Murrumbidgee Matters. State appointment for BreastScreen radiologist. June Inside this issue:

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1 Murrumbidgee Matters June 2014 Inside this issue: New Nurse Practitioner: Patrina Marsden Inaugural Nursing & Midwifery Awards Message from the Chair Acting Chief Executive s update Accreditation update 7 New Aboriginal midwives welcomed Wellbeing news 10 ESOP project making strides What is the HSAFC? 12 Junee jottings 13 Dramatic Minds takes the stage in Griffith International Nurses Day photos Handy Hints from Staff Scheduling Staff and LHAC profiles Managing fatigue Nurse health survey 21 State appointment for BreastScreen radiologist Congratulations to Dr Nalini Bhola on her appointment as State Radiologist for BreastScreen NSW. Nalini, pictured below left, was the BreastScreen Designated Radiologist for Murrumbidgee (MLHD) and Southern NSW Local Health Districts (SNSWLHD), based in Albury. In addition to her reading and assessment work in BreastScreen, Nalini was a Women s Health Imaging Coordinator with I-MED (Regional Imaging Border) also in Albury. Director BreastScreen for MLHD and SNSWLHD Debbie Lattimore said Nalini was committed to BreastScreen in the last eight years and has worked to maintain accreditation and improve services to ensure a high standard is provided for clients. We thank Nalini for all her hard work as a Designated Radiologist and in particular her support in terms of reaching and maintaining our standards. I am pleased to say Nalini will still continue providing her services for our assessment clinics. We look forward to working with Dr Warwick Lee who will cover the Designated Radiologist role while we recruit to the position, Debbie said. Donna McDonell, right, celebrated 20 years with BreastScreen on 22 May. Donna is a booking officer in the call centre and joined BreastScreen in its first year of operation in the Wagga Wagga office. Thank you to a hard working and loyal employee.

2 PAGE 2 Nurse Practitioner qualification Patrina Marsden has recently been endorsed as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (AHPRA). Nurse Practitioners are highly qualified nurses who have the ability to provide more advanced care than a Registered Nurse. This includes ordering and interpreting investigations to make a diagnosis and begin treatment and the ability to prescribe medication. Director of Nursing and Midwifery Karen Cairney said Patrina should be very proud of her achievements as it takes many years of developing expert clinical skills and dedication to studies to be endorsed as a Nurse Practitioner. Patrina s specialty is working with patients across MLHD who have kidney disease, in particular those with kidney failure, Ms Cairney said. Patrina, pictured above, has been employed at MLHD for 12 years and has worked as a Transitional Nurse Practitioner since January 2012 while completing her studies. Patrina has completed two Master Degrees through Deakin University and the Australian Catholic University. Nurse Practitioners bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the health care team, Ms Cairney said. MLHD is fortunate to be able to attract and employ these very specialised and highly educated nursing staff who are able to provide high levels of quality care to local residents. A number of Authorised Nurse Practitioners are employed by MLHD including Hay Hospital, Wagga Wagga Palliative Care and Wagga Wagga Emergency Department (two NPs). Murrumbidgee Local Health District is supporting three other Transitional Nurse Practitioners during their studies at Temora Hospital, Tumut Hospital and the Griffith Base Hospital Emergency Department. Patrina will play an important role in the implementation of the MLHD Renal Clinical Services Plan. Gillian Grant of Cootamundra graduated with a Graduate Diploma of Medical Ultrasound in December as part of a grant MLHD received to increase public ultrasound services in the area. Cootamundra Hospital s Chief Radiographer Katherine Poulsen thanked Gillian for her hard work and dedication to the Cootamundra Medical Imaging Department and expansion of services to the local community.

3 PAGE 3 Nursing & Midwifery Awards Nurses and midwives from Culcairn, Deniliquin, Leeton, Lockhart, Tumut and Wagga Wagga were recognised in the inaugural MLHD Nursing and Midwifery Awards on Friday 16 May. The awards recognise the valuable contribution the 2,000 nurses and midwives make every day across the 33 hospitals and Multi Purpose Services in MLHD. The recipients are: Excellence in Midwifery Registered Midwife (RM) Carmel Woods, Wagga Excellence in Nursing Registered Nurse (RN) Rebecca Burgess, Leeton Excellence in Nursing Enrolled Nurse Darren Mitchell, Deniliquin Excellence in Nursing Assistant in Nursing (AIN) Norma Smith, Wagga Excellence in Nursing New Graduate RN Ryley Matthews, Tumut Excellence in Team Clinical Practice Lockhart Multi Purpose Service MLHD Disaster Manager Denise Garner with Carol Brooks, Culcairn, who was awarded Excellence in Partnerships with Patients, Families and Carers Excellence in Partnerships with Patients, Carol Brooks, Culcairn Families and Carers. Excellence in Education and/or Research and/or Innovation Mavis Gaff-Smith, Wagga Excellence in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Care Georgina O Neill, Wagga Director of Nursing and Midwifery Karen Cairney said the standard of the 30 nominations received was outstanding and reflected the commitment of local nurses and midwives to providing high quality of care to their patients. Every day our nurses and midwives are helping to improve the health of people in their care and it is wonderful that their dedication can be recognised through these awards, she said. The winners of the MLHD awards will be nominated for the NSW Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards to be announced in Sydney on 11 September. Congratulations to other Award nominees: Wagga Wagga Nursing & Midwifery Award winners: Mavis Gaff-Smith, Georgina O Neill, Norma Smith, Ryley Matthews and Carmel Woods. See International Nurses Day celebration photos on pages 14 & 15. Vicki Kell, Tumut Yvonne Hardwick, Tumut Julie Pisan, Griffith Helen Mudie, Albury Maryanne Whale, Culcairn Bridget Brophy, Tumbarumba Kirsty Potter, West Wyalong Summa Stephens, District Office Kathleen Manning, Tumut Colleen Paech, Wagga Wagga Susan Hall, Lake Cargelligo Nicole Murphy, Wagga Wagga Jan McGruer, Tumut Wendy Hartwig, Tumut Catherine Stanley, Corowa Denise Lidden, Wagga Wagga Mary Minogue, West Wyalong Jill Graham, Griffith Jacinta Elphick, Tumut Sherryn Kieltyka, Wagga Wagga ESOP Team, District Office

4 PAGE 4 A message from the Chair Gayle Murphy Chair MLHD Board Board Meeting May As part of the rotation to sites within MLHD, the Board met at Young for our May meeting. It was a full day commencing with the Planning, Resources and Performance Sub- Committee meeting followed by the Board meeting and then for some Directors the Research, Innovation and Change Sub-Committee meeting. During the Board Meeting Directors endorsed the Rehabilitation and Aged Care Service Plans as well as the Surgical Services Plan. A highlight of the Aged Care Plan is that it looks at ways to ensure the journey for aged people entering our facilities is seamless, especially in emergency departments. In the Rehabilitation Service Plan there are details of plans to outreach services to smaller hubs. The Board s Governance Document was also endorsed after a great deal of work by staff and Directors. Another important documented endorsed by the Board was the Annual Asset Management Plan. Susan Weisser MLHD Chief Executive One sad aspect of the May Board meeting was that it was the last for our Chief Executive (CE) Susan Weisser who is retiring when she return from her holidays in July. Susan was on the ground from day one forming the structure of MLHD with former Chair Lynda Summers. We will miss Susan as she has left big shoes to fill but we wish her all the best for future. We thank Susan most sincerely for her devotion to MLHD. I have begun the process to replace Susan with a CE who understands the staff and communities of the MLHD especially in our isolated areas. Site Visits I was delighted to visit Tooleybuc, Moulamein, Tumut and Junee during May. I was disappointed to miss out on the visit to Barham as I had a meeting in Sydney. I congratulate the staff at Tooleybuc and Moulamein for their creativity in meeting the needs of their communities. Tooleybuc nurse, Georgina Douglas, has worked with their LHAC, led by Chair Yvonne Foley, to create a database on community members. This ensures the community are not overloaded with health information but receives all information relevant to their needs. At Moulamein, nurses Judy Gatacre and Sue McFarland ensure their community have the best possible services and appreciate the work of the LHAC and Auxiliary in raising funds for equipment. In Tumut after a scrumptious morning tea staff presented quality projects on improved communication between NSW Ambulance and clinical staff. In Junee two RNs, Annette Shaw and Donna Weston presented on the Enhancing the Scope of Practice (ESOP) project. It was great to hear of the benefits this project has for patients and staff. Editor: See story on page 14. Nursing Awards May is a month of celebrations with a special week set aside to honour our wonderful nurses. May also saw the Inaugural Nursing and Midwifery Excellent Awards. Several sites within the District linked into the awards via the video such as Narrandera, Deniliquin, Griffith, Tumut, Corowa and Wagga Wagga. NSW Ministry Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Susan Pearce, also linked in from Sydney. Recipients of awards came from all areas within the Murrumbidgee and also from all fields of nursing. I congratulate all those who were nominated as well as those who took out awards. Board Quality Care Sub-Committee The Committee welcome four new members to their last meeting in Diann Tremain, Manager Aboriginal Health, Kerry Sandral, Essentials of Care Coordinator, Kyla Brookes Clinical Midwifery Educator, and Dr Len Bruce, Director of Anaesthetics at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital. We are delighted to have these new members as they will increase the breadth of experience we have when making decisions and understanding our health system. Some outcomes from the meeting were to ensure our patients and their carers were aware of the process of making a complaint. Everyone should have the opportunity to be heard. People can speak directly to the staff at their local hospital, write to the Chief Executive at MLHD, used the feedback section on our website or go through the compliant line ( ). All concerns raised are treated in confidence, investigated thoroughly and feedback is provided on outcomes and actions taken to prevent recurrence and improve patient care. But it is important to also let people know when things are going well as complements can led to change in practise for the better of all. The other outcome from the meeting is that people should ask their chemist for an updated medication list whenever you renew their prescription. They should then keep that list with them at all times whether it is in their wallet or handbag. It is so important to have an updated medication list in a time of emergency. National Standards The first group of surveyors for the National Standards were in Murrumbidgee at the end of May. The surveys visited Griffith Base Hospital and facilities in the MIA rural group such as Hay, Hillston, Leeton, West Wyalong and Narrandera. I thank all staff for their efforts in working towards the 10 standards and accreditation of our facilities. Wagga Wagga Base Hospital Staff The Directors and I would like to congratulate the staff at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital for the manner in which they are continuing to ensure their patients are receiving the best safe and quality care that can be provided. Staff are working in difficult conditions with the re-development taking place all around them and this will continue for a long time. However, we can see by the change that has taken place in mental health that it will be all worth it. We will have a new modern facility that will allow us to put in place up-to-date models of care which will lead to even better outcomes for our patients. Gayle Murphy MLHD Board Chair

5 Acting Chief Executive s update Tribute to Susan Weisser PAGE 5 This is my first column as Acting Chief Executive following the recent retirement of Susan Weisser. I would like to acknowledge the immense contribution Susan has made to local health services in a career spanning almost 30 years in public health. Susan was the inaugural Chief Executive of MLHD at its formation in January 2011 and her strong leadership has built MLHD into the dynamic organisation we have today. In her time as Chief Executive, MLHD has improved recruitment to positions within the District, reducing our reliance on locum services, and have significantly increased opportunities for young people to enter our workforce and have good career pathways within the organisation. There have also been strong and enduring partnerships formed with other health related providers, as well as with universities and other education providers. We have strengthened our connections with our communities and the LHD has benefitted from the contribution of our valuable community members. Jill Ludford, A/Chief Executive Working with our staff and communities, the Executive team is keen to ensure we build upon Susan's achievements and remain positive as we move forward in this period of change. We wish Susan all the best on her retirement. Director Operations I welcome Mr Brad Astill to MLHD as the A/ Director Operations. Brad s extensive experience in leading health service delivery in both metropolitan and rural districts will be a great adjunct to the operations team over the next 8 weeks. Brad can be contacted on MIA and Griffith National Standards Accreditation I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to the Health Service Managers, their staff, the Clinical Governance Unit and our Board Chair Ms Gayle Murphy, for the huge commitment that went into the organisational wide survey against the 10 National Standards last week. We have much to be proud of and by receiving feedback from the survey team we are able to build on further improving our healthcare delivery and patient centred care. Senior Manager s Forum The Senior Mangers Forum held on 4 June focused on the theme of working together to shape our future. Participants worked through with the executive team our current performance status of serious under-performance in management of expenditure and revenue to budget in accordance with the Ministry of Health Performance Framework. It is important to acknowledge the excellent results our staff achieve with the other KPIs in quality and safety, service assess and patient flow, population health and people and culture. MLHD is developing a recovery strategy which must be deemed satisfactory to the Ministry of Health. The Recovery Strategy will included service priorities, a three year recovery plan and capability building. Clear priorities will be set for service reconfiguration, and models and care in line with clinical service plans. Small Acts of Kindness Small Acts of Kindness is a short film developed by Nursing and Midwifery Office in the NSW Ministry of Health. Small Acts of Kindness aims to highlight and emphasise the importance of compassionate care and raise staff awareness of the positive difference that small acts of kindness can make to patients, their families and each other. It is designed to support wider change programs across NSW Health to enhance workplace culture and patient care. Small acts of kindness make all the difference for patients, families and carers. Compassion, empathy and personal reflection are the cornerstones of providing world class healthcare Remember most people usually come into contact with the NSW health system during a traumatic or challenging stage of their lives It is as simple as asking yourself: what care would you want your family to receive in the NSW health system? To view the Small Acts of Kindness film online, go to the Chief Executive s page on Staffnet:

6 PAGE 6 Patrina Marsden Congratulations to Patrina Marsden from Wagga Wagga who was recently endorsed as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (AHPRA). This is a tremendous achievement and testament to Petrina s dedication to local patients, particularly those with kidney disease. Patrina has been employed at MLHD for 12 years and has worked as a Transitional Nurse Practitioner since January 2012 while completing her studies. Patrina will play an important role in implementing the Renal Clinical Services Plan across the District. (Editor: See story on page 2) Farewells At the end of this month we say farewell and happy retirement to a well know MLHD identity. Jill Casley, currently Health Service Manager at Narrandera Hospital leaves the Health District after a wonderful career over 46 years. Jill has role modelled commitment to patient centred care over many years and will be sadly missed. We wish you happiness in your retirement Jill. MLHD Excellence Awards It s not too late to get your entries in for the 2014 MLHD Excellence Awards and NSW Health Innovation Awards. Entries will be accepted until 13 June and can be ed to Michelle Harris at michelle.harris@gsahs.health.nsw.gov.au The entry form, entry template and guidelines can be found on the Clinical Governance staffnet page: clinical/ Nominations will be judged locally and the winners from each category submitted to the 2014 NSW Health Innovation Awards. All previous entries are invited to resubmit to the Awards outlining ongoing improvement and sustainability in the relevant category. I encourage staff to nominate the many worthy projects underway across the LHD. Projects Updates Mental Health Emergency Consult Service (MHECS) As per the MHECS Review, all hospitals across MLHD now have access to the MHECS service 24/7, with the Border Group sites commencing from 27 January MHECS is currently implementing projects at Albury and Wagga EDs to improve the MH Emergency Performance to ensure that MLHD continues to meet the MH Emergency Dept performance KPI of more than 80% of patients admitted to a mental health inpatient unit bed within 8 hours of arrival in the ED.(Contact: Rui Rodrigues, MHECS Manager) Mental Health /Drug & Alcohol Service Plan Consultations for the Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Clinical Services Plan are almost complete. Consultation opportunities have included focus groups, interviews and on-line surveys. The Clinical Reference Group is holding its first meeting on 22/5 for initial discussions on the key themes coming out of the consultations to date. It is anticipated that the draft Plan will be available for consultation in late June/early July. (Contact: Samantha Pearce, Partnerships Coordinator) National Standards Accreditation, By Ken Hampson By the time this newsletter hits the airwaves, we will have undertaken the first of three OWS surveys under the National Standards. There has been lots of people doing extraordinary work, to show case the things we do every day in positive lights. It is a time-consuming process, one that I believe has been worthwhile and after the other two surveys in June and late July we should have a suite of reports and outcomes on how we fare against the National Standards. Of course it can be stressful during preparation etc. but our lead time has really been in full swing over the last twelve months. The Governance Groups have done a lot of work in developing audits, gathering evidence and producing forms of education for the District. It is important to remember that every site is being surveyed and you and your colleagues are responsible and accountable for your work, practice and care delivery and you should be proud to show it off. Whether or not we got the approach right only time will tell. I just wanted to acknowledge the large number of people who have been committed to this and worked above and beyond your efforts are greatly appreciated. This is going to be on ongoing approach to surveys from now on and groups will continue to work over time to address recommendations, acknowledge the good and work as we do to deliver great patient care every day. It becomes easy to focus on things we don t do too well, but remember every day we deliver health care in many settings, working as teams and we have really good outcomes delivered to our communities every day. Be proud of our achievements and work harder on the things we need to improve upon. (Contact: Ken Hampson, Director Clinical Governance) Albury Wodonga Health (AWH) The transition / transfer of the remaining Albury based community services continue. The MLHD coordinated Due Diligence process is entering its final phase with the report shortly being finalised by the Transition Working Group. The Murrumbidgee LHD has been advised that the Victorian DoH will be engaging an external agent to conduct a further Due Diligence assessment; it is expected that this will be undertaken in June. Managers, Staff and Industrial associations have been a part of the consultation process. It is intended that the services identified for transfer will transition on still be transferring on 1 July (Contact Richard McClelland)

7 PAGE 7 National Standards Accreditation By Ken Hampson Director, Clinical Governance The last week of May saw nine surveyors from the Australian Council of Healthcare Standards (ACHS) undertake an organisational-wide survey against the 10 National Standards, in the Griffith Health Service and the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area Group. Last week was a tough one, but the team ploughed through and showcased our services and the quality care we deliver to our communities each day. The process now is that we await the draft report and then we will develop action plans to meet the recommendations. As with all surveys, we sometimes don t like receiving recommendations, but they do allow us to have a different set of eyes have a look at MLHD and provide comments on things we do well, and of course there are always areas for improvement. In this vein, we will have some general recommendations and comments that are aimed at improving our performance, whilst there are some recommendations that we will need to address in a shorter period of time that will be closely followed up by the survey team. The recommendations that need immediate attention are as follows: Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) The surveyors acknowledged we were at the start of this area of care and that we needed to continue the work we have already started: Posters have been developed and circulated to all facilities in MLHD. Surgical Prophylaxis Audit will be undertaken shortly. easy is an electronic approval and decision support tool that will be implemented in Wagga Wagga and Griffith Base Hospitals over the next three months. A full time (six month) project pharmacist has been approved to implement the AMS project over the next six months. Following implementation, the Executive have approved a 0.4FTE AMS Pharmacist to continue to support the program. Pharmacist will continue to collect Antimicrobial prescribing data and feedback to clinicians Policy and Procedure Search During the early part of 2014, CGU identified the policy and procedure system as a risk to the organisation. Approval has been given to implement a new system that has a muchimproved search engine to assist staff. Our aim is to have a policy, procedure and review system that is totally electronic and there will therefore be no hard copy policy and procedure manuals in the future. What we have to do over the next few months is install the platform and software and then begin uploading our policies onto this new system. The survey team believe we have significant risk in this area which is evidenced by staff commenting on the slow, clunky system and many policy and procedure manuals in print form (many out of date and some with GMAHS logo on it) still in the workplace. One of the best things managers and staff can do is to have a look at the work place and remove all those out of date policy manuals. This will be valuable to do for those yet to be surveyed. Surveyors also commented on the amount of material on walls, tea rooms and notice boards that was out of date. It is hoped this new system will be rolled out and implemented in the next six months. Continued next page DETECT training for medical staff was held at Temora Hospital in late May. The evening was a great success, learning opportunities abounded and the discussions between the medical and nursing staff was really worthwhile, said Director Clinical Governance Ken Hampson. Medical staff from West Wyalong, Temora, Junee and Cootamundra attended. We are now working through the evaluations to ensure our next road trips are just as successful, Ken said. It is planned to hold DETECT training in Culcairn and Deniliquin before the end of the year. Thanks to the Critical Care Unit and Drs Paras Jain, Dr Damien Limberger, Dr Trish Robson, Kylie Pleming and Anne Hawkins.

8 PAGE 8 National Standards Accreditation Continued from previous page Areas in which the survey team said we were performing well were as follows: Good understanding of patient safety and quality roles from all staff up to and including Board level Good reporting culture about issues and performance very well promulgated Evidence of quality reporting at all levels within MLHD Incident and complaint management very well embedded in our culture and solid monitoring occurs Safe infection control prevention and surveillance program, acknowledging our risk assessment device procedure, and strong hand hygiene performance Risk assessment process and risk management in general Staff vaccination rates SCOPRAC system to enable managers to understand medical staff credentials. Survey Coordinator Peter Clout discussed with the Board Chair the team s preliminary findings and stated that the Board Chair can sleep well at night as our patients are well looked after. There are many people that make us tick as an organisation. There are great people who work here every day delivering safe effective health care. Whilst we have recommendations that need our immediate attention and longer term attention, as a team we will all work to have these addressed as we look to the next cycle in addressing and maintaining National Standards Accreditation. There are lots of people who went above and beyond their call of duty to enable us to get here. I won t name names because I am sure I will unintentionally miss some one out. These staff members know who they are and on behalf of the MLHD please accept my personal appreciation and thanks. Launch of inpatient sepsis pathway MLHD attended the Clinical Excellence Commission launch of the Inpatient Sepsis Pathway on 2 May. Nurse Educator Skye Vagg presented work completed by Griffith Base Hospital on the implementation of the pathway at the site. Deputy Director Clinical Governance Jill Reyment said the messages are: Recognise, Respond and Resuscitate; Follow the pathway (ED, Paediatric and Inpatient); and Communicate when your patient is on the pathway. Pictured at the launch are (back L-R): CNC Emergency Services Audas Grant, Respiratory Physician Dr Adriaan Venter, Nurse Educator Griffith Base Hospital Skye Vagg, (front L-R): Patient Safety & Quality Manager Nicole Moloney, Deputy Director Clinical Governance Jill Reyment, Nurse Educator Cootamundra Tracy Guthrie, Nurse Educator WWBH Janine Learmont and Rural Group Manager, Border, Rosemary Garthwaite.

9 PAGE 9 New Aboriginal midwives welcomed Wagga Wagga Aboriginal midwife Amanda Dacey was invited to Parliament House in Sydney in May with three other Aboriginal nurses who have begun midwifery studies in NSW hospitals. NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner said the new midwifery students successfully applied for positions through MidStART and represent the largest number of indigenous registered nurses who have applied through this process since it began in Improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal communities across the state is firmly on the NSW Government agenda, Mrs Skinner said. Our commitment to closing the gap is reflected in our hospital staff s ability to connect and engage with local Aboriginal communities. Increasing our Aboriginal nursing and midwifery workforce is a key component of this. It s vital that women and their families feel comfortable and confident in the hospital staff who care for them. These wonderful midwifery students will play an important role as they develop the knowledge and skills to become registered midwives. Mrs Skinner and Aboriginal Affairs Minister Victor Dominello met with Amanda Dacey, Ashley Galea, Tahnee Reynolds and Jasmine Wannell at NSW Parliament. Amanda has always wanted to be a midwife and is now following her dream at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital. Ashley hails from the South Coast and is now working amongst her community at Wollongong Hospital, Mrs Skinner said. Tahnee has worked as a nurse in Alice Springs and is now assisting patients at Tamworth Hospital and Jasmine Wannell, from Sydney s western suburbs, is now based at Blacktown Hospital working with new mums and their babies. I applaud the work of these young women and acknowledge the wonderful work they are doing for their communities. Photo Back row: Health Minister Jillian Skinner, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Victor Dominello, Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire and Nursing and Midwifery Office representatives. Front row (students): Tahnee Reynolds, Amanda Dacey, Jasmine Wannell and Ashley Galea.

10 PAGE 10 Wellbeing news... By Sam Fraser, Wellbeing Manager What s been happening? During May we celebrated International Midwives Day and International Nurses Day. Congratulations to all of the nominees and award winners who were part of the inaugural MLHD Nursing & Midwifery Directorate s Excellence in Midwifery & Nursing Awards. You should be very proud of your achievements. It is very important to take the time to recognise the hard work and dedication of our nursing staff, so well done to those people who placed a nomination. We also launched the BeWell Apple a Day page on StaffNet which provides information, resources and recipes to assist you in achieving a well- balanced, interesting and nutritious diet. To get inspired and learn more about how you can re-invent or reinvigorate your diet take a look on the new Apple a Day page. What s coming up? June Men s Health Week in June will be an exciting focus for the BeWell program, with the primary focus including the social, psychological and physical wellbeing of both our male colleagues and the male family members of our staff. Some of the key topics covered during the month include: Social Psychological Promoting the importance of connecting with friends on a regular basis; so we set the challenge to our male colleagues to Make a Date with a Mate. Why not do something in June with YOUR mates? maybe catch up for lunch or a get together after work, play a game of golf or tennis, take a trip to the movies or attend an event or sporting match. So pick up that phone and Make a Date. Sharing each week a real online story from Beyond Blue about a male who has experienced or experiencing anxiety and/ or depression. These great videos can be found on the June BeWell page and provide insight into the importance of looking after our own mental health and our loved male friends and family members so that they are aware of the services and support available. Physical Providing various men s health and wellbeing resources over the course of the month for all staff to access including prostate awareness, bowel health, nutrition and mental health. Please visit the June BeWell page to access lots of great information. Our BeWell Pilot Sites will be hosting Men s Health and Wellbeing Information Sessions to promote the importance of prioritising men's health and wellbeing activities into daily living. They will feature guest speakers from MLHD dietetic team members, the Prostate Cancer Awareness Foundation and our own Medical Team. We welcome all of our staff from facilities and surrounds, as well as their family members to come along and hear from experts on prostate awareness and men s nutrition! Culcairn 6-7pm, 11 th June at Culcairn Hospital - Community Health Meeting Room Albury District Office and Community Health 4-5pm, 12 th June at Community Health Smollett St Meeting Room 1 Griffith Base and Community Health 5-6pm, 18 th June at Griffith Community Health Centre Yambil Street July Between July we are promoting National Diabetes Awareness Week and suggesting all sites recognise this week by initiating an Eat Healthy Day. Why not organise your team, department or site to participate by having team members bring in a healthy plate to share over lunch? Or why not everyone bring along a healthy snack that can be shared either at morning or afternoon tea? Not only does this allow you to try lots of wonderful healthy options that you may not normally have; it also promotes sitting down with your colleagues for a chat and sharing a nice meal. Don t forget to check out the Apple a Day page to get some yummy, healthy recipe options that you could bring along. Each week there is a new set of recipes.

11 PAGE 11 Nurses expanding scope of care Almost 130 local patients have been treated by nurses participating in the Enhancing the Scope of Practice (ESOP) model since it was introduced last July. The ESOP project is one of the first nursing models of its kind in Australia. MLHD is one of eight project sites nationally funded by Health Workforce Australia, as an Australian Government initiative, to develop and put in place programs to expand the scope of work of nurses in emergency departments. The initiative allows Registered Nurses to assess and manage the care of patients arriving at EDs with non-urgent conditions when a doctor is not available. Sandra Hungerford, Transitional Nurse Practitioner, Griffith Base Hospital Emergency Department. Phase two of the program commenced this year with 22 Registered Nurses (RN) participating in the ESOP education and training course which started in February. Nineteen of the RNs are in the final stages of the course and are spending time with the Nurse Practitioners (NP) at Wagga Wagga (WWBH) and Griffith Base Hospital (GBH) Emergency Departments (ED). The 19 RNs are from six additional EDs across MLHD where the ESOP model of care is being introduced as part of phase two, said Project Manager Summa Stephens. Junee, Lockhart, Berrigan, Finely, Tocumwal and Jerilderie are the new sites now offering patients the ESOP model. Summa said this phase has also seen the introduction of a new NP. Sandra Hungerford is a Transitional NP working in the GBH ED, Summa said. Sandra is working with the ESOP team and participants to assist them to gain the level of competency required to receive authorisation to practice in the ESOP role. The role has enabled the ESOP nurse to provide onsite patient centred care to these patients and prevented the need for them to travel to other facilities to receive treatment. Introducing Belinda Scott, Dementia Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC) Belinda Sco commenced as the Demen a CNC in MLHD on 26 May. Belinda brings a wealth of experience from her 25 years in aged care and demen a specific roles. Most recently Belinda worked in the Demen a Behaviour Assessment and Management Service for the last six years, including the last three years as the Team Leader. Addi onally on a number of occasions Belinda has acted in numerous Clinical Nurse Consultant roles related to demen a. In addi on to her 25 years of experience in aged care and demen a, Belinda holds a Graduate Cer ficate in Aged Care Nursing, a Cer ficate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment and is working to complete her Masters of Mental Health Nursing through the University of Newcastle. As the Demen a Clinical Nurse Consultant, Belinda will be working to support numerous hospital avoidance strategies for pa ents with demen a and associated disease processes. Belinda will also be looking to further roll out programs across the District aimed at improving care provided to the confused pa ent such as the Top 5 program. Belinda can be contacted by or mobile

12 PAGE 12 Action plan for disasters The role of the MLHD Health Services Functional Area Coordinator (HSFAC) is to prevent, prepare, respond to and recover from any event that overwhelms resources and requires a significant and coordinated response. MLHD s appointed HSFAC is Director of Nursing & Midwifery Karen Cairney, pictured below right, however the phone is diverted to different people on a weekly roster. If you call the HSFAC phone and it goes to voic please leave a detailed message including your name, a contact number and the nature of the emergency. It is likely the person on call is on the phone and will call you back to you as soon as possible. Please be aware that text messages to the HSFAC number do not divert to the person on call. You would need to know who is on call and send text messages direct to their mobile number. MLHD Health Services Functional Area Coordinator mobile: Responsibilities of Health undertaken by the HSFAC during disaster events include: The mobilisation of health resources to the emergency site or sites and the initiation of prioritised patient management; The provision of coordinated hospital and medical response to emergencies; The provision of mental health services to victims, emergency workers, and the communities affected by emergencies; The provision of public health services to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. A coordinated health communications response for prevention, preparation, emergency response and subsequent recovery from the impacts. Liaison with HealthShare NSW for coordination of Health Support Services to the event. Liaison with NSW Health Pathology for the coordination of analytical science services. Liaison with The Sydney Children s Network for the coordination of paediatric services. HSFAC for MLHD, Director of Nursing & Midwifery Karen Cairney.

13 PAGE 13 Junee jottings Above: Junee MPS staff received their Junior Detect certificates from Chief Executive Susan Weisser during her recent site visit. Donna Weston is pictured above receiving her certificate. Above: Junee MPS patient Betty Goldsmith was discharged home recently after many challenging orthopaedic operations and about 16 months in hospital. Acting Health Service Manager Phil Major said Betty was very courageous lady who greatly benefited from the Transitional Care Program. Pictured at a farewell afternoon tea with Betty, front, are her husband Lance, Phil Major, Deputy Nurse Manager Fiona Simons, Registered Nurse (RN) Melissa Stewart, Diversional Therapist Jenny Lammond, Rebecca Johnson, RN Maree Archer, Assistant in Nursing (AIN) Gayton Nicholls, AIN Erica Duck and Physiotherapist Sue Donaldson. Junee MPS held a Biggest Morning Tea for the Cancer Council in May. Pictured left are residents Terrence Barnewall and Winni Winrow and below volunteer Jenny Breen. Left: Junee MPS made the front page of the local paper in May with a story on how MLHD facilities benefit when patients use their private health insurance. The story was generated by a media release issued by Junee LHAC. (contact Sally Druitt or Setchen Brimson).

14 PAGE 14 Griffith hosts Dramatic Minds Festival Three regional high schools will take part in the Dramatic Minds Festival in Griffith on Thursday 26 June to promote mental health knowledge and reduce the stigma of mental illness in young people and the community. The public is encouraged to attend the free event to be held at Griffith Regional Theatre from 11am to 1pm. Local high schools have been invited to send students to the festival as part of the audience in the hope of promoting the positive mental health messages from peer to peer. The Dramatic Minds Festival is a MLHD mental health promotion event which engages young people in a creative way to explore the issues associated with youth mental health, said MLHD Rural Health Promotion Officer Merilyn Limbrick. The festival was established in Wagga in 2008 and has expanded to Albury, Tumut, Temora and Griffith. The Dramatic Minds Festival has grown to be one of the key promotional activities for MLHD s Youth Mental Health Program, Merilyn said. Local schools participating are Wade High School Griffith, Narrandera High School and Leeton High School. Students are asked to research, write and perform an original 10 minute play on their chosen topic of youth mental health. The plays will focus on the causes, occurrence, outcomes, help-seeking behaviour, hope and breaking down the stigma. Lockhart Central School students (from left) Erica Alchin, 12, Holly Murphy, 11, Tiffany Williams, 14, Eva Hooper, 13, and Shantelle Schneider, 14, perform their play about teenage depression. Photo courtesy of The Daily Advertiser Merilyn said students who have participated in the festival have reported an increase in their knowledge of mental illness and an improvement in attitudes to those with mental illness. Mental health affects everybody in our community, Merilyn said. Adolescence and young adulthood is the age of peak onset of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and other mood disorders. Around one in four young people aged experience mental health problems during adolescence. The festival is funded by the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program. If you, or someone you know may be experiencing mental illness call the MLHD AccessLine on to arrange local support.

15 PAGE 15 International Nurses Day Nurses from across the region took time out to celebrate International Nurses Day on Monday 12 May. See photos from Griffith, Young, Temora and Tumut on the next two pages. Griffith: Kyla Brooks, Saved Sibanda, Andrea Jordan, Nat Woods and Bethany Gill. Temora: Above-William O'Neill & Samantha Anderson with certificates of appreciation from peers. Below Megan Field enjoying her pavlova! Tumut: Lorraine O'Sullivan, Pat Rodd (Auxiliary member) Laurie Alexander, Vicki Kell and Shirley Adams.

16 PAGE 16 International Nurses Day Young Hospital nurses celebrate International Nurses Day on 12 May. Left: Vicky Coddington, Joy Hodges and Alice Luff. Below: Front row left to right: Kristine Arthur, Cathy Perrin, Alice Luff, Wendy Gaal, Vicky Coddington, Wendy Dewar (sitting: Amanda Corby) Back row left to right: Sue Lanham, Joanne Garlick, Sue Sinclair, Merran Smith, Melanie Roberts, Jennifer Eldridge, Bev Kershaw, Jacqui Cooper and Jeannie Kerr. Photos courtesy of the Young Witness.

17 PAGE 17 Thumbs up To the staff at the Kooringal Medical Centre, the two ambulance officers who caringly conveyed me to Wagga Base Hospital and the staff in emergency care. I am now recovering in Ward 3 and wish to thank all the staff there for their care and concern they have shown me, especially Patti, Beena and George. The Leader, Wagga Wagga, 14 May Handy hints from Staff Scheduling Final Payslip instructions before Separations When you have notified your Supervisor of your Separation date you will need to amend your payslip delivery address from your work to another address prior to your last pay cycle. Once the Separation has been processed you will be unable to access your records in Stafflink Employee Self Service. If the address is not changed you will need to contact HealthShare on to request a copy of your final payslip. Log into Stafflink > access ESS menu > click on Payslip Delivery Preferences on the Menu > Click on Update button > Change the details in the address field > click on the Apply button > click on the Next button > click on the Submit button > click on Home button. ProAct: Changing a rostered shift to part leave or split cost centres When you are entering data into ProAct for a rostered shift affected by partial leave or split over two cost centres, Albury Workforce team members raised a total of $200 for the Cancer Council at Australia s Biggest Morning Tea in May. Thanks to all staff for sharing a sausage and chat in the sun which raised $ followed by a donation which took the total to $200. Pictured above are Alan Stratton, Brian McInerney, Kellie Hughes, Melanie Mann and Cindy Mundy. Do you have a photo or story idea for Murrumbidgee Matters? Contributions are welcome by the second Friday of each month to the Editor, Sally Druitt: sally.druitt@gsahs.health.nsw.gov.au or call it is important the half hour or one hour lunch time is not omitted from Proact. Example: Code M5 shift needs to be amended as the employee went home sick from Enter : Code M as 4.50 hrs and code LS as 3.50 hrs no gap between end of M5 portion and start of leave. Example: Employee works 4hrs in two units per day. Enter : Code 43 is and Code 45 is if the employee has lunch the half hour must be included in one of the entries as (ProAct Code 4@) or If you have any queries, contact the Staff Scheduling Team at staff.scheduling@gsahs.health.nsw.gov.au or or call

18 Local Health Advisory Committee profile Adrian Butler Chair, Urana LHAC Staff profile PAGE 18 Mike McSweeney Adult Mental Health Practitioner Tumut Health Service What do you do when you re not an LHAC? General Manager of Urana Shire Council. How long have you been involved in your LHAC? 12 months. What made you decide to join? I was heavily involved with medical services at Lachlan Shire prior to arriving in Urana, particularly working with Council and the GPs. I was invited to join and keen to lend a hand with my experience and energy, even though I have limited time. It s great to see Urana has such a great MPS, passionate LHAC members and associated staff including allied health services, GP and pharmacy. What achievements/ highlights are you most proud of? No personal ones but just to see the work of Harry Cousens and his exercise group; the work of Michelle, Jodie, Karen, Chris, Jacinta, and Sarah Luff and Craig when they filled in; and Dr Giri and how all the people are so passionate about their services they provide and how happy the patients and residents are. What are your LHAC s current goals? To keep a link between the patients, the community and the staff and providers to MLHD. What is the key message would you like to get across to your local community? That the LHAC is working for you, so talk to us if you have ideas or issues but also importantly some positive stories (as there are plenty) and that MLHD is from our recent experience, especially locally, very committed to not only maintain but improve the services available. The best thing about my job is: Working with my 65+ years clients in mental health. In my role I: Try hard to help my clients improve their lives. When I m not at work I would prefer to be: With my wife and kids doing something interesting. My favourite music is: Live music any. My favourite movie is: Shawshank, probably. It s not fashionable but it keeps me warm. My favourite pastime is: The last few years I ve produced two musical plays and a feature length movie in my spare time, with Tumut Performing Arts Society. I guess that s a hobby. My earliest memory is: My mum. (ohhhhh ) I wish I had: More offspring. My happiest moment was: That s a hard one wedding day, but there s been some really good days, especially the births of the kids. The hardest thing I ve ever done is: Took on the Newcastle University Social Work Department (and won). If I wasn t me I d like to be Gershwin. I m always asked: Where do you find the time?

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