In The Loop- October 2020

In The Loop St John of God South East Melbourne Hospitals Caregiver Magazine

Pictured: The St John of God Sisters outside St John of God Brighton, c 1950. A mental health facility run by our Sisters.

Covid-19

Karen Ward’s experience leading a Covid-19 positive unit

20 in 2020

Meet the caregivers who are celebrating 20 years of service in 2020

Berwick | Frankston | Pinelodge Clinic | Langmore Centre

Hospitality | Compassion | Respect | Justice | Excellence

Foundation Day

The story of the Sisters of St John of God

Welcome Lisa Norman

CEO, South East Melbourne hospitals Welcome to “In the Loop” our new South East Melbourne (SEM) newsletter that will come to you monthly. We hope that you look forward to reading about what is happening in SEM but more importantly we hope that you play a role in helping fill the pages.

2020 has been all about COVID-19 and as Summer approaches I hope that it will be all about returning to normal,, but in reality I know that we have a new normal. Covid-19 has changed us and we have to adapt to the new world.

We will be more conscious about physical distance between people, more cautious about what we touch and how we behave when we cough or sneeze. We will be more grateful about spending time with our friends and family and we will have a new respect for being able to do things outside of our homes.

I am really looking forward to family events and going to the movies or seeing a live show. As many of you know I love to shop and I cannot wait to wander around shops and see what’s new.

In terms of work, I am looking forward to bringing SEM together and leveraging off the amazing talents we have at each site. We have this great opportunity to provide our community with a complete health care solution. From Anxiety to Parkinson’s, from Parenthood to Reconditioning, from Robotics to Drug and Alcohol Addiction or from Critical Care to Pain Management we have it covered.

Over the coming months I am looking forward to creating a plan that will track our journey to serving one region. At the moment we align ourselves to belonging predominately to one site but if SEM is a success we will identify ourselves differently.

The reopening of the Langmore centre to serve aged care residents, who were dislocated from their home due to COVID-19, highlighted how we can come together for a common goal. It was incredible to see people who normally work in Theatre, Rehabilitation or Mental Health come together to serve some of the most vulnerable people in our community. The success of this site was that people focused on making this building a home, Caregivers put the needs of the residents above themselves and imagined how frightened and disrupted our residents felt and tried to bring joy to their lives whilst they were in our Care.

Because of this, I know as a team we are capable of great things and because of this I know SEM will be a great success.

St John of God Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital

St John of God Berwick Hospital St John of God Pinelodge Clinic

St John of God Langmore Centre

Feedback and story ideas are welcome: marketing.berwick@sjog.org.au

In The Loop is a monthly publication which brings together stories and news from the St John of God South East Melbourne Hospitals, keeping caregivers in the loop.

St John of God Berwick Hospital

St John of God Langmore Centre

St John of God Pinelodge Clinic

South East Melbourne Hospitalswho are we?

We moved to a new structure earlier this year which was somewhat overshadowed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

It’s time to start getting to know each other.

St John of God Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital

There’s always a period of settling in after a change. It takes time to become familiar with new faces, new procedures and different ways of doing things. Unfortunately, Covid-19 disrupted that process earlier this year when we came together as the South East Melbourne hospitals.

You may be asking why we have come together as a regional group of hospitals. The answer is easy- there are lots of reasons.

Across the region there is a real need for comprehensive and consistent health care which patients can access closer to home, without compromising on quality and without the stress of travelling into the city. St John of God Health Care saw that opportunity and recognised that we already had the facilities in place to meet the community need.

It made sense to bring these 4 facilities together under one leadership team to maximise on strategic and cross-promotional opportunities and to build on a reliable, consistent and top quality healthcare offering to patients on the outskirts of metropolitan Melbourne.

Lisa Norman, CEO -South East Melbourne Hospitals, was the obvious choice to lead this new hospital cluster. Not only has Lisa previously been the CEO/DON of Frankston Rehab, but she has spent the last 10 years as the CEO (and DON for some time) of the Berwick

By Lisa Carman, SEM Marketing and Communications Manager

Hospital, which has included a redevelopment and a track record of implementing change and managing her team to success.

If you haven’t yet met Lisa, you can look forward to her calming presence, warmth, intelligence, compassion and ability to gently push you out of your comfort zone towards personal growth and excellence.

Lisa heads up the SEM HMC (South East Melbourne Head Management Committee) who are the team managing the overarching region.

From there, each hospital has their own divisional level leadership structure.

One of the things which sets SJGHC apart from other healthcare providers is our strong culture, mission and values. That’s why Rhonda O’Connor, Director Mission Integration, moved from her role at Berwick to a regional SEM position. Rhonda’s focus is on bringing the 4 hospitals together as a united force dedicated to delivering the very best consistent compassionate care.

Each of the 4 hospitals has a different speciality which each compliment each other. It means patients can receive whole person care closer to home, while knowing that they will be cared for with the same respect, compassion and hospitality no matter which of our doors they walk through.

St John of God Pinelodge Clinic offers psychiatric inpatient and outpatient care covering both mental health illness and addicition. Currently

based in Dandenong, the team will relocate to Berwick’s Langmore Centre in 2022.

The Langmore Centre was home to St John of God Berwick Hospital until January 2018 when the hospital relocated to a brand new building just 3km away. The original Gibb St facility began as a tiny little weather-board hospital 110 years ago and has served an important role in adapting to the community needs of the Casey-Cardinia region. It is heart warming to know that its legacy will continue as the Langmore Centre will bring mental heath services to a community who is need once again.

St John of God Berwick Hospital is an acute hospital, offering a wide range of specialties including cancer care, maternity, day surgery, medical care, robotic surgery, ICU, cardiac services, rehabilitation and a broad range of surgical specialties.

Rehab is also the expertise of St John of God Frankston Rehabiliatation Hospital, offering a range of specialised inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs.

So, in answer to that question around why we have restructured-it’s the same answer it’s always been. It’s about the patient and bringing them the best quality care and serving our community the best way we can.

We look forward to bringing you more detail about each of our services, the patients we serve and the cargegivers who make it all happen in upcoming issues of In The Loop.

Foundation Day

A Voyage of Discovery Foundation Day is St John of God Healthcare’s annual celebration honoring the foundations of the organisation based on the inspiring work of the Sisters of St John of God.

By Gillian Coyle, Community Relations Co Ordinator

On a cold October day in 1895, eight women from Ireland’s Sisters of St John God order embarked on what was to become a truly magnificent legacy spanning 125 years, two continents and one of Australia’s largest healthcare providers. Let us take you back to our origins – the story of our Founding Sisters. This is a story of courage, compassion and great vision.

One can only imagine what our eight Founding Sisters must have thought travelling to the other side of the world to a country completely unknown to them. What inspired eight young Irish women, whose average age was just 30, take on this mission? Perhaps their own short history as a relatively newly formed congregation can tell us something of their courage and resilience to step into the great unknown; but yet at the same time, knowing in their hearts that they would never return home to Ireland or see their loved ones again.

Only 24 years prior, Sister Bridget Clancy and Bishop Thomas Furlong founded the order of the Sisters of St John of God in Wexford, Ireland. At that time, Ireland was still experiencing the effects of the Great Famine of the 1840s and so the Sisters were formed to minister to the sick, impoverished and destitute in Ireland’s ‘Workhouses’ which were desperate places of suffering and sadness. It was here, in the Workhouses, the tiny seeds of the Sisters of St John of God congregation took root on 7th October 1871. Soon the congregation spread far and wide across Ireland providing healthcare and education to Ireland’s poor – a legacy that lives on today.

Fast-forward to 1895, and the Order accepted the call from Bishop Matthew Gibney to help the sick, poor and needy in the Goldfields in Western Australia which was facing a Typhoid epidemic. The eight Pioneering Sisters set off to commence their Australian mission, beginning with a six week voyage on the ship RSM Orizaba, covering treacherous seas, and finally docking in Albany on the 23rd November. Sadly, the vessel was shipwrecked only 10 years later off the coast of Freemantle in 1905.

After a long train journey, the Sisters arrived in Perth on 25th November and set up their first residence in Adelaide Terrace. This became their home and first hospital nursing the sick in this community. Like ripples in a pond, the Sisters soon spread their congregation developing convent hospitals across Western Australia.

By 1915, the Sisters had established their first hospital in Ballarat – which still stands today as a St John of God Hospital.

Due to an aging sisterhood, the Sisters gave their blessing to the formation of the St John of God Health Care Group in 1989. Its purpose is to carry on their vision of compassionate healthcare as a not-for-profit organisation that is grounded in the Sisters mission, culture and values. The Sisters continue to be represented at the Board of Trustees and provide religious guidance to the organisation.

Today, as our caregivers follow in the footsteps of our Pioneering Sisters we remember and honour their

Berwick News

Sisters of St John of God, New Subiaco Hospital 1912

St John of God Golbourn Hopsital c 1950

St John of God Subiaco Hospital, c 1950

Sisters of St John of God, Adelaide Terrace, 1897

St John of God Brighton Sisters c 1985

compassion, courage and their vision to ‘always do good’. Never before has this been more poignant in the year 2020, as we face this historical global pandemic.

Our caregivers have stood tall in the spirit of our Pioneering Sisters – faced the unknown, cared for the most vulnerable and continued their legacy. We should be proud of our brave pioneers and proud of ourselves.

Today, we acknowledge our Irish Pioneer Sisters: Ellen Dunne – Bridget O’Brien – Helena Brennan – Margaret Kenny – Veronica Hanlon – Bridget Gleeson – Julia Gleeson – Mary Hanley –

Sister M Cecilia Sister M Antonio Sister M Angela Sister M Magdalene Sister M Bridget Sister M Ita Sister M John Sister M Assumpta

We may be separated by more than a century but we are brought together by our mission and to live out the Sisters’ five Maxims:

Nothing is ‘too much’, nothing is ‘too good’ for the sick Welcome and care for each patient as if Jesus had come to you Healing will occur best when the patient feels pampered The way you treat things, reflects the way you treat people It is the little things that matter

Celebrating 20 years in 2020 Congratulations to our caregivers celebrating 20 years of service to St John of God Healthcare

Khong Ioualitene, Frankston What is your current role and has that changed over the last 20 years?

I work as a Food Services Assistant and Menu Monitor. When I first started at Frankston I also did environmental and porter duties. After one year, my role changed to catering only and I have been here ever since.

What makes SJOG a good place to work?

Everyone is here to help others. It is a friendly place with good co-workers. People are respectful and care about the patients.

What are your fondest memories of working at SJOG? Seeing that we consistently deliver compassionate care to our patients every day. I am a compassionate person and it makes me happy to help our patients and meet their needs. I like to comfort them and assist them in any way I can at meals time.

Anne Fabbri, Berwick What is your current role and has that changed over the last 20 years?

I am currently an enrolled nurse working in post-natal. My role has changed, I originally only worked in the surgical ward, however when other departments became busy I often worked in other areas: day ward, maternity and medical ward. In 20 years, I have become very adaptable and enjoyed the diversity that I get from each of these wards.

What makes SJOG a good place to work?

Allowing us to have a safe, reliable, and caring environment. I like the flexibility for me to be able to work in other departments, good mentoring and general help when needed.

What are your fondest memories of working at SJOG? Having a relaxed but sincere workplace always helps. Once we paged Pat Slide to theatre, Pat Slide is a solid board used to assist in moving patients across from their bed… it was funny at the time! I would say opening the new wing at Gibb St was a very special moment for me.

Patrice Hawkins, Berwick What is your current role and has that changed over the last 20 years?

My current role is Supply Officer, but I started my career with SJOG Frankston as an all rounder, working in Catering, Environmental Services and portering for patients to Physio.... all part of what was then, our daily tasks! I eventually stayed in the role of Environmental Services, later to become a Manager within that Department, along with ward supply. At 9 years and 11 months, I was awarded the role of Supply Officer for SJOG Berwick Theatres where I remained up until 4 years ago.

What makes SJOG a good place to work in?

My fellow caregivers and the opportunities afforded to me.

What are your fondest memories of working at SJOG? At SJOG Frankston, I have a standout memory of one patient in particular, who had achieved a milestone for himself. He was

What are your career highlights/ achievements?

On a personal level, my achievements are the experience I’ve developed over the years in learning about food hygiene and the training I’ve completed through St John of God. I like to feel that I am reliable and often come into work at short notice to cover absences.

How has SJOG changed in the previous 20 years?

There have been many changes in management, across teams but also lots of improvements too. The biggest change for me is seeing how food services, menus and tastes have changed over time. There is now more emphasis and consideration to specific diets that need to be catered to in a hospital setting.

I look forward to the Common Menu System being introduced here at Frankston.

What are your career highlights/ achievements?

Achieving my Certificate in Drug Administration - very intense months of study and also completing a course in maternity post natal care. Day to day, my personal achievement is one-on-one personal care of the patient. If I have achieved that, I’m happy.

How has SJOG changed over the last 20 years?

Bigger and better! I must say sometimes I miss the old place of bumping into everyone, however SJOG is a state of the art hospital. It is professional, but still maintains a caring atmosphere which could easily get lost up and down the different floors. It has changed so much but it is great it still maintains unity as a workplace.

non-verbal, with limited mobility. I clearly recall the delight that shone from his eyes as he was gesturing to his achievement of the small movement, he was able to make.

It was a very moving moment.

SJOG Berwick has offered me warm and wonderful friendships along with all the knowledge I have gained on medical consumables!

What are your career highlights/achievements?

While my role is not directly involved with patients, the knowledge that my role contributes to the wellbeing of our patients through ensuring our Units are covered with their supply needs I find very fulfilling.

How has SJOG changed over the last 20 years? Wow, how far we have come! I have a deep sense of pride seeing and being part of the growth of SJOG Berwick.

Julie Morrissey, Frankston What is your current role and has that changed over the last 20 years?

I work on Wexford Ward at Frankston as an Enrolled Nurse. Over the years my role has changed with updating my qualifications to now be able to dispense medications. I have also taken on more responsibility on the ward becoming the OH&S representative What makes SJOG a good place to work?

The staff are what makes SJOG a great place to work. All departments work together as a team. I have worked with a lot of people for several years and they are not just my workmates but my friends.

What are your fondest memories of working at SJOG? My fondest memories are how you can be having a bad day and someone will notice and ask how you are or just make you

Suzanne Doble, Frankston What is your current role and has that changed over the last 20 years?

20 years ago, I started working in the kitchen at Frankston and did some ward cleaning. I also did portering for the physio team which included delivering patients to the pool and gym for their therapies.

What makes SJOG a good place to work?

It is a privilege to work at SJOG I am extremely fortunate to work with a vibrant team of people who are all committed to providing a high standard of care in a manner that allows our patients to feel safe.

What are your fondest memories of working at SJOG? When the swimming pool was first built, we held our Christmas party poolside which was a nice treat. I also remember celebrating when we reached 30 patients and then 60 patients. I fondly remember visits from the Sister of St John of God who would come to celebrate special days like St John of God Day and attending their Wellness Days at their house in

Ellen Pritchard, Frankston What is your current role and has that changed over the last 20 years?

My current role is Outpatient Clerk/Co-Ordinator. Over the last 9 months have been working over two sites, both Frankston and co-ordinating outpatients rehab at Berwick’s Stephenson House. I started in front reception, the very first day we opened at Frankston as Nepean Rehabilitation Hospital, then owned by Donvale Rehab. Nepean were struggling financially in their second year and so it was a blessing that St John of God Healthcare bought and took over the hospital. After 3 years in main reception I moved to the outpatient department.

What makes SJOG a good place to work?

St John of God is a great organisation to work in as you are learning and being chalenged everyday. Work can be very busy, but it so worth it, when you are helping patients who need you and appreciate your care.

What are your fondest memories of working at SJOG? Fondest memories are putting a smail e on a patients face and making them feel like they’re not alone and that someone

laugh. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 and had to have a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy the Hospital made it easy for me to continue to work . My wonderful workmates were fantastic and showed me why I love to work at SJOG Frankston.

What are your career highlights/ achievement?

My achievements are helping people to achieve their rehab goals and return home.

How has SJOG changed in the previous 20 years?

SJOG Frankston has changed greatly over the last 20 years. We have gone through renovations several times and had changes over the years in management which all bring challenges but it has always been for me a great place to work.

Mornington. There was always fun activities going on like Christmas decorating competitions, bed making competitions, dress up days etc.

We also would host ‘Open Days’ to welcome the community to experience the services we offer.

What are your career highlights/ achievement?

I have had many opportunities to extend myself. I implemented ways the timetable could include all disciplines for better communication with patients. It enabled patients to be notified early and the daily timetable to be distributed to all departments.

How has SJOG changed in the previous 20 years?

SJOG Frankston has become much larger in patient numbers.

We continue to provide a well-rounded healthcare experience to care for the needs of the ‘whole person’. Thank you to my work family it is a pleasure to come to work every day.

cares. I was also able to experience the hospital in a diferent role and that was as a visitor, as my dad was was an inpatient/ outpatient twice, and so was my husband, Gary. The care of the nurses, Allied Health, environmental staff, rehab specialists and administration staff were amazing and it was great to experience a different side to the organisation and to have that support which I needed at those times.

What are your career highlights/ achievement?

My career highlight is growing with St John of God and learning everyday. I have been an OH&S rep for over 10 years now at Frankston for the admin department, that has been a good achievement- helping the department to be educated on being safe.

How has SJOG changed in the previous 20 years?

St John of God has grown so much in the last 20 years.

Caregivers have come and gone but everyone who works at Frankston is so friendly and smiling. The friendships I have made here at Frankston- no matter what happens in the future- I will treasure forever.

We also thank Helen Monahan, Pinelodge Clinic, for 20 years of service. Helen is retiring on the 19th October and we wish her all the very best!

Long serving doctors- 2020 20 years Dr Jacques Lam, Obstetrician/Gynaecologist Dr Jacques Lam has delivered hundreds and hundreds of healthy babies during his twenty years with St John of God Berwick Hospital. Well-known and loved in the Berwick area for his calming and gentle demeanour, Dr Lam celebrates 20 years of service to the hospital in 2020.

Our thanks to you, Jacques and congratulations!

Dr Tom Edgley, Anaesthetist Dr Tom Edgley is a familiar face within Berwick’s operating theatres. Tom is a valued part of the team and a regular name on the Berwick Anaesthetic roster and part of the endoscopy team. Tom is also the MAC representative for Anaesthetics at Berwick.

Congratulations and gratitude to you, Tom, for 20 years of service to the hospital.

25 years Dr Mark Tarrant, Obstetrician/Gynaecologist Dr Mark Tarrant is the Chairman of Berwick’s MAC (Medical Advisory Committee) and also the recently formed SEM MAC. Like Dr Lam, Mark is known and loved in the local area, having delivered hundreds of babies.

Dr Tarrant and Dr Lam are also part of Berwick’s Joy lower cost maternity care model.

Thankyou to Dr Tarrant for his hard work, commitment to the hospital and our maternity patients over an incredible 25 years! Congratulations!

Dr John Monagle, Anaesthetist/Pain Management Dr John Monagle is a friendly and loved member of the SJGHC team. Having served the Casey-Cardinia region for 25 years, John also now holds the position of Director of Medical Services- South East Melbourne Hospitals.

John’s impeccable reputation as a pain management specialist is testament to his compassion and care for his patients, which is so well aligned with the mission and values of SJGHC. john has played an integral part of the Covid-19 advisory team, leading our SEM hospitals through the challenges of the virus. Thank you for 25 years of service, John. Congratulations!

Karen Ward’s reflections on caring during Covid-19 NUM Karen leads Berwick’s 4 East team and received 30 residents at very short notice in the midst of the Covid-19 aged care crisis.

In that first hour, it was amazing to see how everyone came together as a team, caregivers from all different areas working together to organise the unit, move patients, clean rooms and support each other along the way.

The residents arrived and it was very challenging, as we had no idea about the care needs of these people, they came with no history, no paperworkonly a name and what the ambulance could tell us. We didn;’t know who was Covid-19 positive and who was negative.

Of the 30 residents, 24 were positive, 6 negative, 22 were confused, 7 were hoist transfers, and many needed full assist with meals and toileting.

The residents were not transferred with gait aids, many had no glasses, hearing aids, and no one had toiletries or belongings. Literally the clothes they came in.

The first 24/48 hours were challenging for many reasons. The residents’ families were calling- very distressed.

There were multiple family members calling through, which meant, on average, we would have anywhere form 5-15 calls an hour. Too many for us to take.

Over the coming days we managed to put a plan in place and pastoral care called every next of kin with daily updates. This eased the distress and the calls.

We established care needs for each patient. We had their preferred name, allergies, what assistance they needed with meals and mobility, and their likes and dislikes. We placed these lists outside each resident’s room, so we could quickly familiarise ourselves before we entered their room. This gave us the ability to provide personalised care.

There was a lot of anxiety from caregivers regarding both their own personal safety and that of their family. We redeployed 11 caregivers from our normal unit due to medical conditions and pregnancy. They were able to take roles within other areas of the hospital so that others could come across and help on 4 East. Everyone played their role.

Some of those who stayed made the decision to move into a hotel to keep

their family safe and ease their concerns. This was hard as they had no one to debrief to after a long, hard shift. I messaged everyone weekly and asked them all to check on each other regularly. Both the executive team and pastoral care assisted with wellbeing checks.

At times we were overwhelmed and leant on each other for support. Many of us didn’t want to take our anxiety home or discuss it with our loved ones as we didn’t want to worry or upset them, so we reached out to each other.

Processes were in place to ensure we were all safe and doing the right thing, from Donning and Doffing buddies, to organising teams to go on break and ensuring limited numbers were on break at the same time. We separated the unit into clean areas and dirty areas, teams of patient contact, non-patient contact and negative teams and positive teams, working out ways to identify each team.

Over the weeks we had ups and downs, sadly 9 residents passed away.

This was hard on the team, predominantly surgical nurses, as the loss of a patient is rare. We are used to helping them recover and seeing them to the front door to wish them well on their recovery.

It was hard on the families, as many couldn’t get in to see their sick loved ones. Those that could were only allowed 20 minutes and were not allowed to touch them. This for anyone is hard, and being the enforcer of the strict rules in a time of sadness and when we should be at our most compassionate, was heart breaking.

Each person that passed away had a story of their time with us, and I will remember all of them.

The way they were cared for by the team makes me feel so proud, the way everyone looked out for each other in the dark moments and the aftercare given to the families will be something I will never forget.

We also had some fun, we would have break in teams on break we would tell funny stories, get to know the new ones

to the ward, giggle and laugh about silly things, and made TIKTOK videos- one of which has gone viral- and Zumba classes in full PPE, just for fun. We ate copious amounts of chocolate and crisps, yet still managed to lose weight (have since put it all back on), much of which were donated by other wards and external companies. We received cards from the volunteers with lovely messages of appreciation and support.

Exchanging stories of the day, like one resident asking if we could turn the bin up as he couldn’t hear it, or another complementing us daily on our lovely gowns and asking if we made them ourselves, being utterly amazed that we were able to use a phone to call a family member, one caregiver arranging a zoom call with a residents family, she asked who they were, when she was told her response was no its not they are too old!

Our last resident left 4 East on the 24th of August, this was an emotional but exciting time. They left one journey and started another at our Langmore Centre, where a lot of work was done in a short period of time to get it ready for the next stage in the recovery of the residents.

We have all taken a lot away from our time on the COVID unit, the friendships made, knowing that we were able to help and be a part of something that will go down in history.

Feeling proud as a nurse, manager and friend that we did it, we got through it and in all that time the 6 negative patients remained COVID negative and not one of the 91 caregivers that crossed those doors from the 28th of July till the 24th of August contracted the virus, we kept each other and our families safe.

With all the hard work, high standards, amazing support and outstanding teamwork, tears and laughter, what we achieved was nothing short of amazing.

Pinelodge News

SJGHC Supports Indigenous Youth

By Gillian Coyle, Community Relations Co-Ordinator

St John of God South East Melbourne Hospitals have forged a new relationship in support of community based healthcare for Indigenous Youth.

This follows in the spirit of the Sisters of St John of God who established healthcare services for Indigenous communities in the Kimberley and Beagle Bay dating back to 1907.

Together, St John of God Berwick, Frankston and Pinelodge Hospitals have entered into a Collaboration Agreement to support the Bunjilwarra Koori Youth Alcohol and Drug Healing Centre. The $30,000 partnership is a solid commitment to the St John of God Health Care (SJGHC) Reconciliation Action Plan which will enable Bunjilwarra to evaluate the impact of their unique model of care with a view to secure sustainable government funding opportunities.

Established in 2011 and located at Hastings Victoria, Bunjilwarra is a voluntary residential drug and alcohol support service for Indigenous youth aged 16 – 25.

It operates as a joint agency partnership with Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) and Youth Support & Advocacy Service (YSAS). The holistic cultural service focuses on vulnerable young people who are at risk or are already involved in the justice system. Often the clients’ experience at Bunjilwarra is the first time they have engaged with a treatment rehabilitation program or connected with their Aboriginal culture and heritage.

Peter Dawson, Bunjilwarra Clinical Lead works alongside Uncle Pat Farrant, Bunjilwarra Cultural Lead. Peter explains, “Despite being funded for drug and alcohol rehabilitation, the work at Bunjilwarra focuses on the driving factors of impact of colonisation, transgenerational trauma, complicated grief, family violence and disconnection from community.”

“Yet what makes our service different is the blending of Aboriginal culture and clinical frameworks. We take an approach that enables our clients to experience the philosophy of Aboriginal healing, to be counselled by community Elders, to learn about country, land and culture. This is coupled with access to clinical support services and together these blended healing philosophies provide optimum outcomes for our youth

to set them on a positive path into adulthood.”

Bunjilwarra assists up to 55 young people per year from across the state of Victoria. It is the only Indigenous service of its kind that is available to this age group and free at the point of use. Peter says, “The current justice system is not working for Indigenous youth and in order to break the cycle of addiction, mental health and incarceration we need to find a new approach. Our approach helps our young people find their identity and their sense of worth in this world.”

Bunjilwarra’s model of care is values based, which aligns perfectly with SJGHC’s approach to mission, culture and values and is what attracted the two organisations to form this partnership.

Denis Byrne, Group Manager Mission Integration who developed the partnership said, “Our relationship with Bunjilwarra helps enable SJGHC to realise our vision and role for reconciliation, and that Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people deserve the respect and dignity as other people in our community. As a ministry of the Catholic Church, we declare this is a focus we must continue to enhance and commit to in order to enliven our mission and values.”

The South East Melbourne hospitals will engage in a meaningful way with Bunjilwarra as an Indigenous healthcare service provider, exchange mutual learning between clinicians and explore clinical pathways for Aboriginal youth to access Pinelodge services.

Linda Allen, CEO of Pinelodge Clinic said, “I look forward to our Bunjilwarra partners sharing their advice and support to help us provide culturally safe and responsive health care practices at our three South East Melbourne hospitals.”

The young people who have experienced Bunjilwarra’s unique rehabilitation program perhaps best explain its secret sauce! - one young client remarked, ‘I’ve stepped outside of chaos into a safe haven to heal me.’

Bunjilwarra’s Peter Dawson, Aunty Helen and Uncle Pat

Healing, Hope and Dignity

By Rhonda O’Connor, Director of Mission Integration, South East Melbourne Hospitals

Our Vision for St John of God Health Care says, “We are recognised for care that provides healing, hope and a greater sense of dignity, especially to those most in need.

As I reflect back over 2020, I realise that as strange and unusual as this year has been, that basics of what we do hasn’t changed. The patients who have come into our care have still needed their basic needs attended too. The physical and mental health needs that brought them to us have made them vulnerable in mind and body.

The care we give, and the environment we create, gives so much more than just physical healing. This has been even more important this year, as visitors have been so restricted and many of our patients have been very isolated. I have heard and seen so many examples of caregivers going out of their way to reassure, comfort and provide opportunities to connect loved ones via technology.

It is so easy to feel disempowered and vulnerable when faced with illness and the disruption that this brings. For each of us as caregivers, regardless of health, this year has left so many feeling out of sorts, facing pressures and stressors that we have never had

to deal with before. Our dignity, and sense of hope can be eroded when we allow others to see our fragile side.

What has been inspiring and reassuring for me has been seeing the many ways caregivers have cared for each other. Knowing that we are dealing with such an unusual work environment, and then we going home to partners and families that are also experiencing disruption and disconnection. All the normal ways that we would relax, refresh, catch up with friends, go to the movies, and go out for dinner… All these have been beyond our reach for such a long time.

Healing, Hope and Dignity…

Where have you witnessed healing, hope and dignity?

How have you shared healing, hope and dignity?

Never underestimate the many small and simple ways you can make a difference to the people around you!

There may never have been a time when mental health awareness was so talked about.

While October is Mental Health month, 2020 has become the year that most of us have not only become increasingly aware of our own mental health, but we are consciously looking out for our family, friends, neighbours and colleagues. With the ongoing stream of disasters and challenges that 2020 has thrown at us, the old taboo of mental health seems to have lifted somewhat, as we all seemingly expect a toll to be taken on our minds and wellbeing.

We began the year with catastrophic bushfires, which saw homes and business lost and an unthinkable loss of wildlife. From there, Covid-19 became our new normal.

The loss of life, income, jobs, freedom and normality has been a mental challenge that most of us have never come close to experiencing.

We know that the events of 2020 will leave a scar for many.

There have been plans in place for some time now, however is seems fitting during Mental Health Month to begin talking about how St John of God SEM Hospitals will respond to this ever-growing need for mental health support in the region.

St John of God Pinelodge Clinic, our Psychiatric, Drug and Alcohol hospital, located in Dandenong, will re-launch and re-locate in 2022.

Berwick’s Langmore Centre will soon see renovations and construction to refresh and repurpose the historic building ready to welcome the Pinelodge team.

The Langmore Centre was the site of the original Berwick Hospital, beginning her days as the Shepton Private Hospital, opened in 1910. Throughout the years, there have been changes of name and management, but one thing has remained the same- the community based hospital has always made changes to meet the needs of the community. Once again, our community is in need and we are responding.

Mental health services are lacking in the Casey-Cardinia region and more broadly, in South East Melbourne. There are huge waiting lists for appointments and a real lack of inpatient beds.

From 2022, the Langmore Centre will be a calming retreat for local residents to seek the care and support they need when suffering from mental illness or addiction. It will be the source of whole-person care and a place where lives are changed, redirected and recovered.

Led by Pinelodge CEO, Linda Allen, the team have engaged with many stakeholder groups to collate the needs, concerns, ideas and suggestions from local residents, business and schools and from the GP community. This research has formed an integral part of the planning and will ensure that we produce a service which is customdesigned and fitting for South East Melbourne.

Floor plans have been produced and are being circulated throughout the Pinelodge workforce with an invitation for both doctors and caregivers to provide feedback. This will be the first of many steps in engaging with our teams to have input into service development and into the building itself. Modelled on the process undertaken during the Berwick Hospital’s redevelopment, we know that it is vital to include caregivers- those who spend their days and nights in the space- giving them the opportunity to add their thoughts and ideas in the planning stages.

The Langmore Centre will offer dedicated inpatient units for both mental health and addiction, an inpatient Mother Baby Unit and consulting spaces for outpatient care, set amongst the towering trees of Gloucester Avenue.

We look forward to bringing you more news, plans and photos as the Langmore Centre progresses and as we get closer to once again offering the community the health care solutions it so desperately needs.

Mental Health Month: Our commitment to mental health services in Melbourne

By Lisa Carman, SEM Marketing and Communications Manager

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast care services available to caregivers While it is our sincere hope that none of you ever need it, Berwick’s breast care resources are available to caregivers.

St John of God Berwick Hospital is fortunate to have two fantastic McGrath Nurses, Katie Cao and Liz Douglass (pictured right) These ladies ooze compassion and are experts in breast care and support. They are available to see both public and private patients. McGrath Breast Care Nurses support patients from diagnosis, and throughout treatment.

The hospital also has a team of breast surgeons who provide excellence in care to ladies from all over Melbourne’s south eastern suburbs. www.sjog.org.au/find-a-doctor Finally, a partnership between the hospital and Berwick Integrated Care has produced the Breast Care Clinic. A rapid, fast tracked clinic for ladies who have found a lump or who are experiencing worring changes to their breasts.

The clinic gives patients access to testing and screening results within 5 days and, if required, a breast care surgeon and McGrath nurses. To access the clinic, ask your GP for a referral or call 9769 7227. Available to both public and private patients.

Top: McGrath Breast Care Nurse, Katie Cao Bottom:McGrath Breast Care Nurse, Liz Douglass