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Mater Annual Report 19-20In transitioningto oneorganisation,we believeMater hasgreateropportunitiesand influenceto sustain itsMission.Dr Ricki JefferyChair, Mercy Partner CouncilMessage fromMercy PartnersIn a year that has been unexpected in many ways, therehas been one consistent theme—change. The impactof COVID-19 on our staff, public hospital services, privatehospital services, residential aged care and Mater atHome services has been immense. We have had to quicklyadapt to a whole new way of working and living and oursincere thanks go to all Mater People for your strengthand commitment to keeping our community safe in anenvironment that has been challenging for us all.Other emerging themes have been those of a communionof ministries and a communion of charisms.Mercy Partners Council promotes the idea of a communionof charisms to inspire people working in the Ministriesto both understand and embrace their roles withinthe Church. It is the responsibility of Mercy Partners toensure that all leaders continue the work of the ReligiousCongregations charisms and to encourage collaborationand positive relationships between Ministries.In line with these themes, Mercy Partners was delightedto see the progress made by Mater in working towards itstransition to one organisation. Our appointment of FrancisSullivan as the Executive Chair of the Board to overseethe transition project has enabled the formation of anewly-appointed Board with representatives from acrossQueensland and in turn the appointment of a state-wideMater Executive team.We have been delighted with the level of engagement ofthe Mater Board and Executive leaders in opportunitiesthat enrich understanding of Mission, Catholic identityand governance.While our principles for Mater becoming one acrossQueensland are diverse and include Mission, subsidiarity,local management, local employment, investment,sustainability, avoidance of duplication, transparency andstructural simplicity—the connection underpinning themall is the focus on Mater’s Mission in serving vulnerablecommunities, disadvantaged populations and excludedgroups. In transitioning to one organisation, we believeMater has greater opportunities and influence tosustain its Mission.Mercy Partners has supported Mater in becomingone legal entity across the state by both sponsoringthe Ministry in the name of the Catholic Church andresponding compassionately and creatively to the existingand emerging formation needs. During the year supportfor formation needs has continued to be successfullydelivered through the Formation Directorate of MercyPartners.Mercy Partners Formation program focuses on three keyareas and offers opportunities for further enrichment inpersonal spirituality, Catholic identity and governance.The program aims to form leaders who understand theirresponsibilities as part of the Catholic Church and arecommitted to mercy in action.It also connects participants with each other, with religiouscongregations, with other Ministries of Mercy Partners, andwith the Church community.We take pride in the continued pursuit of the visionfor Mater as originally set by the Brisbane Sisters ofMercy more than 100 years ago—to carry forward anddrive innovative, integrated, inclusive, coordinated andresponsive health and social services in the communitieswe serve and we look forward to seeing the Ministrycontinue to evolve.Mater Annual Report 19-201011

A messagefrom MaterExecutiveChairIn July 2019, Mercy Partners made a landmark decisionto merge the Missions of our three Mater entities in North,Central and South East Queensland as one organisationacross Queensland. Our goal was not only to unifyour Mission but to sustain our Ministries as responsiveoutreaches to the communities we serve in the healingspirit of Jesus.I would like to acknowledge the foresight and visionof the Mercy Partners Council in taking the initiative toalign Mater as one. It is increasingly difficult for Catholicproviders to survive in the current Australian healthcareenvironment, let alone thrive. Our commitment to thecommunity means we must do more than just survive, soit is a crucial step to build scale and share our resourcesso that Mater can continue to provide its distinctivecontribution to the people of Queensland and beyond.A messagefrom MaterCEOIn September 2019, in the first step to becoming one,Mater’s state-wide Board was appointed. The first meetingof the new Mater Board took place in Rockhampton inOctober: an historic day, when strong leadership andrepresentation of every region took the mantle for steeringMater going forward.We found new ways tosupport our patients,our people, and ourcommunities.We committed to evolve together, to adapt to thechanging healthcare landscape and to connect with ourlocal communities on an even deeper level.In the months since this first meeting the Board hasbrought together a talented new Executive team whohave helped guide the transition to becoming one withdexterity and inclusiveness.Throughout the year, the integration of Mater’s Ministriesof Health, Education, Research and Foundation has beendeepened, reaching across our new state-wide network.By coming together as one, we harness our collectivestrength and expertise. By merging our Missions andbuilding greater influence through relevant service acrossa larger network, our voice is growing louder.In the 2019/2020 year Mater admitted over half a millionpatients to our hospitals. We also provided servicesbeyond our hospital walls and cared for the young and old,the sick, the injured and the underprivileged.Beyond the outstanding level of clinical care, educationand research which has been provided for the community,Mater has continued to be a credible voice and reliablepresence.We have set a solid foundation and look forward toembedding our approach—with our Mission always at ourcore—to continue striving for excellence that maintains ourpurpose and our Mission and ultimately advances healingin our community.Francis Sullivan AOExecutive ChairIn a year characterised by great change and uncertainty,Mater has continued to evolve our services in support ofour Mission.Providing compassionate service to the sick and needywithout discrimination is at the heart of our Mater Missionand was a feature of our response in the face of the globalCOVID-19 pandemic.In line with our Mercy Values, we responded rapidly,safely and appropriately.Already Mater is bringing together expertise and resourcesacross our Ministries to deliver new services in new ways: We expanded our education offering to Townsville andincreased educational opportunities for Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander students; We increased our care beyond the hospital; We delivered ground-breaking surgery for ovarian cancer; We received significant funding to provide lifesavingresearch; We raised a record-breaking 1 million for breast cancercare at this year’s RACQ International Women’s Day Fun Run.We found new ways to support our patients, our people,and our communities and worked as part of the broaderhealthcare network to support the community in their timeof need.As we approach the future together, we are committed toa strategy of enhanced service delivery to build excellenceand embed integrated practices across our Ministries.And despite our ongoing focus on responding to thepandemic, we continued to make great progress acrossMater.We are genuinely committed to revolutionising the wayin which our community experiences good health andwellbeing and to making it accessible for everybody.In July 2019 a decision was made to establish a singleBoard of governance across all of Mater’s entities inQueensland with the goal of bringing together our healthMinistries from North Queensland, Central Queensland andSouth East Queensland.I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Boardand Executive for their inspired leadership and all MaterPeople for their outstanding contribution during such atransformational and challenging year.Our new single governance structure signified the first stepin Mater’s transition and paved the way forward as weworked collaboratively towards our legal merger on 1 July2020.Unifying our Mission across Queensland was an historicand significant achievement that not only enhances ourcapacity to serve our communities, but enriches us withmore opportunities to set new standards for integratinghealth, education and research for the benefit of ourcommunity.It is an exciting time in the evolving Ministry of Mater as wecontinue to serve our Mission into the future.Dr Peter SteerChief Executive OfficerMater Annual Report 19-20We need to continue to be at the forefront of best practicecare and the pursuit of excellence in research and training;to be present in the margins of health service delivery withvulnerable communities, disadvantaged populations andexcluded groups.13

15Mater Annual Report 19-20*Patients seen numbers include;Inpatients, Emergency Departmentattendances and Outpatientattendances*Volunteers were unable to perform theirregular hours due to COVID-19Bringing Mater togetheracross QueenslandIn July 2019, a decision was made to establish a singleBoard of governance to unify Mater services acrossQueensland.The 12 months that followed was a period of transition,enabling the separate entities of Mercy Health and AgedCare in Central Queensland, Mater Health Services inNorth Queensland, and Mater Misericordiae Limited inSouth East Queensland to come together as a singleMater network on 1 July 2020.From 1 July 2020, all Mater entities came under thelegal name of Mater Misericordiae Limited, reflectingour changing healthcare environment, where the roleof hospitals and healthcare providers must go beyond‘end-product’ hospital-based care to begin to play arole in patient empowerment for disease prevention andimproved health and wellbeing.Our highlights599 45910 439patients seen*babies born68 298 17 559 9727041 18 311 00458 888996emergencyattendancespaid employeeshours contributedby Mater volunteers*distributed byMater FoundationMater researchsecured fundingstudent graduated fromMater Education’s RTO

Mater has been working as partof the broader health network insupport of Public Health efforts totest, contain, treat and manageCOVID-19.Supportingour communityduring theCOVID-19pandemicIn early 2020, Chinese media reported the first known deathcaused by a new coronavirus and shortly after there werereports of cases occurring in Thailand and Japan. By 11March there were 118 000 cases in 114 countries and theWorld Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a pandemic.During this time, Mater has been working as part of thebroader health network in support of public health efforts totest, contain, treat and manage COVID-19.Our response has seen us stand up a tertiary levelemergency response team—our highest level of responseto an emergency situation—involving the Mater executive,senior leaders and a team of experts from across theorganisation, who meet regularly to plan and respond tothe developing situation.The Mater Health team modelled a future state of how wewould open additional intensive care and patient beds tocare for COVID-19 patients, as well as our patients who didnot have COVID-19. The plan was created with flexibility, toallow us to shift as required based on the current data andtrends and ensuring we could continue to meet the needsof our community.We have also worked closely with our staff to communicateregularly, keeping them up-to-date, and upskilling them,where required, while also providing resources to help themlook after their physical and mental health and wellbeing,through practical tips and useful, free resources.The response from the community has been overwhelmingand we thank you sincerely for your thoughts and donations.We have received donations of hand sanitiser, foodvouchers and snacks; we have received restaurant vouchersfor staff to pick up a meal on their way home from work; wehave received hundreds of cards and letters thanking us forour work; and we have had restaurants and cafes make anddeliver food to our frontline healthcare workers.Mater Annual Report 19-20Responding to theCOVID-19 pandemicEvery person at Mater has been involved in our efforts toensure we are prepared and able to respond appropriatelyat any given moment to the needs of our community.17

Telehealth:growing ourserviceIntensive care unit andemergency departmentoperations redesignedThe two departments are at the forefront of our responseto COVID-19 and were required to quickly adapt to thenew environment. Mater Hospital Brisbane’s EmergencyDepartment needed to manage multiple streams ofcare, including COVID-19 screenings and the treatmentof emergency patients with COVID-19 symptoms, whilstcontinuing to deliver 24 hours-a-day emergency careto non-COVID patients. Mater’s ICU team needed to beprepared for treating COVID-19 and non-COVID patients.In March, Mater’s ED team established a novel ‘racetrackdesign’ COVID-19 screening clinic, along with an externalCOVID-19 screening station outside the ED to manage‘walking well’ tests.Inside the ED a series of single room isolation zones havebeen created and the department’s short-stay ward hasalso been modified to care for admitted patients withCOVID-19 symptoms in isolation.Mater Director of Emergency Medicine Dr Greg Trestonsaid the ED’s redesign had continued to evolve with thechanging nature of the pandemic.“We have had to adapt and innovate with expediency,”Dr Treston said.We have had to adapt and innovatewith expediency.“Utilising the space we have available to us, we havedesigned several new modes of care delivery to ensure wecan treat all emergency patients effectively and safely—whether they are suspected COVID-19 cases or not.”In ICU a Tactical Command Team was quickly establishedand by early April the team had formulated a robuststrategy. Mater Hospital Brisbane ICU became Mater’sdesignated COVID-19 unit, while Mater Private HospitalBrisbane ICU took over management of all non-COVIDpatients to facilitate patient flow and ensure safe andefficient care delivery to COVID and non-COVID patients.In the designated COVID-19 unit our Engineering andBuilding team worked to create safe and functionalspaces for staff to don and take off PPE correctly. The unit’sair-conditioning system was also upgraded, enablingnegative pressure airflow to minimise aerosol transmissionof airborne viruses.Additional equipment, including state-of-the-artventilators and respiratory support devices, was procured,along with appropriate stores of PPE to prepare forpossible surges in caseload.The pandemic has catapulted the role of telehealth intoa new stratosphere, with remote healthcare helping tominimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission and maintainaccess to services across a range of disciplines.“Through telehealth we can easily connect with a patient’sGP if further consultation is needed. By using multiplescreens we can have more than one healthcare provider ina discussion.”Mater is the largest provider of telehealth services to publicoutpatients in Queensland.Follow-up care after major surgery has been revolutionisedby Mater’s telehealth capabilities.This year we have expanded many of our alreadyestablished telehealth services, while creating newinitiatives to meet growing community need.After travelling 1300 km from her home in Townsville to theMater Centre for Neurosciences at South Brisbane for brainsurgery, epilepsy sufferer Hayley has been able to receiveongoing support with her recovery at home.Gynaecology is an area where telehealth allows Mater toprovide specialist consultations to women living all overthe state.Via telehealth she has undergone cognitive and otherprogress assessments with the Mater neurosciences teamand has even undertaken a virtual driving test.Mater Gynaecologist Dr Luke McLindon now provides90 per cent of his public consults through telehealth,managing a range of gynaecological conditions amongwomen based in rural and regional locations, as well asmany living in Brisbane.Mater Neurology Nurse Practitioner Peter Jones said theseremote appointments had allowed Hayley to recover athome without the need for her to travel back to Brisbanefor follow-up care.Dr McLindon said utilising telehealth had broadened hisreach as a medical professional, while providing patientswith the added convenience of having consultations fromthe comfort of their own homes.“At every stage we have been able to monitor Hayley’sprogress, giving her the confidence of knowing how wellshe is doing and the motivation to keep up with herrehabilitation,” Peter said.“We are giving our patients more choice and flexibility,” DrMcLindon said.Six months on from her surgery in Brisbane Hayley is seizurefree and doing well.“In a number of ways we are also achieving greaterconnectivity with other medical professionals,”Mater Annual Report 19-20Early in 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a swiftredesign of Mater’s Emergency Department (ED) andIntensive Care Unit (ICU) operations.19

Deliveringhospital care inthe homeMater’s Hospital in the Home (HITH) service has rapidlyexpanded to ease pressure on in-hospital services andprotect vulnerable patients with chronic conditions duringthe pandemic.The service’s nursing team has doubled since thepandemic began to deliver in-home care to both nonCOVID patients and COVID-positive patients.During peak periods in the ongoing crisis Mater HITHhas met demand created by increased referrals fromhaematology, respiratory, inflammatory bowel disease, andcancer care services.Respiratory and Cystic Fibrosis Nurse Practitioner BecKeating said COVID-19 had prompted Mater’s HITH to think‘even further’ outside the box when it comes to servicedelivery.Observing more patients in their home environment hasalso delivered valuable insights.“There is so much to be gained from seeing what goes onfor our patients beyond a clinical setting,” Bec said.Mater at Home Nurse Unit Manager Jen Byrne said thecrisis had highlighted how effectively the HITH model,which is available to both private and public Materpatients in South East Queensland, can be adapted forvarious patient cohorts.“Our pandemic response has reinforced HITH’s potentialto be expanded further in a post pandemic environment,”Jen said.“This has helped us to further tailor our services to suiteach patient’s individual needs.”The process of accreditation for International MedicalGraduates (IMG) wanting to work in Australia is bothchallenging and costly.Mater Rockhampton stepsin with aged care supportMater Private HospitalRockhampton wasCOVID-19 response-readywhen a number of agedcare residents requiredaccommodation after anurse at their local agedcare facility tested positivefor the virus.Working closely withQueensland Health andother local healthcareproviders, MaterRockhampton helped tofacilitate the safe andcomfortable transfer of theaged care residents.Queensland’s Chief HealthOfficer Dr Jeanette Youngsaid the decision to movethe residents had helpedensure there was no spreadSupporting doctors fromrefugee backgroundsof COVID-19 inside theaged care facility and shecommended all involved ontheir responsiveness to thesituation.After spending threeweeks in Mater’s care,the residents were safelyreturned to their aged carefacility.These issues are amplified for IMGs from refugeebackgrounds.Mater is working with the Refugee Health NetworkQueensland to help overseas-trained doctors who arrivein Australia as refugees find a pathway to practisingmedicine again.Mater Refugee Health Service Director Donata Sackey saidas well as struggling to overcome the hurdles of rigorousmedical examination and English testing, IMGs fromrefugee backgrounds often had difficulty meeting recencyof practice requirements and securing opportunities formentoring and training.“For a refugee fleeing their country there is littleopportunity to collect important documents,” Donata said.“Mater has recognised this as an unmet need in thecommunity. These doctors need help to find and securepathways to accreditation through observerships andtailored mentoring and training.This year Mater supported two doctors from refugeebackgrounds during their accreditation process.Dr Manal Aqrawe, an anaesthesiologist with 20 years’experience, fled her home country of Iraq to escape ISISrule.When she

Catherine McAuley. Joining together under shared Mission and Values statements Our Mission We serve together to bring God's mercy to our communities through compassionate, transforming, healing ministries. Mater combines our collective expertise and resources across health, education and research to deliver new