NEWS NORTHERN SYDNEY LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT NSLHD
New simulation centre unveiled at hornsby
Main story Short blurb
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north star’s first board meeting Page 6
MHDA Award winners Pages 4 and 5
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Message from the chief executive Adjunct Professor Anthony M. Schembri AM
It was a pleasure to join the NORTH Foundation, the district’s charity partner, for the opening of the Pamela Margaret Andrew Simulation Centre at Hornsby Hospital. Pamela was a community member who bequeathed a very generous donation that helped to commission the centre. Her legacy will see generations of nurses, doctors and allied health members further develop their skills to care for our community at the highest standard. Staff now have access to a specialised training centre, where they can simulate real-life medical emergencies and perform practical scenarios to further develop and enhance their skills. I would like to thank all the staff members at Hornsby who contributed to the development of this centre, and of course to the estate of the late Pamela Margaret Andrew. A big thank you also to the team at the NORTH Foundation for helping to make this happen and its continued hard work in supporting the district. We have celebrated Gathering of Kindness Week — a week where we continue the conversation around kindness and compassion in the delivery of personalised and culturally safe care. As we go about caring for the people in our community, it is important that we take the time to reflect on moments where kindness was displayed. Being kind to our colleagues, patients and families, even if it is small gesture can go a long way in brightening someone’s day. It was great to celebrate with the MHDA services at the Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Service Rewards and Recognition ceremony. The ceremony saw a record number of submissions with over 380 nominations this year. Of particular note, was the large number of nominations we had from the consumers and carers connected to the services. With 42 nominations from consumers or their carers, there is no clearer indication of the exemplary service that MHDA provides to those that access to the support our
MHDA services provide. I would like to congratulate all of our staff working across MHDA services on another year of providing high quality health care and having a significant impact on our community. It was wonderful to welcome some of our consumers for our annual Consumer Forum. NSLHD strives to be recognised as a leader in partnering with consumers to deliver the best patient and carer experience and we are always listening to those we serve. Over the past 12 months, our Consumer and Patient Experience team has partnered with our consumer advisors on many initiatives. This year, the district launched the Partnering with Consumers Quality Improvement project to develop a resource for our staff to work collegially with our consumers. We also have a number of consumers providing input into the creation of the statewide Single Digital Patient Record. This integrated digital healthcare record will for the first time bring multiple electronic health management systems together. I was lucky enough to join the most recent THRIVE program session at Macquarie Hospital this week. Designed to help leaders grow and flourish, THRIVE is a six-month program that equips staff members with essential skills to navigate the complexities of their roles. It was fantastic to meet staff from across the district who are taking part in the program. These staff members are taking the next step on their leadership journey and gain invaluable experience thanks to THRIVE. Warm regards, Anthony Adjunct Professor Anthony M. Schembri AM Chief Executive
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Simon Hill, Dr Thea Bishop, Gilbert Lorquet, Mary Chiarella, Anthony Schembri and Leonie Watterson open the SIM Centre.
Hornsby Opens New Simulation Centre Through the generosity of a patient who bequeathed a donation, Hornsby Ku-ring- gai Hospital now has a state-of-the-art simulation training centre for staff.
their skills. “It was only fitting the simulation centre honour Pamela’s donation so generations of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals who visit this centre, know the contribution that Pamela made,” he said. The bequest was made possible through the NORTH Foundation, the charity partner of NSLHD. “I would like to thank our charity partner, the NORTH Foundation. Donations of this type would not occur without their efforts to collaborate with our patients and staff to assist with bequests and donations to support our hospitals,” Anthony said. To make a donation or find out more about NORTH Foundation visit here: https://bit. ly/40L0iAJ
The Pamela Margaret Andrew Simulation Centre was officially opened in front of members of the Estate of the Late Pamela Andrew, Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD) Board members, the NORTH Foundation and staff. Named in Pamela’s honour, the centre was made possible due to the former patient and volunteer’s generosity which was described as “legacy for generations of doctors, nurses and allied health staff”. NSLHD Chief Executive Anthony Schembri said staff now had access to a dedicated training centre, equipped with the latest technology which will allow them to further
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Mental Health Drug
MHDA staff celebrate their achievements
During Mental Health Month, NSLHD’s Mental Health Drug and Alcohol (MHDA) Service hosted its annual Rewards and Recognition Ceremony. This year, there were 380 nominations submitted for the MHDA awards from colleagues, consumers, and carers. The theme for this year’s event was “Going Green,” symbolising both mental health awareness and NSLHD’s commitment to planetary health. New for 2024 was the Wellbeing Champion Award, acknowledging team members who prioritise wellbeing and foster supportive
environments for psychosocial safety. Anthony Schembri, Chief Executive, NSLHD, expressed admiration for the dedication and compassion of the MHDA teams. “With 42 nominations from consumers or their carers, there is no clearer indication of the exemplary service that MHDA provides to those that access your support,” he said. “Seeing the extraordinary dedication across our MHDA teams, it’s clear that this work changes lives. The compassion and commitment of every nominee make our community stronger.”
Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Service reward and recognition winners
Staff Member of the Year
Aarthi Pathmanandavel
Paula Hanlon
Staff Member of the Year - Consumer/Carer Nominated
Manager of the Year
Natasha Sharma
Support Service
LNS CYMHS Admin Team
LNS Assertive Outreach Team
Collaborative Team
Lavender House
Collaborative Team - Consumer/Carer
Inclusive Practice
Helen Gardner
Quality, Improvement and Innovation
Richard Berman
Aine Coary, Sarah Blakemore, Maxine Jackson, Sammy Lee, Sabrina Symonds, Gina Ho, Dr Richard Gray, Tamara Northey
Unsung Hero
Kat Smith, Josie Jiao and Michelle Wong
Wellbeing Champion
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and Alcohol Awards
Master of Ceremonies, Richmond Reid with MHDA Director, Andrea Taylor
Chief Executive Anthony Schembri (left) with Child Youth Mental Health Services Admin Team
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NORTH STAR VNP’s first board meeting
Foundational steps for Australia’s premier cancer clinical trials centre
NORTH STAR VNP held its inaugural advisory board meeting with NSLHD Chief Executive Anthony Schembri, bringing together a diverse collection of members from business, health and the media to ensure the centre’s success. The clinical trials and research centre was launched in August following a $20 million donation from the late Kay Van Norton Poche and her husband Greg. It is set to dramatically increase access to the latest international cancer trials, improving patient outcomes and offering hope to families across the country. The centre is a partnership between the district and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre (MSKCC) in New York, and will be based across both Royal North Shore and North Shore Private hospitals. NORTH STAR medical director Professor Stephen Clarke said the advisory board will support the operation of the innovative centre, offering strategic advice and high-level guidance. “We are tremendously fortunate to have such an experienced and diverse collection of board members who will provide strong governance, while also sharing their business, health and communications expertise,” he said.
“It is this experience which will help ensure we’re able to support patients across Australia, both in metropolitan and regional areas, and significantly widen opportunities. “The centre is expected to become a national leader, attracting the brightest minds and driving innovation in the delivery of cancer care. “Early discussions have centred around the importance of meeting with regional and international partners, and the importance of the Single Digital Patient Record, data security and data sovereignty. “The advisory board discussed the strategic plans for the next 12 months through to the next decade.” Three initial clinical trials with MSKCC are set to commence within months to improve outcomes for people with head and neck cancers, breast cancers and upper gastric cancers. NORTH STAR is expected to increase survival rates for Australians living with cancer and accelerate the work already underway at NSLHD and other premier institutes. Australians can support the centre by donating to the NORTH Foundation at northfoundation.org.au/northstar
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uniform swap aims to minimise waste Staff can now swap uniforms they no longer need, in a new planetary health initiative.
sustainability goals, which include reducing the environmental footprint of healthcare operations and advocating for greener practices within the workplace. For more information and to access the uniform swap page, visit: https://bit.ly/4f0EWDq
This program enables staff members to exchange uniforms they no longer require, fostering a sustainable approach to managing work attire. This initiative addresses the pressing
concern regarding the environmental impact of discarded uniforms, many of which remain in excellent condition yet are no longer utilised. By providing a platform for staff to donate or swap uniforms, NSLHD is championing a circular economy Working in RNSH, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) data manager Grace Leith, has successfully spearheaded initial swaps on the intranet. “The swap page has proven to be an effective means of repurposing our uniforms both within and beyond the ICU,” she said. within the workplace. “This initiative is a vital step towards sustainable practice in healthcare.” All staff members across the district can participate in the swap, which will occur regularly. Early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with the opportunity to save money while contributing to an environmentally responsible initiative. The Uniform Swap is integral to NSLHD’s broader employees expressing appreciation for
Kyla Wilson, ICU Ward Clerk, and Grace Leith, ANZICS Data Manager, ICU, Royal North Shore Hospital.
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Professor Tom Eade
Data-driven approach to radiation oncology Fifteen years ago, when Professor Tom Eade began working at Royal North Shore Hospital
effects of radiation treatment, an area of particular interest to the radiation therapy community. “It’s quite hard for most clinicians to report because if you cure a patient, they don’t tend to turn up after five years and obviously, if you haven’t cured them, then it’s sometimes hard to work out what was the cancer and what was the radiation treatment,” said Tom. With a strong database, the department can more easily enrol patients in multicentre studies and run their own in-house research. Recent successes include completing a 500-patient prostate cancer study comparing treatment durations, and a breast cancer study focused on shorter fractionation periods for radiation therapy. Tom says there is very little strong clinical trial data on how to do palliative radiation well, but the departmenthas nearly completed one study and is halfway through another. “We’ve really moved towards having studies which use a lot of patient reports about how they think things went, rather than historically where the clinician would grade outcomes and say whether it’s good or bad,” he said. Tom has seen huge changes in radiation oncology in the last 20 years, often connected to technological shifts. RNSH’s focus on data-driven studies, combined with robust research in the basic sciences, aims to push the boundaries of radiation oncology in a structured, evidence-based manner.
(RNSH) as a radiation oncologist, he was eager to set up a solid system to collect patient data for research. He’d been inspired by the approach to cancer research he’d seen during his fellowship in the United States. “There was a lot of interest in collecting clinical trial data and evidence-based practice,” he said. Today, the department boasts a sophisticated system that helps doctors and highly skilled staff run a range of pioneering studies to improve cancer treatment and patient outcomes. A focused approach to collecting patient data means doctors and staff can run real- time audits of the approximately 1,000 patients treated at the centre each year. “We use the data to help understand where we need to do better for our patients, which educates us in future trial design, and which studies we should recruit to,” he said. Aside from running data-driven studies, Tom says the department also has a long history of being strong in the technical aspects of cancer treatments due to ongoing basic scientific research. “We’re getting better imaging of the cancer, and we’ve got better technology for delivering and planning the radiation,” he said. The data collected at RNSH encompasses not just cancer outcomes but also the side
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Dr Alison Blazey
Dr Alison Blazey on Addiction Support in Northern Sydney Dr Alison Blazey is an addiction psychiatrist with the Northern Sydney Drug and Alcohol Service (NSDAS), which provides free an injury can develop a dependence if they begin enjoying the effects of opioids and request more prescriptions, even after they no longer need them for the original reason.” Alison said that once dependency becomes
inpatient and outpatient services at Royal North Shore Hospital’s Community Health Centre. In a recent interview with North Shore Living , Alison shared her insights on drug and alcohol addiction, particularly opioid dependence. “We see professionals who no one would ever guess have been struggling with addiction or opioid dependence,” said Alison who specialises in opioid addiction. “There are many legitimate reasons why people are exposed to opioids, and dependency can start when they’ve been taking them for chronic pain. “For example, people with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, migraines, endometriosis, or those recovering from
problematic, individuals often seek help from their GP or are referred to the opioid treatment clinic for management. The NSDAS provides crucial support through both free services and partnerships with private facilities, ensuring a comprehensive approach to addiction treatment across Northern Sydney, particularly on the North Shore and Northern Beaches. “Addiction can affect anyone—people from all walks of life—and it impacts their families and friends,” said Alison. “But lives can be transformed when individuals reach out for help. The earlier they do, the better the outcome.”
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RNSH Scientific Staff Council award recipients
strengthening our discovery and clinical research community
Close to a dozen fascinating presentations were delivered during the RNSH Scientific Staff Council’s research forum, highlighting the scope of research across the district. The presentations focused on the latest discoveries into bowel and breast cancer, the growing link between sleep apnea and heart disease, and neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease. There was a focus too on the significant effects of multiple medications and standard frailty screening for older hospital patients. Chair Dr Sumit Sahni said it was encouraging to see the staff council’s membership had grown this year to nearly 200 members as the council stepped up its support for researchers. “This year we were able to secure financial support for national and international travel opportunities as well as targeted assistance,” he said. “I would like to thank the executive committee who generously offered their time to strengthen our research community and extend our capacity. “Ultimately, this is ensuring that we broaden our influence on the management of
conditions and extend the range of high- quality, accessible care.” Awards were announced recognising research excellence across the campus. Clinical research impact awards were presented to ICU staff specialist A/Professor Anthony Delaney and Dr Saurab Sharma from the Pain Management and Research Centre. Drug and Alcohol Research Co-ordinator Lauren Monds took out the basic science award, while ICU Research Manager Fran Bass won the professional award. Higher degree research awards went to cardiovascular researcher Sritharan Hari, while two outstanding achievement awards were presented to emergency medicine researcher Christopher Partyka and Erica Martin from Mental Health Drug and Alcohol. It was a good year for A/Prof Delaney who also received the best clinical publication gong, while cancer biologist Nunki Hasan received the best discovery research publication award. Dr Sahni said these awards highlight an extraordinary commitment to patient care and community health.
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Sally McIntosh Honoured for health information week Sally McIntosh, District Health Information Services Manager, has been recognised with the Health Information Management Association of Australia 2024 Award for Impactful Professional Practice. This peer-nominated award celebrates individuals making significant contributions to the field of Health Information Management (HIM). Sally’s recognition stems from her establishment of the NSW Health HIM Leadership Group, a statewide collaborative
“I feel very honoured to win this award,” she said.
forum for health information managers across local Health Districts. The group enables information sharing, standardisation, and process improvements across HIS operations, with a strong focus on preparing for the Single Digital Patient Record. Sally outlined that she was very proud to receive the award but that her work is a group effort. Conference Centre (NSECC) has welcomed a new art exhibition to celebrate Mental Health Month. The centre, which is based on the Macquarie Hospital campus, features an art gallery within it called the Insideout Gallery. Since 2009, the gallery has collaborated with the hospital’s rehabilitation program team and has hosted over 30 art exhibitions during that time. In its most recent instalment, the gallery welcomed the exhibit “Through Art, We Speak” to mark the beginning of Mental Health Month. The work in the exhibit was created
Sally Mcintosh with her award
celebrating mental health month through art The Northern Sydney Education &
Cornucopia Art Group teacher Neville Dawson said it was exciting to welcome back an exhibition to gallery after a break due to the coronavirus pandemic. “It’s fantastic to see the gallery looking as good as ever after a hiatus due to the pandemic,” he said. “The gallery is a wonderful space for artists to display their work and have it enjoyed by all who attend events here at NSECC.” The exhibition will run until March 2025 and can be visited by consumers at the hospital, staff and the general public.
by mental health drug and alcohol consumers and the local Cornucopia Art Group, who reflected on their own experiences and sharing these through art. The exhibition features work that aims to raise awareness, promote understanding, and encourage conversations about mental health. Art teacher and mentor of the
Jasmine Steven (Arts Worker & Curator of the InsideOut Gallery), Sebastian Salvo (Macquarie Hospital consumer and artist) and Paula Hanlon (longest- serving Peer Support Worker in the NSW public health sector and artist)
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