WBHHS has been named a finalist in a prestigious international health award, recognising its impressive turnaround in performance and service delivery since its inception in 2012.

WBHHS is one of six finalists in the International Hospital Federation’s Grand Award, alongside other health services in Australia, Japan, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, with the winners to be announced at the World Hospital Congress in October.

Board Chair Peta Jamieson said she was thrilled WBHHS was being recognised for its work on a global scale.

“When WBHHS started life in 2012, it inherited a $45 million deficit and a performance record that included maximum waits of up to three years for elective surgery and up to 12 years for outpatient services,” Peta said.

“We’re in a vastly different position today, with no long waits for elective surgery, outpatients or endoscopy appointments, and we’re in a balanced financial position.

“I’d like to offer my congratulations and thanks to Chief Executive Adrian Pennington, the Executive team that supports him, and in fact our entire workforce, without whom none of our turnaround could have been achieved.”

Adrian said he was looking forward to this year’s World Hospital Congress in Brisbane, where WBHHS would also be making a presentation on its nation-leading Short-Notice Accreditation Assessment Pilot (more details, p2).

“Obviously it would be a lovely surprise if we could add to that by winning an IHF award too,” he said.

“No one in the health sector does their job for the accolades, but a lot of hard work by a lot of people has brought us to this point, and it’s important to take stock and recognise we have in fact achieved a great deal in a relatively short time.

“I’m proud of the work all of our team has done to improve our performance – which, in reality, means improving patient outcomes and changing lives.”

Because of her, we can celebrateNAIDOC Week ceremonies were held across WBHHS this week to mark the special event in the calendar, celebrating Indigenous culture and achievement.

With ceremonies led by Traditional Custodians Uncle Glenn Miller, Uncle mark Singho and Karla Thompson, the events followed the national theme, “Because of Her, We Can”.

Board Chair Peta Jamieson and executives Debbie Carroll, Fiona Sewell and Katrina Mathies also either delivered speeches on behalf of WBHHS or were MCs for the celebrations.

Full coverage of WBHHS NAIDOC Week events will run in the August 1 edition of the Wave.

WBHHS a finalist in global health award

JUL 18, 2018

www.health.qld.gov.au/widebay

What’s inside l Accreditation pilot draws international attention

l Helping local families flourish l Networking in NAIDOC Week l Code of Conduct sessions l New nursing newsletter l PARAS team praised l 60 secs with Louise Scanlan l Education and Training update

Debbie Carroll, Consuela Morrice, Uncle Glenn Miller and Katrina Mathies at Hervey Bay NAIDOC celebrations.

WBHHS’s Child Health and Oral Health staff teamed up to get involved in the annual Family Flourish Day in Bundaberg recently.

The day, organised by Bundaberg Regional Council, is an all-ages event featuring information stalls and entertainment, and aims to connect families to local services and activities.

The Child Health team focused on learning through music and play, while the Oral Health team set up a series of fun activities that allowed them to get talking to parents and find out how much they knew about sugar content in a variety of different foods.

It was the first time the Oral Health team had participated in Flourish, but staff are keen to get involved with the event again.

WBHHS’s nation-leading hospital accreditation pilot will come into sharp focus when Director of Clinical Governance Robyn Scanlan presents some key early findings to the World Hospital Congress in October.

The Short-Notice Accreditation Assessment Pilot, being run in conjunction with Logan Hospital and the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS), has been in place for only a year – but already some promising outcomes are leading to positive changes across the health landscape.

“The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care – which is co-funding the research into this project with Queensland Health’s Clinical Excellence Division – has been so impressed by our early experiences that it’s proposing changes to the national accreditation scheme,” Robyn said.

“The changes would allow other health services and accrediting bodies to start implementing short-notice accreditation voluntarily from next year. That’s a lot earlier than we would have expected,

but it’s also a sign that safety and quality bodies can see the difference this is already making.

“ACHS, our accrediting body, has taken inquiries from several health services, which shows others are watching us and wanting to follow our lead.”

Robyn said her presentation to the Congress would focus on the reasons behind WBHHS wanting to adopt the change in accreditation model, as well as our early experiences and findings.

“One of the key things about short-notice accreditation is that it takes the process out of the executives’ and quality managers’ offices, and puts it in the hands of the people on the floor,” she said.

That means knowledge can’t just be in the hands of a few, but with everyone – because accreditation is everyone’s business. Ultimately, this improves patient outcomes on a daily basis.

“And already we’re seeing significant changes, not just in being able to quickly

rectify any issues identified, but in staff becoming much more engaged and taking ownership of the process.

“Our executive team has really driven this project and believed in it, and it’s great to see how successful it’s been on the floor.”

The WHC presentation follows Chief Executive Adrian Pennington’s presentation earlier this year in Geneva, to a joint meeting of the World Health Organisation and International Hospital Federation.

The World Hospital Congress will take place in Brisbane from October 10-12.

WBHHS accreditation pilot on world stage

Families flourish in Bundaberg

Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service

The WIDE BAY Wave 2

INDIGENOUS Mental Health Worker Coral Fisher has brought up her one-year anniversary in her role by taking part in some important community engagement and networking events during NAIDOC Week.

Coral, who is the first female Indigenous Mental Health Worker to work in Maryborough Correctional Centre, attended a range of events promoting mental health services to coincide with the special week – which celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and achievement.

Among the events were NAIDOC Week celebrations in Cherbourg, where she and Prison Mental Health Service Senior Psychologist Laura Fleming ran a stall

promoting mental health assessments and treatment provided to people in custody at the Maryborough Correctional Centre.

“Although Cherbourg is technically out of the Wide Bay region, a number of our clients or their families come from that area,” Coral said.

So for us, that event was about a few things – promoting our services, reaching out to people to encourage positive outcomes, and also to help them integrate back into the community.”

Coral also networked in the community during NAIDOC Week by attending the Maryborough and Hervey Bay flag-raising ceremonies and Dhaanban Birrbam Djali family day and Elders gathering, where she

was joined by fellow Indigenous Mental Health Worker Stacey Ober.

And as part of her vital networking within the prison environment, Coral and Transition Clinician Felicity Moore attended a Deadly Choices family fun day at the Maryborough Correctional Centre, where they spread the positive mental health message.

Coral also had the chance to chat to rugby league legend Preston Campbell, who now plays a strong advocacy role in promoting mental health and wellbeing.

“It was nice to have my photo taken with him, particularly because of his health role now,” Coral said.

“Although, really, he had his photo taken with me!”

Deadly choices for NAIDOC Week

Information sessions coming to our rural facilities

Indigenous Mental Health Worker Coral Fisher with Preston Campbell (left) and with Felicity Moore at the Maryborough Correctional Centre (above).

HR SERVICES will hold information sessions at WBHHS rural sites throughout July and August to help staff understand the requirements under the new Codes of Conduct for Nurses and Midwives.

Attendance at sessions can count towards continuing professional development (CPD) hours. There is no need to register your attendance – just turn up on the day.

Sessions are as follows:

Childers – July 25, Staff Development Room, 9am-10am

Biggenden – July 25, General Office, 12pm-1pm

Gayndah – July 25, Conference Room, 3pm-4pm

Mundubbera – August 14, Conference Room, 3pm-4pm

Eidsvold – August 15, Lunch Room, 9am-10am

Monto – August 15, Conference Room, 12pm-1pm

Gin Gin – August 15, VC Room, 4pm-5pm.

Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service

The WIDE BAY Wave 3

WBHHS nurses now have their own dedicated newsletter – and as of this month, it has a new name.

The monthly newsletter launched in June, with a challenge issued to nurses to come up with a new name.

Thanks to casual pool Registered Nurse Lisa Rowe, “The Handover” was adopted as the name of the newsletter from the July edition onwards.

Lisa was given a $250 voucher to put towards professional development, and she’s already decided how it will be spent – on a wound care course later in the year.

Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services Fiona Sewell said the idea behind the newsletter was to allow her to connect with the nursing team directly, to regularly reinforce the core values of nursing, and to give the team information about nursing standards and professional development opportunities.

“Meetings don’t always work because people are busy, so we’ve developed the newsletter to give people access to a broad range of information to help them be the best they can be,” Fiona said.

“The newsletter will include items such as upcoming courses or workshops, changes to requirements, and other career development opportunities.

I also want to use the newsletter to emphasise our core nursing values and demonstrate their real-life application on the floor and within our teams.”

She said even after its first couple of editions, The Handover had been well received.

“We asked our nurses for their input on what the newsletter could include, and already we’ve had some suggestions such as a Q&A section, or a celebrations section,” Fiona said.

“I’m really pleased to see it’s resonating with our teams, and we’re certainly keen to keep the content fresh and relevant.”

The Handover will be emailed out each month, and will also be available on the Media and Communications Unit’s Publications page on QHEPS.

Nurses and midwives enjoy new Handover

High praise for PARASSENIOR nurse Rob Scott has praised the efforts and teamwork of Bundaberg Hospital’s PARAS team, after he was called in to do an early public holiday shift recently on an exceptionally busy day.

Rob – a former Nurse Unit Manager of the PARAS (Palliative, Acute Rehabilitation and Acute Stroke) Unit but now a Nurse Navigator – was called at 5.45am to help the unit look after its 27 patients.

He said while the day may have gone smoothly when looking from the outside, in reality this could only happen because of the “impeccable” planning and teamwork.

“The allocation for the day was considered and well planned, the skill

mix was appropriate to enable the best possible outcome for the shift and the right nurse was in the right place at the right time throughout the day,” he said.

I was regularly offered support by the whole team, and I felt confident that I could deliver the care needed for the shift while maintaining what was best for the patients.

“I walked out of the PARAS Unit at the end of that shift feeling proud that I stood beside that team for the day – and it was one of the most enjoyable shifts I’ve done.”

Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services Fiona Sewell also offered her praise for the team, saying it was a great demonstration of how WBHHS nurses cared for each other and performed under pressure.

Fiona Sewell with the winner of the newsletter naming challenge, Lisa Rowe.

Nurse Navigator Rob Scott (back right) with Bundaberg Hospital’s PARAS team.

Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service

The WIDE BAY Wave 4

What’s OnJul 18: Bundaberg Hospital NAIDOC Week

ceremony and BBQ, 11.30am-1.30pm, staff dining room.

Jul 18: Nursing and Midwifery Code of Conduct info sessions – 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, Hervey Bay Hospital Clinics Conference Room.

Jul 19: Nursing and Midwifery Code of Conduct info sessions –10am, 11am, 12pm, Bundaberg Hospital Large HR Room.

Jul 29–Aug 5: DonateLife Week

Jul 31: Nursing and Midwifery code of Conduct info sessions:10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, Maryborough Hospital Education Training Room 1.

Aug 1–7: World Breastfeeding Week

Aug 5–11: Dental Health Week

Aug 8: Dying to Know Day

Jokes of the day

Q. Why are urologists so selfish?

A. They’re all about Number One.

When I was at Medical School, I couldn’t decide between neurology and proctology, so I decided to flip a coin – heads or tails.

Louise Scanlan

Your role? Clinical Lead for the Wide Bay Step Up Step Down service.

How long have you been with WBHHS? Nine weeks, having moved down from Townsville HHS.

How do you describe what you do? In partnership with an NGO (Mind Australia), Mental Health and Specialist Services is setting up a new mental health service option for the Wide Bay. The service will provide additional care and support to people so that they can resume their role in the community, with coordinated, recovery orientated treatment and support. My role is in two phases: setting up the service (now) and leading the team when it’s up and running (September).

What’s best about your job? That I’m not doing it alone. I get to collaborate, consult and work with a range of stakeholders (in and out of QH) to bring this service to the Wide

Bay. What makes it great is the shared sense of optimism: people are excited, and should be.

When you’re not at work, you are… Actively avoiding unpacking and sorting the garage and shed boxes, going on day trips to explore the area, and sourcing mah-jong players.

What do you enjoy about living in Wide Bay? The weather, the great big open skies and relaxed lifestyle.

What was the last movie you saw? Movies – it’s been a while, and I love film! We’ve been lured into the world of binge TV of late, particularly to scandi-noir (think The Killing, The Bridge, Bordertown) – highly addictive and an effective avoidance strategy to those darned boxes…

Tea or coffee? Cat or dog? Maroons or Blues? Coffee. Both. Maroons.

New nursing Grand Rounds sessionsWBHSS staff are invited to attend the new Professional Nursing and Midwifery Grand Rounds sessions, starting next week.

The first sessions will focus on the concepts of empathy versus sympathy in the nursing context, and will include some role-play demonstrations.

The sessions will take place as follows:

July 23 – Large HR Room, Bundaberg Hospital, 3–3.30pm.

July 24 – Education Conference Room, Hervey Bay Hospital, 3–3.30pm.

Stepping up to a new role

Louise Scanlan, Clinical Lead for the Wide Bay Step Up Step Down service.

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Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service

The WIDE BAY Wave 5

CQUniversity nursing academics will soon provide research support to Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service (WBHHS) staff, as part of a new collaborative partnership.

Several research hotspots will be established throughout WBHHS, with the first rolling out at Bundaberg Hospital on the ground floor next to the Large HR room. The hotspots will act as hubs for interaction between CQUniversity academics and WBHHS staff.

CQUniversity Associate Professor Joyce Hendricks said University academics would visit the research hotspots on a fortnightly basis for four hours.

“During this time, academics will work with WBHHS staff to provide research

design, methodology analysis and reporting assistance, as well as help develop research outcomes,” she said.

“Junior academics will also attend, not only to be mentored in areas of research, but to increase their exposure to the hospital and health service.

“The engagement initiative also identifies CQUniversity as a future partner of the WBHHS, which will assist the organisation to attract funds for research and evaluative projects.”

WBHHS Director of Research Education, Development and Support Angela Ratsch said the presence of CQUniversity academics would support the growth of WBHHS’s research culture.

“The WBHHS Research Team is always available to provide assistance and

guidance via phone and face-to-face interactions ” she said.

“However, the presence of CQUniversity academics will simultaneously allow the team to effectively support staff and work towards completing current WBHHS research projects.”

Angela said each research hotspot had been fitted with suitable resources to ensure WBHHS staff could complete all their research duties in one place.

“The hotspots offer computer/docking stations for staff to prepare their research-related documents, and also secure storage solutions,” she said.

Depending on demand, Angela said the WBHHS would assess the need for more research hotspots and additional CQUniversity academic support.

New collaborative research stations

Contact WBHHS Education & TrainingPhone: Hervey Bay–4325 6104, Maryborough – 4122 8315, Bundaberg – 4150 2228 Email: WBHHS-ETR-Services@health.qld.gov.au

To access registration forms, training information or resources, go to the Education & Training QHEPS page.

EDUCATION & TRAINING UPDATEThe WIDE BAY Wave

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Communicating a FANtastic futureWBHHS’s Media and Communications team recently hosted a Year 12 student as part of the organisation’s work experience program – and he had an experience he won’t forget in a hurry.

Rhys Burnet, who is also studying a Certificate III in Information, Digital Media and Technology, spent three days shadowing Digital Communications Officer Lachlan Inglis so he could learn about our systems and processes and get a feel for working in the government environment.

But he also had the unexpected treat of taking part in the Fraser Coast Maroons Fan Day – which the Communications team helped to coordinate from a WBHHS perspective – and scored a couple of autographs along the way.

“After learning the sort of work there is in PR, particularly website development, this might be a direction I’d like to take,” Rhys said after his placement.

“I didn’t expect to see the Maroons team – the whole day was fun!”

Alicia Riley, coordinator of the WBHHS work experience program, said the program provided opportunities for WBHHS to engage and build relationships with more than 20 schools in the area.

“These connections help us engage with the next generation of workers, providing students with information in selecting a career path they may not have previously been aware of, and to choose the required subjects in senior school,” she said.

WBHHS work experience student Rhys Burnet and Queensland Maroons coach Kevin Walters.

Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service

The WIDE BAY Wave 6