ISSUE 25
l a n i T he F n o i t i d E CK A B H FL A S 15 TO 20
02-11 A LOOK BACK AT 2015
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NURSING IS ANCC-ACCREDITED
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SQ AWARDS COMES TO THE WEST
E N G A G E I S G O I N G C O M P L E T E LY O N L I N E . S E E B A C K PA G E F O R M O R E D E TA I L S!
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02-11 FOCUS
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IN AND AROUND
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SERVICE COMPLIMENTS
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IT'S GOODBYE BUT NOT FAREWELL
The last six years have indeed been most remarkable. From ideas on paper, to seeing the three blocks rising from ground up to form the distinctive towers of Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) and Jurong Community Hospital (JCH) today, this deep sense of satisfaction can only be experienced by the JurongHealth family who was involved in the building of the two new hospitals. I want to say a big “THANK YOU” to all teams who worked so hard, especially in the lead up to the opening of our hospitals. It is really nice to see everyone settling in happily in the west together with colleagues at Jurong Medical Centre (JMC) and Lakeside Family Medicine Clinic (LFMC). You should give yourself a good pat on your back for transforming not just an empty plot of land but shaping and nurturing the entire JurongHealth organisation to what it is today, ready to serve our population. This has been an incredible JurongHealth story. Of course, the journey was not always a bed of roses. I know many worked long hours juggling multiple roles, straddling both Alexandra Hospital (AH) and the new site, as well as managing the demands at work and home.
WRITER Clara Chua EDITOR Tessa Monteiro EDITORIAL ADVISOR Casey Chang
When we made the transition to the west, I am deeply heartened by the collective will to make sure we are ready to serve the community. Despite the new surroundings and challenges of new processes and new systems, we were able to ease in and level up to augment national capacity earlier than planned. Our Emergency Department (ED) started to receive all SCDF cases by 3 September 2015 – a good four months ahead of plan. From 362 beds, we ramped up to 500 beds in NTFGH and 175 beds in JCH within a span of four months, ahead of the scheduled ramp-up plan. Despite construction delay, we caught up with our opening plans.
03 GROWING OUR ROLE AS A REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM (RHS) In 2015, we celebrated SG50 as a nation and the many milestones achieved in healthcare. The completion of NTFGH and JCH is a key infrastructure development under Healthcare 2020 – Ministry of Health's masterplan for Singapore to enhance accessibility, quality and affordability of healthcare. Guided by our RHS mission of “Transforming Care. Bringing Health To Every Home”, the opening of our integrated healthcare hub, and the safe and smooth transition for both our patients and our staff to the west, are the beginnings of a more fulfilling journey ahead. As a RHS, we are committed to build an even better healthcare system for the future, Beyond Healthcare 2020 and for SG100!
CELEBRATING 2015 – A YEAR OF MANY ACHIEVEMENTS AS ONE TEAM I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the many wonderful achievements of the past year. Indeed, it has been a very, very eventful year and words cannot fully express how much I appreciate my JurongHealth family for running the course with me. It would take me pages and pages to list all the good work done by all of you, so let me just highlight a few major milestones.
With the integrated NTFGH and JCH as our anchor, we will now intensify our RHS role and bring to life our mission to help the population stay well, heal the sick and empower them to take better care of their health. Sustainable care for our population must extend beyond the walls of our hospitals. Our RHS role will need the entire JurongHealth family of NTFGH, JCH, JMC and LFMC to pull together and join hands with HPB, AIC and ILTC partners, General Practitioners (GP), our healthcare cluster and our community. Our individual roles will naturally evolve to encompass responsibilities to support both JurongHealth facilities as well as our collaborative efforts with partners in the management of population health. Moving forward, our corporate goals have shifted from BEST+++ to RHS+++ to emphasise our RHS role from 2016 onwards while continuing to leverage what we have built to keep patients safe and well cared for. The three enablers – Technology, Funding and People – will continue to be the indispensable key factors supporting our RHS goals. In the following months, we will finalise all the workplans and your respective Reporting Officers will be able to share fuller details with everyone so that we can all work towards our common goals.
The Official Opening The grandest moment of the year and in our short history of JurongHealth, was without a doubt our Official Opening on 10 October 2015 with Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, as the Guest-of-Honour. For many organisations, an official opening is typically a showcase of infrastructure and hardware. For our opening, we focused on our patients and the support of their loved ones. Telling the JurongHealth story through a tapestry of hardware, heartware and the community, many of our guests told me they were touched by our aspiration and commitment to do our best for the community with patient-centred care.
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We were very honoured to play host to Mrs Lee Hsien Loong; Ministers Mr Gan Kim Yong, Ms Grace Fu and Dr Amy Khor; distinguished guests from Ministry of Health; Advisors in the west as well as 500 guests from the healthcare fraternity, industry and community partners. It was a joy to tour with PM and point out the patient-centred features behind the details of our two hospitals. PM was very positive about us and must have liked what he saw that he stayed longer than planned to interact with patients, the public and our staff. When asked by PM, our patients spoke fondly of us – yet another testimony of the good work by all of you! Our coffee table book, "Our Story", is therefore a tribute to you – a book that chronicles your efforts and attention to detail that have gone into the planning; designing; mapping; building; commissioning; transitioning; defects checking; testing; all the way to full dress rehearsals to the progressive move to the new site and finally, the moving of our patients with us to our new home.
Collectively, we must have chalked up more than a million steps doing defects checking, commissioning, moving out from AH and moving in to our new home in Jurong. With 10,000 cartons to be sent to 227 locations within 30 days to settle our colleagues at NTFGH and JCH; and another 15,000 pieces of equipment to be procured, moved, delivered, installed and commissioned for opening – pulling these through was no mean feat. The various committees and teams worked tirelessly around the clock to ensure all systems go for the opening of JCH beds in NTFGH wards by 18 June 2015. By 30 June 2015, we were all ready to open NTFGH with 362 beds, followed closely with the opening of JCH on 22 July 2015 with 99 beds. I will definitely treasure this coffee table book always because it is our family album of the first six formative years.
As part of transition, we also contacted all our patients at AH to inform of our move as well as to follow-up on their preferred options for the next appointment. I particularly remember the detailed
planning that had gone into the final transfer of the 19 patients who have opted to follow us to NTFGH. The teamwork and the commitment to ensure patient safety as well as the show of compassion while we gently transfer our patients were an excellent display of IPOEM at work!
05 On 3 December 2015, our new Minister of State for Health, Mr Chee Hong Tat, also visited to interact with our staff and patients. Shortly after, we hosted Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Teo Chee Hean on 11 January 2016 to share with him the many patient-centred features that went into the design of NTFGH and JCH. In his Facebook post, he commended the team for the thoughtful designs and the good use of innovation and technology for the two hospitals
Cheering Us On In the lead up to the opening, we were privileged to welcome Health Minister, Mr Gan Kim Yong, to our new home on several occasions in January, April and June 2015 to update him of our progress in commissioning and transition. At each visit, Minister Gan left us with uplifting messages which kept us going. Shortly after our opening, he came personally to thank and congratulate the staff on 24 July 2015 for the smooth opening.
Reaching Out to the Community Ahead of our opening, we also held a series of sneak previews for community leaders over three weekends on 14, 21 and 27 June 2015. Close to 200 grassroots leaders and Advisors from Southwest district joined in, including Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam (Advisor for Jurong GRC), Health Minister, Mr Gan Kim Yong (Advisor for Choa Chu Kang GRC), Senior Minister of State, Dr Amy Khor (Advisor to Hong Kah North), and Mdm Halimah Yacob, Speaker of Parliament (Advisor for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC). These outreach are very important as the grassroots leaders represent their community and serve as an important bridge to the population that we serve. Since our opening, various departments in NTFGH and JCH have collectively hosted more than 50 tours for various public restructured and private hospitals in Singapore, community partners (GPs, social agencies and ILTCs etc), government agencies as well as overseas visitors
from both healthcare and nonhealthcare sectors. One of our key engagement sessions in 2015 was the ILTC Forum involving 35 ILTC CEOs, organised by AIC on 4 December 2015. We have had international visitors from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Thailand, USA, including the Korean Ambassador, HE Dr Suh Chung-ha. We also played host to the specialist delegates of global conferences such as HiMSS Analytics AsiaPac 15 and International Skyrise Greenery Conference 2015. We are humbled by the excitement about our new hospitals and we can expect many more other organisations to visit us. There is a growing recognition that we have implemented innovation in our design, systems and work processes to achieve efficiency and better patient care. Such interactions are also important as they provide us with the opportunity to network and exchange ideas, especially with our medical peers, here or overseas.
FOCUS REACHING FOR EXCELLENCE – ACCOLADES
Our People Care!
HiMSS Analytics EMRAM Stage 6 Award
In a short span of six years, we have grown to be about 4,000 strong. I am very proud of how our colleagues have consistently cared for our patients with empathy and compassion – leaving lasting impressions with our patients and their loved ones. Reading each and every feedback form is something which I have been doing since day one. We have certainly come a long way. From the first compliment received in AH to the first compliment at NTFGH, I am very touched by how you have cared for our patients with your heart.
On 2 September, less than two months after the hospital's opening, we received the HiMSS Analytics EMRAM Stage 6 award. This is an international benchmark for the use of advanced IT to improve patient care. We had a vision of a paper-less, film-less, chart-less, and script-less environment that delivers seamless patient care and we did it! In fact, some of our systems and technologies are first to be deployed in Singapore – again, a testament to our trail-blazing spirit. We will continue to work towards the highest achievement of HIMSS Stage 7 award.
The implementation of our integrated EPIC EMR is one of the most complex and massive projects that JurongHealth has taken to integrate care for our patients. Our system is integrated with over 100 pieces of medical equipment so that clinical data could flow seamlessly without manual transcription of patient care. This is the most massive device integration in Singapore so far. The aim is to create a single integrated database and a unified patient record of our patients so that we can leverage the information across modules to make insightful decisions, whether for the patient or the community. Although the learning curve was steep, the reward was well worth the effort – an excellent effort put in by the Medical Informatics, Information Technology (IT) team and indeed everyone! I know a great deal of work has been put into bringing EPIC online. I would like to applaud the courage of the EMR team to embark on this greenfield IT space in Singapore and more importantly, the determination and dedication to ensure the system works, from clinicians, allied health, nursing and operational ground staff, have been amazing. It has definitely paid off, for better integrated care for our patients as well as increased productivity.
For a newly opened hospital, I am very happy to receive so many compliments and would like to share some bouquets in The Straits Times:
07 Last year, we also gave out 343 long service awards and 13 Dedication to Public Healthcare Service awards. During the year, we continued to upskill the competencies of our staff by giving out more than 500 learning awards and attached our staff to other hospitals for training and exposure to high patient-load environment. For outstanding contributions towards public healthcare, 12 colleagues were also honoured at the National Day Awards 2015. The following public awards are also testament to our collective effort to build a happy workplace where staff are “Cared For, Involved and Excel”, • HPB’s Singapore H.E.A.L.T.H. Award 2015 (Gold Award)
I also want to acknowledge all the efforts put in to review our processes and putting them in place as we transited into the new facilities. Direct feedback from the public, patients and their loved ones were valuable resources and I am very heartened by the commitment to follow up and ensure better process and service are in place. At our first Patient Feedback Lunch on 16 January 2016, we had a very good turnout of patients and caregivers who took the trouble to join us on a Saturday to provide constructive feedback on how we can further improve our services. Most of them also gave us the thumbs up and were happy that they finally have a good hospital, with good healthcare team, closer to their home! Among all our outstanding service stars, Ms Jasmine Goh, Principal Enrolled Nurse, was conferred the
Distinguished Star Service Award at the Excellence in Public Service Award 2015. This is the highest honour given to an individual and I am so proud of her, as well as all of our colleagues, who have truly treated our patients like their own loved ones.
• HRM Award 2015 for Best Health & Wellbeing (Special Recognition) • SHRI Award 2015 for Leading HR Practices (Special Mention) in Manpower Resourcing & Planning • SHRI Award 2015 for Leading HR Practices (Special Mention) in Quality Work-Life, Physical & Mental Well-Being.
ACCREDITED ACHIEVEMENTS JurongHealth (Nursing) is the first healthcare institution in Singapore, and the fourth internationally, to be awarded the status to conduct the BASIC course. In February 2015, Nursing achieved certification from the Chinese University of Hong Kong as a training provider to conduct the Basic Assessment and Support in Intensive Care (BASIC) course for Registered Nurses (RNs) working in the intensive care unit and high dependency units. A successful run of the course was conducted by our nurse trainers for our nurses and some external nurses from other healthcare institutions in November 2015. Another noteworthy feat is Nursing’s accreditation by the American Nurses Credentialing Centre (ANCC) for clinical training and outcome excellence in July 2015, one month after we opened – a nine-month long process of document preparations, submissions, document reviews and consultative conferences. In yet another show of innovation and excellence, Nursing launched the “JurongHealth Virtual Nurse” mobile application, an MOH-approved Nursing Education Platform. It was the highlight at the “Innovative Learning 2020” event, organised by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) on 28 October 2015. This was built on a pilot done by the Innovation & Improvement team during IT Quality Week.
FOCUS In October last year, NTFGH joined the ranks of 14 examination locations worldwide to host exams by the Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians (MRCP) Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills (PACES). An examination panel of five physicians from the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of UK and six senior physicians from different healthcare clusters in Singapore were responsible for certifying the competencies of these clinicians. Our Laboratory Medicine department is also working towards their third accreditation by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for NTFGH. Done once every two years, we were previously accredited in AH in 2011 and 2013. The accreditation programme will inspect the entire spectrum of laboratory test disciplines with the most scientifically rigorous customised checklist requirements, and the achievement would mean that our laboratory is in strict compliance with the rigorous worldwide laboratory standards; and the results and services provided by our laboratory are of gold standard. The accreditation will also help our laboratory to meet the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) regulatory requirements which ensures quality laboratory testing.
LFMC, they will be rolled out to our GP partners to strengthen the right siting of patient care in the community.
COLLABORATING WITH GPS Building a strong network of GP partners who are willing and able to collaborate with us to co-manage patients in the community is a key priority to ensure a seamless continuum of care for our patients. To-date, 45 GP partners are on board with us through the Integrated Care Pathway Programmes and Community Mental Health Programme. One of our key enablers EpicCare Link, the web-based solution of our EMR system has already been extended to our GP partners at LFMC. To facilitate the right siting of patients in the community, we organised networking sessions with specialists and up-skilling workshops. ED started a series of workshops such as wound care and management of sports injuries to equip GPs with the knowledge and skills to manage these conditions at their clinics instead of sending the patients to ED. This is part of ED’s General Practitioner Integrated Family Care Team (GIFT) programme which has been expanded to include training in other GP-relevant modules such as diabetes management. Our ED clinicians are also rotated to LFMC once weekly to better integrate community care with ED care, where our ED patients are discharged to LFMC safely through the use of protocolised care pathways for necessary follow up. Once the protocols are tested and refined at
A pilot of facilitating proper stepdown process started in Diabetes Clinic at AH in May 2015. In this pilot, a trained Patient Service Associate (PSA) will counsel diabetes patients to continue their care at LFMC. From the experience, we have refined and enhanced the process of right siting to LFMC. To facilitate training and closer collaboration with our 10 LFMC GPs, these GPs have also started to sit in with our specialists at the SOC sessions from May last year. In 2015, JurongHealth recruited a total of 80 patients at LFMC to enter the six-week Chronic Disease Self-management Programme (CDSMP) to help patients to manage their chronic conditions in an active manner. The first results from the pilot batch showed positive trending in improvements of both clinical as well as behavioural change parameters. These participants also expressed an overall 92 per cent satisfaction rate. We are very encouraged by the participants’ show of confidence in the ability to selfmanage their chronic diseases more confidently. CDSMP has also been extended to the workplace in a pilot partnership with Jurong Shipyard. In June 2015, JurongHealth resumed the Continuing Medical Education (CME) talks with a tour of the new facilities added to the itinerary of the first three CME talks held at our new hospital. Designed for GPs and other healthcare professionals, the talks were delivered by our medical, surgical, nursing and allied health colleagues on various areas of patient management which could be applied in the primary care setting.
In November 2015, JurongHealth moved into its Phase 2 Assessment and Shared Care Team (ASCAT) Programme (a specialist-led multi-disciplinary team to build an integrated mental health network with primary care and voluntary welfare organisations) to enable treatment and maintenance of mental health in the community. This is part of our Community Mental Health (CMH) programme of which Phase 1 was designed as a GP Partnership Programme implemented in April 2013. A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY Providing health screening to residents in the west is another key RHS role. Moving forward, we want to improve postscreening follow-up interventions, and expand educational activities. Community Health Screening – In 2015, 996 residents were screened through eight
09 Community Health screening (diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia) events in collaboration with partners like the People’s Association and South West CDC. Working with National Kidney Foundation, we also reached out to the Malay community to encourage early detection of chronic diseases. Eligible residents with abnormalities were given an opportunity to follow up at LFMC. Mammogram for Early Detection Screening (MEDS) – JurongHealth has been collaborating with South West CDC to provide free breast screening to low income South West district residents. JMC has screened close to 600 women since the programme started in October 2014. The programme is co-founded by JurongHealth Fund. We started to offer fully-funded follow-up consultation at LFMC from April 2015 for women whose screening results require further assessment.
INNOVATE FOR BETTER CARE MODELS AND PROGRAMMES JurongHealth champions a Transition Care Programme to provide services for patients to be cared for at home after discharge. Currently, the Subacute Ambulatory Care for the Elderly (SAFE) programme helps in the transition of elderly ED patients into the community where their care can be better managed. In 2016, the SAFE programme will be extended to inpatients that are ready for discharge. In April 2015, an MOU was inked with NTUC Health, one of the largest players in the ILTC sector in the west, to offer transition care services eg home nursing, home medical and interim care
giver service after the patient is discharged from the acute hospital. This MOU includes collaboration in staff training and development and developing of home medical services. Since the pilot launch of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) Integrated Care Pathway (ICP) programmes, we have also launched Diabetes, Hip Fracture, Stroke and Heart Failure ICPs, to add to the suite of treatment
plans offering holistic and multidisciplinary care across the care continuum. Taking on our RHS role, we are poised to facilitate more of such seamless care to enable patients to move on to community care at JCH and beyond, after their acute episode in NTFGH.
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SEAMLESS INTEGRATED POST-ACUTE CARE Building an acute and community hospital together from ground up as an integrated development has contributed to greater efficiency and seamless care. I am happy to note that the wait time for patients to be admitted to JCH through NTFGH referrals is around the lowest among other hospitals. Currently, about 80 per cent of accepted monthly referrals are from NTFGH. Unplanned discharges from JCH back to acute hospitals, as a result of new or deteriorating medical conditions requiring acute care has been hovering at about 10 per cent (national average is about 16 per cent).
ONGOING INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT The infrastructure development work has not quite ended. Behind the scenes, colleagues from General Services and Hospital Planning continue to work tirelessly to optimise operations, conduct defects checking and rectification and to enhance our retail areas, F&B, security and support the One Number Response Centre.
JCH’s unique LIFE Hub has been instrumental in the rehabilitation of patients in a home-like environment to prepare patients for home, and to promote home safety awareness post-discharge. On 7 January 2016, we launched the JurongHealth Mobility Park to much excitement. The sensory garden, textured grounds, pedestrian crossings and, the lifesized models of the SMRT train, bus and the decommissioned taxi have not only become a talking point in the community but also provide a truly unique rehabilitation space for our patients and caregivers to learn how to reintegrate back to their home environment safely.
Another piece of work near completion is the JurongHealth Simulation and Clinical Education Centre (JSCEC) at JCH Basement 2, comprising wet skills lab, simulation lab, nursing skill training, operating theatres and the Staff Learning Centre. Stringent tests by the Authorities for this location are in progress and near completion with
all tests expected to be cleared by end of Jan 2016. Handing-over of the premises will commence immediately after. We also target to commence the construction of the Annexe Block from mid-2016. It will be located next to Tower A – NTFGH Clinics, and will house additional office space, staff facilities like gym, aerobics room, sports facilities as well as a childcare centre. It is expected to be completed in mid-2017.
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LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE GOOD YEARS AHEAD
Born on 24 December 2015, baby Rifqee was delivered at our ED. The proud mummy is his daughter in-law, Senior Staff Nurse (SSN) Siti Rasyidah Binte Sampah.
OUR EXTENDED FAMILY Last but certainly not the least, I am grateful to our 200 plus regular Friends of JurongHealth (our volunteers!). In their friendly teal vests, these volunteers wear their smiles and are on their feet to provide assistance to our patients and public. It is a joy to see our
community coming forward to volunteer their time as greeters, guiders, garden tenders, musicians and creative hands. I am much heartened by the five pioneer volunteers who moved with us from AH. Our first volunteer, Mr Johari Nazir, even added another first to the JurongHealth list - the first baby of JurongHealth.
Even though heavily pregnant, Rasyidah reported to work and went about caring for patients without realising that the cramp she experienced was labour pain. When Rasyidah was sent to ED, our ED team had to do an emergency delivery. So Johari is our first JurongHealth volunteer and his cute little grandson is our first JurongHealth baby! Our volunteers are very much a part of the JurongHealth family and more training is in the pipeline to empower them with skills to perform more duties.
Thank you for your passion and commitment to do your best for our community in the west. In this new year, let us work together towards our meaningful goals at RHS.
Warmest Regards
FO O H E E J U G Chief Executive Officer
IN & AROUND
O THE
FFICIAL OPENING O
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NG TENG FONG GENERAL HOSPITAL & JURONG COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
After six years of planning and building, the Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Jurong Community Hospital were officially opened by Prime Minister Lee on 10 October 2015. Joining in the occasion were distinguished guests the likes of Mrs Lee, Mr Gan Kim Yong (Minister for Health and Advisor for Choa Chu Kang), Ms Grace Fu (Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Advisor for Yuhua), Dr Amy Khor (Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Health & Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, and Advisor for Hong Kah North), Dr Lam Pin Min and Mr Chee Hong Tat (Ministers of State for Health), Mrs Tan Ching Yee (Permanent Secretary of Health), Major-General NS Ng Chee Khern (Second Permanent Secretary of Health) and Advisors from the west.
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the community in the west. Prime Minister Lee and distinguished guests also toured the twinned hospitals to experience the patient-centred features incorporated into both hospitals, interacting with staff and patients in the process.
The event was a celebration of the completion of the two integrated hospitals which started operations since June 2015, as well as the incredible journey by the JurongHealth family to build not one, but two patient-centred hospitals from ground up. It was also an occasion to salute our patients who were the reasons for a truly patient-centred healthcare system to meet their healthcare needs. At the opening, we were privileged to be joined by two of our patients and their families -- Mr Tan Hiong Leng, a cochlear patient, and Mr Mohamad Salleh, an amputee patient -- who relived their journey with their care teams. To encourage Mr Tan in his journey of recovery, Dr Euan Murugasu (Head, ENT - Head & Neck Surgery) performed a piano tribute while Mr Salleh dedicated his thanks to Adj Assistant Prof Harvinder Raj Singh (Senior Consultant and Director, Vascular Surgery) and Dr Vikram Vijayan (Consultant, Vascular Surgery) from his care team with two songs, Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life” and a Hokkien song entitled “To Fight, To Win”.
To mark the official opening, Prime Minister Lee placed a shiny red dot on an art piece by local artist Tan Sock Fong in the lobby of Tower B (NTFGH Wards). Entitled “Dancing Hues of Life”, it celebrates the patients, staff and partners of JurongHealth and symbolises our mission to help the community “Stay Well. Heal. Empower”. The shiny red dot represents Singapore and JurongHealth’s role as the healthcare provider for
At the Health Fair held concurrently, activities were in full swing as residents participated in complimentary health screenings and picked up tips to eat right, care for their teeth and maintain good hearing from healthcare colleagues. Over at the Fun Zone, activities such as badge-making and mosaic art were popular with the crowd as the community contributed their creations to an eight-metre art wall. Community Relations colleagues and Friends of JurongHealth volunteers also took the opportunity to orientate visitors on an array of blooming flowers, vegetables and herbs at the community garden. We thank each and everyone for being a part of the JurongHealth story!
IN & AROUND
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IN & AROUND A YEAR IN REVIEW
A look back at some of the highlights from 2015‌ Celebrating our people, achievements and the JurongHealth spirit.
GOOD NEIGHBOUR DAY On 20 November 2015, Community Relations (CR) department brought cheer to the west with the inaugural Good Neighbour Day. Encouraging patients, visitors and staff to do good to feel good, proceeds benefited charities such as Loving Hearts, Touch Home Care, and MINDS through the sale of cookies, knick knacks and handicrafts. Many were handmade with love by non-profit organisations. Apart from shopping for a good cause, many could also donate blood to save lives at any of the mobile donation stations by the Singapore Red Cross. We thank our partners and neighbours, Cofely, Dell, Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and ISS, for lending a helping hand that day to spread the joy of giving.
Crafts For A Cause A paper quilling workshop conducted by Community Relations for patients in the wards led to the discovery of an enthusiastic patient, who fell in love with art. She purchased materials off the instructor and devoted her two-week stay at Jurong Community Hospital to fold them. Her painstaking pieces went up for sale at Good Neighbour Day. Happy to do her part to engage the community meaningfully, we congratulate her for putting her time to good use!
17 A YEAR IN REVIEW
A look back at some of the highlights from 2015… Celebrating our people, achievements and the JurongHealth spirit.
LAUNCH OF STROKE ICP On 29 October 2015, the Stroke Integrated Care Pathway (ICP) programme joined earlier ICPs – the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder, Heart Failure and Hip Fracture – to offer holistic and multi-disciplinary care to JurongHealth patients. By integrating care across different continuums, ICPs provide patients with a seamless experience from discharge to reintegration into the community. At the launch, members of the Stroke ICP team received tokens of appreciation from Ms Joanne Yap (Group Chief Operating Officer) and were touched by the heartfelt account of a patient’s positive encounter with the JurongHealth care team. Dr Teoh Hock Luen (Head and Senior Consultant, Neurology, National University Hospital), who works closely with the JurongHealth care team, affirmed the seamless care that patients will be receiving, citing the close collaboration between Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (acute care), Jurong Community Hospital (community care) and Lakeside Family Medicine Clinic (step-down care) as key in the integrated care planned for ICP patients. More ICPs are expected to be rolled out in 2016.
WORLD GERIATRIC DAY On 31 October 2015, JurongHealth celebrated the glowing years of our seniors with patients from the Sub-acute Ambulatory care for the Functionally-challenged and Elderly (SAFE) programme, clinics and wards. A/Prof Cheah Wei Keat (Chairman, Medical Board), Dr Quek Lit Sin (Head and Senior Consultant, Emergency Medicine), nurses, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and staff from Community Operations engaged the seniors and taught them to stay active both in the mind and body. Family members and caregivers also picked up tips on falls prevention and learnt to spot the first signs of Dementia. Dr Foo Swee Sen (Consultant, Medicine, Geriatrics Medicine) and Dr Colin Ong (Associate Consultant, Emergency Medicine) took the opportunity to share tips with General Practitioners and community partners to better care for our seniors.
IN & AROUND A YEAR IN REVIEW
A look back at some of the highlights from 2015… Celebrating our people, achievements and the JurongHealth spirit.
NURSING IS ANCC-ACCREDITED! For driving quality training to JurongHealth nurses, the Nursing department has been accredited by the prestigious American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). As the world’s largest and most prestigious nurse credentialing organisation, ANCC recognises healthcare organisations for excellence and high quality training programmes. Having met over 90 per cent of the evaluation criteria, this recognition demonstrates Nursing’s excellence and its commitment to groom future nursing leaders. Our young nursing team is also one of only three institutions in Singapore to receive this highest accolade. Recipients of the ANCC accreditation will have to continue to uphold the same standard of quality training programmes until the next ANCC accreditation in two years’ time.
Nursing clinched another feat with the launch of the world’s first training tool for nurses entitled the “JurongHealth Virtual Nurse” application (app). Poised to change the face of training, nurses can practice making better decisions and navigate different scenarios to access a wealth of clinical safety protocol and best practices to avoid potential hazards. The “JurongHealth Virtual Nurse” also educates participants on the consequences of each "decision". Staying true to a training environment, it further supports multiple players at the same time so that colleagues can log on to exchange ideas and practice learning in a safe environment. It is also equipped with features to organise clinically-related tasks more systematically. For this innovation, Nursing was invited to showcase the app at the launch of iN.LEARN 2020 by the Ministry of Manpower, and at the iN.LAB Official Opening by the Institute of Adult Learning, on 28 October 2015.
19 A YEAR IN REVIEW
A look back at some of the highlights from 2015… Celebrating our people, achievements and the JurongHealth spirit.
Th um bs U p to
TEAMWORK Last October, Service Quality (SQ) launched A+ in Teamwork to acknowledge the exceptional service and teamwork at JurongHealth. Piloting at Jurong Medical Centre (JMC) and Jurong Community Hospital (JCH), patients and families expressed appreciation to healthcare colleagues on cards that bore the different JurongHealth family mascots. Presented to staff who consistently display exceptional teamwork and good service, these cards could be exchanged for treats, snacks and other goodies on SQ! Individuals with same “family” cards of 4 could also go on to redeem commemorative collectables. To encourage more from the same team to practice teamwork, a department who receives the most number of 8-member “family” cards can look forward to a lunch treat on SQ! Congratulations to JMC’s Eye Clinic, JCH’s Ward C5 and the Eye Clinic and Ambulatory Unit at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH)! Launched at NTFGH in 2016, a female Allied Health staff, chef and Patient Care Assistant were added to the JurongHealth family mascots. At its finale, SQ thanked all for the support and unveiled a one-of-a-kind dessert - handmade fried Thai icecream rolls - to sweeten the experience.
IN & AROUND A YEAR IN REVIEW
A look back at some of the highlights from 2015… Celebrating our people, achievements and the JurongHealth spirit.
S S M I H G N R E C E I V I S E MR A M ANALY TICGE 6 STA
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H O ST I N G P AC ES E X A M I N AT ION
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21 A YEAR IN REVIEW
A look back at some of the highlights from 2015… Celebrating our people, achievements and the JurongHealth spirit.
HELPING PATIENTS SETTLE IN In September 2015, colleagues from Jurong Community Hospital came together to bring mid-autumn cheer to 30 patients as they decorated the Jurong Community Hub with lanterns, mooncakes, Chinese tea and pomelos. Partnering Bukit Batok Community Centre’s Pei Yi Chinese Orchestra, the team arranged a concert much to the delight of patients and their next-of-kin. Many could be seen clapping and singing to familiar melodies of yesteryears performed that evening by veteran singers Yang Ping (杨平), Cynthia Toh (卓饮雅) and Foo Yoke Keng (胡玉琴). These classics include "The Moon Represents My Heart" (月亮代 表我的心) and "Shanghai Tang" (上海滩). To add to the fun, Community Relations department and Friends of JurongHealth volunteers organised a lantern-making workshop to engage patients further.
IN & AROUND A YEAR IN REVIEW
A look back at some of the highlights from 2015… Celebrating our people, achievements and the JurongHealth spirit.
HARVESTING A COMMUNITY GARDEN Did you know? Apart from new systems and infrastructure, a highlight at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital is the Community Garden that is home to an array of flowers, vegetables and herbs? As of September 2015, it is manned by 30 Friends of JurongHealth volunteers and located between Tower A (NTFGH Clinics) and Blk 201 Jurong East Street 21. Residents with green fingers are encouraged to pop by for a dose of gardening therapy. What keeps residents and volunteers going is the sense of pride they have as they hold their fruits of labour in hand after months of harvesting. From chillis to ladyfingers, yellow papaya, white brinjal and other kitchen herbs, the garden is a hit with visitors.
gether Engage puts to s of some fun fact y it our commun u! yo garden for
Known as the “Garden of Joy”, likeminded enthusiasts are invited to stop by, bond and pick up a gardening tip or two!
Friends of JurongHealth volunteers teach residents how to make produce such as plant pesticide!
The community garden is helmed by 3 experienced volunteers and supervised by Community Relations. These volunteers were instrumental in its layout after transforming other community gardens in Jurong East and Bukit Batok into award-winning ones.
12 vegetable plots harvest red chillis, eggplants, rosemary, pandan leaves, etc.
23 A YEAR IN REVIEW
A look back at some of the highlights from 2015… Celebrating our people, achievements and the JurongHealth spirit.
Music
ON THE MOVE
HEALING WITH
Art and Music Healing comes in many forms. At Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, ICU patients can look forward to rooms decked out in cheerful murals such as plants and animals to uplift their mood as they heal in a soothing environment. This initiative is part of Community Relations’ (CR) Arts&Health programme, which believes in the healing powers of art. By offering patients with a pleasant environment, it is believed mental well-being and healing improves. To transform the ICU, CR engaged local artists William Sim and Lush Tan to commence work on 15 ICU rooms. The careful choice of colours takes into consideration patients’ mood and feelings and offers that home-awayfrom-home experience. So beautiful were the murals that one of them was even replicated into JurongHealth's 2015 Christmas card!
Using music to heal is nothing new at JurongHealth. Piloting at Alexandra Hospital in 2013, Music on the Move was a hit with patients and staff who relished music during their time in the wards. From handbell performances to Christmas carols, our patients have experienced it all. From our new home, Music on the Move returned in September 2015 as patients enjoyed the gentle strums of the guitar from Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Guitar Ensemble. They were at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital’s main lobby and wards delivering a lunchtime concert much to the joy of many. A week later, the Strings Ensemble from Ngee Ann Polytechnic returned to spread more cheer to patients, who look forward to such forms of entertainment during their stay with us. More student talents followed, this time from Nanyang Polytechnic, National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University.
IN & AROUND A YEAR IN REVIEW
A look back at some of the highlights from 2015… Celebrating our people, achievements and the JurongHealth spirit.
LFMC Turns 2 Lakeside Family Medicine Clinic (LFMC) turned two on 3 August 2015. As a bridge between public and private healthcare, it has benefited countless patients through partnerships with General Practitioners in the community to offer right-sited care to patients for the management of chronic conditions. Patients reported fewer return trips to the hospital since its opening. Along with better cost savings and more peace of mind, patients also enjoy care closer to home.
At the celebration, nurses, Ms Lui Kok Wah (Assistant Nurse Clinician), Ms Tan Chwee Yan (Senior Staff Nurse) and Ms Norfaezah Mustafa (Senior Enrolled Nurse) were commended for going the extra mile for patients. Mr Ryan Tay (Pharmacy Technician) and Ms Komalavathy (Senior Pharmacy Technician) were also praised for setting up the pharmacy. For bringing down the initially high “no show” rate of 20% to 8%, Ms Winnie Tia (Associate Patient Service Coordinator)
and Ms Jennifer Bay (Patient Service Associate) were complimented for upholding a high level of service. In appreciation, Mr Foo Hee Jug (Chief Executive Officer) presented tokens to all as he encouraged them to continue with the good work.
25 A YEAR IN REVIEW
A look back at some of the highlights from 2015… Celebrating our people, achievements and the JurongHealth spirit.
g n i t a r b e l Ce s e s r u Our N
It was a dazzling celebration at the first Nurses’ Day in Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) and Jurong Community Hospital (JCH) on 27 July 2015. Aptly themed “Our Journey, Our Home”, the event marked one of JurongHealth’s many ‘firsts’ and the years spent toiling in the planning and building of two integrated hospitals from ground up. Candid videos, insightful sharing, catchy song and dance entertained as Guest-of-Honour, Dr Amy Khor (Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower), senior management, invited guests and staff relived our nurses’ camaraderie,
teamwork and commitment. The Learning Centre was converted into a stress-free zone with complimentary back and neck massages and other fun activities. The instant trick eye photo booth thrilled many. That day, our nurses also received colourful windmill flowers from Dr Amy Khor, Madam Kuttiammal Sundarasan (Group Chief Nurse, Nursing Administration), nursing leaders as well as children from PCF Sparkletots Kindergarten, as a reminder of the colour and joy they bring to the lives of patients they nurse to health daily.
IN & AROUND A YEAR IN REVIEW
A look back at some of the highlights from 2015‌ Celebrating our people, achievements and the JurongHealth spirit.
CLOSURE OF AH AND OPENING OF NTFGH After months of preparations, full dress rehearsals and receiving the Temporary Occupation Permits for both hospitals, 19 patients were successfully moved from Alexandra Hospital to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital on 29 June 2015 to continue their care at wards 14 and 15. On 30 June 2015, 365 general/critical care bed and 76 community beds, 80 specialist outpatient clinics and the Emergency Department (walk-in) opened to the public. To help patients and visitors find their way around the hospital comfortably, Patient Service Associates also stationed themselves prominently at lifts, lobbies and every clinic floor to lend a helping hand. Over 80 Friends of JurongHealth volunteers partnered us that day to assist with wayfinding. To welcome patients and visitors to NTFGH, the Senior Management team led by Mr Foo Hee Jug (Chief Executive Officer) distributed apples to all. With two link bridges connecting NTFGH to Westgate Shopping Mall and Big Box, the hospital was abuzz with activity that day!
27
D R S A COMES W A Q S TO THE WEST On 19 February 2016, the JurongHealth family came together to celebrate the good work of colleagues at the 9th SQ Awards. These colleagues have consistently delivered exceptional service to patients and 57 of them were acknowledged in the categories of Service Ambassador and Outstanding Service Stars this year. Three teams also walked away with the SQ Team recognition. Rounding up the celebrations were a “live” lion dance performance to usher in the lunar new year as well as a mass lo-hei on tables specially arranged to form the alphabets, “S” and “Q”. Hats off to all our winners!
IN & AROUND
to NTFGH and JCH Since the opening of Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) and Jurong Community Hospital (JCH) on 30 June 2015, requests have been pouring in from industry partners to tour our hospitals. Engage does a recap of some of these tours‌
3 1 29 JULY 2015 Mr Liak Teng Lit (Group CEO, Alexandra Health System) and colleagues visited us for a comprehensive tour of NTFGH.
3 DECEMBER 2015
2 24 OCTOBER 2015 Senior Management hosted a half day event to introduce our integrated hospitals to close to 100 peers from Singapore’s regional health systems.
Mr Chee Hong Tat (Minister of State for Health) stopped by for a tour of the Specialist Outpatient Clinics, Emergency Department, JCH, back-of-house areas, etc and to connect with patients and colleagues.
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4 DECEMBER 2015
8 JANUARY 2016
11 JANUARY 2016
15 JANUARY 2016
35 delegates from the ILTC CEO Forum organised by the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) paid us a visit as part of AIC’s cross-sector learning experience for community care leaders.
Professor John Leung (Chairman, Hospital Authority, Hong Kong) led a delegation to tour Singapore’s public hospitals; a highlight included the newly launched 953 square-metre Mobility Park at JCH.
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28 JANUARY 2016
29 JANUARY 2016
Ms Joanne Yap (Group COO, JurongHealth) hosted CEOs of Gleneagles Hospital and Parkway East Hospital, Dr Vincent Chia and Mr Phua Tien Beng, on a tour of the Eye Clinic, Wards, ICU and Healing Garden.
DPM Mr Teo Chee Hean visited our integrated hospitals to learn about JurongHealth’s role as a regional health system for the west and affirmed our efforts to keep the population healthy.
Dr Do-Heun Yoon (General Director, Yonsei University Severance Hospital) stopped by NTFGH to learn about how to set up an Emergency Department. He and his team were hosted by Ms Joanne Yap (Group COO, JurongHealth) and Dr Quek Lit Sin (Head and Senior Consultant, Emergency Department) and toured the ED, Isolation Wards and ICU.
As part of the Civil Service College’s 21st Governance and Leadership Programme, 33 colleagues from various government agencies stopped by for a session with CEO on JurongHealth’s journey, and to see first-hand how technology is harnessed for greater productivity in NTFGH and JCH.
10 18 FEBRUARY 2016 Minister Khaw Boon Wan (Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure & Minister for Transport) stopped by NTFGH and JCH to view the integrated healthcare hub and experience for himself the hassle-free healthcare systems that benefit patients daily. Staff, patients and visitors were all happy to meet Minister Khaw up close.
SERVICE COMPLIMENTS
Ms Arniyati binte Abu Healthcare Assistant, Radiology
I was on time but went to the wrong tower. Ms Arniyati noticed I was lost and offered her prompt assistance. She was very caring to every patient and I commend her for it. All Staff of Ward B9 - Subsidised Everyone was exceptional and offered first class service similar to a 5-star hotel. We are impressed. Keep up the good work. Ms Grace Teh Staff Nurse, ICU
A bubbly lady who offers that personal touch, she gives her all to every patient. Despite her busyness, she made the effort to get me biscuits when my meal was late. When she noticed I was bored, she engaged me. Because of her, your hospital remains my top choice hospital. Ms Maris Hencel Torres
Dr Adrian Mondry
Sleep Technologist, Sleep Laboratory
Consultant, Medicine
Ms Torres was caring, friendly and knowledgeable in her care. Reassuring, she displayed a high level of professionalism as a healthcare staff. I appreciate her great service.
It is rare to meet a doctor like Dr Mondry, who is not only kind, but warm, gentle, patient and knowledgeable. My dad is lucky to be cared by him!
Mr Mark Kee Medical Social Worker, Medical Social Services
Since my father's admission into JCH, Mr Kee has consistently delivered excellent support to us. Knowledgeable, he assures us with his clear answers, patience and smiles. My family is deeply appreciative and take this opportunity to say "Thumbs Up, Mark!"
Ms Yvonne Chia
All Staff of the Ambulatory Unit Every staff at the Ambulatory Unit acted professionally and put patients at ease. Any fear or tension we felt just disappeared! Dr Rajat Tagore and Nurses of Ward B5 - Subsidised
Podiatry Assistant, Podiatry
Senior Consultant, Medicine & Ward B5 Subsidised
Ms Chia attended to my husband and checked on his leg constantly. Professional and caring, she provided us with crucial information and we are deeply appreciative of her.
Dr Tagore is very experienced and performed a smooth procedure. Your nurses at Ward B5 were also awesome, providing care that was incomparable. Thank you for your hospitality.
Ms Nur Aleesya binte Md Yussof Staff Nurse, Emergency Medicine
Ms Nur Aleeya is a dedicated nurse and no detail is too small for her. I thank her for her empathy and for putting patients first.
31 Mr Muhammad Faizul Azhar bin Mustafa
Ms Siti Noraisah Binte Samad
Ms Lee Gek Lian Senior Enrolled Nurse, Medicine Clinic
Staff Nurse, Ward B6 Subsidised
Patient Service Associate, Specialist Outpatient Clinic
He is very patient, responsible and hardworking, and takes the time to explain things to me. Because of this I felt assured each time I had to take my medicine.
A sweet and considerate staff, Ms Siti Noraisah offered a patient a blanket and glass of warm water even when the clinic was extremely busy. She is commendable.
All Staff of JurongHealth Congratulations on the opening of your new hospitals. I like your ethos and values Excellence, Openess & Patient Centredness - and can see that in all your staff.
All Staff of OPAT Clinic
Ms Dayang Siti Zuriana binti Awang Suhaimi
Dr Liew Kok Wei
Staff Nurse, Ward C6
I brought my mum to your hospital's Emergency Department and was touched by the way Dr Liew cared for her. He did his best to relieve her of her shoulder pain and arranged for her to have milo and biscuits while she waited for her turn. NTFGH is great!
Ms Dayang Siti was very polite and patient with my mum. Along with your great hospital environment, we had a great experience. Mr Ronald Sereno Palen Patient Care Assistant, Ward C9
Mr Palen was very alert and sensitive to his patients' needs and did his best to ensure we were comfortable. Thank You! Mr Dennis Kho Patient Greeter, Operations (Services)
Mr Kho attended to me patiently and was friendly and courteous. It was a short encounter but it left a deep impression on me. Mr Dawn Lim Occupational Therapist, Occupational Therapy
Ms Lim was very caring and dedicated in her care as she discharged her duties. I will never forget how she advised us on my mother's injury so that we can care for her better.
OPAT Clinic
All your nurses greeted me cheerfully when I entered Clinic A21. Even my son complimented on their friendliness. Thank you very much!
Medical Officer, Emergency Medicine
Ms Lee is very helpful and patient, and went out of her way to get an earlier endoscopy appointment for my husband. We thank and appreciate her for it! Dr Geetha Mukherjee Resident Physician, Eye Clinic (JMC)
Ms Poh Siew Hwa Patient Service Associate, Eye Clinic (JMC)
My mum was fearful of her appointment but Dr Geetha and Ms Poh put her at ease with their reassuring manner and clear instructions. I cannot thank them enough.
32 IT’S
Goodbye
BUT NOT FAREWELL!
It has been five years in our journey to cover all things big and small at JurongHealth as we embark on our vision to transform care from Alexandra Hospital to the Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Jurong Community Hospital. The highs and lows of these formative years have filled the pages of each issue of Engage. Now at our new home, we are embarking on a new look and new ideas to bring the same Engage to you, but with faster and fresher content. We will stop the print copy of Engage and go online completely to play our part in keeping green with the environment! Look out for the new Engage coming your way in April 2016!