www.sjog.org.au

Pomegranate JUL | AUG 09

A HOME WHEN PREGNANT AND HOMELESSThe opening of Horizon House in Dianella to support homeless young women through pregnancy

3 SWITCH TO LED AT BENDIGO LED lighting switch in Bendigo drops electricity consumption and carbon emissions

5 ACCOLADES FOR MENTAL HEALTH WELLBEING GROUP Mental Health Women’s Wellbeing Group awarded for social inclusion in Warrnambool

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St John of God Health Care has been given the final go-ahead to build new public and private hospitals in Midland with the contracts being signed on June 14, 2012.

St John of God Health Care Directors, Kerry Sanderson and Dr Tony Baker and the Premier of Western Australia, the Hon Colin Barnett were among the signatories to the contracts that had been two years in the planning.

Construction of the 307 bed St John of God Midland Public Hospital and the 60 bed St John of God Midland Private Hospital will begin soon with completion anticipated in late 2015.

In its first year the public hospital will treat 29,000 inpatients, 55,000 emergency patients and 89,000 outpatients. It will be the first new hospital facility to be built in the eastern suburbs of Perth in 50 years.

The St John of God Midland Public Hospital will eventually replace Swan District Hospital located 15km to the north east of Perth city and will have 50 percent more beds.

St John of God Midland Private Hospital will give even more choice close to home for people of Midland and surrounding areas, including the rapidly growing areas in the Swan Valley and also the inner Wheatbelt townships.

St John of God Health Care’s Executive Director Perth (Northern and Eastern) Hospitals, Dr Shane Kelly said the group’s significant experience over 117 years in delivering a range of health services made it extremely well placed to build and operate the new hospitals.

“We have applied our knowledge of running 13 hospitals across Australia to create a modern, patient-centred hospital in conjunction with design and construction partners Hassell and Brookfield Multiplex,” he said.

“It strengthens our overall standing and sustainability as a leading health care provider and now a significant public health care provider. This makes us well placed to consider future redevelopments and public contracts, allowing even more people to benefit from our care,” Shane said.

Continued page 2

Hospitality I Compassion I Respect I Justice I Excellence

Green light for Midland hospitals

WINTER 2012

Above: WA Premier Colin Barnett, WA Health Minister Dr Kim Hames, St John of God Health Care Directors Kerry Sanderson and Tony Baker.

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As outlined in the cover story, the momentous signing of contracts to design, build and operate St John of God Midland Public Hospital and St John of God Midland Private Hospital took place on 14 June.

We are now at the end of a two year bid process before commencing a three year building program and a 20 year Services Agreement for the public hospital. The Midland project will be as transforming for St John of God Health Care as it will be for the community it will serve.

The Midland hospitals will enable us to extend our Mission to a new community and will provide many exciting opportunities for existing and new caregivers.

St John of God Midland Public Hospital will be the first new Catholic operated public hospital in Australia since Hawkesbury in NSW in 1996, so is of great significance to the wider Australian Catholic health care sector.

Why is Midland transforming for St John of God Health Care? It will be our first ‘greenfield’ development since Murdoch

GROUP UPDATE

Subiaco caregivers displayed the St John of God spirit of hospitality by rolling up their sleeves during a busy bee weekend to turn the new Horizon House Dianella into a comfortable home for the young women who will be accommodated there throughout pregnancy and after the birth of their babies.

It is the first Horizon House established to support homeless young women who are pregnant and the first accommodation service opened for this group of vulnerable young people across Australia.

Horizon House Dianella will be managed by St John of God Subiaco Hospital and its caregivers were instrumental in preparing the home for its first occupants.

More than 40 caregivers gave their time to establish the outdoor area complete with vegetable and herb gardens and a barbeque area. They also prepared comfortable rooms for the women who will live there.

The expertise of St John of God Subiaco Hospital caregivers in antenatal care and parent education will be invaluable to the young mothers as they move into the home.

Where necessary, Social Outreach and Advocacy services will provide specialist care in postnatal depression and anxiety at the Raphael Centre and address drug and alcohol issues through DAWN (Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal Network).

The women will be supported in the home by a full time social worker and live-in carers.

St John of God Subiaco Hospital Chief Executive Officer Shane Kelly said the Hospital was very pleased to be able to provide essential care to young women and give them the support they needed to give their babies the best possible start in life.

Group Manager for Youth Mike Board said there was a very strong need within the Perth community for a service of this nature.

“Pregnancy Assistance, which is one of the partners in the new Horizon House, had 96 requests for accommodation between 2009 and 2010, none of which they were able to meet,” Mike said.

A home when pregnant and homeless He said four local women’s refuges had 23 pregnant young women present between 2010 and 2011 seeking accommodation.

The new Horizon House service is delivered across two homes; the Bendat House will support women throughout their pregnancy, and after the birth of their child they will move into the property next door known as Miriam House while they find a stable, independent place to live.

Horizon House Dianella will operate in partnership with Pregnancy Assistance, Hills Community Support Group and the Western Australian Government’s Department of Child Protection. It has been supported by a significant financial contribution from the Bendat family and additional funding from Lotterywest.

“We are very grateful to the many agencies that have come together to help make Horizon House Dianella a reality,” Mike said.

St John of God Health Care now has 10 Horizon House services in operation across Australia. They provide accommodation, care and intensive support to young people aged 16 to 22, who need a safe and stable place to call home.

(Left to right) Mike Cavanagh, Helen Conroy, Yvette Kelly, Joanne Goldie, Lynne Fry, Debra Cavanagh dig in to help get Horizon House Dianella ready for its first residents.

Dr Michael Stanford Group Chief Executive Officer

in 1994 and will grow the Group’s size - patients treated, staff, revenue - by 20 percent. It will bring us extraordinarily close to the community it serves through an active engagement process. It enables us to develop significant and new Social Outreach and Advocacy services reaching out to people experiencing disadvantage to improve health and wellbeing.

The public hospital will allow us to increase our skills base through our provision (for the first time) of public mental health, aged care rehabilitation and emergency services. The public hospital will be a significant provider to not only a rapidly growing population but one with a sizeable Aboriginal population and a broader multi-cultural populace.

It will also enable us to better fulfil our Mission to people from low socio-economic groups and enables us to actively collaborate with new and different stakeholder groups.

The building design of both hospitals will be contemporary best practice and the information technology contractual requirements in the contracts for the public hospital enable us to advance our five year IT Strategy more quickly than we otherwise would.

How will our Midland presence be transforming for the community? We will bring the holistic, compassionate care that is our heritage and our objective to the people the hospitals will serve. Our standards of clinical excellence, our commitment to Social Outreach and Advocacy and our focus on designing, constructing and upkeep of first class facilities will bring enormous benefits to the community.

We will also provide services that are new to the catchment, like cancer and cardiac services, yet familiar to us and our presence in two large contemporary, high quality, new facilities (public and private) will serve to attract doctors and other caregivers to the area.

I would again like to thank the 100 plus caregivers who have helped get us to this point. Now the next phase begins and I look forward to the active involvement of many more caregivers in the next three years while the hospitals are being built and services are being commissioned.

Green light for Midland hospitals The State and Federal Governments are investing $360 million to construct the public hospital and St John of God Health Care is fully funding the $70 million private hospital.

Further details on the development can be found at www.midlandhospitals.org.au or www.sjog.org.au.

Continued from page 1

Western Australian Minister for Health, Dr Kim Hames said the state-of-the-art facilities would deliver new and expanded services free of charge to public patients and deliver many ‘firsts’ in patient care in the area.

“For the first time, patients from Midland and surrounds will have access to

chemotherapy, high dependency care and coronary care locally. Children presenting to the emergency department will be treated in a dedicated paediatric area,” Minister Hames said.

In addition St John of God Health Care has committed to expanding its community-based Social Outreach services to the area to help improve health and wellbeing for people who experience disadvantage.

In a coup for the environment and energy efficiency St John of God Bendigo Hospital is expected to be the first hospital in Australia to switch to LED lighting resulting in a drop in electricity consumption and harmful carbon emissions.

As part of St John of God Health Care’s $1.2 million commitment this year to environmental initiatives, Bendigo Hospital has been appointed the pilot site for the energy efficient light replacement program.

Fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescents, halogen downlights, incandescent globes and flood lighting at the hospital will be replaced by light emitting diode (LED) lighting.

Group Environmental Engineer Dean Farnsworth said LED lighting was far more efficient than conventional lighting and also lasted significantly longer running at far lower temperatures.

Dean said while LED technology was not new, further developments in recent years had made it more effective at area lighting for commercial, industrial and domestic use and would be suitable in most of the hospital environment.

“When the project is complete at Bendigo we will have replaced 3,400 lamps in over 1,800 fittings at a cost of $250,000,” Dean said.

While it is expected that the outcome will be a significant drop in electricity use and carbon dioxide emissions the impact on consumption will be monitored so an accurate account of savings can be reported.

Dean said an important part of the project was the recycling of all the old lamps and fittings. The metal and glass in all the old fittings will be separated and recycled making further environmental savings.

St John of God Bendigo Hospital has a very active environmental working party known as the Growing Green Group or 3G and has launched a campaign ‘Switching On to Switching Off’ to encourage other hospital-wide initiatives.

Switch to LED at Bendigo

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Group Environmental Engineer Dean Farnsworth with the LED lights to make savings at Bendigo.

In a first for an Australian private hospital, St John of God Subiaco Hospital in affiliation with the University of Western Australia officially launched the Anaesthesia Research Unit in May. Facilitated by anaesthetist Dr Joe Pracilio, the hospital’s Director of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, the unit will provide vital funds to anaesthesia research.

According to Dr Pracilio, in recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of research projects being carried out in both the private and public health care sectors. The anaesthesia team at the hospital has a wealth of experience and will provide the perfect platform for the research unit.

“In WA we have a group of excellent anaesthesia researchers who are already well published. It is the logical next step for those researchers to be part of our hospital,” Dr Pracilio said.

“I have no doubt this is an exciting new venture for St John of God Subiaco Hospital and I am extremely grateful for the support provided.”

The launch event was attended by over 70 guests, who listened to addresses by St John of God Health Care Group Chief Executive Officer Dr Michael Stanford, UWA Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences Winthrop Professor Ian Puddey, Subiaco Hospital Chief Executive Officer Dr Shane Kelly and Dr Pracilio.

For further enquiries about the Anaesthesia Research Unit, please contact Dr Pracilio on (08) 9382 9150 or email joseph.pracilio@sjog.org.au.

First in anaesthesia research

New research findings from Prof Marie-Paule Austin and her team at the Perinatal Mental Health Unit Burwood suggest some mothers with unsettled babies may benefit more from psychological therapy in addition to or instead of traditional mothercraft help like settling techniques. The research conducted in partnership with Sydney Tresillian Family Care Centre asked 250 women to complete a questionnaire that would examine risk factors for depression and anxiety disorder after the birth of a baby.

It found that a considerable proportion of women who had an unsettled baby were also likely to have an anxiety disorder, anxious or perfectionist personality traits, a history of childhood abuse or having been poorly parented themselves.

These factors are likely to be linked to attachment difficulties and addressing them through specialist parent infant therapy could help both the mother and child. Addressing attachment difficulties as early as possible in baby’s first year is critical to the child’s emotional adjustment and longer term psychological outcomes.

Further research is needed to better understand the link and data routinely collected from the mother and baby unit at Burwood Hospital would be of great value to the ongoing research.

Prof Marie-Paule Austin’s research supports mother and child.

Support parents with unsettled children

Group Chief Executive Officer Dr Michael Stanford & St John of God Subiaco Hospital Director of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine Dr Joe Pracilio.

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St John of God Bendigo Hospital has appointed a dedicated Breast Care Nurse with the support of the McGrath Foundation to act as an advocate for women diagnosed with breast cancer and their families throughout their journey of care.

The successful applicant Kath Murley said she felt privileged to become a McGrath Breast Care Nurse. Kath is well known to the hospital as a former nurse manager of the surgical unit and a Breast Screen counsellor.

“The way in which women react to a breast cancer diagnosis varies dramatically, but for all women and their families, it is a life changing experience,” Kath said.

“It is wonderful to now have the opportunity as a McGrath Breast Care Nurse to be able to follow through with these women, from the point of diagnosis and throughout all challenges that breast cancer brings.

“Even years after the shock of the diagnosis is gone and the treatment is completed, many women still need the caring support of a nurse who has shared the experience with them,” Kath explained.

The McGrath Foundation was established when its founder Jane McGrath, wife of former Australian cricket player Glen McGrath, faced her own battle with breast cancer.

Because of the support Jane personally received from her own Breast Care Nurse she set about raising funds to place more nurses dedicated to helping women with breast cancer in communities around the country.

Jane McGrath lost her battle with breast cancer but as a legacy of her conviction there are now 72 McGrath Breast Care Nurses in communities across Australia

Kath said she looked forward to providing support to women with breast cancer, and their families, in her regional city of Bendigo.

“I will also be promoting the importance of breast awareness and early detection for all women,” she said.

The McGrath Foundation says breast cancer affects one in eight Australia women but stresses the need for women to protect themselves.

It says more women are surviving breast cancer than ever before due to better testing and treatment with breast cancer survival rates now up to 85 percent.

Kath Murley proudly wears pink as a McGrath Breast Care Nurse.

McGrath Breast Care Nurse in Bendigo

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Campaign to deliver to the South West A group of car dealers in Bunbury has made one of the first pledges in support of St John of God Foundation’s campaign to raise $5 million to help establish coronary care and cancer services at St John of God Bunbury Hospital.

The ‘Bunbury Car Dealers and Friends’ held a charity golf day and raised $35,000 that was presented by Mike Fagan of Bunbury Holden to St John of God Bunbury Hospital Chief Executive Officer Mark Grime. 

Mr Fagan said the people of the South West are incredibly generous but we need to keep finding ways to support each other. 

“We hope our gesture encourages other local groups and businesses to dig a bit deeper,” he said. 

The Foundation launched a fundraising DVD at a cocktail party, attended by 70 South West community leaders in May. 

At the launch Mark Grime spoke on the current progress of the new facilities while Campaign Patron Nigel Satterley AM and Campaign Chairman Charlie Martella urged the attendees to support the campaign by becoming members of a leadership group to enlist financial support of corporate donors.  

The speakers stressed the importance of receiving care closer to home because it reduces the stress and financial burden of travelling to Perth for treatment.  

Construction of the South West Coronary Care Unit and the Comprehensive Cancer Centre is underway as part of the $35.9 million redevelopment of St John of God Bunbury Hospital and is expected to be complete early in 2013.

Project funding has come from the contributions of the Commonwealth Government’s Health and Hospital Fund ($25.92 million), the State Government’s Royalties for Regions Program ($5 million) and St John of God Health Care ($4.52 million).

CEO Mark Grime with and organisers of the Bunbury Car Dealers and Friends charity golf day Mike Fagan and Kerry Lucas.

PROVIDING FOR AN AGEING POPULATION St John of God Health Choices home nursing division has been successful in its bid to become an approved provider of aged care services funded by the Commonwealth Government.

This is an important milestone for Health Choices to enable future growth into community care services and it recognises that older Australians prefer to stay in their home as long as possible even as their needs for care increase.

The Productivity Commission report, Caring for Older Australians, says older Australians do not want to be passive recipients of health services.

They want to be able to choose where they live, which provider they use, the way in which services are delivered and be able to purchase additional services or a higher standard of accommodation.

It found strong evidence to suggest that consumer choice actually improves wellbeing and St John of God Health Care is well positioned to give consumers the choice they are seeking in health care services.

Health Choices has been chosen as a Commonwealth Government approved provider of aged care because of its experience and expertise in delivering care in the home.

Government funded packages include nursing, personal care and domestic assistance. As well as allied health and specific services for people with dementia.

For the entire health care system the challenge will be to meet the increasing numbers and expectations of older people in delivering services.

By 2050 over 3.5 million Australians are expected to use aged care services each year.

PILOTING ONLINE LEARNING SYSTEM Over 400 caregivers are now piloting a new on-line learning system across three of St John of God Health Care’s sites, with the goal of 80 percent of mandatory and essential competencies being available and completed online.

The organisation identified the need for a learning management system to efficiently and consistently manage, deliver and report on its learning and development activity.

Group Manager Learning and Organisational Development Deborah Pearson said the project team had been through a rigorous process to select the Janison system.

She said it would provide St John of God Health Care with a single solution for managing learning and provided a flexible online learning platform.

Deborah was excited to be able to finally trial the system with the input of caregivers.

“Having caregivers work with the system and then provide us with extensive feedback will ensure that when we go to implement it across the organisation we will have the best system possible,” Deborah said.

“We greatly appreciate the input of the managers and caregivers who have agreed to participate in the pilot.”

Deborah said one of the main criteria was that it would be user-friendly regardless of the computer skills of the end user. It would also provide more on-line learning opportunities for caregivers so that learning was more accessible.

St John of God Berwick Hospital Maternity Services Manager Joyce Coyle is participating in the pilot with her department.

Joyce said the organisation aims for a more positive work/life balance and flexibility for caregivers and providing on-line learning promoted that goal.

As a manager Joyce believed achieving 100 percent completion of mandatory training would be enhanced with the support of the new system.

“This means happy caregivers who are up to date with their training needs, delivering safe work practices,” Joyce said.

St John of God Murdoch Hospital Area Manager Sarah Jayne Powell said all staff regardless of the shift they work or whether they are part time or full time would be able to access learning modules when and where it suited them.

“Managers will be able to see quickly and clearly what education is being attended and completed online, and ensure that caregivers are completing topics relevant to their learning goals for the year,” Sarah said.

The system is being piloted at Berwick, Murdoch and Subiaco hospitals.

Accolades for mental health wellbeing groupAfter just one year of operation the Mental Health Women’s Wellbeing Group in Warrnambool has been recognised with an award for social inclusion and collaboration by Western District Employment Access in Victoria.

The Women’s Wellbeing Group that runs out of St John of God Warrnambool Hospital received monies to put towards the program and was publicly acknowledged for the great work the mental health team do in the community.

The group was born out of the need to help women who had become socially isolated by their mental illness, many of who had also gained weight due to the medications they were put on to control their condition.

Its benefits are best illustrated by a participant of the group who suffered from clinical depression for 11 years. In this time she struggled with isolation, lack of self esteem and social contact on top of the symptoms of her illness.

She said the Women’s Wellbeing Group had literally been a lifesaver and provided her with hope. At crisis point she was referred to the group by her doctor and started going to the gym every week.

“I have met people who are in the same position as me. We laugh and encourage each other. I don’t feel left out of life,” she said.

“My confidence and self esteem are at an all time high and I feel good about myself and the future.

Mental health nurse Emily Williams said the focus of the program was optimising quality of life.

“Each week participants spend an hour with a personal trainer, then socialise together and with nurses who discuss lifestyle goals, healthy eating and general wellbeing.”

With consumer involvement the program has been expanded to include beauty therapy, relaxation sessions and a walking group.

All participants have reported benefits like increased confidence, weight loss and new friendships.

Shirley Cooper and Emily Williams from St John of God Warrnambool Hospital and Michael White, CEO, Western District Employment Access.

In a first for regional Victoria, patients living near Ballarat now have a treatment option for inoperable liver tumours available close to home and no longer have to make a trip to the cities of Sydney or Melbourne for their care.

The new service is a joint initiative lead by Professor George Kannourakis of Lake Imaging along with St John of God Ballarat Hospital and Sirtex Medical Products.

The first person to receive the treatment at Lake Imaging and St John of God Ballarat Hospital was Stalwell resident Helen Read who was a patient of Prof Kannourakis.

Ms Read expressed her gratitude and said the treatment and its availability in Ballarat was remarkable.

“It’s just incredible that this cancer treatment is being offered in Ballarat and that patients living in Western Victoria aren’t forced to travel to a capital city – that makes a huge difference,” Ms Read said.

Prof Kannourakis said the treatment was specifically for patients with tumours in the liver who were unable to undergo surgery.

“In cases where it is not possible to surgically remove liver tumours, the Sirtex treatment can be used to deliver targeted, internal radiation therapy directly to the tumour,” Prof Kannourakis said.

“Ballarat is very much at the cutting edge of cancer treatment for Western Victorian patients,” he said.

Lake Imaging Director of Nuclear Medicine Professor Alex Pitman said it made perfect sense to provide the service in Ballarat with the collective skills and expertise available locally.

St John of God Ballarat Hospital Director of Nursing Donna Walter said the hospital was pleased to assist in providing the treatment for the Ballarat and regional community.

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First liver treatment at Ballarat

(Left to right) Prof Alex Pitman, Dr Ken King, Prof George Kannourakis with Helen Read the first patient to receive new liver cancer treatment in regional Victoria.

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“Welcoming arms and tears on arrival told us we were returning as friends,” project leader Donna McKendry said of the overwhelming greeting the health care team from St John of God Berwick Hospital received when they arrived in the remote northern highlands of Vietnam to run a 10 day health program.

The team had come to two of the poorest villages in Vietnam to provide medical support and run education sessions in the local schools as part of the project dubbed Vietnam Smiles.

Donna said it was like riding an emotional rollercoaster witnessing the daily hardship experienced by the villagers.

In 2009 when the group of health workers from Berwick first visited the Vietnamese villages they identified dental aid as a priority and on this visit, with local dentist Dr Paris Kritharides, a makeshift dental clinic was set up.

At the clinic 500 children received a dental check up and fluoride treatment and 100 children had diseased teeth removed or restored.

At the drop-in health clinic Donna tells of a young boy who captured the hearts of the nursing team.

“Little Ngan was a ten year old boy whose skin was ravaged by the effects of Agent Orange, a chemical used in the Vietnam War that continues to cause serious health conditions today,” Donna recounted.

“His skin was paper thin and cracks often developed into infected lesions. At the clinic he had his wounds cleaned and dressed.

“We gave his parents antibiotics and two years supply of skin creams to treat Ngan.

“He returned to the clinic the next day with a beaming smile on his face and that said it all. It was amazing to see that the cream had already soothed his raw skin,” she said.

St John of God Berwick Hospital spent a year fund raising, acquiring equipment and enough resource materials to make the trip to Vietnam to administer the health program.

A generous donation from the Berwick Rotary Club was used to purchase school resources like computers and sporting equipment and helped to finance the building of a toilet block and water purification system at the school.

The supply of medical equipment and medications was made possible with major sponsorship from Hartmanns, Nurses First, Defries and the hospital’s own pharmacy APHS.

Donations from local Berwick businesses and schools and other hospitals within St John of God were used to distribute 2,500 toothbrushes to the village children and their families.

Donna said planning was underway for the next visit to Vietnam to continue to improve the health and wellbeing of its people.

“Over the next six months we are hoping to raise money to purchase a motorised wheelchair for a little girl with cerebral palsy so she can enjoy more freedom and attend school,” she said.

To donate to the St John of God Berwick Hospital Vietnam Smiles project contact Donna McKendry on (03) 9709 1421 or donna.mckendry@sjog.org.au.

Tears on arrival in VietnamVisiting caregivers from St John of God Berwick Hospital and the students and teachers of Pieng Ve Village Primary School.

Fiona Pretten (right) from Pinelodge Clinic joins the Barista students at the Ermha Breakfast Club.

Sharing of skills gets mentally ill back to work

Pinelodge Clinic caregivers are volunteering their time and sharing their expertise to support one of the hospital’s community partners in Dandenong, the Ermha Breakfast Club, and helping local people recovering from mental illness to get back to work.

The Ermha Breakfast Club teaches participants who have a mental illness the skills to work in hospitality and food management and the Pinelodge Clinic caregivers bring their knowledge of working in different areas of the hospital.

Participants in the Breakfast Club go on to gain employment in Ermha’s own MadCap Café or other areas of hospitality.

Pinelodge Clinic’s Chief Executive Officer Graham Cadd said staff helped develop the necessary skills to get lives back on track and Ermha helped people put those skills into practice.

“That is why our relationship with Ermha works,” he said.

“Their mantra is ‘it’s what we can do, not what we can’t’ and that’s a very powerful message.”

Fiona Pretten who on a typical day manages the hospital’s consulting suites, initiated the voluntary program which involves both clinical and non-clinical caregivers.

She said it’s not often that caregivers have the opportunity to work together. Staff fill a roster of two people each week from 8.30 to 11.00am every Thursday.

“This initiative means we can all participate in the good work that Ermha provides in our community and the clients seem to genuinely enjoy us being there,” Pretten said.

Pinelodge Clinic has been working with Ermha since 2007. Another key initiative developed in collaboration is the community-based Origins Program that supports people with a mental illness from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who reside in the Dandenong region.

CEO Murdoch Hospital Peter Mott presents Prof William Carroll with his Western Australian of the Year award in Business and Professions.

CELEBRATING PROF WILLIAM CARROLLOne of Australia’s most prominent neurologists Professor William Carroll was announced the winner of the Western Australian of the Year 2012 in the category of Business and Professions aptly sponsored by St John of God Health Care at a gala dinner during Celebrate WA week in June.

The Western Australian of the Year Awards recognise the highest level of contribution made to Western Australia by those born or bred in the State, or those who have chosen to make Western Australia their home.

Chief Executive Officer of St John of God Murdoch Hospital Peter Mott was at the ceremony to present Prof Carroll with his award and acknowledged the worthy recipient.

Peter said it was fitting that St John of God Health Care was able to recognise such a great contribution a medical professional was making to our community in Western Australia.

He said Prof Carroll was a well-respected member of the neurological community and an accredited specialist at both St John of God Murdoch and Subiaco Hospitals.

Prof Carroll has spent more than 15 years of his life raising the profile of multiple sclerosis research as the Chair of the MS Research Australia’s scientific committees.

Initiatives under his leadership include the Australian MS Longitudinal Study, MSRA Brain Bank, Clinical Trails Network and the concept of platform projects that have contributed significantly to MS research in Australia.

Prof Carroll has been an active board member of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of WA for 16 years and has headed the Scientific Committee for 12 years.

Prof Carroll’s drive to find a cure for multiple sclerosis and improve the management of the disease benefits researchers, clinicians, carers and ultimately people living with multiple sclerosis.

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With decades of nursing experience between them Geelong caregivers, Liz Elsworthy and Jenny Tait-Robertson, are taking their knowledge to East Timor and Papua New Guinea respectively, where their skills will be put to work to bring about sustainable health improvements in these developing nations.

Liz took up her post at a national hospital in the East Timorese capital of Dili in February. As a Quality Nurse within the nursing development program, operated by St John of God Health Care and the Timorese Ministry of Health, she will work with the local staff and fellow expatriates to improve skills and practises on the wards.

As the Papua New Guinea Project Officer Jenny will be based in Melbourne but has travelled to the islands to complete a needs assessment at the remote Walamu health clinic. The intent is to collaborate with the Brothers of St John of God at the clinic to make improvements in primary health care delivery.

Liz and Jenny recently teamed up to travel to the remote village of Bakhita in East Timor, 65 kilometres from Dili.

St John of God Health Care has been supporting the health clinic in Bakhita since 2007 and has agreed to renew that commitment for another five years. This will enable the clinic to engage a team of volunteers to help operations and provide basic medical treatments in support of the employed midwife.

The Bakhita health clinic provides essential primary health care to around 8,000 local residents. It is a unique model of care delivered in partnership between the community, Catholic Church, ministry of health and private providers.

As a symbol of acceptance into the local community Liz and Jenny were presented with Tais, which are scarves that mean they will always be welcome in Bakhita.

Jenny said the people were very aware of St John of God Health Care’s involvement and support of the Bakhita clinic.

She said they understood that the support was focussed on building their capacity that will enable them to better help themselves and more proactively tackle their own health care.

Group Director of Social Outreach and Advocacy Anne Russell-Brown was delighted to welcome Jenny and Liz to their new international positions.

She said Geelong may be without their considerable skills for a while but their expertise would certainly be put to good work in some crucial health development programs.

“All of our international health programs focus on the development of people in local communities and we strive to build the capacity of health workers in neighbouring countries where we can bring about sustainable improvements in health care,” Anne said.

Geelong nurses take up international posts

Liz Elsworthy and Jenny Tait-Robertson presented with Tais in Bakhita, East Timor as a symbol of acceptance into the local community.

Stuart Dempster

Stuart Dempster has joined St John of God Health Care as the Acting Group Manager of commercial finance. He will provide group commercial and financial analysis required to support strategic decision making and key group finance projects. The position will include the coordination of the clinical costing project and the implementation of the admission to collection strategy and assisting on the Western Shared Services review. Stuart has recently immigrated to Australia from the UK. Stuart has held a number of senior roles most recently as the Chief Financial Officer for a global satellite technology and communications provider.

Luke Edwards

Luke Edwards has been appointed to the newly created Eastern Hospitals Finance Director role. Luke will be based in the Melbourne office and will be reporting directly to Tracey Burton and Bryan Pyne. Luke’s most recent experience is with Healthscope as a general manager of Geelong Private Hospital and Commercial Manager across Victoria assisting the General Managers in key financial and operational areas. The service contributions will be similar to what is envisaged for his new role.

Janine Haigh

Mrs Janine Haigh has taken up the role of Director of Nursing at St John of God Geelong Hospital. Janine has extensive experience in senior executive leadership positions with proven success in the operational and strategic management of both acute and mental health facilities within the private sector over the last nine years. Janine’s academic record includes a Masters of Management degree at Australian Catholic University, Melbourne; Midwifery Certificate at The Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Brisbane and she holds a Bachelor of Nursing from Deakin University.

Adrian Warmington

Adrian Warmington has been appointed Scientist-in-Charge of Anatomical Pathology for Victoria at St John of God Pathology. Adrian will co-ordinate and develop Histopathology and Cytology services across Victoria and has extensive experience across the public sector, research and private pathology laboratories.

Hilda Janzen

Hilda Janzen has been appointed as Group Financial Operations Manager and will have responsibility for St John of God Health Care’s centralised finance shared services (capital and redevelopment accounting, accounts payable, banking), performance measurement, group treasury and provide financial support to Group Service Directors and Managers. Hilda has extensive experience in successfully leading finance teams across a number of industries and has strong communication and project management skills.

(Left to right) Stuart Dempster, Luke Edwards, Janine Haigh, Adrian Warmington.

Promoting our people

SERVICE DESK TO THE RESCUE The Information Services’ service desk has launched a new tool for all computer users on the St John of God Health Care network that enables them to search for solutions to common problems and log service requests.

The tool is appropriately symbolised by a sea rescue flotation ring, which is visible when you open up the Novell Delivered applications window on any St John of God Health Care computer. By double clicking on the new icon the service desk kiosk is opened and from there you can search for a solution to an IT problem or log a problem.

It covers topics like; how to archive e-mails, how to find files on the network, integrating an iPhone or iPad to your e-mail, how to install a printer, how to reset passwords and other frequently asked questions.

If the caregiver can’t find a solution they will be prompted to create a new on-line request. This will be followed up by an e-mail notification to the caregiver from the service desk recognising that the request has been logged and providing the caregiver with a job number.

Caregivers will be able to utilise the job number in the kiosk to track where their request is at. When the service desk has solved the problem another e-mail will be sent saying the request has been closed.

If an urgent incident has occurred that stops the caregiver from going about their regular daily activity they should contact the service desk by phone directly on (08) 9382 6800.

This new service does not replace the call centre. Caregivers are still able to call the service desk directly at any time and still receive the same high level of service.

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NEW ANGIOGRAPHY SUITE AT MURDOCH

A new angiography suite has opened at St John of God Murdoch hospital for patients at risk of heart and vascular disease. The suite is benefiting patients and specialists with new Philips XperSwing radiological equipment providing comprehensive imaging that allows cardiologists to see the patient’s blood vessels in greater detail and provides improved patient safety and comfort during the procedure. Consultant cardiologist Dr Randall Hendriks said the angiography suite secured Murdoch’s position as a leading centre for coronary care, it allowed for treating acutely ill patients with reduced risks and better outcomes.

APPOINTMENT TO ACHS STANDARDS COMMITTEE

In recognition of a high-standing career and her expertise in clinical risk and quality management in both the private and public sector, St John of God Health Care’s Group Manager of Clinical Risk Chen Anderson has been appointed to the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) Standards Committee. As a member of the Standards Committee Chen will be involved in establishing and overseeing the ongoing review of ACHS standards and guidelines. The purpose of the Standards Committee is to ensure that the standards and guidelines reflect best practice and encourage continuous quality improvement. These standards are used in the accreditation programs of health care organisations.

PRENDIVILLE ON BOARD

Respected Perth businessman Peter Prendiville has been appointed to the Board of St John of God Health Care.Peter is Chairman of his family group of companies, Prendiville Enterprises, whose portfolio includes the multi-award-winning Sandalford Wines and several hospitality ventures, including the iconic Rottnest Hotel and Cottesloe Beach Hotel. Peter also recently became the Chairman of Tourism WA.Peter’s knowledge of the Catholic sector is significant, having been involved with Notre Dame University Australia since its inception. As well as being a Trustee and Director he is also the University’s Deputy Chancellor.

HOLLAMBY ON CSSVC

Recently Tony Hollamby was elected onto the Catholic Social Services Victoria Council (CSSVC) for a two-year tenure. CSSVC has approximately 50 member organisations across a range of community sector providers. The organisation’s mission is to assist the Catholic Church in Victoria to stand with and serve the poor, disadvantaged and marginalised; and work for a just, equitable and compassionate society.

KELLY INAUGURAL MEMBER GOVERNING COUNCIL

Shane Kelly was recently selected as an inaugural member of the Child and Adolescent Health Service Governing Council for the Western Australian Health Department. The Council gives effect to the State Government’s commitment to increase the level of community and clinician input and control in WA’s public health system.The Councils are intended to make our public hospitals and health services more responsive to the communities they serve. Shane is able to contribute more than 20 years experience in health service senior management in the public and private sectors and directorship and Board experience.

News in Brief

Chief Executive Officer Paul Dyer (right) with another satisfied patient Bevan Eastwall. Bevan said, “they look after you well, any problems I can ring up from home 24/7 which means I can get on with living my life normally.”

Satisfied patients in Geraldton A survey of health fund HBF members has ranked St John of God Geraldton Hospital as the best hospital in country Western Australia and a standout private hospital across the State.

In HBF’s Inpatient Satisfaction Survey, which measures the quality of the experience of inpatients at all WA private hospitals, St John of God Geraldton Hospital scored an impressive 85.4 percent overall.

Geraldton Hospital Chief Executive Officer Paul Dyer was delighted with the hospital’s strong score.

“To be above the national benchmark, above the benchmark for facilities of a similar size and ranked number two in the State is a real endorsement of our fantastic facility and our dedicated and skilled caregivers,” Paul said.

“In health care there is a continuous drive to do things better, safer and more efficiently. As an organisation St John of God Health Care is an industry leader in this regard.”

Paul said public expectation of health care providers was changing.

“Patients are better informed than ever before and demanding a lot more from their health care providers, especially if they are privately insured.

“This survey is a valuable source of information and also gives us the opportunity to learn how we could better meet the needs of our patients,” he said.

The survey was conducted by Press Ganey Associates and asks HBF members to score private hospitals on a range of criteria. It ranks everything from the courtesy of switchboard staff and quality of the food, to the skill of staff taking blood and the length of time doctors spend with patients. It also highlights the areas of the hospital offering the best patient satisfaction.

Disability no barrier to sailingThe tranquil Sugarloaf reservoir nestled in the Christmas Hills of Victoria was an idyllic location for residents with an intellectual disability from Accord’s shared accommodation services and their caregivers to come together and learn a new skill – sailing.

The sailing adventure was the idea of enthusiastic caregiver Ross Chan who enrolled a team in the event known as Sailability that caters for the disabled with unsinkable, easy-access dinghies.

A cool morning didn’t hamper the excitement of the residents who were ready to climb aboard as nervous support staff learnt to control the sail and catch the wind so that they could assist the residents who would steer the boat.

Daniel, the resident put in charge of steering, beamed with pride as he manoeuvred his caregivers and other residents around the lake.

The activity provided a new experience and an opportunity to build rapport between residents and caregivers. Those who didn’t want to sail enjoyed sitting by the lake; waving, chatting and posing for photos.

Acting team leader Jodie Kirkpatrick said the ultimate outcome was laughter, a superb social outing and a great day of sailing for the residents of St Georges and Forest Street shared accommodation homes.

Thumbs up for sailing from Accord residents.

DISABILITY CONFIDENT St. John of God Health Care has taken steps toward becoming a disability confident organisation with the establishment of a Group Disability Access and Inclusion Plan.

The aim of the plan is to create a culture within the workplace that is well-informed on workplace diversity. The organisation is then more effective at engaging with people who have disabilities.

The plan will seek to guide each division of St John of God Health Care in a range of areas including formation, accessibility, effective communication and recruitment that enhances current practice and introduces new ones.

In April of this year Neal Murphy was seconded to the role of Project Officer to support the integration of the plan.

“If it is to have any real meaning and relevance it has to find its own local expression within each St John of God Division,” Neal said.

“This is not a ‘one size fits all’ plan. Each Division will be supported to establish an approach and expression of disability awareness and engagement that resonates with their individual service and informs their workplace behaviour.”

Neal said the role of Project Officer would not be remote.

“I will provide high quality advice and direct, hands-on, practical support to our Divisions in the implementation of the plan.

“My intention is to be alongside, supporting change where possible, creating strategic partnerships where appropriate and meeting challenges with effective resolutions.

“The Group Disability Action and Inclusion Plan is not an addition to what we do but a further expression of the type of organisation we actually are.

“Through a well-informed approach to diversity within the workplace I hope one day we reach the point where our practice of disability inclusion and support will speak far more eloquently than a plan ever could,” Neal said.

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iPad boosts speechNo longer a gadget just for business executives, the iPad is now being used to offer the latest advances in therapeutic practise to speech pathology patients at St John of God Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital.

Patients with communication and swallowing difficulties use the popular electronic notepad to receive speech, language, cognitive and diversional therapies.

There are a range of speech and language apps that allow the patient to continue to work independent of their therapist. And it’s also useful when a patient cannot speak clearly to be able to convey their basic needs to staff on the iPad.

To promote mental agility intensive therapy sessions are conducted using stimulating memory games.

The new technology has been embraced by patients with one stating, “My grandson has an iPad and now I know how to use one too.”

For patients and speech pathologists intervention via iPad is stimulating, interactive, patient centred and socially inclusive with the ability to quickly adapt to future changes in therapies and technology.

iPads now in use in speech pathology at Frankston.

NAME CHANGE FROM NEPEAN TO FRANKSTONSt John of God Nepean Rehabilitation Hospital has changed its name to St John of God Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital to better reflect the community it serves in Frankston, Victoria.

Before the change the hospital was often confused with Nepean Private Hospital in outer Western Sydney or the neighbouring Peninsula Private Hospital.

Caregivers and a number of the hospital committees, including the Consumer Reference Group, were consulted on the name change and all were ready to embrace the change.

More than 65 percent of the hospital’s patients come from the Frankston-Mornington Peninsula region and can associate with the name because of where the hospital is located.

The name change also brings the hospital in line with the St John of God Health Care branding strategy.

BOWEL STUDYThe Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Research at St John of God Murdoch Hospital recently completed its first major study known as the Orthopaedic Bowel Study.

Conducted across multiple sites, the study evaluated a new post-operative bowel protocol for total hip and total knee replacement patients.

Coordinator of Clinical Practice, Policy and Research Gail Ross-Adjie said wide spread interest from across Australia and overseas in the protocol in place at Murdoch Hospital had prompted its evaluation.

Gail said the study results would be released later this year.

A further grant awarded to the Centre by Notre Dame University is examining the effectiveness of the team model of nursing care in place at Murdoch Hospital.

Centre for Nursing Research at MurdochSt John of God Murdoch Hospital has strengthened its commitment to research with the establishment of a Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Research in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame Fremantle.

The Centre is headed up by the Chair of Nursing (Clinical Research) Professor Leanne Monterosso, who is jointly appointed by the University.

“An increase in nurse and midwifery-led and interdisciplinary research will establish St John of God Murdoch Hospital as a leader in nursing and midwifery practice across the private hospital sector in Western Australia,” Leanne said.

“An increased focus on research improves the care delivered to patients.”

She said while the hospital had evidence based best practice standards, research would ensure that the care given was considered the gold standard.

Prof Leanne Monterosso is the Chair in Nursing Research at Murdoch Hospital.

MOVING SAFELY FORWARD A new motorised trolley at St John of God Berwick Hospital has made manual handling safer for caregivers and increased productivity in the supply department.

The trolley was purchased after a detailed risk assessment of procedures in the department that included a review of existing equipment. It found that deliveries to the hospital were being unloaded by hand. Caregivers were then placing the item in a tub trolley for transport to different departments.

An increase in patient numbers over the last 12 months and consequently an increase in volume and frequency of goods being received meant that this task had become progressively difficult. It was putting the team at risk of a manual handling injury.

The introduction of a motorised trolley has reduced human movement when receiving and delivering goods.

“The trolley is marvellous,” Supply Coordinator Patrice Hawkins said.

“It has changed the whole way we work and it means we can manage our deliveries more efficiently and with reduced risk to my team.”

Injuries as a result of strains and sprains, most commonly associated with manual tasks, are the highest injury type across the organisation.

The Board of St John of God Health Care has allocated a million dollars to address issues around manual handling and wherever possible replace manual tasks with mechanical devices.

Workplace injury and ill-health impacts the individual, as well as their family and the community.

For more information on how to stay safe in your job, get to know your divisional Occupational Health and Safety Practitioner whose details can be found on St John of God Health Care’s intranet ‘Compass’, under Human Resources.

Research outcomes would be published and presented at conferences and used to improve policy and practice.

The Centre will also open up opportunities for graduate and undergraduate nursing and midwifery caregivers to develop research skills.

Leanne said St John of God Health Care had unique access to data across its hospitals with a large number of patients of a similar demographic, which is considered useful for research purposes.

In 2010 St John of God Health Care instigated the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Research Council to support research at a division and group level.

Group Director of Nursing Kate Birrell said since the inception of the Council there had been a growing awareness and an increase in research projects being undertaken across the group.

Kate said the research findings of the new Centre at Murdoch would have positive implications for the broader group.

For theatre nurse Mellisa Sara Chambers this year’s HBF Run for a Reason was particularly significant as she ran in memory of her friend and fellow St John of God Murdoch Hospital nurse Liza Ford who passed away in February this year.

Mellisa Sara and other nursing friends who’d worked and studied with Liza formed the team ‘Liza’s Butterflies’ and ran to raise awareness of oral cancer, the disease that took the life of the 44 year old mother of three.

“Liza would have loved that we were getting together to do this as it’s the sort of event that she would have taken part in,” Mellisa Sara said.

Friends came from as far as Queensland to get together for Liza and raise money for the Cancer Council.

Mellisa Sara said Liza was always so greatly appreciative of the support that the Cancer Council gave to her and her family throughout her treatment.

She said when Liza passed away the St John of God Murdoch Hospital theatre staff donated $300 to support the Cancer Council and ‘Liza’s Butterflies’ had raised a

further $1,260 as part of their participation in the HBF Run for a Reason.

She hoped that raising awareness of oral cancer would help others to recognise its early signs and symptoms.

In May the Australian Dental Association (ADA) launched its own campaign to raise awareness of oral cancers in Australia.

Chairperson of the ADA’s oral health committee Dr Peter Alldritt said every day at least three Australians are being diagnosed with oral cancer.

“Survival rates remain low despite advances in treatment and this can be attributed to late detection,” Dr Alldritt said.

“Early detection of oral cancer can save lives, so it’s important to know what you should be looking out for in your mouth.

“Ulcers or lumps in the mouth which do not heal within two weeks should be treated with suspicion.

“Smoking, alcohol, poor diet, sun exposure and the human papilloma virus (HPV) all contribute to a person’s risk of presenting with oral cancer,” Dr Alldritt said.

For further information and fact sheets on what to look for visit www.oralcancerfacts.com.au.

St John of God Health Care Inc ABN 21 930 207 958 ARBN 051 960 911 (Limited Liability) Incorporated in WA.

St John of God Health Care is a leading Catholic health care provider in Australia and New Zealand, operating 13 hospitals, home nursing, pathology and disability services, as well as Social Outreach and Advocacy services reaching out to people experiencing disadvantage. Editorial submissions or mailing list changes for Pomegranate to michelle.vegter@sjog.org.au

Liza’s butterflies Claire Horsfield, Mellisa Sara Chambers, Rachel Flood and Anna Chambers.

www.sjog.org.au

Liza’s butterflies

RUNNING FOR A GREAT REASONAlmost 300 St John of God Health Care caregivers enjoyed perfect weather on their stroll or run around Perth city in the HBF Run for a Reason community event in May.

Making up the team were 123 caregivers and family or friends from Subiaco Hospital, 70 from Murdoch Hospital and 43 from Group Services.

While some puffed their way around the 14 kilometre track others enjoyed a much more achievable four kilometre walk or run.

“It was a great day,” Group Tax and Accounting Manager James Bradley said.

“Despite my wife having to carry my five year old son for the last kilometre of the four kilometre race, after his gallant effort for the first three kilometres, it was a great way to spend some quality time with my family and my colleagues.”

The group’s marquee at the finish line provided the opportunity for St John of God Health Care participants to cool down while enjoying the sunshine, a coffee, a sausage and even a massage.  

The event raises money for Cancer Council WA, Diabetes WA, Heart Foundation WA and Lifeline WA and has been running since 2010. This year more than 20,000 people participated.

Caregivers happy to finish the HBF Run for a Reason.