Life @sgh campus #8 janfeb 2014

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Bone healer in heels Dr Manju fights osteoporosis in style It takes a village Change partnerships that work

Down but not alone

Peer supporters in our midst

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LIFE at SGH Campus | Jan/Feb 2014

u foc

Down but not alone

Peer supporters in our midst

Another form of public service SGH and SingHealth doctors keep us safe

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It takes a village

Change partnerships that work

Bone healer in heels Dr Manju fights osteoporosis in style

in every issue 11 12 14 18 19 20

spree in action quality pulse campus buzz time out your take the last page

contents

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It takes a village

Madam Tay Soh Hoon’s husband has been seeing the doctors at Tampines Polyclinic for several years. Recently, his condition worsened and the polyclinic referred him to SGH. He was given an appointment in December 2014, more than a year later.

Shocked at the long wait, Madam Soh wrote in to The Straits Times.

Advisor Tan-Huang Shuo Mei

So how do we ensure that patients who need specialist care get timely attention?

Contributors Estee Chan, Geoffrey Gui, Chia Kuok Wei, Ratna Abdul Rahman, Vanessa Peters, Jennifer Wee, Michelle Scully, Goh Sai Luan

SGH sees some 680,000 patient attendances at our SOC every year. We admit more than 78,000 patients and treat about 150,000 at our A&E. We are increasing capacity by building more centres or locating some services off-Campus. However, there is a limit to how many more beds, buildings or healthcare professionals we can add.

Distribution Helen Yang On the Cover Our very own Dr Bones talks about space, bones and her other passions on Page 6 and 7.

----------Life@SGH Campus is published every two months in print and online by the SGH Communications Department

The solution is to move care beyond the hospitals into the community. After treating patients for their acute episodes that need the attention of our specialists, we return the patients back to the community, to their primary care physicians for continued care, or to intermediate and long-term care facilities.

This is why we are playing an active part in shaping the healthcare system. We are stepping up our efforts to work closer with community partners, to help develop primary as well as intermediate and long-term care. Through closer collaboration with these partners, we can support our patients outside of the hospital.

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LIFE at SGH Campus | Jan/Feb 2014

focus (continued from Page 3)

It takes a village

VS

DOT-GPs

A patient’s journey

Specialist Outpatient Clinics

Type 2 Diabetes patients right-sited to GPs had comparable intermediate outcomes in terms of HBA1c, LDL-C levels and SBP.

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Type 2 Diabetes patients right-sited to GPs had

SECONDARY CARE

Regional general hospitals PRIMARY CARE

Eg. Sengkang General Hospital

TERTIARY/ QUATERNARY CARE

CONTINUING CARE

• SGH • KKH • NCCS • NHCS • SNEC • NNI • NDCS

Community hospitals Eg. Bright Vision, Sengkang Community Hospital, SGH Community Hospital

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for diabetes-related condition.

Ischaemic Heart Disease patients right-sited to GPs had comparable clinical outcomes in terms of LDL-C levels and SBP.

PRIMARY CARE

90% of 382

• GPs • FMCs • Polyclinics

• GPs • Polyclinics

lower hospital admission rate

More than Ischaemic Heart Disease patients right-sited in the period of January 2008 – September 2012 remained under the care of DOT GPs (did not withdraw voluntarily from the programme) 12 months after right-siting.

In 2014, we will introduce another model of partnership with the private sector with the opening of a Family Medicine Clinic (FMC) at Chinatown Point.

Partnership that works Chronic disease patients should be cared for in a primary care setting, by GPs rather than specialists in a hospital as GPs are able to provide personalised, continued care.

Since 2005, we have been referring such patients whose conditions are stable, to a group of about 120 GP partners under the SingHealth DOT-GP Programme. These GPs care

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for patients with conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma and cardiac failure.

The clinical outcomes and patients’ feedback show that this formula of right-siting works, as shown by data compiled by the SingHealth Chronic Disease Management Office which compared patients seen by DOT-GPs and the SGH Specialist Outpatient Clinics.

— Minister Khaw Boon Wan at China Singapore Joint Healthcare Forum 2006

FMC – another model

SELF MANAGMENT

HEALTHY

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“When a patient who can be adequately treated by a GP is instead managed by a specialist in a tertiary hospital, it means a waste and abuse of expertise, at the expense of the seriously ill who require the expertise of the specialist.”

It is a collaboration between SingHealth and private Family Physicians who will operate the clinic. We will refer our patients with stable chronic conditions to the FMC where they will get team-based care by Family Physicians, nurses and allied health professionals. Once a year, these patients will return for review by our doctors.

If necessary, the FMC doctors can refer these patients back to SingHealth, without the patients losing their subsidy status.

(Left) Dr Emily Ho, Director of SingHealth Office of Integrated Care oversees the Chronic Disease Management Office managed by Ms Hilda Ng (Right)

As part of chronic disease care, the FMC will offer services such as podiatry and diabetic retinal photography

Chronic disease patients will be seen at the FMC on an appointment basis, although the clinic also treats walk-in patients with common ailments.

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LIFE at SGH Campus | Jan/Feb 2014

up close “You can achieve whatever you want to achieve, and you can achieve it in stilettos if you want.”

Bone healer in heels Dr Manju Chandran is President of the Endocrine and Metabolic Society of Singapore, Vice-Chair of the Chapter of Endocrinology at the College of Medicine and Director of the Osteoporosis and Bone Metabolism Unit at SGH. A spunky mother of two boys, she bakes, paints and occasionally struts down fashion ramps. Recently, she even managed to squeeze in being a judge at the Annual Space Challenge of the Singapore Space and Technology Association (SSTA).

How did you get involved in the Space Challenge?

I wasn’t even aware that Singapore had a Space Program till the SSTA asked me to be a judge at the annual Space Challenge. This national competition challenges student teams to design and develop realistic Space-related projects. They wanted to leverage on my research work in osteoporosis and bone metabolism.

How was the experience?

It was fascinating! Besides setting judging criteria, I had to set projects for the students to work on. I wanted to ensure the projects would be challenging.

They would have to be able to perform in Space as well as on Earth, and have significant impact on health care in the short and long term.

I was incredibly impressed and humbled by the creativity, ingenuity and hard work of the students.

And I was doubly impressed when I found out that the winning team was from NUS High School. Their project – looking at the effect of Statins (a drug often used

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to lower blood cholesterol) on reversing bone loss in Space was well thought out and displayed incredible ingenuity.

But how does knowledge about Space impact or aid medicine?

Space is one of the last frontiers left for man to explore in detail. Space provides the unique environment of micro or zero gravity which allows research to discover keys previously hidden by gravity and also to achieve results not possible under normal conditions of gravity. For instance, research into the bone loss documented during Space travel can open up avenues in the approach to and management of osteoporosis on Earth!

What other frontiers have you conquered in your career?

I set up the Osteoporosis and Bone Metabolism Unit at SGH in 2008. From a single clinic, it has evolved into a small but powerful unit at the LIFE Centre. With two physicians, nurse clinicians, physiotherapists and

dietitians, we are the only unit devoted exclusively to disorders of bone metabolism in the country.

After a few years of practising osteoporosis care, I realised most of data we were relying on was from western countries so we decided to start exploring our own data. This resulted in multiple studies that have been published in high impact international journals. One such study won the 2013 Young Investigator Award at the International Osteoporosis Foundation - European Congress on Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis.

What are your passions besides your work?

I love my family – my rambunctious boys are my biggest critics.

Another big interest of mine is fashion. Though I would never let fashion dictate my life completely, I think presenting yourself stylishly to the world does not take away from your professionalism. You can achieve whatever you want to achieve, and you can achieve it in stilettos if you want. I prefer styles that are classic and look effortlessly elegant but with a surprise element always thrown in – it could be a pair of spiky spine heels paired with a classic tailored jacket and skirt or it could be cuff earrings or an Elizabethan ruff blouse paired with a demure sari.

I have been fortunate enough to be the first and only physician so far to be elected from Singapore into the Council of Scientific Advisors of the International Osteoporosis Foundation. I have been one of the youngest members thus far to be elected into this august body. It shows that no matter how small you are – we are a small unit in a small country - you can still make a difference and get international acclaim.

Tell us a bit about your background.

I knew that my calling was to be a doctor from the time I could walk and talk. My Dad is a neurologist and he retired as the President of the Indian Academy of Neurology. I grew up literally breathing Medicine. And though I had brief visions in my teen years of wanting to be an airline stewardess (yes, airline stewardess!

I thought they had the most glamorous jobs), a fashion model and such, I always knew that ultimately, doctoring would be my path in life.

I moved to Singapore from the United States 10 years ago. The first few years were difficult – adapting to a totally different work culture, environment and people is not easy, but it has been a great 10 years and I consider Singapore home now.

No half measures for Dr Manju, as a cook and hostess

I also love baking and whipping up gourmet meals for my friends and family. I am always feeding my colleagues and team members. In fact, I think my Registrars and MOs look forward as much to my cakes and pastries as my impromptu teaching sessions.

I am also a self-taught painter and have participated in group exhibitions locally.

With your myriad of achievements, what philosophy do you swear by?

Getting ahead doesn’t mean stepping on people – competition should be only with and within yourself – one should always strive to set challenges for oneself and overcome them.

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LIFE at SGH Campus | Jan/Feb 2014

feature

“She … took me under her wings and made me feel like I’m not alone.”

— Ng Mei Leng, on the emotional support from SQ Director Isabel Yong.

When life gets you down

Down but not alone

“I am like a plane grounded, and unable to take flight.” That was how Ng Mei Leng felt, after her mother passed way.

The SGH peer support programme draws on volunteers from all levels of staff and different professions

A loved one suddenly passes away. Your patient dies and you wonder if you have done enough. An angry next-of-kin lashes out. A pandemic like SARS, strikes. Such incidences can inflict severe stress and leave you in emotional turmoil.

Help is just a call away, in the form of peer support.

When work gets you down

Patients who come for abortions are required to undergo counselling, both before and after the pregnancies are terminated. This task is carried out by a group of nurse counsellors in the SGH Obstetrics & Gynaecology department.

The abortion counsellors support group started by SSN Helen Lim (front, third from left) and MSW Koh Sock Sim (back, fourth from left)

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“The job is very difficult emotionally. That’s why I decided to start a support group for fellow abortion counsellors, together with Medical Social Worker Koh Sock Sim,” said Senior Staff Nurse Helen Lim. “We share our fears, difficulties, and also support and encourage one another.”

The group meets once every few months and now has 18 nurses and two MSWs.

The Admin Assistant wrote that when she nominated her supervisor at the ENT Centre for the Best Supervisor award, for his kind understanding during the difficult time. The line caught the attention of Isabel Yong, Director of the Service Quality department.

Isabel did not know Mei Leng, but she called her supervisor to ask about Mei Leng’s well-being and if she needed a counselor. She understood what Mei Ling was going through as her mother had passed away five years ago. Back then, Isabel’s colleagues had been there for her.

This experience prompted her to reach out to Mei Leng.

In the following months, when they had the chance to meet, Isabel showed her concern in small ways. “She’s like a mother hen who took me under her wings and made me feel like I’m not alone,” Mei Leng shared. She nominated Isabel for Emotional Safety Ambassador award in SGH.

If you want to help

If you wish to be able to reach out, join the SGH peer support programme - Support Action For Employees (SAFE). It will equip you with the skills to become a peer supporter through two courses.

The basic Mental Health First Aid course teaches the signs and symptoms of mental conditions and how to de-escalate situations. The Individual Crisis Intervention & Peer Support course goes deeper to explore topics like work related stress and trauma, psychological reactions and crisis communication, among others.

Both courses are held twice a year under the corporate programme. You can find more information on the Intranet under Emergency Preparedness.

A special group

We have more than 300 staff volunteers in the SAFE peer support programme. They include staff with professional training, such as psychiatrists, psychologists and medical social workers; as well as staff from other non-related fields.

Coming from all levels, these volunteers are specially trained in crisis intervention and effective listening skills. They are able to offer one-to-one psychological first aid as equals and provide information on stress management. They are also trained to facilitate confidential group intervention and can refer staff to professionals if on-going counselling is needed.

The programme was created in 2008 to help staff deal with unexpected, extreme situations or emotional difficulties.

The goal is to create a strong and resilient workforce.

Coping tips for critical incident stress • Be patient with yourself at work • Accept that your feelings are a normal reaction • Continue your regular routine as much as possible • Engage in physical activities like sports • Spend time with friends • Jot down your thoughts and feelings

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feature

Do no harm

Away from the limelight, our clinicians volunteer their time and provide expert advice on committees to help ensure that health products marketed in Singapore are safe and of good quality.

For their contributions and public service, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) gave out the inaugural Excellent Stakeholder & Partnership Award in 2013.

Genetic testing for epilepsy drug

SGH contributed to Singapore’s introduction of genetic testing as a new standard of care for patients taking the drug carbamazepine (CBZ).

We were one of three hospitals that investigated and confirmed that some patients have a genetic pre-disposition to developing possibly fatal skin reactions after taking CBZ, a drug commonly given to epileptics. We recruited 55 patients from our Dermatology, Neurology and Rheumatology departments for the study which began in 2009.

As a result, Singapore in 2013 decided to make genetic testing the standard of care before prescribing CBZ. We are the second country to do so, after the USA. Our doctors recognised by HSA for this study were: • Dr Pang Shiu Ming, Senior Consultant & Director of Dermatology • Prof Lim Shih Hui, Senior Consultant, Neurology • Dr T Thirumoorthy, Visiting Consultant, Dermatology • Dr Lee Haur Yueh, Consultant, Dermatology

Voices of authority

HSA also recognized our doctors for their roles on expert panels: • Prof Fong Kok Yong, Senior Consultant, Rheumatology Chairman of HSA Biologics Expert Panel • Prof Woo Keng Thye, Emeritus Consultant, Renal Medicine Chairman of HSA Medical Clinical Research Committee

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LIFE at SGH Campus | Jan/Feb 2014

spree in action Raising the alarm SingHealth doctors have played pivotal roles in detecting and raising the alarm for products that had major safety issues.

AN SGH MOMENT

Lost & Found Department. After discovering that he had not eaten since lunch, Jack bought him food and drinks.

Slim 10

SGH doctors detected thyroid and liver toxicities in patients who have consumed the slimming product and alerted the HSA. The product was withdrawn in April 2002, five months after it was launched.

Bausch & Lomb contact lens solution

Clinicians at SNEC were the first to report the presence of fungal keratitis in January 2006. Singapore became the first country to suspend sales of the product in February 2006, before it was withdrawn worldwide in May 2006.

Jack Yeo

Jumari Haron

Cecilia Loo

The patient's family had used a free ambulance service offered by a community organisation to send him here for a medical appointment. But in a mix-up, he did not inform the ambulance to return to bring him home.

Friday night, 28 June. All the outpatient clinics were closed. The only visitors were those heading to the wards. At the Block 5 lobby, an old man sat in his wheelchair, alone. And he had been there for a few hours.

“I was at home when the hospital called after 9pm,” said Medical Social Worker Cecilia Loo. “So I contacted the family while asking our Security colleagues to send the patient home by taxi.”

Jumari Haron and Jack Yeo from the Security Team swung into action. They confirmed that the old man was a patient, and contacted numerous parties including the next of kin, medical social services, the police and our Emergency

“The family was concerned about paying for the taxi fare, so I went and waited with them at the void deck to ensure that the patient arrived safely. As the family was needy, I bought them groceries and dinner before I left.”

Bisphosphonates

Our surgeons alerted HSA to a spike in local cases of atypical fractures associated with the use of bisphosphonates. This led HSA to issue an alert to healthcare professionals in 2007.

Bank in your Wow experience Have you ever experienced something pleasant in other healthcare institutions? Share stories of great customer service and remarkable experiences with us on our SGH Wow Gallery.

These stories will be published on the Service Quality’s intranet page and a lucky contributor each month will receive a mystery gift! Send us your stories via the Service Quality intranet page or email them to wow@sgh.com.sg.

Come join us in creating our collection of good service practices for benchmarking!

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LIFE at SGH Campus | Jan/Feb 2014

quality pulse

QI chat

You are Gold!

Brought to you by Service Operations, a unit of Operations and Performance Management

Could you share with us, some of your other roles and responsibilities?

The award continues to fuel Magdalene’s zeal for QI. “This is marvellous! I can't wait to see how we can bring more innovative ideas to SGH."

Besides Infection Control at SGH, I am a part-time consultant on Infection Control at MOH. I keep up with my sub-specialty, Microbiology, by spending two sessions each week at Diagnostic Bacteriology, Pathology where I focus on education and training of medical students, trainees and technologists. In addition, I am the Master Trainer for QI at SGH-I workshops and also teach QI at the SingHealth Residency Program.

Pain No More…

Certainly, as they are all inter-related under the Quality umbrella. Quality Improvement is a tool that is applicable to any process and I have used it frequently in Infection Control.

What do you think are the challenges our organization faces ?

The challenge is to meet the expanding expectations of our customers as they are more knowledgeable today.

We need to stay relevant, to keep up with the times and yet balance our resources wisely. Applying QI principles can help us to save cost and hence, free resources to address other issues.

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The Problem

The Results

On-site observations showed that not all staff were aware of how to transfer patients without straining themselves.

They were also not regularly assessed for occupational health and hazard risks.

In 2013, the project bagged the Allied Health Innovation Award and a gold award at TE-IQC Assessment.

Staff in rehabilitation wards often have to lift and transfer patients with disability. Some 45% of nursing and allied health staff reported work-related musculoskeletal pain episodes that lasted more than three days; the most common being lower back pain. More than half described the discomfort as moderate to severe.

Do you see any synergies among your various roles?

I believe in Quality and I believe in achieving excellent standard of practice in healthcare. Staff, patient and organisational safety are all important issues to be addressed.

She was recognised as the Innovative Champion (Gold) at the PS21 ExCEL Awards Ceremony in November.

Part of the SGH family for over 30 years, Magdalene runs wards 53C (Internal Medicine) and 77 (Haematology). Her passion for QI saw her leading project teams to Gold awards at the National QC Convention in 1999, 2000, 2005. At the TE-IQC in 2012, her team of nurses delivered yet another Gold project that reduced the incidents of falls significantly.

Dr Ling Moi Lin wears many hats in our organisation. Most recognise her as Director of Infection Control at SGH. What some might not know, is her strong dedication to QI as the Master Trainer for more than 10 years at SGH.

What makes you focus so much of your time on Quality?

SGH Senior Nurse Manager Magdalene Ng has received the top national award for public sector staff who innovate to improve the standard of public service.

Any advice on how we can improve the way we do things?

• Be customer-centric. This helps us to be objective and learn to see value from their perspective. We can then meet their expectations better.

• Stay in touch with developments globally. We can learn much from others’ best practices.

• Be flexible and open. This will free us to try new ideas and think out of the box.

• Adopt a collaborative approach. There is much synergy in working together as one team.

The Solutions

Team “Work Safety”, comprising of physiotherapists, nurses and a doctor, was assembled to reduce the pain episodes at SGH’s satellite rehabilitation wards then located in Alexandra Hospital by 30% in 12 months.

Self-reported musculoskeletal pain episodes dropped from 24 to zero per week, exceeding the team’s target.

The project not only improved staff safety and wellbeing, but also ensured that our patients are now transferred more securely, lowering the risks of falls.

Patient’s caregivers can also learn the correct techniques through the same training materials developed for staff.

Staff being trained in patient transfer techniques

The team adapted best practices from overseas centres and developed standardised guidelines and instructions for patient transfers. Staff were put through a course, which used training tools such as handbooks and videos.

Safety officers were also appointed; using a standardised audit checklist form, they check that staff use safe patient transfer techniques.

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LIFE at SGH Campus | Jan/Feb 2014

campus buzz

We are Baby Friendly

Highlights for 2014 The year ahead is shaping up to be an eventful one, especially in terms of infrastructure development on SGH Campus. These are some of the highlights to look forward to.

Mid Year as First time ever - SGH undergoes JCI audit Academic Medical Centre!

January rally employed by Medical specialists cent ration. bo SingHealth. Easier for colla 1st Quarter edicine Clinic at SingHealth opens Family M ctor Family e-se Chinatown Point. Privat ronic disease Physicians will see our ch and shorter ion patients. Convenient locat waiting time for them.

Sep 25 tre.

Official opening of new National Heart Cen rt Once they vacate Mistri Wing, we can sta work to move outpatient centres there.

SGH has been accredited as a Baby Friendly Hospital, having met WHO and UNICEF standards in supporting successful breastfeeding in our neonatal ward.

As part of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, our processes and staff in the obstetric and neonatal wards facilitate and encourage breastfeeding.

Transplant patients at SGH no longer have to shuttle between different locations for consultation, tests and therapy, with the opening of the Transplant Centre at Block 7.

The next milestone is for the Sengkang Hospitals to commence operations at the Alexandra Hospital premises in 2015.

The project draws on SingHealth's collective strengths and expertise in clinical care and hospital planning, building and management.

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Artist’s impression of external facade of Sengkang General and Community Hospitals

Two of our Enrolled Nurses were recognised for their outstanding work with the Tan Chin Tuan Nursing Award this year.

Abirami Nagarasen, Principal Enrolled Nurse from NHCS Ward 44, and Wilma Krishnan from TTSH won the Special Commendation awards.

Transplant devoted

The Sengkang General Hospital and Sengkang Community Hospital are on track to open in 2018, following the ground breaking ceremony on 27 Oct.

You go, girls!

The top honours went to Nurshyahida Abdullah, Senior Enrolled Nurse at SGH Ward 45 and Medical ICU. A nurse for 27 years, she was cited for her passion for the profession and for training and guiding younger colleagues.

Sob! Say goodbye to School of Nursing. It comes ity down this year, so that the SGH Commun Hospital can come up.

On track for Sengkang 2018

From left: Abirami Nagarasen (NHCS), Nurshyahida Abdullah (SGH) and Wilma Krishnan (TTSH)

The centre provides integrated services for patients who are preparing for or have undergone a kidney, liver or complex cornea transplant.

Bringing the patients under one roof also cuts their risk of contracting infections, given their low immunity, said Prof London Lucien Ooi, Chairman of Surgery Division who heads SingHealth transplant services.

At the new centre, each patient gets only one queue number. With all the relevant experts there, patients can be called in by anyone who is available, leading to a shorter overall wait. They also queue only once for payment, as they get one combined bill for services and medication.

Sugar pal Type 2 Diabetes patients at home now have a mobile app to help them work out the correct dosage of insulin to inject. All they have to do is to key in their fasting blood sugar reading every morning and SGH Diabetes Pal will provide the answer.

The app was developed by SGH Endocrinologists and our IT partner IHiS. At the same time, to study if the app is effective in helping patients achieve good glycaemic control, SGH and DukeNUS Graduate Medical School are conducting a study. A total of 80 patients who are new to insulin therapy will be recruited for the randomised controlled trial.

“The need to improve diabetes management deserves greater attention in Singapore where the incidence is among the highest in developed countries,” said Professor David Matchar from Duke-NUS.

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LIFE at SGH Campus | Jan/Feb 2014

campus buzz

We love to help!

Our shared values

Compassion. Integrity. Collaboration

The spirit of volunteerism is very much alive on Campus as we came to the close of another year. Our people were out in force, using our professional knowledge to help people in the community or simply be a friend for the day.

A friend for a day

These are the values that 3,000 of us voted for.

We already embrace a common vision, mission and purpose. Across the Group, SPREE is also adopted as the common Quality Priorities.

“These values are not just about our work but also about how we live our lives. The way we live these values at work however, will determine the kind of organisation we are,” wrote the heads of all the SingHealth institutions in a joint memo to announce the shared values.

New chief of staff at SGH

Goh Leong Huat will be the new Director of HR at SGH, from January 2014. He takes over from Ms Esther Tan who will focus fully on her role as Group Director of Strategic HR at SingHealth.

Leong Huat has been the SingHealth Deputy Group Director of Strategic HR since June 2011. He was previously Director of Administration in the Ministry of Defence and former Head of the Navy's Personnel Dept.

SGH study adds to knowledge on rare breast tumour SGH pathologist in training Dr Tan Yongcheng has won international recognition for a study that helps to identify and define a unique group of breast tumours that was previously under-recognised.

For his work Solid-papillary breast carcinoma – a neuroendocrine breast lesion, the Registrar received the Best Presentation Award from the Japanese Society of Pathology at their 59th Autumn Annual Meeting in November.

Some 200 needy and elderly residents spent a busy and active morning with our staff volunteers at Henderson Community Club on 9 November.

Pharmacists checked the residents’ existing drugs to ensure that they were using them correctly, and compiled a medication list for each to bring to their doctors. To assess their fall risks, Physiotherapists conducted gait tests. Other staff gave professional advice or kept them entertained with performances and fun activities.

We opened our doors to them

Look who turned up!

Close to 2,200 elderly residents received free eye screenings on 9 November as part of the 14th National Eye Care Day, organised by the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC).

We went to them, in their neighbourhood

Held at SNEC and five other healthcare institutions island-wide, the event aimed to promote awareness of common eye conditions and the importance of preventive care.

At SNEC, more than 600 children were also taught good eye care habits through games at a carnival.

Occupational Therapists from SGH were also on hand to give tips on living with low vision.

Celebrating a grand old dame The elderly sick at Kwong Wai Shiu Community Hospital were given osteoporosis screening by volunteer doctors and nurses from SGH Orthopaedic Surgery department in November. Our physiotherapists were on site to assess the elderly for fall risk.

His report documents a unique case of solid-papillary carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation, and includes a survey of this group of uncommon tumours retrieved from the SGH Pathology Departmental files over a 10-year period. Through pathological review and statistical analysis, he established histopathological features that are linked to these tumours.

We went to them, in the community hospital

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More than 200 colleagues from SGH, the National Heart Centre and our service partners, ISS Facility Services, volunteered at this annual Community Day.

The screening sessions were part of the hospital’s 103rd Anniversary Celebration.

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LIFE at SGH Campus | Jan/Feb 2014

time out

your take

Cross Culture

These are a few of my favourite things…

In November, you may have spotted a few guys around block 3 or 7of SGH with moustaches. They are part of a group called ‘Moustaches @ SGH’, started by physiotherapist Ryan Wollan.

What do I-SPY

The SGH Mo Bros

“Singapore was hosting its second Movember campaign - you grow your moustache throughout the 30 days of November to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues by prompting conversations wherever you go.”

“Facial hair is not something you see commonly nurtured in this part of Asia so initially I didn't think the Movember movement would be very popular here.

However in 2012, Movember SG raised 180 million SGD which is astounding!”

“A friend and I started the Movember group at SGH, and we had 15 or so people growing moustaches!

These selfless and generous men known as Mo Bros, effectively become walking, talking billboards for 30 days. You can use this direct link below to donate to our team and help make a difference!” http://moteam.co/moustaches-sgh

“I am from south England and studied in Eastbourne which is officially England's sunniest town. I have always been drawn to the sun and heat, one of the reasons why I love living in Singapore!”

“Before coming to Singapore, I noticed a colleague growing his moustache. Initially this struck me as bizarre because it was very odd looking! A week or two later, I noticed several more men proudly displaying their upper lip hair. I decided to Google the strange sightings and was quickly enlightened! It was for Movember!

A brief history of the British Moustache

“Back in England before the Movember movement started a few years ago, I think moustaches were considered dated. Growing up, I remember my Granddad sported a rich bushy Mo- and he still does!”

“Officially a Moustache should be a separate Island of hair upon the upper lip. It should not connect to any hair around the chin or side burns. These would be considered a Beard or Goatee which are a lot more common. I guess the legitimate moustache is more of an accessory of the past. Until now!”

Thanks for all your entries! Due to overwhelming response, we’re featuring the top 5 here. Look out for other entries on the intranet.

OUR PICK!

“This scanner found at most clinics’ front counter is my favourite item because it expedites our daily tasks when the clinic is busy. It is fast, accurate and so easy to use. I love my scanner! ”

Zalina, please contact us to collect your $20 prize voucher.

HR Coordinator, HR Division

Service Associate, Transplant Centre

“My favourite items are these energy boosters - a must for Ward 57 nurses and surgeons!”

— TAN SIEW CHOO, Acting Senior Nurse Manager, Ward 57

RUNNING IN THE FAMILY

You work together, and you play together. We are seeking shots of you and your colleagues in action - running, kicking, swimming, biking or any other sport. The most interesting photo wins a $20 voucher. Send it to mysgh@sgh.com.sg.

Closing date: 31 January 2013.

Ryan in pre-Mo and post-Mo mode

— MA CECILIA MENDOZA SAMSON,

— ZALINA MOKHTAR, Patient

NEXT:

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“My desktop screen is an extraordinary collage of my family that motivates me at the start of each day, pushes me to finish my work on time and spread smiles to all. Every hardship I endure is for them.”

“Yoda the Grand Master of the Jedi Order has numerous quotes like: ‘Patience you must have’ and ‘Always pass on what you have learned’. Though they are from a fictitious character, living by them is priceless !”

— REJINY DAS, Senior Secretary, Operations and Performance Management Department

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What was the most memorable part-time job you held?

“I bartended during my university days. One night, a guy wanted to buy a girl at the bar, a drink. I sent it over but forgot to tell her it was from him. The whole night he kept dropping hints at her but she thought he was weird, as she didn’t know the drink was from him.”

— CHAN YEW TOW, Executive, Department of Safety Network

“I was working as a waitress for a home catering company and we covered mainly birthday parties. One such function was really wild – I saw two guys stripping down to their underwear!”

— CRYSTAL YICK, Medical Technologist, Skin Bank Unit

“In 1985, for $2.50 an hour, my friends and I worked at the NUS Guild House, assisting in mailing out newsletters to alumni members. We got excited on seeing the addresses of some famous politicians.”

— MUKIMAH HAJI NA’MAN, Senior Staff Nurse, Urology Operating Theatre

“I was waitressing during school days. After the restaurant closed, we would blast music loudly and the managers and waitresses would all start dancing.”

— CHERYL NG, Speech Therapist

“During my university days in Australia, I was a part-time house ‘maid’. I stayed with a retired doctor who gave free lodging in exchange for cleaning, gardening, shopping, cooking, dish washing and bartending when he had visitors.

At meals, he would say ‘Better belly burst than waste good food’ but when drinking he’d say, ‘people die over-eating more than over-drinking!’”

— MICHAEL CHONG, Assistant Director, Department of Finance

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