Chief Executive COVID-19 Update: 2 June

Message from the Chief Executive

As of today, we have:

• No COVID-19 positive inpatients
• One employee with COVID-19 (not acquired at work and no workplace exposure risk)
• 34 employees in precautionary quarantine

In this update, we cover:

• Register for casual shifts as part of the COVID-19 vaccination workforce
• Ensure you are up to date with our PPE requirements
• Accreditation assessment deferred
• Looking after yourself, your colleagues and your family
• Residential Aged Care vaccination update
• Quarantine hotels
• Have you had your flu vaccination?
• Working Remotely update
• Tax appeal aim
• This week’s STAR winner
• Complete your Workplace Inspections in Protect
• BI Portal update
• Outstanding Employee Workplace Declarations – time for action

I continue to be incredibly proud of the way our people respond to the changing circumstances. The response to the current lockdown and corresponding changes we’ve rapidly implemented has been remarkable and a credit to all.

Monash Health’s South East Public Health Unit is heavily involved in contact tracing and case management of the current outbreak. Under the guidance of Professor Rhonda Stuart, the team currently has oversight of a number of cases and exposure sites.

Over the weekend, we opened an additional pop-up drive-through screening clinic at Cheltenham, extended the opening hours of our existing clinics, and expanded the capacity at our existing sites to help meet increased demand. My thanks to our screening clinic teams, who completed close to 14,000 tests in a week – and to our pathology teams, who are processing them.

We’ve also seen a significant spike in demand at our high-volume COVID-19 vaccination centres at Cranbourne and Sandown, and we are working to increase capacity soon. Yesterday, our COVID-19 vaccination clinics conducted 5,000 vaccinations with over 1,800 at each of these high-volume centres.

All Monash Health employees are eligible for vaccination. You can book at any one of our clinics or attend our vaccination centres at Cranbourne and Sandown, where you can show your employee ID for priority access.

Thank you to so many of you who have already had both of your shots. Remember, if you have had your first vaccination, you are only halfway there.

Thank you also to our vaccination teams for their outstanding work, managing the demand, and keeping people safe. We are grateful for the vital work you are doing.

Get involved in the vaccination program
With this unprecedented demand, you may have seen our call for people to get involved in the vaccination program and work additional shifts. There are many roles open to Monash Health employees, including medical, nursing, and allied health students. You can find out more about the roles and then register with ShiftMatch once you’ve spoken with your manager.

If you know of external people keen to get involved, materials are also available on our careers website.

Reconciliation Week
Yesterday at our Employee Forum, I enjoyed the yarn between Monash Health Board Director and proud Gunditjmara woman, Associate Professor Misty Jenkins, and our new Director Aboriginal Health, Kenton Winsley.

Kenton joined our Aboriginal Health team in April. He is from a remote community in the Northern Territory and worked for the Department of Health as a Senior Advisor and health commissioner for the Northern Territory liquor commission. Kenton brings experience as a registered Aboriginal Health Practitioner, registered paramedic and a registered nurse. Welcome Kenton.

Misty took the time to remind us that true reconciliation is about the steps everyone can take, and we know we have a long way to go to achieve it. She also thanked us for continuing to ask our patients the important question about their cultural identity.

I had the pleasure of hearing from Wurrundjeri Elder Aunty Georgina Nicholson for a Welcome to Country last week, at the start of our Reconciliation Week celebrations.

I would like to share the words of one attendee, who commented, “Aunty Georgina, thank you for sharing your history and story. We can hear the heartbeat of your people through your words.”

People Matter
While accreditation has been deferred, there is another insight into our organisation’s performance which will start next week. The Victorian Public Sector’s employee opinion survey, People Matter, will open. The anonymous survey provides an opportunity to have your say on your experience of working at Monash Health.  Watch out for the details and links coming to you and take the time to share your opinions.

Andrew Stripp
Chief Executive

Key Messages

Register for casual shifts as part of the COVID-19 vaccination workforce
We are seeking applications from part-time Monash Health superstars who wish to apply for casual shifts at any of our vaccination clinics.

There are a range of positions available, from concierge and administration to COVID-19 immunisers. These roles are open to Monash Health employees, including medical, nursing and allied health students.

If you or any of your colleagues are interested, find out more about the roles and the process for registering with ShiftMatch once you’ve spoken with your manager regarding suitable shifts.

If you know anyone outside Monash Health who would like to work at our vaccination centres, they can also apply by visiting the Monash Health careers page.

Ensure you are up to date with our PPE requirements
Different levels of PPE are required depending on the care you are delivering.  Please review and share our PPE Compulsory Standards and ensure you’re always using the correct PPE for the situation.

Accreditation assessment deferred
Due to COVID-safe restrictions and the seven-day lockdown in Victoria, Monash Health’s National Standards accreditation survey scheduled for 7-11 June 2021 has been deferred.

We are working with the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) to reschedule our accreditation survey as soon as possible and will update you when new dates are set.

If you have any questions or would like more information about our National Standards accreditation, please contact us.

Looking after yourself, your colleagues and your family
As COVID-19 restrictions come back into force, you may experience anxiety or stress.   We care about your mental health and wellbeing and are committed to supporting you throughout this uncertain time, with a wide range of resources found on the Health and Wellbeing page on the Monash Health COVID-19 website.

If you notice that someone is not doing well, it’s important to check in and remind them of the services we have available.

Residential Aged Care vaccination update
With the recent community focus on residential aged care vaccine rollouts, I can reassure you that the programme of vaccinations at Monash Health residential aged care facilities has been extremely well co-ordinated.

Of the residents who have consented to receive the vaccine, 91% have received both doses of the vaccine. There are a small number waiting to receive their second dose, and some new residents awaiting their first.

“Residential Care Facility Managers at each site worked closely with families and the community vaccination teams to engage early with residents, families, and carers about the vaccine rollout.”

– Andrew Perta, General Manager Residential Aged Care

Quarantine hotels
Based on Victorian Department of Health advice, we are revising our policy regarding admitting patients and employees on-site if they have recently exited hotel quarantine, either as an employee or occupant.

If a person has been outside of hotel quarantine for at least seven days AND has evidence of a negative COVID-19 test taken two days prior to entry, they can enter our sites.

This replaces previous advice that nobody was allowed to enter a site until they had been outside of hotel quarantine for at least 14 days.

Have you had your flu vaccination yet?
Monash Health offers free flu vaccination to all employees, and we encourage you to participate. Flu vaccination is quick, easy and safe. Please remember to leave two weeks between your COVID-19 and flu vaccinations.

If you have received your flu vaccination elsewhere or are not participating, you must complete the Flu Vaccination Declaration. More information and details of where you can get your flu vaccination can be found here.

Working Remotely update
Note: under the current circuit breaker lockdown, where it is operationally viable to perform your role remotely, you should do so. However, remote working arrangements must be approved by your manager.

A number of pilot spaces for shared working have been identified in E Block at Clayton and at the Scoresby site. While we will be looking at other sites into the future, these two locations have been identified as the priority sites for the pilot program.

Monash Health has engaged with architects who have extensive experience in contemporary workplace settings to create a design brief for these pilot spaces. We will then be looking at how we translate this across Monash Health. Read more here.

Tax appeal aims to take skills and drills into the F.A.S.T. lane
The Monash Health Foundation has launched its tax-time community appeal, focusing on critical skills training in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

The appeal will raise funds to create the Monash Children’s Frontline Advanced Skills Training (F.A.S.T.) suite. Learn more here.

Acing their audit – read about our NDIS Program, STAR winners this quarter
At yesterday’s employee forum, I presented the STAR Award for In Pursuit of Excellence to Monash Health Community’s National Disability Insurance Scheme Program team.

The Community NDIS Program recently underwent its first accreditation audit for NDIS services, which they passed with flying colours! Read more about how the team prepared here.

If you know someone who deserves to be recognised, visit the STAR Portal and nominate them today! For more information about our STAR Program, you can visit the Monash Health COVID-19 website.

Complete your Workplace Inspections in Protect.
Workplace Inspections are a vital and mandatory component of your OHS responsibilities. They help provide:

• Regular opportunities to identify issues of concern and start actions to put suitable controls in place to reduce risk;
• A safe environment for all employees, patients, visitors, volunteers and contractors;
• A quarterly process to ensure that hazards are identified and addressed promptly.
• A method of ensuring hazards identified last quarter have been actioned.

Quick Guides are available on the Safety Intranet Page. Thank you to everyone who has already completed their Workplace Inspection.

BI Portal Access update
The Business Intelligence team is undertaking a review of BI Portal access, to ensure employees have access to data relevant to their roles. This work is currently underway and may have impacted your BI Portal access.

During this time, if you need access to particular dashboards to continue to perform your role, you can request access by completing the MBI Data Access form. When completing the form, please state the reason you need access to the requested data.

Outstanding Employee Workplace Declarations – time for action
If you haven’t completed your employee or student declaration form, please do it today.

Monash Health requires all employees and students to complete an Employee Workplace Declaration form in line with a directive from the Public Health Commander under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008. This requirement is an essential element of the State’s pandemic preparedness and response.

The declaration enables us to have a record of where all our employees work, whether solely for Monash Health or across multiple organisations. This includes working from home. Voluntary work also needs to be declared.

Employee workplace declaration

Student workplace declaration