Board meets in Wilcannia first timefwlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/UserFiles/files/NewsLetters... · 2020-02-05 · Carter, David Lyle, Dr Steve Flecknoe-Brown and Clyde Thomson. Absent:

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 3, Vol 2, March 2012

The LHD Board met in Wilcannia for its March meeting, and aims to meet in two communities other than Broken Hill each year. The next community to host a Board meeting will be Ivanhoe.

March already, the

year is passing quickly. St Pat’s is behind us, Easter is upon us and the end of financial year is looming large. It’s also the time of year when each of us needs to think about winter and the flu season. Flu vaccinations are available to all staff and I encourage each of you to take advantage of the vaccination, we can’t afford to be without you over winter.

The second phase of the planning

process for the LHD will be occurring on 2 and 3 April. We will be circulating a draft document after that for everyone to comment on.

Susan Daly commenced last week as

the LHD Director of Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol. Susan brings a wealth of

clinical, management and policy experience to the role. She will be building on some of the work done by Tuana Sanders and also developing a direction for services into the future. Tuana will be taking a break for a couple of months and I look forward to working with her again when she returns in a different role.

The LHD appears to be gradually

developing an identity. The recent Chronic Heart Failure Forum provided an opportunity for clinicians within the LHD to work with representatives of the Clinical

FWLHD Board Members (from left) Steve O’Halloran, Dale Sutton, Allan Carter, David Lyle, Dr Steve Flecknoe-Brown and Clyde Thomson. Absent:

Tom Hynes, Maureen O’Donnell, John Harris and Dr John Ives.

The Board and visitors were given a tour of the Wilcannia MPS (right) and met in

the MPS Board Room.

Board meets in Wilcannia first time

Continued next page

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Susan Daly has been appointed the new Director of Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol for the Far West LHD.

Susan is an experienced mental health nurse and holds a Master of Nursing. She brings an extensive clinical, research, management and policy experience to the role. Susan most recently held the position of Senior Policy Officer in the Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Officer of the Ministry of Health, with a focus on clinical services and in particular the NSW seclusion and restraint reduction project.

Susan hails from Wollongong, which she says is sort of a sister city to BH with many people in the mining community having worked in both cities.

“My dad was a coal miner and my favourite T-shirt said ‘I dig coal’”, she said.

Susan has two daughters at uni in Sydney and Wollongong—Daisy and Frankie.

“I will miss them immensely but hope they visit often and come to love this very special part of the world as much as I do.”

Susan said she’s really pleased to be here again after great secondment to the Mental Health Inpatient Unit in 2011. “Something about the red dirt and big blue sky just kept calling to me (but) not sure where the red dirt is now though – it was so green when I flew in I wasn’t sure I was on the right plane!”

Susan said she loves to get out in the wide open spaces and hoped to do lots of that now she’s become a resident.

“I’m hoping to do some research in my spare time and looking forward to becoming part of the wonderful community of the Far West!”

Welcome to the Far West, Susan, and we are sure you will enjoy your time with us.

Susan heads up Mental Health Directorate

From previous page

Excellence Commission and experts in the field to tailor best practice to meet the environment in which we work. We have also seen the signing of an MOU between Council, Education and the LHD to support collaboration across organisations to support youth in Broken Hill.

Over the next three months we will be

working with all cost centre managers to develop the budget for next financial year.

We are also working to ensure that each manager has timely access to reliable information about their budget, expenditure

and staffing so that decisions can be made by all managers within their delegation.

I visited Wilcannia and White Cliffs with

Bob Davis from Maari Ma. It was great to get out and be able to chat with staff. Bob and I will be visiting most of the other facilities outside Broken Hill over the coming month.

If you are around when we drop in, please feel free to catch up if there are issues you would like to raise or questions you would like answered. We may even be able to answer some of them.

— Stuart Riley, Chief Executive

Board meets in Wilcannia for first time

Susan Daly

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The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (the Board) is urging members to update their contact details to receive registration renewal reminders.

About 330,000 nurses and midwives across Australia are due to renew their general or non-practising registration with the Board by 31 May 2012.

Practitioners are being urged by the Board to update their contact details, especially their email address as previously provided to AHPRA, to ensure they receive renewal reminders.

This is easily done using AHPRA’s online services available at www.ahpra.gov.au.

Nurses and midwives should watch for the reminders to renew as confirmation that online renewal is open.

In the interim, practitioners should study the professions’ registration requirements and how they apply to the profession/s for which they will be making application for renewal of registration.

Please direct any enquiries to AHPRA via the online enquiry service at www.ahpra.gov.au or by phoning 1300 419 495.

The District has a new Health Promotion Officer based in Broken Hill – Lee-Anne Jackson. Lee-Anne will be busy working on the Healthy Children's Initiative (HCI) programs and Go4Fun

program. The NSW Healthy Children’s Initiative focuses on the promotion of healthy weight, healthy eating and physical activity, with children and young people from birth to 18 years of age.

She will be working with Primary Schools, Long Day Care Centres, Family Day Care and Preschools to support the implementation of HCI primary prevention programs, Live Life Well @ School, Crunch and Sip, Fresh Tastes@ school and Munch & Move. Lee-Anne will also be supporting and working with children and families in the program Go4fun as a secondary prevention program.

Lee-Anne is a former local to the Far West area having lived in Menindee as a young child and also attended school in Broken Hill. She left the area to study a Bachelor of Social Work at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. After completing her studies she worked as a Community Development Officer at the Central Darling Shire Council living in Wilcannia for a number of years. In 2010 she left the area again following partner Bradley Jackson and having their first son Oscar. They lived in Hay for a number of years and Lee-Anne worked as a Health Promotion Officer for the former Greater Southern Area Health Service.

Lee-Anne said since starting in her new position with Far West LHD, she has received great support. “I look forward to working with the community in improving healthy eating and physical activity for children and young people in the Far West” said Lee-Anne.

If you would like to contact Lee-Anne please call 8080 1500.

The Live Life Well @ School is a long-term program that aims to get more students, more active, more often, as well as focusing on healthy eating habits. Crunch&Sip® is a set break during the school day when students can eat fruit and/or vegetables and drink water in the classroom. The Fresh Tastes @ School NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy came into effect at the start of the 2005 school year. Since then, it has been mandatory for all public schools in the state. The initiative is all about giving students across NSW a taste for healthy foods and encouraging them to make healthier food choices. Munch & Move is NSW Health initiative that supports the healthy development of children birth to 5 years by promoting physical activity, healthy eating and reduced small screen time (e.g. watching TV or DVDs, playing on computers and small hand-held games devices). Go4Fun is a healthy living program for 7-13 year old children to become fitter, healthier and happier, and their families to adopt a healthy lifestyle and a long lasting and healthy approach to living

Lee-Anne Jackson

Lee-Anne joins Health Promotion team

Nurses urged to update registration contact details

PAGE 4


International Women’s Day celebrations in Dareton

Forty-five women from the Wentworth Shire enjoyed a special International Women’s Day lunch at the Coomealla Club on Thursday, 8 March. The day was made possible with a grant from the NSW Government Office on Women’s Policy to the Wentworth Shire Council,

which handed over the organising of the day to Anita Erlandsen, Women’s Health Nurse ate Dareton Primary Health

Two speakers entertained the diners. The first being local identity Shirley O’Brien. Shirley is a breast cancer survivor who has made it her mission to help other women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. She is a tireless volunteer in the local community, and this year was awarded the local Australia Day Citizen of the Year.

The second speaker was Sarah Tang. Sarah was born in the Sudan, and told of the difficult life she and her family had there as they fled their home and spent time in a refugee camp before gaining humanitarian entry to Australia. She then entertained guests with stories of her early days in Australia, and her love of this country and its freedoms.

As a result of donations and raffles during the lunch, a donation was made to the local Cancer Resources Centre on behalf of the women of the Wentworth Shire region.

Sarah Tang

Shirley O’Brien Photo courtesty of Sunraysia Daily

The District has joined forces with the Department of Education and BH City Council to improve youth services by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) this month.

The MOU is a Local Government Agreement developed to facilitate a coordinated Youth Services Schools Project (YSSP) that will streamline and enhance information links between services, agencies and schools. The aim is to improve referral processes and implement community-based

programs aimed at young people. Individually all three groups play a

significant role in assisting young people.

“Collectively we can build on our levels of expertise that in-turn will provide a more comprehensive and integrated approach to supporting those vulnerable youth that are struggling with health, education and training issues,” said Chief Executive, Stuart Riley.

“We have committed to bring about the best possible outcomes for young people to lead happy, healthy and productive lives.”

The four-year MOU will be headed by the YSSP which will conduct monthly meetings and host a YSSP website.

The MOU was signed by BHCC GM Frank Zaknich, Dept Education’s Trish Webb and FWLHD CE Stuart Riley.

District lends a hand to improve youth services

PAGE 5


Local Chronic Heart Failure forum draws a crowd

District staff and others gathered to learn more about chronic heart disease at a forum hosted with the Agency for Clinical

Innovation. With heart disease on the rise nationally, the forum was important for health workers to gain the latest information and reinforce best practice guidelines on tackling this complex and costly chronic condition. Staff and other attendees also took the opportunity to network. Local clinicians also delivered presentations.

Had your flu shot yet? The flu season is coming and all

District staff are being urged to have their free influenza vaccination available through the health service.

It’s important that staff take measures to protect themselves and their patients against seasonal influenza, as well as their family.

Vaccination is the best protection and will also reduce the likelihood that you will pass on the virus to someone else.

Flu shots for staff members are available from Karen Kemp by calling 8080 1331.

Director of Nursing Dale Sutton got her flu shot from Karen Kemp...have you got yours?

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New ambulance for Wilcannia

Wilcannia has received a brand new ambulance valued at around $160,000, including the vehicle, radio and equipment.

The ambulance is the newest VW T5 transporter model currently within NSW Ambulance fleet and is commonly utilised as a front line ambulance within the rural areas of NSW.

The vehicle is about to receive some high visibility driving lights to enhance its capacity during night time operations.

Wilcannia Health Service staff provide the ambulance service for the community.

Brian Harris pictured with the new ambulance at Wilcannia. Brian works in the Health Service as a Health Assistant and Ambulance Driver.

The extension to the historic Corrindah Court building has progressed to the roof, with carpentry and roof trusses now erected on the second floor and the first stage of the internal electrical fit out is being completed.

"Its great - you can now see the building taking shape and the layout of the offices and training spaces can now be visualised,” said Helen Cameron, Executive Officer, BH UDRH.

When completed the capital works will provide the University of Sydney, Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health (BH UDRH), with greater capacity to provide training for medical, nursing and allied health students.

The new extension will house modern simulation and training areas and increased office and meeting space. The new facility will be available for BH UDRH partner organisations such as the Far West Local Health District, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Maari Ma Aboriginal Health Corporation and the Medicare Local for the training of their health professionals.

22 March 2012

24 February 2012

UDRH extension reaches to the roof

The Murrumbidgee Medicare Local has appealed for FWLHD staff to assist in running their men’s health Pitstop Program at this year’s Agfair (May 4-5). If you would like to be involved, contact Jenni

Evans on 8088 5441. The first Agfair Pitstop was highly successful in 2010 with 216 men participating in their free health check.

Call to help men’s

health Pitstop at Agfair


EMPLOYEE PROFILE: Dr Andrew Olesnicky

I hope you enjoyed our brief chat with Andrew - Look out for our next profile!

Who are you? Dr Andrew Olesnicky, Director of Emergency Department, Broken Hill Health Service.

What do you do in FWLHD? As a part clinical/managerial position, I provide services seeing patients in the ED and manage administration of the department and supervise all other medical officers in it.

How does your role interact with others in the organisation? I see the ED as a kind of doorway to the hospital. The start of patient care for acute presentations commences here and then the patient may transfer to other departments, so we interact with others to make sure that handover is smooth.

What is your background in health? My early medical training was in Adelaide, and I then worked as a locum around Australia, including visiting Broken Hill. I settled here permanently a year and half ago.

And on a lighter note…

What’s your nickname?

Ahhh...Olly.

Do you have any phobias?

Hmmm… women who don’t use ashtrays.

What’s the most amusing thing

you have had to deal with at

work? Probably things in places they shouldn’t be.

Can you dance? Well…(sits up straighter) Yes, yes I can! I won a trophy in last year’s BH Dancing with the Stars with Lyndall Roberts.

Are you on Twitter or a

Facebook tragic? Neither, I shun social networks in all forms. I’m 10 years behind times when it comes to social technology.

What are you reading at the

moment? Henry Kotzwinkle’s “The Fan Man”.

Star Wars or Star Trek? I would say Star Trek. I had a bad experience with a Wookie.

What do you like to celebrate most? The end of a hard week...and Christmas.

Do you have an Olympic ambition? Ummm...right...If I could, I would like to represent the Ukraine in weight lifting.

What’s the best thing about weekend’s? Ahhh...probably Sunday arvo barbecues.

Favourite and least favourite foods? Favourite is shellfish and least favourite is fully sundried tomatoes.

If you could buy a sports team, which one and why? Hmmm…(thinking…thinking)... What’s a lucrative sports team…? Dunno, can’t answer that one.

Three things (only 3) you would like to have if stranded on a desert island? A boat, a mate and a cheesery (shop).

If you woke up tomorrow and you were Sylvester Stallone, what would you do? Take a good hard look at myself and never make another movie again!

Where would you like to be in 5 years time? Picking the kids up from school ( Awwww….nice one! — Ed )

On a lifestyle note…

What is the best thing you have done for your health? How would you like to build on that?

I guess, just exercising regularly and moderating my cheese intake. I eat quite a bit of cheese.

How do you get over any reluctance to be physically active — is that a problem for you?

I think we all have been reluctant to be physically active at times. You can’t get too comfortable between finishing work and engaging in physical activity, or else it won’t happen.

You mentioned you’re physically active...do you have any advice for others to stay on track with being physically active?

Find something you enjoy doing that isn’t a chore and set realistic goals.

PAGE 7

Dr Andrew Olesniky

I hope everyone enjoyed this edition of Far West in Focus. You can now start thinking about submitting an article for the next edition. Everyone is welcome to submit an article and/or photos. If you have something you think may be suitable but you are not sure, send me a quick email ([email protected]) and I'll let you know

immediately. Note that the newsletter can be found on the Far West LHD website at www.fwlhn.health.nsw.gov.au

PAGE 8

Policy Watch — PDs available on MOH internet The following documents have been published on the NSW Ministry of Health internet site http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/policies. These documents are official NSW Health policy. Compliance with Policy Directives is mandatory.


Documents

Board meets in Wilcannia first timefwlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/UserFiles/files/NewsLetters... · 2020-02-05 · Carter, David Lyle, Dr Steve Flecknoe-Brown and Clyde Thomson. Absent: