NEWS NORTHERN SYDNEY LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT NSLHD LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT
Main story Short blurb Ageing Well: LGBTIQ+ Health Symposium 2025
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Message from the chief executive Adjunct Professor Anthony M. Schembri AM
Dear colleagues, I was honoured to join staff and guests at our first Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Employee Network Summit, which was an inspiring day to connect, learn, and celebrate the contributions of staff from diverse backgrounds. Going forward, I look forward to our district building on this momentum of this summit and the work of our CALD Employee Network to ensure every staff member feels a strong sense of belonging and every patient experiences care that is respectful and culturally responsive. I was also proud to attend the LGBTIQ+ Health Symposium, where community voices, experts, and healthcare professionals came together to explore how we can improve healthcare for LGBTIQ+ people and support dignity in ageing. It was inspiring to hear directly from LGBTIQ+ elders, whose courage and resilience paved the way for the progress we see today, and I thank them for sharing their lived experiences with such openness and honesty. Celebrations and award ceremonies have been in full swing across the district this week for Allied Health Professions Day. As a proud social worker, I hope my allied health colleagues took some time to acknowledge your efforts this week and reflect on the significant impact you make to our patients, their carers and our health service. We also celebrated National Carers Week this week, which was a great opportunity for us to celebrate the more than 130,000 unpaid carers across northern Sydney.
Carers provide vital support to people in our hospitals, who are living with disability, serious illness, or frail-aged needs, helping them communicate, make decisions, and recover well at home. As a sign of gratitude from our patients and staff, our district thoughtfully stitched over 500 felt pocket hearts as gifts for our carers and I’ve enjoyed seeing all the photos of these throughout the week. We recently welcomed representatives from the Hoc Mãi Australia–Vietnam Foundation and the Australasia Social Impact Foundation for the signing of a new Memorandum of Agreement between the two organisations at Royal North Shore Hospital. Hoc Mãi is a not-for-profit foundation sponsored by NSLHD dedicated to strengthening healthcare in Vietnam through educational partnerships with Australia. The foundation works closely with hospitals across Sydney, including those within NSLHD. I look forward to seeing this partnership grow and help further develop the knowledge and skills of Vietnamese doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers, supporting improved healthcare delivery for communities in Vietnam.
Warm regards, Adjunct Professor Anthony M. Schembri AM Chief Executive Northern Sydney Local Health District
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Lived experience panel members: Ross Bell, Teresa Savage, Jess Hooley, Darby Carr, Aunty Kooncha
Ageing Well: LGBTIQ+ Health Symposium 2025 Community members, researchers,
“As a society, huge problems experienced by LGBTIQ+ people are endemic to society. Loneliness needs to be conquered, and connection is important,” he said. Another panellist added, “Recognising intersectionality in health care is important. Visibility, being recognised and accepted goes a long way.” One participant summed up the need for continued progress. “There needs to be a lot of innovation in terms of psychological care,” she said. Elizabeth Wood, Deputy Secretary, Health System Strategy and Patient Experience at NSW Health, reminded attendees that listening is not a formality but the foundation for reform. “It’s not just about identity - it’s about safety, dignity, and being recognised in all the ways we’ve lived and loved,” she said. The discussions will help shape NSLHD’s next steps in co-designing inclusive models of care with the LGBTIQ+ community - ensuring real change is guided by those with lived experience.
clinicians, and advocates came together for the inaugural NSLHD LGBTIQ+ Health Symposium – Healthy Ageing, a forum exploring what inclusive, person-centred care looks like for older LGBTIQ+ people. Hosted by Northern Sydney Local Health District, the event featured insights from Dr Ruby Grant, Dr Meaghan Vosz, and Dr Louisa Smith, with contributions from ACON, InterAction, and LGBTIQ+ Health Australia. The forum also highlighted powerful lived- experience perspectives, reinforcing the importance of connection, dignity, and representation in care. NSLHD Chief Executive Anthony Schembri opened the event, emphasising the need to focus on ageing in LGBTIQ+ communities. “Older LGBTIQ+ adults are twice as likely to be socially isolated and may avoid services out of fear of discrimination,” he said. Lived experience speaker Ross Bell shared that problems experienced by ageing LGBTIQ+ populations are experienced nationwide.
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Allied Health Professions Day 2025 celebrations NSLHD recently celebrated Allied Health Professions Day, shining a spotlight on the outstanding contributions of clinicians across the district. Award ceremonies recognised achievements throughout the week, while a photo
Excellence in Allied Health Awards. “These outstanding allied health clinicians and teams have been recognised for their exceptional contributions to clinical excellence and collaborative care,” said NSLHD Executive Director of Allied Health Julia Capper. Congratulations to all of the 2025 NSLHD Allied Health Recognition award winners below:
competition brought together the district’s 23 allied health disciplines for some friendly rivalry. More than 95 nominations were submitted for the NSLHD Allied Health Recognition Awards 2025. These can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/4nptvs. The Allied Health Professions Day Chief Executive Award was presented to Dr Danielle Stone from the Speech Pathology Department at Royal North Shore Hospital. NSLHD Chief Executive Anthony Schembri commended Danielle on the award and touched on her newly developed pathway, the RNSH Functional Breathing Disorder Diagnostic Service. “Danielle received an Innovation Pitch Program award for her ‘Take my Breath(lessness) Away!’ pitch, which she has worked very hard on over the past year alongside her team,” he said. “Danielle has continued to make significant inroads on this project which has improved the lives of so many patients with functional breathing disorders and improved health service outcomes.” Eligible winners from the NSLHD awards will also be nominated for the NSW Health
NSLHD CE Anthony Schembri with Allied Health Professions Day Chief Executive Award recipient Dr Danielle Stone
2025 Allied Health Professions Awards
Dr Danielle Stone, speech pathologist, Royal North Shore Hospital Teahne Lyons, senior care navigator, Aboriginal Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Team
Allied Health Professions Day Chief Executive Award
NSLHD Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander Allied Health Professional of the Year NSLHD Allied Health Assistant/Technician/Support Person of the Year NSLHD Early Career Allied Health Professional of the Year
Taiyo Orino, allied health assistant, Ryde Hospital
Georgina Turnbull, social worker, Mental Health Drug and Alcohol
NSLHD Allied Health Professional of the Year
Jessica Bui, pharmacist, Royal North Shore Hospital
PIVOT Antimicrobial Transition team, Royal North Shore Hospital Jenna Frost, occupational therapist, Mental Health Drug Kate Jones, speech pathologist. Hornsby-Ku- ring-Gai Health Services Meegan Shepherd, radiation therapist, Royal North Shore Hospital
NSLHD Allied Health Leader of the Year
Allied Health Team of the Year
NSLHD Allied Health Educator of the Year
NSLHD Allied Health Researcher of the Year
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NSLHD and Hoc Mãi join forces with Social Impact Foundation Recently, Northern Sydney Local Health District celebrated a new partnership with the signing of a formal Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the Hoc Mãi Australia–Vietnam Foundation, a valued NSLHD partner, and the Australasia Social Impact Foundation (ASIF). “This partnership is about building skills that make a real difference in people’s lives,” he said. “It reflects a shared commitment to education, research, and collaboration that will have a lasting impact.” Sir Nguyen Thanh Tung, Consul-General of Vietnam, Toan Doan, CEO ASIF, Associate Professor Anthony Joseph AM, Chairman, Hoc Mai, Anthony Schembri, Chief Executive, NSLHD, Harvey Tran, Head of External Affairs, ASIF
Toan Doan, Chief Executive Officer of ASIF, outlined the positive opportunities of the new collaboration, highlighting its potential to deepen healthcare connections and mutual learning. “There is a lot of opportunity here to create meaningful impact and strengthen healthcare connections between Australia and Vietnam,” he said. The Vietnamese Consul General, H.E. Mr Nguyen Thanh Tung attended the signing and highlighted the diplomatic and cultural significance of the partnership.
The agreement formalises collaboration on healthcare contributions, joint healthcare projects, and support for the Hoc Mãi Fellowship Program, which helps develop the skills and knowledge of Vietnamese healthcare professionals to improve healthcare delivery in their communities. ASIF, a foundation dedicated to building philanthropic capacity in Vietnam, is donating a significant contribution to support Hoc Mãi’s programs. Professor Anthony Schembri, Chief Executive, NSLHD, welcomed the agreement.
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Dr David Hunter
campaign to combat osteoarthritis care misinformation Coinciding with World Arthritis Day, researchers at the Kolling Institute are urging the community to avoid low-value osteoarthritis care, in favour of evidence- based resources. https://vimeo.com/1105012222 • Participate: Osteoarthritis Research
Participant Network - Connects Australians with relevant research opportunities: https://www. osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/oa- participant-network The resources were developed as many Australians continue to manage their osteoarthritis based on myths and misinformation like: • Avoiding exercise out of fear - when movement is one of the most effective ways to reduce pain and improve function • Using opioids - despite strong recommendations against their use. • Paying for expensive treatments like stem cells and platelet rich plasma - current evidence suggests these are no more effective than salt water injections • Believing surgery is inevitable - when a joint replacement isn’t in most people’s future Overlooking the impact of small changes - even modest weight loss and diet shifts reduce pain and load. “Too many Australians are still being told there’s nothing they can do, and that’s simply not true,” said David. “The key is making small, consistent changes in line with what the evidence supports. If in doubt, stick to the basics: move regularly and gently, understand which treatments are truly effective, and surround yourself with a support network that helps motivate you.”
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and one of the leading causes of disability globally. It affects over two million people in Australia alone, and yet there is a critical gap in care, with many people provided with outdated advice, and low-value treatments. Leading rheumatologist and Kolling Institute researcher Professor David Hunter said when it comes to osteoarthritis treatments, many people are wasting their time and money. “By dispelling common myths and providing people with evidence-based knowledge, we can empower them to improve their pain, mobility and quality of life,” he said. • Researchers have joined a campaign with Arthritis Australia to focus on empowerment through knowledge. It directs the community to four trusted, easy-to-access resources to broaden their understanding of the condition and practical steps to manage it. These include: • Read: Plain-language guides, tools, and strategies for daily management: https:// myoa.org.au • Listen: Joint Action Podcast - Expert and lived experience episodes: https:// podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/joint- action/id1508969582 • Watch: Osteoarthritis Essentials Webinar - Practical tips for managing osteoarthritis pain in just 30 minutes:
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NSLHD NEWS | ISSUE 19| 17 OCTOBER 2025
Sandy’s story inspires new protocol for complex home care After discovering she had a very rare type of recurring ovarian tumour, life was destined to change for 57-year-old Sandy.
Reflecting on her mother’s resilience and journey with the Northern Sydney Home Nursing Service team, Sandy’s daughter Anastasia said the care she was provided with, alongside the training for her father, will always be appreciated by the family. “Even with her diagnosis, mum always wanted to live a normal life. Being able to get this procedure implemented for her was really special and helped her feel more in control - she felt like she had her freedom back,” she said. “The NSHNS always made sure that mum was in a really happy and comfortable environment, and that’s a testament to the nursing team, who became an extended part of our family.” Andrea and Anastasia recently shared Sandy’s story as a case study at the 2025 NSW Health Virtual Nursing and Midwifery Showcase, showcasing the work involved and inspiring staff across the state. The team welcome staff to get in touch if they’re caring for patients in similar circumstances, helping shape the future of home-based care. Find out more here: https://www.nslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/pach/ Pages/NSHNS.aspx?
Her diagnosis spanned 15 years and led to chemotherapy, numerous procedures, and ultimately daily peritoneal drainage of ascites via a port, alongside multiple hernias. As part of her treatment, Sandy was cared for by oncology and palliative clinical nurse consultant Andrea Firgau and the Northern Sydney Home Nursing Service (NSHNS) Ryde team from the comfort of her own home. Andrea said Sandy always remained focused on maintaining a quality of life, with the hope of one day returning to her holiday home on the NSW South Coast. “Although she appreciated being able to be treated at home, it was challenging for her to be restricted in her movements without the prospect of going away even for a few days,” Andrea said. “She particularly wanted to spend some quality time with her family at her holiday home, a place which held many special memories.” A step-by-step aseptic technique protocol was developed so Sandy’s
husband, Arthur, could safely manage the daily drainage at home. Alongside Andrea and the Northern Sydney Home Nursing Service team, Arthur trained over two months, practising on mannequins, observing nurses, and performing the procedure under supervision until he gained full confidence. “Arthur became competent to carry out the drainage, and that allowed Sandy the freedom to travel. She later told me it made a meaningful difference in her life,” said Andrea. Sandy sadly passed away in February 2025 after fighting a strong battle, but her legacy of determination and empowering carers to undertake routine treatment lives on. “We are hopeful we can help patients in similar positions to Sandy to have this support, by a willing carer, to make a difficult time that bit easier, since we now have an education package designed,” said Andrea.
Sandy (centre) and her family
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CALD Workforce Network hosts inaugural summit at RNSH The district’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Workforce Employee Network recently hosted its inaugural summit at Royal North Shore Hospital. With the theme “Our Cultures, Our Strength: Building Belonging, Growing Leaders,” the and Executive Sponsor of the CALD Workforce Employee Network Gilbert Lorquet said equity, visibility, and belonging are guiding principles in the district’s commitment to cultural inclusion.
“At NSLHD, we recognise that diversity is not just a demographic, but a strength for our organisation,” he said. “Supporting the career progression of staff from CALD backgrounds is a key priority and I’m very proud of the work the CALD Network has done to ensure we continue this.” NSLHD Chief Executive Adjunct Professor Anthony Schembri also attended the summit and spoke about its importance in paving the way for greater cultural inclusion in care, as well as fostering a safe and supportive workplace for staff. “This summit is more than just a meeting; it is an opportunity for us to connect, to share experiences, and to learn from one another,” he said. “It highlights the value of creating spaces where diverse voices are heard and celebrated. In doing so, we strengthen our organisation not only as a workplace, but also as a provider of safe, high-quality, and culturally responsive healthcare.” For more information about the CALD Network or to join the network, please email: NSLHD-ODTEAM@health.nsw.gov.au.
half-day summit brought together staff from across all facilities, professions, and backgrounds. It was a space to honour lived experiences, amplify CALD voices, and spark meaningful conversations around opportunity, visibility, leadership, and growth, while elevating the visibility of the CALD Network and strengthening engagement across the organisation. The event featured a keynote address from Anyier Youl, who shared her journey of being born in a refugee camp in Kenya and moving to Australia at the age of 10. From these beginnings, she has grown into an entrepreneur, scholar, and humanitarian leader whose story embodies resilience and vision. A panel discussion with representatives from Northern Sydney and Western Sydney local health districts followed, before attendees closed the day with professional development sessions designed to build cultural capability and support career growth. NORTH Foundation Chief Executive Officer
NSLHD (CALD) Workforce Employee Network Executive Sponsor and NORTH Foundation Chief Executive Gilbert Lorquet, keynote speaker Anyier Youl, NSLHD Deputy Director of People and Culture Adam Quested and Executive Director of People and Culture Kerrie Pryke
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Professor Mark Malloy
New hope for bowel cancer screening Bowel cancer is the third most common
follow-ups. If a patient has a positive stool test result, patients typically undergo a colonoscopy, where polyps — small growths that can become cancerous — are removed and assessed. But current guidelines as to when patient with polyps should come back for a “surveillance” colonoscopy are based on limited evidence. To address this, Marks team collected biopsies from polyps and nearby healthy tissue, identifying genes linked to higher risk. A new study is now underway to confirm whether these mutations can predict future polyp development. If successful, the research could lead to a test that allows doctors to find higher risk patients, allowing them to be seen more quickly and catch bowel cancers at the earliest stages. It is estimated 15,000 Australians are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year. “If you vox popped people in the street, a lot of people would be touched by bowel cancer in some way, if not directly, they would know of someone in their circle” he said.
cancer in Australia, and the second deadliest. Alarmingly, rates are rising among people under 50, and researchers still don’t know why. Professor Mark Molloy, based in the Northern Sydney Local Health District, is leading efforts to shift the focus to prevention and one promising pathway is a blood test. Currently, the government-funded screening program relies on testing for blood in stool samples in people over 50 years of age. But Molloy said only around 40 per cent return the test, largely due to unease with people having to collect the sample themselves. Mark and his team are exploring whether a simple finger-prick blood test could replace it. Working with industry partners, Sangui Bio, they’ve analysed samples from 1,200 patients. “We can definitely see a signature in the blood from the finger prick sampling that’s linked to the presence of polyps and early cancers,” he said. Another project looks at optimising
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Contouring involves a radiation oncologist manually outlining tumours and nearby organs on CT scans. According to RNSH radiation oncology fellow Dr Joseph Chan, this process can take 30 minutes to several hours, depending on complexity. While in recent years, commercial AI software has been introduced to assist with contouring of normal body tissue and organs, Joseph says there is no evidence that it performs as well as humans. To address this, Joseph is leading a trial involving the scans of 444 breast cancer patients across RNSH, Dubbo, and Orange hospitals. The team will compare three contouring methods: commercial software, in-house AI developed at RNSH, and those done by hand. The RNSH team built their own contouring model due to limitations with commercial systems Joseph said the in-house model, trained on Peer work in action Natalie Watson has spent 14 years as a peer worker, a role in which she blends her lived experience of mental health issues and her professional expertise to support others navigating mental health challenges. While she has degrees in psychology and public health, Natalie works from a peer perspective—an approach now recognised as vital in the mental health system. “Peer work is not just about having a story. It’s a discipline, a skill set and a craft,” she said. On October 16, International Peer Worker Day acknowledges the vital contributions of peer workers like Natalie. Natalie’s work spans two units at Macquarie Hospital, where she offers individual support, advocates for systemic change, and helps shape policy through lived experience feedback. This year, alongside her colleagues, she co-launched Nature Connections, a group offering walks and nature based activities to participants. She joined Team Fran, a group of six staff who support Fran the hospital therapy dog in her work with consumers. Natalie is also finalising an academic paper on peer workers’ roles in committees and
continues to advocate for their career pathways within the NSLHD. She said her skills lie in her humanity, and the ability to walk alongside people in need. “I sit next to them, give them space and validate them.” She also said as everybody has different experiences with mental illness, they also have different needs. “For some people, they don’t necessarily want to talk – it’s just having someone sitting next to them.”
Natalie and the noble hound, Fran
Trial assesses AI’s role in cancer treatment Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) has launched a clinical trial to test whether artificial intelligence (AI) can match human expertise in radiotherapy contouring—a critical step in cancer treatment.
RNSH patient data and aligned with national guidelines, improves with every batch of 30–50 scans. However, current regulations mean the in-house software can only be used for a clinical trial. Joseph hopes to eventually release the RNSH model to other researchers for free. Ultimately, he sees that AI contouring of normal tissues is a good tool. “We don’t think it should be used to replace the radiation oncologist doing this task. Instead, it will give us more time to contour areas of complexity and uncertainty - such as the tumour bed after surgery.”
The radiation oncology team
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Health information team expands into new role NSLHD’s Health Information Services (HIS) team has officially relaunched its service to become Health and Corporate Information Services (HCIS), marking a new chapter and an expanded role for the team. The team has already delivered improvements through a clinical
HCIS a one stop shop for all things records,” she said.
documentation program at Royal North Shore and Hornsby hospitals, as well as introducing the eDoc portal, which allows services to securely send documents for upload into the electronic record system.
Previously, the team was responsible for managing patient records in line with state requirements and privacy laws. This included digitising records, supporting clinical coding, medico-legal work and maintaining data quality. Following the launch on 1 September, the service expanded to also cover corporate records, bringing health and corporate information management under one banner. The launch was marked with staff celebrations alongside colleagues from Clinical Governance and Digital Health Services. HCIS Manager Sally McIntosh said the change created a centralised approach that will make life easier for staff across the district. “Staff will experience a streamlined service for all their record queries, making
The HCIS team at the launch event
Accessible mammograms for everyone BreastScreen NSW Northern Sydney Central Coast (NSCC) is breaking down barriers to breast screening with new accessibility initiatives designed to make the experience more inclusive and comfortable for all clients.
lifetime — and early detection can make all the difference. Book your breast screen today: https:// www.breastscreen.nsw.gov.au or call 13 20 50.
After reviewing patient feedback, the clinics now feature inclusive mobility mammography chairs, providing greater comfort and accessibility for people who may find traditional mammography challenging. “Clients asked for a more comfortable and accessible option, and we listened. We’ve acted on their feedback to make screening easier and more dignified for everyone. It’s important to us that clients feel at ease,” said Meredith Kay, Director, BreastScreen NSW NSCC. The clinics have also introduced vibrant wall wraps that add an artistic and calming touch to the screening environment. “Since installing these wall wraps, we’ve had a lot of positive feedback and conversations,” she said. The community is reminded of the importance of regular screening for early detection. Around one in seven women in NSW will develop breast cancer in their
A patient using the new mobility mammography chair at the Royal North Shore Community Health Centre, with the clinic’s wall wrap providing a welcoming backdrop.
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