The Employee COVID-19 Hotline was set up in March 2020 as an additional support service for Monash Health employees and volunteers who have questions or concerns about COVID-19.
Since then, the volume of calls has significantly increased – from an initial average of 70 calls per day to 260, the highest daily average since going live.
In response to the growing demand, earlier this month the hotline underwent a network upgrade and as a result, its number changed. The upgrade now allows the team to operate with greater efficiency during peak periods and provide an improved user experience.
Mel Watson, COVID-19 Employee Hotline & Projects Manager, said that the decision to upgrade to Cisco Webex has been well received by the team, improving their capacity for call backs, monitoring of call volumes and accessibility.
The transition is one of many challenges the Employee Hotline team has faced since the hotline launch, with the ever-changing COVID-19 landscape requiring ongoing flexibility as they adapted to new guidelines and restrictions.
Despite the challenges faced, the team continue to support each other and remain connected, allowing them to foster a great team environment.
Mel explained that the hotline team comprises of clinicians from a variety of backgrounds including those from emergency, theatre, ICU and vaccination.
Their hard work has not gone unnoticed, with the team receiving a great deal of positive feedback from across the organisation:
- “The clear and concise information and support given by the hotline made it much easier to navigate this stressful time for our household.”
- “Thank you for the calls during my furlough, I actually looked forward to them.”
- “Thank you to the team who made it a positive experience.”
When asked if the team had any reminders for employees, Mel shared the following helpful tips:
- “Please avoid waiting until you get to the front door with a failed attestation before you contact the team.”
- “If you’re on furlough, please keep us updated. If you are unavailable at the time we call, a call back is always appreciated.”
- “With the reduction in the restrictions, please continue to be vigilant, if symptomatic do not attend work and get tested.”
To contact the Monash Health COVID-19 Employee Hotline call 8572 5610.
For more information on the hotline, please visit the Monash Health COVID-19 employee website.
Thank you to the Employee COVID-19 Hotline team for your ongoing commitment, adaptability and support during this time.
Approved by Stuart Cavill.