Staff Newsletter OCTOBER 2024 by ncncommunications

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

It was great to see so many past and present staff, board members and volunteers attend the Cobram 75th Anniversary Celebrations and Open Day on Wednesday October 30th 2024. The event was an opportunity to celebrate the history of the Cobram Hospital and acknowledge the significant contribution of our staff and community to health in our region. Many thanks to the staff who organized the event and also those who assisted on the day with set up, catering, campus tours and Community Health and Services Promotion. A special mention to our guest speakers, past Board Presidents Leon West and Dale Brooks and current After Hours Managers, Fiona Currie and Genevieve Neilson.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The NCN Health Annual General Meeting will be held in the Harbison Day Room, Nathalia Campus, 36 – 44 McDonell Street, Nathalia on Wednesday 27th November 2024 at 4:00pm. Business for the AGM includes submission of the NCN Health Annual Report and Financial Statements for year ended 30th June 2024. We will also be acknowledging the Staff Service Awards for 2024 together with the Reward and Recognition Annual Staff Awards.

All staff are invited to attend the AGM in person or online You can find a link to the meeting here https://us02web zoom us/j/83 385773702

ANNUAL AWARDS

A reminder to cast your votes for the staff Annual Awards, these awards celebrate the achievements of your peers throughout the year. The award categories are: Excellence in Customer Service, Consumer Centred Care, Quality Improvement and Occupational Health and Safety. Nominations forms can be found on the intranet home page and in this newsletter Nominations close 20th November 2024.

STAFF FORUMS: VICTORIAN BUDGET AND HEALTH SERVICE PLAN

In keeping with our commitment to open and transparent communication around the budget cuts to Victorian Public Health Services (including NCN Health) and the Victorian Health Services Plan, staff forums were held at each campus in October.

While the remainder of the current financial year is now more certain for NCN Health, we anticipate that subsequent financial years will require our ongoing close management The Department of Health (Vic) has formed a new entity called Hospitals Victoria,

which will work closely with health services in financial planning and monitoring moving forward. NCN Health’s capacity to continue to be a financially responsible health service is thanks in part to the input from staff in a recent call to ideas for cost management measures. These measures contribute to our capacity to focus on our people (staff) and our services.

The leadership team and Board have had a good opportunity to review the Health Services Plan and will be working with the Department of Health to ensure NCN Health has a voice in the implementation of the plan. Broadly the Plan aims to reform Victoria’s health service system with a view to improving services across the state. The Plan will mean we will see a greater focus on working in partnership with health services local to our network. Some examples include, shared funding models and streamlined financial and human resources process As we know more about the Health Services Plan implementation process, we will share that information with staff.

Have a great month,

Mark Ashcroft CEO, NCN HEALTH

HUME PAS CONNECT IS HERE!

New Patient Administration System

All Hume Health Services, including NCN Health, are soon to upgrade to a new Patient Administration System (PAS) delivered by HUME PAS CONNECT. Hume PAS Connect will replace the current patient administration system. The replacement system is called i.PM.

We need a new Patient Administration System as our current system, ViTAL has reached end of life and is no longer supported with updates. Our new system will offer a better solution and experience for our staff and our patients. The new PAS i.PM will begin going live on October 1stboth the new system and our current system ViTAL will be available.

A full transition to the new system i PM PAS will occur on 20th November 2024 That means ViTAL will be turned off at 5pm 19th November.

There is a dedicated page on our staff intranet explaining more about the new PAS – you can check it out here Hume PAS Connect Project (iPM Software)

Stage 2 & 3 Renovation Cobram Campus Update

The Cobram Campus Urgent Care and Acute Ward Redevelopment is in its final stages of construction and is on track to be completed by the end of the year.

The redevelopment started in February 2023, with the new Urgent Care Centre Opening and operational in March 2024.

Ongoing Works

The front car park is currently being resurfaced which is expected to take 4 weeks. Once completed parking will be accessible as normal in this area.

Internal and external renovation continues with the remodeling of 2 patient rooms and ensuites, a new ultrasound room, a new reception desk area for the acute ward entrance and additional office and staff space

The front façade of the building including the original ‘Lisieux’ signage is being rendered in part and retouched.

New firewalls are currently being installed and main reception will be refurbished to compliment the renovations. This includes new flooring and repainting.

Signage will also be erected internally and externally around the Cobram Campus and landscaping plans to finish the redevelopment are being reviewed and finalised.

Parking Reminders

AM staff/day staff are all to park in the staff car park down Charles street (medical clinic/CRC Carpark)

PM staff are to also park in the staff car park down Charles street (medical clinic/CRC Carpark) Security are on site at 2200 as people leave to this space

ND please park in the car park out front of Irvin House, Security are in the area from 2115 as staff arrive to allow safe entry

Urgent care/ Radiology and patient/visitors have very limited car parks so please DO NOT park Broadway St.

Please if you have any concerns around locations of parking for your shift speak to your manager.

Maintenance Driveway

Staff parking remains closed in this area as Crow Constructions will be using this space to access the acute area for construction works. You will see that Meals on Wheels continue to collect meals f th d i b t M di l d D t l d CRC

HybridHero

What is HybridHero?

HybridHero is our desk booking system which enables staff who work across campuses to make sure they always have somewhere to sit.

How do I book a desk?

Booking a desk has never been easier - simply jump onto the Intranet and select Desk Booking from the front page. You will need to enter your username (staff email) and password.

Once you have logged in and set up your profile you have access to the desks to book what you need.

Watch the video below to see how to book your desk and check in.

How often do I need to book a desk?

You only need to book a desk if you are working at a campus that you don’t normally work from and need to sit in a new location.

How do I know if a desk is available?

When booking in the desks that are available will be able to be selected. If you can’t select a desk, it has already been booked by someone else.

What if my work plans change?

If you are no longer in need of a booking, please adjust your bookings as soon as you know. This allows someone else to use that desk.

ICT REQUESTS

TO SUBMIT AN ICT REQUEST TO HRHA PLEASE USE THESE DETAILS:

Email: Service.Desk@hrha.org.au

Phone: (Internal) *4742

Phone: (External) (03) 5825 9990

Please alert your direct manager if you feel the request needs escalating. They will escalate to the Business Services Manager if required for escalation with HRHA. In this instance you will need to give your manager and the Business Services Manager the job number associated with your IT issue.

Staff Service Awards

Recognising years of service to the organisation. Life Governor Awarded at 30 years.

Each month there are a number of staff reaching significant milestones, don’t forget to congratulate them on their achievement.

Well done and thank you for your hard work and dedication!

October

Kim Serong, 20 years. Colleen Brooks, 15 years.

Fausat Adegbenro

Leanne Bennett

Ajin Chacko

Tracey Desailly

Melissa Garth

Katelyn Hughes

Helan Jacon

Brijesh Kumar

Jodie Melverton

Annalise Taylor

Esther Wamboi

Leanne Bennett

Wendy Caddy

Kay Cole

Jasmine Luscombe

Debra Morland

Caitlin Nolan

Ibtisam Shabo

REWARD AND RECOGNITION

Tammy Warren - Maintenance / Cobram

Tammy was fantastic in quickly changing over the broken podiatry chair inbetween clients with very short notice, she stopped what she was doing and sorted it straight away. Tammy is always helpful we are so lucky to have her onboard.

Carolyn Hargreaves - Director Clinical Services / Cobram

Carolyn has worked across all campuses in recent months supporting staff absence and leave in the DCS role. She has done an outstanding job of supporting outbreaks of gastro on weekends at a site when she was not actually on call and has always stepped up to ensure the staff are well supported and patient and resident safety was considered in all areas. I believe Carolyn has gone above and beyond to support NCN and has demonstrated all of our values in her work. I know exec are not typically nominated for these awards however given the long period of time Carolyn has been filling in the gaps and to such a high standard I feel she is a very worthy nominee

Lisa Williams - EN Acute / Numurkah

Lisa is a very approachable team member and is always inclusive She provides exceptional patient care in a timely, respectful, and gentle manner. An absolute pleasure to work with!

Trudy Harris - Administration Assistant / Numurkah and Cobram

Trudy has shown a strong commitment to understanding all aspects of administrative roles, across Cobram & Numurkah. One of Trudy’s standout qualities is her availability and readiness to be shuffled into different roles as required. This flexibility is invaluable in dynamic work environments where needs can change rapidly. Her ability to step into various positions not only supports her colleagues but also enhances team cohesion and productivity.

Lance Boyd - Enrolled Nurse / Numurkah

Lance goes above and beyond to help his co-workers on a daily basis

CHILDRENS WEEK

Children’s week was held October 18-27 and NCN Health held events across Katunga, Cobram and Numurkah in partnership with 54 Reasons. Each event was designed to encourage active play, healthy eating and community by bringing school groups, pre schools and play groups together for a morning of fun and activities in each town.

COBRAM HOSPITAL TURNS 75

2024 marks 75 Years since the Cobram Hospital, now NCN Health Cobram, was purchased by the community from Dr Gerald Kennedy. The health service celebrated with an Open Day, historic photo wall unveiling, sharing of hospital history, guest speakers, bbq lunch and cake.

Community Health was open for the day to showcase their services to the community, allied health staff were on hand to talk about their services and how to access them. We had health promotion staff in attendance, the smoothie bike was well received and free popcorn enjoyed by all.

Around 120 past and present staff, volunteers, board members, school students and community members gathered to hear from guest speakers –Leon West, Cobram Hospital Board President 1983 – 2000, Dale Brooks Cobram Hospital President 2015 – 2019 and NCN Health Board Chair 2020 –2022, After Hours Managers Genevieve Neilson who started at Cobram Hospital in 1999 and Fiona Currie who started at the hospital in 2004.

The Cobram District Ladies Auxiliary were in attendance sharing memories and holding a raffle – winner of the raffle was Carol Eddy.

To read about the amazing history of the Cobram Hospital - follow this link https://issuu.com/ncncommunications/docs/75_year_booklet? fr=sZTNmMDYzNjQ2NjU

ENVIRO STAFF CONGRATULATIONS

In October many of our Enviro staff completed their Certificate IIIHealth Services Assistance courses. Congratulations to all of you, this is a great achievement.

Chris Leskie, Andrea Walker and Moonyen Salceouedes Kylie Hutchinson

Myra Smith

NCN HEALTH COBRAM, SES AND COBRAM AV TRAINING NIGHT

In October the Cobram SES, Cobram AV and nurses from NCN Health Cobram got together to participate in rescue scenarios and learn about pre-hospital care. Huge thank you to Tim Ivone for coordinating the night. Tim is a Registered Nurse who works in the Cobram Urgent Care Centre, is a paramedic with Cobram AV and a member of the SES

STAFF INFLUENZA VACCINATIONS 2024

Nathalia

Numurkah

OT STUDENTS AT NCN

Indiya Parker and Aisha Tomkinson have been on placement at NCN Health for the past 7 weeks They’ve written a little article about their time here and the project they worked on

We are two third-year occupational therapy students from Charles Student University who had the opportunity to attend a project/clinical placement at NCN Numurkah for 7 weeks

During our time here we had the chance to work with acute ward patients and the local community members A significant part of this placement consisted of completing a footpaths intuitive project to put toward the Moira shire to implement in the future. Within the duration of our placement, we organised and facilitated multiple program sessions in the community at Numurkah Apex Park These programs were focused highly on developing fine and gross motor skills for children as well as promoting physical activities and movement for families and the wider community We enjoyed this placement as it provided us with a range of opportunities to put our occupational therapy skills into practice and experience working alongside children and their families We would highly recommend our time spent here at NCN to future students and thank the team for being so supportive and welcoming during our time here.

DIETETICS STUDENTS AT NCN

NCN Health currently has four dietetics students from Monash University on placement with us - Tara, Lara, Olivia and Sam They have been busy working with community health on events across the region and have begun to implement a cooking program at Wunghnu Primary School

The aim of the program is to teach kids the importance of a healthy, balanced diet while making food fun In week 1 the students learnt about ‘eating a rainbow’ and how different coloured foods help our bodies, they made some dips and tried some new foods. Students have been involved in food preparation through mashing, chopping, stirring, measuring and a few tears when onions were cut up!

The program is running for the next few weeks and we can’t wait to hear how the students progress

NATIONAL RURAL AND REMOTE

ALLIED HEALTH CONFERENCE

In October Jenny Burrows, Carol Reid and Claire Candidio attended the National Rural and Remote Allied Health Conference in Mildura At the conference Jenny, Carol and Claire presented to the group on our partnership approach with student projects to meet the local needs of our community, and highlighted some of the research outcomes and consequent programs that have been delivered locally.

Throughout the conference there were many presentations on how to best utilise students for the greatest outcomes for the organisation, clients and community and for the students themselves. Offering students a rich rural placement is important to attract them to the rural workforce.

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Dental Discount for NCN Health staff located at Nathalia and Numurkah

10%

Staff must be in uniform or show their Staff ID Photo Card at the time of the appointment to receive the discount. Can only be used at the Numurkah practice. No discounts will be given post appointment

OH&S Training

Dementia Australia[DA] are holding 2 sessions to provide staff working in our RAC’s with some skills and techniques de-escalate safely following a behavioural emergency The training will be held on the 20 and 21 November 2024 at Cobram and Numurkah Campus. Please discuss any queries you may have with your Manager as they have the full details;

At the completion of this session participants will be able to:

Recognise emotional and physical signs of escalation

Understand how increased stress impacts a person with dementia

Apply person-centred de-escalation skills

Contribute to debriefing to determine potential cause of behaviour

Reduce the risk of harm for both the person with dementia and staff

If you are interested in attending please discuss this with your Nurse Unit Manager.

November 2024

December 2024

hrs – 1445 hrs

November 2024 12 December 2024 1330 hrs – 1400 hrs

Respiratory Fit Test

As per appointments available on the booking sheet

Enrol via Kineo Classroom Booking system

Enrol by contacting our team directly at NCNOHS@ncn health.org.au

Book an appointment via the NCN Health Intranet page under People & Culture/OHS

Snake Awareness

As the weather warms up it is important that you are aware of the hazard snakes pose around our campuses and what to do if you see one. Whilst you should be cautious in all areas around the campus, you should be especially mindful of the possibility of a snake encounter around the gardens and the bush areas of the buildings. Should you be on campus at night try to keep to the well-lit areas so you can see what you are walking on This is important as snakes tend to be attracted to pathways after dark as the pathways retain heat

If you see a snake –

Remain calm

DO NOT approach the snake

Move anyone in immediate danger and walk away slowly

Keep a safe distance so the snake does not feel threatened

Under no circumstances try to kill, capture or otherwise provoke a snake

If bitten call 000 immediately

Submit an incident report [VHIMS]

What to do if a snake is inside one of our facilities –

Remain calm

DO NOT approach the snake

Move anyone in immediate danger and walk away slowly

Keep a safe distance so the snake does not feel threatened

Call for assistance

Secure the area and prevent anyone entering the area

Place towels under any gaps under doors

Monitor the snakes movement at a safe distance

Open any external doors to allow the snake to freely exit the building

Under no circumstances try to kill, capture or otherwise provoke a snake

If bitten call 000 immediately

If the snake does not exit the building contact Victoria’s Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning [DELWP] on 136 186, they can provide a list of snake handlers in the area to assist with its relocation

Submit an incident report [VHIMS]

Respiratory Fit Test

Is your N95 Mask the correct one?

Did you know that you need a new fit test done at least every few years? You may need one sooner if you have had any changes.

WHEN DO I NEED A NEW TEST?

You can request a Respiratory Fit Test at any time - particularly is you have:

Significant weight loss or gain

Facial trauma/surgery

Scarring or cosmetic surgery/cosmetic procedures such as fillers

Extensive dental work including extractions and new dentures

Any concerns about the respirator you were previously fitted

HOW DO I BOOK A TEST

Appointments can be scheduled via the Intranet under the People and Culture tab.

Please organise to collect your $30 cash prize from Numurkah reception. You have 6 months to collect your winnings!!! The NCN Health Social Club Billy Barrel Cash Prize winnersforOCTOBERARE... MarisaFriedrich

Sustainability Matters

The Sustainability page on the Intranet has had an overhaul. You can now find all sorts of information about what NCN Health are doing in the area of sustainability, what we have achieved, tips for being more sustainable in your communities and resources for all. You can find the Sustainability page via a quick link on the front page of the Intranet.

Next week is National Recycling Week, and we have put together a little Recycling Trivia Quiz. Which you can also find on the Sustainability Intranet page. Check it out and see how you fare against other NCN Health staff. At the end of National Recycling Week we’ll share the results (and the answers!)

https://hrhacloud.sharepoint.com/sites/NCNHealthIntranet/Site Pages/Sustainability.aspx

Waste Segregation

WhatItemsbelongintheYellowBin? WhatItemsbelongintheRedBin?

DisposablePlates DisposablePlates Soileditems Soileditems

Every Tuesday and Thursday

Join Chelsey and Angela for free fitness classes at the NCN

Health Numurkah CH&W Gym

Our Programs

Cardio & Strength Circuit

Les Mills Body Balance

HIIT Tabata

Les Mills Body Combat

Metafit Boxing

MetaPWR

HIITSTEP

Numurkah Community

Health and Wellbeing Gym

Chelsey.Thorne@ncnhealth.org.au

Angela.Thorne@ncnhealth.org.au Angela.Thorne@ncnhealth.org.au

Meryula Clinic @ Numurkah

SERVICES

The Meryula Clinic is a free and confidential service run by GV Health and supported by NCN Health. The clinic is for all individuals within the region and is run by experienced nurses who specialise in sexual and reproductive health