NEWS NORTHERN SYDNEY LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT NSLHD
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Innovation Pitch Program returns
Short blurb
Read more on Page x Pages 6 & 7
Celebrating Clinical Trials Scholarship Winners Page 3
Hornsby hospital goes for gold Page 4
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Message from the chief executive
Adjunct Professor Anthony M. Schembri AM
Dear all,
Midwifery Leadership Award.
I recently had the pleasure of attending the 2024 Innovation Pitch Program. This was a fantastic event where five finalists showcased their innovative ideas to make a positive impact on patient experience. I had the unenviable task of joining three other judges to pick a winner who had an opportunity to receive funding up to $150,000 to support their idea. I would like to congratulate the two winners who were selected and thank the finalists who took part in the pitch. I very much look forward to attending the next Innovation Pitch event and encourage staff to consider making an application and join us in celebrating our innovative ideas. The Single Digital Patient Record (SDPR) is set to be one of the biggest transformations the public health system in NSW has seen. I recently joined other district staff at the orientation program for planning for the SDPR. Over 40 NSLHD staff representing a broad range of disciplines will contribute to this significant health system change through various working groups and councils. For more information on SDPR, please visit this link. https://bit.ly/3yrOpUJ. I am thrilled to announce that two of our exceptional colleagues from NSLHD have been successfully named as finalists for the Ministry’s Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards this year. After being recognised as our district’s Registered Nurse of the Year, Madeline Hughes, clinical curse specialist in ward 8D at Royal North Shore Hospital, has been named a finalist for the ministry’s award. Similarly, Simpy Arora, clinical nurse specialist in the Ryde Hospital emergency department, is also a finalist following her success in our district’s Nursing and
These nominations are particularly significant as there are only five categories for these prestigious awards, with submissions coming from across all local health districts. Our fundraising partner, the NORTH Foundation, has just launched the Sydney NORTH Clinical Trials Campaign and it wants to hear from staff who have a big idea for a clinical research project that could improve patient care. Successful applications could feature in the NORTH Foundation’s new campaign to raise money for clinical trials, and also receive up to $3 million. Expressions of interest are open until Friday, 13 September. For more details, visit: https://bit.ly/4de4Y5G. It is hard not to be swept up in Olympic fever at the moment, especially when we have one of our own doctors representing Australia. Mackenzie Little is one of our junior doctors at Royal North Shore Hospital, and in her spare time she is also a world champion competitor in javelin. Mackenzie has competed in Paris and has qualified for the final, which will take a place in a few days. We all wish Mackenzie the very best of luck as she competes for a medal.
Adjunct Professor Anthony M. Schembri AM
Chief Executive Northern Sydney Local Health District
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NSLHD CE (far left) and NORTH Foundation CEO Gilbert Lorquet (third from left) and Professor Patrick McNeil (far right) with the scholarship winners
Celebrating Clinical Trials Scholarship Winners A ceremony was held to celebrate the nine winners of scholarships to study Australia’s first Graduate Certificate of Clinical Trials Operations. The NORTH Foundation awarded scholarships to Northern Sydney Local Health District clinical trials staff members to undertake the new Macquarie University course. Yue Zhao, a scholarship recipient and senior clinical research coordinator in endocrinology at Royal North Shore Hospital, said there was a training gap in the market when it came to clinical trials. While she has had on the job training, she was eager to learn more. “I want to be able to extend myself and have some proper training,” she said. Erin Li, a clinical trials coordinator in cardiology, said the scholarship gave her the opportunity to learn more about regulations and the whole process in general. “It will benefit the hospital and the patients,” she said. Dr Teresa Lee Chang, a lymphoedema physiotherapist, has worked as a clinical trial investigator but was looking forward to learning how to manage a trial. “I normally outsource the management aspects to other people, but I want to know what goes on to have a fully sponsored or investigator-led trial,” she said. Chief Executive Anthony Schembri welcomed the opportunity for staff and said clinical trials were about “bringing tomorrow’s medicine today.” “Clinical trials are about ensuring that we embed the very best treatments in ordinary care for our patients, and that we strive for the very latest in medical and healthcare treatments,” he said. Professor Patrick McNeil, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Medicine and Health) at Macquarie University, said clinical trials are a win-win. “Most importantly, they allow our patients to access devices that are cutting-edge and not yet approved,” he said. The NORTH Foundation provided 80 per cent of the funding for the scholarships, while Macquarie University contributed 20 per cent.
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The Olympic spirit was in full throttle as staff competed in various events at Hornsby Hospital
Hornsby hospital goes for gold Forget the athletes competing in Paris – Northern Sydney Local Health District boasts its own champions who have been keen to show off their athletic prowess. While the likes of RNSH doctor Mackenzie Little compete for a medal in the 2024 Olympics, some of the staff have held their own Olympic games. Getting into the Olympic spirit, Hornsby Ku- ring-gai Hospital’s rehabilitation wards 3C and 3D kicked off the 2024 Rehab Games with a torch relay. Staff, patients and friends joined in to cheer the runners, walkers and wheelers as they made their way around the course, accompanied by a soundtrack and live feed cameras.
Also over at Hornsby, the allied health department got together at nearby James Oval to hold their own Olympics. Green and gold fever was on display as physiotherapists, dietician, occupational therapists and allied health colleagues battled it out for a chance at their own gold, silver or bronze medals in sporting categories not seen on a world stage. Lisa Francis, a member of the Allied Health Wellness Committee said the Hornsby Olympics culminated with a closing ceremony complete with a medal ceremony. “The Hornsby Olympics was a chance to bring all of allied health together to do something fun and a bit different,” she said. “The competition created a buzz amongst allied health and it was wonderful to see staff getting so involved and fully embracing the spirit of friendly competition.”
The wards have been decorated with an international Olympic sporting theme.
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NSLHD staff embrace Plastic Free July challenge In celebration of Plastic Free July, staff at the Brookvale Community Health Centre took on a challenge to reduce plastic use in their workplace. Plastic Free July is a global movement that encourages people
to become part of the solution when it comes to plastic waste. It’s reported that one million tonnes of Australia’s annual plastic consumption is single-use plastic and only 14 per cent of this plastic is recycled. The Mona Vale Hospital Sustainability Committee put the challenge to staff at the centre to take photos of their efforts to minimise plastic waste throughout July, which staff willingly accepted. Entries featured use of reusable water bottles and coffee cups, actions to recycle plastic computer parts and printer cartridges, as well as actively minimising plastic in procurement of new program resources. There were prizes up for grabs, with the top entries receiving insulated stainless steel water bottles to help continue their sustainability efforts. The challenge aligns with NSLHD’s Planetary Health Framework, which has waste and resource recovery listed as a priority domain.
Plastic Free July in full swing at Brookvale Community Health Centre
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WINNER: Digital Pathway of Improved Assessment, Management & Optimisation of patieNts for planneD Surgery (DIAMONDS)”
Comeback of Innovation Program Ignites New Ideas The long-awaited return of the Innovation Pitch Program took place at Royal North Shore Hospital last week. The program, which took a hiatus during the COVID-19 outbreak, encourages staff to put forward an idea or project that aims to have a positive impact on patient experience, health outcomes, health equity, the efficient delivery of services and/or experiences as a staff member in NSLHD. In what was a true indicator of how creative staff across the district are, there were 47 applications in total with five finalists shortlisted to pitch to a panel of judges. NSLDH Chief Executive Anthony Schembri was joined on the judging panel by NSLHD Clinical Network Director, Acute and Critical Care and Co-Chair of the Clinical Council Dr Peter Roberts, NORTH Foundation Director Tanya Bowes, and NSLHD Board Member Nadia Levin. Anthony marked the special occasion by thanking staff for embracing the relaunch of the program. “It is wonderful that the Innovation Program is back up and running for the first time since 2022,” he said. “We will continue to hold multiple pitches each year to provide opportunities to the many wonderful ideas across the district, “Thank you to everyone who applied and congratulations to our winners and finalists – you made the judging process very difficult to choose two winners.” Winners
Finalists Cutting carbon in healthcare; innovative education strategies to reduce low value care - Matti Gild, RNSH RESET – Resistant Exercise and Strength
Kanika Chaudhri and Andrew Marks from the RNSH Junior Medical Staff Unit and Division of Surgery and Anaesthesia for their “Digital Pathway of Improved Assessment, Management & Optimisation of patieNts for planneD Surgery (DIAMONDS)” pitch were awarded $100,000. Danielle Stone from the RNSH Speech Pathology team and Respiratory Medicine for their “Take my Breath(lessness) Away!” pitch - A development of a Diagnostic Pathway for Functional Breathing Disorders were awarded $86,000.
Education Training - Georgia Harvey, Community Health and Aged Care Rehabilitation Services
Molecular analysis of Progression in Multiple Sclerosis (MAP – MS) - John Parratt, Neurology, RNSH
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WINNER: “Take my Breath(lessness) Away!” pitch - A development of a Diagnostic Pathway for Functional Breathing Disorders
FINALIST: RESET – Resistant Exercise and Strength Education Training
FINALIST: Cutting carbon in healthcare; innovative education strategies to reduce low value care
FINALIST: Molecular analysis of Progression in Multiple Sclerosis (MAP – MS)
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SDPR Orientation Kick Off Event Fifteen staff from across the district attended the recent kick-off event for the configuration phase of the Single Digital Patient Record (SDPR). At the event, held at Sydney Eye Hospital, they joined more than 100 senior NSW Health leaders and specialists from across the state to be briefed and oriented in their role as co/ chairperson for this phase of the SDPR. The SDPR program is transformative and will ultimately change how people experience and deliver care across NSW. It is described as the single biggest change to a health system Australia has ever seen. information access. This will help to create a comprehensive, single view of a patients care journey no matter where they go to receive care. The two-day orientation event was the first time the group chairs came together, providing an opportunity to connect with each other, get introduced to the Epic software systems and build the foundation of long-term partnerships. These co-chairs, along with over 700 experienced health representatives, will meet as part of 57 working groups and councils. These representatives come from areas such as patient administration, finance, training, blood products, patient experience, allied health and more. Their goal is to shape SDPR to meet the needs of the state and everyone who interacts with NSW Health. NSLHD Chief Executive Anthony Schembri attended the event and said he was honoured to be co-chairing the Allied Health Council with Claire Klimes from the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network. Rolling out over the next six years, the program will streamline clinical
“Our council is responsible for facilitating the 23 allied health professions across adult, paediatric and neonatal settings, ensuring a consistent and efficient cross-functional design for allied health within the new electronic medical record (eMR),” Anthony said. “Claire and I are also leading the group for nutrition care and food service eMR configuration. “It’s a significant challenge but an incredible opportunity to be part of this once-in-a- generation health system reform in NSW. “A big thank you to the Epic and eHealth NSW teams for their support during our orientation.” The SDPR will be rolled out in a phased approach across local health districts and NSW Health agencies with NSLHD part of the second tranche to go live in late 2026.
NSLHD CE Anthony Schembri (far left) at the kick off event
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World first research to develop cognitive impairment guidelines after spinal cord injury A team of researchers from the Kolling Institute’s John Walsh Centre for
Professor of Rehabilitation Ashley Craig said the centre was just completing the first study conducted anywhere internationally that has assessed cognitive function in adults with a spinal cord injury from soon after their injury in the acute stage, until their discharge from rehabilitation up to 12 months post injury. “Our research found that at least 30 per cent of adults with a spinal cord injury had at least mild cognitive impairment, and that this impairment was identified as a major risk factor for the development of mental health disorders like depressive mood and anxiety,” he said. “This is very concerning given that this may result, not only in a higher risk of a mental health disorder, but also an increased risk of secondary health conditions like chronic pain, skin problems and respiratory infections.” The team has now begun research to develop a new framework for cognitive screening, which will involve sensitive and valid cognitive assessment tools. “This is an important body of work which will build on our prior research to validate the cognitive domain areas we have previously identified that affect most adults with spinal cord injury.”
Rehabilitation Research has launched a study to develop the first internationally accepted guidelines for assessing cognitive function after a spinal cord injury. The latest data indicates that over 15 million people globally live with a spinal cord injury, and in Australia, there are over 20,000 people living with the injury. There are around 300-400 new cases of this injury every year in Australia. The devastating physical impact of these injuries has been extensively studied from the loss of motor control (such as paralysis) to pain and sensory issues, and the significant problems with cardiovascular and respiratory function. However, the psychological and cognitive impacts of this severe neurological injury have not been as well understood, such as the extent of cognitive impairment and mental health disorders over time. There is now a growing body of evidence around the psychosocial consequences of a spinal cord injury, with new studies highlighting a concerning trend.
Professor Ashley Craig and Dr Ilaria Pozzato
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The unit was was presented the certification from the Stroke Foundation at RNSH
RNSH ranked among nation’s best for stroke care Royal North Shore Hospital has been
and recently, Olive, her husband Geoff and Brendan took part in the Krazi Kosci Klimb. Krazi Kosci Klimb is an annual event ran by the CPA to give young people with cerebral palsy a chance to reach a goal they may never have believed they could: climbing Mount Kosciuszko. Olive said the Krazi Kosci Klimb gave Brendan an overwhelming sense of joy and sense of fulfilment. “Brendan’s chest swelled with pride,” she said. “He didn’t fully understand what he had actually accomplished, but he knew he had done something amazing and that was worth everything to me.” As part of the challenge Olive and her family contributed to raising over $500,000 for the CPA and their phenomenal fundraising put in to stroke care,” he said. “This truly is the outcome of collaborative multidisciplinary approach between different departments and disciplines including emergency medicine, radiology, neurosurgery and interventional neuroradiology, intensive care services and neurology.” Stroke nurse practitioner Elizabeth O’Brien said the certification is an indicator of the role the service can play in helping stroke survivors reintegrate back into their lives. “The stroke unit certification ensures the service can provide exemplary care in a time of extreme stress for patients from the moment they enter our doors to when they leave and reintegrate into the community and their lives,” she said. The achievement coincides with National Stroke Week, with this year’s theme encouraging the community to know the F.A.S.T. (Face, Arms, Speech and Time) signs of stroke so a life can be saved in the event of a stroke.
recognised for providing a high standard of stroke care, joining a list of only 19 Australian hospitals that have received official stroke unit certification from the Australian Stroke Coalition (ASC). The ASC Stroke Unit Certification Program encourages hospitals to consistently meet a set of national criteria to deliver the best possible stroke care to patients. RNSH was announced as a recipient of the program in May and was recently presented with the official certificate from the Stroke Foundation at the hospital. NSLHD Neuroscience and Stroke Network Director Associate Professor Martin Krause said the hospital is proud to have attained the certification and thanked the multiple departments involved in providing multidisciplinary stroke care. “The certification is a result of the work that our passionate team of nurses, allied health and doctors in Royal North Shore Hospital
Inspiring Steps: Olive and family gear up for STEPtember In what is a yearly highlight for many across the district, STEPtember is returning for 2024.
STEPtember is a month-long fundraising event conducted by the Cerebral Palsy Alliance (CPA) which aims to support a wide range of initiatives involving those living with cerebral palsy. The fundraising initiative raises money towards life changing research, treatment, services, assistive technologies, and support for people living with CP. The district has played a big role in STEPtember in recent years, with 342 staff members taking part in 2023 who helped raised $22,913 for the cerebral palsy. A keen stepper each year is Olive Williams, from the RNSH medical staff unit. Olive’s son Brendan has cerebral palsy
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MACARF team (from left to right) Orla Wall, Nicole Steep, Maura Farrell, Marieanne Doherty leading the way with RPM at NSLHD
NSLHD Launches Remote Patient Monitoring Solution Patients’ vital signs can now be tracked remotely through new technology that has been launched. The Management of Cardiac Failure service
The district’s Virtual Care Service and Hospital in the Home are developing ways to use the technology for their patients. Virtual Care Service General Manager Chenyao (Jerry) Yu said patients had found RPM to be highly beneficial. “RPM enables personalised care, empowering patients to manage their health proactively and ensure early identification of any changes,” he said. The RPM program is part of the eHealth NSW initiative, funded by the NSW Digital Restart Fund. It will be deployed statewide over three years. For more information, visit https://bit. ly/46ETq9i.
efforts aren’t stopping there. Olive will be taking part in STEPtember to continue the fantastic momentum and help raise much needed funds for those with cerebral palsy and their families. There are a number of rewards to be won across the district for the highest steppers and largest fundraisers. With the support of this year’s steppers, the raised funds will help the CPA provide opportunities like the one given to Brendan and help the CPA continue to fund a wide range of research, services and assistive technology initiatives, supporting people with cerebral palsy to live their best lives. Staff members across NSLHD can join by visiting: https://www.steptember.org.au/ join/northernsydneylhd and selecting the NSLHD service or department that applies. is leading the way with remote patient monitoring for community patients. Telstra Health Remote Patient Monitoring is a technology that enables remote tracking of vital signs. The platform captures and transmits data from devices, such as blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters and weight scales. Maura Farrell, nurse manager, said the technology enhances the care proivded to patients. “RPM enhances our ability to detect early signs of deterioration and engage patients actively in their care,” she said.
The Williams family at the Krozy Kosci Klimb event
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Write your Will online
for FREE
14 - 20 July
NORTHERN SYDNEY LHD
The NORTH Foundation has partnered with Safewill - Australia’s leading
online Will-writing platform - to offer the opportunity to write a bespoke Will
for FREE (usually $160). Scan the QR code to create your legally valid Will.
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