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
NSLHDNEWS | ISSUE 22| 15 NOVEMBER 2024
2
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online