Chief Executive COVID-19 Update: 12 August

Message from the Chief Executive

As of today, we have:

• No COVID-19 positive inpatients
• No employees with COVID-19
• 11 employees in precautionary quarantine

In this update, we cover:

• Acknowledgement for the head of Monash Heart
• Aged Care Employee Day
• Expanding wellbeing content
• Register for the Monash Children’s Hospital Walk
• Countdown to Accreditation
• Has your electrical equipment been tested and tagged?
• Check-in everywhere and every time you use shared spaces
• Meet the team who helped upgrade the way we power MMC
• Stay on the safe side – get your flu shot today
• Have your say on the Disability Action Plan
• Special guests at our Employee Forums

Yesterday, the Premier announced a seven-day extension of the current lockdown restrictions, to contain the spread of the Delta COVID-19 variant.

An extension to lockdown will be challenging for many. Please check in with your colleagues and yourself, to make sure you are doing OK at this difficult time. Please remember that we have a range of support available to help, including our Call a Psychologist service, our Employee Assistance Program, and a range of resources to support your physical and mental wellbeing. Visit the Health and wellbeing section of the COVID-19 website for more information.

300,000 – it’s a big number and one that our vaccination teams have just passed – from the first COVID-19 vaccination in Victoria, received by Professor Rhonda Stuart, to the booked-out sessions we are now managing at our vaccination centres – it is a remarkable achievement.

I also want to thank some of those behind the scenes – each of the 300,000 doses was drawn up individually by a member of the Pharmacy team. Thank you to Associate Professor Sue Kirsa, Director of Pharmacy and Tom Chynoweth, Deputy Director of Pharmacy, and your teams for their dedication to getting every dose right.

On Friday, we published the opening of additional appointments at Sandown Racecourse and Cranbourne Turf Club to employees, ahead of the public announcement. We will attempt to do this regularly, to help you and your eligible family members secure vaccination appointments. Availability is limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. Eligibility can be checked here.

We look forward to communicating future appointment releases every one to two weeks via iNews, so regularly check the intranet or coronavirus website.

We know people are taking full advantage of these new appointments, particularly since the announcement that Astra Zeneca would be available to 18 to 39-year-olds. The Premier reported the younger age cohort was booking in at a rate of one every seven seconds on Monday! The demand is certainly there, and as the Chief Health Officer, Professor Brett Sutton, keeps reminding us, the best vaccine is the one you can get today.

For those who are vaccinated, if you have any queries about your vaccination record, please let us know and fill in the Monash Health COVID-19 Vaccination Queries Form so we can investigate and update your information.

Acknowledgment for the head of Monash Heart
I am pleased to share that Director of Monash Heart, Professor Stephen Nicholls, has been announced as the next President of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.   The Society is the professional body for cardiologists and those working in the area of cardiology, including researchers, scientists, cardiovascular nurses, allied health professionals and other healthcare workers.

This appointment reinforces the high calibre of people we have in our cardiac team and working towards bringing the Victorian Heart Hospital to life. Congratulations Steve.

Aged Care Employee Day
If the last year has taught us anything, it’s the importance of the challenging and often unsung work of our aged care employees. They have been front and centre during this pandemic, looking after our most vulnerable community members. Over the weekend, we acknowledged Aged Care Employee Day and our teams’ resiliency and hard work. I would like to add my personal thanks for the excellent care our aged, and residential care teams provide.

Thank you to everyone at Monash Health for your ongoing care at a time when your community needs you more than ever.

Andrew Stripp
Chief Executive

Key messages

Expanding wellbeing content
You now have access to Flourish eMagazine, a monthly health and wellbeing magazine published by our EAP provider, Converge International. The eMagazine offers advice on supporting your health and wellbeing.   Flourish is available on our coronavirus website, along with a range of other wellbeing resources, on the Health and Wellbeing page under Peer support networks / online resources and courses.

The August edition includes material on maintaining a positive mindset.

Register for the Monash Children’s Hospital Walk
After years as an in-person event, the Walk for Monash Children’s Hospital will be a virtual event this August.  The Winter Walk asks participants to walk 10,000 steps per day over 21-30 August, aiming for a target of 100,000 over the ten days.

You can register here for free. Sign up before 16 August for the chance to win a $1,000 Westfield voucher. 

Countdown to Accreditation
You’ll see our communication about National Standards Accreditation ramp up again as we head into the final month of preparation. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the accreditation team, speak to your manager, or visit our accreditation website.

Has your electrical equipment been tested and tagged?
Please ensure electrical equipment in your area is appropriately tested and tagged. Read more about checking your areas, following three simple practices, and how to get your electrical equipment tested and tagged here.

Check-in everywhere and every time you use shared spaces
Please ensure you check-in everywhere and every time you use shared spaces at Monash Health, including change rooms, break rooms, on-site cafés, offices, meeting rooms, and shared desk spaces.

Look for the Victorian Government’s QR code service posters and use your phone and the Services Victoria app to check-in to our shared spaces, as you would when visiting any public location.  For more information, including FAQs, visit the shared spaces page on the COVID-19 employee website.

Meet the team who helped upgrade the way we power MMC

This week’s STAR Award winner was a project team who upgraded the way we power Monash Medical Centre.   Congratulations to the Electrical Infrastructure Project team, announced as winners in the Exceptional Teamwork category at the Employee Forum this week. Read more about their work here.

Stay on the safe side – get your flu shot today
The past 18 months have taught us that we cannot be complacent when it comes to illnesses that threaten our community. Before COVID-19 arrived, 2019 was one of the worst flu seasons on record in Australia, with over 800 deaths.

Flu vaccination is a safe and easy step we can take to protect ourselves, our patients and the community. Find out where you can get your free flu shot here.   If you have had your flu shot elsewhere or are not participating, you must fill out the online declaration form by Friday 13 August.

Have your say on the Disability Action Plan
We have started consultation on the Monash Health Disability Action Plan. The consultation process, which is open until the end of the month, will allow us to listen and better understand the needs of our employees, volunteers and the community, who either have or support someone with a disability.

Please have your say via a focus group, interviews or completing a survey, so that we can ensure we are a safe, accessible, welcoming and inclusive health service for all.

Special guests at our Employee Forums
We have some special guest speakers coming up at our Tuesday Employee Forums. Keep an eye out for details of when you can tune in to hear Internationally renowned infectious diseases expert and Director of the Doherty Institute, Professor Sharon Lewin AO, Victorian COVID Commander, Jeroen Weimar, and more.