Staff celebrate 125 years

SOUTH WESTERN SYDNEY LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT

May2014

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Stop falls

Bowral & District Hospital kicked off its 125 year anniversary celebrations with a flag raising ceremony and the Nancy Reynolds lecture presented by Dr Simon Grant.The lecture A tale of two plants – lessons from history, was so popular that the hospital held another for those who missed out the first time.A ceremony was held after the lecture with the Bowral High School choir serenading guests as the flags were raised.

The old Hospital was transformed into a museum of historical photos and newspaper articles and staff dressed in period costumes and old nursing uniforms to mark the occasion. Photos from the event can be found on the 125 anniversary website – www.swslhd.nsw.gov.au/Bowral125/ and the Hospital’s facebook page.The 125 anniversary site also features a video on former Matron Nancy Reynolds whose career and affiliation with the Hospital spans more than 50 years.

Dr Simon Grant with former Bowral & District Hospital Matron, Nancy Reynolds at the Nancy Reynolds lecture.

Events were held across the District last month to highlight the importance of managing medications to prevent falls as part of an April Falls campaign. Some medications can cause unwanted side-effects such as, drowsiness, dizziness, poor balance, frequent/urgent urination and changes to eyesight - risk factors that can lead to a fall. People are encouraged to talk to their doctor or pharmacist about their medications, and any potential side-effects.

A 125 year anniversary flag was raised to mark the start of the celebrations and staff dresserd in period costume for the event.

The Board is committed to consumer and community engagement and believe this is key to delivering the best possible care to our patients. At a recent District Consumer Community Council (CCC) meeting I asked the Council members to consider the top five priority areas to improve the experience of patients, families and visitors. The CCC is made up of representatives from each of the District’s facilities. They were able to report that improved discharge planning, capital works, parking and access, communication and signage and navigation were the top areas requiring attention. The District will now concentrate greater effort in these areas to make the necessary improvements.

It was with great pleasure that I presented Reaching out to the Community with Social Media to the NSW Council of Board Chairs, including the NSW Minister for Health and the Director-General. The presentation was met with much enthusiasm from the Council who were keen to learn more on how we have progressed. Finally, I would like to recognise the outstanding work of our nurses and midwives as we lead up to International Nurses Day. Our Nurses and Midwives make up more than 50 per cent of our workforce. The care they provide to our patients is outstanding and I wish them well and many thanks for their tireless work. I hope they enjoy the many events planned across the District.

Prof. Phil Harris, Chair

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May 2014

District Board update

Hospital guides wantedCampbelltown Hospital is seeking friendly people to greet visitors, provide information and directions and if needed, escort them to their destination.Hospital General Manager, Lynne Bickerstaff said the volunteer guides will be essential in helping families and patients move around the Hospital as it continued to change and expand.“Volunteers are an important and valued part of the Hospital community and will be provided with training and support,” Ms Bickerstaff said.“Community members who come on board as volunteer guides have an opportunity to play a role in the Hospital’s redevelopment – an important project which will have significant and lasting benefits for Macarthur.“We encourage people of all ages and backgrounds including newly retired people, parents with kids at school, people who speak a second language and students over 16 years to apply,” she said.For more information or to volunteer call Natasha Steimbeisser on 4634 3877.

Local women of all ages and backgrounds are invited for a cuppa and a chat at The HUB’s new Women’s Support Group.The group will run at The HUB Community Health Centre in Miller from 2 to 3pm each Monday, beginning 12 May.HUB social worker Christine Edwards said the program aimed to offer a diverse range of services to women in a comfortable, caring and supportive environment. “This includes lots of cups of tea or coffee, interactive workshops, fun activities and valuable information on a wide range of women’s health topics,” Ms Edwards said. “We hope to make it a place for women to come together and socialise, receive support and generally have a nice time. “Women of all ages and backgrounds are welcome. If you are keen for some fun, friendship and support, then this group is for you.“We are hoping to tailor the activities to what participants are interested in,” she said.For more information call Christine on 9608 8920.

New group for women

What’s missing?

The tower crane on top the new Campbelltown Hospital building was dismantled after nine months as a prominent part of the Campbelltown skyline. This means that the major structural work for the building has been completed and construction now moves to the next phase.

New nurses on the ward

Member for Goulburn Pru Goward visited Bowral & District Hospital last month to meet new graduate nurses. RNs Lida Dvorak Smetanin and Sara-Jane Brown introduced Ms Goward to ‘Mr Sim’ - a patient simulator in the education centre.

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May 2014

Staff working across the District are being reminded to vaccinate against the flu this winter to protect people at high risk of infection, including patients under the District’s care.NSW Health guidelines say workers should stay at home if they are sick with flu-like illnesses, until the symptoms are gone.Flu is spread mainly from person-to-person through infected people coughing or sneezing. Particles from coughs and sneezes can remain infectious on people’s hands and on surfaces around the workplace, which is why it is so important for staff and visitors of Hospitals to remember to wash hands and use alcohol-based hand-rub, especially after coughing, sneezing, going to the toilet and coming into contact with infected people.Commonly touched areas in the workplace should also be cleaned regularly, as influenza viruses can survive on hard surfaces for several hours.The symptoms of flu generally appear between two to four days after exposure, and include:• fever and chills• cough, sore throat and runny or stuffy nose• muscle aches, joint pains , headaches and fatigue (feeling very tired)• nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea (more common in children than adults).

During Privacy Awareness Week (4 – 10 May), people are being reminded to be vigilant when it comes to privacy protection.This year’s theme is Mobilising your privacy, staying safe online. It encourages all of us to consider:•What are my responsibilities when using mobile apps?• Have I checked my privacy settings lately?• What are my rights under NSW privacy law?• Who can help me with this processThe Information & Privacy Commission (IPC) recommends we:A – ALWAYS check what information a mobile app collects B – BE AWARE of apps that share information onlineC – CHECK the reviews before you download a mobile app.

Remember A,B, C to protect your privacy

Congratulations to Liverpool Hospital radiation oncologist Dr Dion Forstner who has been appointed as Acting Dean, Faculty of Radiation Oncolgy at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.Dr Forstner has been on the Faculty Council since 2011 and has been Chair of the Economics and Workforce Committee,Dion has also been actively involved in various initiatives of the Faculty Council including leading roles in the annual Radiation Therapy Innovation Summit and Industry Roundtable.College President Associate Professor Chris Milross congratulated Dion on his appointment.

New role for Dion

Liverpool Hospital mourned the passing of 91 year old volunteer Dorothy Ballard. Dorothy was the Hospital’s longest serving volunteer, providing support for 31 years.

Photo courtesy of www.ipc.nsw.gov.au.

For more information on staying healthy during winter visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/winterwise/

Off-duty nurses save lifeIf you spot nurses Leanne Lacey and Michelle Gibbons, be sure to give them a big pat on the back.The pair heroically pulled over to save the life of a cyclist who had an accident on the Camden Bypass at the end of March.Leanne performed CPR on the cyclist until paramedics arrived, while Michelle conducted airway management and took another injured cyclist home to his nurse wife for care.Police and paramedics said without the assistance of the pair, the victim’s injuries might have been fatal.

In memory of Dorothy

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May 2014

Minister for Health Jillian Skinner visited the newly restructured 24-hour, seven day a week emergency surgical service at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital last month. The enhancement to the existing peri-operative service at the Hospital includes an additional 10 staff to support the service around the clock.The service aims to improve operating theatre times, and help patients be treated within recommended timeframes, at any time of day.

Minister Skinner said the additional rostered on-site staff, including nursing, operating theatre, and cleaning staff would enable an even more prompt response than currently available.“This has a flow-on effect within the ED; it means added resources will allow staff to assist in treating additional emergency cases. “Because of the round-the-clock care patients can receive surgery immediately rather than potentially have to wait overnight,” she said.

Qui

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Quality AwardsEntries for the District Quality Awards will open on 1 May and will close on 30 May.The awards promote quality, safety and innovation in provision of clinical care and service to our patients and others whom we serve. Further information and entry templates will be available on the intranet later this month.

Fairfield Hospital Open Day Fairfield Hospital will give the local community a behind the scenes look at how the hospital operates when it holds an Open Day on 22 May.The Open Day will run between 10am - 2pm and will feature hospital tours, information stalls, interactive displays and a BBQ lunch.

Congratulations gradsCongratulations to Parisa Ghassemi, Jonathan Lee, Deanna Aplitt, Daniel Moretti, Mishel Lacap, Catherine Watson and Christy Bruce on graduating from the Master of Business Administration (Health Management) from the University of Tasmania. Congratulations also goes to Sophie Sharman who graduated from the Master of Health Service Management.

Free NRT

Printed on 100% recycled paper

District staff wanting to kick their smoking habit for good are entitled to receive eight weeks of free Nicotine Replacement Therapy.With World No Tobacco Day falling on May 31, smokers are being encouraged to consider the cost of smoking for present and future generations. The cost is set to increase by 12.5 per cent each year from 2013 to 2016, with the next tax increase on cigarettes due in September. This means smoking will continue to be worse for our health, and worse for our wallets.If you have tried quitting before but returned to smoking, you’re not alone. But the more quit attempts you make the greater your chance of quitting for good. The Health Promotion tobacco team will have stalls up during World No Tobacco Day week at Liverpool and Campbelltown Hospitals.Contact your local hospital pharmacy for more information on the NRT entitlement.You can contact the NSW Quitline on 13 7848 or visit www.icanquit.com.au for personalised online support and to share your stories with other people making their quit attempts.

Sports heroes spread cheer

AFL players from the Greater Western Sydney Giants, and NRL players from the Canterbury Bulldogs treated patients and staff in the Campbelltown, Bankstown and Liverpool Hospital paediatric units with a visit and some merchandise.

Bankstown peri-op now 24/7

RN Kritika Sharma Sedhai with Peri-Operative Services Nurse Manager Eleanor Halvey and NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital’s surgical services ward.