Engage @ JurongHealth - Issue 15 by JurongHealth Campus

engage JAN-MAR 2013 | ISSUE 15

@JurongHealth

THANK

YOU

for making us NO. 1 and most improved in the Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) 2012!

12-13

14-16

18-19

FEATURE

hOSPITAL PLANNING

Bringing HEALTH

Updates On Our

Service IMPROVEMENT

To Every Home

New Hospitals

Putting Patients First

HIGHLIGHTS

FOCUS

02-03 FOCUS

04-13 FEATURE

14-16

E R WE A

HOSPITAL PLANNING

COMPLIMENTS

18-19

SERVICE IMPORVEMENT

20-23

HAPPENINGS

MUSINGS

Writer Jacinta Leow Editor Tessa Monteiro Editorial Advisor Casey Chang

Alexandra Hospital (AH) emerged the most improved hospital of the seven Restructured Hospitals in Singapore in a Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) Survey 2012 released on 19 March 2013. Jointly developed by the Institute of Excellence at SMU (ISES) and Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), the quarterly and annual survey measures service standards of industries ranging from finance and insurance to retail, food and beverage. For AH, the results showed a heartening 10.6% jump in customer satisfaction to 74.2%, the only double-digit growth in the overall healthcare sector.

From the congratulations that streamed in face-to-face, to the Facebook posts that saw random strangers congratulate us, we are indeed heartened by the results. We couldn’t have done it without you! From Nurses to Patient Service Associates to our Allied Health staff, Clinicians, Administration and Ancillary colleagues, attaining number one couldn’t have been possible without YOU! We have attached an excerpt of Chief Executive Officer, Mr Foo Hee Jug’s congratulatory note on the facing page:

03 The hard work of giving your best for our patients as well as your commitment to look out for each other as members of the JurongHealth family as we journey together to build our new hospitals in the west have certainly not gone unnoticed. During the last CSISG in 2011, the team was still making our transition into AH with staff coming together from various healthcare and non-healthcare sectors to take over the management of AH. I have personally seen how our staff have since confidently taken over AH and given this hospital the distinct JurongHealth identity. The hard work of giving your best for our patients as well as your commitment to look out for each other as members of the JurongHealth family as we journey together to build our new hospitals in the west have certainly not gone unnoticed. This honour, together with our recent 2nd place ranking in the annual MOH Patient Satisfaction Survey 2012 which measures the level of patient satisfaction with healthcare facilities and service, signal the high level of patient satisfaction with JurongHealth. We have focused our efforts to bring onboard people with the right values and creating the right culture as we build our foundation at AH. These independent surveys certainly tell us that we are heading in the right direction and they can only spur us on to do even better in caring for our community. Lots of hard work ahead of us and letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work together as a team to support each other! Good job and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m proud of each and every one of you! Foo Hee Jug CEO, JurongHealth

FEATURE

JurongHealth Bags the Green Mark Platinum Award Our upcoming integrated hub comprising Ng Teng Fong General Hospital andJurong Community Hospital have been awarded the Green Mark (Platinum) Award – the highest accolade in the Building Construction Authority’s (BCA) green building rating scheme.

The herring bone design for the subsidised wards promote better ventilation.

HOW MUCH

WE CAN

SAVE 30.64

Overall Energy Savings

ENERGY SAVINGS

20,829,902 kWh/year

$5,207,475.39

/year

457 kWh/month

5484 5-room HDB FLAT

kWh/year

SAVE ENOUGH ELECTRICITY TO SUPPLY 3,798 5-room hdb flats for oNE YEAR

WATER SAVINGS

$95,690 68,350 m3 per year per year 2,500m3 required for an Olympicsized swimming pool

Olympic-sized swimming pools of water saved

The façade of Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Jurong Community Hospital features greenery that is strategically planted outside every patient’s window to give a soothing view.

Introduced in 2005, the BCA Green Mark is a green building rating system used to evaluate a building for its environmental impact and performance. The rating system provides a comprehensive framework for assessing the overall environmental performance of new and existing buildings to promote sustainable design, construction and operations practices in buildings. The assessment criteria cover the following key areas: energy efficiency; water efficiency; environmental protection; indoor environmental quality and; other green features and innovation. In the case of our new hospitals, we have adopted the Total Building Performance (TBP) approach for an integrated building design and delivery process to benefit all users.

TBP is used to assess how each system (lighting, space, acoustics, etc) affects one another to deliver an optimised design. By incorporating sustainable strategies, we will have two hospitals that are energy, water and resource efficient, maintenance friendly with reduced operational costs while offering enhanced user comfort. Our design scheme has opted for careful space planning which allows for the harness of natural light and ventilation for a healthy healing environment with lush green views from every window for every patient. A comparison in the ventilation performance between a conventional ward design and the proposed herring bone design for the subsidised wards demonstrate a vast improvement in ventilation

through higher wind speeds. In addition, energy efficient and high performance façade with shading elements and greenery will help to address the heat and glare into the buildings for all the façades. Said Mr Foo Hee Jug, Chief Executive Officer, JurongHealth, “NTFGH and JCH are hospitals designed to be integrated, nurturing and therapeutic. Managing the environmental impact and improving the indoor environmental quality are qualities of a green mark building. These are also the qualities that are conducive for patients to get well, because they significantly eliminate environmental stressors such as noise, glare and poor air quality. Connecting patients in the treatment setting to nature, with views of the outdoors, interior gardens and

greenery are known to help them rest easier and heal faster. These green mark attributes are not just environmental friendly but are also patient friendly.” Interactive external spaces with landscaping at different levels will also contribute to improved patient comfort and a productive environment for all users. Solar Thermal system will meet 100 per cent of the hot water demand of the hospitals, and the air conditioning system will target an efficiency rate of ≤ 0.623 kW/ton. An actual assessment will be carried out at later stage to verify that the buildings meet the criteria and certification level. The hospitals will be re-assessed every three years to maintain the Green Mark status.

SPOTLIGHT

Behind Medicine In this new column, we profile the various divisions and departments to create greater awareness and deepen staff knowledge on the services we provide. We start with the Department of Medicine which is headed by Dr Gerald Chua. The department comprises more than 60 clinicians covering wide-ranging sub-specialties from head to toe, literally.

Cardiology Cardiology deals with the treatment of diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels such as coronary artery disease, heart failure, drug-resistant hypertension, congenital heart disease and valvular heart disease. Patients also benefit from a wide range of services such as Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring, Exercise Stress Tests and Cardiac Echocardiography. Dermatology Dermatology deals with the treatment of disorders of the skin, hair and nails. Endocrinology is the field of medicine dealing with disorders of hormonal production and metabolism. The Diabetes Centre is staffed by an experienced multi-disciplinary team which looks after patients suffering from diabetes, thyroid problems, obesity and related disorders, as well as patients with lipid, calcium and bone disorders, pituitary disorders, adrenal disorders and endocrine hypertension. Gastroenterology This field of medicine looks at the diagnosis, treatment and management of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas, such as peptic ulcers, gastric acid reflux, biliary and pancreatic stones, and inflammation and infection of the liver.

Geriatric Medicine Providing holistic care for patients aged 75 years and above, the team conducts a comprehensive assessment of all patients and adopts a multi-disciplinary approach involving doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, dietitians, pharmacists, podiatrists and medical social workers when necessary. Infectious Diseases This field of medicine deals with diseases caused by infection by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Neurology Neurology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Common conditions managed by neurologists include stroke and Parkinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Disease. Occupational Medicine Occupational Medicine provides consultancy services to companies and partners in worksite health risk assessment and preventive strategies to avoid occurrence of occupational diseases. They include Statutory Medical Examinations; Health Promotion and Health Screening; as well as Health Risk Assessment.

Oncology Oncologists provide diagnosis, staging, treatment and followup of patients with cancer. Common cancers include colon cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer. Palliative Medicine Medicine is a field that manages patients with life-threatening illnesses that focuses on improving the quality of life. It involves management of symptoms and provision of support for both patients and their family. It aims to affirm/celebrate life and acknowledges death as natural/normal part of life. Psychiatry Psychiatry helps patients with psychological problems, behavioral disorders as well as those who face difficulty in dealing with lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stressors. The team assesses and manages a wide spectrum of psychiatric and psychological conditions in both the inpatient and outpatient settings, and aims to provide a comprehensive integrated multidisciplinary service in partnership with mental health service providers in the community. Rehabilitation Medicine This specialty looks at helping people with disabilities achieve and maintain their optimal physical, psychological and social function. The team at Rehabilitation Medicine aims to empower the disabled person by reducing the impact of their disability and promoting their full inclusion into society.

Renal Medicine Renal Medicine provides integrated multi-disciplinary care for chronic kidney disease and manages various forms of kidney conditions. When necessary, it helps the transition to hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, and continued care. The team comprises specially trained clinical coordinators, nurses, educator/counselors, dietitians, medical social workers and specialist clinicians to address specific needs of patients and their care providers and offer a one-stop, coordinated service. Respiratory Medicine Respiratory Medicine provides inpatient and outpatient care for acute and chronic conditions for a spectrum of lung and airway diseases such as chronic cough, pneumonia, lung cancer, asthma, COPD and pulmonary tuberculosis. Rheumatology Rheumatology is the field of medicine which deals with disorders of the joints, soft tissues, autoimmune diseases and vasculitis. Adopting a holistic the team looks at conditions like osteoporosis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

QUALITY MONTH FEATURE

Understanding Our Key Risks This third segment of Enterprise Risk Management features the ERM journey from building risk management foundation to identifying, documenting and monitoring risks in our area of work.

Juronghealthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Risk Profile as at January 2013 O4

FREQUENT (5)

likelihood

LIKELY (4)

POSSIBLE (3)

UNLIKELY (2)

C9 C10 O5

C11 C12

RARE (1)

INSIGNIFICANT (1)

MINOR (2)

MODERATE (3)

MAJOR (4)

Consequences Risk Level

Low

Medium

High

Extreme

SERIOUS (5)

Knowing what are the key risks that impact our goals. JurongHealth’s Risk Profile is a summary of key risks we face. All identified risks are grouped into eight broad categories: • Strategic • Clinical • Human Capital • Operational • Financial • IT • Research • [L] Regulatory From the eight risk categories, 51 key risks were established with input from Management and from reviews of aggregated risks identified at the departmental and functional levels. These risks are then prioritised and assessed into four risk levels – low, medium, high and extreme – in terms of the combination of consequences of an event and the associated likelihood of occurrence. Consequences measure the level of damage when the risk event occurs from a scale of 1 to 5 (or insignificant to serious). Likelihood measures the frequency of risk occurrence from a scale of 1 to 5 (or rare to frequent). By prioritising and assessing the 51 key risks, 21 key risks in the top right quadrant and framed in blue are highlighted and reported regularly to the Management and Audit Committee (a Board Committee). All other key risks will be managed and monitored closely by the respective departments. Once the risk profile is developed, it helps us to understand and communicate the risks involved across the organisation, and most importantly, to prioritise actions and address risk issues proactively. For example, let’s look at S1 – Risk of delay in Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Jurong Community Hospital development in JurongHealth’s risk profile in the diagram above. This risk is assessed with a ‘possible’ likelihood; it means this risk might occur several times within the project timeline. Any delay in opening the new hospitals on time is assessed to have ‘serious’ consequences to JurongHealth’s reputation.

How do we manage it? Establishing the goal to complete construction of NTFGH and JCH on time and within budget and scopes, the Hospital Planning team actively identifies and manages potential risk exposures to prevent any delay in the opening of the new hospitals. Key development milestones and defined specifications are also monitored and tracked regularly by the Hospital Planning Committee, Management Committee and Infrastructure Development Committee (a Board Committee), to detect early warning signs of potential risk exposures. Examples of potential risk exposures that may slow down construction progress are: • non-compliance or slacking in worksite safety and health controls by contractors/sub-contractors which may lead to a stop work order by the Building and Construction Authority; and • stormy weather and shortage of construction materials. The Hospital Planning team also works closely with Transition Planning and Project OneCare (EMR and non-EMR) implementation teams to manage critical timelines and paths to enable smooth migration and commissioning of services and systems at the new hospitals on time. Continuous improvement in risk management will help ensure the new hospitals open on time. To find out more, please feel free to approach the Risk Management Office or attend the ERM awareness seminar or Risk Management workshop. Further details are available in the Learning & Organisational Development Calendar.

FEATURE

Building a Culture of Trust and Engagement Ms Anna Fok, Chief Human Resource Officer, was quoted in a recent issue of Today’s Manager. In it, she spoke about building culture, and working in teams to flatten hierarchy and enhance engagement. We have included excerpts of the article here, as well as Ms Fok’s quotes.

In a 2003 article in the Harvard Business Review, Stanford University professor, Harold Leavitt, observed that despite efforts at finding alternatives, hierarchies still persist. They are present in organisations because they serve basic human needs including status, identity and structure. Hierarchies have proven themselves to be adaptable to change and capable of accomplishing great feats. Leavitt noted that even the most intelligent and benevolent people could find life within a hierarchical organisation debilitating. However, it remains the best mechanism through which complex work can be done, despite its numerous flaws and shortcomings. Ms Fok said: “Governance is key and organisational hierarchy can serve as a ‘check and balance’ tool to ensure that decisions made are aligned with the corporate and clinical governance framework. However, an overemphasis on hierarchy may breed bureaucracy and dampen the initiative to act.” Good leaders emphasise less on the hierarchy. Instead they focus on providing the information and assistance required to help their employees grow. Their goal is to help others succeed. In spite of a great number of voices proclaiming the merits of open communication, respect, and of building trusting relationships, we still witness command-

and-control styles of managing. Blind obedience to organisational hierarchy and authoritative styles of relating are also common. Leaders lead by example. To build trust, leaders demonstrate open-mindedness in seeking views and inputs from team members and the broader staff population on issues that matter most to them. Ms Fok added: “Trust forms the cornerstone of relationship building as we grow an organisation. To narrow power differences and break down communication barriers attributable to title and reporting structures, we embark on a team building and team development strategy to flatten hierarchy through fostering strong bonds and trust among team members. At the same time, this enhances team performance.” Jurong Health Services staff are encouraged by the leaders to think out of the box. They use space and autonomy to re-create new ways of doing things, including the processes to integrate care for the patients and community. The focus on team collaboration will diminish power differences as all staff share one common goal and a set of core values. This was extracted from Today’s Manager, Dec 2012 – Jan 2013, pages 43 − 46.

Trust forms the cornerstone of relationship building as we grow an organisation.

11 Hand Hygiene Day 2013 An annual day focused on hand hygiene in healthcare, World Hand Hygiene Day (5 May 2013) promotes continual, sustained best practice in hand hygiene in all healthcare settings around the world. As we begin preparations for our Hand Hygiene Day celebrations on 8 May 2013, the Infection Control Committee has decided to drive home the message of good hand hygiene practices through a series of activities. The aim is to reduce healthcare infections that impact not only our patients but their families as well.

Staff are invited to watch staff perform related to hand hygiene (ie song or dance). Attractive prizes will be given to the winning teams or participants who can:

Watch staff perform

Design

a floor

a) b) c) d)

perform seven steps of hand hygiene; perform five moments of hand hygiene; importance of hand hygiene and; improve patient and staff safety.

Lunch will be provided.

sticker

Create and design floor stickers as workplace reminders on hand hygiene. Staff can vote for their favourite design. Three designs will be chosen and the winners will receive attractive prizes.

Test your hands To create greater awareness of the importance of hand hygiene, random spot tests will be conducted in the hospital from mid-April. Staff are invited to test their hands onto a blood agar plate to see how clean they are before and after performing hand hygiene. Staff with the cleanest hands will go into a draw to win a voucher for great hand hygiene habits!

Hear from the expert We have invited A/Prof Dale Fisher, Head and Senior Consultant of the Infectious Disease Division, Department of Medicine at the National University Hospital to deliver a talk about hand hygiene on 8 May 2013.

FEATURE

Bringing HEALTH to Every Home Walking the talk of transforming care and bringing health to every home, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Thong Kheng Welfare Services on 26 January 2013 to provide holistic care to residents at Blk 3, Jalan Bukit Merah. Piloted by Medical Social Services, the HEALTH initiative aims to ensure that the elderly are well looked after and empowered with the necessary skills to lead happy and healthy lives.

pore TOTE ing from the Singa nd fu ith w le b si e pos ports HEALTH was mad Health Fund sup ng ro Ju . nd Fu lth rongHea aritable for Board and the Ju are exclusively ch at th es ic rv se out to th-related art from reaching medical and heal p A . ity un m m co Singapore grammes the benefit of the orts outreach pro p p su so al nd Fu e itiatives; needy patients, th care integration in of t en em nc ha en althorganised for the to further their he rs ke or w re ca th heal r new methods of fo ts sponsorships for ilo p d an ch ore well as resear nd.com.sg for m fu th al related training; as he ng ro .ju care. Visit www enhancing patient Fund. the JurongHealth t ou ab n io at rm info

HEALTH is the first to integrate the varied needs of the elderly by assisting them and their families to evaluate the senior’s physical and emotional health, functional, social and financial needs. The programme closes the gap and pulls together the different segmented schemes, resources and services, to educate, empower and help this group of seniors participate in regular health screenings and early detection of chronic diseases. The holistic components of the HEALTH programme are: • • • • • •

Head (mental capacity) Existential (living and dying well) Asset (property and financial resources) Lifestyle (the way a person lives) Therapeutics (treatment of diseases) Health (emotions and relationship)

The MOU, signed by Mr Foo Hee Jug, Chief Executive Officer and Mr Teo Ngak Hong, President of Thong Kheng Welfare Services, was witnessed by Dr Chia Shi-Lu, Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC. Thereafter, CEO, Mr Teo and Dr Chia went round shaking hands with residents and distributing mandarin oranges and well wishes.

13 The Spirit of Volunteerism To help our patients find their way around more easily, we welcomed eight volunteers onboard as our ‘Volunteer Greeters & Guiders’ on 22 January 2013.

Willing Hearts, Healthy Home Armed with brooms, pails and mops, teams made up of colleagues from Nursing, Allied Health and Administration/Ancillary came together to spruce up 15 homes with a fresh coat of wall paint for some families while other welcomed new bed frames and sheets as well as locks to keep break-ins at bay. Memebers of senior management also called on these residents with mandarin oranges to wish them well. The look of appreciation on the residents’ faces was telling and one of them exclaimed, “I have never seen my house so clean! I’m really so grateful to them!” Equally satisfying were our staff whose enthusiasm did not wane. One staff Engage spoke to shared that he would definitely volunteer for the next event – regardless of the activity involved.

Spearheaded by Community Relations, our volunteers will assist our full-time Patient Greeters at the main lobby to help patients in and out of vehicles, assist them with directions and help the wheelchair-bound. Part of their orientation included a hands-on demonstration of their roles as well as speaking with our Head Volunteer, Johari Nazir. Engage caught up with Jo and new volunteer, Ruth Ballaam. “As a young boy, I often played at the football field in AH. My mother, son and even I are patients of the hospital. When I was warded a few years ago, I personally experienced the wonderful care by the medical team and nurses. I hope they continue to provide the same or even better standard of service at the new hospitals in Jurong, and hire good doctors to continue providing quality care.”

“Anchammal is an excellent example of calm professionalism, handling busy or stressful situations with ease. She is also caring and warm hearted, and will often treat the volunteers to a cold fruit juice on a hot day! Peter is very compassionate to patients and has helped the volunteers recognise the importance of a smile. Alan is a kind and observant greeter, who will always make sure you are ok, and will assist if he thinks you need help. They have all helped me in my role as a volunteer greeter and guider, mainly by making me feel so welcome.”

- Johari Nazir

– Ruth Ballaam

Tied to the launch of HEALTH was Healthy Home, a staff volunteer initiative by Community Relations Department. As many as 150 staff turned up to spring clean 15 homes for Chinese New Year.

Hospital Planning

Firedrill and Tabletop Exercise

On 28 January 2013, those working at the site of our future hospitals had an informative experience. Following the fire alarm, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) emerged from fire engines to demonstrate the proper techniques of “search and rescue” such as how to perform the CPR, casualty relief, evacuation and the correct method to put out potential fires at the site. A subsequent tabletop exercise was held between Hospital Planning, Communications and GS Engineering & Construction, our appointed vendor for superstructure construction, to take site safety and crisis management even more seriously. The exercise reminded all to put safety first as lack of knowledge or carelessness could cause serious threats to those who work on site. We’re glad our colleagues picked up relevant tips to stay safe in their line of work daily!

Multi-disciplinary Care Clinic Launched

On 28 January 2013, the first-ever Multi-disciplinary Care (MDC) Clinic was unveiled at Clinic E1. In line with the multi-disciplinary care models already adopted by some of our services, Renal Medicine and Pain Service are the first two services to be rolled out at the MDC clinic. Offering patients the ease of a single care plan at one location, the MDC clinic enhances the service experience of our patients by providing seamless coordination between clinician, nurses, allied health staff and administrative coordinator. A one-stop clinic, patients will be able to seek treatment, obtain the necessary advice and make their follow-up appointments all at the same location. Stay tuned as the MDC Clinic expands its range of services in 2013.

Better Support for Patients with Cancer On 11 January 2013, JurongHealth and NUHS’ National University Cancer Institute, Singapore signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to take cancer care to the next level. This collaboration means better oncology-related services for patients when Ng Teng Fong General Hospital opens its doors in 2014. Cancer patients and their caregivers will typically experience a complex array of interactions with a range of clinical and support services. The Western Cancer Action Network (WCAN) provides a framework to strengthen the links between oncologyrelated services so that the patient’s journey is integrated and easy to navigate. WCAN closely mirrors the multi-disciplinary care model which some of our clinics are already offering and the MOU reinforces both hospitals’ commitment to collaborate early to serve the needs of residents in the west.

15 Updates on Our New Hospitals As the construction of our hospitals continue full steam ahead, our Hospital Planning colleagues are hard at work making sure everything goes according to plan and on schedule. Engage tagged along on a site visit for an update.

CEO and Hospital Planning colleagues finalising the colours of the facade with CPG Corporation, our appointed architect.

With each beam in place, we are that much closer to unveiling our new hospitals!

Every day, site engineers and architects oversee the construction at NTFGH and JCH meticulously to ensure that things are proceeding as planned. Our Hospital Planning colleagues also make regular visits to iron out any kinks as we countdown to the opening of our integrated hub in the west!

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sneak peek at how the facade of Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Jurong Community Hospital could resemble when it opens its doors in 2014

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not an easy decision but we can do it if we put our heads together.

Hospital Planning

Our Very Own

AD O R D R ORCHA

On 22 February 2013, more than 30 of our colleagues from 20 departments attended a workshop to brainstorm ideas on how best to bring to life a 500-metre walkway in Basement 2 which will link our future hospitals. Representatives from Temasek Polytechnic’s Department of Architecture Design were present to share tips on how to make the most of this space. Some suggestions thrown up included “Rainbow Connection” and “Adventure” as our staff envisioned a happy place for patients, visitors and staff. Our Hospital Planning, Community Relations and Human Resources colleagues will be showcasing these proposed designs in an exhibition. Staff will soon be able to vote for their favourite designs and the winning design will be adapted into our actual basement. Stay tuned as we bring you more exciting developments!

SOC Finds A Winner In the last issue, we ran a story on our colleagues’ new designs for the Specialist Outpatient Clinics’ (SOC) Registration and Billing tray (SOC Shows Its Creative Side). The aim was to standardise the trays across all clinics, as well as improve care delivery and patient satisfaction. The contest began in October and saw nine teams participate. Following evaluation from the judges – Ms Lee Khek Fong, Senior Nurse Manager, and Ms Joyce Tan, Supervisor, Service Operations – and their peers, the tray by SOC B (right) has emerged the winner. It was picked for its vibrant and colourful design. The judges also noted that the appointment cards would not get mixed up. SOC is working with the Service Quality department to select a vendor to fabricate it. Henceforth, it will be used at all registration points. Good job folks!

17 Compliments For putting patients first, 16 of our Jurong Medical Centre (JMC) colleagues were presented with the Monthly Service Stars Award. Our heartiest congratulations to the winners and we look forward to seeing more nominations from JMC! Tan Yew Kin Leslie, Operations Leslie Tan is friendly and proactive. We need more people like him at the reception. Bravo to him! Wong Chin Fah, Specialist Outpatient Clinic Chin Fah was awesome, patient and caring. Thumbs up to him. Mohamed Yatim Bin Margi, Operations Mohamed Yatim showed great care and concern from the time we reached. He accompanied us to the x-ray clinic at Jurong Point, paid for the cab fare and patiently waited for us for more than one hour without any complaint. Thank you Mr Yatim! Chia Soh Keng Adeline, Operations Adeline is very helpful and friendly. I wish all medical institutions have staff like her. Maswati Lehwan, Specialist Outpatient Clinic Maswati is cheerful and energetic when serving patients. She brightens up the room with her smile. Dr Wang Yuan, Dental Dr Wang Yuan is a very wonderful and professional doctor who cares for her patients’ interests and makes an effort to explain and advise. She is truly a people’s doctor who understands and empathises with patients. Cheers to JurongHealth and Dr Wang. Lee Choon Chua, Call Centre I would like to thank Choon Chua for his kind assistance and patience in helping us make an urgent appointment. It is good that your organisation has staff like him who are willing to go the extra mile to help patients.

Chew Seong Ling, Ng Mui Hoon, Sharon, Ng Meei Wen, Angie, Dr Alvin Ang Ting Fang, Health and Wellness I would like to convey my heartfelt gratitude and compliments to Dr Alvin and Seong Ling, Angie and Sharon. They were very attentive, helpful and friendly, which certainly brightened my day. I live very far from JMC and I’m grateful they made an exception for me even though I did not make an appointment for my pre-employment check-up. It was my first visit to JMC and I was impressed with the high level of professionalism and efficiency of the medical personnel.

Dr Tan Lay Hwa Margaret, Dental Thank you Dr Margaret Tan for taking the effort to explain dental care to me in great detail. I can sense her passion in helping her patients to understand dental care better.

Nur Farina Binte Ahmad Fauz, Health and Wellness Farina assisted me with my dental appointment. She is a pleasant, fast and efficient worker. She makes patients comfortable and is a true asset to your organisation.

Dr Xu Xinni, Ear, Nose and Throat – Head & Neck Surgery Dr Xu was very friendly and professional. She examined me carefully and explained my diagnosis clearly. She is comforting and shows great compassion. I am very glad I came here for treatment.

Dr Bernie Liu, Dental Thank you Dr Bernie for your treatment and care. My pain is now well managed. Well done and keep it up. Fauziah Binte Alias, Specialist Outpatient Clinic Thank you Fauziah for being friendly and concerned. All the staff are excellent! Well done and keep it up.

Fairline Ang Bee Wah, Specialist Outpatient Clinic Fairline is very responsible, caring and very efficient. She called me a few times to ensure that my mum was alright. Good job! Keep it up!

SERVICE improvement These are some initiatives by our colleagues to improve service quality for our patients.

Rolling Out The Happy Cart “ I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by the new initiative of providing tea/coffee to patients who are waiting to see their doctors at the clinics. Keep it up. ” In keeping with our value of patient-centredness, the Specialist Outpatient Clinic (SOC) has rolled out an innovative concept. Acting on feedback that some patients feel cold and hungry while waiting at the clinic, the SOC team has introduced the Happy Cart to serve patients hot beverages and snacks at the waiting area. During Christmas and Lunar New Year, festive music is played while the Happy Cart goes on its rounds. This initiative is one of the many to test bed new ideas for our future hospitals and it will be mirrored in our upcoming hospitals should it prove successful in the months ahead. Thumbs up to our Service Quality and SOC colleagues. Here are some of the positive feedback we received from patients:

“ There were a few staff serving tea, coffee and biscuits to patients at the waiting area. It made our day. ”

Inpatient Meals Get A Healthy Lift In conjunction with the Health Promotion Board’s “Whole-grains The Wise Choice”, Food Service has launched brown rice noodles, bee hoon and kway teow for Diet of Choice and Diabetes Mellitus patients. Due to diet restrictions for Renal and Low Residue patients, regular noodles will continue to be adopted for them. The variety of crackers currently served in wards has also expanded to include oats and wheat types. Meanwhile, the salt used to prepare dishes for patients has been replaced with a low-sodium one. According to HPB, we should consume not more than one-teaspoon or 2,000 mg of salt a day to stay healthy. However, with the high salt content often hidden from the consumer, nine in 10 Singaporeans consume more salt than they should. We’re happy to report that the team also worked with Dietetics & Nutrition to create a new and low-fat ice-cream. We’re glad that as our patients recuperate, they are doing so with healthier choices made possible by Kitchen Services. Keep the healthy initiatives coming, we say!

Guide to Better Patient-doctor Communication

To help patients address their concerns better, the Specialist Outpatient Clinic (SOC) has launched a questionnaire called ‘Ask Me 3” earlier this year. In this initiative, patients are guided to formulate their thoughts and ask questions they sometimes forget. The questions, divided into three sections were written as though a Clinician was talking to them. The initiative is called ‘Ask Me 3’ because there are three sections in the questionnaire.

According to feedback, patients sometimes forget to ask important questions and end up waiting outside consultation rooms to try to speak to the doctor again. This results in a longer waiting time. By writing down their pressing concerns, patients can be more focused on what they want to ask.

‘Ask Me 3’ is available in English and Mandarin, and at all SOC clinics.

Help Us to

Help You

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ant to TE LL the do ctor abou s botherin t my curr g me rece ent cond ntly (i.e lo □ Adverse ition? sing sleep, reactions weight ga to my drug in/loss) □ Others: □ Symptom

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happenings

Doctors Nite Orgo, the rooftop bar at the Esplanade, was a scene of celebration on 11 January 2013 as we held our first Doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nite, hosted by A/Prof Cheah Wei Keat, Chairman of Medical Board. Despite the stormy weather at the start of the event, our JurongHealth clinicians braved the rain and came together for a night of camaraderie. Here are some pictures from the event.

21 CEO & CMB Townhall The first of four CEO & CMB Townhall sessions at the Auditorium kicked off on 11 March 2013. Mr Foo Hee Jug, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), announced that we won the Building and Construction Authority’s Green Mark Platinum Award – the highest accolade in its green building rating scheme. CEO also clarified that our value of Open-mindedness had been changed to Openness which better reflected “our willingness and readiness to convey our purpose, ideals and information in a transparent manner”. A/Prof Cheah Wei Keat, Chairman Medical Board, gave a tribute to nurses at JurongHealth and reiterated CEO’s encouragement for a culture of openness. He reminded us of our committment to safe care, accessible care, appropriate care and patient-centred care. In speaking of the new Jurong Community Hospital, Dr Chua Chi Siong, Medical Director, emphasised its importance as a step-down care facility. The session ended with a Q&A with CEO and CMB taking questions from the audience.

Lab Medicine Gets Re-accredited The College of American Pathologists (CAP) re-audited the Department of Laboratory Medicine on 7 March 2013 to ensure JurongHealth consistently upholds patient safety through the advancement in quality pathology and lab services. They last visited Alexandra Hospital in 2011. Led by inspectors, Dr David Stewart Jr., Dr Charles Manning Jr. and Dr Rudolf Ulirsch, the team covered all aspects, from safety to inventory check. Individual sections such as the Blood Bank, Biochemistry and Molecular Laboratory were also scrutinised. Our colleagues had been conducting internal audits and numerous meetings since the last quarter of 2012. Their hard work paid off when team from CAP revealed that they had achieved stellar results. To celebrate this milestone, the Department had an evening of fun and nostalgia at the Mint-Museum of Toys on 20 March. Our heartiest congratulations for a job well done!

happenings

Leaders Appreciation Dinner

A total of 200 staff attended a JurongHealth Leadership Celebration Dinner on 18 February 2013 at The Fullerton Hotel. The dinner was held in appreciation of the commitment and hard work of our leaders. Following Mr Foo Hee Jug, Chief Executive Officer’s message and lo-hei, dinner was served. The fun started after dinner when everyone got involved in a transition and team bonding activity. During the song dedication segment, Ms Joanne Yap, Chief Operating Officer, got on stage and sang “Dancing Queen”, and thanked our leaders for their dedication. The event was organised by HR Employee Engagement and on behalf of our leaders, we thank the team for a night of revelry.

Celebrating our Social Workers

To celebrate Social Work as a profession, our Medical Social Workers joined the Singapore Association of Social Workers (SASW)’s celebration at Orchid Country Club on 23 March 2013. Mr Alvin Chua, President of SASW, opened the session and this was followed by a talk by Mr Timothy Sim, Associate Professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Department of Applied Social Sciences. Aside from renewing their commitment to be society’s channel of support, there were also three workshops to raise awareness on dementia, caring for adults living with Chronic Diseases and community interventions for ex-offenders. Mr Chan Chun Sing, Acting Minister for the Ministry of Social and Family Development,thanked our social workers for their important contribution. Together with veteran social workers, he chaired a dialogue on “Social Work Practice in the Healthcare and Community Settings”.

23 Caring for your Kidneys This year’s World Kidney Day on 14 March 2013 focused on Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and how we can prevent it. Our multi-disciplinary Renal team comprising nurses, medical social workers, dietitians, clinicians and care coordinators put up an exhibition at the lobby to educate the public. Public and staff were invited to read up on AKI and then participate in a short quiz to test their knowledge. Answering any two questions correctly could win them a goodie bag. Games booths also enabled participants to reinforce their knowledge of AKI. Meanwhile, the team collected $412 for needy kidney patients that day. Healthcare colleagues were invited to attend a lunchtime talk under the Continuing Medication Education (CME) series. Dr Rajat Tagore, Head of Renal Medicine and Senior Consultant, started with “AKI: the ‘Elephant in the room”; while other colleagues shared the different cases witnessed in the ICU as well as the importance of diet, psychosocial care and guidelines from the International Society of Nephrology.

World Dietitian’s Day Our dietitians were at the lobby on 13 March 2013 to educate the public and staff on the importance of choosing healthier options when catering. One of the highlights was when Chief Operating Officer, Ms Joanne Yap, unveiled “JurongHealth Dietitians Choice”, which consists of food that are lower in fat, sugar and sodium. The “Dietitians Choice Reward” − an incentive to reward the Department that orders the most number of healthy dishes from April 2013 to March 2014 − was also launched. Staff and visitors snapped up goodie bags, recipe cards and an allnew low glycemic index (GI) ice-cream introduced that day as well as samples of healthy sayur lodeh and fried beehoon. Some of our colleagues participated in a sandwich making competition and won prizes for their healthy and innovative creations. Prizes were also given to winners of the Dietitians’ Choice quiz. We hope the activities from Dietitian’s Day have spurred you to make healthier eating choices.

MUSINGS

Remembering SARS: 10 Years On Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of Health, commemorates the 10th Anniversary of SARS and its impact on Singapore’s healthcare family and the community. We bring you excerpts of that speech. When SARS cases first appeared in Singapore, there was widespread confusion and anxiety. Public alarm escalated rapidly when the first cases of death from SARS were reported here. There was a climate of fear as the public avoided hospitals and clinics. Healthcare workers were shunned during the early days of the epidemic. Its high mortality rate similarly invoked fear among healthcare workers who had to face the potential risk of infection from day to day. At the risk of their personal safety, as well as their families’, healthcare workers bravely soldiered on and continued the fight at the frontline taking care of patients and ensuring that there was no disruption in the provision of health services to Singaporeans though they had more reason to be fearful than any one of us. The whole nation watched as our healthcare workers continued selflessly to care for SARS patients, and we mourned as a nation when some of these heroes succumbed to the infection so that patients they cared for could live on and recover.

Singapore lost five exemplary healthcare workers who died in the line of duty. Let us remember their courage, dedication and sacrifice. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the nurses, doctors and healthcare workers in all our hospitals and healthcare institutions. You are the nation’s vanguard when it comes to saving precious lives day after day, both during peacetime and in crisis, and we thank you for making a difference with your dedication and skill. The ever-present threat of infectious diseases remains a concern worldwide. In September last year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued an international alert announcing that a new virus belonging to the same family as the SARS virus known as Novel Coronavirus, had emerged in the Middle East and infected two persons. To date, the WHO has recorded a total of 15 confirmed cases, including nine deaths. Information on this new virus remains limited. So far, the cases have been sporadic and secondary infections among the close contacts of these cases appear uncommon. Nevertheless, we cannot let our guard down. We have raised the level of vigilance for this disease in our medical community, so that suspect cases can be detected, isolated and investigated quickly. So far, there have been no confirmed cases reported in Singapore. However, in our highly globalised world, where cities are well connected by air travel the transmission of infectious diseases has become

You are the nation’s vanguard when it comes to saving precious lives day after day, both during peacetime and in crisis, and we thank you for making a difference with your dedication and skill.

much harder to control. We must remain vigilant and be prepared all the time. The healthcare family’s experience with SARS in 2003 has taught us many valuable lessons, many of which have since been instituted into our healthcare systems and translated into a set of emergency preparedness and response measures. For example, triaging has now become an established workflow at our hospitals where patients with symptoms of infectious diseases are segregated and managed differently with added emphasis on infection control. Ten years later, the number of isolation rooms has increased to close to 400. These rooms are spread across all the major acute public hospitals. We also now have over three times more, or 48, Infectious Disease physicians in Singapore. All these add up to the building of capacity and capability to be better prepared for the new challenges of emerging and re-emerging diseases. Individuals can do their part by learning and practicing good personal hygiene habits and being socially responsible is the key to curbing the spread of any infectious disease in the community. Let us continue to stay alert and be ready to face the next challenge when it comes our way – and surely it will come one day. We’ve fought with SARS and won. It was a reminder that while we may be vulnerable, if we stand together as a nation and as a people, we can overcome and emerge stronger.