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The Far West Local Health District NewsletterEdition 7, Vol 8, August 2018Farewell to Balranald HSM Pat CroftThe staff, residents, family and visitors all got an opportunity to gettogether and farewell Balranald HSM Pat Croft during the last week ofher employment here in Balranald.Pat attended her last Hospital Auxiliary meeting and they kindlypresented her with a lovely potted orchard in appreciation for herassistance during her time here at Balranald MPS.Current and former staff got together on 23 August at the local GolfClub for a farewell to remember. We were lucky enough to engage localartist Jan Lawler to whip something up as a farewell gift for Pat. Withonly a weeks’ notice, Jan was able to capture a beautiful painting of twoof Pat’s own horses — as you can imagine Pat was lost for words.Pat’s last day as Balranald HSM was on Friday, 24 August and staffand residents were able to celebrate and wish her all the best withafternoon tea.On behalf of all of here at Balranald MPS and FWLHD we would liketo thank Pat for her dedicated service and wish her all the very best inher new working life.Balranald HSM Pat Croft has been farewelled bystaff and residents — she was presented abeautiful painting featuring two of her belovedhorses.Drought in the Far WestRural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMHP) Coordinator Marie Kelly has gotbusier as the dry conditions have exacerbated in the district.Marie has been working closely with partner organisations responding to communityrequests for workshops, events, and resources.RAMHP has just put out a new drought resource as part of their ‘let’s talk’ seriescalled ‘managing stress during drought’.The two sided, one page resource names the signs that we might see if someone, orourselves, are experiencing prolonged stress. It provides tips on how to start theconversation with someone we are concerned about, and, how to encourage them totake action. This includes self-care strategies and seeking support from a professional.Services that assist with emotional, practical and financial matters are listed.Marie has been distributing the flyers with other resources across the district. Theycan also be downloaded from the website www.ramhp.com.auPAGE 6

The Far West Local Health District NewsletterEdition 7, Vol 8, August 2018National Child Protection Week 2-8 SeptemberNational Child Protection Week is the 2-8 September and is all about everyone getting involved inbuilding better communities for children and young people.An important part of this is making sure that the voices of children and young people are heard inour society, including in the media.National Child Protection Week is awonderful opportunity for everyone inthe community to think about how wecan work together to keep all childrensafe.We want to remind everyone that: We ALL have a part to play inprotecting ALL children Even small actions can help toimprove a child’s future By building stronger communities, we are creating safer environments for our childrenHow can I start playing my part to protect children today (and every day!)? Be a good role model for children Be kind to children, parents (and yourself!) Take the time to really listen to children and believe them if they tell you something Don’t judge other parents and families; remember that we’re all trying our best Look out for all children, not just your own Don’t be afraid to ask for help or to ask someone if they need helpFar West Local Health Service in partnership with Mission Australia and a number of other BrokenHill services will be hosting a free family event with activities for children on Thursday 6th September2018 from 3pm-5pm at Sturt Park, we would love to see you there!Aboriginal CommunityJIRT ResponseInformation SessionFacilitators from Community Services, NSW Health andNSW Police will provide Aboriginal community memberswith information to help protect a child if a disclosure ismade. Workers supporting Aboriginal families alsowelcome.This FREE course will cover: What is child abuse? What to do if a child tells you about being abused What does the Joint Investigation Response Team do?Venue is Wilcannia Community Hall, Wilcannia onWednesday 5th and Thursday 6th September 2018. Time:9am to 3pm (Please try and attend both days). Morning teaand lunch will be provided.Registration is essential. To register your details by 3September 2018 email your name and contact phonenumber to regan.chesterfield@health.nsw.gov.au or byphoning 0429 978 609 orsherree.ferrall@health.nsw.gov.au or by phoning0439152438If you have any questions about the content of theinformation session, you can phone either Regan orSherreePAGE 7

The Far West Local Health District NewsletterEdition 7, Vol 8, August 2018Broken Hill Health Service Redevelopment updateThis is the plan for the building works that are underway at the moment in the Broken Hill Health Service. The boxes in redgive you some reference points so you can figure out where the works are occurring.Medical Day Only area nearingcompletion — due early SeptemberReception constructioncommencing very soonOffices complete —ready to occupyPathology storearea commencedTHOMAS STKincumber House demolition is also part of the works underway atpresent. The asbestos roof sheets have been removed and all asbestosfound within the building has been approved by authorised licencedcontractors.Demolition ofthe buildingwill becommencingsoon.PAGE 8

The Far West Local Health District NewsletterEdition 7, Vol 8, August 2018Quality Board Communication –Cancer Care ServicesOcsober is a national fundraising initiative by Life Educationto reduce drug and alcohol related harm in young people. Alldonations raised through Ocsober will help to provide the vitaleducation Aussie kids need to make good choices about theirhealth, relationships, alcohol and drugs.Lose the booze during the month of October and help LifeEducation, and our iconic mascot Healthy Harold, provide thiseducation to every Aussie kid who really needs it. Becauseevery child deserves the best opportunity to grow up safe andhealthy, and reach their full potential.Go to ocsober.com.au for information and to sign up.BENEFITS for YOUThere are a number of health benefits associated with givingup alcohol. Participants (or Ocsoberites, as we like to call them)will give themselves the chance to feel healthier and fitter,perhaps lose a few kilos, sleep better, improvetheir mental health, all while setting a goodexample for impressionable young Aussies.Do you have a recent diagnosis of cancer and need supportand information regarding your diagnosis?Broken Hill Cancer Services are available to assist patientsand their families from point of diagnosis to completion oftreatment. Broken Hill Cancer Services are part of a multidisciplinary team who provide a holistic approach to your careincluding physical and psychological wellbeing.The Cancer Care Coordinator is available to discussdiagnosis, treatment options travel and accommodation andmuch more. The Cancer Care Coordinator will liaise with yourtreating team and GP facilitate appointments and refer toappropriate services.The Psycho-Oncology Counsellor is an experienced SocialWorker with additional training in counselling. The Psychooncology counsellor can provide patients and their families withpractical and psychological support, provide instruction onrelaxation and meditation and provide information on localsupport groups and exercise programs available.For more information contact Sandra Turley on 08 80801197PAGE 9

The Far West Local Health District NewsletterEdition 7, Vol 8, August 2018Recruitment tip!Face to face psychiatryservices online for all agesLife can be a roller coaster and getting help during theslumps can be challenging in a small community. Firstly,there may be no one with the right skills nearby or, ifthere is, it can be confronting to bare your soul tosomeone you run into regularly as part of your day to daylife.That’s why online therapy is so great for people inrural and remote Australia. You can sit in your kitchenand use a smartphone, tablet or computer to talk to apsychologist, social worker or occupational therapist faraway. No one sees you go into a clinic and no one needsto know.Medicare now funds up to 10 sessions of onlinetherapy services for people in rural areas with a GPMental Health Care Plan. You just need to live at least 15km by road from the person providing the service. Themain proviso is that one of the first four sessions needs tobe face to face. We can’t recommend particular providers,but type ‘online psychologist Australia’ into your searchengine and you’ll see plenty of options.You could also see a psychiatrist online, again thesecan be bulk billed as long as you have a GP referral. TheRoyal Australian and New Zealand College ofPsychiatrists website has search engine that helps youfind psychiatrists who work online, or you could try aservice like Dokotela or GP2U. You can even access asub-specialty, like a Child and Adolescent Psychiatristthis way. You usually don’t have to wait long for anappointment either.So if you, one of your family or one of your patientsneeds help, try an online service. It’s effective andconfidential.Do you know at Far West we grow our own?This includes providing internalsecondments.What are Internal Secondments? Currentemployees are given development opportunitiesto try a new position for a short period of time.If you are interested in growing your careerplease discuss with your manager aboutsecondment opportunities.Biospecimen Collection GrantsCalling all researchers: Got an existing or prospectivebiospecimen collection? A new NSW Health research fundof up to 700,000 is now available for NSW researchers andcloses on 3 September 2018.The Biospecimen Collection Grants (BSG) will supportresearchers developing high quality biospecimen collectionsand associated data. The funding will cover the collection ofbiospecimens from people in NSW, as well as processingand storage in the NSW Health Statewide Biobank(NSWHSB).For more information on this inaugural grants, visit theNSW Health website or the NSW Health Statewide Biobankwebsite, and feel free to contact the NSW Health StatewideBiobank on 4920 4140 if you have any questions.PAGE 10

The Far West Local Health District NewsletterEdition 7, Vol 8, August 2018Communication access is communication for allDuring Speech Pathology Week (19-24th of August) the Speech Pathology department held their monthly laryngectomeegroup. This group allows laryngectomee within the community to overcome barriers to ensure effective communication. Itallows them to interact socially with each other in a friendly and supportive environment.Communication access is vital to enable everyone to participate fully in social, education, economic and sportingaspects of life. This was thetheme for Speech PathologyWeek: Communicationaccess is communication forall.Communication is abasic human right and weas a community need to domore to achievecommunication access forthose with a communicationdisability. 1.2 millionAustralians have acommunication disability.Building communicationaccessibility will ensure thateveryone is treated withdignity and respect. Whenwe create communicationLaryngectomee Group meeting (from left) Noel Tebbutt, Shima Jafari, Vanessa Miegel, Patriciaaccessible communities,Holtze, Gerald Handberg, Danielle Kennedy and Bob Frazer.everyone gets the message.What matters to you?Collecting stories Five staff attended a three hour workshop on 24 August tolearn how to collect stories from patients and staff on their healthcare experiences through appreciative enquiry using emotionaltouch points. The feedback was positive and staff now feel moreconfident to collect stories with the tools provided.We evaluate the care that patients receive by compliments,complaints, audits, surveys and incident reports. Collectingstories of patient, family or carer experiences of the care theyhave received is another way to evaluate the care experienceand identify areas for celebration and improvement. Theemotional narrative of a patient experience often provides thetrigger to inspire change within teams.Collecting staff stories allow our fellow staff and managers tocelebrate things that require celebration or provides the triggerCollecting stories workshop participants and trainers (from left)for reflection and change. How can we provide first class healthBelinda Sutherland, Diana Ferry, Lhyriel Smith, Amanda Clark, Eurekacare if our staff are not engaged and empowered to be the bestvan der Merwe, Janet Masters and Alyce Craker.that they can be?If you are interested to tell your story; have a patient or their family or carer who wish to share their story, or want to learn to collectstory’s or just want to know some more, contact Eureka van der Merwe (Eureka.vanderMerwe@health.nsw.gov.au) or Janet Masters(Janet.Masters@health.nsw.gov.au)PAGE 11

The Far West Local Health District NewsletterEdition 7, Vol 8, August 2018HealthRoster is here!Thank you to everyone involved in the HealthRoster implementation this year.Many hours have been logged by our managers in learning the system, creatingand maintaining rosters.We have completed a successful first pay in the new rostering system, and willcontinue to work with managers and staff to understand the complexities of thesystem and implement best practice and improved processes.A special thank you to our Local Roster Administrators, who have spent thisyear learning the new system, processes and business practices, all whilehandling changes, queries and issues from staff across the LHD.What’s coming up?Project implementation tasks have started to wind down, and we will move intoour business as usual processes and support. As we review the HealthRoster project, we will discuss with our HealthRosterusers lessons learned. Benefits Planning will commence with our teams, and we will set actions and targets to ensure thatwe continue to improve our rostering processes in Far West.Do you need help?If you need assistance with the HealthRoster system, the Local Roster Administrators are available to assist you. Sendthem an email at FWLHD-HealthRoster@health.nsw.gov.au. If you have a query about your pay, speak to your manager inthe first instance.Privacy AuditsThe Far West LHD conductsroutine audits of patient records, eMRand other systems to monitor staffcompliance with privacy andconfidentiality obligations.If we find unusual activity on apatient record that might point topossible inappropriate andunauthorised access to medicalrecords, you may be approached byyour manager and/or receive a letterasking you to explain why youaccessed a particular patient record.It is NOT ok to look throughpatient records, including those offamily members or friends, out ofcuriosity.Privacy reminder: Keep confidential all personalinformation and records, includingnot discussing or providinginformation on social media thatcould identify patients or divulgepatient information. Do not use or release officialinformation or records withoutproper authority. Maintain the security of confidentialand/or sensitive information, including that stored oncommunication devices.Do not disclose, use or takeadvantage of information obtainedin the course of official duties,including when you cease to workin NSW Health.Only access patient and employeepersonal or health informationwhere this is required in the courseof your employment and yourprimary duties.Health facilities have an auditcapacity in our electronic healthrecords and other systems toinvestigate who has accessedhealth records.Disciplinary action may be imposedif staff are found to be in breach ofpatient privacy, or the personal andhealth information of any staffmember.Privacy Refresher Training:Diana Ferry (Privacy ContactOfficer) and Marg Hoey (HealthInformation Manager) are happy toanswer any questions and provide a45 minute privacy refresher for staff tohelp you understand your privacyobligations.Further information about Privacycan be found on the NSW Health website at: s/default.aspx oryou can contact the Far West LHDPrivacy Contact Officer (below):Diana FerryExecutive Officer,Chief Executive UnitFar West Local Health DistrictCommunity Health CentreBroken Hill NSW 2880Phone (08) 8080 1121Email:diana.ferry@health.nsw.gov.auPAGE 12

The Far West Local Health District NewsletterEdition 7, Vol 8, August 2018Casting workshopCNMO Jaqui Cross (fourth from left) with Balranald staffNSW Chief Nursing and MidwiferyOfficer visits Far West LHD facilitiesBroken Hill Health Service hosted Patricia Evans, ClinicalSpecialist Physiotherapist from Royal North Shore Hospital, tofacilitate and deliver a Casting Workshop held on 16-17 August.It was a pleasure to welcome Patricia’s expertise andtraining style to Far West LHD. This training was delivered tostaff from LWS Facilities, with a mix of Allied Health clinicians.The training was a great refresher for our Physiotherapistsand Allied Health Assistants located in BHHS, while providingnew information, training and casting skills for our valuable LWSstaff.It is safe to say that it was a messy but very practical,engaging day and enjoyed by all.Special thanks to the efforts of District Education and AlliedHealth in organising this workshop.Far West LHD Nursing and Midwifery Directorate was excited tohost the NSW Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer (CNMO) JacquiCross, who visited Far West LHD 30 July – 3 August 2018.The role of the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer is theprofessional link between the NSW Minister for Health, theSecretary of the Ministry of Health and the public, private andeducation sectors of the nursing and midwifery professions inNSW.The position provides advice on professional nursing andmidwifery issues and on policy issues, monitor policyimplementation, manage State-wide nursing and midwiferyinitiatives, represent the NSW Ministry of Health on variouscommittees and allocate funding for nursing and midwiferyinitiativesJacqui Cross visited the Lower Western Sector sites ofWentworth Health Service, Dareton Health Service, BalranaldMultipurpose Service, Ivanhoe Health, Wilcannia Health Serviceand Menindee Health Service and Broken Hill Health Service. Thisvisit allowed J

Kellie Hammond for DACC - Direct Access Colonoscopy Clinic for Far West LHD, a streamlined approach to ensuring people have timely access to colonoscopy services to prevent delays in diagnosis of bowel cancers. Kellie is the DACC nurse consultant delivering the DACC service in Broken Hill Health Service. She is also the project officer for