South West Hospital and Health Service APRIL 2021 EDITION From the Board Chair 3 Our Teams 19 Board out and about 4 Palliative care streaming into remote homes 19 From the Chief Executive 7 TRAIC Grazing Futures 19 Our Communities 8 First Nations tackle flu 8 Our Services 20 Surat partnerships support early Lymphoedema training for South West clinicians 20 childhood development 8 Roma’s Rehabilitation area supporting South West HHS COVID-19 vaccine update 9 the community 20 Connecting with Roma’s farming community 12 Collaborating to help prevent domestic violence 21 School holiday colour splash in Charleville 13 Driving Miss Daisy on World Health Day 13 Our Resources 22 Vintage cars come to Charleville 14 Reconnect with Village Connect 22 Disney Princesses tour Cunnamulla 15 South West Spirit Award – Chrissy Tincknell 24 Introducing Tallis Landers – Roma CAN’s new chair 16 On the road with the Oral Health Team 17 Ryan’s Rule 18 Cover image: South West HHS Executive Director Allied Health Helen Wassman catches up with Bollon CAN member Larry Wilson PULSE April 2021 edition | South West Hospital and Health Service 1 We respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands across the South West. We also pay our respects to the current and future Elders, for they will inherit the responsibility of keeping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture alive, and for creating a better life for the generations to follow. We believe the future happiness and wellbeing of all Australians and our future generations will be enhanced by valuing and taking pride in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples – the oldest living culture of humanity. SOUTH WEST TRADITIONAL OWNERS Augathella – Bidjara (Bid-jara) Quilpie – Bunthamarra (Bun-tha-mar-ra) and Wangkumara (Wong-ka-mara) Bollon – Kooma (Coo-ma) Roma – Mandandanji (Mand-an-dand-gee) Charleville – Bidjara (Bid-jara) St George – Kooma (Coo-ma) with Kamilaroi, Mandandanji, (Koun-yah) with other interests Cunnamulla – Kunya Bigambul and Gungarri interests (Coo-ma) Dirranbandi – Kooma Surat – Mandandanji (Mand-an-dand-gee) (Kong-ga-bull-a) Injune – Kongabula Thargomindah – Kullila (Coo-lee-lar) (Gon-gari) Mitchell – Gunggari Wallumbilla – Mandandanji (Mand-an-dand-gee) Morven – Bidjara (Bid-jara) Mungindi – Kamilaroi (Car-milla-roy) QUALITY COMPASSION ACCOUNTABILITY ENGAGEMENT ADAPTABILITY This newsletter is produced by the South West Hospital and Health Service. All feedback and contributions are welcome to [email protected]. All published material has been approved by the Health Service Chief Executive. PULSE April 2021 edition | South West Hospital and Health Service 2 PULSE July edition | South West Hospital and Health Service From the Board Chair “Community is much more than belonging to something; it’s about doing something together that makes belonging matter.” Brian Solis, Digital analyst and anthropologist, 2014. Members of the Executive Leadership Team and South West We were fortunate to have Craig join us on our recent Hospital and Health Board have been out and about the board travel where he was able to meet a large number Western and Southern areas in our region and it was great to of staff and community members, as part of his induction catch up with staff and community members in Charleville, to the South West HHS. Keep an eye out for Craig, as he plans Quilpie, Thargomindah, Cunnamulla, Bollon and Dirranbandi to be a regular visitor to our dispersed health facilities. as well as a ‘meet and greet’ event in Eromanga. I would also like to thank board member Fiona Gaske for her Overwhelmingly, one comes away from our small communities numerous contributions to the South West community over with a palpable and noticeable sense of the spirit and pride many years. Fiona is not seeking reappointment to the Board that permeates not only our HHS staff team at each facility, but and finishes up on 17 May as a Board Director. a real awareness that our people are part of a wider community group that is working towards the common goal of health, Fiona was first appointed to the South West Hospital and wellness and an overall betterment of their local space (no Health Board in May 2014 and is currently our longest matter how big or small) in the vast South West region. serving board member. She continuously chaired the Safety and Quality Committee from July 2015 until 2020 and has The insights gained whilst visiting facilities and listening to local also been a member of the Executive Committee for the residents is important to the Board and Executive Leadership same period. In short, Fiona has been a board member of Team. As key strategic decision makers for the South West HHS, significance during her board tenure. we have a strong responsibility to understand what our residents and staff want and need. As we move around the region, we Prior to her appointment, Fiona was the inaugural St George learn so much about our fabulous team members, the great work Community Advisory Network Chair and held this role that is being undertaken in each area; the unmet needs and the from 2012 until her board appointment. She has a keen enormous volume of work we are collectively undertaking that is and insightful understanding of the health needs of rural supporting health and wellness. It is a privilege to be part of the communities which has been gained as a local resident and HHS team that is contributing to work that matters to people. through her roles as a Speech Pathologist in the St George Primary Health Care Unit (2008 – 13) and as Deputy Mayor of Later in May, the Board will be having our monthly meeting in the Balonne Shire for many years. Mitchell before travelling on to Injune and Wallumbilla to catch up with our dedicated HHS teams. The Board sincerely thanks Fiona’s contributions to the board and the HHS have been all for your warm welcome and generous sharing of your work, immense, and her deep interest and forthright advocacy your thoughts and achievements. As board members, we has often been related to patient safety and quality and the genuinely appreciate the opportunities to meet both our South services offered to support this. She has enthusiastically West HHS team and community members. contributed to enhancing governance standards and with her learning mindset, has encouraged fellow members to In recent weeks, we have warmly welcomed our Acting Chief explore new ideas and opened our decision making to greater Executive Craig Carey to the team. Craig will be in this role until possibilities for health service enhancements and efficiencies. 28 August, after which a (yet to be appointed) permanent CE will lead our HHS. Prior to arriving in South West Queensland, Fiona, your wise contributions to the South West have been Craig was with the Central West HHS where he was the General immense over a great period of time, and I thank you most Manager of Acute Health Services. humbly for your contributions to not only the St George community, however also the wider South West Queensland Growing up in Warwick and having lived in recent years in communities. We wish you all the best in the future. Longreach, Craig has a strong commitment to rural people and small communities, and he brings a person focussed Karen Tully leadership style that encompasses a comprehensive Board Chair understanding of quality rural and remote health. Additionally, he has had several years of experience working with the Service Agreement Strategy Unit within the Department of Health in Brisbane. PULSE April 2021 edition | South West Hospital and Health Service 3 Board out and about BOLLON, QUILPIE AND THARGOMINDAH Bollon CAN Chair and birthday girl South West HHS Executive and Board meet with members Bollon Director of Nursing Sonia Brady Jane Kirby and Donna Burke in Bollon of the Bulloo Shire Council in Thargomindah and Bollon CAN Chair Jane Kirby catch up Helen Wassman, Rodney Landers Snr, Michelle Karen Tully, Ray Chandler and Alan Chris Small, Rebecca Greenway, Jan Chambers, Sonia Donohue and Chris Houghton in Quilpie Thompson at Thargomindah Brady, Wendy Winks and Rodney Landers Snr in Bollon Robin Tully, Liza Hamlyn, Jan Chambers, Cr Jenny Hewson and Melanie Crack at Quilpie Mayor Cr John Tractor Ferguson OAM, Rebecca Greenway and Deputy Mayor Cr Shirley Girdler in Thargomindah South West Executive and Board catch up with Bollon CAN Jan Chambers, Karen Tully, Alan Thompson Jane Kirby, Rebecca Greenway, Chris members on their recent road trip and Chris Small in Thargomindah Small and Helen Murray in Bollon PULSE April 2021 edition | South West Hospital and Health Service 4 Board out and about (continued) CUNNAMULLA Geraldine Tuite, Catherine Barlow, Norma Bate, Claire Liza Watkins, Chris Small and Tina Jackson Some of our South West Board members Alexander and Craig Carey in Cunnamulla in Cunnamulla catching up with members from CACH in Cunnamulla Claire Alexander, Karen Tully, Craig Carey and Geraldine Tuite Catching up with the CACH team in Cunnamulla in Cunnamulla The South West HHS Executive and Board enjoy Glenn de Jong, Ryan Lindsay and Renee Craig Carey with Allan Hatchman and Lawrence morning tea with staff and CAN members at the Samuela in Cunnamulla Anderson in Cunnamulla Cunnamulla Hospital PULSE April 2021 edition | South West Hospital and Health Service 5 Board out and about (continued) DIRRANBANDI, CHARLEVILLE AND EROMANGA Rebecca Greenway, Chris Small and Kerry Rebecca Greenway, Rodney Landers Snr, Kerry Dr Mark Waters, Clare Alexander, Jan