayne Jones with Big Ideas round two finalists

Our health district can now celebrate the graduation of 10 staff from the 2019 Foundational Clinical Leadership Program, delivered by the District CLP team in collaboration with the Clinical Excellence Commission.

The Foundational Clinical Leadership Program aims to build the capability of clinicians to:

ä lead sustainable system improvement and patient safety initiatives

ä work more effectively with available clinical information and resources

ä develop a culture of patient-centered care within an environment that supports work-based learning.

The program is multidisciplinary and supports participants to develop and enact a professional development plan, using 360-degree feedback, and complete a work-based Clinical Practice Improvement project.

A new generation of clinical leaders

Participants are required to lead a project, with ongoing support provided by local facilitators Jonathan Magill and Rae Rafferty.

The 10 graduates were;

ä Annette Barry - CNS 2 MPS Aged Care Network

ä Carly Boyle - CNS 2 Complex Care, TTH

ä Inkah Fischer - Nursing Unit Manager, Tallowood Mental Health Lismore

ä Monica Hogan - CNS 2 Specialist

Breast Care Nurse, Richmond Community Health

ä Leigh Hooton - Clinical Nurse Manager, Casino District Hospital

ä Karen McKinnon - Chronic Cardiac CNS2, Richmond Community Health

ä Tina Morrison - Midwifery Unit Manager, Grafton Base Hospital

ä Deb Newman - Nursing Unit Manager, Lismore Base Hospital

ä Vivienne Raymant - Workforce Manager, NNSWLHD Workforce Unit

ä Freyja Smith - Health Promotion Officer, NNSWLHD

https://intranet.nnswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/big-ideas/

Back, from left, Karen McKinnon, Carly Boyle, Vivienne Raymant, Katharine Duffy, Freyja Smith

Front, from left, Rae Rafferty, Jon Magill, Annette Barry, Deb Newman and Tina Morrison

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 7

Long service medals, the Tweed Valley Hospital and the year that was.

After being postponed due to bushfires, the NNSWLHD Annual Public Meeting was held in December 2019, highlighting the year’s success, challenges, answering the community’s questions, and awarding long service medals to some of our team.

With the beautiful backdrop of Kingscliff beach, local community members and staff came to the meeting to ask questions and learn more about health in their region.

The meeting was opened with a Welcome to County and song by Bundjalung Elder Uncle Magpie Smith.

The meeting included presentations from

Chief Executive, Wayne Jones, and Board Chair Dr Brian Pezzutti on a range of topics including the health district’s performance and achievements over the past year, plans for the future, and an update on the Tweed Valley Hospital development.

The highlight of the day, though, was awarding long-serving staff with medals of appreciation for their more than 45 years’ service in the health system.

Certificates and badges were awarded to:

ä Shirley Roach

ä Victoria Childs

ä Anne Mathison

ä Wendy Park

ä Anne Moehead

Annual Public Meeting

A further four staff members received their acknowledgments in other locations during December:

ä Maria Bonaccorsi

ä Maureen Edwards

ä Robyn Armstrong

ä Dorothy Lyons

Congratulations to all these incredible staff on their long and successful careers in health!

Top, Chief Executive Wayne Jones adresses the forum

Inset, from left, Anne Mathison, Anne Moehead, Wendy Park, Victoria Childs, Shirley Roach, Maureen Edwards

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 8

Patients cancer-free thanks to new treatmentA team led by local cancer experts has published a world-first evaluation of a revolutionary radiation therapy treatment that leaves patients cancer-free after two years.

Radiation Oncologist, Associate Professor Tom Shakespeare, led the evaluation which looked at the effectiveness of a new prostate cancer treatment using a new scan to detect tiny deposits of cancer in patients’ lymph nodes.

“In the past, men with prostate cancer which had spread to lymph glands were thought to be incurable, but modern advances in radiation therapy and PET scan imaging mean we can now offer targeted, curative radiation therapy,” A/Prof Shakespeare said.

“For the first time, men can be treated with the aim of totally eradicating the prostate cancer within both lymph nodes and the prostate.”

The team have published their findings on the effectiveness of these new treatments in the European journal, Radiotherapy and

Oncology.

“Nobody has ever published how successful this new PET-guided radiation therapy is, until now,” A/Prof Shakespeare said.

The evaluation followed the first 46 patients from the Lismore, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour areas treated using this new technique, and found that two years following radiation therapy, all patients were cancer-free.

“Even though these are early results, the findings are remarkable considering that

previously these men would not even have been offered curative treatment.”

“The PET-guided radiation therapy was also very well tolerated, with few significant side effects, and patients have been very happy with their outcomes.”

This PET-guided radiation therapy is now offered to all men with lymph node positive prostate cancer referred to the North Coast Cancer Institute in Lismore and the Mid North Coast Cancer Institute in Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie. Over 100 men have now been treated using this revolutionary technique.

Westpac bank will soon cease providing Meal Entertainment (ME) and Employee Benefits (EB) cards, so if you have an existing card you’ll need to take steps to ensure a smooth transition to the new provider.

NSW Health has a new provider for these services: EML Payment Solutions Limited.

Until 15 March, you can continue to use your existing Westpac ME or EB card for salary packaging, but after that it will be deactivated. The Employee Benefits Card will change to be known as a Living Expenses Card.

If you have an existing card balance, please think about spending it by 15 March to maximize tax savings and to avoid delays in getting card balances returned to you.

In the meantime, all current Westpac ME and EB cardholders will automatically receive a new account with EML, and you’ll be sent an email to confirm that you’d like to receive the new card and checking that your details are correct.

You’ll need to follow the instructions in the email to verify your details via the EML Customer Management Portal before the 3rd of March. If you don’t, then your account won’t be activated and you won’t receive

your new card for the new FBT year.

To find out more about this transition, contact Smart Salary on 1300 476 278 or email customersupport@smartsalary.com.au, or visit the intranet:

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS CARD HOLDERS READ ON…

Radiation Oncologist, Associate Professor Tom Shakespeare

https://intranet.nnswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/meal-entertainment-and-employee-benefits-card-holders-action-you-need-to-take/

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 9

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 10

Leanne Seiffert had never had anything to do with illness, let alone hospitals, before choosing nursing as a career.

“I came from a family who were quite healthy, and I had never actually set foot in a hospital,” Leanne says.

Born and bred in Lismore, Leanne went to Richmond River High School, and credits her involvement as a Girl Guide and visits to Caroona Aged Care home with forming a caring outlook that drew her to nursing.

Leanne was in her first six months of training at Lismore Base Hospital, living in the Crawford House nurses’ quarters, when she found herself needing the hospital’s services for the first time.

“Our educators told us that by the time we came back for our next education session, somebody would have been a patient in the hospital. As it turned out it was me!”

Having her appendix out, Leanne experienced great nursing care firsthand, and it helped form her own approach to patient care.

“I had a fantastic Enrolled Nurse who looked after me. I really got to learn how important it is to listen to your patients, and what you can actually do as a nurse to make their stay a lot better.”

After three years of training, Leanne was most interested in Intensive Care, but there weren’t any positions available. Instead,

she was given a job as a junior Registered Nurse in the Operating Theatre.

“I took it on board and thought I’d keep looking out for ICU jobs, but as it turned out, I stayed here instead. That was in 1984.”

As a young nurse, the excitement of being a part of big cases helped fuel Leanne’s passion for the job.

“I loved to see the big open cases because you could actually see what was going on,” she says.

“We used to get a lot of complex trauma cases come through, and quite a few where you’d have two teams operating at the same time in the theatre. Our theatres back then were so tiny, but it was amazing what you could do in those spaces.”

During her 36-year career, Leanne has become a multi-skilled nurse and educator, working across anaesthetics, recovery and as ‘scrub scout’, retrieving surgical instruments for the surgeon during a procedure.

Leanne has worked her way up through the system, and is now the Nurse Manager of Lismore Base Hospital’s Peri-Operative Department, overseeing the Operating Theatres, Day Surgery, Endoscopy, Waitlist Department and Central Sterilising

Services Department.

Leanne has also had some great mentors who have helped her over the years.

“The one thing that really stands in my mind, is the first time being an instrument nurse for a big open procedure,” Leanne says.

“It was with Dr David Thomas, and he used to put the fear of God into a lot of the theatre nursing staff. I told him that I hadn’t done this type of procedure before, and he was brilliant, took his time and went through every layer as we went. He completely took me under his wing.”

“Dr Will Buddy was also someone I loved working with, he liked silence in the theatre, so you had to know your stuff.”

Since the 1980s, working in the two old theatres, then moving to four in 1992, and now the new theatre complex, Leanne has seen how the evolution of surgery and technology is benefitting patients.

“With the new theatre and the vascular work that we do, we’re no longer opening up patients for major surgery. We can use non-invasive techniques and it means we can operate on patients who before you might have said were unfit for surgery.

“Now they can have that procedure and get a better quality of life.”

In this edition, we chat with Lismore Base Hospital’s Nurse Manager Peri-Operative Services, Leanne Seiffert, about her earliest experience in the operating theatre, and how that helped mould her nursing career.

Leanne Seiffert

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 11

Youth food gardens and cookbooks, fitness challenges, mountain bike training, and girls’ skateboarding sessions are just some of the winners of a recent grants program.

Projects will soon be underway across the Northern Rivers thanks to seed funding from the Northern NSW Local Health District’s (NNSWLHD) Youth Health and Wellbeing Grants designed to help young people get active and stay well.

The grants of up to $4000 each are funded by NNSWLHD as part of the Healthy Communities Northern Rivers initiative, a whole of community approach to making it easier for people to lead active healthy lives.

Health Promotion Manager, Jillian Adams, said one of the key criteria for the grants was that young people were involved in the planning of the projects.

“It’s important that these projects to get

Grants to kickstart youth wellbeing projects

young people active and eating healthy food, come from a youth perspective, because young people know best what will work for them,” Ms Adams said.

“We invited Dr Kate Neale from the Centre for Children and Young People at Southern Cross University to be on the grant assessment panel, because of her expertise in youth engagement.”

Other criteria for the grants included value for money, sustainability, innovation, planning and evaluation, and addressing social disadvantage.

The projects focus on healthy eating or physical activity, or both, and are for young people aged 13 to 24 years.

The ten grant winners are from across the Northern Rivers and include projects to address girls’ physical activity, Indigenous youth health, young people with disability, and social disadvantage.

For the full list of grant winners, head to the Health Promotion website:

Grant winners at the announcement in Lismore

Volunteers smooth the way for better surgeryHarvesting skin sounds rather gory, but it’s actually a common procedure in surgical settings where patients need to have skin replaced or repaired.

Thanks to a large donation from the Lismore Base Hospital Auxiliary, medical staff in the region now have better access to the latest equipment to harvest skin more accurately and precisely.

The Auxiliary presented a new state-of-the-art Air Dermatome to the hospital on 30 January. The $21,552 machine will mean patients have more access to surgical services which require this technology,

as well as benefitting from a speedier recovery with more predictable results.

The Air Dermatome is now the second of its kind within the Richmond Network in Northern NSW, which means the in-demand device can now be moved and used around our three hospitals in Ballina, Lismore and Casino to help with skin grafts.

Lismore Base Hospital General Manager, Ian Hatton, praised the Auxiliary for their hard work.

“We’re so lucky to have such a dedicated volunteer team working with us,” Ian said.

“Having this second machine not only helps us do multiple procedures at once, but also allows us to lend the machine to our other facilities in Northern NSW.

“This should be a big help to some

residents that might not be able to travel so easily.”

The new Dermatome instrument will be used across most surgical specialities: Orthopaedics, General Surgery and Vascular.

It will also assist with trauma and other chronic wound conditions that may require skin grafting, but is of particular benefit to patients undergoing cancer surgery.

The Lismore Base Hospital Auxiliary with hospital staff and management

https://nnswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/health-promotion/healthy-communities/youth-health-and-wellbeing-grants-recipients-2019/

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 12

Northern NSW Local Health District has received confirmation of a funding allocation from eHealth for the program “Enhancing the eMR.”

The funding will allow us to implement the following enhancements:

ä Managing deterioration (BtF) Version 4

ä Offline Medication Chart (replaces the downtime Medication Administration Report)

ä Community Client List and My Charted patients (for Community Health).

Initial planning has commenced and a schedule will be communicated once finalised.

Watch this space for further eMR enhancements coming in 2020-21 for these items:

1. Clozapine Management

2. IV Continuous Infusion

3. Patient Friendly Medication List

4. Return for Treatment Powerplan

5. Advanced Care Planning

Digital Dose:Enhancing the eMR

For more information please contact:

Mary Mackenzie, eHealth Implementation Lead at: mary.mackenzie@health.nsw.gov.au

Or visit the eHealth website:

Staff from Northern NSW Local Health District visited the NSW South Coast to help in the fire recovery medical teams.

Andy Brown, Emergency Department RN from Ballina Hospital, and Maryanne Sewell, Trauma CNC / Disaster Manager, were part of the specialist Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT) deployed to provide health services on the ground in Batemans Bay following the New Year’s Eve fires.

Andrew and Maryanne were part of the state-wide response co-ordinated by the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre and the NSW Health Emergency Management Unit, which includes doctors, nurses, paramedics, mental health clinicians who are deployed to disaster zones.

“Being part of the recovery phase was an incredibly rewarding experience,” Maryanne said.

Emergency staff help bushfire recovery effort

“What struck me was seeing the contrast between the amazing resilience of the local community, but at the same time the underlying vulnerability and the need for ongoing support.”

The AUSMAT team supported the local health district and community with a field hospital, which had 12 beds and a

fully equipped resuscitation bay, minor procedure room as well as 20 ward beds.The AUSMAT team had the support of NSW Fire and Rescue who provide logistics to the team.

The 2019-20 bushfires were the first time this team had been deployed to an incident within Australia.

Top, AUSMAT volunteers at Batemans Bay

Bottom left, Maryanne Sewell and Andy Brown in the resuscitation bay. Bottom right, NSW Health staff

http://www.ehealth.nsw.gov.au/programs/clinical/emr-connect#hp

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 13

Five minutes with an Exec: Tim WilliamsWe’ve started the year by chatting to our new Executive Director Medical Services, Tim Williams, about travel, working around Australia, and ice-cream.

Q: Why did you go into medicine?

A: My family always had a healthy respect for the medical profession, and Australia had some major changes in healthcare in the 1970s with the development of the fore-runner of the current Medicare. So health was often in the news as a major social issue, and I was fortunate enough to get into the University of Queensland medical school intake when I left high school.

Q: What drew you to the areas of Aboriginal and rural health?

A: I was a ‘rurally-bonded’ medical student, which in those days meant applying for a scholarship during your medical course. In return for being paid while studying, you undertook to work an equivalent number of years in rural areas in a Queensland Health role. Although I spent my high school years on the Gold Coast, I had grown up in Rockhampton, so country Queensland was quite familiar to me. In rural Queensland you gain experience in Aboriginal health, and over the years I did more work with Aboriginal populations, particularly in the Northern Territory.

Q: What are some of the differences between Aussies on one side of the country to the other? A: In Western Australia, everywhere else is “over east”. In Eastern Australia, WA doesn’t get talked about a lot. But Australians are much the same, basically friendly and fun-loving most of the time.

Q: You seem to have moved around a lot…

A: I have worked in every state and territory now, and I like to think that I have been in front of the modern trend of not just having numerous jobs within a career, but different types of job as well. After 20 years in rural and remote procedural general practice, I started the transition to a medical

management career, and developing experience in that has involved work in non-government, state and commonwealth roles. I’ve seen a lot of Australia and a lot of communities, and I feel very fortunate to have had that experience as part of my career.

Q: How did you end up in Northern NSW

A: My previous job was an Executive Director of Medical Services on the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne, which is a great place to live and work. But one early morning in 2018, I was walking along the beach in Kingscliff with an old friend, and a whale breached about 50 metres off shore. That got me thinking…

Q: What are you most looking forward to in your new role?

A: I have been here for four months now, and am really enjoying the friendly atmosphere of the health service and the great climate and lifestyle of Northern NSW. I would like to continue promoting Northern NSW as a great place for doctors to start and continue their careers, to ensure that the district has a strong and developing medical workforce into the future.

Q: What’s your favourite place in Australia?

A: I love where I am right now, living at Kingscliff and enjoying the beach-side lifestyle and great climate I had as a teenager. Australia is full of amazing places, but for somewhere where you can easily travel around and see a huge diversity in one day, Tasmania stands out.

Q: Best travel tip?

A: Ask the locals, but also be prepared for the odd practical joke!

Q: What do you do in your spare time?

A: I like to exercise, and I find it is a good yard-stick of work-life balance when I feel fit and active. Being able to run on the beach is a great relaxation, and a good way to start or finish any day.

Q: If you had to pick an actor to play you in a movie, who would you pick?

A: I’m having trouble thinking of what type of movie that would be, but I do like the movie classics so I’ll go with Trevor Howard. Probably not everyone’s first choice!

Q: Favourite meal? A: Is ice-cream a meal? Otherwise there’s nothing like a T-bone and salad, looking over the ocean.

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 14

Heat-Related Illness

The North Coast of NSW is prone to high temperatures, prolonged heat waves and drought during the summer months.

Extreme heat can affect anybody, however those most at risk are older people, young children, people with a medical condition, and people who live alone or are socially isolated.

Some illnesses or conditions can occur as a direct result of excessive heat, such as heat rash, cramps, exhaustion, heat stroke, and exertional heatstroke. Heatstroke is an emergency and can be fatal. Heat waves often result in increases in all-cause mortality.

The Heat-Related Illness HealthPathway provides information to help assist GPs and other health professionals to accurately identify and appropriately manage heat-related illnesses. The pathway provides best practice assessment and management guidelines, tools and referral pathways.

The assessment section provides:

ä Red flags to ensure severe illness is not missed

ä Emphasis on the need to obtain an accurate core temperature

ä Key examination features

The management section provides:

ä Guidance on when emergency assessment is required

ä First aid measures to implement in primary care

ä Treatment for sunburn

ä Advice to provide to patients about how to prevent heat-related illness.

The information section provides guidelines and evidence-based articles for practitioners on how to prevent and manage heat-related illnesses. The

https://manc.healthpathways.org.au

patient information section provides useful websites and printable patient information handouts.

For a list of all localised pathways see:

Mid and North Coast Health Pathways

ä Username: manchealth

ä Password: conn3ct3d

For further information contact kkeyte@ncphn.org.au in Northern NSW.

This 5-part online series demonstrated the relationship between the health and wellbeing of an individual and the environments in which they are born, grow, live, work and age. Factors explored included: early life, employment, housing, education, socio-economic position, communities, neighbourhoods and health justice.

Now a video resource to watch in your own time, each webcast features five different

expert panelists, ranging from researchers, policy makers and social workers to lawyers, community care providers, a pastor and strategic planner. The series is facilitated by Tessa Boyd Caine, CEO of Health Justice Australia.

All resources and references made throughout the series can be downloaded from the Centre website. These include case studies, videos, infographics, books, research papers, policies and frameworks.

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH: FIND IT ONLINE

Watched them live and can’t wait for more? The Centre’s Cultural Determinants of Health Webcast series starts Tuesday 31 March at 2.30pm. Block the time out in your calendar now!

Check out all the videos and resources by visiting:

www.thecentrehki.com.au/webcast-series

Missed the Centre for HealthCare Knowledge and Innovation’s Social Determinants of Health Webcast series? A video and online resource is now available.

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 15

New junior doctors were welcomed to the District in January, kicking off their medical careers in Northern NSW.

Two Tweed locals are among the 18 new medical interns now honing their skills at The Tweed Hospital.

Julia Walker and Melissa Herbert grew up in the Tweed area and are now returning to launch the next phase of their medical careers after studying away from home.

Former Lismore resident Luke Worner is also among the junior clinicians kicking off their careers in Tweed.

The 2020 cohort includes new faces from Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland, as well a strong international flavour with doctors coming all the way from Canada, Germany, Indonesia and France.

Twelve interns will be based at Lismore Base Hospital for their first two years of on-the-job medical training thanks to the Rural Preferential Recruitment Pathway.

Lismore-born Karly Potts is returning to her roots after studying in Queensland.

“It’s a real privilege to come back to a vibrant place that is my home, and to be able to access these great opportunities,” Karly said.

“Lismore was my first preference, and I’ve got a good feeling about the year ahead.”

For Myra Pritchett, being able to pursue her medical career in Lismore also means she can stay close to home, having lived in the Northern Rivers for 27 years and raised her three children here.

“I feel very fortunate that I can be supported to stay here and further my training, while still being near my family,” Myra said.

Over the next two years, the interns will have a chance to develop their skills in a wide range of medical specialties, including surgery, emergency medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics, psychiatry and orthopaedics.

Dr Tim Williams, Northern NSW LHD Executive Director of Medical Services, said the junior doctors will learn their trade

Interns join ranks at Tweed and Lismore

alongside expert consultants with years of experience in the medical profession.

“We have a really dedicated team of specialist staff, nursing and allied health professionals, who will be guiding these doctors through their first years,” Dr Williams said.

Top, Tweed Hospital Interns with Dr Tim Williams and Joe McDonald

Bottom, Dr Tim Williams with Lismore Base Hospital Interns

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 16

Top, Richmond Network cohort, middle , Clarence Valley cohort with Chris Gulaptis MP, Tweed Byron Network cohort

More than 90 New nursing and midwifery graduates have joined hospitals around the District.

This year, Northern NSW Local Health District is welcoming 94 new nurses and midwives from Tweed, to Grafton and everywhere in between.

New faces were welcomed to The Tweed Hospital (TTH) by Tweed MP, Geoff Provest at a morning tea on 28 January. The 37 new registered nurses will work across medical and surgical wards at Tweed, Murwillumbah and Byron Central hospitals, while four graduate midwives are destined for TTH.

The Richmond cohort, which rotates throughout the health services in Ballina, Casino and Lismore, saw 36 new graduates starting their careers.

In the Clarence Valley, 10 new Registered Nurses and a midwife are now caring for patients, with a further six to begin later in the year.

Member for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis, welcomed the graduates to the Clarence Valley.

New nurses and midwives take their place

In December it was Tweed’s turn to recognise staff who’ve excelled in their workplace.

The Tweed Hospital Staff Appreciation Awards at the Christmas BBQ on 13 December saw 16 nominations from across the hospital and community health centre.

The winners were: The Tweed Hospital – Karen Brown, Nurse Unit Manager Central Sterilising Supply Unit.

Community and Allied Health – Frank Briggs, Physiotherapy Assistant. Congratulations Karen and Frank!

TWEED STAFF APPRECIATION AWARDS

Thanks to Summerland Credit Union for their continued sponsorship of the staff appreciation awards.

Chris Hanna Manager Community & Allied Health, Frank Briggs, Karen Brown, Joe McDonald General Manager The Tweed Hospital, and Bruce Parry Sales Manager Summerland

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 17

Community advisory groups find their feet

New advisory groups are providing a forum to hear from and consult with our community right around the District.

New community advisory groups have recently been established in seven locations across Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) to give staff and community members a two-way forum to draw on knowledge, skills and experiences in creating a better health service.

Following an application process, 65 community representatives have been appointed to Community Advisory Groups (CAGs) at Tweed, Murwillumbah, Byron, Ballina, Lismore, Casino and Clarence.

Members were selected on their health experiences and community networks, and to represent the diversity of the Northern NSW community.

NNSWLHD Chief Executive, Wayne Jones, said the new groups had attracted enthusiastic community members, keen to contribute to improving local health services.

“As a health district, we recognise the importance of involving patients, carers and the community, and we look forward to the contribution of these groups in helping to build better services and a healthier community,” Mr Jones said.

NNSWLHD’s new community engagement framework includes a new Board sub-committee - the Community Partnership Advisory Committee (CPAC) – which will oversee engagement across the district.

CPAC will include community representatives from the new CAGs and from existing service advisory groups including the Mental Health Forum, Drug and Alcohol Community Advisory Committee and Ngayundi Aboriginal Health Council.

Emma Walke, Academic Lead, Aboriginal Health with the University Centre for Rural Health, is the inaugural Chair of CPAC, and is looking forward to the community sharing their opinions and experiences.

“My passion is to be a part of building a health system that does its best for the community that it serves,” Ms Walke said.

“The advice, feedback and guidance from these groups will help the LHD deliver healthcare that meets the needs of the community.”

For more details about how you or

your work unit can be involved with the new advisory groups, please contact Gerald May, Community Engagement Manager, on 02 6624 0333 or email NNSWLHD-Engagement@health.nsw.gov.au.

We’re also seeking expressions of interest from residents in the Casino and Murwillumbah areas to join their local CAGs. Staff can identify suitable patients, carers and community members to apply for these groups.

People interested in applying should contact Ged May or visit the NNSWLHD website.

Top, Casino Community Advisory Group. Middle, Murwillumbah Community Advisory Group

Bottom, Community Partnership Advisory Committee

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 18

Just over a year ago, patients being treated at Byron Central Hospital got the chance to proudly hang their art therapy work in the hospital foyer – with many pieces still around the hospital today.

Following on from the exhibition’s success, artworks will again go on display at the hospital, created by patients as part of their healing journey.

Community Health Counsellor Michael Burgess who works with the patients, said the program is hugely beneficial.

“It’s allowed people to be more than just a patient,” Michael said.

“It is an opportunity for patients to represent themselves as a creative talented person who has overcome many issues in their lives.” he said.

Byron Central Hospital Executive Officer and Director of Nursing Kylie Wilmen said supporting the project was a no brainer.

“Many people think hospitals are just where sick people go, but they are actually a place of recovering and healing,” Kylie said.

“These talented patients are showing how they have overcome hardship, and found a way of telling that story of healing and recovery through art.”

“Not only do they get to share their work with the world, but we get beautiful works on the wall.”

The artworks are now on display in the foyer of Byron Central Hospital.

See former patient Debra Barrand, as she tells her story of healing through art:

We wish to thank you once again for the care and friendship you gave to Ashton during his past years of dialyzing.

We, Olive, Peter, Paul, Mark and Diane, all grew another family, just as Ashton did, as we became so familiar with your faces and smiles.

We’re sure you have been thanked by others as their time to finish dialyzing has come… So we would like to add our thanks and that of Ashton’s.

You all create a wonderful and caring service. As a family we have only gained from our experience.

In lieu of flowers donations were taken for the Renal Dialysis Unit. Enclosed is a cheque for $645.00

It is our wish this money is used for equipment which benefits the staff and patients of the Dialysis Unit.

Once again our thanks is far greater than

THANK YOU LISMORE BASE HOSPITAL RENAL UNIT

Art of healing on display at Byron Central Hospital

can be expressed. In care, we wish you all a safe and peaceful 2020.

Olive and the Anderson families.

Artists Stephen, Deb, James, Jo, Hayley and Lisa

The late Ashton Anderson

https://vimeo.com/369215707

ISSUE 1 - 2020FEBRUARY/MARCH 19