NEWS NORTHERN SYDNEY LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT NSLHD
Main story Short blurb Unwell babies receive a helping hand at Hornsby PAGE 3
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Meet Angus, the pawsome therapy dog Page 7
hitting the right note for patients Page 6
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Message from the chief executive Adjunct Professor Anthony M. Schembri AM
Dear colleagues, I am excited to share that we have received more than 200 nominations for the Exceptional People Awards this year, including 159 individual and 44 team nominations across nine categories. This exceptional number highlights the dedication and commitment of our staff and volunteers. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the nominees. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony at the State Library of New South Wales on 29 April, and I look forward to celebrating their achievements with you. As we approach the official start to the flu season, now is the time for staff to be receiving their flu vaccinations. The district’s staff health team has begun its annual flu vaccination rollout with staff able to book through the intranet https://bit.ly/NSLHD- flu-vac-25. As healthcare workers, it is also important we remind our family and friends to get their flu vaccinations to protect themselves against severe complications this season. We held our first multi-faith council meeting with community religious leaders recently. As we care for multicultural communities, it is important we are providing them with appropriate spiritual care. The NSLHD Spirituality/Faith Council will provide advice and guidance on managing the spiritual needs within the health service. The council will ensure that our district services meet the diverse spiritual needs of our communities, enhancing inclusivity and reducing barriers to care. Due to the current pressures being experienced across the health system and the limited availability of staff during the recent industrial action we made the difficult decision to postpone the Innovation Pitch Program event that was originally scheduled for Thursday, 10 April.
We truly appreciate your understanding, and we will share a new date for the rescheduled event soon. Thank you for your continued dedication during this busy period. I am very pleased to announce the appointment of our new Deputy Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Service, Braiden Abala, who has just started in the role. Braiden joins us with a distinguished career working in both state and commonwealth governments, public policy, social reform and healthcare for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. He has particular expertise in the field of health and workforce development, as well as experience in non-government and government organisations. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Tavia Bernsdorff who has been acting in the role. Tavia has done a wonderful job of managing the health service and ensuring a consistent high quality of service. I also want to extend my thanks to Adam Cryer and the rest of the team who have been working alongside Tavia in supporting our communities while Peter Shine remains on leave. As we approach Easter and other religious festivities, I want to take a moment to wish everyone a happy and safe break. To those of you working over the Easter period, a big thank you. Your efforts ensure we continue to provide exceptional care to our community.
Warm regards,
Adjunct Professor Anthony M. Schembri AM Chief Executive
NSLHD NEWS | ISSUE 6| 11 APRIL 2025
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Stuart and Tara, with their daughters Camilla and Eloise, with Hornsby special care nursery staff
Unwell babies receive a helping hand at Hornsby Unwell newborns at Hornsby will receive a helping hand with the donation of new equipment that can help treating teams stabilise critically-ill infants.
to donate one of the ATOM incubators. The other incubator was donated by a generous private Humpty Dumpty Foundation supporter. “When our twins Camilla and Eloise were born at Royal North Shore Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, they each spent six weeks in an Atom incubator,” Stuart and Tara said. “This equipment is expensive and it’s fundamental to ensuring amazing health outcomes for babies that are born early like ours. “We are very proud to have donated this piece to Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital where it is already being used on a daily basis.”
The ATOM incubator is an important piece of equipment that helps doctors and nurses to stabilise unwell newborn babies, maintain their temperature, monitor vital signs and provide oxygen therapy as required. The Humpty Dumpty Foundation made the special donation to Hornsby Ku-ring- gai Hospital’s special care nursery with the donation of two incubators, valued at $35,000 each. Humpty Dumpty Foundation ambassadors Stuart Pollard and Tara Prowse, along with their daughters Camilla and Eloise, fundraised
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Pioneering MuscleMap project secures strong philanthropic support An innovative tool which could revolutionise the detection and treatment of musculoskeletal and neurological conditions will be further developed following a $230,000 gift. The donation was made following a enable a patient’s muscle deterioration to be compared with a healthy person’s. James said this will mean a clinician will be able to upload a scan into the MuscleMap program, and within minutes, will have access to detailed information measuring muscle composition compared to a reference dataset.
campaign by the University of Sydney’s Advancement team and the NORTH Foundation to support the world’s first open-source dataset of whole-body muscle composition. The Kolling Institute’s Academic Director Professor James Elliott said there is a critical need for the diagnostic tool with muscle and neurological conditions among the leading causes of illness and disability worldwide. “With these conditions affecting more than four billion people, they are expected to cost around $21 billion in healthcare expenditure by 2033 in Australia alone,” he said. “Early identification and intervention are crucial if we are to offer long-term health benefits and minimise the disease burden. “We know that these conditions often lead to a steady decline in muscle health, and this
“For athletes and the general population, the tool will accurately inform the journey from injury to repair, recovery and return to physical activity. “For patients with osteoporosis, the program will provide a detailed analysis of overall health and muscle deterioration, which will then inform personalised strategies to develop healthier muscle mass and improve general health and wellbeing. “We are very appreciative of this generous donation to the MuscleMap project. “It will be a pioneering resource, accessible to clinicians and researchers globally, and supporting the long-term health of communities.”
decline is evident by an increase in fat deposits in the muscles and the loss of muscle fibres. “CT and MRI scans can be used to identify these changes, but the time it currently takes is prohibitive.” The MuscleMap approach however, will automatically identify any changes, potentially revolutionising the detection of muscle health in any part of the body. It could inform treatment for everyone Astronauts for instance, experience significant muscle loss due to the effects of exposure to zero gravity. Using existing MRI and CT scans, the landmark global study has applied an artificial intelligence model to produce a dataset of muscle health of any part of the body. This will from elite athletes to astronauts and older people with complex conditions.
The Kolling Institute’s Academic Director Professor James Elliott
NSLHD NEWS | ISSUE 6| 11 APRIL 2025
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Staff were all smiles at the opening of the new yarning circle
Hornsby Hospital connects to country A yarning circle has opened to patients and staff at Hornsby Hospital, recognising the Indigenous communities and connection to the area.
talk. “A yarning circle is one of those key elements of Indigenous culture, where decisions are made collaboratively and through inclusive dialogue,” he said. “The yarning circle compliments the other culturally significant places of recognition that are on campus: from the beautiful artwork in the stairwell in the main building, to the naming of the building, Muru Jannawi (which means take this path with us).” Hornsby Hospital also has artwork installations outside Bungee Bidgel, Sorry Business Area, and the Childhood Community Centre.
The long-awaited opening of the yarning circle was accompanied by a smoking ceremony as staff and guests came together to mark the significance. Designed with Aboriginal elders and the NSLHD Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Service, the yarning circle is a special feature on the campus, taking in the landscape and enjoys a view of the campus. Hornsby Hospital General Manager Simon Hill said he hoped many people would use the special space to come together and reflect,
Smoking ceremony at the opening
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Dr Omar Ahmad and colleagues of the stroke unit at Hornsby Hospital
hitting the right note for patients Only a few hospitals in Australia have one and now Hornsby joins Royal North Shore Hospital in boasting an accredited stroke unit. Patients can be assured they are receiving the very best care with the dedicated stroke unit which received the accreditation from the Australian Stroke Coalition and Stroke Foundation for its standard of care, training and services it offers. The stroke unit treats about 210 patients a year and since 2022 began thrombolysising patients, through clot-busting medication. Dr Omar Ahmad, neurologist and head of neurology at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, said 93 per cent of patients who presented with stroke at Hornsby were admitted into the stroke unit within the first few days of their care “It means people who are being managed by experienced staff, have dedicated monitoring in a dedicated stroke area, compared to patients who are on a general ward,” he said. “We know that patients on a general ward are more poorly managed than in a stroke unit. “This is about reducing mortality in strokes and maintaining high standards of care throughout the system.” The accreditation will continually be monitored every four years by the Australian Stroke Coalition, which has established a set of standards for stroke units to achieve by 2030 to improve outcomes.
SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS Share your news and achievements. Contact the Media and Communications team on 9463 1722 or email NSLHD-media@health.nsw.gov.au to submit your news.
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NSLHDNEWS | ISSUE 6| 11 APRIL 2025
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Lukas McHugh: A fighter’s story At just 18, Lukas McHugh never thought he could have a stroke. But one morning, he woke up unable to move the left side of his body.
student nurses from NSLHD were also fantastic—so supportive and attentive,” he said. His experience has changed his perspective on life. “You’re not invincible. You have to take care of yourself. I appreciate more now—study, work, everything I can do.” He recommends that if you feel you are having signs of a stroke, to get to the hospital as fast as possible.
“I thought I’d just slept on it funny—pins and needles. I didn’t know that was a sign of a stroke,” Lukas said. Realising something was seriously wrong, he called an ambulance and was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH), where the stroke team acted immediately. “The patient had classic stroke symptoms— left-sided weakness, facial droop, and limb drift,” said Sheila Jala, stroke clinical nurse consultant. “Thanks to the team’s rapid response, we achieved a door-to-needle time of just 16 minutes and a door-to-groin time of 57 minutes.” Door-to-needle time refers to the crucial window from hospital arrival to receiving clot-busting treatment. Faster treatment leads to better recovery outcomes. Now on the road to recovery, Lukas is grateful. “The nurses were lovely, the doctors were informative, and they were always open to speak and answer all my questions. The Northern Sydney Local Health District. Originally trained by NSLHD employee Emily Gregg, Angus began visiting wards at Hornsby Hospital after she joined the spinal unit and saw the impact therapy dogs could have. “Angus was born a normal dog—then he became something extraordinary,” she said. When Emily moved to the South Coast, her mum Joanne Gregg took the lead. Now, Joanne and Angus continue to do the rounds together, with Angus providing support to patients who need it. Joanne said Angus provides a lot of love and affection. “There have been times when I’ve seen people in real distress, and Angus will just sit beside them without being asked. He just knows,” she said. “He just makes people smile, he gives patients love and nudges, he knows when people are sick. When we give them bad
Lukas McHugh (left) and friend
Meet Angus, the pawsome therapy dog For eight years, Angus the Delta Therapy dog has been bringing joy to patients across
news he just knows. He has a sixth sense.” Eight years in, Angus still loves his job—and has no plans to slow down. After a recent vet check, Joanne said, “He shows no signs of slowing down. He’s happy, healthy and ready to keep going.”
Angus
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