Shining a light on our diverse staff during Mardi Gras and showcasing the work we do to support the LGBTIQA+ community. |
|
|
As celebrations for the 46th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras occur across the state, we take this opportunity to celebrate our LGBTIQA+ colleagues, patients and communities. It’s also an opportunity to stop and consider the importance and positive impact of providing inclusive healthcare and workplaces. One of the great privileges of being Secretary is getting to meet so many staff across NSW Health and seeing how you incorporate your warmth, kindness and life experiences into the work you do, respecting all those you care for. It also fosters a work environment where everyone feels like they belong and are valued for who they are, as well as the work they do. |
| |
|
We strive to ensure NSW Health is a place where everyone can bring their full self to work – regardless of their background, gender or sexuality. We also want this to be the experience of our patients. If you haven't had a chance, you can read the NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy 2022-2027
to learn how we plan to deliver the best possible care to our diverse communities.
I recently had the great pleasure of witnessing Sydney Hospital and Sydney Eye Hospital receiving the Nightingale Fellowship of London Badge. This prestigious honour is a worldwide symbol of nursing excellence, awarded to individuals and institutions who have made an exceptional contribution to the nursing profession. |
|
|
It was heartening to see Australia’s oldest hospital, after providing excellence in healthcare for over 200 years, receive international recognition for the outstanding work of its nurses. Congratulations to all! Kind regards,
Susan Pearce AM (she/her)
Secretary, NSW Health
|
| Nightingale event with Professor Jill White, Natalie Maier and Gillian Prager |
|
|
"The reason for my day is to make someone else's better." That is the motto of Kevin Schamburg (he/him), HIV and Related Programs (HARP) Health Promotion Program Coordinator, who has been working in sexual health promotion for 17 years across the Murrumbidgee and Southern NSW Local Health Districts.
Watch this video of Kevin as he reflects on his career and find out what he loves about working in the sector. |
|
|
Bringing LGBTIQA+ youths together |
|
|
Having experienced challenges as a transgender man in high school, Felix Sy (he/they) draws from his personal journey to empower others. |
|
|
Felix Sy and Jackie Manners (she/her), gender diverse group facilitators |
| Now, as a facilitator in a monthly support group, Felix fosters connections among trans and gender diverse youth.
“From my own experience in high school, you feel like you are the only person who is experiencing these challenges. “At the time, I had not met anybody else who was trans or gender diverse, nor did I know how to meet others like me,” said Felix.
Run by the Child and Youth Mental Health Service, the group encourages trans and gender diverse youths to share experiences with likeminded peers, and helps break down barriers across the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District. |
|
|
“In this group we encourage young people to connect with others with similar experiences, make new friends, and express themselves in a safe and inclusive environment,” said Felix.
“The group has created an empowering space where young peoples' trans identities and gender diversity are proudly expressed and celebrated.
“From when I began facilitating nearly a year ago, I have personally witnessed positive changes over time in the confidence and self-esteem of some of the young people who attend, which sincerely warms my heart,” he said |
|
|
As a staff specialist at Illawarra Shoalhaven Sexual Health Clinic, Dr Alison Rutherford’s (she/her) job is pretty varied. |
|
|
| “My clinical work covers a range of areas including HIV care, STIs, reproductive health, genital problems and gender affirming care as well as policy, strategy and education,” said Alison. She describes herself as a ‘team player’ and says she loves that her role allows her to problem-solve.
“I am a curious person so I like work that is academically challenging but socially meaningful.” Alison identifies as a cisgender queer woman, something she believes helps to inform her approach to caring for patients. “Most LGBTIQA+ people, especially of my generation, have felt like outsiders at points in our lives,” said Alison. “I think LGBTIQA+ health workers are huge assets to our organisation, we bring empathy, passion and insight into our work.” |
|
|
Looking ahead, Alison believes the NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy 2022-2027 will significantly improve LGBTIQA+ people’s access to and experience of the health system. “I’m excited to be part of our local implementation team and to help create an environment of visibility, safety and inclusion for sexually and gender diverse consumers and staff in Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District.” |
|
|
Tune in to 2024 Excellence in Allied Health Awards
Join us as we celebrate NSW Health's allied health professionals at the 2024 Excellence in Allied Health Awards.
Tune in to the livestream on Thursday 29 February from 6:30pm to meet the finalists and the winners.
|
|
|
Learn about our next generation of learners Register now for Reaching and Teaching Our Next Generation of Learners on Wednesday 13 March from 12pm to 1pm.
Dr Sarah Wood will discuss the unique characteristics, values and learning preferences of Generation Z health professions students. The HETI webinar will also explore strategies for reaching and teaching Gen Z learners and discuss the impact of emerging trends like Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT on learning environments.
More about the series and past webinars are available on the HETI website. |
|
The first Conversation in Human Experience for 2024 Join the first conversation in Human Experience for 2024, Country roads, take me home, on Tuesday 27 February at 10am. Brendon Cutmore, Director of Information and Performance Support, NSW Regional Health Division and Michelle Maxwell, Director of Strategy, Governance, and Delivery will shine a spotlight on all that is good in Regional Health.
Download the calendar appointment now to join the conversation or contact the Experience Team if you'd like to receive a calendar invite.
|
|
|
Supporting trans patients at RPA’s emergency department |
|
|
Attending an emergency department can be confronting for any patient, especially for members of the trans community. Things like incomplete or mismatched paperwork, name changes, not being out about their identity and the fear of discrimination can cause anxiety. That’s why Av Devries (he/him) is setting out to drive change. |
|
|
As a trans man and Lived Experience Educator at Sydney Education in Sydney Local Health District, he works with health staff to improve their understanding of trans and gender diversity issues. “We want to create a space where clinicians feel comfortable asking us questions, to improve their knowledge,” said Av.
Av and EJ Heine (they/them), Program Manager for LGTBIQ+ and Men's Health, recently co-led a workshop on trans inclusion for emergency department staff at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA).
"Being able to use my voice in a more impactful way that will affect more people has been amazing,” said Av. |
| |
|
It builds on recent progress at RPA, where efforts to improve trans and LGBTIQA+ inclusion have received positive feedback from patients and the community. "It's acute care, and the staff are doing an important job but still finding the time to respect the patient for who they are," said EJ. |
|
|
Using the right gender pronouns helps us to show respect for identity and signify safe and welcoming spaces. You can't always tell a person's preferred pronouns by looking at them, so it can be helpful to offer your own pronouns and ask someone else's.
You’ll see that we’ve included the gender pronouns of the staff members featured in this edition of Check In. Learn more about LGBTIQA+ terminology on the NSW Health website. |
|
|
Self-collection makes screening more inclusive |
|
|
|
Regular cervical screening is vital in helping to prevent cervical cancer, but some people face barriers to taking part, particularly LGBTQ+ people. Fortunately, a method that lets people collect their own test sample is helping to make a difference. Karen Price (she/her) is Deputy CEO at ACON, a NSW community organisation supporting health for people of diverse sexualities and genders. “Many in our LGBTQ+ communities have experienced judgemental, discriminatory, traumatic or stigmatising treatment when accessing healthcare, which is especially challenging for this kind of screening,” said Karen.
Through self-collection, women and people with cervixes aged 25 to 74 can collect the cervical screening sample themselves using a long cotton swab. Karen has used this option herself as she previously experienced physical discomfort during cervical screening.
"It was painless, more private and a completely different experience,” she said. |
|
|
“Having the option of self-collection makes a huge difference for LGBTQ+ people and for anyone who found the test uncomfortable or traumatising,” said Karen. Sarah McGill (she/her), Director of Screening and Prevention at Cancer Institute NSW said it was wonderful to see self-collection helping to make screening more inclusive. “We are very proud to work in partnership with ACON to help empower people in the community to take charge of their health and reduce their cancer risk,” said Sarah. |
| |
|
Staff training supports queer refugee patients |
|
|
How does having a sexually or gender diverse identity impact the experience of being a person with refugee background, and what does this mean for the clinicians who care for them? |
|
|
These are questions that Coming In, a training program for NSW Health staff, aims to answer.
Jasmina Bajraktarevic (she/her) is the Community Services Coordinator at NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS), the organisation that runs Coming In.
“People are often not accepted by their ethnic community because of their identity. They are also frequently not part of the LGBTIQA+ community,” said Jasmina. “Our work helps them to find a community they feel a part of.” Coming In workshops help clinicians understand the unique challenges faced by LGBTIQA+ refugees in Australia, and how they can best support them. |
| |
|
The sessions are led by trainers who identify as queer and come from a refugee background.
“The trainers draw on personal experience to get the training across, only sharing as much of their personal story as they feel comfortable with,” said Jasmina.
“NSW Health staff really appreciate this opportunity to hear directly from these individuals and then embed what they’ve learned into their practice.” |
|
|
Creating a welcoming space for everyone |
Jemma Clifton (she/her) is on a mission to make Northern Sydney Local Health District a place where everyone is accepted and recognised. |
|
|
“We all experience the frustrations of having assumptions made about us based on our sex – whether that be roles, capabilities, career paths, or interests,” said Jemma. As the new project officer to support the implementation of the NSW Health LGBTIQ+ Strategy across the district, Jemma said a key challenge is many people have not met a queer, transgender, intersex or sexually diverse person. This leads to fear and a lack of understanding about how to interact with people like her. “Just by being here I hope to show people that gender and sexual diversity are normal,” she said.
Jemma is focused on upskilling the workforce with simple tools that create space for everyone to show up as their full selves at work. “This could include education on how sex, gender, and sexuality are distinct aspects of a person’s identity,” said Jemma. |
| |
|
“It’s also about changing language to unpack the assumptions we make as well as updating data collection to capture patients’ identities more appropriately.
“I want to bring the best evidence-based LGBTIQA+ health standards, resources and services to the district,” she said. |
|
|
Join the Pride Zone and Events network on Microsoft Teams
The Pride Zone and Events network is a channel on Microsoft Teams for LGBTIQA+ staff and allies to share information, promote events and ask questions about LGBTIQA+ work. Everyone in NSW Health can request to join the network. |
| LGBTIQA+ resources and supports
NSW Health offers a range of helpful resources to support LGBTIQA+ communities and health professionals. Find out more on the NSW Health website. |
|
|
LGBTIQA+ Diversity and Inclusion poster We’ve launched a new statewide LGBTIQA+ Diversity and Inclusion poster.
The poster design was originally created by Sydney Local Health District and adapted for statewide use. It will soon be displayed in NSW Health buildings and facilities across the state. The poster signifies and reminds us that all NSW Health staff and people who use our health services deserve dignity, safety, respect, kindness and to be themselves.
|
| From the Critical Intelligence Unit The Critical Intelligence Unit (CIU) Evidence Digest highlights transformative clinical innovations. Recent features include: - Integrate AI into health care, hospital at home for children and antibiotics for suspected sepsis
- Biomarker for dementia prediction, behavioural nudges to reduce low-value care, and co-design of digital health technologies in Australian First Nations communities
Subscribe for Wednesday morning updates or explore the CIU's living evidence table on AI in healthcare. |
|
|
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. |
|
|
|
