New Technology Brings Better Stroke Outcomes

www.health.qld.gov.au/widebay /widebayhealth [email protected] SEP 11, 2019 Headline Child Protection is everyone’s business STAFF across Wide Bay got behind Child Protection Week earlier this month through a range of events and promotions. On the Fraser Coast the Child Advocacy Team conducted education and discussion sessions at the Hervey Bay WBHHS’s Dr Dhananjay Parshuramakar, James Thomas and Michael Samuel discuss the new CT perfusion Hospital Café and in the Paediatric donga. service now available at Bundaberg and Hervey Bay hospitals. Photo courtesy of ABC Wide Bay There was also a session held at the Bauer Wiles Building at Maryborough Hospital. The Bundaberg team was also busy New technology brings promoting Child Protection Week with displays prominent around hospital hallways, wards and foyers. better stroke outcomes Child protection is everyone’s business and staff are encouraged to remember WIDE BAY patients who experience to implementing CT perfusion was the every health contact is an opportunity to development of new software that provided a stroke have a better chance at a support a family and protect a child. positive recovery, now that Bundaberg quick and accurate analysis of CT images. and Hervey Bay hospitals have “The images not only show the size and introduced a new imaging technique location of the clot, but also give our teams to improve diagnosis and extend the detailed information on delivery of blood or blood flow, so that damaged and recoverable range of available treatment options. areas of the brain can be more accurately Perfusion studies using CT scanners are measured and quantified,” Mr Samuel said. now enabling WBHHS clinicians to better From the detailed information we identify the extent of recoverable brain tissue following an acute ischaemic stroke. gain from CT perfusion, our medical imaging team provide clinicians “This technology enables our clinicians to be better informed about what impact that with the knowledge they need stroke is having, which in turn helps them to make the best decision.” What’s inside l Excellence Awards now open make good decisions about their treatment,” The new technique has coincided with l Our Stroke Week heroes Acting Executive Director of Acute Hospital changes to Queensland Health stroke l New high-risk foot service and Community Services James Thomas said. guidelines, which have extended the time l The maths of weight loss – an window for clot-removal procedures from “It gives our teams accurate and timely education session for WBHHS staff seven to 24 hours post stroke. information that enables them to determine l Our CCU residents in statewide when clot removal procedures are appropriate “The extended time window is crucial as it fitness challenge to save brain function. gives patients a better opportunity to receive l Volunteer to support Mental “We know stroke is a significant issue in that treatment,” Hervey Bay Hospital Staff Health Week activities our region, and we’re taking big steps – in Specialist Physician Dr Gabriela Strey said. partnership with our colleagues at Royal “This is vitally important to regional Brisbane and Women’s Hospital – to improve patients because the previous seven-hour Have a story to share? Email the the care for people experiencing what can be window was narrow and we didn’t have the Media and Communications team. a life-changing event.” technology to provide the evidence that a clot Bundaberg Hospital Director of Medical extraction was appropriate in time to make Imaging Michael Samuel said the key the patient transfer.” 2 THE WBHHS Excellence Awards “Reflecting on our achievements and facilities, to help reach staff who may find are on again, and nominations are celebrating what we’re doing well is a access to a computer difficult. now open. really important part of our organisational development, as we continue to improve,” To nominate, go to the WBHHS Excellence Awards hub on QHEPS, where you’ll There are seven categories in this year’s Adrian said. find detailed information about all awards, two of which are new following award categories and a link to the feedback from last year: We want to recognise the teams online nomination form. • Innovation and individuals who help us to • Leadership be a great organisation, through Printed nomination forms can be sent • Teamwork/Collaboration their passion and energy, and through internal mail to the WBHHS Media and Communications team • Early Achiever (NEW) it’s important that recognition comes from their peers. (either in Bundaberg, Hervey Bay or • Unsung heroes (NEW) Maryborough), or scanned and emailed to • Volunteer “We also encourage nominations relating [email protected]. • Care Comes First Excellence Award. to projects that are showing genuine and If you would like to make a nomination meaningful outcomes for our community WBHHS Chief Executive Adrian on a printed form but don’t have access or our colleagues.” Pennington said the nominations to one, ask your line manager or contact had started rolling in across various Online nominations are preferred, but the WBHHS communications team on categories, and he encouraged everyone printed nomination forms have also been 4184 1845 on 4122 8675. to give some thought to colleagues they widely circulated throughout WBHHS would like to see recognised. Heroes FAST to spread Stroke Week message Our FAST heroes were out in force during At Hervey Bay Stroke Week creating better awareness and Hospital, the Allied understanding of the condition. Health team also got behind the FAST According to the Stroke Foundation, more heroes message with than 56,000 Australians are affected by themed shirts, capes stroke every year and it’s one of Australia’s and face masks. biggest killers – with more women dying from it each year than from breast cancer, The team members and more men dying from it each year than also promoted FAST prostate cancer. heroes through displays, balloons and material that were The No Postcode Untouched – Stroke handed out to staff and visitors. in Australia 2017 report by the Stroke Foundation found the Hinkler electorate FAST stands for a simple test everyone can (which includes Bundaberg and Hervey Bay) do to recognise and remember the signs of had among the highest rates of stroke in a stroke. Using the FAST test involves asking Australia, making it a particularly pressing these simple questions: health issue locally. Face – Check their face. Has their mouth In Bundaberg, the PARAS Unit dressed up drooped? as superheroes to support the cause and Arms – Can they lift both arms? members of the team offered free health Speech – Is their speech slurred? Do they checks at Thirst Aid Café. understand you? On top of this, team member Cassandra Time – Time is critical. If you see any of Lawson organised a cupcake fundraiser these signs, call 000 straight away. for the Stroke Foundation, with the baked For more information about stroke, go to the goodies decorated in a superhero theme. Stroke Foundation website. 3 Hervey Bay Hospital Senior Podiatrist Blair Murray is providing a new high-risk foot service to Fraser Coast patient at risk of infection and amputation. New service aims to prevent amputations A NEW high-risk foot service on becoming infected, while for other patients the Fraser Coast is helping prevent they may have diabetes or other chronic amputations and reducing the need diseases that put them at risk of amputation. World Patient for local patients to travel to Brisbane. “While our clinic’s work involves many referrals from the wards, we also see Safety Day The appointment of Senior Podiatrist Blair patients who are referred to the high-risk Murray has enabled Hervey Bay Hospital to foot service from the emergency department, SEPTEMBER 17 marks World Patient host a high-risk foot clinic for the first time, from general practitioners in the community Safety Day, with an accompanying providing an additional service that is playing and other pathways.” slogan of “speak up for patient safety”. a vital role in better outcomes for patients, including those with diabetes and chronic Blair said working in a multidisciplinary So what can you do to enhance diseases. environment was essential due to the patient safety, as a health worker or interrelation between various health issues. healthcare leader? For the Scottish-born clinician, the move to Hervey Bay is an exciting new career step “There’s a lot of teamwork involved in • Engage patients as partners in their care after previously serving at Mackay and before the clinic. For example, the condition of a that with Olympic and national sporting person’s foot will inform clinicians about the • Work together for patient safety teams in Scotland, England and Australia. person’s overall nutrition and whether they • Ensure continuous professional are eating well, so we work closely with the development to improve your skills There’s never been a podiatry dietitians in our allied health team,” she said. and knowledge in patient safety service in the hospital before, • Create an open and transparent “That relationship also works the other way, safety culture in health care settings so it’s great to offer patients this as poor nutrition impacts how a wound heals, service, which aims to stop future so how we work across the hospital and • Encourage blame-free reporting of hospital admissions due to what its units with allied health, medical teams, and learning from errors. are preventable amputations,” nursing staff, diabetes educators and others is As part of World Patient Safety Day, Blair said. really important.” the Clinical Governance Support Patients who are seen by the clinic also Unit encourages staff to recognise “Our clinic handles the walking wounded receive follow-up appointments to track colleagues who are patient safety who are captured in the wards and then and assess their progress to ensure issues champions and to utilise their followed up, with work often involving wound are being addressed and future hospital Quality Boards to showcase the work management and preventing wounds from admissions are prevented.

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