www.health.qld.gov.au/widebay /widebayhealth [email protected] FEB 26, 2020 Maryborough upgraded ED opens today MARYBOROUGH Hospital’s upgraded emergency department reopened from its permanent location today, after operating out of a temporary space for almost 12 months.

The ED upgrade has been part of a wider $14.37 million project that has also refurbished the specialist outpatients department and main reception area.

The project has modernised and expanded the department, as well as improved its functionality and flow, and has also included a visible update to the façade of the hospital.

Acting Chief Executive Debbie Carroll FRESH FACES: The Class of 2020 during their orientation week at and hospitals, prior to being placed in facilities and wards across Wide Bay. thanked all staff for their work on the important upgrade, particularly the emergency and infrastructure teams.

“The reopening will be a welcome Wide Bay welcomes new day for our staff and patients, and I’d like to congratulate everyone who has contributed to the project, class of graduate nurses from planning and design through to construction and commissioning,” Debbie said. FIFTY-TWO new nurses have begun “As someone who comes from a nursing their careers at Wide Bay Hospital and background, it’s particularly exciting to see An official reopening event will take place next week. Health Service facilities as part of the the next generation of our profession join the Wide Bay team. I know they will have every initial 2020 graduate intake. opportunity to enjoy fruitful careers. What’s inside The new nurses, who consist of graduates Recruiting enthusiastic and skilled l New advisory council from both local universities and institutions further afield, are spread across various graduate nurses is important to l Patient ID campaign launch clinical areas throughout the region, maintaining continuity of high- l Stroke symposium a success including each of the rural facilities. quality care, because they help to l WBHHS tops blood donations boost our team as others leave our l Bake sale for bushfires The 29 Bundaberg and rural-based graduates service due to retirement or other l Cycling for cancer cause and the 23 Fraser Coast-based nurses have career opportunities. l 60 secs with Dr Niall Conroy now all joined their ward teams after finishing their respective orientation programs. “By constantly bringing in talented graduates and upskilling them, WBHHS is ensuring we Have a story to share? Email the “I wish our nursing graduates well as they can deliver the right care, in the right place, Media and Communications team. join our professional nursing team and settle at the right time to Wide Bay patients for into their roles in the upcoming weeks,” years to come.” WBHHS Acting Chief Executive Debbie Carroll said. Story continues on page 2. 2

Continued from page 1. Graduate nurses join Wide Bay teams

Graduate nurses are put to the test during their orientation week through a range of simulation exercises in Bundaberg and Hervey Bay.

WBHHS Executive Director of Nursing “Our dedicated and experienced nurses “We believe our current staff embody those and Midwifery Services Fiona Sewell said welcome the enthusiasm and energy they values in every aspect of what they do, and the new graduates came from a range of bring to our teams, as well as the opportunity I’m looking forward to seeing our new nurses tertiary institutions, including from local to guide them by passing on their own embed those values in their practice and universities, adding a broad range of knowledge, experience and professional progress in their careers in the years to come. perspectives, experiences and knowledge skillsets to them. to the existing team. “I know that among them there are future “In nursing, we talk about the 6Cs – our leaders of the Wide Bay nursing and “It’s wonderful to have our graduates join six core values of Care, Compassion, midwifery team.” the WBHHS nursing and midwifery team, Competence, Communication, Courage and bringing their passion for patient care to our Commitment. WBHHS is also planning a mid-year intake of wards,” Ms Sewell said. nursing graduates. 3

New advisory council has crucial role to play in helping to close the gap

TRADITIONAL Custodians from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clans across the Wide Bay Burnett are working with Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service to improve health outcomes for their people, through an innovative and collaborative new advisory group.

The WBHHS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Advisory Council has recently been established to give Elders and community members direct input into health service planning, as Closing the Gap Members of the newly established WBHHS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Advisory Council came together in Hervey Bay recently. in Indigenous health outcomes continues to be a priority. communities by providing cultural context with Haylene Grogan, Queensland’s inaugural WBHHS Acting Chief Executive Debbie Carroll and identifying local priorities. Chief Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander said the advisory council was a crucial part Health Officer, who was making her first visit to of the health service’s efforts to provide “Not only are its members helping us Wide Bay since starting in the new role. culturally appropriate services and to ensure to identify service gaps and providing Wide Bay health facilities were welcoming strong advocacy, they’re extending on the Uncle Glen Miller, a Butchulla Elder and retired and safe environments for Aboriginal and work already being done by our fantastic ranger from the Fraser Coast, said he was Torres Strait Islander people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health excited about the opportunity the council Workers by playing a vital connecting role would give him and others to get involved “Our Closing the Gap Health Plan is an between WBHHS and their communities.” with health promotion and advocacy. important step as we continue to address the systemic barriers to health equity for The group came together in Hervey Bay “Ultimately, for me, the signs of success Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” recently to discuss a range of issues, including would be that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Debbie said. how to enhance cultural aspects of service Islander people feel confident and valued delivery, creating more welcoming cultural in going to a health service, that our people “Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander environments, and the concept of developing have an equal chance of winning a job in Health Advisory Council has a critical role WBHHS’s own Aboriginal artwork. a health service, and that they could also to play in guiding the implementation of have a place in the management of a health that plan, ensuring it’s meaningful to their The members also had the opportunity to meet service,” Uncle Glen said.

Fundraising cyclist tells cancer to get on its bike

Bicycling breast cancer advocate Brent Brent also dropped by the Hervey Bay Cancer Bundy visited our Bundaberg Cancer Care Care Centre earlier on his journey through Centre as part of a stopover in his namesake the region. town on his way north. A native of Oregon, he said there were much Brent is pedalling from Sydney to Cairns and more significant uphill challenges as he back to raise money for the Cancer Council made his way across his native land, but and to increase awareness about breast the distance between towns was greater cancer, and cancer in general. in Australia. He also said the road between Sydney and was in good condition, The 5,500km journey is not a new task for but he had faced some significant headwinds Brent, as he has cycled across the North on the way. American continent multiple times. Brent wanted to spread the message further He was inspired to start doing so by the afield and chose Australia after learning passing of a close friend from breast cancer. Fundraising cyclist Brent Bundy with Cancer Care’s about local cancer rates Down Under. Ray Johnson and Nancy Scott. 4 Campaign prioritises patient safety WBHHS has launched a campaign • Ask the patient what test or procedure to emphasise the importance of they are having done. patient identification checks at all 3. Double check that you have the correct site or side. stages of the patient journey. “Other important checks include making Acting General Manager of Surgery Tracey sure we do proper and detailed handovers, Pattie, who chairs the Communicating for labelling forms and blood tubes correctly, Safety (Standard 6) Committee, said the and documenting all medications and campaign was aimed both at staff and ensuring they’re administered according to patients, to ensure everyone understood procedure,” Tracey said. the reasons for regular and comprehensive patient identification checks. “But it’s also important to remember this isn’t just a requirement for clinical staff Patient safety is our priority, – improved patient safety is everyone’s and doing patient ID checks responsibility.

are a critical way to ensure the “Every staff member has a part to play to Patient ID right patient is getting the right improve patient safety and reduce risk, test, treatment, procedure or rework, the waste of resources – and, at medication,” Tracey said. times, delay in identifying correct patient treatment.” Food services: check the correct meal is To reduce the risk of patient identification being provided to the correct patient. Other examples of patient identification errors and clinical incidents, clinical checks include: The campaign is being promoted with the staff should always carry out the “3Cs” – help of posters targeting both staff and Correct patient, Correct procedure, Correct Administration staff:check that patient patients, social media posts and a variety site/side. details are correct, that you are giving the of other internal communications. 1. Check you have the correct patient by patients the correct appointment times, asking: and that medical records are labelled “Patients often comment that they get correctly • Full name asked for their name and details a lot, and • Date of birth Operational staff: check the correct that it becomes a bit repetitive,” Tracey • Address, for outpatients patient is being transported, what side said. “But there’s a good reason for that, and part of this campaign is to explain to • UR number, for inpatients. of the body is affected when assisting with turns or movement, and that them why it’s so important.” 2. Check that the correct procedure is being performed: documentation matches the patient

Leaders in stroke care inspire at Hervey Bay symposium

HERVEY Bay Hospital health professionals radiographers, nurses and allied from a range of clinical backgrounds came health staff,” Jason said. together recently for a stroke symposium, hosted jointly by WBHHS and the State-wide “Events such as these are really Stroke Clinical Network. important for our teams, because they enable us to learn from Fraser Coast Director of Medical Imaging leaders in stroke care and look at Jason Whelan, event co-organiser, said the what we can do to enhance our February 14 event gave WBHHS staff the own services. opportunity to benefit from presentations, the latest research and workshops given by “We’d like to thank our friends state and national experts in the field. from the State-wide Stroke Clinical Network, the Royal Brisbane and “There were a range of presentations in the Women’s Hospital, the University new Education Conference Room, with a of Melbourne, and Boehringer- series of concurrent workshops run in our Ingelheim for helping us to stage other education rooms, attended by staff this great event, from which our Presenters from RBWH, University of Melbourne and the including emergency and medical physicians, patients ultimately benefit.” state-wide clinical network at the recent stroke symposium. 5 WBHHS team is tops at donating blood WBHHS has taken out the top spot in Dr Sue Page, who chairs WBHHS’s Blood and has complications during elective surgery, both Bundaberg and Hervey Bay for Blood Products Committee, congratulated or by providing blood or blood products as saving the most lives through blood staff across Wide Bay who were giving back to part of a patient’s oncology treatment at our their community by becoming blood donors. cancer care centre.” donation, as part of the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Teams program. “I’m really proud to be part of the WBHHS Hervey Bay Hospital wardsperson Phil Lifeblood team and helping to save lives in Henningsen, who is a member of the WBHHS Throughout 2019, Lifeblood teams across more ways than one. It’s an awesome feeling Lifeblood team, said he had been donating Wide Bay donated blood, competing to see knowing that every time a unit of blood or on and off since he was a teenager and now who could take out the title of saving the plasma is used to treat a patient, it may well donated plasma every fortnight. most lives. have been donated by one of our own staff,” Dr Page said. I do it because it helps people. I’ve WBHHS employees won the local blood got a close friend who has gone battle, making 762 donations and saving “Each day our employees see first hand how 2,286 lives. a safe and reliable blood supply saves lives, through some traumatic surgeries, whether it’s by helping to treat a trauma in and seeing what donations WBHHS Deputy Director of Medical Services our emergency department, when a patient have done to help him – and other people in the hospital – is amazing,” Phil said.

“In my role, every day I’m transporting blood throughout the hospital (to be used by patients). It’s a never-ending cycle.”

Blood Service spokesperson Jacinta Jeffrey said she hoped the WBHHS team’s example would encourage other staff members and the wider public to join the cause and give others a second chance at life.

“We’ve also challenged the WBHHS team to make at least 1,000 donations in 2020, and we think they can rise to that challenge,” she said. Lifeblood’s Jacinta Jeffrey presents a trophy and certificate to WBHHS staff and Lifeblood donors Richard Whatman (far left) and Phil Henningsen (far right), and WBHHS General Manager of Medicine Peter Wood To donate call 13 14 95 or visit (second from left). lifeblood.com.au.

Bake sales for bushfire-affected wildlife raise $3,500

Hervey Bay Hospital’s food for the past couple of months, and kitchen services team has raised staff have been cooking some tasty treats at almost $3,500 for wildlife home that we’ve been selling,” Linda said. charity WIRES through a series of bake sales over the past “But it hasn’t just been us. We’ve had great couple of months. support from a range of other people, including some surgical nurses, Fraser Café assistant Linda Rangeley Shores retirement village, St Stephen’s staff, said a lot of people were keen Takura Rural Fire Brigade and the Beach to support the fundraising House Hotel’s Hervey Bay Barfly Club. effort in the wake of the devastating recent bushfires, “A lot of people have got behind it, and which had had a catastrophic we’ve surpassed the $3,000 target we set impact on wildlife numbers ourselves.” and habitat. Anyone wanting to donate directly to Hervey Bay Hospital kitchen staff have led the drive to raise “We’ve been having bake sales WIRES can go to www.wires.org.au. almost $3,500 for bushfire-devastated wildlife. and doing lucky number draws 6

Flu tracking data

Are you interested in contributing to more accurate data collection and mapping of influenza?

Then head to the FluTracking website and sign up as a contributor. Every week you’ll be asked two quick questions, which won’t take longer than 10 seconds to answer, and you’ll be improving our understanding of flu while you do it.

You’ll also receive a weekly report and map s with ... of influenza-like illnesses. nd o c The FluTracking project is run under the e

s

auspices of the Commonwealth Department

0 6 of Health, in collaboration with several health organisations and institutions including the University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute.

Public Health Physician, Dr Niall Conroy. Dr Niall Conroy Joke of the day Public health doc hits I was in Spain recently and fell terribly ill while I was staying in a city motel. the ground sprinting I called the concierge, who kindly sent the motel’s own doctor. He arrived Your role? When you’re not at work you are... almost immediately. Public Health Physician and Director of the Arriving in a new country as the regional Public Health Unit. lead for outbreak control, there is no such After I took the medication he gave thing as “not at work” so far! But I’ve been me, I asked: “So how is it that a motel How long have you been at WBHHS? trying to explore Wide Bay as much as has its very own doctor on call?” Just over a month. possible when I have a bit of downtime. He smiled knowingly, and said: How do you describe what you do? What do you enjoy about living in “Nobody expects the Spanish inn My main role is to deal with outbreaks Wide Bay? of infectious diseases in the Wide Bay physician.” I’m so close to the sea! I’ve never lived region. That also includes preparing for beside the ocean before and a walk on potential outbreaks, so the recent global Urangan Pier is my favourite way to start COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation has been the morning. a baptism of fire for me. Tell us a fun fact about you. What’s On What’s best about your job? I used to be a milkman. Best days of 2020 International Year of the Nurse I work with an awesome team at the my life! and Midwife Public Health Unit, and because the HHS FEBRUARY is relatively small I’ve got to know a lot of What was the last movie you saw? 1–28 FebFast good people very well in a short period Not really into movies. I’m more of a 1–28 Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month of time. Being a public health physician is Netflix series binger. So probably the Fraud Awareness Month amazing because you’re often working at Jungle Book, some time around 1987. 1–28 the frontier of new science (for example, 26 Teal Ribbon Day (Ovarian Cancer) Tea or coffee? Cat or dog? new and emerging viruses). It’s also a 29 Rare Disease Day Maroons or Blues? great mix of urgent reactive care and MARCH I don’t drink tea or coffee and I’m more of preventative work, from dealing with 1–31 Epilepsy Awareness Month a soccer fan. I can be frequently spotted meningitis or measles cases through to 1–31 Melanoma March watching the English Premier League on our vaccination programs. Plus, I get to 1 Clean up Australia Day TV with a Bundaberg ginger beer in hand. work with a broad range of people, from 3 World Hearing Day I’m not quite ready for the responsibility healthcare workers in the hospital to 8 International Women’s Day of a dog or cat. I’m probably at about management and primary care workers. 21 Harmony Day goldfish-level competence when it comes 23–27 National Advance Care Planning Week to caring for animals. 23–29 Kidney Health Week