HealthShare news AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 Described by the NSW Health Minister as “one of the best events of her year”, Expo once again captivated and inspired a huge crowd on 5 August. With nearly 1,600 delegates this was the biggest and brightest Expo yet. A record number of delegates from across NSW Health joined together to share ideas and information, hear from our thought-provoking keynote speakers and “shake it up”. We heard from the state’s top two Health officials – NSW Health Secretary Elizabeth Koff and NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner – who talked about the valuable contribution HealthShare NSW and eHealth NSW make to the NSW health system. The Minister talked about the many ways we are innovating and modernising the health system to improve the care we provide to patients. “I’m proud of what you are doing to transform care in our public health system. From the massive linen folding machines to the way our staff are starting to take patients’ meal orders with ipads for instant transmission to the kitchen, you are constantly innovating and thinking outside the box,” said Minister Skinner. “To every single one of you, no matter what your role, believe me when I say you are truly making a huge difference to the lives of patients.” The importance of innovation was reinforced by NSW Health Secretary Elizabeth Koff who described it as “critically important” to improving the Another fantastic Expo If you’ve got a story or feedback for HealthShare News, please contact Anna Sale on 8644 2104 or email [email protected]Check out our website at www.healthshare.nsw.gov.au Continued page 3 NSW Health Secretary Elizabeth Koff addresses the crowd at Expo Contents Chief Executive’s message 2 Looking at our exhibition stands 4 Congratulations to our Service Awards winners 8 Top tips for increasing innovation 10 Get busy to support Guide Dogs NSW/ACT 11 HealthShare NSW goes social 12 Linen prices drop 13 In the spotlight 13 Safety initiatives receive funding through ‘We want your ideas’ 14 Living Well Expos regional tour 15 Working together for better customer service 16 Conversation is key on R U OK? Day 17 Preparing for bushfire season 18 New electronic incident management system 19 Celebrating our new NEPT Hub 19 Improving our culture 20 Learn and grow during Mental Health Month 21 Hiking for the Homeless in Moree 21 Service Recognition Week 22 Learn about Salary Packaging from the experts 24 Men’s Health Week recognised in Illawarra Shoalhaven 24
Transcript
HealthSharenews
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
Described by the NSW Health Minister as “one of the best events of her year”, Expo once again captivated and inspired a huge crowd on 5 August. With nearly 1,600 delegates this was the biggest and brightest Expo yet.
A record number of delegates from across NSW Health joined together to share ideas and information, hear from our thought-provoking keynote speakers and “shake it up”.
We heard from the state’s top two Health officials – NSW Health Secretary Elizabeth Koff and NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner – who talked about the valuable contribution HealthShare NSW and eHealth NSW make to the NSW health system.
The Minister talked about the many ways we are innovating and modernising the health system to improve the care we provide to patients.
“I’m proud of what you are doing to transform care in our public health system. From the massive linen folding machines to the way our staff are starting to take patients’ meal orders with ipads for instant transmission to the kitchen, you are constantly innovating and thinking outside the box,” said Minister Skinner.
“To every single one of you, no matter what your role, believe me when I say you are truly making a huge difference to the lives of patients.”
The importance of innovation was reinforced by NSW Health Secretary Elizabeth Koff who described it as “critically important” to improving the
Another fantastic Expo
If you’ve got a story or feedback for HealthShare News, please contact Anna Sale on 8644 2104 or email [email protected]
Check out our website atwww.healthshare.nsw.gov.au
Continued page 3
NSW Health Secretary Elizabeth Koff addresses the crowd at Expo
Chief Executive’s messageIt was fantastic to see so many of you at this year’s Expo – what a great day! This was our biggest and best Expo so far and a great opportunity to catch up, share ideas and celebrate the excellent work being done right across HealthShare NSW.
It was also good to hear from our new Secretary Elizabeth Koff, who talked about the important role HealthShare NSW and eHealth NSW play in the journey of patients through the health system. I was pleased our Minister Jillian Skinner was able to spend so much time looking around the exhibition space and talking to our staff.
Many of us were also excited to meet Guide Dog puppy Arrow at Expo. We are kicking off our fundraising for Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and I encourage you all to get behind this great cause. Start thinking what you can do to raise funds in your workplace or sign up for Workplace Giving (page 11).
Congratulations again to our Service Award winners (page 8) and also to the 300+ HealthShare NSW staff we recognised during Service Recognition Week, who have been contributing to the public sector for 20 or more years (page 22).
The past two months have seen an exciting step forward for our Non-Emergency Patient Transport colleagues, who are now working out of three new sites. The Sydney West Hub in Kings Park and Sydney
South West Hub in Prestons opened in August. We had an opening day for our new Sydney North Hub in North Ryde in mid-September (see page 19) and the crews have just startedworking from there as of17 September.
As the warmer weather begins it’s time for all our sites to start thinking and planning for the summer bushfire season. This work is well underway in most areas but it’s also important for each of us to think about keeping safe at home, where there are lots of things we can do to be prepared (page 18).
Looking forward, we have a busy month coming up in October with both Safety Month and Mental Health Month (page 21) – I encourage you to take care and keep yourself and your colleagues safe.
Dan Hunter
Chief Executive HealthShare NSW
WITH THANKS TO OUR EXPO SPONSORS
PLATINUM SPONSORAWARDS SPONSOR
COCKTAIL FUNCTION SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSOR DELEGATE SATCHEL SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSORGOLD SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSOR CHARGE BAR SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSOR
HealthShare News August/September 2016
safety, quality and efficacy of the services we provide to the health system.
During the Expo registration process, staff were asked to submit the question they would most like to ask our Chief Executives Dan Hunter and Zoran Bolevich. Dan and Zoran joined the Chief Executive of Murrumbidgee LHD, Jill Ludford, and HealthShare NSW Board Member Zorana Bull to address many of these questions.
The panel discussed what improvements we could make to better meet customer needs, how the climate of contestability is affecting our work, and where panel members saw eHealth NSW and HealthShare NSW in five years.
Delegates also heard from two keynote speakers. James O’Loghlin, best known as the host of ABC TV’s
‘The New Inventors’ program, who drew on his wealth of experience working with inventors and innovators to talk about the little things we can do every day to be more innovative and the ways companies can create a culture that encourages innovation (more on page 10).
Dr Stefan Hajkowicz, a senior principal scientist working in the field of strategic forethought at Data61, CSIRO,
gave a fascinating talk on megatrends. He talked about the key trends we will see emerging over the next 20 years in a range of industries including jobs and employment, digital technology and the manufacturing sector.
Another highlight of the Expo was the sold out exhibition space which hosted 110 booths featuring both trade booths and HealthShare NSW and eHealth NSW exhibitors.
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Another fantastic ExpoContinued from page 1
“Without the work that you
do every day the health system
simply could not operate.”
NSW Health Minister Jillian SkinnerThe busy registration desk at Expo. Top right: James O’Loghlin, Bottom right: Dr Stefan Hajkowicz
Dan Hunter and Board Member Zorana Bull
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Looking at our exhibition stands
HealthShare News August/September 2016
A record 110 stands displayed their wares in the bustling Expo exhibition space this year. A range of trade exhibitors sat side-by-side with a host of interesting and interactive internal stands.
The third annual Aboriginal Workforce Consultation Workshop was held at Parramatta prior to Expo.
The day, which brought together 42 Aboriginal staff from across the state, started with an inspirational story from guest speaker John Leha, who is of Aboriginal and Tongan heritage.
John shared his journey of being part of the Indigenous Marathon Foundation’s 2015 national squad to run the New York Marathon and also talked about overcoming many barriers in his life.
Chief Executive Dan Hunter joined a panel with other Executive staff to talk about leadership, and the day closed with a group activity on developing resilience and working towards individual goals.
Aboriginal WorkforceVisitors to the Aboriginal Workforce Expo stand enjoyed a colourful display of staff photos which had been entered in the National Aboriginal Islander Day of Celebration (NAIDOC) Week photo competition, “How do you connect to our Country?” The stories accompanying the photos stimulated many interesting discussions throughout the day.
“Expo provides a great opportunity for us to share our cultural knowledge and for Aboriginal staff to talk with non-Indigenous staff and promote Aboriginal employment,” said Lana Kelly, Manager Aboriginal Workforce.
“We had bead making and basket weaving set up, which created an environment where visitors could sit and yarn with Aboriginal staff and share stories,” said Lana.
Parramatta Linen staff Courtney Gunnell and Bianca Ambrum at the Aboriginal Workshop
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HealthShare News August/September 2016
Disability EmploymentThe Disability Employment booth was a hit with loads of
visitors and lots of conversations. People were flummoxed
by the Famous Person’s quiz, tried a simulated online
dyslexia program, and gained a new appreciation of
managing with vision loss with a walk around wearing
specially doctored glasses.
It was a great opportunity to network with recruiting
managers and talk about opportunities to recruit talented
people with disability into their business lines. A number of
visitors enquired about how the program could assist a family
member or friend and it was great to hear their ideas for
ways we could make our organisations more inclusive and
welcoming to staff, visitors and customers with disability.
EnableNSWEnableNSW staff were on hand to provide information about the Equipment Allocation Program, which keeps standard equipment in stock to provide upon application from prescribers. The equipment on show was a big hit, with many people trialling the pressure cushion.
The team was asked a lot of questions about the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and EnableNSW’s role as a Registered Provider. EnableNSW can continue to provide coordination of equipment supports approved in NDIS Plans.
Expo also provided a perfect platform to discuss the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS) which makes access to specialist allied health clinics easier for rural and isolated patients.
Food and Patient Support Services Food and Patient Support Services (FPSS) showcased their new Innovation Hub, which is developing new and improved food products that support patient outcomes while also supporting Australian business and promoting local jobs.
The Hub also analyses existing and proposed food products to make sure they meet our strict standards on food safety, nutrition and accessibility.
“Locally sourced food products are often fresher while also meeting international safety standards. If local businesses need our help, we work with them to improve their products to meet our patients’ needs,” said Zdenka Fuller, Business Support Manager, Procurement and Packaging.
Disability Employment Network (DEN) members meet the NSW Health Minister at Expo
The EnableNSW Expo team
Fifi Spechler with delegates at the FPSS booth
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HealthShare News August/September 2016
As usual, the Food Services booth was a delicious place to be, with samples of innovatively packaged cereals and delicious cakes along with easy-to-open crackers and tzatziki dip.
Patient Support Services demonstrated its new pilot program based on touch point cleaning, which gives priority to cleaning the most frequently touched areas in a hospital. Delegates could see how frequently touched areas like taps, handles and tables are marked with special pens and then checked with ultra violet light to ensure they have been comprehensively cleaned.
Linen ServicesLinen Services works on an industrial scale and Expo gives the team an opportunity to show customers the breadth and depth of their operations.
At the booth, Linen Services’ staff showed off the new, attractive blue synthetic blankets, an innovative improvement to patient care now available in Murrumbidgee LHD and on the Central Coast.
Also on display was the new electric trolley tug.
“We had the opportunity to chat to our customers from LHDs and give them a real idea of the scale of what we do,” said Warren Lynch, Senior Operations Manager.
But it was outside where the real action was.
The towel folder, located just outside the linen stand, was fascinating for delegates. Peter Hobday, Assets and Facilities Manager, taught visitors how to use the machine, beginning with Work Health and Safety advice and ensuring everyone removed scarves or lanyards.
With the opportunity to work in Linen Services for a few minutes, delegates could learn how the machine operated safely and quietly, taking towels in at one end, then folding and stacking them.
HealthShare NSW Chief Operations Officer Tom Begeng spent quite some time working at the machine and was challenged by Goran Saveski, Operations Manager at Newcastle Linen Services, to a towel folding duel to see who could fold the most towels correctly in two minutes.
Terry Harnett, Truck Driver at Newcastle Linen Services was judge and quality controller.
We can’t say who won, but if Tom Begeng ever wants a job outside head office, Linen Services will take him.
Operational ExcellenceThis was the first Expo for our Operational Excellence team (formerly Continuous Improvement), which brings together business analytics, quality improvement, project management and continuous improvement.
“Expo was a great opportunity to showcase the services we offer – like our Lean Six Sigma training program. We had a lot of visitors to our stand and it was great to talk to people about the work we do,” said Project Manager, Melissa Pollard.
“A lot of our work is like solving a puzzle – we are given a problem and we work with the business to find a solution. So our puzzle boxes seemed like a perfect give-away and also fitted with the theme of the day – you “shake it up” to solve the puzzle. We knew who had been to our stand as we could hear the rattle in their Expo bags,” said Melissa.
At the Linen Services Expo stand
Operational Excellence puts the pieces together
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HealthShare News August/September 2016
Organisational DevelopmentThe Organisational Development (OD) booth was bold and bright, focusing on an employee’s OD journey through HealthShare NSW and eHealth NSW. This journey was displayed on the booth walls, which also showcased the different initiatives and projects launched by the OD team over the last 12 months.
Visitors to the booth were interested to learn about how the OD team can help them to develop in their role and teams. Staff also provided feedback on OD projects, and Local Health District staff were keen to share ideas on how they improve culture within their organisation.
Danushi Kumaravithana, Organisational Development Officer, said, “It was great to meet employees and gain insight into their favourite workplace culture initiatives, both within and outside our organisation. It was also lovely to hear some positive feedback on the work our team is doing.”
Salary PackagingSalary packaging once again combined forces with the Anti-Bullying Advice Line to host a booth. Mitchell Richards, Salary Packaging Team Leader, said “The size of the Expo and the number of attendees was a highlight. Interest in Salary Packaging and the Anti-Bullying Advice Line exceeded our expectations.”
Service Centre Newcastle and ParramattaShared Financial Services (SFS) and Recruitment and Employee Transactional Services (RETS) had an interactive stand where visitors could dress up and have their picture taken in a photo booth to put up around the stand. Service Centre staff took the opportunity to talk with visitors about their work and the services they offer to customers.
Work Health and SafetyThe Work Health and Safety booth this year focused on ‘Living Well’, encouraging staff to think about how to plan for their future health. The Work Health and Safety team provided information on all the services available to staff from the Wellbeing team. On offer this year was an array of merchandise – lens cloths, almonds and stationery – more than 1,000 items were distributed by lunch time!
Vision Australia conducted eye checks for more than 300 delegates who had their distance vision, near vision, visual field, ocular movements, depth perception and colour vision tested.
Salary Packaging goes for gold Service Centre shenanigans Seeing straight with WHS
Organisational Development team hit the road
HealthShare News August/September 2016
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Congratulations to our Service Awards winnersThe fourth annual HealthShare NSW and eHealth NSW Service Awards were presented at the conclusion of Expo, recognising the hard work and excellent results of staff members who go above and beyond to exceed customer expectations.
A huge congratulations to all of our finalists and winners and a big thank you to our sponsor First State Super for its continued support of these awards.
Melanie was instrumental in the successful integration of the Non-Emergency Patient Transport booking and dispatching system with the NSW
Health Patient Flow Portal which went live in May 2016. This integration enables hospital staff in all Local Health Districts to view the status of a patient’s transport booking and monitor the estimated time of pick up and/or delivery in real time from the Electronic Patient Journey Board and the Bed Board. This ensures a better patient experience, improved timeliness and assists hospitals to better monitor patient flow and plan for surges in demand.
Finalists:Andrew Passarello – Business Analyst/Developer, EnableNSW
Statewide Management Reporting Service (SMRS) – Qlikview Monthly Narrative, Finance and Business Strategy
CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD – HEALTHSHARE NSW
Winner: Establishment Team – Recruitment & Employee Transactional Services
In April 2015, the Establishment Team started the processing of Manual Agency New Hires statewide. Customer contact quickly indicated Agency Staff needed to be set up and Stafflink ID notification prioritised to enable rostering, systems access and salary payments to retain these staff. The Team decided to adopt the point of view of the “customer’s journey” and worked collaboratively with Health Agencies to improve turnaround time,
enhance communication and rapport. Overall customer service has improved significantly with requests now processed in a more streamlined, timely and accurate manner.
Finalists:Dungog Food and Patient Support Services
SMRS – Forecast Planning Application, Finance & Business Strategy
CREATING VALUE AWARD – HEALTHSHARE NSW
Winner: Royal North Shore Hospital Transition Team – Food and Patient Support Services RNSH
The transition team transitioned Soft Facilities Management Services at Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) to HealthShare NSW from a Public Private Partnership (PPP) provider in just two months with no interruption to service and the enthusiastic support of staff, Melanie Frost
Establishment Team
HealthShare News August/September 2016
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clinicians and management. All 600 FTE staff are now seamlessly managed by HealthShare NSW.
Finalists:QlikView NEPT Project Team – Non-Emergency Patient Transport
Winner: Christine Coles – Operations Manager, Lismore Linen Service
Christine started at Lismore Linen Service in 2001 and has been the Operations Manager for the past six years. Christine believes in a strong culture based on our
core values Collaboration, Openness, Respect and Empowerment. Senior Operations Manager Warren Lynch said: “Christine has been instrumental in leading Lismore to develop a culture that is supportive and encouraging and driven by the principles of empathy and respect.”
Finalists:Sue Tozer & Jayne Brimsmead – Housekeeping, Food and Patient Support Services
Goran Saveski – Operations Manager, Newcastle Linen Service
OUTSTANDING COMMITMENT AWARD – DUAL AWARD
Winner: David Cernjul – eHealth NSW – Delivery Integration & Go Live Control Workstream Manager, eMR Connect Program
David has been with NSW Health for 16 years. He has always worked in a manner that demonstrates the organisational values and consistently displays exceptional service and work ethic. David has consistently received praise from his customers over many years and has become the ‘go to’ person for senior management across the organisation and our LHDs.
Finalists:Anne Buckley – Food Services Sector Manager, Food and Patient Support Services
Adrian Walsh – Service Desk Analyst, SWSD, Information Services
CHIEF EXECUTIVE AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP – HEALTHSHARE NSW
Winner: Alex Araujo – State Manager Procurement and Logistics, Procurement (presented prior to Expo)
Alex was heavily involved in HealthShare NSW’s bid to operate a single warehouse when the Ministry market tested the service. The bid was unsuccessful, but Alex led the project team to implement the new service provider and transition services from the existing warehouses across to the new warehouse.
Alex showed outstanding leadership in managing and guiding his team throughout the transition project, which remained on track throughout and was delivered to the full scope on time and with minimal disruption to services. This would not have been possible without Alex’s leadership, dedication and focus on the outcomes.
Christine Coles
David Cernjul
Royal North Shore Hospital Transition Team
HealthShare News August/September 2016
10
Top tips for increasing innovation
James O’Loghlin, one of our keynote speakers at Expo, had many useful tips for being more innovative in our approach to both life and work.
“The first thing that innovators do better than the rest of us is think. They are not super intelligent but they spend a bit of every day thinking about how to do things better.”
James stressed that we should consider innovation front and centre, rather than as an after-thought.
“Innovation is not something we do at the end of the day after we finish work. It IS the work. If you spend 100% of your time coping with today and 0% of your time thinking about how to do things better then you are over-prioritising today at the expense of tomorrow.”
Make a list of everything you suspect is not perfect. Pick one of these things
every day and spend 10 minutes
thinking about how you could make it
better.
But remember, thinking is hard. “If
you feel stupid, frustrated and bored
that means you’re doing it right.
Innovators aren’t necessarily smarter
than the rest of us but they will sit in
that uncomfortable space a little bit
longer. If you sit in that space and
wrestle with that problem for longer,
eventually you will have an idea, and if
you have enough ideas you will have a
good idea.”
“Most importantly – if you do have an
idea then value it, because ideas are
important and they don’t come around
that often. You won’t know straight
away if it’s a good idea – blow it up
and get it as good as it can be before
you judge it. If you think it’s a good
idea then use it – do something with
your idea. See if it can survive in the real
world – this is what will lead to change.”
Strategies to break out of
habitual thinkingQuestion everything you do: as you go through your day
examine each of the things you
do to see if there is a better way
to do it.
Challenge your assumptions: times are changing rapidly and
assumptions we’ve been able
to rely on can suddenly become
outdated. If we don’t challenge
them we could be missing
opportunities for improvement.
Re-frame the question: if you’re faced with a big problem
you may not be able to solve it
in its entirety – but think “what’s
the next best thing?” You may be
able to break it down and solve
parts of the problem or find a
way to work around it.
Analyse your data: by
interrogating your data with
specific questions you might spot
trends that indicate opportunities
to help you tailor your business
or allocate your resources more
effectively.
Think like a customer: step into
your customers’ shoes – you will
find out what’s good about what
you’re doing and what could be
improved. In an environment of
contestability, think about what
you can do better than your
competitors.
“ Make a list of everything you suspect is not perfect. Pick one of these things every day and spend 10 minutes thinking about how you could make it better.
HealthShare News August/September 2016
11
Get busy to support Guide Dogs NSW/ACTHealthShare NSW and eHealth NSW have teamed up on a fundraising mission to raise $35,000 over two years to sponsor a Labrador puppy as he is raised and goes through his training to become a Guide Dog or support dog.
We need your help! Now is the time
to get thinking and get busy! How
can your team raise much needed
funds to help us reach this goal?
Here are some ideas to get you
started:
• Hold a Doggy Walkathon and
get people to sponsor you and your
pooch. Your friends and family could
get involved and the event could
finish with a fundraising BBQ.
• Hold a ‘Pause for Paws’ morning
tea where everyone brings
something in and puts in $10 to
enjoy the goodies.
Help us raise
$35,000in two yearsto sponsor a puppy to
become a
Guide Dog
Get creative!Get competitive!Will your site raise the mo$t?
Make your m rk
For $35,000 we can name our puppy and follow his journey to change the life of a vision impaired person
Workplace Giving – sign up nowWorkplace Giving is now available for HealthShare NSW staff. This means you can nominate a set amount to be deducted from your pre-tax pay and donated straight to Guide Dogs NSW/ACT.
To get started all you need to do is fill out the form available on the Workforce Forms intranet page under ‘Change Details’.
If673Staff
gave
$1 every pay, we would reach our
goal of
in two years!
The Communications Team is ready and willing to help you get organised. We have posters you can use to promote your event and can advise you about fundraising regulations, banking donations and other logistics.
• Organise a Bunnings Sausage Sizzle at your local store.
• Hold a raffle – see if local businesses will donate items for a good cause.
• Hold a ‘Cook Off’ – get everyone to bring in their best dish at lunchtime then charge $10 a head to eat lunch and vote on the best dish.
• Organise a ‘Book Fair’ at lunch – get everyone to bring in books they don’t want then charge a gold coin per book.
• Book a speaker from Guide Dogs NSW/ACT to come in and talk to your staff about their experiences.
Tracy Zammit, Acting Manager, Workforce Operations in Westmead, is already busy rallying her team.
“We’ve got a ‘guess the number of m&ms in the jar’ competition in the office at the moment and the team has come up with lots of great ideas for activities big and small for the coming months,” she said.
“We are planning a raffle and have already sourced some great prizes. We are also going to have a ‘Colour Day’ where everyone wears the suggested colour and contributes a gold coin,” said Tracy.
“We’re really excited about putting our ideas into action to raise money for a great cause,” she said.
HealthShare NSW now has a voice in social media, made possible by the launch of the @HealthShareNSW Twitter account.
If you currently use Twitter, be sure to follow and engage with us, and check out the latest news on our initiatives and programs. If you don’t have a Twitter account, refer
to our ‘Guide to Social Media for Professional Use’ on the intranet which offers practical advice about getting started on social media, as well as tips on communicating effectively and appropriately.
You can also refer to our updated Social Media Policy (on the intranet) for standards on how to use social media. Remember, use of social media while at work should be for professional purposes only. The policy gives more information on how you can use social media appropriately.
Have you connected to HealthShare NSW on LinkedIn yet? Our page enables HealthShare NSW staff, NSW Health employees and members of the public to keep up-to-date with our latest news and job vacancies. If you are already registered on LinkedIn, you can update your profile and link your job title to the HealthShare NSW company page. To ‘follow’ HealthShare NSW, go to
http://www.linkedin.com and enter ‘HealthShare NSW’ in the search field.
We have updated our corporate email signature to include our social media accounts, so be sure to update your email signature, available on the
intranet.
While you are exploring HealthShare NSW on Twitter and LinkedIn, don’t forget to check out eHealth NSW on
Twitter: @eHealthNSW and LinkedIn.
HealthShare NSW goes social
The HealthShare NSW Communications Team can provide training on how to use social media and what to use it for. Contact [email protected] if you’re interested.
For the first time ever, HealthShare NSW Linen Services have been in a position to drop linen prices for our public hospital clients.
The hard work, support and effort of our Linen Services’ staff has resulted in efficiencies and cost savings in production costs, equipment upgrades, transport and logistics, staffing and quality control.
HealthShare NSW has reduced the prices of our top five linen items – blankets, standard sheets, fitted sheets, draw sheets and linen bags – by about 4%. This will amount to a saving of approximately $1,655,533 to NSW public hospitals across the state this financial year. This money can now be redirected to front line services provided by our public hospitals.
NSW Linen Manager Kevin Prasad, said, “I am extremely proud of what Linen Services, and in particular our valued staff, have achieved over
recent times. To be able to reduce
prices of the major items we provide
to our NSW Health customers shows
what a strong and committed
business we operate. I would like to
offer my sincere congratulations and
thanks to our staff for the excellent
work you consistently do. You are
all making a big difference to public
health in NSW”.
Linen prices drop
EnableNSW staff members Kara Peachey and Allan Shipley were stars for a day recently when Ability Options brought a film crew to make a video about them.
Allan and Kara talked about their experiences of job hunting and what it means for them to have a job with HealthShare NSW.
Staff operate the ironing machine at Parramatta Linen Service
Milan Janakijeski at Parramatta Linen Service
Allan Shipley shares his experiences
In the spotlight
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HealthShare NSW’s Work Health and Safety team are thrilled to announce that 16 applications were submitted for the July round of ‘We want your ideas’ safety improvement funding.
Panel members, including 10 worker representatives (Safety Ambassadors and Health and Safety Representatives) and 10 management representatives, judged all the applications, resulting in five initiatives being awarded funding in this round:
• Hunter New England Sector, Patient Support Services applied for linen bag slings which will help reduce the overloading of linen bags ensuring any full linen bags are a consistent volume, weight and easier to handle, helping to reduce workplace injuries.
• Moree Hospital Patient Support Services requested a bin lifter which will make it easier for workers when lifting bins and emptying rubbish into skips.
• Kurri Kurri Hospital Patient Support Services applied for a sit-down tow tug to help staff move linen and waste bins on outdoor uneven surfaces. Previously these large and heavy items have been manually pushed; the new tug will help staff avoid injuries.
• Non-Emergency Patient Transport will use their funding to ensure hospital staff who make patient transport bookings understand new
safety features of their booking
hub software. Enhanced booking
information helps Patient Transport
Officers (PTOs) safely prepare to
transport a patient, ensuring the
transport journey is hazard free for
both the PTOs and patient.
• Illawarra, Lismore, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga Linen Services submitted a joint
application to request an upgrade of
their lighting to LED. The benefits of
using LED lighting include increased
productivity, improved quality of work, and most importantly, a decrease in the risk of glass shards as a result of fluoro or gas lighting breaking in the workplace.
The funding of these five safety initiatives totals $132,270.
If you have a great safety idea, speak with your colleagues, research the cost, and follow the instructions on the ‘We want your ideas’ intranet page. Next applications close on the 30 September 2016.
Safety initiatives receive funding through ‘We want your ideas’
Putting ideas into actionParramatta Linen Service was awarded funding for their ‘We want your ideas’ application in May. They applied for a pallet lifter which moves pallets up and down to reduce the risk of staff over extending their reach and injuring themselves while loading pallets on the floor. It eliminates the need for workers to bend and lift, as a height sensor automatically adjusts the fork height as they load or unload pallets.
HealthShare News August/September 2016
HealthShare News August/September 2016
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Living Well Expos regional tourIn July, more than 500 HealthShare NSW and Local Health District staff attended a new initiative of the Health and Wellbeing team, called ‘Living Well Expos’.
The Expos were held this year at Tamworth Hospital, Bourke Street Health
Service and Jerilderie Hospital. Attendees learnt about healthy living by
visiting displays from local organisations and businesses, receiving health
checks and massages, and listening to talks and cooking demonstrations.
The events were organised by HealthShare NSW’s Health and Wellbeing
team and HealthShare NSW staff including Anthony Yeo, Operations
Manager, Linen Services Tamworth; Sandra Ruse, Food and Patient Support
Services Manager, Tamworth Hospital; Vicki Nash, Group Supervisor, Bourke
Street Health Service and Crookwell, Food and Patient Support Services;
Sue Tozer, Leading Hand/Hotel Services, Bourke Street Health Service;
Barbara Hines Group Supervisor Food and Patient Support Services, Jerilderie
Hospital; and Rebecca Scott, Group Supervisor Food and Patient Support
Services, Barham Hospital.
All local staff from both HealthShare NSW and Local Health Districts were
invited to the Expos, and some staff travelled more than two hours to
attend. The hugely successful events raised $1,655 for Ronald McDonald
House, Snowy Hydro SouthCare and Beyond Blue.
Rebecca Scott and Barbara Hines at Jerilderie HospitalVicki Nash, Sector Manager Wayne Rose and Sue Tozer at Bourke Street Health Service
Amelia Pyke, Manager Health and Wellbeing, at Tamworth Hospital
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Western NSW LHD (WNSW) and Recruitment and Employee Transactional Services (RETS) have made a major change to the way they provide rostering and payroll services to their customers.
Like most other Health Agencies, WNSW followed the traditional multi roster paycycle process, with 60% of staff rostered on paycycle one and 40% rostered on paycycle two. This format presented a number of challenges for both WNSW and RETS in improving roster performance and payroll outcomes for WNSW staff.
Both the WNSW Workforce team and the RETS Management team could see the duplication of effort each week and recognised the current process was not working efficiently.
Julie Swain, WNSW Workforce & Culture Leader for HealthRoster Implementation, worked with her colleagues to consolidate roster paycycles to one cycle each fortnight, which occurred in late February 2016.
“It’s been a major challenge for us when staff change positions and change paycycles as a result. This often leads to rostering and pay discrepancies including substantial under and overpayments,” Julie said.
“When this happens there is a significant impact on clinical operations as Managers spend time making corrections, processing dual rosters and in some cases having to deal with upset staff who have not been paid correctly.”
The roster consolidation affected over 2,376 staff within WNSW and required significant investment in reviewing and checking data prior to making the changes in ProAct and StaffLink.
The change has created efficiencies for the WNSW Workforce team, allowing more time for checking rostering data, developing and analysing rostering and eForm KPIs, collaborating with roster managers to prevent errors, and improving manager capability in all aspects of HR transactional data.
This is a major breakthrough for WNSW which resulted in a 46% reduction in overpayments during January–June 2016 compared to the same period last year. Improvements are also expected in roster accuracy during the coming months with the recent rollout of Health Roster.
“Consolidating paycycles has a flow on effect to the transactional teams with less transactional re-work
Conversation is key on R U OK? DayIn Australia, approximately seven people take their own lives every day. Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15 to 44, with men accounting for three out of every five suicides.
R U OK? Day is an annual event which
aims to protect people from suicide
by reminding everyone to regularly
and meaningfully ask each other, “Are
you ok?” These types of conversations
can make it easier for people to speak
up about what’s going on and access
help if needed.
Dan Hunter, Chief Executive, recently helped spread recognition of R U OK? Day by wearing our R U OK? sticker on Thursday 8 September.
Georgie Child, Acting Manager of Health and Wellbeing, said, “If you think something’s worrying one of your friends at work, start a conversation to see if they’re ok. By starting a conversation, you could help a workmate open up about what they’re going through”.
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a free counselling service available for all staff via the WHS Assist Line on 02 8644 2323.
Above: Health and Wellbeing Team members Katherine Lavery, Georgie Child, and Malisa TranRight: Chief Executive Dan Hunter
Gloucester Food and Patient Support Staff
NEPT staff at the Sydney West Hub
Above and right: Staff at Parramatta Linen Service
NEPT staff Stephanie Cameron, Jake van Praag and Greg Sneddon
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Preparing for bushfire season
With summer around the corner, now is the time to get ready for the bushfire season. Site managers around HealthShare NSW are busy working with Disaster Manager Bruce Poulter to review and update their Bushfire Emergency Management and Evacuation Plans.
Staff should start preparing themselves now to stay safe in bushfire season – both at home and at work.
At work – be prepared• Know your evacuation procedures
– what happens, who does what, where should you assemble?
• Be prepared for power outages – what is your back-up plan?
• Familiarise yourself with your workplace Bushfire Safety Plan
• Be aware of bushfire risks such as a build-up of leaves and foliage near
buildings and in gutters – report these to your manager
• Look out for at-risk storage of flammable or combustible materials – arrange for them to be moved to safer storage
• Be prepared that staff may not be able to come to work – who will cover emergency shifts?
• Don’t take risks with your safety travelling to and from work
• Have a Bushfire Safety Plan in place at home – so if you are at work you feel confident your family will be okay until you get home to them.
At home – get ready now• Talk with your family about what you
will do if a bushfire threatens your home – make sure you’re all physically, emotionally and mentally prepared
• Write it down in a Bushfire Survival Plan which sets out when to leave, what to take, and what to do with animals
• Remember leaving early is always your safest option
• Prepare your home – clean your gutters, cut back overhanging trees, repair missing roof tiles
• Know bushfire alert levels – you can monitor danger ratings at www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fdr
• Keep bushfire information numbers, websites and apps on hand – download the free ‘Fires near me’ app to your phone.
Want more information?The NSW Rural Fire Service has a wealth of information and resources on its website to help you get ready for bushfire season and find out about danger periods, fires nearby, hazard reduction, fire bans and more at www.rfs.nsw.gov.au
You can also contact Disaster Manager Bruce Poulter at [email protected] or 02 8644 2060.
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19
New electronic incident management systemims+ is a new electronic incident management system which is being implemented across NSW Health from October 2016. The system is being rolled out geographically across the state, and HealthShare NSW staff will be given access to this new system gradually from October 2016 to June 2017.
Operational staff will have access to ims+ at the same time as their Local Health District staff counterparts. For example, both Murrumbidgee Local Health District and HealthShare NSW staff who are located in the Murrumbidgee geographical region will have access to ims+ from October 2016.
The incident management process has not changed – you are still required to notify all incidents, hazards and near misses.
However, rather than notifying
incidents by completing the
incident, hazard and near miss form
you will be required to record them
electronically using ims+.
Dr Anne Mok, Medical Director of
Work Health and Safety said, “There
are a number of benefits supporting
the change from a paper based to an
electronic system. ims+ is simple and
easy to use. It will be easier to find
and keep track of incidents you
have notified.”
“Over the next few months we will let
you know when ims+ will be arriving
at your workplace. Managers will
have the opportunity to participate in
training for the new system,” said
Dr Mok.
In July, the ims+ film crew travelled to
Prince of Wales Hospital to film Pedro
Sarmento and Toula Kyrlazopoulos
who will feature in the new ims+
notifier training video. Special thanks
go out to Merina Hadziahmetovic,
Operations Support Manager and the
Food Services team. Keep your eyes
open for the new training video!
Celebrating our new NEPT HubOur Non-Emergency Patient Transport (NEPT) staff
celebrated the opening of their new Sydney North
Hub in North Ryde in mid-September. It was a great
opportunity for staff to see the new Hub and meet
with other Patient Transport Officers and managers in
a relaxed environment.
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20
Two years ago HealthShare NSW committed to creating a workplace culture which would deliver the best possible outcomes for our people, our customers and the broader community.
At this time a snapshot of our culture was taken through an organisational culture survey referred to as the organisational culture inventory or ‘OCI’.
In the OCI, most of our business lines were asked to define the type of culture they wanted our organisation to have.
The outcomes from this survey were then used to develop the culture programs.
In May this year participants were re-surveyed to check our progress towards our desired culture.
The survey received a 72% completion rate, which means that the results are a good representation of the organisation. It also provides a lot of rich data to inform future culture activities.
The results showed that:
• Our biggest improvement has been our focus on coaching, developing and growing our people.
• Staff have seen positive changes in our culture including more:• communication• respect/fairness• collaboration and teamwork• supportive leadership and• empowerment.
• Staff understand the need to be more customer focused and that safety is important.
Another finding is that all participating business lines have made meaningful improvements in their workplace culture.
What positive changes have you seen in workplace culture in the last two years?
“Management is much more visible and communication
has greatly increased.”
“The culture within my team has changed dramatically for the better. Team dynamic is very positive and people are
enjoying their roles.”
“Self-development is encouraged. Bullying
and abusive behaviour is not tolerated. Workplace flexibility is supported.”
“Shift in culture towards self-empowerment and
encouragement for sharing of ideas for change and
improvement.”
HealthShare News August/September 2016
21
Learn and grow during Mental Health MonthDid you know approximately one in five Australians are affected by mental illness every year?
The theme for Mental Health Month
(October 2016) is ‘Learn and Grow’. In
recognition of this, HealthShare NSW
is launching some important mental
health education initiatives:
• Mandatory HETI online mental
health module for all staff to learn
about understanding and addressing
mental health in the workplace
• Trial of face-to-face mental health
Manager Capability Training
conducted by the Black Dog Institute
for selected people leaders
• Free mental health checks provided
at selected sites.
These initiatives are part of the
Elephant Matters mental health
program. This program is designed to improve the mental health and wellbeing of our workforce by creating an awareness of mental health, and providing staff with the skills to better manage their own mental wellbeing, while also supporting others who may be experiencing a mental health issue.
For more information about Elephant Matters email [email protected] or call the WHS Assist Line on 8644 2323.
If you would like to speak with a free and confidential counsellor about your own mental wellbeing, please call the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) via the WHS Assist Line on 02 8644 2323.
Hiking for the Homeless in MoreeMoree local Frank Crump, who is a Health and Security Assistant at Moree Hospital, is always the first to get involved for a good cause. Frank completed the Hike for the Homeless for the third year running in August.
“Working in Health I see lots of homeless people who are couch surfing or victims of domestic violence. I’m keen to do what I can to shed light on this important issue,” he said.
Frank Crump and Jessica Scully at the completion of Hike for the Homeless(Photo reproduced with thanks to the Moree Champion)
Service Recognition Week25 July marked the beginning of Service Recognition Week 2016 at HealthShare NSW and eHealth NSW.
Celebrations were held across the state to recognise and thank our employees who have worked in the public sector for 20 years or more.
These celebrations were an opportunity to show how much the ongoing contribution of our staff is appreciated.
This year HealthShare NSW recognised:
• 96 employees for 20 years of service
• 88 employees for 25 years of service
• 72 employees for 30 years of service
• 37 employees for 35 years of service
• 14 employees for 40 years of service
• 1 employee for 45 years of service.
eHealth NSW recognised:
• 6 employees for 20 years of service
• 1 employee for 30 years of service.
Congratulations!
Elizabeth Casey in Bellingen with her 35 year certificate
Donna Stewart in Wollongong with her certificate, with Saskia Inderwisch
HealthShare News August/September 2016
23
Graham Brazier and Gail Gifford at Maitland Hospital
John Matesich (right) in Port Macquarie with Warren Scott
Diane Carter and Gordon Spencer in Ballina with their 20 year certificates
Wendy Ryall (left) and Pamela Sullivan in Macksville
Jodie Baxter in Newcastle with Kevin Prasad (left) and Warren Lynch
Rhonda Partridge in Newcastle with Kevin Prasad (left) and Warren Lynch
HealthShare News August/September 2016
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Learn about Salary Packaging from the experts
Did you know that Salary Packaging is an easy way for you to increase your take home pay? The Salary Packaging team explain how in their new video, as featured on the Salary Packaging intranet page.
Mitchell, David, April, Beth and Michael from the Salary Packaging team explain how you can reduce your taxable income so you get more money in your back pocket each fortnight. Watch the video and learn more about:
To find out how much you can save by Salary Packaging contact the Salary Packaging Unit on 02 8848 5111 or [email protected]
Thinking about buying a new car?A novated lease can save you big tax dollars!
Talk To Salary Packaging on
02 8848 5111
Men’s Health Week recognised in Illawarra ShoalhavenWell done to the site managers from the Illawarra Shoalhaven sector, who recognised Men’s Health Week at their June sector meeting. Money raised on the day totalled $190 which was donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. Thank you to Jacqueline Van Cuylenburg, Site Supervisor, Food and Patient Support Services, Milton Ulladulla, for the decorations and Joy Thistleton, Site Supervisor, Food and Patient Support Services, Milton Ulladulla, for the delicious cupcakes.
Salary packaging team members (L to R) David Lo, Mitchell Richards, April Barter, Beth Windress and Michael Roldan
