NEWS NORTHERN SYDNEY LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT NSLHD
Main story NSLHD welcomes newest intake of Junior Medical Officers
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Celebrating the Northern Clinical School’s legacy Page 7
NSLHD doctor awarded Fullbright Scholarship Page 5
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Message from the board chair Trevor Danos AM
Welcome to the first edition of NSLHD News for 2025. As we begin another exciting year, I would like to extend my best wishes to everyone for a happy and successful year. I would also like to thank our dedicated staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly over the festive season to deliver high-quality health care to our community. I was delighted to see district staff members receiving recognition in the Australia Day Honours. Congratulations to NSLHD Board Member Adam Johnston, Professor Marg Fry, Professor Paul Glare and Dr Cameron Bell who were all awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). I would like to acknowledge the late Dr Richard Norman Porter who was also awarded an AM and extend my best regards to Dr Norman’s family. Congratulations also go to Ellen Davies who was awarded the Ambulance Service Medal. Ellen works closely with the district and is from the Central Coast North Sydney sector of the NSW Ambulance Service. As a fellow board member I would like to give a special mention to Adam Johnston. Since joining the district’s board in 2021, Adam has been a tireless, selfless and insightful contributor to the success and the reputation of NSLHD. Adam’s efforts, energy and determination never fail to impress whoever he works with and he has always focused on the wellbeing of patients and carers. An Australia Day Honour is a well-deserved recognition of hard work, dedication, and exceptional contributions that create a meaningful impact and strengthen our community. Congratulations once again to all recipients. As we look ahead to 2025, there are many exciting initiatives underway across the district. One area of particular significance is our continued progress in planetary health. In 2021, the board set an ambitious target of reaching net zero by 2035 for emissions the district can control. Since then, great progress has been made across the district in a short period of time. Last year the district launched the Planetary Health Framework 2024-2027 at our inaugural Planetary Health Showcase, where our staff presented on projects that are taking place across the district related to models of care,
procurement, waste, energy and active travel.
The new framework provides a blueprint for the next stage of our journey to net zero which is very exciting. There were some notable planetary health milestones last year, including the introduction of 15 electric vehicles into our fleet at Macquarie Hospital. Our use of solar technology was expanded with an installation at Dalwood Community Health Centre, NatureFix Wellness Zones were established at five of our sites and our Planetary Health team was awarded the NSW Health Environmental Sustainability Award for their carbon footprint and pathway to net zero project. Many more planetary health projects are progressing including the launch of a carbon dashboard to provide transparency and track the district’s greenhouse gas emissions annually. We will continue the rollout of food organics across our sites, continuing to electrify our gas assets, and formalising the district’s first ever sustainable procurement policy, to name just a few. The construction of our Ryde Hospital redevelopment also continues, which is set to be the first ‘net zero ready’ public hospital in NSW. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank all of our staff members who have engaged so enthusiastically with our planetary health work, and we look forward to following the progress the district continues to make on the journey to net zero. Nominations are now open for this year’s Exceptional People Awards, which is an event that I always look forward to each year. These awards are a fantastic opportunity for staff and volunteers to come together and recognise each other’s efforts. Nominations can be submitted by staff, volunteers, consumer advocates, as well as by our patients and consumers. The nominations will close at 5 pm, 7 March 2025. Information about the categories and nominations can be found here https://bit.ly/ NSLHD-EPA. Trevor Danos AM Board Chair Northern Sydney Local Health District
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Some of the new JMOs at Royal North Shore Hospital
NSLHD welcomes newest intake of Junior Medical Officers Northern Sydney Local Health District
Among the new JMOs is Thomas Douglas, who transitioned from a career in nursing to follow his dream of becoming a doctor. “I’d always wanted to work in medicine, and a friend of mine pushed me to go for it,” he said. “I was keen to give back in a real sense and see what could be done.” For Rahul Sood, personal experiences inspired his career path. “I was once a patient, and that inspired me to do what I do. It’s a cool profession,” he said. Paris Zhang echoed the sentiment, saying it is an extremely fulfilling job to be a doctor.
(NSLHD) is delighted to welcome this year’s new cohort of Junior Medical Officers (JMOs) to its hospitals, marking the beginning of an exciting chapter in their medical careers. Recently, the JMOs participated in an orientation program that included networking activities, training sessions, and a morning tea where they connected with their peers and discussed the year ahead. Over the next year, the JMOs will undertake supervised practice, gaining hands-on experience across metropolitan, regional, and rural hospitals. Their journey will include comprehensive education and training to prepare them for independent practice.
Paris Zhang
Thomas Douglas
Rahul Sood
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Australia Day honours A number of staff members from across the district were recognised in the Australia Day 2025 Honours List. Adam Johnston - Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
NSLHD Board Member Adam Johnston has been awarded an AM for his significant service to community health, the law, and people living with disability. Adam joined the NSLHD Board in 2021 and has since been an invaluable contributor and advocate for the district. Adam is a solicitor, holding a Master of Laws from the University of New England, Armidale, and a Graduate Diploma from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Dr Cameron Bell - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) Cameron was awarded an AM for his significant service to gastroenterology medicine as a clinician and administrator. Currently working as a Director of Endoscopy and a senior staff specialist in the Department of Gastroenterology at Royal North Shore Hospital, Cameron is a passionate and a vocal advocate for bowel cancer checks and has helped patients for over 40 years as a doctor. Professor Margaret Fry - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) Margaret has been awarded an AM for significant service to the nursing profession, and tertiary education. Margaret has built clinical credibility in many areas of nursing research and enabled the development of interdisciplinary research partnerships through her academic expertise, Amongst her many career highlights, Margaret was the recipient of an NSW Health Professor Paul Glare - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) Internationally respected clinician researcher Professor Paul Glare has been awarded an AM for his significant service to medicine in the fields of pain management and palliative care. Professor Glare is a specialist physician in pain medicine and a senior researcher with the Kolling Institute. He is the Director of Michael J Cousins Pain Management Research Centre at Royal North Shore Hospital, the Chair of Pain Medicine with the Northern Clinical School and Head of Pain Medicine with the Sydney Medical School. The late Dr Richard Norman Porter - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) The late Richard Porter was awarded an AM for his significant service to medicine, particularly women’s health as a clinician and in leadership roles. Richard was a visiting medical officer in obstetrics and gynaecology at Royal North Shore Hospital for many years. He was a specialist in reproductive endocrinology and IVF.
Ellen Majella Davies - Ambulance Service Medal (ASM) Ellen Davies was awarded an ASM for her distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service, where she has worked since 1987. Ellen currently works as the Health Relationship Manager of the Central Coast North Sydney sector and maintains her ability to respond to emergencies as an advanced life support paramedic.
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Dr Brahman Sivakumar
NSLHD Doctor Awarded Prestigious Fulbright Scholarship Royal North Shore Hospital’s Orthopaedic Hand, Wrist, and Microsurgeon, Dr Brahman Sivakumar has been named a recipient of the Australian-American Fulbright Scholarship for 2025. collaborations with experts at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
“Together, we have identified various areas of research to optimise outcomes in TMR, particularly assessing patient factors that may alter symptom relief post transfer, as well as the role of donor recipient axonal (nerve) matching,” he said. Brahman said that he is excited to work in America over the next two years. “I am very grateful to the Australian- American Fulbright Commission for awarding me this opportunity.” Alison Zecchin, General Manager of Royal North Shore Hospital, praised the achievement. “This is an amazing accolade. The aim of these scholarships is to improve intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence,” she said.
This coveted scholarship will allow him to further his groundbreaking research into optimising nerve transfers for pain management and prosthetic control after injury or amputation. “This technique is known as targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR),” he said. “I was previously able to learn from the pioneers of this technique in the US and have started performing these transfers at RNSH for a variety of indications, alongside my colleagues in the RNSH Department of Hand and Peripheral Nerve Surgery. We have also established a database to collect outcomes post these interventions.” Dr Sivakumar’s research builds on
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Percy PPE promotes infection prevention at NSLHD Percy PPE, Sterrimatt’s infection prevention ambassador, recently visited Royal North Shore, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai and Macquarie Hospitals, spreading awareness about PPE use, hand hygiene, and compliance.
Over two days, Percy joined the NSLHD Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) team to engage staff through interactive PPE stations and random audits. The best performing station will be recognised at the MHDA IPAC Champions end of year event. At the Royal North Shore Child Care Centre, Percy promoted handwashing and food safety while helping kids defeat the Norovirus bug. Children enjoyed games, decorated doughnuts, and practised their hand hygiene skills. “This visit was a great way to connect with staff and the community,” said Mae Sia, Clinical Nurse Consultant, NSLHD Infection Prevention and Control and Physical Health (MHDA). “It’s vital to promote hand hygiene and prevent diseases like gastro in healthcare and community settings.” Percy’s visit encouraged staff to ask questions, refine their skills, and ensure PPE compliance. Percy’s educational outing encouraged staff to ask questions with the use of PPE station in the unit.
Michele Manktelow, HKH MHDA Service Manager, Leanne Frizzel, MHDA Service Director.
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Celebrating the Northern Clinical School’s legacy An engaging display in the foyer of Royal North Shore Hospital highlights the impact of the Northern Clinical School over three quarters of a century. main foyer.
Established in 1948, the clinical school has played a pivotal role in shaping the future of medicine. To celebrate its legacy, the new display highlights the school’s rich history and evolution, and offers an insight into the journey of medical teaching at RNSH. The exhibition focuses on the past and present trends in medical education. A copy of Harrison’s Textbook of Medicine, a book with over 4,000 pages, is paired with a modern USB, symbolising the shift from bulky textbooks to compact digital resources which hold vast amounts of knowledge. The display celebrates the school’s past as well as its ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence in teaching. Thank you to RNSH Archivist Associate Professor Cate Storey for collating the exhibition. The display is located next to the green lifts in the Acute Services Building, beyond the Vale Warren Nutt The Northern Sydney Local Health District would like to pay its respect to NSLHD consumer representative Warren Nutt, who sadly passed away on 4 January this year. Warren was an outstanding individual who made noteworthy contributions as a NSLHD Consumer Advisor. His roles included serving on the NSLHD Board Consumer Committee, as well as Consumer Advisor committees for RNSH and Primary and Community Health. Joining the NSLHD Community and Supported Care Committee in January 2023 and the Acute/Sub-Acute Falls Prevention Committee in 2024, Warren quickly became a dedicated advocate for falls prevention and promoting physical activity to reduce falls within the community. Warren always did his best to
The display at RNSH
Despite facing health challenges last year, Warren continued to contribute remotely, ensuring his work in falls prevention carried on. Additionally, his dedication as a volunteer in the meet and greet team at RNSH for approximately ten years, since joining in 2012, was truly commendable. His warm presence and commitment to helping others will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. The district would like to offer sincere condolences to Warren’s family, friends and members of NSLHD falls prevention committees.
share important updates with the networks he worked in and was consistently sharing important information to raise awareness around falls. Events such as the annual April Falls Day and Spring into Action foyer displays at RNSH were highlights for Warren, where he eagerly engaged with visitors and shared valuable information and promot awareness.
Warren Nutt and NSLHD Falls Coordinator Margaret Armstrong at the 2023 RNSH April Falls
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