engage MAY – AUG 2012 | ISSUE 12
@JurongHealth
Giving ou r B ES T
04-05
Project OneCare A Seamless Initiative For Patients and Staff
06-07
Are you JurongHealth Red-y? Understanding the JurongHealth brand
16-17
Hospital Planning Dreaming Up the JCH Vision
HIGHLIGHTS
02
FOCUS
FOCUS
Trailblazers at JurongHealth!
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recognition is an affirmation that while we are a young organisation, we are certainly on the right track in growing the desired culture which would in turn attract the right recruits and talents, as well as nurturing our people to be the greatest asset for JurongHealth.
FEATURE
12
NURSES DAY CELEBRATION
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In receiving the Leading CEO Award, Mr Foo Hee Jug, CEO, attributed the honour to all at JurongHealth who have put their best foot forward daily to care for our patients and for working tirelessly towards our mission of truly helping our population “Stay Well. Heal. Empower”.
HOSPITAL PLANNING
18
SERVICE QUALITY
22
HAPPENINGS
24
MUSINGS
From a one-man team three years ago, we are now a 2,000 strong organisation sharing a collective vision to transform care and bring about seamless and integrated healthcare for the population in the west. What better way to celebrate our third year together than with a coup of awards toasting the very best in our midst! Bagging four at the annual Singapore HR Awards 2012 Organised by the Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI), the annual Singapore HR Awards celebrate HR trailblazers and pays tribute to leading organisations and HR
practitioners in their drive for excellent and impactful human capital strategies. It is also a platform where new benchmarks and standards for the HR profession are developed. At this year’s staging, JurongHealth clinched not one or two, but four
awards namely the Leading CEO Award, Leading HR Leader Award, Leading HR Practices in Employee Relations & People Management (Special Mention) Award and Quality Work-Life, and Physical & Mental Well-Being (Special Mention) Award. The
He said, “In JurongHealth, we are builders. We started three years ago to plan, design and build our beautiful and well-integrated hospitals comprising the 700-bed Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and the 400-bed Jurong Community Hospital. We are also building links into the community at the same time. But perhaps, the most important of all the “building” work that we have to do is building our people and building a strong JurongHealth family and culture which will allow us to consistently live our values and serve our population well. We want to be an organisation that genuinely
03
cares for every member of the JurongHealth family, so that they will truly be able to provide excellent care to our patients.” CEO also shared his personal inspiration for JurongHealth, derived from a chinese proverb which says
“everything for the patient, only for the patient, and for all patients” (“一切为病人， 为病人一切，为一切病人”). CEO hopes that JurongHealth will come to stand for that — a focus on the person in the patient and on a broader basis, a focus on the health of our population!
As the winner of the Leading HR Leader Award, Ms Anna Fok, CHRO, recognises the importance of a strong foundation and a stable HR framework to support JurongHealth’s mission and vision. She shared that a healthcare career with JurongHealth is most exciting and unique as
A winning trio at the Annual Nurses Merit Awards 2012 Graced by Health Minister Mr Gan Kim Yong, the annual Nurses’ Merit Award, which dates back to 1976, honours nurses for their outstanding performance and dedication to the profession. Hailing from public sector hospitals, private hospitals and the intermediate and long-term care sector, the 73 award recipients this year have demonstrated
everyone can play an important role in growing the JurongHealth family and culture – and the journey about bringing out the best in the team to excel and grow in their careers, and stretch their potential to the fullest will enable JurongHealth to provide patient-centred care to heal, empower and enable our patients to stay well. consistent and outstanding performance for the past three years, participated in professional advancement courses for their development and have made contributions to promote a professional image of nursing. In their midst are JurongHealth’s winning trio of Ms Hoh Wan Chin, Assistant Nurse Clinician; Mr Mohamad Abdul Wahab, Senior Nurse Manager; and Ms Stevens Sagaiyamary, Nurse Clinican II. Having
She said, “We are building not only hospitals but a unique culture where people are treated fairly, their voices are heard and aspirations fulfilled. Good organisations naturally grow good people and leaders. I am delighted that I am in the right organisation at the right time where the environment accords me sufficient challenges to stretch my leadership bandwidth. Living one of JurongHealth’s values of “open-mindedness” has enabled me and many other leaders in JurongHealth to create and design new solutions to support new possibilities to transform care.”
served 18 years, 30 years and 35 years respectively, they were recognised as role models for their commitment to care, teach, mentor and influence the many nurses who will follow in their footstep to contribute to the future of nursing in Singapore. From all of us at JurongHealth, congratulations to our award winners! We are proud of you! Read more on page 15.
FOCUS
Revolutionising Healthcare – The Project OneCare Initiative Come 2014, JurongHealth is poised to completely alter the healthcare landscape by introducing an initiative that seeks to seamlessly allow medical professionals and patients access to important data and records, one-step payment modes, an enhanced platform to locate and book services and much more. Engage takes you through the revolution that is Project OneCare. Turning JurongHealth into “5-less” in 2014 Ask any healthcare worker or patient about one of their pet peeves with the current healthcare system and more often than not, issues with appointment booking, data retrieval and record-keeping will crop up. All these are set to change as JurongHealth prepares to rollout Project OneCare – an initiative that aims to create a paperless, filmless, chartless, scriptless and cashless electronic medical record system that will change the way which information will be shared when the doors to our integrated hub comprising the 700-bed Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and 400-bed Jurong Community Hospital open from 2014 to serve the community. Project OneCare also aims to integrate with other national unified databases such as the National Electronic Health Record or NEHR. One of the main thrusts of Project OneCare will be the Electronic Medical Records system or EMR. The EMR will be the defining hallmark of Project OneCare as it dovetails the themes of integration and efficiency — allowing patients and medical personnel one-step access to important information and data without hassles such as multiple passwords. The second important objective of Project OneCare is the creation of a systemic network that binds key services together through an effective use of technology. Imagine a future when appointment and OT bookings for instance, can be done with a click of a mouse button, while retaining full ties with the EMR — making the process of healthcare within JurongHealth a cinch.
How will Project OneCare Affect Me? NOW
IN 2014!
Log onto different applications to access information and book rooms/ OT and view schedules.
One login to access all information.
Remember multiple passwords for different platforms.
One password to access different platforms.
Different queue numbers issued at registration, consultation, and collection of medicine.
One queue number to be used throughout the patient’s visit.
Multiple forms and long waiting time for patients who wish to offset medical bills with Medisave or insurance.
One mode of payment with streamlined billing to allow direct claims like Medisave and insurance to be made without the need for paperwork.
Involving the Entire Strata of our Staff Project OneCare will be a mammoth undertaking which will involve all levels of JurongHealth – from the senior management to our ground staff – whose opinions and appraisals will be sought to create the best system for our patients and staff. To achieve this objective, 11 workgroups have been set up — each corresponding to a respective core business aspect including: Accidents and Emergency; Intensive Care; Inpatient Care; Outpatient Care; Medication; Clinical Documentation; Surgery and Procedure; Orders and Investigations; Population Health and Health Screening; Tele-Health; and Integration Care. The workgroups will play important roles as platforms for staff to champion a particular process requirement that may be crucial to their line of work.
The workgroups can also provide valuable direction to the design, build and implementation of the systems and solutions as well as being in charge of evaluating, selecting, testing the processes and implementation plan of relevant modules. Slated to kick into high gear come Q4 2012, Project OneCare will be the conduit for JurongHealth to use technology to realise its vision of providing patient-centred services and at the same time, fully embracing our value of focusing on people, processes and systems.
Keep a lookout for more exciting updates on Project OneCare in Engage and TUNE.
05 All Hands on Deck – Project OneCare Proof of Concept Phase
Before the rollout of EMR, it is important to find out which is the best solution that can be adopted by our staff. What better way to achieve this than to involve both senior management and ground staff to appraise and evaluate three shortlisted vendors to see whose application suits our operations best! The Project OneCare Proof of Concept (POC) phase for the new EMR system took place over six days from 17-23 May 2012 at the AH Auditorium. Engage puts our ears to the ground and lets you in on how senior management and staff think of this engagement exercise.
“The ProjectOne Care initiative and the recent POC exercise is an extremely important one for us to familiarise our staff to the different EMR systems available and to evaluate in a comprehensive manner the best system to use to our benefit. By using a system that fits our needs such that we can work effectively and productively for our patients is an essential and important step towards a coordinated and integrated way of delivering care. We say a big “thank you” to our staff for their endless commitment throughout the six days of valuable evaluation and we look forward to working together on an EMR that helps us achieve our and our patients’ needs.” - A/P Cheah Wei Keat, Chairman, Medical Board
“I appreciate the efforts taken in letting us have a say and a choice of a system that has the least bugs. I have honestly never been involved on such a level before.” - Dr Noel Tay, Senior Consultant, Medicine
“The session will be better if we can try the systems hands-on and thus arrive at some customised options that will fit our processes. I welcome this session of engagement and it heralds a paradigm shift in staff involvement.” - Mr Tan Hai Yang, Assistant Director, Allied Health
“The previewed solutions are definitely an improvement to the current system. I am glad that we can look at the alternatives and get a choice in choosing the best system for ourselves in 2014.” - Ms Rosidah Bte Idris, Nurse Clinician I, Endoscopy Centre
FEATURE
Are You JurongHealth RED-y? As more and more new staff come on board the JurongHealth family, it is important to let everyone in on the story and rationale behind our corporate colours and logo as well as our name. Engage brings you a short and succinct primer that will both refresh and enlighten.
Understanding the JurongHealth brand
Red Diamond and the White Square
We Are JurongHealth!
Our logo has been the source of much talk and discussion among fellow healthcare clusters due to its shade of red – a hue long associated with danger and risks. However, the aim of using red as our corporate colour is anything but morbid. By subscribing to the paradigm that red also represents warmth, passion and life, we seek to emphasise our commitment to creating such an environment in our hospitals for staff and patients. The choice of white symbolises health and clarity, as well as a blank canvas for JurongHealth’s new beginnings.
Another talking point is the curiously shaped logo which features a red diamond encasing a white square. What do these shapes mean?
While we were previously known as Jurong General Hospital or JGH for short, we are now known as Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Jurong Community Hospital since 2011.
The duality presented by the chosen colours also serves to highlight the youthfulness and dynamism of JurongHealth and allows us to stand out from traditional and typical healthcare hues of blue, green, etc.
The red diamond on the exterior represents a stylised shape of Singapore while the white square denotes the geographical position JurongHealth will occupy come 2014 to look after the healthcare needs of the west. The logo, finished with modern, contemporary design lines, also mark a change from traditional healthcare logos and makes a bold statement about our mission to transform and simplify healthcare. The logo is anchored by the word “JurongHealth” and the emphasis on “Health” reinforces our commitment to health care and not illness care for the community.
If you still refer to us as Jurong General Hospital or JGH, do make the switch to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital/Jurong Community Hospital. In the same breath, do refrain from using the abbreviation JH or JHS as collectively, we are known as JurongHealth. This will go a long way in establishing our footprint in Singapore’s healthcare!
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JurongHealth Family of Logos th eal ngH e Juro Centr
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JurongHealth
Ng Teng Fong
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Parent brand JurongHealth
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Alexandra Hospital
JurongHealth
Jurong Community Hospital A collaboration with St Luke’s Hospital
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FEATURE
Nurses as Clinicians, Managers and Educators Possibly THE icon for healthcare, nursing has come a long way from the days of its most famous predecessor Florence Nightingale. The nurses of today work in varied healthcare settings from accident and emergency to inpatient, and with people of all ages and backgrounds. We shed light on this exciting and noble profession which has evolved over the centuries, but continues to touch the lives of many in their most needed hour.
Road map to a specialised nursing career
A Vibrant, Thriving Profession
Clinical Specialisation
Today, opportunities are abound for nurses. In addition to being involved in the clinical aspects of caring for patients, they can also choose to progress along a variety of career paths such as management, education, academia and research.
With the expansion of medical knowledge and specialisation, doctors have been requesting for specialised nurses to manage specific areas of patient care. At JurongHealth, we have nurse clinicians who specialise in Infection Control, Palliative, Diabetes, Orthopaedics, Wound Care, Geriatric Care, Urology, Critical Care, Peri-operative, Ophthalmology, Asthma and COPD. And we have plans for nurse clinicians to specialise in Stoma Care, Breast Care, Vascular Care, Rehabilitation, Oncology and ENT.
Integrated Patient Care As specialists in their own right, nurses are now engaged in coordinating patients’ plan of care with other healthcare members on the multidisciplinary team care. Nurses also assess patients’ physical, mental and social well-being; make nursing diagnoses and prescribe the necessary nursing treatments and interventions to help patients recover.
Qualification
Clinical
Management
Education
Director PhD/Master
Degree & Advanced Diploma
Deputy Director/ Assistant Director
Advanced Practice Nurse
Assistant Director/ Principal Nurse, Educator
Senior Nurse Manager/ Nurse Manager
Senior Nurse Clinician/ Nurse Clinician
Senior Nurse Educator/ Nurse Educator
Advanced/ Specialist Diploma
Staff Nurse/Senior Staff Nurse (Nursing students from Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic/ National University of Singapore
Certificate
Enrolled Nurse/Senior Enrolled Nurse/Principal Enrolled Nurse (Nursing students from Institution of Technical Education)
Research and Innovation With the focus on the patient, greater emphasis is placed on the use of research findings to improve
planning, implementation and evaluation of patient care. Research also encourages and facilitates investigations on issues related to nursing practice and outcomes.
Leading the next generation At JurongHealth, our nursing leaders continuously build and share knowledge on patient care to stay relevant to changing patient needs as well as to nurture the next generation of nursing professionals. We recognise their importance in healthcare and to groom future nursing leaders, we have had the Assistant Nurse Clinician and Assistant Nurse Educator positions since 2011. With these in place, we hope to recruit more nurses who are keen to come on board JurongHealth and take the vocation to new heights.
09 Who’s Who In Our Nursing Team? You must have seen them on campus in the striking red and white JurongHealth nursing uniform. We show you how to recognise our nursing team.
Know Your Nurses You will never need to wonder who’s who again.
Director, Nursing Wears: Long-sleeved cream white jacket top with a collar flap and thick piping running down the top in JurongHealth’s corporate red. Paired with a white skirt as a two-piece uniform.
Deputy Director/ AssiStant Director, Nursing Wears: Short-sleeved cream white dress with piping running down the shoulder and edge of pockets in JurongHealth’s corporate red.
Nurse Clinician
Staff Nurse
Enrolled Nurse
She Wears: Short-sleeved cream white dress with thick red collar. Has piping running down the sides and edge of pockets in JurongHealth’s corporate red.
She Wears: Short-sleeved full white dress with collar. Has piping running down the sides and edge of pockets in JurongHealth’s corporate red.
She Wears: Short-sleeved full white dress with piping running down the sides and edge of pockets in JurongHealth’s corporate red.
He Wears: Short-sleeved cream white shirt with the thick red collar. Tip of sleeves and edge of pockets in JurongHealth’s corporate red, paired with white pants.
He Wears: Short-sleeved full white collared shirt with tip of the sleeves and edge of pockets in JurongHealth’s corporate red, paired with white pants.
He Wears: Short-sleeved full white collared shirt with edge of pockets in JurongHealth’s corporate red, paired with white pants.
FEATURE
Managing Risks Everyone knows what entails risk. But not many know how to effectively handle and manage risk, even more so companies. Risk goes beyond actions that may endanger lives – it includes practices that may jeopardise efficiency, effectiveness or even the very reputation of the organisation itself. Engage gets the lowdown on Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) in this regular column on effective risk management.
A Collective and Coordinated Effort Enterprise Risk Management or ERM is a collective and coordinated risk management effort applied consistently and proactively across an organisation. At JurongHealth, our ERM initiative kickstarted in March 2011 when the Board of Directors assigned the role of risk oversight to the Audit Committee (AC), who has since watched over the creation of the ERM
Framework and is working towards implementing ERM practices with the various departments. For the pilot exercise, a total of 30 risk facilitators will be nominated within various departments. A training session will then be held for the facilitators in September this year. The session will touch on topics such as cultivating a risk aware
culture, creating a strong mindset to champion ERM, and introducing policies and procedures to govern key processes. Activities planned for the rest of 2012 include operationalising risk management by looking into key processes such as medicine dispensing and patient treatment, and identifying areas and practices that may create undue risks.
Through a concerted effort, JurongHealth staff can join in the ERM movement by adhering to industry best practices and procedures, rigorous checks during daily operations and frequent upgrading of skills and knowledge. This goes a long way in preventing potential financial loss and ensuring patient safety and continuity of critical operation. Every staff has a role to play in
ERM to prevent, detect and respond to risks proactively. For more information on the ERM Framework and important contacts, please visit our JurongHealth intranet site.
This is the first of our series on ERM. Watch this space in future for more updates coming your way.
11 High Fidelity Medical Simulation Training Medical students in their 3rd and 5th years can now pick up even more succinct training in the form of a High Fidelity Medical Simulation Training. What exactly is a High Fidelity Medical Simulation Training? For the uninitiated, it really means learning via a manikin whose reflexes are similar to that of a human being. A manikin is a lifesized anatomical human model used in education.
With the ability to speak, blink and react to light depending on how you control it, the manikin can also bleed and perspire depending on the scenario that calls for it. Hence, it is called a High Fidelity Medical Simulation Training designed to give students as real an experience as possible as they learn. Piloting this with the Department of Acute Medicine on 18 July 2012, students were put through 13 scenarios to diagnose patients with various health symptoms, such as insufficient oxygen in the blood, chest pains and severe allergies, just to name a few. To date, such in-situ* trainings have taken place at Ward 6, MICU and EDTU.
Allied Health and Nursing are next to adopt such trainings. Although there is no grade for these students’ participation, a tutorial will be held after each session to reinforce learning points. The High Fidelity Medical Simulation Training is also offered to postgraduate medical students. *in-situ: trainings that take place in actual environments.
NURSES DAY CELEBRATION
Launch of JurongHealth’s New Healthier Dessert for Patients
At this year’s Nurses Day, JurongHealth launched a new healthier dessert. A collaboration between Dietetics and Nutrition and Temasek Polytechnic, the new healthier frozen dessert contains less than 5% fat per tub and has less sugar compared to commercial ice-cream in our supermarkets. This makes it a guilt-free treat for both young and old. In this heat we have been getting, we say, “Bring on more of this dessert!”
Taking it a step further, Communications Department teamed up with Nursing to share the dessert with the western community as part of the celebrations. At Jurong East Bus Interchange bright and early on 24 July 2012, our nurses doled out tubs of the healthy treat as they bantered with the residents. Curious commuters who made Jurong East Bus Interchange their stop also came by to have a taste,
making the atmosphere a truly lively one. Not even in the neighbourhood yet, but already charming residents with our hospitality!
Day. All smiles as they did that; they appeared like pros picking out flavours for colleagues and working their charm through the crowd.
So successful was the launch that an encore distribution had to be made on 1 August 2012 at Alexandra Hospital. This time, our Director, Deputy Director and Assistant Director of Nursing, came together to get their hands ‘dirty’ all in the name of Nurses
And in case this escaped you, our dessert will soon replace ice-cream as a dessert in our inpatient menu!
“So, You Want to H A o t t i Be A Nurse?” My Vis In celebration of Nurses Day, Communications Department, together with Nursing and Emergency Medicine (EMD) Departments hosted 23 students from River Valley Primary School to share with them more about the nursing vocation. On behalf of the team, Engage thanks our nurses and EMD colleagues for taking the time to bring our little friends around! Do you recall a time when you sustained an injury and a kind word from a nurse gave you hope? Or maybe you were unfortunate to be admitted into a hospital, and it was the care and concern from a nurse that kept you going? Launched on 27 July 2012, that’s what our “Hope” structure, erected especially for our nurses, was for. Placed at the atrium, patients and visitors were invited to scribble a thank you note and their heartfelt message to our nurses. It was soon plastered full with messages.
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NURSES DAY CELEBRATION
From 1 to 1000 – We Have Come A Long Way Senior Management distributes snacks
30 July 2012 was a special day as we celebrated our 3rd Nurses Day at JurongHealth! As a special treat, this year’s celebration was held at the hip Dragonfly club at St James Power Station for our nurses to let their hair down. Despite it being a Monday, as many as 700 staff turned up in full support of the exciting programme lined up by our zealous Nurses Day Committee comprising staff from Nursing, Communications, etc, who pulled out all the stops to transform the night into a truly merry-making one. From a personally-penned song to performances by our very own colleagues (yes, JurongHealth has talent!), there was also a video chronicling our journey to date. Words don’t do the night justice but pictures can show you how electrifying the night really was! So, sit
back and enjoy the special moments Engage captured — bright lights, camaraderie, impeccable performances. Go to our intranet site and facebook page to see more! One would wonder if this was indeed a celebration by a talent company! From sporting doctors to voices that can give American Idols a run for their money, Nurses Day 2012 was indeed a night to remember. Of course, we cannot forget the touching speech by our Director of Nursing or the inspiring ones by Chairman and CMB, all of whom
reaffirmed the work our nurses do and the integral role they play in making JurongHealth who we are. As they joined Senior Management on stage and toasted to many more good years ahead, the crowd cheered and waved ecstatically in awe of witnessing this moment…as a JurongHealth family. Never once did the energy level waver as colleagues continued to boogie the night away. Eased out of their straight-laced personas, it was indeed priceless to see how they clapped and cheered, danced and laughed until their sides hurt.
While most of the JurongHealth family were out, a group of nurses were tending to our patients faithfully, unperturbed about the celebration they were missing out on at St James Power Station. Certainly deserving to be honoured, Senior Management returned after the party to distribute night snacks to them! It was just Management’s way of saying, “We did not forget you!” From the looks on their faces, you could tell they were touched by this small but meaningful gesture. It was certainly one that went a long way in making our colleagues feel appreciated! Like Management, Engage salutes our nurses for their unwavering dedication to care for our patients.
15 Nurses Day Tea at the Istana 24 July 2012 was a special day for nurses in Singapore. Unlike the rest of us who can only visit the Istana (residence of our President) on 1st January every year, nurses in Singapore get to visit it during Nurses Day. A practice which began in 1990 with the then President of Singapore, Mr Wee Kim Wee, nurses are invited to the Istana as a show of appreciation by our nation for their contribution to Singapore’s healthcare. This year will be the 22nd year nurses come together for tea at the Istana. It was impossible to miss the JurongHealth team proudly donning the red corporate jacket.
Nurses Day Merit Award 2012 It was a moment we were proud of. As they received their awards from Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, they were also affirmed in his speech on their roles as nurses:
“The Merit Award is one of the ways we recognise our nurses. The award is presented every year to honour nurses who have made exceptional contributions to healthcare and for their dedication to the profession. I thank you for your dedication to nursing. Your commitment to care, teach, mentor and precept make you exemplars and role models to the many who will follow after you. This is a great responsibility as your influence will have an impact on the future of nursing in Singapore.” Three of our nurses were publicly honoured at the Nurses Day Merit Award ceremony on 16 July 2012, which traditionally recognises nurses who have made exceptional contribution to Singapore’s healthcare. Congratulations to: Ms Hoh Wan Chin, Assistant Nurse Clinician Mr Mohamad Abdul Wahab, Senior Nurse Manager Ms Stevens Sagaiyamary, Nurse Clinican II
- Health Minister Gan Kim Yong
HOSPITAL PLANNING
JCH Planning The construction site that is our future home in Jurong East was the site of Team JCH’s anniversary bash on 23 June 2012. Brains, beauty and brawn gathered together as we celebrated our first year of fruitful collaboration.
Happy birthday Team JCH, from all of us !
Recounting the harrowing days of putting together a “barely there” JCH, both Medical Director of JCH, Dr Chua Chi Siong and ACOO (Service Operations), Mr Ng Kian Swan, took turns to share about their journeys of being part of the team. The sharing struck a chord with all present as they recalled the aspirations and challenges to overcome, and the counting of blessings with a good team to work with. CEO and CMB congratulated the team on their efforts and led everyone in an exercise to dream of a bigger JCH vision. Lively discussions went underway as everyone drew up personal goals, expectations and aligned their visions to JurongHealth’s corporate vision. Indeed, as much as the party was about celebrating their first year as colleagues of Team JCH, everyone took home a little more than that — the desire to dream BIG and the boldness to step forward.
17 Appreciation Night for NTFGH and JCH WOW Team
A special gathering was held at Movida Club at St James Power Station for our colleagues and consultants behind the construction of Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) and Jurong Community Hospital (JCH).
On 27 July 2012, close to 150 celebrated the efforts and teamwork of everyone involved in the hospital planning project. Apart from reaching the superstructure phase, it was also double happiness galore as the team gave each other a pat on the back after successfully adding more beds at JCH. Truly deserving of this celebration, the party was aptly called “the NTFGH and JCH WOW team” celebration. Chairman and CEO opened the session applauding the workgroups for their exceptional teamwork. Highlighting in particular the seamless effort and teamwork that never seem to leave the team, they were heartened by developments of this
monumental task. Crowning Director of Hospital Planning, Mr Tan Tai Soon, the Chief Happiness Officer in a moment of jest, that comment unleashed the rest of the rolling good fun that night. Mr Tan then took to the mic, extending his thanks to the team behind this. As with all celebrations, the party hasn’t started until someone starts singing, and in JurongHealth, we really mean “crooning”. Chairman and COO, Ms Joanne Yap, wowed us with a song titled “Jambalaya” which was performed alongside board members, Mr Tan Kian Huay, Mr Barney Lau and Mr Lim Joo Boon. In a similar fashion, Director
of Hospital Planning, Mr Tan Tai Soon, sang to Eric Clapton’s all-time cult classic, “Wonderful Tonight” with Movida’s band in the background. Our partners were given equal share of the limelight. Be it a song or a skit, they regaled us with their antics and talents which caused us to view them in new light after that night. Surely, it is not all work and no play at JurongHealth as our team shows us how. We work hard and play equally hard! To greater heights and the unveiling of NTFGH and JCH! To our consultants and partners, we want to thank you for being part of this very important journey of JurongHealth!
SERVICE QUALITY
Lauding the Best
Our 3rd Service Quality (SQ) Award honoured the very best in our midst. Our “stars� had their one minute of fame as they went on stage to collect their awards.
19 On 19 April 2012, our SQ colleagues transformed the auditorium into a cosy gathering place, with high tables that served delectable treats and the soft accompaniment of a string quartet. The purpose? To honour the very best at JurongHealth who have made a difference to our patients as well as their loved ones. Opening the session with a sharing of her own experience, Ms Casey Chang, Director of Communications and Service Quality, shared how genuine care and concern, or small acts of kindness can make a huge difference to a person’s encounter, especially during difficult times or crises. She also encouraged all staff to embrace similar attitudes to our patients and caregivers, and congratulated the winners for making that difference and bringing smiles to our patients and their loved ones! A total of 50 staff were recognised in three categories. These included the coveted Service Ambassador Award, Outstanding Service Star Award & SQ Team Award. Please join Engage in extending congratulations to all winners. We know they will continue to make us proud!
Service Ambassador Award Winners Allied Health Claudia Canavarro, Dietitian, Dietetics & Nutrition Cheong Ee May Deidre Adele, Senior Medical Social Worker, MSW Wang Kaiye, Pharmacist, Pharmacy Capanayan Ramon Jr. Reyes, Radiographer, Radiology Er Soh Hoon, Senior Radiographer, Radiology Hor Peishan, Pamela, Senior Occupational Therapist, Rehabilitation Connolly Gillian Marie, Physiotherapist, Rehabilitation
Ancillary Mahani Binte Norman, PSA, Emergency Medicine Rommel A Baniqued, Section Supervisor, Housekeeping Ng Siew Laung Jennifer, PSA, SOC Dasuki Bin Kassan, Senior Plaster Technician, SOC Anish Fatimah Binte Maideen Pillay, Administrative Assistant, SOC Oei Li Fang, PSA, SOC Selvamary Francis, Patient Care Assistant, Ward 1 Low Ying Fong Rita, Patient Care Assistant, Ward 13 Kumar Hema, Patient Care Assistant, Ward 13
Medical Dr Wang Chia Wei Wendy, Consultant, Dental - Periodontics Dr Loy Zhi-Yang, Resident Physician, Health & Wellness Dr Tagore Rajat, Senior Consultant/Director, Medicine A/Prof Yap Keng Bee, Senior Consultant, Medicine Dr Xu Xinni, Resident Physician, Othorhinolaryngology A/Prof Cheah Wei Keat, CMB, Surgery Dr Chen Min Qi, Registrar, Surgery
Nursing Mary Grace Mahinay Francisco, Staff Nurse, EDTU Malliga D/O Selvaraju, Principal Enrolled Nurse, Ward 1 Seow Muay Muay, Senior Staff Nurse - Clinic B Riza, Tan Beng Choo, Senior Staff Nurse - Radiology Zahira Binte Bakry, Senior Enrolled Nurse, Ward 1 Wang Caihong, Staff Nurse, Ward 1 Jiang Sha Sha, Enrolled Nurse, Ward 10 Ong Sock Khim Felicia, Staff Nurse, Ward 10 Gajendran Uma Maheswari, Staff Nurse, Ward 11 Sorongon Cathy Gonzales, Staff Nurse, Ward 12
Feroze Parveen Abdul Khader, Staff Nurse, Ward 2 Latha D/O K Ramasamy, Senior Staff Nurse, Ward 13 Siti Shuhaila Binte Ali, Enrolled Nurse, Ward 3 Dayola Jefelin Grace Reynaldo, Staff Nurse, Ward 7 Siti Norazrin Binti Razali, Staff Nurse, Ward 5 Jananni Pandi Rajan, Staff Nurse, Ward 8
Outstanding Service Star Award Winners Boey Yit Wei, Senior Pharmacist, Pharmacy V Vijaya Thavy, Healthcare Assistant, Radiology Krishnan Sarojah, Patient Serivce Associate, SOC Irene D/O S Kulantasamy, Patient Care Assistant, Ward 1 Dr Gerald Chua, Head (Medicine)/Senior Consultant, Medicine
Team Award Winners Dr Seow Choon Sheong, Consultant, Surgery Dr Kan Yuk Man, Consultant, Surgery Stevens Sagaiyamary, Nurse Clinician, Nursing Administration Loong Di Sheng, Enrolled Nurse, Ward 13
Clinic K General Surgery Ward 10
SERVICE QUALITY
D in, EM L n o o S m n & Lai w thankful I a in e Y n e u o Y Dr Ng annot express h m not naming t a c I tha s Word llowing staff: ust say ful m I t o u f to the icular order b ery, very help er t any par ve been very, v g and after h ld they ha ther both durin doubt, I wou . o y to my m H. Without an sible all of them s n A stay in commend if po r Ng Yuen Ye se e r D r u f n like to .F.E team o d her staff hat n t .A a S AH edical) w had shown k. M y c n ie r e (Emerg f them in my v ted in their wo ts, a o ien Lai. All e all very dedic with other pat ou. they ar they are busy r me. Thank y fo h Althoug ays had time lw a they
Siti Norazrin Binti Razali & Ward 5 She is very friendly and caring. She is constantly checking on me ensuring that I am fine and if I am in need of any assistance. She is always smiling and very cheerful. Her personality does help cheer up the patients who are sick. I really like to thank all the nurses and doctors of Ward 5. You guys were awesome.
Lim She has Li Lian, Clinic in explain shown care and E and the ing the post-su patience rg t toothach ablets to take to ery effect e after lo reduce t worn off c . Profess al anaesthesia h he a io nurses a re polite nal! Most of th s e and Thumbs up & kee professional. good ser p up the vices.
Starting It Right At Alexandra Hospital! Here are some heartfelt notes and cards from our patients and loved ones that definitely inspire us to strive towards higher levels of service and care!
hesia ses g, Anaest (sorry) of the nur n o Y e e T Dr Tan all all the names d concern really n c I can’t re are, cheerfulness a earable. Dr Tan is c b but their 28-day stay here feel comfortable. y m m e d e rk made t. He ma amine therapy wo n a li il r b t ly e p k im d s r Tan. ncture an His acupu hank God I met D T wonders.
21
Physiotherapy Cai Cong Cong, been exemplary has Cai Cong Cong d rehabilitating his an in attending to antly, he not only very po im rt patients. More d guides techniques, but he . s an patiently advise s and concerns of his patients t ar en fe y human elem helped to alla uch, care and e has been to al on rs pe e or ents. H A lot m care for his pati d to when providing at’s why I’ve always requeste th d d an exemplary an nt staff of AH if lle ce x E . re ca s ntact me be under hi . Feel free to co ples. nd fi re ra a e it qu references/exam you require any minate him! Proud to no
Ward 2 During my sta y touched my he , all of them had art by the pro fessional nursing care a t have the best AH, Ward 2. You nur watchful eyes sing staff under the of Zainah, and b sister Laura and sister oth of them a re the finest AH has employed. among encountered p When I ro extra mile for blems, they went an m have turned th e coz they care. Never eir backs on m all, I am not e. doing a comm Last of er them, but I st cial for ro deserve songs ngly believe they all of from the very praises and it comes b again I thank ottom of my heart. Once them. Thank y ou AH!
nit in, Renal U and a g a H A o itted t oughing y, Ward 9 Mdm Lim was adm morning. She was c mum’s m a is n la a y at er nP Pravindra morning, my moth s not feeling well th Pravindran about m ily switched r a ly a r w r N a o On the e oneal dialysis. She cold. I informed S bed 20 was temp ain that she it rt r g e for her pe that she was feelin ently, the air-con in ading check to asc y, awareness e u it g r complainin lth condition. Subseq iven a temperature ched by his sensitiv ing my mother u g it a o e t is h ly v e m t g e a il ia h I existin was immed y form of infection. dition and needs. W . I wish to convey m u m y off. M h con or an nurse renal ve a fever lderly patient’s healt s that he is a good eing the only male only a h t o n id e b d e t uple of tim ravindran, le asset no care to an and good , she mentioned a co ents to him. SN P pecial, and a valuab s d tim in the war ppreciation and sen indeed unique and a re my mum’s e in Ward 9, you a hole. s r w u n a dialysis to AH as t u b it n U to Renal
HAPPENINGS
Celebrating Little Milestones Some celebrations took place at Alexandra Hospital (AH) recently. Here are some snapshots from the family album.
Welcome back to the JurongHealth family, Wards 4 & 5!
Celebrating TWO years of Inpatient Operations
After being leased to the Singapore General Hospital for two years to help relieve the national bed crunch, Wards 4 and 5 have returned to our charge. On 18 June 2012, a little appreciation party was thrown to applaud several cross-department teams who have been toiling behind the scenes – first to prepare the wards for SGH in 2010; and more recently for the seamless transition of the two wards back to JurongHealth.
On 28 June 2012, the Department of Medicine marked two happy years of inpatient operations at AH with a cozy thank you luncheon for all doctors.
Toasting the occasion with some 100 staff who attended, CEO shared that the wards will be the platform for JurongHealth to pilot new directions in medicine and geriatric care.
Helmed by Dr Gerald Chua, Head of Medicine, the team has grown from strength to strength, mentoring and nurturing future leaders in our midst. Engage wishes them many more good years of teamwork and exceeding patient care!
As colleagues mingled, CEO also took the opportunity to visit the wards, and distributed goodie bags to patients.
Attended by close to 50 doctors, they were treated to a heartfelt song performance by Dr Daniel Soong, Medical Officer, who penned the song to thank his seniors for nurturing him every step of the way.
23 MOH Inspection We played host to a team of MOH auditors who came by to ensure our healthcare standards and benchmarks were maintained in the highest order.
Visit By Permanent Secretary (Health) We hosted another guest from MOH on 27 June 2012, and she is none other than Mrs Tan Ching Yee, Permanent Secretary (PS) for Health. It was Mrs Tan’s first visit to AH in her post as PS (Health) and we took the opportunity to share more about the clinical services offered at AH and Jurong Medical Centre (JMC), our efforts at piloting new ways to transform and integrate care processes, as well as the building developments of our new hospitals in the west. Following a fruitful discussion led by CEO, Mrs Tan was led on a tour around AH where she visited areas such as Emergency Department, Radiology Department, Operating Theatre, Clinic K, Wards 12 and 13, and AH Garden. Completing her visit, Mrs Tan also stopped by to admire the model of our new hospitals at AH lobby.
From 7-8 June 2012, a delegation from the Ministry of Health (MOH) visited Alexandra Hospital (AH) to conduct an inspection and readiness check on our staff, equipment, working knowledge and processes. The Licensing and Accreditation Audit is part of a regular MOH check to ensure hospitals comply with and uphold the highest of service standards. The first inspection since JurongHealth assumed management of AH, various wards, clinics and departments underwent close examination as the MOH representatives went about conducting their Licensing and Accreditation Audit. The representatives also familiarised themselves with how we work as they walked around and spoke with the various Heads of the Departments and inspected equipment. They also quizzed staff on standard operating procedures, inspected key tools and equipment, and noted on their overall serviceability and availability. Having met approval from MOH, we were awarded an operating license for a second time. The license certifies that AH has met the standards required under the Public Hospital & Medical Centre (PHMC) Act and will be able to continue providing accessible and safe care for our patients and the community. Kudos to all staff who have worked hard at giving JurongHealth a good head start at AH.
Musings
Savouring the Mid-Autumn Festival The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节, zhōng qīu jíe), more commonly known as the Mooncake Festival or Lantern Festival in Singapore, is a popular lunar harvest festival celebrated by the Chinese. Dating back to the Western Zhou Dynasty from 3,000 years ago, it is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, which is in September or early October in the Gregorian calendar.
The Mid-Autumn Festival in Singapore In Singapore, the festival is celebrated with street light-ups and bazaars selling lanterns, mooncakes and pomelos. Children can often be seen carrying lanterns of different shapes and sizes in the streets closer to the day of the festival. Many families also visit the Chinese Garden to see displays of giant lanterns throughout the venue.
The legend of Houyi and Chang’e The festival is strongly associated with the legend of Houyi and Chang’e. There are many different versions of this Chinese myth, but it is set around 2200 BC. Houyi was an immortal and Chang’e, a beautiful girl, was a palace attendant to the Queen Mother of the West (the Jade Emperor’s wife). In one version of the story, Houyi was made king but he became tyrannical. To stop him from gaining immortality, Chang’e, his wife, swallowed the immortality pill. In another version, she floated to the moon because she overdosed on the pill.
Mooncakes are commonly enjoyed during this period. Traditionally, they are filled with red bean and lotus paste, and may contain salted duck egg yolks to symbolise the full moon. They also have an imprint on top consisting of Chinese characters for longevity or harmony, the name of the bakery and the type of filling. Imprints of the moon, Chang’e, flowers, vines, or a rabbit may surround the characters.
The symbolism of mooncakes According to a widespread folklore, the MidAutumn Festival commemorates an uprising in China against Mongol rule during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). As it was illegal to have group meetings, it was impossible to plan a rebellion. Noting that their enemies did not eat mooncakes, Liu Bowen of Zhejiang Province and advisor to Zhu Yuanzhang, the Chinese rebel leader, suggested timing the rebellion to coincide with the Mid-Autumn Festival. He sought permission to distribute thousands of mooncakes to the Chinese residents in the city to bless the Mongol emperor with a long life. However, inside each cake, was a piece of paper with the message: “Kill the Mongols on the 15th day of the 8th month”. That very night, the rebels overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) under Zhu and henceforth, the festival was celebrated with mooncakes.
Mooncakes have evolved over the years to include miniature ones for easy consumption, snowskin crust or unusual fillings such as tiramisu, ice-cream, durian and coffee.
BAKED Mooncake Energy
Total Fat
Cholesterol
With lotus seed paste filling, no egg yolk 180 Kcal
17 g
8g
3 mg
With lotus seed paste filling, one egg yolk 200 Kcal
15 g
11g
63 mg
With lotus seed paste filling, two egg yolks 220 Kcal
14 g
14 g
120 mg
Snow-skinned Mooncake Energy
Although mooncakes are calorie-laden, Mr Charles Lew, Senior Dietician, said those watching their weight or blood sugar levels don’t have to give them up. When buying mooncakes, he recommends choosing the baked or snow-skinned variety over the flaky ones. Another tip is not to stick to only the ones with eggs. When eating mooncakes, cut them into pieces and share with others. Remember, part of the fun comes from enjoying them with your family and friends. Eat slowly, savouring on every bite, this way, you are less likely to overeat. If Chang’e were to overdose on mooncakes, she would not be able to fly. Likewise, if we overdosed on it, we would not be ‘over the moon’ this season.
Sugar
Sugar
Total Fat
Cholesterol
With lotus seed paste filling, no egg yolk 180 Kcal
18 g
8g
2 mg
Flaky Pastry Mooncake Energy
Sugar
Total Fat
Cholesterol
With yam seed paste filling, no egg yolk 200 Kcal
16 g
9g
Table based on 1/4 of a mooncake portion
2 mg