2019 Awards Round 2

Senior Continence Physiotherapist

Alesha provides expert clinical advice and management to all her patients and is a fantastic resource for our team and the wider WH community. Her passion for improving the care for men with prostate cancer in the West has seen her drive a number of successful research projects at Western Health, which have been recognised locally and internationally. Alesha has recently attended the Asia Pacific Prostate Cancer Conference in Melbourne having been accepted for 2 poster presentations and presented on Radiotherapy and Incontinence. Alesha heads to Gothenburg in September to present at the International Continence Society Conference on her pilot study on ‘Pre-op functional pelvic floor muscle training vs static pelvic floor muscle training in men undergoing radical prostatectomy”. In her spare time Alesha is studying her PhD! Alesha’s compassion is reflected in the care she provides her patients. She understands the impact urinary incontinence and other bladder and bowel problems has on people’s quality of life. This has sparked her passion for pursuing research into clinical practice and to investigate treatments to improve patient outcomes. Alesha constantly demonstrates and promotes accountability in the workplace. Her clinical care is of a high standard and evidence based and she adheres to WH policies and procedures. Alesha consistently works in collaboration with her patients to ensure the care provided is patient centred and goal focused. She also ensures she provides an equitable and inclusive service and is respectful of the diversity and different cultures within our population. Alesha demonstrates excellence on a daily basis, striving to deliver best care to all her patients at all times. She is always willing to share her knowledge in regards to bladder and bowel health so others too can provide a high quality care service.

Volunteer – Social Support

Although Andy has only been a volunteer for a relatively short period of time, he has become an invaluable member of the team. He is efficient, responsive, flexible and always willing to help. Andy provides social support to patients at Footscray Hospital and also volunteers in the Health Information Centre on a weekly basis. Visitors describe him as “extremely helpful” and he has loyal community members who come in to have their blood pressure taken specifically by Andy and his shift buddy Michael, on Thursday afternoons. In order to strengthen his skills to interact with patients, Andy worked with a mentor to build his confidence in the initial stages of becoming a social support volunteer. He researched appropriate questions to add to his repertoire of conversation starters and to develop his own style. Andy has a gentle and calm manner which enables patients to relax and feel comfortable talking with him. Andy is thoughtful and sensitive in how he responds to patients and their suffering. Rather than trying to cheer people up, Andy recognises that genuine acknowledgement of another person’s pain can provide much needed comfort in difficult circumstances. Andy had barely been a Western Health volunteer for a week when he was asked to help prepare 500 participant packs ahead of Walkwest. His answer was, “Sure, many hands make light work!” He brings the same can-do attitude and initiative to everything he does. Andy connects well with people at different ages and stages of life. His generous spirit and willingness to extend himself for the benefit of others, are an asset to Western Health.

Registrar

Andrew joined our team in May 2019 during a time when the ward activity volume and acuity level was high and the whole unit was under pressure. His overall demeanour of being calm and in control was a great support for the team as was his clinical knowledge, which enabled the nursing team to manage the patient cohorts that required extensive medical support, empowering them to deliver the appropriate care to their patients. Equally, his collaborative and inclusive nature meant that all stakeholders involved in patient care managed to achieve the care plans required to bring about best patient outcomes and staff satisfaction. Andrew is very compassionate and genuinely engages with his patients, making time for them no matter how pressured he may be. The following exemplar evidences his depth of compassion. We had a patient whose altered physical health status was significantly enhanced by her high level of anxiety. Her distress impacted the team and her family who felt overwhelmed by the depth of the patient’s distress. Andrew spent hours with the family and the patient. He constantly sourced clinical input to support the patient towards eliminating emotional and mental distress. He stayed well after he was due to go home. His compassion was captured when he said ‘’I do not want her to die distressed. I do not want the family to remember her distressed. I want them to remember her calm and that is why I am trying everything.’’ Andrew adopts a respectful persona with all of his patients and team colleagues. His language, tone, and natural engagement aptitude serve him well and his patients describe him in an endearing way. He is committed to doing the best for the patient and achieves this by entering into a collaborative relationship with all members of the team as well as the patients and their relatives. Andrew’s clinical knowledge and high level of compassion together with a passion for care of the elderly has enabled him to deliver consistently high care.  His clinical practice is excellent in knowledge and application. In incidents where sound judgement is required as in a MET call, he evidences calmness, clear direction, appropriate treatment and ensures that safe clinical treatment is optimised for best patient outcomes. Andrew’s team describe him as a positive influence, simply because he chooses to listen to them and support them towards achieving the best for the patient. His natural ability to be kind and enable people to believe that he cares goes a long way to fostering a positive work place.

Cleaner

Bill has been an amazing support to all the teams that operate in the specialist outpatient clinic area.  Bill always strives to achieve excellence in his role and he takes a huge amount of pride in his work. He is thorough in all his cleaning duties and he goes above and beyond to ensure the utmost cleanliness of each area he services. Bill has an extremely

compassionate nature. He has made himself aware of which areas start filling with staff and patients alike first and ensures those areas are clean and ready for operation in order to minimise any disruptions.  He assists with stock delivery and removal of waste as soon as is feasible to keep areas clear and free of obstacles.  He has gone above and beyond for the hand therapy room and even extends himself to helping keep the therapists alert by bringing the occasional coffee our way. Bill is always warm and welcoming to staff and patients alike.  He always makes time to say hello, is a very approachable person and a delight to have around. Bill constantly strives to achieve the best in his role and in doing so he makes the lives of others around him much easier.  When Bill has not been at work, his absence has been duly noted.  He is a highly valued member of the specialist clinic outpatient services and we all feel he deserves to be credited for this achievement!  Thanks so much Bill for all you do, our jobs have been made that little bit easier from the care you put into your work.

Registered Cardiac Nurse – Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR)

Braden manages the CBR codes (blue and Met) with the utmost professionalism. His knowledge and skill instils amazing confidence in the patients and staff. When there is a code it is such a relief when we see Braden arrive! While Braden is working his magic effortlessly, he never loses sight of the patient’s need to be included and informed at every stage. He has a lovely manner that is warm and inclusive, traits that are not always seen today. Braden is always cool and calm under pressure. No matter how stressful the situation may appear, he communicates to staff and patients with thoughtfulness and consideration. Braden is always happy to share his knowledge. Over the last few months he has been more than happy to share his knowledge with our three Year 10 Work Experience Students. The students have been lucky enough to attend the Cardiac Rehab Group run by Braden, giving them valuable insight to working as a Cardiac Nurse in a public hospital. I am not only nominating Braden for his clinical skills but also for his enthusiasm and commitment to a positive, happy work place. He is one of the happiest people in our team and he always greets everyone with a bright and cheery “good morning”. He constantly looks on the bright side of every situation and is an absolute pleasure to be around. He is always available to help in every aspect of life in CBR.

Associate Midwife Unit Manager – Birthing

Cara works as an Associate Midwife Unit Manager (AMUM) in predominantly high pressure areas including Maternity assessment centre and birthing. Most shifts she has a very junior workforces of graduates and midwives less than 3 years post-graduation and often very high acuity patients. Cara has an excellent ability to manage bed flow and workflow within maternity services, as well as providing safe compassionate care to women and supporting junior staff with strong leadership and direction. She has very strong clinical skills and is passionate about best outcomes for women and their families. Cara demonstrates compassion in many ways, including compassion for women and their families during a very special and vulnerable time in their lives. She will often care for a fetal termination or fetal death in utero whilst acting as the in-charge midwife and always provides women centred and holist care for these patients. However, I think her most important area of compassion is with the junior workforce, particularly the graduates. She is patient and supportive but also ensures that every experience they have is one of learning and growth. She also shows respect for all staff, regardless of ethnicity, gender preference, ability, demographic etc. Cara treats her staff as equals rather than subordinates and as such has earned a great deal of respect from them. Cara demonstrates excellence in her skills in birthing however she imparts her knowledge rather than standing on a pedestal and not sharing it. She is also aware that she doesn’t know everything and is always striving to grow and learn which is a great indication of a great leader. Staff wellbeing is a priority for Cara. This includes ensuring they have breaks, leave on time, debrief when an incident has occurred and supported when doing a task for the first time. Cara ensures that she is approachable and supportive for her staff. As such, staff feel safe to ask questions, work safely and escalate deviations without feeling like they may be judged or not supported. This creates a very positive and supportive workplace for all.

Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist

Dr Sam Mathew has been a full-time staff specialist at Western Health for 5 years. Over that time he has repeatedly gone ‘above and beyond’ in his dedication to patients, trainees and colleagues. He is the embodiment of our CARES values. Regularly referred to as ‘one of the kindest doctors’ by colleagues, Sam’s commitment to the well-being of his patients is exemplary. He is always ready to ensure patients and family are fully informed of all aspects of their care, provides repeated counselling in the event of a complication or poor outcome experienced in childbirth and takes time at every opportunity to ensure the highest quality of care. Sam’s approach to his consultant role is also exemplary. He believes strongly in continuity of care and regularly attends to patients’ needs even when on a day off. He takes full responsibility for their care, remaining contactable and engaged at all times. His clinical leadership of Orange team is highly regarded, in particular his unwavering support for his medical and midwifery colleagues in the antenatal clinic. Sam lives by the highest standards of respect for all around him. He is eternally polite and composed in any situation. He does not select who he respects but provides this to anyone he comes into contact with. Sam is recognised as one of the most skilful surgeons in the department. He has advanced laparoscopic skills combined with extraordinary experience in open surgery. He is the ‘go to’ person in the event of an emergency, particularly in the event of an obstetric complication. With advanced skills in conservative measures to manage post-partum haemorrhage, he has prevented many hysterectomies that would have been necessary but for his skills in internal iliac artery ligation. Despite his extensive clinical commitments, often providing support and mentorship for colleagues in theatre, Sam still finds the time to be an active member of the SAFERMaternity program. Sam’s dedication to our trainees is exceptional. Time on his unit is highly sought after by trainees who appreciate his teaching whilst always maintaining a kind, sensitive and supportive manner. He is always ready to make himself available night or day, an approach that has supported Western Health’s becoming an employer of choice amongst O&G trainees.

Service Desk Team Leader – Digital Technology Services (DTS)

Frank led the setup of the Medical Imaging IT services in the Joan Kirner building for Integrated Ultrasound services, NICU/SCN mobile imaging, theatre imaging, and general x-ray. He was immensely helpful with everything that he did. Nothing was too much trouble for Frank. He went out of his way every day to ensure all the IT requirements were achieved and achieved in a timely manner. Every task he performed, he did so with a “can do” attitude and a smile on his face. Frank was extremely patient and kind to all staff while stress levels were high. He was understanding, empathetic and calm every time someone asked him a question or had an issue with a computer or device. During setup there were times where particular devices were not ready to go as the team thought they would be. Frank was completely accountable for the actions of his team and if something was not done to a high standard, Frank always offered a solution and gave a very reasonable time frame for the fix. He was always respectful to the needs of the department, even when they may not have been simple. Frank is a very friendly and respectful person and showed the same level of respect and professionalism to everyone he worked with. He is excellent at what he does; there is no problem too large for him. He always provided a solution on the spot and his IT knowledge was incredible. Frank allowed us to learn and get used to equipment but also answered any silly question we had. Frank fosters a positive workplace with every deed and action he undertakes. He is always respectful, helpful, and there is nothing that is ever too much trouble for Frank to do for you.

Volunteers – Visitor Guides

In April of this year, the Volunteer Coordinators were asked to provide Volunteers to assist in delivering Pizzas to the wards at Sunshine Hospital. This was a huge task which took quite some time to complete. Both Irene and Irma refused to go home until the task was completed, staying well beyond their shift time. These ladies continue to show their commitment and dedication to Western Health and always put their hand up to take on extra shifts and help on-board new staff. Nothing is too much trouble for these ladies and they are always willing to help in whatever they can. They have tirelessly devoted many years to being a Visitor Guide at Sunshine Hospital welcoming all that attend the hospital with a friendly smile. They are wonderful with the patients and relatives and both are a perfect example of the Western Health values.  At all times, they strive to complete their roles in a cheerful, courteous and professional manner. They are very caring and compassionate and understand that members of the public can be anxious when entering the hospital, so they try to alleviate this stress by offering a welcoming smile and providing assistance. Both continue to display respectful and kind mannerisms throughout each and every day. We all enjoy working with both Irene and Irma and their peers and visitors comment regularly on the wonderful service these ladies provide daily.

ACE Coordinator

Jacinta is a very compassionate person who is dedicated to providing ‘best care’ to her patients. On more than one occasion Jacinta has been found just lingering that little bit behind the ward round to check in again with patients and offer additional compassion and support. It is not uncommon for Jacinta to recognise the face of a previous patient who gets admitted down the track and cross-checks that they have all the required referrals in place as an inpatient. Usually, she will visit patients again and talk to them about their own needs and make sure that these needs are conveyed to the rest of the team. Jacinta routinely demonstrates excellence in her knowledge and advocacy for patients, ensuring that they can get as much support as possible on discharge. Jacinta is inherently caring for others, both her colleagues and patients. On a very large and multi-disciplinary team ward round she noticed that the timing of this round had meant that for a few weeks her colleagues had worked across lunch. The next week she arrived with a box of muesli bars to share. For the same team, she also baked and delivered a cake to a colleague to mark their last day before moving to a different department. These are just a couple of examples of how Jacinta’s kindness fosters a positive workplace for everyone around her.

Physiotherapist – Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR)

A patient nominated Jake for the care that he provided to them. This is what they had to say:

“Jake is an outstanding Physiotherapist who is passionate about his work and role in supporting patients. Jake was my physiotherapist after I suffered a slight stroke and spent some time in Western Health Sunshine Hospital. Staff at CBR rang and made an appointment for me to see a physiotherapist.  I was initially reluctant to attend as I thought I did not need a physiotherapist.  How wrong was I!  Jake at our first appointment made me feel at ease, he was thoughtful and very respectful.  He explained to me why I needed to have physiotherapy, but at the same

time, the decision was mine as to whether I wanted to continue.  He spoke in terms that I could understand. Through Jake’s support, I am now fully functional and back to normal, leading an independent lifestyle. After our initial meeting, Jake established that I required the services of an Occupational Therapist (OT). He liaised with an OT from CBR and it was arranged that we would have back to back meetings so that I only had to attend on one day.  He walked me to the booking area and ensured future appointments were booked and were suitable. Whenever I attended a session with Jake, he was always happy, positive and had a smile on his face. This made my sessions enjoyable. When I was unwell and had to cancel one of my appointments, Jake rang a few days later to see how I was going and suggested I should make an appointment with my GP, which I did.  He seemed to understand what I had been through with the stroke and that I might have been a little reluctant to undergo physiotherapy, but I enjoyed the sessions and have improved in a very short timeframe. Jake built up my confidence to enable me to walk unaided, with no walking stick or frame. Jake was an excellent communicator, he is young, and I am much older, but this did not seem to matter as he was respectful and talked in terms I could understand and was happy to repeat instructions to questions. Jake is making my journey through CBR a very positive and optimistic experience. I feel I am at the centre of everything we do.”

Perinatal Loss Coordinator – Birthing

Nomination 1:

Judy supports women as they go through traumatic experiences losing their unborn babies for multiple medical reasons. Judy displays compassion to her patients every day.  I have witnessed the care she delivers both clinically and from an administration perspective and it is above and beyond what could be expected, especially given what she supports women and midwives through every day that she comes to work, yet she continues to maintain a positive, empathetic outlook. I think that it is a testament to her resilience that she is able to provide such a high level of care and support to this cohort of patients, not just whilst they are inpatients, however, the follow

up care provided is just as important to Judy. Judy is always supporting team members around her and the respect that demonstrates to women is phenomenal.  There is never judgement about what are no doubt extremely traumatic life decisions. Judy often stays to support women that have or are going to experience a fetal death.  Whilst I know that it is a part of her role, Judy personally follows up with women and addresses any issues that they raise.  She makes sure that they are supported emotionally and ensures that they do not ‘slip through the cracks’ of the system. Given the specialty that Judy works in, she always makes time to support midwives that are supporting women to deal with perinatal loss.  Further, Judy advocates with passion for this cohort of women to ensure that they are getting the best care that we can provide.  Judy assists co-ordinating the perinatal loss review committee and is never too busy to offer support/advice/education to members of the committee.  She is kind, compassionate and respectful of the women she provides care for and the team that she works with.

Nomination 2:

A component of Judy’s role is to supervise students on placement. As the in-charge in the birth suite, Judy created an environment where staff, students, and women felt comfortable and supported. She went above and beyond to ensure that students were able to access as many learning opportunities as possible, whilst still ensuring informed consent from patients and ensuring adequate supervision. Judy respected her staff by providing support to them and acknowledging when extra support was required, for example, to graduate midwives on night shift. Judy showed expertise in the birth suite and was able to stay calm during emergency scenarios and share her knowledge. Judy provided a welcoming and supportive environment for students on placement to assist in making their experience successful and enjoyable.

Prostate Cancer Nurse Coordinator

Lisa has taken on her new role as the Prostate Cancer Nurse Coordinator with great passion. She has been a great addition to the prostate cancer nursing service at WH allowing more men and their families to receive support and education through nurse-led clinics and phone consults. Lisa is very compassionate about the care prostate cancer patients receive, making sure that the patient and family are well educated into the care they require and are making an informed consent. She supports her patients through difficult decision making which helps relieve anxiety and reduces treatment regret. Lisa always refers to best practice when providing support to patients, always making sure she is following WH values and seeking support from her multidisciplinary team for further guidance as required. Lisa has great respect for her patients, their families, and the multidisciplinary team; she seeks out appropriate resources for CALD patients, respecting their values especially when discussing concerns with sexual health. Lisa is a strong advocate for patient education and has dived right into this area of her work. She has been pivotal in rolling out new education incentives with the service and allied health, with patient-centred care always as her priority. Lisa has embraced the WH positive workplace environment and will always address any inappropriate behaviour in a professional manner. Lisa is a delight to work with and she is always happy to fill in for sick leave so patients don’t miss out on their nursing clinic appointments. Lisa has developed great relationships with her patients so they feel supported throughout their cancer journey. She thrives on improving services for patients and their families and provides extensive survivorship support. Her passion for her work is to be commended. She inspires me every day to review what we do to make sure our patients are receiving best evidenced-based care.

Acting Ward Clerk Coordinator – Health Support Services

Nomination 1:

Marcelle has made a significant difference in the everyday lives of all ward clerks at Western Health. She has built rapport and formed good relationships with her staff by prioritising the wellbeing of her staff and making this evident in how she manages her and their duties. Marcelle treats everyone with compassion and respect, and her general nature at work is something to be recognised. Marcelle is extremely approachable and has a warm and welcoming energy about her that makes every interaction with her a pleasure, even if the things discussed aren’t particularly positive. Everyone feels their concerns are heard and validated, nothing is ever too much trouble and she takes action on what she can where she can. Marcelle makes an effort to catch up with her staff as frequently as possible to see how they are doing on top of her everyday work. When she hasn’t been able to reply to an email or text, she will find time to let you know she has read it and apologise for not replying yet. It is these albeit small efforts, that make all the difference. Marcelle fosters a welcoming and positive environment. She is very approachable and is excellent at listening to and actively working with the concerns her staff approaches her with. She will take the time to thoroughly explain processes and reasons behind the decisions she makes involving her staff, ensuring they understand why something has happened/will happen and what they need to know. Marcelle is consistent in her interactions with staff, the way she communicates makes you feel validated, appreciated and needed, not just as an employee being delegated duties. She will always answer all questions, hear any concerns and strives to ensure that all conversations end with both parties up to date and happy. Marcelle manages to fill vacancies and allocate shifts efficiently and has successfully dealt with all the hurdles hospital operations have thrown at her, as well as making sure her staff are alright and coping with them all. She does all of this and still keeps the show running. If that isn’t excellence I don’t know what is.

Nomination 2:

Marcelle consistently acts with integrity and empathy towards the ward clerks in all circumstances and situations. She demonstrates enormous respect, particularly through her communication with the staff and recognises diversity at all levels. Marcelle always demonstrates high standards of work and efficiency with regard to ensuring that shifts are filled in all wards across the organisation, which is a great support for the Nurse Unit Managers.

Radiographer – Medical Imaging

Michael led the opening of the Medical Imaging x-ray area in  Joan Kirner Women’s & Children’s (JKWC). He demonstrated enormous patience with all of the 60 plus staff who required rapid turnaround training in the use of the 4 new imaging machines purchased for the JKWC. Michael is incredibly supportive of all staff during the sometimes hectic Paediatric fracture clinics and he is caring and empathetic to all patients who come through the clinic. Michael demonstrates accountability every day. He is always looking to ensure that our processes and workflows are as smooth as possible to provide optimum patient care. Michael has led the change of undertaking paediatric fracture clinic in the JKWC rather than in the main Sunshine radiology department. Michael had to reinvent processes and workflows to ensure maximum patient throughput was achieved while still ensuring optimal patient care. Since the change to JKWC for paediatric fracture clinic, there have been no lengthy patient wait times for x-ray due to Michael’s diligence and hard work. Michael is extremely respectful to all patients, particularly the nervous patients and families coming through the paediatric fracture clinic. He practices optimal Radiation safety every day and ensures minimal radiation dose to our most vulnerable patients. Michael is a positive and productive Medical Imaging team member. Any staff member who has worked in the clinic or in the Joan Kirner has felt supported and appreciated by Michael. He is always in a positive mood and always willing to go above and beyond to support the work of Western Health and the Medical Imaging department.

Switchboard Operator – Communications Department

Mirella is a Switchboard Operator in the Communications Department at Footscray Hospital and has worked for WH for 31 years. Throughout all of her 31 years she has not changed a bit. She always has a smile on her face and will go above and beyond to help others, staff, patients and visitors. Whether it is on the phone or in person, Mirella always demonstrates professionalism and excellence in customer service and is a role model for everyone in the department. Her upbeat and comedic nature creates a positive environment for those around her. She also organizes social events throughout the year to bring everyone together as a team and boost morale. She inspires me to be a better person as despite going through significant health issues a few years ago, she always remained positive, treated others with respect and nothing was ever too hard for her. Her focus was still on helping others and making everyone else feel good. Mirella is a great asset to our department and is always making suggestions on how to improve our services to ensure our workplace runs safely and smoothly. Mirella was once a supervisor in the communications department and in that role she was respected and praised for her fair, equitable and respectful treatment of all of the staff. She continues to display these qualities in all of her interactions with others in her current role.

Intake & Assessment Clinician – Drug Health Services

Melissa has managed the Intake and Assessment role within Drug Health Services during a period where the team has been significantly understaffed. Melissa’s role entails triaging some of the State’s most complex Alcohol and Drug patients, providing high-quality care, assessment, and referral. I witness on a daily level the compassion she shows towards her patients. Her ability to engage clients both over the phone and in person, build rapport and provide treatment is consistently at a high level. Melissa demonstrates accountability through her management of a caseload of over 100 patients, providing high-quality risk assessment, triage, and assessment which results in high rates of retention in treatment. She consistently displays respect through all of her communications with colleagues, patients, and family members. During our clinical intake meeting, Melissa presents a large percentage of the clinical cases which incorporate assessment, triage, mental state examination, and risk associated with medication compliance. Melissa performs these tasks at a very high level.  Melissa is one of our most popular and well respected Clinicians who has a very positive impact on all of those around her.

Volunteer – Sunshine Hospital

Monica is a volunteer who helps in CBR Administration every Friday. She is a delightful lady with a bright and cheerful personality. Friday afternoons are always a happy time with Monica in the department. She creates a positive work environment through her infectious happiness and brings a holiday feel to the day, which is wonderful for team morale. Nothing is too much trouble for Monica. She will help the Administration team with any task, no matter its simplicity or complexity. She is an excellent administrator with a wonderful set of skills that CBR is very fortunate to be able to access. Monica is extremely reliable. She always communicates her availability and we are never left wondering if she will turn up. Monica is dedicated to giving back to her community through her volunteering role. She has been volunteering for the past 12 years in a variety of roles including social support, assisting at fundraising functions, and for the past 6 years, assisting with visitor guiding at the hospital. Monica is caring and respectful in all of her interactions with visitors, staff, and patients, in particular, those that she assists to navigate their way around the hospital, ensuring that they reach their destination. She performs her role with a reassuring smile which instils an air of compassion and confidence.

Registered Nurse – Emergency Department

A patient’s family nominated Namrata for the care she provided to their mother. This is what they had to say:

“Nam was a positive, caring and empathetic nurse who looked after my mother during her time on the Short Stay Unit. She always spoke very respectfully to my mother and kept her informed about the care that she was receiving. My mother said that she did a great job – “10 out of 10”. Nam also spoke very respectfully to and about her work colleagues. It was very obvious to us how much she loved her job and it was reflected in the care that she provided.”

Patient Services Assistant – Radiology

Nick Bartolotta is a Patient Services Assistant in Radiology who also works as a courier on occasion. He was recently involved in an incident where his actions and quick thinking probably saved the life of a 3-year-old boy. Nick was arriving for work one morning when a couple arrived in a car at the Western Private Hospital side entrance thinking it was our Emergency Department (ED). They were screaming for help saying that their son was dying. Nick was down near the loading dock and ran to their assistance. He looked at their child who was very unresponsive and thought that calling code to the loading dock at 7 am was going to waste too much time given the state of the child. He immediately took the child in his arms and asked the parents to follow him while he ran around the back corridors through X-ray into the ED. They finally got there and the child was in the right hands for ongoing care. Nick understood how urgent and critical this situation was for this family and immediately took control to ensure that the child was able to get the right care, at the right place and at the right time. His actions provide an example to all about what is the most important thing that we do here at Western Health. Nick was very affected by how sick the child was and extremely relieved to find out that the child would make a full recovery.

Chief Sonographer – Medical Imaging

Nomination 1:

Nicole has only been with Western Health for about a year and took on the role of managing the cohort of sonographers. She has displayed honourable leadership and addresses issues raised promptly and diplomatically. Nicole is always kind and courteous to the sonographers. She has a great attitude, is always approachable and is a great listener, making her team feel comfortable to discuss issues with her. She takes on issues as they arise, such as patient complaints and workplace conflicts and deals with them immediately. Nicole is always mindful of her team’s working environment and is constantly checking in to make sure their well-being is maintained. Nicole was responsible for setting up the ultrasound in Joan Kirner and did an excellent job. Managing and dealing with excessive bookings is a difficult task, yet she manages to somehow make this happen. Nicole is responsible for making the ultrasound working environment a safe place and has made many changes based on the sonographer’s feedback. The Ultrasound department has improved greatly as a result. Nicole’s positive attitude and determination to make improvements with ultrasound has boosted the sonographer’s motivation and has created a positive work environment.

Nomination 2:

Nicole manages the Sonographers and the Ultrasound service across Western Health. There were many changes for the clerical and sonographer teams during the move into Joan Kirner. Nicole was new to Western Health before this transition and she did an incredible job learning about the department and providing support to her team. Nicole always has a positive attitude even when she is extremely busy or stressed. There is never an issue too small for Nicole to spend time-solving. Nicole has been a great leader for the Sonographers as they encountered a large change to their workflow. I watched Nicole have meetings with her staff where she was empathetic to them and made sure they were happy and supported. Nicole is accountable for the actions of her Ultrasound team. She always accepts responsibility if any errors are made and quickly works to correct them. If there are any patient issues Nicole takes charge and ensures that all patients receive high levels of care. Nicole is very respectful to all staff whether they are clerical, nursing, radiographers, sonographers or doctors. Nicole is very passionate and dedicated to improving patient care. She works with her Sonographers to make sure patient safety is at the forefront of everything they do. She follows zero-tolerance procedures and follows up with clerical staff or the Administration Manager when there are any booking issues that impact on the scan. Nicole’s positive and caring attitude helps to create a positive team environment for the whole department.

Nurse Unit Manager  (NUM) – Ambulatory Cancer Services

Oanh has continued to be a great manager who constantly provides guidance, education, and support to her team. She strives to improve the unit, with the team and patients always at the forefront of her mind. Oanh has always worked with the belief that the care we provide to one, we should be able to provide to all. She always advocates for patients with a language barrier, ensuring that they have access to the same resources as our English speaking patients. Oanh is always available to her team. She is always timely and consistent in her approach and provides each and every staff member with her time and support. Oanh believes strongly in the nurse’s ability to be able to make a difference in the workplace. Her constant goal is to provide a well utilised Oncology Service in Melbourne’s West, which she works towards by always ensuring our practice is current and by taking apart in opportunities that will enhance our service. For example the participation in ‘Let’s talk about cancer’ pop up shop in Melbourne’s West and the LEAN initiate. She is always encouraging staff to take part in educational opportunities and to participate in research/projects. Despite Oanh having a complete administration role as NUM, she always helps out on the floor to keep her clinical skills up to date and to ensure that she is a role model for all nurses on the floor with her practice. Oanh believes in the potential of all her nurses in Ambulatory Cancer Services and encourages us to critically think and manage scenarios with support. With her support, nurses are able to develop their skills and be proud of their skills and expertise in cancer nursing.

Cleaner – Environmental Services

Reno is a casual cleaner who accepted the challenging task of cleaning the Portables at Sunshine Hospital. He cleaned the space thoroughly both inside and out and frequently reminded the portables staff that “this is your workplace”, “this is our hospital” and “this is one of the first impressions many people will have of Western Health”. Reno takes immense pride in his work and recognises the difference his cleaning can make to appearances and to workplace wellbeing. He is incredibly thorough and goes the extra mile to ensure his work is completed to the highest of standards. His work is also completed with a smile and with a friendly and respectful chat, sharing his hot cleaning tips along the way. More than anything, the day that Reno arrived at the Portables, everyone had a smile on their face and was in awe of what he achieved to improve our working environment. A huge thank you to Reno from all of the Portables staff!!

Volunteer – Williamstown Hospital

Sandra has been a volunteer for Western Health for 4 years. Her large smile always brightens staff, patients and visitor’s day and she always brings to her role enthusiasm, commitment and love of hospital environments. Sandra is extremely diligent and she will always inform staff of issues of concern especially safety. This is especially important in her role at the visitor desk. Sandra also performs a social support role and understands that patients may not feel well and not up to chatting.   She is able to be practical in terms of her environment and offers engagement that is suitable to the patients’ needs and in line with how they are feeling, whether that is chatting or just handing them a magazine. She has great empathy for those who are not feeling well. Sandra is also respectful to other volunteers and mixes with a broad range of volunteers. She enjoys her independence, but she also is able to work within a team environment. Sandra is very methodical and she always ensures that library trolley books are all new and sorted and the books available will be of interest to the patients.  She has taken ownership of the library trolley area and she ensures that the area is always neat and tidy for others. Sandra was photographed for the marketing collateral for Western Health’s library trolley role. Her big smile and her warm nature are expressed through these pictures and it promotes the volunteer program. All staff and volunteers know Sandra and they all feel that she is part of the broader team and I am sure all would all agree that she brings with her a positive attitude and love of the hospital to her role at Williamstown Hospital.

Intake and Assessment Clinician – Drug Health Services

Sara works within a high energy team assessing and triaging a caseload of well over 100. This involves triaging clients over the phone, providing face to face assessments, managing risk, brief interventions, family work and working with a number of external key stakeholders. Sara completes these tasks at a high standard and is a fantastic team member. Sara has worked within the Intake and Assessment team during a period of being significantly understaffed. She has consistently worked at an outstanding level working with a large caseload of the State’s most complex Alcohol and other Drug clients. Sara demonstrates enormous compassion and respect in the way that she engages with clients over the phone and face to face. She provides a high level of clinical care, is considerate in her approach and provides excellent risk assessment. Sara presents clients at our clinical Intake meeting twice a week and the standard in which she does this is at a consistently high standard. Sara is a popular team member who provides excellent clinical care. Her ability to build rapport with clients is consistently at a high level.

Clinical Trials Pharmacist – Pharmacy

Shani oversees pharmacy clinical trials at Footscray Hospital. This requires precise and accurate record keeping and medication dispensing for clinical trial medications. As a young leader in our pharmacy department, Shani goes out of her way to help others in need within the department, including in dispensary when prescriptions are piling up so that patients can receive their discharge prescriptions and inpatient medications sooner. Shani is diligent in sourcing medications from alternate sources when commercial supplies are interrupted and this enables continuity of care for our patients. Shani also helps oversee pharmacy university student placements and co-hosts intern pharmacist tutorials to ensure our students and interns have a good learning experience at Western Health. Shani demonstrates accountability for her work every day and is reliable in getting tasks done. The very nature of clinical trials work requires a high degree of accuracy with major consequences if standards slip. Shani has a good rapport with clinical trial development. She always has a positive attitude and is an excellent team player and role model who always puts the needs of our patients first.

Pharmacist – Sunshine Hospital

Stephanie was the pharmacist at Westside Lodge (WSL) when the unit first opened. She embraced the manic of opening a new unit with no structure and made it her own. From the very beginning, she treated the clients with respect, compassion and without judgement. She would sit with the clients on admission and throughout their stay, regardless of her own time limits, to ensure the clients were aware of what medications they were taking and when they had to be taken. Stephanie was an enormous help to our Psychiatrists with the implementation of EMR and documenting medications correctly. Again Stephanie made herself available regardless of her own time limits. Stephanie recognised the specific and diverse cohort of clients at WSL and acknowledged that WSL clients did not always comply with their medications and did not judge them for this. Stephanie’s approach to the clients enabled her to build a good rapport with them. She always had a positive outlook when a client would have an unplanned discharge. This was the complexity of our clients and Stephanie would ensure the client’s transition was as smooth as possible back into the community for continued support by the community pharmacist or doctor. Stephanie very quickly became a team member at WSL. Her professionalism and great personality is the epitome of what WHS excellence stands for. Stephanie was never too time poor to ensure the client always received the best care and she was very focused on their safety. She would arrive each morning to receive a handover and if there were unplanned discharges over the weekend, she would call the client to ensure they had a doctor’s appointment and follow up with the pharmacy if needed. Stephanie would often stay back beyond her working hours to ensure the client’s medication charts were up to date, correct and supplies were available for nursing staff to administer. Every day on the unit was a challenge and Stephanie took it in her stride. She was able to put on a smile and work through these challenges and come back the next day to do it all again.

Blood Management Clinical Nurse Consultant

Susan has led Western Health’s commitment to high standards in Blood Management through her diligence, vast experience and dedication to enacting ‘Best Practice’ in our policies and has driven a number of innovations to improve patient care. Susan’s first and foremost concern is with regard to our patients. This was evidenced by our involvement in World Blood Donor Day, where we focused on the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital and made a particular emphasis on the diversity of the ethnic background of our patients and how blood transfusions rely on donors from all backgrounds donating to Red Cross to enable appropriately matched transfusions to occur. As secretary of the Blood Management Committee, Susan leads the drive to ensure our clinical teams continue to meet the requirements of Standard 7 of the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards. She regularly collates Clinical Audits of blood use and feeds back to clinical teams the ways in which they can improve. Western Health was able to attain four “Met with Merit” standards in Standard 7 of the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards at our last Accreditation in 2016. This is the highest category and reflection of the esteem that the accreditors viewed Western Health’s Blood Management. Susan led the development of a policy regarding the use of fibrinogen concentrate in our Obstetric patients who have heavy post-partum bleeding. This is a novel product that is not funded by the National Blood Authority, but through savings made in reducing the overall blood product use at Western Health, we were able to access this product and institute a procedure to use this in order to provide more timely blood product support.

Manager Events and Production – Public Affairs

Susan was responsible for leading and implementing all arrangements for the Ministerial Official Opening of Joan Kirner and the Open Day. To celebrate the opening of a major new facility such as the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s in a way which honours the efforts of all involved and welcomes the community in the most positive way is a major challenge and involves highly complex logistics. Susan managed all of the complexity and challenges that arose and created and led a joyful, engaging and extremely well-received set of two major functions in one day. Compassion was shown through the involvement of a diverse array of community groups and also through the involvement of a large contingent of volunteers who radiated support for all aspects throughout the day. The arrangements for the Open Day came in within a very tight budget and with no issues of waste of resources. Susan was highly accountable for all aspects. Respect was shown through the arrangements to enable our community to see and enjoy their new hospital building and through the arrangements made to accommodate the varied needs of any groups in the community who wished to visit, with consideration for special needs and for the needs of parents of young children. The official Ministerial opening was described by the Joan Kirner Project Director Liz Maddison, as the best hospital opening she had seen in her career – and she has been directly involved in the opening of at least ten major hospitals in Australia and New Zealand.  She said it was the warmth and atmosphere and genuine nature of the event that made an impression on her. An Open Day where some 3000 people including babies, young children, and older people are coming through a new building is a major feat and involves a high degree of attention to safety. Every occupational health and safety requirement was addressed and full safety briefings were delivered to all suppliers, which ensured that there were no safety issues on the day. The Open Day was highly effective in promoting a positive workplace at Western Health as dozens of staff proudly brought their families in to show off ‘their’ new hospital and this had a significant follow-on ripple effect across the organisation, as the event was widely publicised on TV news that evening.

Associate Nurse Unit Manager – Ward 3E

Tharushi has been an integral member of the Resource Design and Development Group for ‘Improving the inpatient experience with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)’: A co-design project. Tharushi has attended the resource design group on her days off. At every group meeting, Tharushi demonstrates fantastic clinical knowledge alongside empathy for the patient population. She is so committed to improving the patient journey and improving the workload for her nursing peers. Tharushi was proactive in identifying an Autism Care Questionnaire to improve the experience of patients with ASD so that the health care workforce know their triggers and provide reasonable adjustments to care. She has been fantastic in working in the Resource Design group with consumers. These consumers have found engaging with hospitals distressing and Tharushi has shown them full respect in her language and communication to make their participation possible. Tharushi has fostered a positive workplace through her commitment to her work and the welfare of patients in getting to know their needs. This has ensured a safe work environment for her colleagues by highlighting the triggers and making reasonable adjustments to care for ASD patients.

Acting Service Desk Team Leader – Digital Technology Services (DTS)

Vanessa led the Service Desk team during the implementation of EMR to the organisation, which involved changes in processes and extending operating hours. The leadership shown by Vanessa during this demanding time has resulted in a positive, hardworking and well organised team. The common feedback I hear from Western Health employees is their satisfaction when dealing with the Service Desk, which is largely due to the procedures Vanessa has implemented and her continuous hard work in improving processes. Vanessa is extremely compassionate when dealing with IT issues and requests raised by Western Health staff. Every time she deals with a call that requires urgent attention, she always seeks a DTS staff member who can assist if she cannot resolve the issue. If a staff member calls stressed and in a panic, she will always do whatever she can to get the issue fixed, and calms the situation. Vanessa is respectful to both her colleagues and staff who call for assistance. She is always kind, polite and makes time for everyone. She is non-judgemental and treats everybody the same, no matter what job title. Vanessa works hard to create a positive work environment for her staff. She is a very well-liked and respected individual within the department because of the care and respect she gives to others. She has a unique ability to put people in a good mood whenever they are in her presence. Vanessa is a big supporter of Western Health’s positive workplace strategy and works hard to ensure this filters through the department.

Pharmacy Technician – Sunshine Hospital

Vince has been responsible for the imprest medication management in Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s hospital immediately following the opening of the building and in the first few months of operation. During the change, there have been challenges with changes in imprest medications and stock levels required to meet the new service requirements. Vince’s attention to detail and work ethic means that he practices in a way to minimise stock wastage, but ensuring that the right medications are available at the time the medical, nursing and midwifery team need them, avoiding unnecessary delays for patients. When this aspect of supply works well it is easy to take it for granted, but without someone like Vince doing an exceptional job, the patient experience may be very different. Vince is fastidious with complex stock management (particularly SAS drugs) and chases the necessary documentation to ensure the continued supply of restricted medications. He has been exceptional in managing refrigerated stock when a temperature excursion occurs his appropriate and thoughtful quarantining and rotation of refrigerated stock after such an event means that patient safety is not compromised and the costs are minimised. Vince’s work ethic is outstanding. He continually goes above and beyond to make sure that medication stock is in the right places and maintained correctly. Vince is always obliging and is willing to go out of his way to help anyone he encounters, even if it inconveniences himself. He always keeps the patient at the centre of his decision making and problem-solving. Vince has worked hard to build extremely positive relationships with the Nurse Unit Managers and Midwife Unit Managers in Joan Kirner.  His attention to detail and pride in his work is infectious and he encourages the other members of the Joan Kirner Pharmacy team to always strive to meet and exceed his high standards. He is a team player, who encourages a positive team mentality.