Designing and creating safe, thriving and healthy spaces for patients, communities and our staff. |
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My sincere thanks to all those who have already responded to the 2023 People Matter Employee Survey.
The survey is open until Friday 15 September. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to complete the survey and have your say on how we can make NSW Health an even better place to work. A couple of weeks ago I was so grateful to attend an Aboriginal Women’s gathering in Bourke.
I was delighted to have been invited by Pat Canty who pulled together a powerhouse group of Aboriginal women, many of whom work in NSW Health, to share stories and the remarkable work they are doing with, and for, their communities.
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Courage, strength and kindness shone through every element of this gathering and it is something I will never forget.
Last week I was in Tamworth for the Hunter New England LHD Excellence Awards. It’s always so good to hear about the fantastic work staff from across NSW Health are doing and of course to see them recognised for it by their colleagues and peers.
While I was there, I spent some time with some of the staff at Tamworth in the maternity unit, as well as the ICU, where we talked about some of the issues and challenges they face but also the remarkable things they are doing to innovate and do their best for their communities every day. When it comes to the physical places we work, how often have you stopped to consider how the design of our infrastructure plays an important role in the experiences of our staff, patients and the community when engaging with our health system? From safe spaces for people experiencing a mental health crisis, to displays honouring our history, and even places dedicated to testing health innovations, these spaces physically represent our values – in particular, collaboration and respect – which are key in creating safe, healthy and thriving spaces that meet the needs of the people giving and receiving care. We have sprinkled some fun facts about our infrastructure throughout this edition – I hope you’ll enjoy learning more about the spaces we provide care in.
And finally, we are celebrating Speech Pathology Week this week (20 to 26 August). I want to thank our incredible speech pathologists across our health system for their work to care for people of all ages and support their quality of life.
Kind regards,
Susan Pearce AM
Secretary, NSW Health
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| Photos from my visit to Bourke |
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There are more than 130 Health Infrastructure projects underway across NSW |
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Susie McMahon’s life turned upside down after a serious sports injury, but it also revealed to her a new purpose in life.
Susie is now a Senior Peer Support Worker at Liverpool Safe Haven – a safe and welcoming place that recently opened in South Western Sydney Local Health District for people experiencing suicidal thoughts and distress.
“I wanted to use my experience to help those in need, and I can’t think of much in life that is more important than helping to prevent the tragedy and heartbreak of suicide,” said Susie.
There are currently 19 Safe Havens across NSW. The space has separate areas for private conversations, as well as communal areas for guests to draw, play games or read. |
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| “Safe Haven is a friendly and inviting environment. You could mistake it for your own living room. Having a welcoming space makes the first step of reaching out for help just a little bit easier,” said Susie. Despite only starting in her role two months ago, Susie is already making an impact. She remembers a time where her simple act of saying ‘hello’ to someone walking by led to a young woman seeking help at Safe Haven for the first time.
“Seeing a person come in feeling lost and hopeless but leave with their chin up is what I find most fulfilling about my work,” said Susie. “It is very important and rewarding for me to know that the guest felt heard, understood and less alone at Safe Haven.” |
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Testing ground for new ideas |
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The first public hospital opened in 1816 - it is now known as Sydney Hospital |
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Turning ideas into health solutions requires a lot of helping hands and creative minds. Even when they fail, the process of testing ideas presents an opportunity for groundbreaking innovation.
eHealth NSW, HealthShare NSW, Health Infrastructure and NSW Health Pathology have partnered to create the Health Prototyping Centre (HPC) – a dedicated space where clinicians, experts and consumers collaborate to trial new health innovations. Gordon Burnett, one of HPC’s design leads from eHealth NSW, knows how a space designed specifically for collaboration can lead to incredible solutions. |
| Gordon at the Health Prototyping Centre |
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“That is why the HPC is so important. It provides a safe place where we can 'fail fast' and learn how we can improve our solution ideas in a very short timeframe,” said Gordon.
“It means that by the time these ideas become a solution build, they have already been rigorously tested and received a wide range of feedback from the people who will use them every day."
It’s like an idea factory having all these teams under one roof, according to Dr Alex Garrett, Service Designer at NSW Health Pathology. “The HPC is the perfect space to experiment with novel concepts and explore possibilities,” said Alex. “We all have our specific roles, and we are able to bounce ideas off each other to quickly solve problems. You can feel the excitement in the air when we are getting close to a solution.”
To date, 14 projects have been evaluated in the HPC to test a range of new ideas that can improve healthcare. |
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Name: Rebecca Wark
Role: Chief Executive, Health Infrastructure
Now, let’s get to know you a little better… What are three words your family and friends would use to describe you? Family-focused, caring, determined. Last great TV show or movie you watched?
Atypical. Favourite book or podcast? Tim Winton’s Blueback. If you could learn a new skill, what would it be? Physical fitness. If you’re cooking dinner, what will everyone be eating? |
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Rebecca Wark with a freshly baked loaf of bread |
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Lots of fresh food, organically grown, with as much out of my garden as possible. And freshly baked bread! Any hidden talents? I can drive a tractor and have a camellia nursery. What is a project currently in development that you are excited to see come to life? The new Tweed Valley Hospital – a project that I have been involved with since early planning and site selection, an important development for regional NSW.
Why is infrastructure so important to human experiences of healthcare?
Building health infrastructure that is future focused and tailored to the needs of patients, staff and the local community is integral to every aspect of our work. Our health facilities are places to heal, work, gather and connect and research shows well-designed environments enhance health and wellbeing. I’m really proud to be part of a team that places the human experience at the centre of what we do. What is the most important thing to think about when designing healthcare spaces?
That it considers all users’ needs. The wellbeing of our staff is critical and a key driver for the way we design spaces – natural lighting, courtyards, gardens and finishes that reduce their clinical feel are some of the ways we are creating welcoming and supportive health spaces. |
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| 'At the CORE' of Health Infrastructure |
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Our CORE values are at the heart of everything we do at NSW Health. At the CORE showcases the teams, initiatives, and achievements from around the system that display our values in action. |
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Collaboration: When it comes to designing health spaces, a better process leads to better outcomes.
That is how Health Infrastructure describes ‘good design’ in their new Design Guide for Health: Spaces, Places and Precincts, published in collaboration with Government Architect NSW.
What helps to make a good process with good outcomes is collaboration from start to end. Someone who knows this idea well is Health Infrastructure’s Program Director of Design Excellence, Wade Sutton.
“The engagement and feedback we receive from staff is the most important because they are the people who will be using these facilities in both clinical and non-clinical settings,” said Wade. |
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“Our staff carry a huge amount of clinical knowledge and unique perspectives that can be fed into a project.” Good design supports the health and wellbeing of staff and communities, and helps to create spaces that are culturally safe, supportive and functional.
“After working for over 30 years in healthcare architecture, it’s great to see the recognition given to health facilities as more than just places to provide treatment. They are places for everyone and have a positive impact on our health and wellbeing,” said Wade. |
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| | There are more than 220 public hospitals across NSW |
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Since 1889, Goulburn Base Hospital in Southern NSW Local Health District has been providing high-quality healthcare and services to the Goulburn-Mulwaree community. Stories of the hospital’s 134-year history have come to life in a new exhibition, named after a longstanding family of the community – Springfield Place.
“What we have tried to do is capture the enduring connection between the hospital and the community,” said John Gale, Chair of the Goulburn Hospital and Health Service Arts and Heritage Committee.
Not only does it link the original hospital with the new Clinical Service Building, but the space also connects the past with the present by sharing stories of the hospital’s beginnings.
“There are generations of families living in Goulburn and we have artefacts and photos in the exhibition of former staff who have family members working at the hospital today.”
When staff explore the exhibition, they are learning about the community they serve and celebrating its history.
“Healthcare was not developed when the hospital first opened. Many of our staff have Aboriginal heritage and their ancestors were using native flora for medicinal purposes long before the current health service was established," said John. |
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Watch the video to see the opening of Springfield Place |
| “I’m honoured that we have been able to display these artifacts and recognise our Aboriginal community's health treatments. “We hope that the exhibition encourages staff to reflect on the care that has been delivered to the local community for millennia and inspires them to continue caring with respect, collaboration and openness,” said John. |
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Giving little ones a voice |
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In this year’s Speech Pathology Week (20-26 August), the theme Communicating for Life celebrates the important role speech pathologists play in every stage of life. Bronwen Craig, Clinical Specialist Speech Pathologist at Westmead Hospital, meets her patients at the very beginning of their journey in her work focusing on paediatric feeding and dentistry.
“I love working with the families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Having your tiny baby admitted to a NICU is a very stressful and often traumatic time for these families, and being able to provide support, education, and guidance around feeding and caring for their little ones is very rewarding,” said Bronwen. |
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Bronwen has been working across Western Sydney Local Health District for 20 years, and was recently named a finalist in the 2022 Excellence in Allied Health Awards for Allied Health Professional of the Year. “It is an honour to be recognised for my work in a fairly niche area of speech pathology,” said Bronwen.
“It is also recognition of the support and growth opportunities that Western Sydney Local Health District has provided me, from a new graduate through to now. I feel blessed that I have been able to grow my career in Western Sydney." |
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Celebrate Multicultural Health Week 2023 On Monday 4 September, Minster for Health Ryan Park and NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce will be launching Multicultural Health Week 2023. This year's theme is Celebrate Culture Through Movement: Every Move Counts. Watch the livestream of the launch event on online from 10:00am.
Visit the Multicultural Health website for more information on the week. |
| Join in on STEPtember
STEPtember is one way to build movement into your day while also supporting kids with cerebral palsy.
NSW Health is proud to be joining STEPtember again this year and it’s not too late to sign up and get behind a great cause.
Search for your local health district or health organisation on the registrations page or join as an individual. |
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Since 2011, Health Infrastructure has delivered 180 projects |
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Aboriginal Community Working Group on a site tour at Tweed Valley Hospital |
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Knowing that many Aboriginal people encounter barriers to accessing healthcare, the project team of the Tweed Valley Hospital development set out to make healthcare more inclusive.
They collaborated with Aboriginal staff and communities to make sure the new hospital in Northern NSW Local Health District will be a culturally sensitive and safe space for everyone. The priority for Linda Brandon, Communications and Engagement Manager, and the team has been to build trust and inclusivity. |
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“We wanted to make sure the input of our Aboriginal Health Service staff and community members was deeply valued and considered throughout all stages of development,” said Linda. “An important part of the project is the Arts and Culture Program, which has been developed with local Aboriginal artists to create a safe and welcoming environment for Aboriginal staff and community members at the hospital.” |
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The collaboration with the Aboriginal Community Working Group has led to some fantastic outcomes, including an Aboriginal 'Welcome' artwork, ‘Healing Together’ garden sculpture, and Aboriginal language translations of more than 30 new signs. “The inclusive artwork in the Aboriginal meeting room, where the Aboriginal Liaison Officer will be based, was a highlight for the staff who have been involved,” said Linda. |
| Tweed Hospital Aboriginal 'Welcome' artwork |
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There are 220 Ambulance stations in NSW |
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New facilities in Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District and Hunter New England Local Health District are giving staff a boost. |
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New expanded pathology lab at Nepean
The new pathology lab at Nepean Hospital is high-tech, purpose-built, and the perfect space for collaboration.
“Our people are already realising the benefits of having open-plan spaces that encourage and improve collaboration between departments. There’s ample storage and refrigeration space, which is so important,” said Stephen Parker, NSW Health Pathology’s Senior Operations Manager. Along with new equipment, the lab has new offices with meeting rooms, a light-filled kitchen and dining area, and a landscaped courtyard for staff to enjoy and take a break outside when they need.
“We’re right near the hospital’s emergency department, maternity ward and theatres, and ideally placed to receive urgent samples and deliver results when patients and doctors need them,” said Stephen.
The upgrade also includes new chemical pathology analysers which will streamline testing, as well as a new automation system, also known by staff as the sushi train. |
Stephen Parker at the new lab |
| New Ambulance station at Medowie
NSW Ambulance works around the clock looking after the people of NSW and for many paramedics, your station becomes a home away from home.
The new station at Medowie is already feeling like a second home for staff with parking for emergency ambulance vehicles, administration and office areas, staff amenities, storage areas, delivery and wash bays, and a Medic Fit gym.
“The design is fantastic. The set-up and facilities are all working well, and our team morale is great. It feels like home,” said Paramedic Adam Robb. The station is providing much needed emergency care for the growing community and giving staff an extra boost during their shift. “It’s designed to meet the needs of us regional paramedics, and fit in to our workflow, making it easy to load up an ambulance at the start of a shift, and clean ambulances in the new wash bays at the end of a shift,” said Adam.
“We also enjoy using the communal areas for training drills and team-building events.” |
Staff at the opening of Medowie Station |
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Is it time to refresh your cyber security awareness skills?
The mandatory Cyber Security Fundamentals module in My Health Learning (course code: 349301434) is due for recompletion.
Staff are required to re-sit this module every two years. It is important to keep these crucial cyber security practices fresh in your mind so we can all help to keep NSW Health systems and data safe. Check your My Health Learning and see if you’re due to complete the training. |
| From the Critical Intelligence Unit
The Critical Intelligence Unit (CIU) Evidence Digest focuses on clinical innovations that have the potential to change clinical practice and delivery or organisation of care.
In the past weeks, the Evidence Digest featured: - Consequences of antenatal corticosteroids, heightened risks following thymus removal, non-opioid pain medication, and building a rural and remote health workforce
- Artificial intelligence, gonorrhoea vaccine and lowering carbon emissions through redesign
To receive the digest in your inbox on Wednesday mornings, please subscribe. |
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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live and work and pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We also acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff working with the NSW Government. |
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