Staff Newsletter February 2024

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

COBRAM CAMPUS URGENT CARE CENTRE

Construction on the Cobram Campus Urgent Care Centre will be finalised this month, after some delays with the installation of specialised internal structures and equipment.

The new UCC is set to be operational from March 26 giving staff a few days prior to the Easter long weekend and school holiday period to settle in to the new facility. Many thanks to Cobram staff for your patience and hard work during stage one of this refurbishment and working together to continue to provide a great quality of care in urgent care and acute ward You can find the latest photos of the Urgent Care Centre on page 15 of this newsletter and on the front page of the intranet

Stage two of the redevelopment will begin in April and will impact access to the acute ward for staff and visitors. Stage two will see the demolition of the old ambulance entrance, refurbishment of the old UCC to create a new ultrasound room, office and accessible toilets, remodelling of the old acute reception and staff rooms, upgrade of a patient ensuite and the installation of a new fire wall

Significant disruption to normal staff and visitor access will occur during this stage This part of the project is expected to take 4 to 6 months. More detail around stage two, including maps of the proposed plan will be made available to staff in coming weeks.

NUMURKAH PIONEERS MEMORIAL LODGE

Planning for the new Lodge in Numurkah is well underway with a number of meetings taking place with the Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA) this year. Due to the scope and funding of the project, the VHBA are managing the build, working in partnership with NCN Health. Detailed planning will continue throughout 2024 and include consultation with staff and consumers to ensure that the design provides the best outcomes in regards to resident experience and staff working conditions.

MANDATORY TRAINING

Mandatory Training is back up and running for 2024. You can now access your online training and also book your in person practical training via Kineo on the intranet. Note that for 2024 Mandatory Training due date is end of September. This is earlier than other years to reflect the reduction in mandatory modules.

PATIENT ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM

NCN Health is working with Hume Public Hospitals to create and implement a new Patient Administration Program which will ultimately replace our current program VITAL.

The program is called IPM and is expected to be rolled out later this year across October and November. All staff affected by this change will be involved in training for the new program and there will be a transition period to ensure everyone is familiar and comfortable with the new program More information will be made available as we get closer to implementing the new Patient Administration System.

CODE RED

Well done to the staff in Numurkah Acute who recently responded to a CODE RED incident in the acute ward due to a small contained electrical fire. Your swift response ensured the safety of all patients, staff and visitors and was a great example of how our mandatory training becomes a critical aspect of our work.

NCN HEALTH CEO

Finally, recruitment of a permanent CEO for NCN Health continues, applications for the CEO role closed in early February and the NCN Health Board of Directors are facilitating the recruitment process. Hopefully the board will be in a position to announce the new CEO within a few weeks time

Happy Autumn everyone and have a great month,

What do you call a fish wearing a bowtie?

Sofishticated!

Justin Sullivan Interim CEO

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

Best of luck for the future to staff leaving us, and a warm welcome to all our new staff across NCN Health The following report reflects staff movement for February

Anita Way

Adrian Walker

Lynnette O’Bree

Jeanette Neilson

Sandeep Kaur

Remia Ferreira

Persian Ditchon

Shubhra Bhattacharya

Gabrielle Ransley

Nicole Wells

Iain Davidson

On Wednesday March 6 we farewelled our amazing Infection Control Co-Ordinator, Liz Smith

Liz has led NCN Infection Control for four years, and worked tirelessly through the COVID era Liz’s support and insight will be greatly missed across NCN Health.

Cobram staff held an afternoon tea to say our goodbyes. We wish you all the best, Liz!

REWARD AND RECOGNITION

Ellen Minotti - Cook/Nathalia

Ellen has demonstrated her resilience when it comes to the changes that have recently been implemented in the Nathalia Kitchen. I commend her for her can- do attitude and eagerness to implement the kitchen routines

Debra Kennedy - Cook, FSA and Environmental/Nathalia

Deb has been a great team player within the support service team, with The new changes to the kitchen routine Deb has taken the changes onboard and is doing a wonderful job along with showing leadership to the other staff members and working along side the other shifts and helping them out with the new changes.

Leeanne Purcell - RN/Cobram Acute

Leeanne is a competent and reliable team member for the Acute Ward

Leeanne is flexible and dependable in supporting the Acute Ward filling roster shortfalls and covering sick leave But more importantly Leeanne demonstrates professionalism, empathy and kindness to all staff, families and patients. Leeanne has a positive attitude and is a role model for all staff.

Amanda Aguirre-Villalobos - Associate NUM/Cobram Acute

Amanda has joined the Cobram Nursing leadership team in the last 12 months and has been a breath of fresh air. Amanda is a kind and compassionate nurse who takes time to listen to her patients and provides excellent clinical care

Amanda has more recently been allocated to working in charge on the Acute Ward. Amanda has shown strong leadership skills in managing the Acute Team, coordinating patient care and liaising with doctors, allied health staff and families.

Haley Tidd - Chef/Numurkah

Goes above and beyond to ensure the residents receive the best quality food and menus.

Pam Smith - Medical Clinic Admin / Nathalia

Pam continually comes up with ways to improve the way we do things in the Medical Clinic and in Administration, making things more accessible and easier for staff to navigate She is a very valued member of staff

Michelle Strawhorn - EEN / NPML

Michelle worked above and beyond her capaity to attend care needs of all residents , supported staff members who are new including RN, kitchen staff and try to complete the tasks and works for the day IN A POSITIVE attitude

LIFT THE LID WALK

The Rotary Club of Numurkah is hosting Lift The Lid 5km walk for mental health research and awareness

Family friendly event, BBQ lunch health information and guest speaker.

Dogs on leads welcome!

LIFT THE LID WALK

NCN Health have 50 tickets for staff and volunteers to join the walk.

To snag a ticket and join the walk RSVP to ncncommunications@ncnhealth.org.au by April 17.

By joining the walk you will receive a Lift The Lid T-Shirt and be representing NCN Health.

OH&S

The OH&S Team have been busy working to make OH&S information easily accessible for all NCN Health staff.

Over the past few weeks important OH&S information has been shared via the Comms Team - hopefully you have all been watching!

You can view the Educational series on the OH&S Intranet Page - which is found under P&C drop down menu.

We have included a couple below.

Cyber Security – Password Importance

Strong passwords are incredibly important. They protect all of our electronic devices and accounts from unauthorized access.

The importance is not just for at home where your personal information is stored, but also at work with your own information But also personal information of many others

Find some tip below to help setup a strong password:

Hackers use programs that cycle the most common, simplest passwords used. Because of this, your password should include a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols to increase its complexity. The more complex the password, the safer it is.

Choosing a password that’s easy to remember makes sense, and often can be done safely. Pick a phrase that’s memorable to you, and then create a secure password around it. For instance, the phrase “cup of joe” could be abbreviated to (uP!0F*J03#. The longer you use the same password, the greater the risk that it will become compromised. Update all your account and device passwords periodically and be sure that the new password is totally different from the original Recycling old passwords increases the likelihood of successful cyberattacks. Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts. Hackers are known to gain access to one password and then use it on multiple services to try and gain entry. Use a longer password. Our network forces a 13 character password to enable a stronger security password We have many other accounts we need to make passwords for, which it would be advisable to use at least 8 characters for a strong password

Staff Profiles

Jo Mills Jo Mills

I’ve been a district nurse since 2001 and Team Leader of Cobram DNS since 2005. l’ve lived locally for many years therefore I know many of the families and clients I speak to and have visited which is lovely. I’ve always had a clinical role in the community visiting clients in their homes which I’ve enjoyed doing until January 2024 when I commenced this role. I now have an Assistant Supervisor role whereby I’m office based and share that responsibility with Deb Barnes in Nathalia. My day includes speaking on the phone to clients, families and health service providers co ordinating referrals across NCH health for district nursing, answering calls from clients and families co ordinating care that is required, trouble shooting and responding to enquiries and any issues the clients, families, friends or service providers may have. I also co-ordinate daily client lists for the district nursing teams, provide rostering and support to staff across NCN DNS. I also support the graduate nursing program at NCN Health and student nurses that have placement at district nursing. My role also includes attending meetings that are relevant to district nursing. Our aim is to respond to any concerns, queries or referrals in a timely and respectful manner and I find I’m loving my new role. I look forward to hearing from our clients and families.

CELEBRATING CULTURALDIVERSITY ATWORK

Shareaplate.Discoverastory

NCNHealtharetakingpartinATasteofHarmonytoprovideanopportunitytorecogniseand celebrateNCNHealth'sculturaldiversity.HarmonyWeekisaboutinclusiveness,respectand belongingforallAustralians,regardlessofculturalorlinguisticbackground

Dressupinyourcultureoforiginorwearorange! We'llgettogetherforadeliciousmeal,play somegames,havethechancetosharestoriesandlearnmoreabouteachother!

NCNHealthNathalia'TasteofHarmony'eventdetails:

Location:NathaliaCampus StaffDiningRoom+outdoorarea

Date:Monday18thMarch2024

Time:12:00pm-2:00pm (beingaMonday,wewillsendoutSMStoremindstaff.)

FoodRequirements:

Gettogetherwithinyourdepartmentsandorganisetobringinaminimumoftwo(2) mainmealsandone(1)dessert(themorethemerrier)thatrepresentsyourcultureora cultureyouhaveastrongaffinitywith. Notethosemealsontheformbelowandreturn formtoSheridanDavies@ncnhealthorgaubyTuesday12thMarch2024forcatering purposes.

MealstobedeliveredtoStaffRoomindisposablecontainersontheday.

Ingredientlist/Allergenstobeprovidedwithfooditems:Milk/Dairy,Egg,Peanuts/Tree nuts,Fish/shellfish,Soy,Sulphite,Sesame,Wheat/GlutenandLupins

Contact:SheridanDavies(Mon-Wed)Sheridan.davies@ncnhealth.org.au

CELEBRATING CULTURALDIVERSITY ATWORK

Shareaplate.Discoverastory

NCNHealtharetakingpartinATasteofHarmonytoprovideanopportunitytorecogniseand celebrateNCNHealth'sculturaldiversity.HarmonyWeekisaboutinclusiveness,respectand belongingforallAustralians,regardlessofculturalorlinguisticbackground

Dressupinyourcultureoforiginorwearorange! We'llgettogetherforadeliciousmeal,play somegames,havethechancetosharestoriesandlearnmoreabouteachother!

NCNHealthCobram'TasteofHarmony'eventdetails:

Location:CobramCampus StaffDiningRoom+outdoorarea JoinusforagameofcricketandaZooperDooper!

Date:Tuesday19thMarch2024

FoodRequirements:

Time:12:00pm-2:00pm

Gettogetherwithinyourdepartmentsandorganisetobringinaminimumoftwo(2) mainmealsandone(1)dessertthatrepresentsyourcultureoracultureyouhavea strongaffinitywith. Notethosemealsontheformbelowandreturnformto Sheridan.Davies@ncnhealth.org.aubyTuesday12thMarch2024forcateringpurposes. MealstobedeliveredtoMainKitchenindisposablecontainersontheday.

Ingredientlist/Allergenstobeprovidedwithfooditems:Milk/Dairy,Egg,Peanuts/Tree nuts,Fish/shellfish,Soy,Sulphite,Sesame,Wheat/GlutenandLupins

Contact:SheridanDavies(Mon-Wed)

Sheridan.davies@ncnhealth.org.au

CELEBRATING CULTURALDIVERSITY ATWORK

Shareaplate.Discoverastory

NCNHealtharetakingpartinATasteofHarmonytoprovideanopportunitytorecogniseand celebrateNCNHealth'sculturaldiversity.HarmonyWeekisaboutinclusiveness,respectand belongingforallAustralians,regardlessofculturalorlinguisticbackground

Dressupinyourcultureoforiginorwearorange! We'llgettogetherforadeliciousmeal,play somegames,havethechancetosharestoriesandlearnmoreabouteachother!

NCNHealthNumurkah'TasteofHarmony'eventdetails:

Location:NumurkahCampus StaffDiningRoom+outdoorarea

Date:Thursday21stMarch2024 Time:12:00pm-2:00pm Comealongat12:30pmtoenjoyaveryspecialperformancefromourveryown canyouguesswhoitmightbe??

FoodRequirements:

Gettogetherwithinyourdepartmentsandorganisetobringinaminimumtwo(2)main mealsandone(1)dessertthatrepresentsyourcultureoracultureyouhaveastrongaffinity with. Notethosemealsontheformbelowandreturnformto Sheridan.Davies@ncnhealth.org.aubyTuesday12thMarch2024forcateringpurposes. MealstobedeliveredtoMainKitchenindisposablecontainersontheday.

Ingredientlist/Allergenstobeprovidedwithfooditems:Milk/Dairy,Egg,Peanuts/Tree nuts,Fish/shellfish,Soy,Sulphite,Sesame,Wheat/GlutenandLupins

Contact:SheridanDavies(Mon-Wed)

Sheridandavies@ncnhealthorgau

AROUND AROUND AROUND THE THE THE GROUNDS GROUNDS GROUNDS

What happened across NCN in February

Karinya had great busy February!

Bubble paint, Shepparton dog obedience club visit that PAG members joined and had a great time

A new piano was donated st month and our kitchen staff made a quilt for t back of piano which i beautiful.

Flower was donated b amily member who ha local flower business f flower arrangement

February Yarn Up

The first Yarn Up of 2024 was held in February. This month we took the Yarn Up outside and enjoyed the sunshine and creating clapping sticks

Cobram Campus Urgent Care Photos

Construction on the Cobram Campus Urgent Care Centre will be finalised this month, after some delays with the installation of specialised internal structures and equipment. The new UCC is set to be operational from March 26 giving staff a few days prior to the Easter long weekend and school holiday period to settle in to the new facility.

Join us for a fun filled day of activities, connect with local groups and clubs, and enjoy the benefits of being active.

EVENT:

VENUE:

Community Activities at the Rec Reserve - FREE for all

Nathalia Football Ground/Rec Reserve

DATE: TIME:

Friday April 11 10am - 12pm Hot

COME AND TRY:

Join us for a fun filled day of activities, connect with local groups and clubs, and enjoy the benefits of being active.

EVENT:

VENUE:

DATE:

Free Community Activities to get you moving.

Cobram Federation Park

Friday April 12

TIME:

10am - 12pm

COME AND TRY:

Hot Shot Tennis and Games | Skillzone Socc

Smoothie Bike |

Martial Arts Demo | Giant Lawn Games |

Freedom Frame | Art Workshop | Maternal Child Health |

Primary Care Connect

Join us for a fun filled day of activities, connect with local groups and clubs, and enjoy the benefits of being active.

EVENT:

VENUE:

DATE: TIME:

COME AND TRY: