In The Loop St John of God South East Melbourne Hospitals August/September 2021
Picture: Artist’s impression of the Langmore Centre’s Perinatal Health Wing
Construction begins
Builders given keys to transform former Berwick Hospital site
In the spotlight
Community Mental Health Outreach
Berwick | Frankston | Pinelodge Clinic | Langmore Centre
Hospitality | Compassion | Respect | Justice | Excellence
Donation improves patient comfort
Auxiliary secures new examination beds
Welcome Lisa Norman
CEO, South East Melbourne hospitals I can’t help but think Covid-19 is channelling the lyrics of Britney Spears’ hit song, “Oops! ... I did it again,” when it masterfully continues to wreak havoc on our plans—not to mention the back and forth yo-yoing of restrictions on our daily lives both at work and at home. Aside from the July lockdown, another casualty to fall victim of Covid-19 was our planned farewell of Berwick Hospital’s former Gibb St site. An open day was organised to allow local residents a pre-construction opportunity to tour a building that holds a unique and historical place in the hearts and fabric of the Berwick community. Sadly, in true Covid-style, loved ones were unable to say their final goodbyes and given the keys were imminently set to be handed over to the builders, that opportunity has been lost forever. It’s not all bad news, however. Despite the cancellation of the larger community event, Covid didn’t manage to rain on the parade of a similar smaller function held by Foundation in June. The event which was attended by generous donors of our Kangan Drive facility and Day Oncology Centre, provided an opportunity for those who are invested heavily in the growth and expansion of our hospitals to tour the old facility and learn about all of the exciting new plans for its revitalisation. It was a fantastic opportunity for people to reminisce and share stories of how the 100-plus year old site had played a
part in their own personal history or that of their loved ones. What was more heartening was the overwhelming support we received with regards to the intended use for the old hospital. The interesting thing about Covid is that there isn’t a single person on this planet who hasn’t been affected by the pandemic in some way. A universally shared experience like this, affords us the ability to reflect together and show empathy for each other. And on this evening, there were so many stories to be shared about the impact that Covid has had on each of us and our family members—that it left little doubt from those invited, that the need for mental health services in this area was of the utmost importance. I’m so proud to be working for an organisation, that not only identified this need, but is actively working to deliver mental health services to a region that desperately needs it.
Lisa
St John of God Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital
St John of God Berwick Hospital St John of God Pinelodge Clinic
Feedback and story ideas are welcome: marketing.berwick@sjog.org.au
St John of God Langmore Centre
In The Loop is a monthly publication which brings together stories and news from the St John of God South East Melbourne Hospitals, keeping caregivers in the loop.
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: The Langmore Centre
The Langmore team keeping the community in the loop! The Langmore Centre redevelopment continues to progress with construction planned to start over the coming weeks and the builder set to be announced very soon. After months of development and planning, this key milestone in the process comes after months of hard work from caregivers at Pinelodge through to the redevelopment team. The Pinelodge team is now focusing on the important aspects of operational readiness and ensuring we have a smooth transition of our services to Langmore. After some minor upgrades, and in tandem with the Langmore redevelopment, Stephenson House is also proposed to form our ‘community wellness centre’ which will facilitate our outpatient services and day programs to support mental health in our local region. Another priority of this project was to keep the community well informed and abreast of our planned services and mission. In doing so, a recent Foundation
Event was held in late June to host a number of influential local residents for an information night and opportunity to tour the facility before construction began. Unfortunately we had also planned a separate opportunity for the local community to do the same but due to what seems to be the norm these days, that was cancelled once Victoria was thrown into yet another lockdown last month. Sadly, with that event scheduled to take place the day prior to keys being handed over to the builders, the possibility for local residents to take one final tour and farewell the facility in its current state was no longer an option. Instead we look forward to keeping them engaged throughout the construction process so they can join us in the journey of rebirthing an iconic local landmark into the premier mental health facility of the entire south east Melbourne region. Looking forward to bringing you more exciting news as construction begins over the coming months. -Evan Rundell, Clinical Redevelopment Manager
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: The Langmore Centre
Mental health services coming to Berwick in 2022 St John of God Heath Care is proud to announce its plans to offer much needed mental health services in Berwick for the south east growth corridor of Melbourne. Construction will commence in July 2021 to redevelop the St John of God Langmore Centre (the former St John of God Berwick Hospital) located at Gibb Street, Berwick, into a community mental health service with both inpatient and outpatient services. Linda Allen, CEO SJG Pinelodge Clinic & Langmore Centre said, “After community consultation in late 2019 and an analysis of healthcare provision and demographics across our rapidly growing population, it was clear that there was a need for mental health services, locally. Research tells us that clients have better healthcare outcomes and more sustained recovery when they have access to early intervention of mental health services close to home. The redeveloped Langmore Centre will open in mid 2022 and provide inpatient, day and community services and offer the latest evidence-based therapies to assist people living with a range of mild to moderate mental health conditions, addiction dependency and a specialised perinatal mental health unit to support new and expecting parents. The facilities will include all private room accommodation for inpatients, a neuro stimulation suite for ECT and TMS treatments, in house dining facilitates, therapy rooms including specialised Art Rooms and Gym. There will also be Specialist Consulting Suites on site. Many people will remember the wide corridors, the lovely light and internal courtyards of the building and these aspects are important elements that will assist in creating a peaceful and positive environment. Linda says, “One in five Australians live with a mental health condition. Most common is anxiety and depression which affects people of all ages and can be very debilitating mentally, physically and socially. Some people are impacted by addiction to medication and alcohol.” Linda adds, “With the significant statistic of 1 in 5 people being impacted by mental health it is quite possible someone in our family, a neighbour or someone we know at a local sports club, the local school or working with us is affected. Sometimes we will know of their struggles and other times they deal with these in isolation. We are all
touched by Mental Health and it is important that people are able to access and be provided with the right support close to home to focus on improving their quality of life.” The addition of the Langmore Centre will enhance St John of God Health Care’s scope of services in Melbourne’s south east growth corridor. Services already include acute medical, surgical and maternity services located at the Berwick hospital, rehabilitation services at the Frankston hospital and currently mental health services at Pinelodge Clinic in Dandenong. Lisa Norman, CEO SJG South East Melbourne Hospitals, sets the healthcare vision, “As an organisation we’ve always involved ourselves in the community and responded to community need. This is reflected in the types of services we offer and the social outreach partnerships we form locally. The Langmore Centre will complement our broad suite of services, across our various sites in South East Melbourne, allowing us to provide whole-person care for our community from birth through to senior years.” The treasured Gibb Street facility has been part of the Berwick community for over 100 years, first opening its doors in 1910 as the Shepton Private Hospital. Throughout the years, community need has dictated the direction of clinical services and has demanded the hospital grow to meet the rapidly expanding community in South East Melbourne. When the Berwick Hospital relocated to its new and larger purpose-built hospital at Kangan Drive in 2018, the Gibb Street facility remained vacant and ready for re-purposing. In late 2020, the site was temporarily re-opened for aged care residents as part of SJGHC’s community response to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than ever, following the impact of the pandemic and the emerging impact it is having on our health, mental health services will be needed in this area for some time to come. SJGHC is proud to be answering this call from the community.
Artists impressions Top: Perinatal mental health unit Below left: A patient room Below right: The exterior of the perinatal mental health unit at the rear of the hospital
Project commences. Builders onsite.
July 2021
Jul-Aug 2021 Site establishment. Fencing, temporary services, site offices, crane onsite.
Commence fitout
Late July 2022
Nov 2021
Practical completion, followed by commissioning
Expected opening
Aug 2022
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: The Langmore Centre
Meet Linda Allen: the lady leading the way While Linda has led some of Melbourne’s leading healthcare services, she started out close to home in Berwick. What goes around comes around, so they say. And for Linda Allen who is leading the strategic direction of Berwick’s Langmore Centre redevelopment—that saying certainly rings true. Having grown up in Beaconsfield and attended St Margaret’s School as a teenager, Linda’s first job as a nurse was at the very hospital she has now been entrusted with to repurpose. Joining St John of God Health Care in 2019, Linda jumped at the opportunity to become CEO of Pinelodge Clinic in mid2020. A role which would also oversee the revitalisation of the former St John of God Berwick Hospital and before that known as Berwick Bush Nursing Hospital and Linda’s first place of professional employment. “I’ve never moved a hospital before,” Linda claims. “I’ve been involved in extensions of healthcare sites but I’ve never had the opportunity to bring a much loved community asset back to life.” For Linda, this “once in a lifetime chance” is not only a humbling experience, but a satisfying one too. “The repurposing of Gibb Street will allow us to bring a new service to Berwick—one that is vitally needed in this area. And to be able to take a building which is very important to the local community and give it a legacy into the future is something I feel very proud to be a part of.”
“This facility holds a lot of emotional attachment to the people of Berwick. When speaking about the old hospital, families have told me about the babies being born there or about the loved ones whom have passed away and the stories of caregivers working at the site—it’s a very meaningful place to many in our community.” The Langmore Centre is set to welcome patients from in mid-2022 and there’s much to do between now and then in order to get the facility operational again. Construction is one aspect of the project, but there are many operational processes to be developed and refined. “Personally it is an exciting challenge. There’s a lot of planning that will go into ensuring we have a clinically safe environment in which to provide excellent and safe care to our patients” explains Linda. “From recruitment and orientation of caregivers, processes for the delivery of linen, the visiting hours, to therapy programs, the menus just to name a few—there is lots to do. I’m really looking forward to seeing these plans come to life in a facility that has been serving the health care needs of this community for more than 100 years.”
All about St John of God Langmore Centre Location: Gibb Street, Berwick Beds: 60 CEO: Linda Allen Director of Clinical Services: Shelley Cooper Director of Medical Services: Dr Usman Riaz Specialties: -Mental health -Addiction: Alcohol and other drugs -Trauma -PTSD -Mental health services for expecting and new parents
Treatments: -TMS -ECT -Inpatient services -Outpatient services -Consulting -Day programs -Community outreach Patient Cohort: Patients who are privately insured and consenting to admission and treatment. Workcover, TAC or self funded patients are also welcome.
Langmore: the man behind the name Wondering about the name? The Langmore Centre is named after a very special man who started it all back in 1910. The Gibb Street hospital has had many identities over the years—Shepton Private Hospital, Berwick Bush Nursing Hospital, Berwick Inc and St John of God Berwick Hospital. Its latest moniker, the St John of God Langmore Centre, pays tribute to a family who drove the foundations of healthcare in Berwick and the outer south eastern suburbs. Percy Langmore arrived in Berwick in 1907 and opened Berwick’s first hospital, Shepton Private Hospital, three years later with nurse, Grace Dunphy. Having arrived in Berwick as a bachelor in 1909 he married nurse Florence Ellson. Sadly, Florence died in November 1912 when their son Leonard was only 11 months old. In 1920, Dr Langmore re-married. Catherine McCallum was a friend of his first wife. Catherine took over caring for young Leonard (who later also became a very influential Berwick doctor). Though Dr Langmore was such a fine man, and a doctor, he wasn’t immune from tragedy. Catherine developed cancer and died in 1928. Much later, at the age of 72, he married Maybelle Haines, who shared his love of gardening. While Dr Langmore was said to have a full and valuable life, it was also filled with sadness and loneliness.
planting program took place over a period of 50 years which is still evident in the streets of the Berwick township today. Dr Langmore’s name is often recalled because in his life, he became a legend. It was said that nothing would stop him from going to a sick person and being paid financially was always his last thought. Dr Langmore was instrumental in laying the foundations for healthcare in Berwick. He serviced a wide area, including Emerald, Gembrook and out into the Koo Wee Rup swamp, in his horse and buggy over the rough ungravelled tracks that serviced as district roads. He later bought a motorbike, then a motorised buggy and later a motor car to do his rounds. Nevertheless, he still maintained the horse and buggy for places that were difficult to traverse. When the new Berwick Hospital wing was opened in 1953 it was named to honor Dr Percy Langmore. Due to retire at the onset of WW2, Dr Langmore decided he would be needed and kept on providing his services until the war ended, despite suffering greatly from arthritis. Retiring at 72, Percy was an inspiration to many. His deep Christian faith motivated his life and work, and peers always commented on how he was a very fine doctor. Dr Langmore’s legacy continues to live on as we acknowledge his dedication and work by naming this new Berwick facility in his honour.
Dr Langmore embarked on a personal program to plant trees in Berwick streets in his later years. His tree
Dr Percy Langmore holding baby Leonard
Dr Leonard Langmore
For more information on the Lanngmore Centre redevelopment: info.langmore@ sjog.org.au.
In The Loop
SCOOP Hospital Auxiliary donates over $13,000 for purchase of new equipment
Despite the challenges of continuing to fundraise during Covid-19 restraints over the past 18 months, the Hospital Auxiliary recently stepped up to answer a call for help from Julie Gould, Berwick Hospital’s Consulting Suite Manager. Describing the frustration of having only two consulting rooms with electronic examination beds, Julie explains that, “These two rooms are always in high demand. The beds make it safer for patients as they go up and down, and can be lowered to a level that makes it easier for mounting and dismounting. As well, it eliminates the need for steps which can be problematic for patients in wheelchairs or with mobility issues. Furthermore the beds are also easily configurable so that specialists can examine patients to their left or to their right.” According to Sally Wright, president of the Auxiliary, the decision to donate to the purchase of the examination tables was an easy one to make. “The Auxiliary became aware that the Consulting Suites required a number of specific electronic beds and thought this was a wonderful opportunity to contribute to the hospital and to the local community as a whole. We’re proud that we have been able to contribute to the acquisition of much-needed medical equipment that will not only assist our doctors, but will enable more patients to be cared for in a safe and comfortable manner.” As a result of the Auxiliary’s generous donation, six beds were able to be funded at a cost of $13,119. “Never did I imagine the Auxiliary would purchase a total of six extra beds,“ says Julie surprisingly. “I thought maybe we’d be gifted one or two. But six is extraordinary. It’s very exciting for all of us, she said. The Auxiliary is always on the hunt for new members. If you, or a friend or family member would like to join, please contact Sally Wright at sr22@iprimus.com.au.
SEM HMC celebrates NAIDOC Week with Bunjilwarra
During this month’s NAIDOC Week the SEM HMC hosted a celebration lunch with Pete Dawson, clinical lead at Bunjilwarra—a 12-bed alcohol and other drugs rehabilitation and healing service for Aboriginal young people aged between 16 and 25 years. It was an opportunity for the SEM HMC to learn more about Bunjilwarra, which helps Aboriginal youth who face complex issues in addition to their substance misuse, including family trauma, mental health, education, housing and employment issues, as well youths involved in the justice system. The team were also given an overview of the outcomes of the Bunjilwarra service evaluation that was funded by SEM. As a result the partnership has been extended another year, with SEM Hospitals providing an additional $30,000 to enable Bunjilwarra to implement key recommendations found in the evaluation report. New opportunities for leadership caregivers will also arise with immersion visits and cultural learning experiences to be arranged. Bunjilwarra will also provide advice and guidance to SEM on cultural safety practices and advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. “We have begun the process across our SEM hospitals to deepen our understanding of specific cultural needs for First Nations people when accessing healthcare. Jess Laurito, Nurse Unit Manager, will take the opportunity to co-present some therapy sessions at Bunjilwarra to better understand the issues facing young people in the context of alcohol and drug dependency,” explained Linda Allen, HMC representative. “This experience will enable Jess to share her learning with the Pinelodge team and enhance our cultural safety practices. These are important steps to enable SEM to achieve its obligations under the SJGHC Reconciliation Action Plan.”
Grad nurse info night goes live online
Reminders: New online mandatory training module to be completed
For the first time ever, SEM’s annual graduate nurse information session was hosted online. The new experience attracted over 100 registrations with 48 potential grad nurses joining in on the night. “We had two current grads, as well as Julie Dhalitz from Pinelodge, Deirdre Phelan from Frankston and myself representing Berwick, all taking turns to present to the online group of attendees,” explained Abigail Davis, Clinical Facilitator Student Placement. This year, the program attracted over 500 applicants for graduate positions in Victoria: • • •
Victoria RN Graduate Program: 305 applicants Victoria EN Graduate Program: 82 applicants Victoria Perioperative RB Graduate Program: 130 applicants
Aiding the COVID-19 fight abroad A recent donation of medical equipment from St John of God Health Care hospitals in Victoria and Western Australia is making its way across the Indian Ocean to help Sri Lanka care for people with COVID-19. The equipment includes; a high dependency unit bed, and six vital sign monitors from St John of God Bendigo and Murdoch hospitals that are used in critical care and intensive care units to track blood pressure, oxygen saturation, pulse rate and temperature and alert caregivers to changes in these vital signs. The opportunity to make this donation, worth almost $80,000, was identified by Berwick Hospital specialist Dr Indra Jayasuriya, and will assist the country in caring for patients who have COVID-19. The country is currently battling a third wave of the virus, with more than 260,000 cases and more than 3,000 deaths recorded up to July 2021. St John of God Health Care Chief Procurement and Supply Logistics Officer JP Rebola said it was wonderful to be able to provide this equipment, which was surplus to our needs, to support the pandemic response in Sri Lanka. “We know many of our caregivers and specialists have family and friends living overseas that are experiencing severe outbreaks of COVID-19, so we are pleased to be able to provide some support where it is needed at this critical time,” JP said. “This essential health care equipment will be sent to hospitals in Sri Lanka which are currently experiencing shortages in necessary resources to care for patients who are severely unwell.”
Respect
Formation is a process of reflective practice, which supports the ongoing development of caregivers, both personally and communally. Each year, we highlight one of our values, and in 2021, the value in focus is Respect. Regardless of who we are and what we do when we are at work, we are all here to enrich the patient and client experience and to consistently deliver this with excellence. Respect is right at the heart of a patient and client experience and we are encouraged to all live and breathe this value. The Respect module is now live on the MyLearning app and this mandatory training is an opportunity to reflect on our purpose, and a reminder to remain focused on what is important, because we all care deeply for those we serve. You are also encouraged to tell us what respect means to you by uploading a short video of yourself answering the question to the Life at SJGHC channel on Pulse with #Respect2021.
Our internal EMERGENCY number has changed
When was the last time you checked your personal details on MyPay? Life changes … we move house, update our phones, our email contact etc and as busy humans, remembering to update our records can slip our minds. It only takes a smidge of time to check and update your personal contact details on MyPay. To make it even easier you can access the MyPay User Guide on the intranet.
Messages from above Vaccination: it’s our only way out A message from Shane Kelly, CEO SJGHC Our current status as a country is a stark reminder, if we needed it, that we cannot be complacent about this virus. It is vitally important that we look after our health, and as caregivers, we need to do this so we can safely take care of others. This is why being vaccinated against COVID-19 is imperative. The potential impacts not only on people, but on health systems, has shown to be devastating in other countries, and we owe it to ourselves, our patients, our clients, and our communities not to let that happen here. I know there is still some hesitancy about getting vaccinated, but we are seeing some really clear evidence recently of the COVID-19 vaccine doing its job. A party in NSW involving 30 people is one example. Described as a super spreader event, 24 of the 30 attendees, and many of their household contacts, all tested positive for COVID-19. The virus likely would have had a near 100 per cent transmission rate were it not for six people who attended the party who had
already received at least one dose of the vaccine. According to UK researchers, just one dose of the AstraZeneca or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is enough to cut transmission of the coronavirus by two-thirds. This means the vaccine helps protect the more vulnerable in our communities who may otherwise catch the virus from people who are relatively healthy and potentially unaware they are carrying it. I realise access to a COVID vaccine is challenging, but what I want to stress to you is the importance of making a booking as soon as you can. Vaccination protects you, work colleagues and those patients, clients and loved ones for whom you care. Being vaccinated also helps to stop transmission of the virus and therefore reduces the possibility of it mutating. The important point to remember is that being vaccinated is the only way out of this pandemic. Please act quickly to secure a vaccination booking. Stay safe everyone.
A fresh new look for Mission A message from Marcelle Mogg, Group Director Mission Integration Mission at St John of God Health Care has undergone significant transformation, with a change in structure and the embedding of a new model of Mission integration across our hospitals and services—one that puts patients and clients at the centre of care by reminding us that bringing our Mission to life is the responsibility of every caregiver. As part of this renewed emphasis, we now welcome a fresh new Mission visual identity. The new look is simple, contemporary and appealing, while still echoing the themes that have always been part of us: the pomegranate and its seeds, our logo and the typeface that makes our Mission identity recognisable to all. We have also established a bank of photos that we will use in Mission publications to reflect the diversity of our patients, clients and services. We welcome your feedback on the new look and whether or not it helps you to connect our Mission, Vision and Values to the work that you do. Your feedback can be provided to jack.northam@sjog.org.au.
New and improved RiskMan A message from Andrew Yates, Deputy Group Director Medical Services & Clinical Governance
Many of you use RiskMan in your day to day work. The on-time, accurate reporting and investigation of clinical incidents in our workplace gives us the opportunity to learn and better mitigate for any future events. Which in turn helps to protect us and those we care for from preventable harm. Which is why I am so pleased to announce that Riskman Phase 3 is now live and has been upgraded to better meet our incident reporting needs by providing more accurate data collection and compliance with National Standards, provide offsite access, and enable native reporting to replace the current third party platform Tableau. Key improvements include new clinical incident categories, clinical incident posting, security reconfiguration, new severity classifications, medical emergency response reconfiguration, and native reporting. These improvements allow for more accurate data collection, sites will be able to self-manage user access and caregivers will be able to create real time reports specific to their requirements. Site champions and quality and risk managers have received training and are available to support caregivers with questions and provide support.
SEM Site Champions Berwick: • Eveline Soon • Kristin Rundell • Natalie Benn Pinelodge • Eveline Soon • Natalie Benn Frankston: • Eveline Soon • Rebecca Nolan (from Oct 2021)
A message from our Digital Information and Technology team: SharePoint outage planned from August 6-8 Due to required maintenance activities by our Digital Information and Technology team, caregivers may experience periods of no access to SharePoint services from 8pm Friday 6 August – 8pm Sunday 8 August. What SharePoint services may be unavailable? Caregivers may experience periods of no access to any of our SharePoint services, including: • • • •
Our Cora Intranet, including all Cora pages and links All applications (apps) and forms The Policy Library (including all electronic policies and procedures) ‘My workspaces’ sites (My collaboration, My committee, My project, My team)
If a service is unavailable SharePoint will show a maintenance message. When is this happening? 8pm Friday 6 August – 8pm Sunday 8 August.
What should I do? If you can, plan to access SharePoint information outside the maintenance period, to avoid possible delays. What if I can’t access information I need immediately? Please refer to the manual downtime procedure/ contingency plan for your hospital or service area, and contact your manager for help if needed. What if I need more information? If you require more information ahead of the maintenance period, please call the Service Desk on 1300 00 6800 between 8.00am-5.30pm, Monday-Friday. The Service Desk Self-Service Portal is not part of SharePoint, so will be accessible as normal during maintenance period. This planned maintenance has been scheduled to happen across a weekend to minimise impacts on caregivers. The Digital Information and Technology team will work as fast as possible, and thanks you for your understanding.
Sexual Harassment policy coming to SJGHC Shane Kelly, CEO of St John of God Health Care recently announced that Group Workforce is in the process of developing a Sexual Harassment Policy in response to improving the opportunity for caregivers to feel supported in speaking up at work. “We know that sexual harassment is widespread in all levels of our society and workplaces. Our awareness of this has grown in recent years, thanks to high profile people speaking out, encouraging more people to come forward and generating more conversations in mainstream and social media,” explains Shane. “And while our caregiver engagement and culture survey told us that there are many positive things about our culture at St John of God Health Care, an area for improvement was speaking up. Creating a feeling of safety to speak up is critical to a zero tolerance culture around sexual harassment and is one of SJGHC’s areas of focus for 2021 with much work being done across the organisation to achieve this. “It is important that we create a workplace environment in which all caregivers, patients and clients are treated with respect and dignity and is free from discrimination or harassment of any kind,” says Shane. “This is enshrined in our Code of Conduct, and in the guiding principles of Our Vision and our Values. As a provider of health care, disability and social services, SJGHC believes it’s responsible for caring for others and supporting them to reach their full potential. In addition, as a Catholic organisation, it is driven by an ethos of deep respect for the innate dignity of all. “Shane believes, “It is critical that these principles apply internally to our own caregivers and that people feel safe, supported and respected at work.” Research tells us that while anyone may experience sexual harassment, it is inextricably linked to gender inequality and power imbalances and is more often experienced by women. Therefore it is important not to assume that it does not, or cannot, happen at SJGHC. “We must do all we can to prevent it and address it appropriately if and when it does occur. The Trustees, Board, leadership team and I are deeply
committed to ensuring that we have an equitable workplace where the health, safety and wellbeing of our people is protected, explains Shane, adding that in doing so, “it fosters an environment that reduces the risk of inappropriate behaviour, and which has a ‘zero tolerance’ for sexual harassment.” To assist understanding, SJGHC has a range of tools and information available to caregivers, including mandatory online OHS training which specifically includes a section on sexual harassment. It’s also addressed it in the organisation’s induction module. Information can be found in the Group HR and ER section on Cora as well, where clear examples of what behaviours constitute sexual harassment provided. On these pages, links to SJGHC’s Grievance, Misconduct Policy and Workplace Investigations Policies, as well as its Bullying and Harassment brochure can be located. It not only makes it clear what behaviours are unacceptable, it also provides information on where and how to seek help. In addition, there are links to each state’s EEO, Worksafe, and Anti-discrimination, Human Rights Commission and Fair Work websites and a link to our page on Whistleblowing. “Whilst it’s important for us as an organisation to create frameworks that help prevent and address sexual harassment, I urge our caregivers to be mindful of others’ feelings,” cautions Shane. “Be prepared to speak up not only if you are offended yourself but if you feel that someone else may be uncomfortable or who, for any reason, may find it difficult to speak up themselves. Above all, there needs to be a clear understanding that inappropriate workplace behaviours will not be tolerated at St John of God Health Care.” This is a necessary but sensitive topic. If this email triggers any concerns or distress for you, please remember our Employee Assistance Provider, Converge, is always available for any of our caregivers or immediate family members who require free and confidential support. You can access help by calling 1300 687 327 or visiting the online portal. More information is also available on Cora. If you have any questions, you can submit them via the Ask a Question tool on Cora. Suggestions and feedback are also encouraged.
South East Melbourne Hospitals
RSVP to samara.naylor@sjog.org.au or Extension 45043
Tuesday 10th August 6-8pm or Tuesday 14th September 3-5pm Drinks & nibbles after each workshop Location: SJG Berwick, room TBA
IN THE
spotlight
COMMUNITY
MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH
Did you know that SJGHC continues to care for its Pinelodge patients even after they have been discharged from hospital? Jessica Dove, Acting Nurse Unit Manager of Community Mental Health, believes it’s important that support is offered for patients beyond the confines of a hospital setting. “Our Community Mental Health Outreach program aims to work with our patients in their recovery by helping to assist them in their transition from hospital to home. In a hospital setting, patients can feel very vulnerable,” explains Jess, adding that, “I enjoy seeing a client in their home environment. It helps us to get a better picture—a holistic point of view.” Jess manages a team of seven caregivers that is made up of a mixture of credentialed mental health nurses and psychologists. Generally, each member of Jess’s team sees about four clients a day with the aim of helping them set and work toward different goals, engage in community activities, help with exposure therapy (if isolation can be a problem) and even support family members and carers of the patients they are seeing. “Quite often our service is valuable to those who have been discharged and are waiting for day/outpatient programs to begin,” says Jess. “Initially we might see a client on a weekly basis, which then might taper off to fortnightly or monthly visits depending on the person we are seeing—our services are completely individualised to the client’s specific needs.” Whether a person is recovering from addiction, anxiety or depression (or a combination of all three), Community Mental Health Outreach practitioners can continue to provide a consistent level of help and support so inpatients of Pinelodge have a better chance of success once discharged. “We’re not a crisis support team,” states Jess. “But we can certainly work toward preventing a crisis from occurring in the first place.” Through providing education on medication, helping clients identify triggers and stresses, and by providing coping strategies, such as learning mindfulness and distraction techniques, as well as offering a number of therapeutic interventions, clients are better prepared to stay on track and achieve success in their journey to recovery. Like most workplaces, the Community Mental Health Outreach unit has had to adapt over the past year to the challenges that have arisen as a result of the pandemic. With restrictions on face-to-face meetings in place, the unit had to take their visitations online through Telehealth appointments. “It wasn’t too bad for existing clients,” shared
Jess. “But for new clients it was a little hard for both of us. It was a lot less personal.” However, Jess did highlight that for some of their clients it was an alternative that was embraced. “Going online made it more convenient and accessible for some. Instead of having to make sure they were home, the meeting could take place over the phone from wherever they might be at the time. If something came up they didn’t necessarily have to reschedule.” For others it wasn’t quite so welcomed. Taking a call in a public setting or during work hours is not ideal. And according to Jess, getting a clear picture of what was going on with a client was a little more difficult to attain. “Mental health is a lot about what you see. What is happening around the person, especially in their own space.” Being flexible and having the ability to adapt is key for members of the Community Mental Health Outreach team. “Working as a nurse in mental health is vastly different from attending to routine medical needs,” suggests Jess. “It’s very important to be open-minded and compassionate—not to mention being respectful of the person and understanding that their path is different to our own.” For Jess, the decision to work in the field of mental health came after she applied for her grad year with SJGHC. As part of her placement she spent time at Pinelodge, Berwick and Frankston, and while she already had some idea of what experience she would gain in our traditional and rehabilitation hospitals, she’d had little exposure to the role of a nurse in mental health. “It’s not your stereotypical nursing job,” explains Jess. “Having the opportunity to see people recover, to see them leave our hospital with the tools they need to succeed is a rewarding experience. Even though it can be sad to say goodbye and realise a client no longer needs us—every discharge from our services is a mark of success for the patient—as well as for ourselves.” With 12 years at SJGHC under her belt, it’s clear that Jess doesn’t regret the direction she took after her grad year. “I enjoy working in mental health. I love being able to connect with clients and help them through a very vulnerable time in their lives,” offers Jess. “My team does a fantastic job. It takes a special person to be able to remain professional while continuing to relate to people on their individual levels. I am very proud of the work our caregivers do. Our clients feel validated and have the opportunity to succeed, because we constantly assure them that their feelings are normal and valid.”
GOOD NEWS stories
Over the course of the past 18 months it has become increasingly difficult to avoid bad news. It’s on our social media feeds, our television screens, our airwaves—not to mention the constant visual reminder of mandatory mask-wearing, making it impossible to forget that we’re still suffering through a pandemic every day. In an effort to offset the barrage of bad news, we recently put out a call to caregivers to share their good news stories with us instead. Jennifer Jornet, Pastoral Practitioner, Carey Haggerty, ANUM Oncology and Karen Rolfe Manager, Pastoral Care all stepped up to the mark and provided us with some positive stories and information that can help drown out some of the negativity that’s being thrown our way.
Caregiver uses lockdown to publish children’s book Jennifer Jornet had always dreamed of writing a book one day, so when the Great Victorian Lockdowns of 2020 occurred, Jennifer channelled all her motivation into turning that dream into a reality. Over three decades ago, a curious little chicken named Chickaboo was born—a character that Jennifer created as part of a nightly bedtime routine where she would talk about Chickaboo and invite her children to suggest storylines that he might go on. Over the years Chickaboo, through the imagination of Jennifer and her children, went on many different adventures becoming a staple in their lives. Even as her children grew older and the need for bedtime stories dissipated, their childhood memory of Chickaboo did not.
So when Jennifer’s first grandson was born four years ago, it was only natural that Chickaboo would come back to life. “My grandson knew all about this chicken called Chickaboo,” she explained. “And even though I had always had an interest in linguistics—I used to be an interpreter—it was the fact that I had promised him, I’d write him a book one day that motivated me to do it.” No stranger to continued learning, Jennifer, who’d changed careers to study pastoral care at the age of 59, embarked upon a creative writing course in 2019. This, coupled with the extra time that Covid lockdowns afford, provided the perfect storm for Jennifer to finally put pen to paper. “The entire process was done with no personal, face-to-face contact whatsoever,” admitted Jennifer, who added that, through back and forth emails and phone calls, Jennifer worked with an illustrator for about a year to perfect her vision. “To see the characters come to life, was absolutely amazing. Everybody has been very helpful.” The 32-page picture book was completely self-funded by Jennifer, and although the overall venture was costly, Jennifer refuses to see it as an unnecessary expense. “This experience has been priceless,” confirmed Jennifer. “This was never written to be a money-spinner, it was a gift to my grandson and my family. For them to know that it’s never too late to follow your dreams or change direction in life is an invaluable lesson—and one I am grateful to be able to hand down to them.” Luca was unaware that his grandmother was writing him a book and plans were underway for Jennifer to fly to Newcastle, where he resides with his family, to surprise him with the finished copy. Of course in true Covid-style, those plans were squashed when Victoria entered its fourth lockdown in June, so the unveiling had to occur over FaceTime instead—something that kids of this generation are becoming well and truly accustomed to. As for Jennifer’s future in children’s book writing, she certainly has no intention of being a ‘one and done’ author, “I have a oneyear-old granddaughter also, you see,” she says with a laugh. “I can’t retire the keyboard just yet.” Chickaboo can be found at a variety of bookstores such as Dymocks and Angus and Robertson, as well as various online retailers.
Day Oncology holds week-long Biggest Morning Tea
This year our Day Oncology Unit held a weeklong Biggest Morning Tea event to raise funds for the Cancer Council and encourage caregiver engagement throughout the hospital. The team also held a raffle with a hamper as the first place prize. Andrew McQuie was lucky enough to win it, while Lyn May took out second place which awarded her two movie tickets. A total of $578.60 was raised as a result.
New team, new plans for SEM Pastoral Services Back: Rhonda O’Connor (SEM Director Mission Integration) Tracy Medlin, Kath Bottern (Art Therapy), Jose Mathew, Jennifer Jornet, Stephanie Whyte (Pastoral and Music Therapy), Lidia Rovira Duch, Steph Wong Front: Josie Milone, Carol Ashcroft (Senior Pastoral Practitioner), Karen Rolfe (SEM Pastoral Manager). Linda McDermid, Cathy Rose
The newly formed SEM Pastoral Services team met at Frankston Hospital last month for a whole day to reflect and plan. The caregivers spent time revisiting team identities as practitioners and their experiences over the past 12 months, hearing each other’s stories. It also worked on developing growth opportunities for the
SEM Pastoral Strategic Plan and explored the change towards operating as a team across SEM. A final ritual was held to commission the new team with updated SEM Pastoral Practitioner badges. Thanks to Frankston for hosting the day.
Caregiver Corner Profile: Over the past two decades Nella Listro has held various casual, parttime and full-time positions at St John of God Health Care. Currently working as a Patient Services Manager at Pinelodge, Nella spends her days making sure that all medical practices involving patient care are implemented in accordance with government regulations and hospital policies. When Nella isn’t working, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her husband, three children and four grandchildren.
Catch up with my family.
What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a teacher.
If you could pick anywhere else in the world to go, where would it be? Anywhere warm and sunny.
What is something you are good at? Cooking.
What’s your favourite season? Autumn.
What’s your favourite thing to do on a weekend?
Have you ever met anyone famous? Silvia Colloca.
Do you play an instrument? If not, what would you like to learn to play? No. I’d like to learn to play the piano. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Introvert. Do you have any phobias? I hate ants. What has been your favourite holiday? Italy—my parents’ homeland.
What skill do you think you could improve on? House maintenance. What’s something you’re really bad at? Putting things together—such as Ikea furniture. If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? I can’t think of anything I would change. I have a great family, and friends. Who do you look up to at work? My team who come together and support each other all the time. Are you a morning person or night owl? A nightowl. What was your first paying job? Working in a hamburger shop.
Nominate your coworker for Caregiver Corner Would you like to know more about a St John of God SEM caregiver? Send your recommendations to the Marketing and Communications team at sem.marketing@sjog.org.au and you could see your colleague in the spotlight.
Easy AUSLAN signs to learn
LGBTQ+ and working in religiously-affiliated workplaces? Do you identify as LGBTQ+? Do you work in a religiously affiliated workplace, such as a school, hospital or social service provider? Would you like to share your experience with us?
We are conducting a survey to better understand the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in religiously
affiliated workplaces. Examples of such workplaces include Christian and Islamic schools, private hospitals such as Catholic affiliated hospitals, social welfare agencies such as Anglicare, and aged care facilities such as Jewish or Salvation Army aged care. We want to ensure that the voices of LGBTQ+ people are heard in current debates about LGBTQ+ rights and religious freedom. The study is being conducted by academics at the University of Tasmania, in conjunction with the University of Sydney and University of Ottawa.
Complete survey: https://utaseducation.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e8xZND86fIlvi4t If you would like to know more, please contact Professor Douglas Ezzy by email (douglas.ezzy@utas.edu.au) or Dr Bronwyn Fielder (bronwyn.fielder@utas.edu.au). University of Tasmania Project ID: 23410 More Information is also available at our website: Website Link: http://lgbtandreligiousfreedom.com.au Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lgbtqworkplacesurvey
Please note: This is completely confidential and external to St John of God Health Care. We do not have access to any individual or group results. Also feel free to pass this along to anyone you may know who works in other religiously affiliated organisations.
Back pats
Penny Hawke: 5 stars Well what an experience. I’ve been to a number of hospitals, public and private, but have never experienced such wonderful care and such a beautiful hospital. The staff were all fantastic and caring and friendly, from entering the hospital until discharge. Couldn’t ask for a better doctor than Dr Dobson.
WHAT DOES qualtrics
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have to say
Frankston NPS score (July 1st - July 31st 2021)
85.2
Patient feedback Berwick
Pinelodge
““Excellent help and wonderful care. The nurses and care from everyone was outstanding. From the nurses to the tea personnel, I can honestly say that I was truly looked after and nothing was too much trouble. I was looked after by a beautiful team of people.”
“Experienced and friendly staff. Education and facilitators fantastic. Food great. All staff from all departments extremely friendly and helpful.”
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