Message from the Chief Executive
As of today, we have:
- No COVID-19 positive inpatients.
- Four employees in precautionary quarantine.
In this update, we cover:
- New Emergency Department opens at Monash Medical Centre
- Respiratory Protection Program update
- Vaccination update
- New and improved Accreditation resources
- ‘Managing at Monash’ series – building confidence and knowledge
- New Monash Health Foundation Community Appeal – Eating disorders don’t discriminate
- Monash Health Dental Services Team launches Drive-through Dental Screening
- Our first Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine recipient shares his insights
Queensland and New South Wales exposure sites
The Chief Health Officer has designated Greater Brisbane (City of Brisbane, City of Ipswich, Logan City, Moreton Bay Region, Redlands City) as a red zone. The Gladstone Region in Queensland and Byron Shire in NSW are orange zones. These instances are a reminder that COVID-19 is very much part of our lives, and we must remain vigilant.
If you have visited any of these areas, please read our guidance for employees here.
New Emergency Department opens at Monash Medical Centre
On Sunday, Acting Premier James Merlino and Minister for Health Martin Foley officially opened our new Emergency Department at Monash Medical Centre.
The redevelopment of this busy emergency department while maintaining safe emergency services on-site would be a challenging project at any time. Add the pressures of a pandemic, and you have a remarkable achievement we can all be proud of.
Our patients and employees will benefit from the new 35-bed emergency department, which forms part of a $76.3 million expansion and traffic improvement project. A new triage entrance, nine resuscitation bays, and pandemic negative airflow capability ensure delivery of safe and timely care. The purpose-built and dedicated calming space for families, where children can be treated, means emergency trips will be considerably less anxious for children.
With the upgrade of our existing emergency department expected to commence in April and complete in mid-2022, an additional 24 emergency department beds and ten short-stay beds will be added, enabling Monash Health to treat 46,000 more patients each year. The redevelopment will also improve ambulance access, with significant traffic works on track to be completed late this year.
I want to congratulate David Ballantyne, Executive Director, Capital and Infrastructure and his team on delivering a world-class emergency department. Not only will it serve our growing south-east community well into the future, but it will also provide comfort and reassurance at a time when our patients need it most. You can read more about the official opening here.
Respiratory Protection Program update
The Monash Health Respiratory Protection Program (RPP) is well underway, and I encourage all eligible employees to participate. Ensuring the best fit for respiratory protective equipment is the safest way to protect yourself from workplace respiratory hazards, including airborne infectious agents, dust, and other particles.
Fit-testing clinics are located at Casey Hospital, Clayton Medical Centre, Dandenong Hospital, Moorabbin Hospital, and the Kingston Centre. Find out more about the program, your eligibility and priority order for fit testing and how to book an appointment here.
Book your vaccination appointment today
Every Monash Health employee, including those working from home, can be vaccinated against COVID-19 at any of our vaccination clinics. The current outbreaks are a timely reminder that COVID-19 is still present in Australia. Our hard work has brought us to this point, but vaccination will be our best form of defence against COVID-19.
Vaccination is progressing quickly. We will soon open up appointments beyond healthcare workers and aged care residents to include the subsequent Phase 1b recipients, including the public. Please don’t wait to book, or you may face delays in receiving your vaccination.
Take action to protect yourself and those you care for – call 8572 2156 to book your vaccination.
The Employee Vaccination Booking Line is open Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 6.00pm, and Saturday to Sunday, 9.00am to 4.00pm.
Please discuss suitable times with your manager before booking your appointment.
If you have any queries, you can call the Employee Vaccination Enquiries Line on 9594 5815 for advice before booking, or visit coronavirus.monashhealth.org/vaccination.
Thank you to everyone who has taken the vital step of getting vaccinated.
Andrew Stripp
Chief Executive
Key Messages
New and improved Accreditation resources
To help you get accreditation-ready, we have new and improved accreditation checklists for doctors, clinicians, non-clinical employees and managers. Remember, many of these checklists’ actions should be undertaken every day to ensure we continue to deliver safe, timely, effective and person-centred care.
Preparing for accreditation is also about ensuring you feel confident and comfortable when you meet the assessors in June. That’s why we have developed speaking with assessors guides, including area-specific sample assessor questions that you may be asked during accreditation week from 7 to 11 June 2021.
Find these resources and more on the employee resources page of our Accreditation website. Download them, print them out, discuss them with your teams and pin them on your employee noticeboards.
Managing at Monash series – building confidence and knowledge
We’re taking bookings now for the new ‘Managing at Monash’ series, designed to help managers build their knowledge and confidence in the first 18 months of a management role. The series focuses on People Management, Occupational Health and Safety, Finance, Quality and Improvement. Places are limited and booking fast. Find out more here.
Eating disorders don’t discriminate
Each year, Monash Health cares for a large number of children with eating disorders. A new community appeal, run by the Monash Health Foundation, is raising funds to help create a specialist mental health service for adolescents with eating disorders. The service will support the young person in a hospital setting for a short time while things become stabilised. They can continue their recovery at home with the care of their family and extended network. You can visit the appeal website to find out more or read about this vital service here.
Monash Health Dental Services Team launches Drive-through Dental Screening
The public dental health system is in high demand, and with COVID-19 impacting people’s ability to get to their check-ups, our Dental Service Team swung a unique service into gear on World Oral Health Day. The innovative drive-through screening service, designed to deliver exceptional service to our community, certainly gives everyone a reason to be proud of their mouth and smile. Read more and smile with the image gallery here.
Our first Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine recipient shares his insights
With COVID-19 vaccines remaining the focus of many conversations, we wanted to share more of our people’s experiences and help those who are wondering what to expect. We recently spoke with Tim Clark, Nursing Co-ordinator at Moorabbin Hospital’s Monash Cancer Centre, our first employee to receive the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine. Find out what Tim had to say about his experiences here.
All managers are requested to share these updates with their teams and discuss at stand-ups and handovers. Please print a copy and display it in communication books and on employee noticeboards.
As advice and information evolve, please consult the latest updates and visit the Department of Health and Human Services and Monash Health COVID-19 website for employees regularly for the latest.