The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

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The last month has seen flu season in full swing, demands on our services peaking and lots of us coming down with coughs, colds and the flu. The blossoms are starting to form on trees and Spring is just around the corner. We are gradually progressing the implementation of the Integrated Care program which is focused on helping people who have lifestyles and physical conditions that will lead to chronic illness in the future.

It’s a perfect time of each of us to think about

what we can do to make sure we maintain a high quality of life into the future and also set an example for our communities. Heidi and her team are starting the Staff Health Challenge. We have three weeks still to sign up, and then 12 weeks to work on changing some of our habits. In the next few months the LHD will be getting more active in the space supporting heath checks for staff, promoting free Nicotine replacement for staff and their families, and promoting our corporate membership with the YMCA for the gym and pools.

I was reading through this month’s newsletter

and was pleased to see some of the suggestions from the recent reader survey have been taken up. The spread on Balranald MPS was great to see, particularly the pics of staff so we can all put faces to names.

Congratulations to Mel Welsh who graduated

from the Clinical Redesign program. I was delighted to see the impact she has had with lots of support and enthusiasm from everyone in the Broken Hill Emergency Department to significantly reduce the number of people who leave before they receive treatment. I was worried about 12 months ago that we had the highest proportion of Aboriginal people in the state leaving without getting treatment. The results for the last few months have seen our performance move ahead of the NSW average. I bumped into Zoe Tonkin last week as she was heading off to the Redesign Centre. If you are passionate about improving the operations of your own area give Mel a call, or let us know if you would like to participate in the Clinical Redesign training program.

Sue Netherwood has written a letter in this month’s edition which I read with interest, particularly given recent suggestions that the LHD has a poor culture. Sue’s reflection on her 40 years highlighted the importance of camaraderie, commitment to making a difference for patients and supporting each other. In the last couple of weeks when things have been busy, several people new to the LHD have commented on how willing people are to go the extra yard to help out where demand was greatest. I’m expecting the Your Say survey results later this month and hope they will show the gains we’ve all made working together, and making the LHD a better place for everyone. I wish Sue all the best for the future and know she will be missed.

Tess Robinson has also left after a three

month stint filling the role of Director of Nursing and Midwifery. Sam Lazarus has also let out a huge sigh of relief and headed back to his usual role of Manager Primary and Allied Health. I’m deeply grateful to both of them for the great job they did shepherding Broken Hill through a patch of instability. Ken Barnett has commenced as General Manager of Broken Hill and I’m sure we will make him feel welcome. On Page 2 there is a picture of Anna-Rose McArthur, Melanie Blair, Andrew Stafford, John Walker, Vivienne Fazulla, Sam Camin, Sharon Daly, Kathy Prime and Irene Hamilton who all participated in last month’s corporate orientation, please stop and say hi if you see them around.

Paul Robinson and the team in Travel have

been recognized this month. I know I tend to take the smooth operation of transport and accommodation for granted, but know its largely because of the great work the team do. If you are unfortunate enough to have things go wrong (which is rare) you can be sure they will do everything possible to ensure you are looked after.

Finally, congratulations to all those staff who

go beyond the usual call of duty to volunteer to support activities in their community. It was wonderful to see staff recognized in the recent volunteer awards.

— Stuart Riley, Chief Executive

Message from the Chief Executive

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

PAGE 2

Clinical Redesign and Innovation Manager (CGU) Melissa Welsh graduated from the Agency for Clinical Innovation Centre for Healthcare Redesign at a ceremony in Sydney on Friday, 21 August, 2015.

Melissa was presented her diploma of project management by the Hon. Jillian kinner MP, Minister for Health, Minister for Medical Research.

Melissa presented at the gala graduation ceremony her clinical improvement project titled “PleDG: Please don’t go - It's worth the wait” about reducing the number of people who don’t wait for care and the number of re-presentations at the Emergency Department at Broken Hill Health Service. The project is also aiming to close the gap between the numbers of Aboriginal people who leave before completing care when compared to non-Aboriginal people.

“Health outcomes are poorer for patients if they disengage from a service before receiving or completing care,” said Melissa. “This project is working to ensure that at the Broken Hill Health Service Emergency Department, patients receive the right care at the right time and in the right place.”

She said, as one example, some patients found the ED registration form a big barrier to them accessing care. “As a result, in most cases, we have been able to do without the form. We also continue to trial other changes to the way care is accessed and we also continue to consult with our patients on what is working and what we can do differently,” she said.

“Improvement projects rely not just on staff, but also on our patients speaking up and adding their ideas to the mix.”

ACI Acting Chief Executive Chris Shipway said the Centre for Healthcare Redesign (CHR) program encourages integration of the health system and will help to improve the way health care is delivered.

To find out more

about “PleDG: Please

don’t go, it’s worth the

wait” go to the ACI

website at:

www.aci.health.

nsw.gov.au/

The District welcomed its latest recruits at the Corporate Induction session held this month by the Human Resources Department.

The group included a mixture of new and familiar faces and we hope they are all welcomed into their respective roles and services. The new staff and their positions are:

Standing (from left) Anna-Rose McArthur, Registered Nurse, Sub-Acute Rehabilitation in Broken Hill Health Service; Melanie Blair, Clinical Dietitian in Broken Hill Health Service; Andrew Stafford,

After Hours Nurse Manager in Broken Hill Health Service; John Walker, Reducing Bed Block Project Volunteer; and Vivienne Fazulla, HSM Tibooburra Health Service.

Sitting (from left) Sam Camin, Dental Assistant in Dareton; Sharon Dally, Regional Assessment Service Team Leader in Broken Hill; Kathy Prime, Registered Nurse MHDAA in Broken Hill; and

Irene Hamilton, MHDAA Clinician in Broken Hill.

Melissa Welsh (right) was presented her diploma by the NSW Minister for Health, the Hon. Jillian Skinner

MP

Healthcare Redesign diploma

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

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The always anticipated Staff Health Challenge will be starting earlier than usual this year to take advantage of the motivation we feel for healthy habits once that Spring weather hits!

The Challenge will begin on Monday, 21 September with registrations being taken from Tuesday, 8 September. This will also mean the challenge goes for 12 weeks instead of 10.

This year’s challenge will once again use a closed Facebook group to disseminate information to participants, provide ongoing motivation for everyone as well as allow participants to support each other.

As with last year, we will focus on healthy habits and avoid weight as an outcome measure. In the short time period of the challenge (12 weeks) it can be difficult to get big changes happening on the scales, but it is certainly possible to make big changes to your diet and lifestyle habits.

So if you’re interesting in making some healthy changes to your diet and lifestyle and would like a bit of extra help and motivation along the way, sign up to the Healthy Habits Staff Challenge this year!

Contact Heidi in Dietetics on 80801397 for more info.

Staff Health Challenge on again — sign up and get motivated!

Congratulations to Mental Health nurses Marissa Zaknich and Siju Devassy for winning a scholarship under the Bob Fenwick Memorial Mentoring Grants Program.

Under the scholarship, Marissa will be undertaking a five-day placement at The Mater Hospital in Newcastle and Siju will be attending a mental health rehabilitation facility at Cumberland Hospital in Sydney.

Bob Fenwick was a mental health nurse who tragically died in a work-related incident in 2011. In recognition of Mr Fenwick’s long service to mental health nursing and the important role he played in mentoring less-experienced nurses, the Bob Fenwick Memorial Mentoring Grants Program was developed in 2011.

This program aims to encourage experienced mental health nurses or clinicians to mentor their less experienced colleagues for the betterment of mental health service provision in NSW.

The two will work with a Mentor in

the respective facility for five consecutive days. The Mentor will be matched with each nurse so they can pursue employment and career goals.

Marissa said she was excited about winning the scholarship. She said she hoped the knowledge and experience she will pick up from her mentor will help her in the day-to-day management of the Mental Health Inpatient Unit in the Broken Hill Hospital. “I am sure there will be many things that I will learn and can build upon to promote better outcomes for our consumers.”

Siju said he hoped to improve his assessment, documentation and communication skills.

“I also hope to gain more confidence along with practical and theoretical knowledge in mental health nursing by being exposed to a different and bigger facility.”

We are confident the District and its mental health consumers will ultimately benefit from Marissa and Siju participating in the scholarship mentoring program in a much larger mental health facility.

Marissa Zaknich and Siju Devassy have won a scholarship to work in a larger mental health facility with a mentor so they can improve their employment and career goals.

MH nurses win mentoring

scholarships

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

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Balranald Multipurpose Service

In Profile — FWLHD Facility:

The Balranald Health Service is a Multipurpose Service that underwent a $13.9 million rebuild in 2011. The new premises provide a modern, comfortable and safe environment for staff, patients and its aged care residents.

The MPS provides residential aged care services (15 beds) in an environment suitable for people with dementia. It has eight acute beds and a three-bed accident and emergency department. It hosts a range of primary, allied and community health services – many provided by visiting clinicians from Mildura, Swan Hill or Dareton — and activities and programs for its residents.

We asked the staff about Balranald MPS to get a snapshot of how the MPS operates: What’s it like to work in Balranald MPS? We deliver a broad range of work across acute, aged care

and community care – calls for a broad range of skill sets. We experience a lot of good outcomes in helping the recovery of people with acute and long term illnesses. We feel part of a team, working in a team environment with friendly staff and residents. The MPS supports a more empowered way of working with effective communication and interaction. It’s enjoyable, friendly and helpful – warm in winter, cool in extreme summer and everyone works as a team. What’s a typical day at the MPS? No such thing as a typical day where interaction with people happens often within a stressful background of their health problems. Two days are never the same and whilst days are always busy they can be fun. There are so many personalities of staff and patients. It’s busy but working together makes the day go quicker. What has been some atypical days? Once had to co-ordinate NSW Ambulance, Victoria Ambulance, three referral hospitals, two ambulance crews to evacuate three patients with only one ambulance on the ground. A patient suffered a heart attack on the premises in a public area and it was great to see effective communication and interaction to treat the person. A combination of administrative tasks for patients and staff.

Resident Wally Hammand helping out in the garden.

EEN Debbie Batty with residents June and Frances

Clinical Service Employee Lyn Walker

EEN Vanessa with resident Jan

The main admin area (above) and the Emergency Department (right).

Continued next page

Showcasing a facility or department in Far West In Focus scored high in a recent survey on what District staff would like to see in their newsletter. In response, see below a snapshot of

Balranald MPS. We hope you enjoy this insight into the facility and the people who work there.

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

PAGE 5

Chris Butler — Hotel Services

Cook Hema Mulliah Jenny Blake — Child Family Health Nurse

Jenny Pollard — Admin

John Jackson — Aboriginal Health Worker

June Paton — CSE

EEN Leah Gillbee with resident Keith Young

Lita Anderson — Dental Assistant

Wendy Griffiths — Hotel Services

Balranald MPS — a great place!

How do staff interact with the residents? With kindness, respect and humour. We get to know all the families and residents but acute patients usually only stay for a few days. We interact more personally with the residents and there is more family interaction. We celebrate birthdays and special occasions. Talking about their youth and life experiences – I often pop in for a quick chat after work. When the flowers are blooming at home we bring in some to brighten their rooms and it’s very much appreciated.

How do the different services at the MPS interact and work with each other? We interact with one another on a broad range of issues with understanding and professionalism, and occasionally having to resolve breakdowns in communication. Referrals and phone calls for appointments are common and we step up if required. Team work comes to mind and camaraderie in a motivated workplace.

What is unique about working at Balranald MPS? The broad skill set required combined with the relationship

between VMO and NSW Ambulance. The service provision to the community is a model for going forward. Working in a community I grew up in and helping those I know. All staff in all departments know each other, there is a cohesion by all working under the one roof. The MPS is a great asset for the town and staff are willing to help everyone. Whether it’s rain, snow or shine it’s always 24 degrees Celsius! And finally, what’s it like to live in Balranald? Living on a river near a lake with lots of land and national parks for cycling with three live music venues – great! Living here with family, many sports played here and sporting and several community groups to join.

Staff get involved with fundraising, sport and local festivals. Social nights to farewell staff and Christmas dinner are always a highlight.

Balranald has many long-time families so is a very tight-knit community. Staff are locals and have various ties with lots of local groups. It’s a very outgoing, social community — it’s a unique little community that

offers a great deal! Milie Egan — Hotel Services

Janice Kelly — Hotel Services EEN Debbie Batty (front) and

RN Gail Purtill

From previous page

Rebecca Stevens — Admin

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

PAGE 6

Mental Health First Aid training was held at Wentworth

Hospital on 28-29 July.

The course was conducted by Marie Kelly, MHFA instructor.

The two days were well attended by staff from Dareton

Community Health, NSW Home Care Services and Wentworth

Hospital. The course teaches knowledge and skills for providing

initial help to people experiencing depressive, anxiety,

psychotic, substance use, disorders and associated crises.

Participants then went on line to complete a short exam to

obtain accreditation for three years. This course is

recommended for any persons who wish to gain further skills in

this area.

Wentworth RN Deidre Cocking with her Mental Health First Aid Certificate of Accreditation

MH first aid training

There was an omission in an article in the last edition of FWIF about Third Party Verification for all ADHC funded services.

It was highlighted that Wentworth Respite and Wentworth/Balranald Home Modification & Maintenance Services also passed the accreditation.

The advantage of this accreditation is that those services are now recognised and promoted as a provider of services for people with disabilities under 65.

Clarification on ADHC verification

National Suicide Prevention

Day is on 10 September Suicide remains the leading cause of death for Australians

aged between 15 and 44. There are about 2500 deaths due to suicide in Australia annually or almost seven deaths by suicide each day.

Almost twice as many people died from suicide in Australia, than in road related transport deaths!!

For every completed suicide, it is estimated that as many as 30 people attempt. That’s around 200 attempts per day. That’s more than one new attempt in Australia every 10 minutes.

It is estimated that around 250 people make a suicide plan every day. It is estimated that around 1,000 people think about suicide every day.

The ripple effects of suicide reach even wider – affecting families, friends, workplaces, and whole communities.

Sometimes it is difficult to talk about these feelings, especially when you working in health services but it’s important to learn that there are some really helpful services available.

In Far West LHD we might be familiar with the Mental Health & Drug& Alcohol Teams in Broken Hill and Dareton. There are also Mental Health workers available 24 hours a day at the Mental Health Information and Support Service: 1800 011 511.

Lifeline is another 24 hour telephone service people may be familiar with that can support our families, friends or ourselves when life gets difficult. They also have an online CHAT service that operates late at night for those who prefer an online conversation.

For 24 hour crisis support call 13 11 14, or visit www.lifeline.org.au/crisischat (8:00pm-4:00am AEST).

One service that many people have not heard of is the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. This specialist service is committed to reducing the incidence and impact of suicide in Australia, and ensuring individuals affected by suicide are kept safe, supported and hopeful. They provide professional, accessible counselling for:

people feeling suicidal

people worried about someone else at risk of suicide

people bereaved by suicide

health professionals supporting people affected by suicide.

This 24/7 telephone counselling line support service can also offer up to six sessions of ongoing counselling with the same counsellor via a call back service or confidential online counselling through the Suicide Call Back Service website at www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au

We all have a role to play in suicide prevention.

On September 10th at 6.30 am Lifeline Broken Hill will lead a walk from the Lions Reserve at the corner of Blende and

Bromide Street – “Out of the Shadows and into the Light” .

We just need to be willing to take the first steps!

Volunteer News

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

PAGE 7

Artist in Residence Ian Howarth was in the BH Hospital lobby on

Tuesday 4 August for the day as part of the Artist In Residence Program.

He was accompanied by Kathy Graham, West Darling Arts, and together they entertained and delighted many of our consumers with their infectious encouragement to join in a little artistic break.

Children and parents, who were in the Paediatric Ward, went down to the lobby and passed some time drawing and chatting to Ian and Kathy. It was wonderful to see the children forgetting about their illness for a short time and we had fun chatting to the mums and getting them to join in too. Ian also spent the following two days in the Paediatric Clinic area encouraging the children visiting the clinic and the inpatients to draw using different mediums; the drawings were then displayed in the Gallery area of the Hospital.

Ian Howarth, Kathy Graham and Brock showing off his

artistic talents.

Broken Hill Hospital Kiosk AGM — new Executive elected The Broken Hospital Kiosk held their Annual General Meeting on 10 August. First point of business being the presentation of a

Certificate of Appreciation signed by Far West LHD Chief Executive, Stuart Riley. This was presented to the Kiosk Treasurer, Stephen Bennetts, who accepted on behalf of the Kiosk Executive, for the $188,483 donation made to the Hospital. Mary thanked everyone for their outstanding efforts over the year that resulted in such a magnificent donation.

The meeting also appointed the new Kiosk Executive. The members nominated were unanimously elected to the following positions:

President — Cheryl Meuret, Vice President — Robert Fulton, 2nd Vice President — Betty Sammut, Treasurer — Stephen Bennetts, Assistant Treasurer — Charmaine Collins, Secretary and Public Officer — Dennis Roach, Assistant Secretary — Carrie Oakley. Purchasing Officers: Anne Bennetts, Charmaine Collins, Elaine Johns and Colleen Pedler.

The new Executive and Kiosk Members are looking forward to the coming year and new challenges ahead.

Broken Hill Hospital Kiosk Treasurer Stephen Bennetts, was presented the

Certificate of Appreciation by Mary Leehane, Volunteer Manager, watched on by

President Cheryl Meuret

Dementia/Delirium Palliative Care Team: Marie Kelly presented the Workplace Skills

workshop to some of the DDPC volunteers. The volunteers always welcome new training opportunities and their comments were very complimentary about the content and the Presenter. They felt that the workshop was a good reminder of topics covered in the Mental First Aid Course they completed last year and enjoyed Marie’s presentation and the concise delivery of the material. Many thanks Marie.

The Team also completed the Presentation of Barbara’s Story and this thought provoking, moving and worthwhile experience was appreciated by all of us. Our thanks to Eureka van der Merwe, Acting Essentials of Care Coordinator, for another great learning opportunity and Jane Cain, ASET Nurse/Aged Care in Emergency, for the discussions that followed each presentation; Jane’s passion and dedication for her subject was evident and made the experience a valuable training experience for everyone in attendance. Thank you both for sharing your time and knowledge with the Team.

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

PAGE 8

Broken Hill City Council Volunteer Celebration Dinner and

Awards Presentation – District well represented The Broken Hill City Council held the 2015 Volunteer Celebration Dinner and Volunteers Awards on 5 August. Included

in the nearly 450 volunteers attending the function was 60 Far West LHD volunteers. The evening was another success for the volunteers nominated by Far West LHD: Amelia Butler, Charmaine Collins, Eleanor Blows, Elaine Johns, Janet Daley, Karen Kemp, Cheryl Meuret, Gail Turner, Judith Prenzel, the Dementia/Delirium and Palliative Care Team and the Patient Family Support Staff Volunteer Team.

Congratulations to Amelia, the Dementia/Delirium and Palliative Care (DDPC) Team and the Patient Family Support (PFS) Staff Volunteer Team who won in their respective categories. Fabulous work and well done to all the nominees and volunteers of Far West LHD.

Congratulations are also extended to, the Kiosk Volunteer and Broken Hill Women’s Auxiliary RFDS member, Josephine Peter who was inducted into the Nydia Edes Volunteer Hall of Fame.

Amelia Butler with her Award The DDPC Team

Vanessa Smith and Karen Kemp accepting the Award

on behalf of the PFS Team

The DDPC Team celebrated their win in the BH Joint Volunteer of the Year Team Category by meeting for coffee and to distribute items given to them as a prize at the Awards presentation night. The Team (from left) are Pat Peter; Faye Weinert; Sue Tonkin, Sandra Huynh, Mary Leehane, Lesley Sumsion, Di Whetters and Sam Breiter.

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

PAGE 9

Volunteer Expo A willing band of Far West LHD volunteers braved a

cold Saturday morning on 8 August to take part in the bi-annual Broken Hill Volunteer Expo.

Gail Turner, Faye Weinert, Lesley Sumsion and I were on hand to answer questions about volunteering with Far West LHD from interested community members.

Information and brochures were handed out along with information on the Aqua and Tai Chi Classes run by Far West LHD volunteers. After an early morning radio interview, Eleanor Blows was also on hand throughout the Expo to talk to potential volunteers and those wanting information on attending the Aqua classes. Cheryl Meuret, Kiosk President, also called in to talk to those stopping by to get information about the Broken Hill Hospital Kiosk.

There was a constant stream of people from 9am until after 1pm and the volunteers did an amazing job talking about the benefits of volunteering. It was also great to see so many other wonderful organisations at the Expo and to have the opportunity to chat with them and find out more about their services and volunteer roles.

Thanks to Gail Turner, Tai Chi Volunteer Leader, Neville Turner, Y’s Men, Dot Hanley from Telecross, and her daughter Sue-Ellen Rudd for their help setting up in readiness for the Expo.

Congratulations to the Broken Hill City Council for arranging the Expo and well done to their staff – it was a pleasure to work with you.

—Mary Leehane, Volunteer Manager.

At the Volunteer Expo: Faye Weinert, Lesley Sumsion, Mary

Leehane, Gail Turner and Eleanor Blows.

Hand Hygiene Compliance results for July very pleasing The results of the July hand hygiene audits are very

pleasing, with the total rate of compliance reaching 91.2% from 464 moments audited.

The BHHS Dialysis Unit recorded the highest compliance of 97.1%. Pictured receiving the award and a bucket of M&M’s to celebrate this great achievement, are dialysis staff members Kim Ledwith (left) and Geraldine McGettigan. They are pictured with dialysis patient, Don Butcher, who can be assured that the chance of transmission of microorganisms from staff hands to patients in the dialysis unit is very unlikely.

A congratulations morning tea was held for the Travel

Department for their outstanding quality of work with 31%

increase in bookings for the Far West LHD and Pillars without

any increase in staff.

“Due to the hard work of the staff, reorganisation of process

and improved systems the travel team are congratulated for

their hard work,” said John Leehane, Director Finance and

Corporate. Pictured enjoying the morning tea were (from left)

Alison Bromson, Harry Chrisakis, Karen Spangler, Sam Evans,

Paul Robinson and Emma Williams. Absent Ron Clements.

Great work by Travel Team

After a nursing career in Broken Hill spanning some 40 years it is with the heaviest of hearts that I say, perhaps a temporary goodbye as circumstances in my personal life take me away from Broken Hill.

Attending my farewell last night gave me pause to reflect on my time as a nurse in Broken Hill, what that has meant to me, and also to reflect on how my journey has been enhanced by all the wonderful people I have had the privilege to work with. As I looked around the room I realised why in the Broken Hill Health Service, we really do make magic happen! That is because of the dedication, compassion, resilience, and resourcefulness of all team members.

I realised that no matter if you are involved in direct patient care, or involved in the systems that allow delivery of such care, each and every one of us approach our job with the same ultimate goal, and that is to provide the best possible care for the person sitting in front of us - for the patient and their loved ones. I realised also, that this only happens because of the mutual respect every team member has for each other. I feel so grateful and so humbled to have been part of such a wonderful and caring Health Service. I am also very grateful for all the educational and career opportunities I was offered along the way that have allowed me to develop in to the Palliative Care nurse I am today.

Throughout my career I have predominantly worked as a "Midwife", first to the 'birthing' and later to the 'dying' - both roles that allow the caregiver the privilege of entering the intimate circle of humanness at very vulnerable times in other’s lives. A privilege that I believe strengthens us and softens us simultaneously and grows us personally and professionally.

Nursing to me has always been about the delivery of loving, compassionate, holistic care and I guess that's why I gravitated to the fields of Midwifery and Palliative Care.

The last 20 years spent in Community Palliative Care has truly been a joy to me - I'm often asked "how do you

do it", and my answer to that is we do it because every interaction and every intervention we initiate makes a difference in people’s lives, sometimes differences so profound that it lives forever in the hearts of all involved. There are so many people I feel grateful to for the influence they have had on my Palliative Care journey.

I would like to salute all within the Broken Hill Health Service.

I believe we all do a great job and I can honestly say I have always felt personally and professionally valued and supported during my lengthy career.

With much respect, gratitude and warmest wishes to all.

— Sue Netherwood.

One of our long serving nurses Sue Netherwood (pictured right) Broken Hill Palliative Care CNS, has been farewelled by her colleagues.

A farewell dinner was held for Sue earlier this month and a gift presented to her of a commissioned painting entitled “Sue’s Farewell Flowers”.

Sue worked within Specialist Palliative Care service in Broken Hill for over 20 years. Sue was a superb clinician, a great mentor to staff and a fierce patient advocate.

Sue will be dearly missed by her fellow workmates and we wish her well in her future endeavours.

After her farewell, Sue penned a heartfelt message addressed to her colleagues and staff at Broken Hill Health Service in general.

As well as thanking the many people who assisted her throughout her nursing career, she reflected on her nursing career and what it means to be a nurse working in Broken Hill.

Her inspirational letter is reprinted here (abridged version, with her permission) for the benefit of all staff:

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

PAGE 10

Sue reflects on what it means to be a nurse working in Broken Hill

INNOVATION By Mel Welsh, Clinical Redesign & Innovation Manager

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

PAGE 11

Get Ready for next year’s Innovation Awards!

Tackle a service improvement project

It is always a good time to tackle a problem and work towards improving the services we provide, but if you want to nominate projects into next year’s Innovation Awards (and I would encourage you to do this), now is the time to start. Most change projects take time to plan, implement and evaluate.

Working to improve a service is not as scary as it sounds - what’s the worst that can happen? In a lot of cases, the worst that can happen is that you try something, it doesn’t work and things go back to the way they are now, but in most cases, parts of a change stick, and step by step, things start to improve. It also doesn’t have to be a lot of work, and the change you put in place often saves you time and effort compared to the current way you do business.

Don’t be scared to have a go. Use the FWLHD intranet resources to help you get started and call if you need some help.

Be the change that you wish to see in the world” Mahatma Gandhi

Ma

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The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

PAGE 12

The response to Heidi Drenkhahn’s Kidney Health Australia fundraising project this year has been overwhelming and she is now just shy of her $3500 goal. Earlier this year there were barbecues and a cake stall held at the BH hospital with staff and visitors giving plenty to the cause. A raffle was also well supported by local businesses with great prizes donated.

Heidi (pictured) is raising money for KHA to provide mobile dialysis units — ‘Big Red Buses’ — to allow patients requiring dialysis to travel away for holidays with family and friends whilst still receiving their life-sustaining treatment.

The last of her fundraising activities is a trivia night to be held on Friday, 11 September at the Sturt Club. Cost is $5 per person with teams of up to 10 people, with plenty of great prizes on offer!!

Anyone wanting more info or to book a table for a team can contact Heidi via email heidi.drenkhahn@health.nsw.gov.au

Kidney fundraiser going well

Request for furniture removalist to be

sourced from contractors

The Assets & Facilities Maintenance department operates maintenance services across the District.

They are receiving requests to remove or relocate furniture as people change offices or to place items in storage. Furniture removalist is not part of the Assets and Facilities Maintenance team functions and they do not have the capacity and cannot accommodate any requests for furniture removals. The team are fully committed to capital and maintenance tasks and have a backlog of tasks to complete.

Requests to remove furniture and equipment is to be done using a contracted removalist such as Turleys Removalists and the funding will come from the appropriate cost centre.

— Finance and Corporate Services

FWLHD Palliative Care Services has joined with PEPA (Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach) to

host a full day of Palliative Care Education in Broken Hill on Wednesday 21 October. The theme of the day is “A

Palliative Approach To Care”. See below for more information including a dinner on the Tuesday.

Trivia Night Friday 11 September

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

PAGE 13

Free Aqua

Leader training Free Aqua Leader training is

again being offered to train Local Health District staff, community workers and volunteers as Aqua Fitness Leaders.

The workshops will be run at the Mildura Waves complex on 21st and 22nd October and providing we receive enough interest, in Broken Hill on 26th and 27th October 2015.

The Far West and Western NSW Health Promotion Team have organised the workshops which will be facilitated by the highly respected Colleen Wilson-Lord, OAM. Colleen will also provide a one day refresher course for previously trained leaders on Friday 23rd October, also in Mildura.

Regular Aqua Fitness participants have been thrilled with gains in fitness and range of movement they have achieved, without the pain that often limits them on land. People who just want to get fitter, people with arthritis, diabetes, asthma or cardiac conditions all benefit from Aqua Fitness.

Community volunteers or workers from health or welfare organisations are invited to become Aqua leaders. The aim is for free classes to be offered in towns that don’t have any, or enough, aqua classes. Volunteers and workers are required to run free classes for twelve months after this sponsored free training.

The LHD can register community volunteers to cover insurance and provide guidelines on how to run physical activity groups, and provide assistance to gain First Aid qualifications for those who are not currently qualified. To find out more or obtain a registration form contact Vanessa Linde on 08 8080 1217 or vanessa.linde@health.nsw.gov.au

The Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol Service is helping to make Far West LHD a mentally healthy workplace. Already, new staff members receive information at corporate induction about looking after themselves and

their colleagues. To extend this support, this new column will run monthly. During Mental Health Month in October, we will be holding a series of events designed to

promote good mental health. We will be holding comedy shows in Broken Hill, Menindee, Wilcannia and Dareton, inviting everyone to join us in the Ocsober Challenge and conducting a weekly program of activities designed to teach skills related to promoting good mental health (tai chi, relaxation, colouring in and walking). Look for more information next month.

This month we want to let you know some more about positive psychology, developed by Dr Martin Seligman. His PERMA model helps us to live a rich, meaningful life. PERMA stands for the five essential elements we need to experience lasting well-being. These are:

1. Positive Emotion (P) We need positive emotion in our lives. Positive emotions include peace, gratitude, satisfaction,

pleasure, inspiration, hope, curiosity and love. A key message is that it's really important to enjoy yourself in the here and now. Aim to find ways to bring positive emotions and enjoyment into your daily routine, instead of putting these things off into a future... that never quite arrives.

2. Engagement (E) When we're really engaged in a situation, task, or project, time seems to stop; we lose our sense

of self, and concentrate intensely on the present. This can feel really good and the more often we get this feeling, the more likely we are to experience well-being.

Engagement is most closely identified with the act of creation. You can also get this feeling if you feel really engaged with your work, through participating in sport, spending time with friends or working on projects that fascinate you.

It is too easy to let time slip away. Try to devote time to personal interests such as hobbies, physical activity or other activities that make you feel happy and engaged. There are also plenty of opportunities for you to engage in your work – join a committee that interests you and you will really make a difference, both to your own mental health and to the people who use our services.

3. Positive Relationships (R) As humans, we are "social beings," and good relationships are core to our well-being. We know

that people who have meaningful, positive relationships with others are happier than those who do not. Relationships really matter! Positive relationships can be with anyone: family, friends, neighbours or colleagues. You probably spend most of your waking hours at work, so it's important to build good work relationships. Relationships take engagement and hard work, and they're only strengthened when we make an effort to connect with other people.

4. Meaning (M) Meaning comes from serving a cause bigger than ourselves. Whether this is a religion or a

cause that helps humanity in some way, we all need meaning in our lives to have a sense of well-being. Most of us want to believe that we're working and living for a greater purpose. Finding meaning is important to our overall sense of well-being so remind yourself what it is about your work that gives you purpose.

It's just as important to look for meaning in your personal life – activities, such as spending time with our family, volunteering, or performing acts of kindness can really improve our sense of meaning in life. If you feel unhappy, try some of these things – you'll find them hugely satisfying.

5. Accomplishment/Achievement (A) Many of us strive to better ourselves in some way, whether we're seeking to master a skill,

achieve a valuable goal or win a competitive event. Accomplishment contributes to our ability to flourish. Be careful with this one though! In many societies, achievement is highly valued, and it can seem that we're not living up to expectations and living a full life if we're not busy. If we continually push ourselves, we can easily "run ourselves ragged" in pursuit of the next achievement. If you feel that you're devoting too much time towards achievement and throwing your life out of balance pull back and focus on other elements of PERMA to help you find a better life balance.

Mentally Healthy Workplace

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

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Payslips and 2014-15 Payment Summary

Did you know you can access your payslips online through Employee Self Service on Stafflink? You can also find your 2014-15 Payment Summary to use for your tax return. It’s easy! Log into Stafflink and Go to Employee Self Service, then click on Payslip or Payment Summary. The Payroll Department is available to help you through this system, call Karen on 08 80801484.

Payroll Department changes

Our Payroll Manager David Winter is enjoying some well-deserved leave form 17 August to January 2016. Debra Curyer will be acting as the Payroll, Recruitment and Staff Scheduling Manager in the interim. Deb can be contacted on 08 80801488 or Debra.Curyer@health.nsw.gov.au.

Recruitment Department welcomes Racheal

You’ve seen her smiling face in the hospital, working on Agency Nurse and overseas nurse recruitment and now Racheal Nagas is officially part of the Human Resource team. We are looking forward to working with Racheal when she returns from leave in October.

Prue Muscat will be relieving Racheal Nagas while she is on leave. Prue will be located in Racheal’s office in the Executive corridor at BHHS on 08 80801353 and in Kincumber House with the rest of the HR team. Welcome Prue and enjoy your leave, Racheal!

Education and training changes

There are new changes to the way Far West LHD delivers training. All training courses which incur a cost for attendance must be approved by the Executive Committee prior to being scheduled. All attendees must also gain approval to attend training by their Tier 2 (General Manager’s and Directors). Please see the FWLHD Education and Training page for further information or contact Lianne McManus on 08 8080 1483 or Emma Clynch on 08 8080 1477.

What’s been happening in Human Resources?

2016 Education and Training Calendar

We are beginning to create the 2016 Clinical Education and Corporate Training Calendar for 2016. If you planning to, and have been approved to deliver training to the District in 2016, please contact Emma Clynch on 08 80801477 or Emma.Clynch@health.nsw.gov.au with your course information and potential dates. All items will be added and dates finalised prior to December 2015.

SMRS Reports

Many of our managers are now using the Statewide Management Reporting Service(SMRS) for reporting. The Dashboard tool provides fast and easy access to your Cost Centre trends and analysis and provides leave balances at your fingertips. Please go to the HealthShare Intranet to view information, access the system and find training materials on the service.

Salary Packaging

Salary Packaging has finished the May – July Promotion with Helen Wilson from Wilcannia winning a Dinner Voucher. All other employees and their referee’s that joined during this promotional period will receive 2 movie tickets.

Want to have more money in your take home pay and enjoy the great savings by paying less tax? Salary Packaging is an Australian Tax Office approved entitlement to employees. NSW Health employees are eligible to package $9,009 year or if you live in a remote area up to $18,018. Salary Packaging money is deducted from your salary pre-tax and you are then taxed on the remainder of your salary, thus you don’t pay tax on the salary packaging portion of your salary.

If you haven’t joined the hundreds of co-workers who are saving hundreds of tax dollars per year then it may be time to take 5 minutes to discuss the benefits of Salary Packaging. Information kits are available on the Far West LHD intranet and if you would like to make an appointment ring Karen Winter on 08 8080 1498 or email Karen.Winter1@health.nsw.gov.au

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Rapid HIV Testing Pop-Up at

Broken Heel Festival The District is supporting Australia’s first outback Pop Up rapid

HIV testing site being held at the inaugural Broken Heel Festival in Broken Hill.

Georgiana Simpson, Acting Manager of HIV & Related Programs for Far West Local Health District, said that providing a Pop Up HIV testing site sought to make “testing more accessible, less threatening and immediate with the peer educators turning results around in half an hour.” Ms Simpson said that about 10 per cent of HIV infections in NSW are undiagnosed.

‘Knowing your HIV status is important as it means you can take control of your health. Today HIV is a chronic manageable condition, there is a huge amount of support and treatments are effective.’ she said.

The Pop Up will be operating from 4pm on Saturday 12 September at the Broken Heel Festival Street Party. The van will be located on Crystal Lane, behind the Palace Hotel in Broken Hill.

The Broken Heel Festival is part of the 21st anniversary celebrations of Priscilla Queen of the Desert and kicks off on Friday 11 September until Sunday 13 September with an exciting program of events.

Nicholas Parkhill, ACON CEO said that there had never been a better time to get tested.

‘The Broken Heel Festival provides an opportunity to connect and celebrate with outback communities and for festival goers to get a fast, free and confidential test in a community setting.’ he said.

ACON was established 30 years ago as a community response to the emerging HIV epidemic in NSW, ‘ACON’s priorities continue to be HIV prevention, HIV support and LGBTI health so it is only fitting that we should celebrate our 30th anniversary with another iconic queen, Priscilla’ said Mr Parkhill.

‘As well as the Pop Up site, we will be distributing hundreds of safe sex packs over the weekend as well as providing resources and information in partnership with the Local Health District team’ he said.

This initiative is a partnership between ACON, Far West Local Health District, NSW Ministry of Health and SydPath (St Vincent’s Pathology).

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

Recruitment Procedures

The Recruitment Department is reviewing the Recruitment Process for the District, to further assist managers through the critical work that is the recruitment and selection of our workforce. Watch this space as we finalise the new processes and roll it out across the District!

Exit Interviews

The new Exit Survey form is available for all staff departing from Far West LHD. We encourage all staff to complete an exit survey, to assist us in creating a better working experience for everyone. The form can be completed electronically or printed out, and sent to the HR department, where they are treated as highly

confidential. Managers, please ensure that you offer Exit Interviews to all staff departing from your area. You can find the Exit Survey form under Forms on the Intranet Page. Staff are also able to request an Exit Interview with the Human Resource Department. Contact Lianne McManus on 08 80801483 or Lianne.McManus@health.nsw.gov.au to arrange a time to conduct the interview.

What’s been happening in Human Resources?

Mental Health

Drug & Alcohol

Report

Amendments to

the MH Act (2007)

The NSW MH Act has been amended. The changes, which will really help us provide the best and most timely mental health care to people experiencing mental ill health, include:

The ability to conduct MH assessments of scheduled patients via videoconference;

The ability of Accredited Persons (senior MH clinicians who have undertaken training in the MH Act) to complete the forms that enable a person to be detained for treatment in a Declared MH Facility;

Increased accountability for people conducting mental health assessments to consider the views of families, carers and referring agents when making a decision about detention or discharge; and

A stronger focus on recovery.

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

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We value the services you provide our communities and we value you!

In conjunction with our motor vehicle insurer GIO, and Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) we have developed a Driver Safety Awareness Campaign. This campaign provides you with an overview of some of the main issues affecting the safety of Far West Local Health District employees when they are on the roads travelling for work. Each year our staff travel thousands of kilometres in LHD vehicles, to provide services and deliver care to our communities. Fortunately in most instances we arrive home safely; however the level of exposure we have on the roads means an increased risk of being involved in an incident.

Over the next few months we will be delivering KEY road safety messages.

The first of which being Fatigue.

Tiredness is one of the three big killers (speed, fatigue, alcohol) on NSW roads, and a common factor in rural crashes. In Far West LHD, we are all used to driving long distances and can travel hundreds of kilometres in a single day just to get the job done.

The best way to avoid driving tired is to make sure you have enough sleep beforehand. There are three key sleep factors to consider before deciding whether or not to start driving – circadian rhythms, sleep debt and sleep inertia.

Our bodies are programmed to sleep at night – ‘circadian rhythm’. Even if we have done shift work for years, night time is still when our bodies crave to be asleep – so driving at night or when we would normally sleep puts us at greater risk of experiencing fatigue.

Without eight hours of sleep a night we build up a ‘sleep debt’ – the difference between the sleep you need and the sleep you get. The greater the debt the stronger the urge to fall asleep. The only way to pay a sleep debt is to sleep it off.

‘Sleep Inertia’ is a feeling of grogginess after waking. While some people shake it off within a few minutes, others can experience sleep inertia for hours after they wake.

A ‘microsleep’ is a term we’ve all heard before and is the eventual outcome of driving while fatigued. A microsleep is an unplanned sleep episode characterised by eyes closing, nodding, head snapping. It can last just seconds or a few minutes.

During a four second microsleep, a car travelling at 100 km/h will travel 111 metres (more than a rugby league field) while completely out of the driver’s control. This is even scarier when you consider that at any time on almost every rural road we travel, deadly hazards like trees, embankments and other vehicles are just a metre or two away.

Remember, it’s important that someone knows what time to expect you back from a trip

and what route you were taking.

Stop! Revive! Survive!

Driver Safety Awareness Campaign

Policy Watch — PDs available on MOH internet The following documents have been published on the NSW Ministry of Health internet site http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/policies. These documents are official NSW Health policy. Compliance with Policy Directives is mandatory.

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

PAGE 17

PAGE 18 Submissions for Far West In Focus can be sent to Branko.Licul@health.nsw.gov.au

The newsletter can be found on the Far West LHD website at www.fwlhd.health.nsw.gov.au

The Far West Local Health District Newsletter Edition 8, Vol 5, Aug 2015

Policies Endorsed – July 2015 FW_PD2015_016 Uniform and Dress excluding Nursing and Midwifery FW_PD2015_026 Maternity – Oxytocin for the Induction and Augmentation of Labour Guideline FW_PD2015_027 Maternity – Cervical Ripening using Dinoprostone Gel Guideline FW_PD2015_028 Maternity – Breastfeeding within the Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) Framework FW_PD2015_029 Internal Audit Procedure FW_PD2015_030 Framework for Policy, Procedures, Guidelines and Business Rules FW_PD2015_031 Call in for Maintenance Staff Procedure FW_PD2015_033 Management of Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Adults Guideline

FW_PD2015_034 Orientation for Nurses and Midwives FW_PD2015_035 Emergency Management of Autonomic Dysreflexia in Adults and Adolescents Policies Endorsed – August 2015 FW_PD2015_036 Work Health and Safety Procedure FW_PD2015_037 Use of Non-Vitamin K Oral Anticoagulants (NOACs) Guideline FW_PD2015_038 Consumer, Carer and Community Engagement Framework Policy FW_PD2015_039 Management of Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) in Adults Policy FW_PD2015_040 Use of the Primary Clinical Care Manual for Nurses and Midwives Policy FW_PD2015_041 Work Health and Safety – Consultation Procedure FW_PD2015_042 Hazardous Manual Tasks Procedure FW_PD2015_043 Hazardous Substances and Dangerous Good Policy FW_PD2015_044 Risk Management in the Ambulance Policy

FWLHD endorsed policies