Chief Executive Update – 20 September 2022

As of today, we have:  

• 33 COVID-19 positive inpatients
• 25 employees with COVID-19
• 3 employees in precautionary quarantine
• 5 employees who are primary close contacts and working under public health exemption

 In this update, we cover:

• Vale Aunty Margaret Gardiner and Uncle Jack Charles
• National Day of Mourning for Queen Elizabeth II
• New services take shape
• Adjusting our settings
• New rostering and timekeeping system launches 28 September 2022
• Pay-as-you-go carparking is coming
• Research and Academic Excellence Empower Discovery – the latest in our research video series

Vale Aunty Margaret Gardiner and Uncle Jack Charles

Over the last month, Monash Health and the broader Victorian community have suffered the loss of two beloved and revered Elders, Aunty Margaret Gardiner and Uncle Jack Charles.  

National Day of Mourning for Queen Elizabeth II

Thank you for your patience and support as we head into this short and unusual week, where many in the community will mark the National Day of Mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

In line with Department of Health advice, we will continue, as much as possible, to maintain our usual clinical services on Thursday 22 September 2022.

We have more than 1,500 patients with scheduled appointments, whose bookings will proceed as planned. Like all other health services, rosters and patient lists had been scheduled for this day in advance of the Prime Minister’s announcement. To rebook these numbers would have involved a considerable wait for these patients.

All employees rostered and required to work on 22 September will receive public holiday benefits in line with the applicable Enterprise Agreement.

If you have questions or concerns, please speak to your manager.

New services take shape

We recently established a service to provide comprehensive assessment and support services to youngsters at risk of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). The Jacana Clinic opened at the Monash Children’s Hospital and is the first in Victoria to provide very young children with tailored services for those affected by alcohol in utero.

In recent weeks, we have also worked to help with the establishment of the GP-led paediatric respiratory clinic at Monash Children’s Hospital, started a trial twilight service at Dandenong Satellite Dialysis Unit, and expanded our Virtual ED service. Virtual ED now offers care 24 hours, seven days a week, and is supported by our partners at Alfred Health and Peninsula Health. To date, the Monash Health team has cared for over 1,300 patients, with three in four of them able to remain in their own home, provided with alternative care options, without the need for transport to hospital.

I would like to congratulate the teams involved in this often fast-paced, complex work with many partners involved.

Adjusting our settings

Last week we reviewed the settings for our employees, patients and visitors, with these updates now in effect. You will have noticed that we are carefully considering and adjusting our COVID-related settings to fit with the kinds of risks we need to manage in a health service.

New rostering and timekeeping system launches 28 September 2022

UKG Dimensions is our new rostering and timekeeping system, replacing Monash Health’s current version of Kronos. Make sure you are familiar with the dates and tasks you need to complete in UKG Dimensions and the current Kronos system before 23 September 2022.

Use the Getting Started section of the UKG Knowledge Hub to access your online training, simulation exercises, and support resources:

• UKG Dimensions training for Employees
• UKG Dimensions training for Managers
• UKG Dimensions training for Self-scheduling (request roster) Managers and Employees

Pay-as-you-go carparking is coming

Early in 2023, we plan to make changes to the way employees pay for carparking. Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) carparking will charge carpark users based on actual use, creating a fairer payment system for all employees.

You can now find details of the PAYG business rules, plus a copy of the Change Impact Statement and FAQs, on the employee COVID-19 website. Tune into today’s Employee Forum to hear more about this important change.

I invite you to take a look at the Change Impact Statement and provide your feedback to the project team.

The initial round of feedback will be accepted until 26 September 2022.

Watch: Research and Academic Excellence Empower Discovery 

Excellence in healthcare doesn’t happen by chance; it takes many people working together across the research, education, translation and clinical continuum.

Harnessing the knowledge of our Medical, Nursing, Midwifery, Allied Health and clinical trial teams and partnering with our patients and research partners empower our teams to push the frontiers of discovery.

Watch the video and hear from our clinician-researchers how exceptional care relies on research and research relies on collaborations across teams. 

Thank you, as always, for the work that you do for our patients, community and each other. For those taking time off over these school holidays, I wish you a safe and restful time. For footy fans, enjoy the Grand Final.

Professor Andrew Stripp
Chief Executive