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APR-JUN 2013 | ISSUE 16
@JurongHealth
FIND IN THIS ISSUE
Pull-out supplement of our
Jurong Gateway Road Event and
Nurses Day 2013 Celebration
02-03
Lakeside FMC
12-13
SQ Awards
16
Timely Care Closer
A Recipe for Award-
IPOEM & ME
to Home
Winning Service
Human resources
HIGHLIGHTS
FOCUS
04-05
SPOTLIGHT
06-11
FEATURE
12-13
SQ AWARDS
Timely Care
Closer To Home
14
SERVICE
IMPROVEMENT
16
HOSPITAL
PLANNING
17-19
HUMAN
RESOURCES
20-23
HAPPENINGS
24
MUSINGS
Writer
Jacinta Leow
Editor
Tessa Monteiro
Editorial Advisor
Casey Chang
Lakeside Family Medicine Clinic (LFMC), a collaboration
with JurongHealth, officially opened on 19 July 2013 for
patients with chronic conditions to receive optimal care
and minimise travelling time and visits to the hospital.
A/Prof Cheah Wei Keat, Chairman Medical Board,
elaborates: “Our specialists and private family physicians
at LFMC can ensure that patients with chronic conditions
can have easy access to good care at the right place
and at the right time. Adding LFMC to our integrated
ecosystem of care will allow patients to access a wider
range of healthcare needs at the community level, as
the clinic is backed by dietetics, physiotherapy, podiatry,
health screening, laboratory tests, and a range of other
healthcare and allied health services, which are supported
by the hospital.”
Dr Eng Soo Kiang, one of the nine general practitioners
to run LFMC, noted that this model complements the
existing primary care infrastructure made up of polyclinics,
solo general practitioners and medical group practices.
Apart from fewer hospital visits, Dr Eng observed that the
care model would build better doctor-patient relations.
“Seeing the same family physician to manage chronic
conditions helps to build a trusting therapeutic relationship
and foster a better understanding. This will help patients
navigate the many ups and downs of his or her illness.”
Located at Blk 518A, Jurong West Street 52, LFMC is
served by Lakeside MRT and various SBS buses and will
provide medical consultation for common illnesses such
as influenza, and more importantly chronic diseases.
Offering timely care to patients living with diabetes,
cataracts or depression (just to name a few), patients
will not need to make frequent trips to the hospital, and
instead get help closer to home. Working closely with
them will be our JurongHealth team, who will coordinate
care and work alongside community partners like South
West CDC, St Luke’s ElderCare and Jurong Shipyard.
Together, all parties will care for, educate and promote
early health interventions in the west.
Services offered at Lakeside FMC
Care for common illnesses
Chronic disease management
Diabetic counselling
Diabetic foot screening
Diabetic retinal photography
Diagnostic radiology (appointment-based)
Dietetics (appointment-based)
Health screening
Home care
Laboratory tests
Medical social services (appointment-based)
Physiotherapy (appointment-based)
Podiatry (appointment-based)
SPOTLIGHT
The Multi-Faceted
Allied Health Division
In the previous issue, we profiled the Department of Medicine to create greater awareness and deepen staff
knowledge on the services it provides. In this issue, we feature the Allied Health division which comprises 13
departments/units and is headed by Ms Chee Thong Gan, Assistant Chief Operating Officer (Clinical Services).
Audiology
Audiology is the science that is related to the study
of hearing. It includes the anatomy and functions
of the ear and balance system, as well as the
evaluation, education and rehabilitation of persons
with hearing loss and balance disorders. Our
team of trained Audiologists and Audiometricians
provide evidence-based and autonomous
care to our patients, as well as comprehensive
outpatient services such as pure tone audiometry
screening (industrial screening, health screening);
tympanometry; hearing aid evaluation and fitting;
ear implant programme (cochlear implants, middle
ear implants and bone anchored hearing aids); and
tinnitus management programme.
Clinical Measurement Services
The Clinical Measurement Unit (CMU) provides
non-invasive investigations for the diagnosis
and treatment of cardiac, nerve, neuromuscular
and respiratory disorders. Examples of cardiac
investigations include echocardiography, treadmill
stress test and ambulatory BP & ECG monitoring.
Neurophysiology diagnostic tests encompass
electroencephalography, nerve conduction
studies and evoke potentials. Spirometry,
6-minute walk test, exhaled nitric oxide, and
methacholine challenge test are the few tests
commonly used to diagnose respiratory disorders
i.e COPD and asthma.
Dietetics & Nutrition
At Dietetics & Nutrition, the aim is to ensure the
provision of sound and evidence-based medical,
sports and general nutrition for the health and wellbeing of our patients and the greater community.
Our Dietitians are patient-focused – providing only
the best nutritional advice while still considering
their lifestyle.
Medical Social Services
As an inter-disciplinary team player, the
Department of Medical Social Services collaborates
with other departments and our community
partners to provide patients and their families with
holistic care. It provides services such as casework
management, discharge care and planning;
financial assistance; home visits; training; and
research among others.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy helps patients to improve
their basic motor functions and reasoning abilities,
and to compensate for permanent loss of function.
The goal is to help patients lead independent,
productive, and satisfying lives. Our services for
inpatients and outpatients include neurological
and stroke rehabilitation; geriatric rehabilitation;
ergonomics and occupational health educational
talks; and stress management educational talks.
05
Optometry
The Optometry department provides diagnostic
assessment of vision problems and ocular diseases
to inpatients and outpatients. As part of the eye
care team, Optometrists play an essential role in
helping ophthalmologists in patients’ diagnosis
and management process. The Optometry
Department also engages the community through
eye screenings and eye care talks.
Pharmacy
Our Pharmacists engage in the multi-disciplinary
management of patients alongside other medical
and allied health professionals, and services
include filling prescriptions, consultation for minor
ailments, smoking cessation counselling, and
continuing education for our staff. Our Pharmacists
also engage in teaching activities such as for
students on attachment and organise educational
talks for the medical, allied health profession,
corporate institutions and the public on request.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy aims to restore and enhance human
function and movement to improve health and wellbeing. Physiotherapists aim to identify and make
the most of movement ability through treatment,
rehabilitation, health promotion and preventive
advice. Such treatment is administered through
physical means such as exercise, electrotherapy
modalities and manual therapies.
Podiatry
Looking into the care of patients with foot and lower
limb problems in both inpatient and outpatient
settings, Podiatrists provide services such as foot
care and management of patients with diabetic
ulcers; management of skin and nail conditions
of the foot; assessment and advice on proper
footwear; and provision of functional orthoses for
support, insoles, padding and strapping.
Psychology
The Department of Psychology carries out a range
of diagnostic activities and provides therapeutic
interventions for a variety of psychological and
emotional needs. The team provides a myriad
of services for both inpatients and outpatients,
such as memory assessments, decision-making
competency tests and therapy for various conditions
including anger management and post-traumatic
stress disorder. Outpatient services are available to
school-going children (12 to 16 years old).
Respiratory Therapy
The Respiratory Therapy Department provides
diagnostic, therapeutic and emergency services
related to a wide variety of cardiopulmonary
deficiencies and abnormalities in critical care, acute
and chronic settings. Services offered include
assessment and monitoring of natural and artificial
airways, management of invasive and non-invasive
ventilations, and provision of medical gas therapy.
Sleep Laboratory
Sleep Lab provides diagnostic sleep test (full
overnight polysomnography), continuous positive
airway pressure titration sleep study, multiple sleep
latency test and actigraphy to both inpatients and
outpatients with various sleep disorders. Examples
of sleep disorders include sleep disordered
breathing, obstructive sleep apnoea, snoring,
obesity hypoventilation syndrome, parasomnias,
REM disorders, leg movements disorders, bruxism,
hypersomnia, circadian rhythm disorder and
insomnia.
Speech Therapy
The Speech Therapy Department provides
assessment, diagnosis, and management of
speech, language, voice, and swallowing disorders
to both inpatients and outpatients and their
families/carers. Our Speech Therapists treat those
with acute and progressive neurological disorders;
stroke; voice disorders; and those who have
undergone head and neck surgery.
feature
EMR S
EMR Progress Report
Pre-i
chedule
nstal
Curious about the status of our EMR implementation plan?
Here’s a six-month progress report.
l pla
Train
i
ng, s
nning
copin
g and
Valid
a
tion
Build
Scoping and Update Sessions
On 26 February 2013, our EMR team and senior
management met up with Epic’s team for a week of
project scoping. These sessions helped define the
direction, scope and overall principles for our future
EMR’s implementation.
Following the scoping sessions, the HODs were updated
on Epic’s Implementation process. While there were
several queries and concerns raised, Ms Joanne Yap,
Chief Operating Officer, and Dr Gamaliel Tan, Chief
Medical Information Officer (CMIO), were there to ease
their worries and provided clear directions for Epic’s
implementation process.
and w
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Testi
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Go li
esign
go li
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disco
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07
Training with Epic
On 23 March 2013, our EMR team departed for
training in Verona, Wisconsin, to be certified as
Application Analysts by early July. Our senior
management also participated in the training
session for a week and provided the team with
moral support. Other hospitals present at the
training included the New York City Health and
Hospitals Corporation, Life Span, Providence
Rhode Island and Wake Med Health & Hospitals.
After three weeks of overseas training, our EMR
team returned to Singapore with the Epic team,
where it conducted local training for the rest of
the EMR team members as well as for those who
required further cross training for other modules.
This started on 22 April 2013 and lasted for five
weeks at Alexandra Hospital and our offices at Kay
Siang and ONECommonwealth. Aside from juggling
daily responsibilities, the team also had to prepare
for the examinations. During the initial sessions, our
clinicians and administrative staff were invited to
participate so that they too, could get a sense of
Epic’s functions and capabilities.
EMR Team Briefing by CMIO
On 14 May 2013, CMIO held a briefing for the entire EMR team and gave an overview of the
upcoming EMR activities. The team from Epic will relocate in early June to Singapore and work closely
with our EMR team for the next two years, seeing us through our transition from Alexandra Hospital to
our new hospitals.
Since its inception, the EMR team has grown quickly from one (CMIO) to eight in December
2012; and now 75 staff. The team is expected to further grow to 80. Our next phase of the Epic
implementation will be the validation sessions. There will be five cycles starting early July until
November 2013 and subject matter experts* from all services will be invited to validate the future
workflow for our very own JurongHealth electronic medical record system. Stay tuned as we bring
you more updates on the EMR activities that have been lined up for the next few months!
* Subject matter experts are staff who have the relevant experience or skill set to advise on how key processes and
workflows should be driven. It can be a HOD or a senior manager at the frontline.
FEATURE
Empowering the Community
with ONEHealth
In June 2013, we launched JurongHealth’s ONEHealth publication to reach out to the residents and
business community in western Singapore as well as GPs islandwide. The quarterly publication,with a print
run of 230,000, aims to educate, engage and empower the community to keep well. Aside from providing
readers with the latest medical and health-related news/information, the articles will also update the
western community on the building progress of our integrated hospitals as well as introduce the healthcare
professionals and range of medical specialties offered by the JurongHealth family of institutions and medical
centre. If you have a story to share with our readers, email us at [email protected].
FOODforLIFE!
2013ISSUE
1
YOU R QUA RT ER LY H EA LT H &WE L L N E SS JO U R N A L
A community
of experts for
seamless care
Delicious, high in omega-3 and simple
JurongHealth’s Executive Chef, Richard Woo, shows you how to prepare seared salmon paired with a fresh
tomato salsa, tender sautéed potatoes and crunchy asparagus. It is a complete meal that’s good to look at
and better to eat! Serves 4
Seared salmon
4x140g Salmon fillets, seasoned with
low-sodium sea salt & cayenne pepper
2tsp
Corn oil
Preheat oil in a non-stick pan, sear salmon
fillet on both sides till brown. Remove salmon
fillet from pan and set aside
Sautéed potatoes
480g
Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
40g
Onion, peeled and sliced
1 clove Garlic, sliced
2tsp
Olive oil
Preheat oil in a non-stick pan, sauté all ingredients
till cooked and season to taste.
Tomato salsa
½
Tomato, diced
1tsp
Coriander, chopped
1 bulb Shallot, chopped
½ clove Garlic, chopped
1tsp
Fresh lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a bowl
and season to taste
Assorted vegetables and garnish
180g
Fine asparagus, blanched
180g
Sliced mushrooms, sautéed
4
Lemon wedges
To serve Spoon potatoes and mushrooms
onto serving plate and top with salmon fillet.
Garnish with salsa, asparagus and a lemon wedge.
32 O N E HE ALTH
Healthcare
designed,
delivered
and centered
around patients
and caregivers
HealthMatters
ONEHealth expresses our
passion in bringing health to
every home. In these pages
and in future issues, you will
find useful articles on chronic
diseases, wellness and
healthy eating – information
designed to be a helpful
resource for you and your
family to stay healthy and
enjoy life to the fullest!
Mr Foo Hee Jug,
Chief Executive Officer
HealthBUZZ
WeCARE
HealthSense
TouchingLives HealthBites
LO
O
K
Eat well & be well;
nutrition advice & recipes
HealthMatters Disease know-how, prevention & management
IA
L
Health titbits to keep
EC
Everyday heroes that
make a difference
FOODforLIFE!
SP
Experts share insights
& advice
Community partnerships
A
News, events & more
at JurongHealth
INSIDE
NTFGH
&JCH
A Season of Sniffs
Most of us have suffered these symptoms before: sneezing, a
runny nose, sore throat and cough. So unremarkable it is to fall
prey to this ailment that is called the common cold By Iris Chua
IN CONSULTATION WITH DR SURINDER PADA, CONSULTANT, INFECTIOUS DISEASES
DR LEYLAND CHUANG, REGISTRAR, DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE
18 O N E H E ALT H
09
Against All Odds
JurongHealth Gets Its First
Advanced Practice Nurse
APN Clarice Wee of the Intensive Care Unit did
JurongHealth proud when she became the organisation’s
first Advanced Practice Nurse (APN). The rigorous course
she took at the University of Pennsylvania helped her to
understand her patients’ conditions from a medical and
nursing perspective, hence allowing her to advocate and
initiate more holistic treatment options for her patients.
She thanked her mentors, Dr Tan Chee Keat, Head,
Intensive Care Medicine (ICM); Dr Lee Eng Kiang, Senior
Consultant, ICM; and Dr Tiew Lay Hwa, former Deputy
Director, Nursing Administration, for their guidance and
support, who in turn lauded her competence.
Staff Nurse Radha
We welcomed a new batch of 43 newly-graduated nurses from
Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Nanyang Polytechnic. Staff Nurse
Radha was one of the graduates who had always wanted to be
a nurse but she was only two weeks into the course when her
husband suddenly passed away. Devastated by the tragedy and
with two children to care for, completing the diploma was the last
thing on her mind. But with the help of her mother-in-law, and
the encouragement of Mdm Kuttiammal Sundarasan, Director,
Nursing, Ms Prema Balan, Senior Assistant Director of Nursing,
Ms Geh Bee Yock, Senior Nurse Manager and other colleagues,
she climbed out of depression. Despite her grief, she pushed
on, buoyed by her late husband’s final wish for her to fulfill her
childhood ambition and to be a good role model for her children.
SN Radha was given a Merit Award along with her diploma and
has since become more confident even when faced with difficult
challenges. She aspires to be a clinical nurse specialising in
Emergency Care. We salute her for her perseverance and would
like to say “We know you can make it!”
As part of the course, Dr Tan said Ms Wee took part
in the assessment and management of patients in
direct consultation with consultants from ICM. She
was given equal opportunities to perform procedures
under supervision like any junior physician trainee. Dr
Tan also regularly held formal case discussions with
her. Dr Lee encouraged Ms Wee to acquire knowledge
beyond her scope and supported her based on his
past experiences of working with APNs. Dr Tiew helped
to create a nurturing environment for her, mainly by
providing moral encouragement.
All three mentors had high hopes for Ms Wee. Dr Tan
hoped Ms Wee could champion the ICM outreach
programme with Dr Somnath Chatterjee, Consultant, ICM.
Dr Lee saw her forming the core of the outreach team
which will play an important role of picking up patients in
the general ward that may need closer supervision and
nursing care, and then liaise with doctors in the ICU. Both
Dr Lee and Dr Tiew also expected her to mentor ward
nurses and thus enhance the standard of care in our
hospitals. Congratulations APN Wee, we’re happy for you!
Honouring Our
Long Service Staff
The third Long Service Awards (LSA)
ceremony at Raffles City Convention
Centre on 20 May 2013 saw 109
JurongHealth staff receive the awards in
honour of their loyalty and dedication.
Aptly named “A Celebration of Journeys”,
the recipients were surprised to see
Mr Lim Yong Wah, Chairman, and
members of senior management all lined
up to congratulate them with garlands.
Mr Foo Hee Jug, Chief Executive Officer,
lauded their unwavering commitment to
the healthcare industry and paid tribute to
their family members for supporting them.
Following video montages of our 20- and
40-year long service award recipients,
there were some ice-breaker games and
the certificates were given to the recipients.
To symbolise the interconnectedness
of the JurongHealth family, award
recipients on the stage were asked to
throw yarn balls to the audience who
would reciprocate by throwing it to their
colleagues on and off the stage, forming a
large web with all levels of staff, including
senior management. This highlighted
our close relationship and reminded
everyone present to stay committed
as a family. Engage thanks the multidepartment LSA committee comprising
Nursing Administration, JCH Operations,
Physiotherapy, Human Resource
Management and Communications for
putting up this event and congratulations
to all our winners!
Aftab Ahmad
Antony Westwood Gardner
Arumugam Nirmaladhevi
Asnira Binte Hassan
Ayati Bte Hassan
Ayshabeevi Binte Abdul Rahman
Bautista Liza Cruz
Bimaljeet Kaur D/O Sukhdev
Singh
Consultant
Associate Consultant
Senior Staff Nurse I
Patient Information Associate
Patient Service Associate
Senior Enrolled Nurse I
Radiographer
Medical Laboratory Assistant
C Jeyanthy
Cally Li Kaili
Chan Chee Huan
Chan Kwee Fah
Cheah Poh Gek
Cheong Chern Yuen
Cheong Lai Kuen
Chew Seong Ling
Ch’Ng Estelle
Chia Chui Ping
Chua Poh Tiang
Chua Siew Geok (Cai Xiuyu)
Cynthia Xu Su Yun @
Ma Zin Mar Wynn
Principal Enrolled Nurse
Enrolled Nurse I
Senior Pharmacy Technician
Principal Enrolled Nurse
Senior Enrolled Nurse I
Service Registrar
Patient Service Associate
Senior Patient Service Associate
Resident Physician
Senior Consultant/Director
Enrolled Nurse I
Senior Staff Nurse I
Clinical Coding Specialist
Dela Pena Eleanor Gigawin
Head/Principal Respiratory
Therapist
Ewe Yen Yen
Fareed Husain Yusuf Kagda
Fernandez Clary Bell
Faridah Hassan
Formoso Maria Tehza Fune
Grace Michael
Gurpreet Kaur
Staff Nurse I
Senior Consultant
Deputy Director, Nursing
Principal Enrolled Nurse
Enrolled Nurse I
Senior Dietitian
Staff Nurse I
Harvinder Raj Singh Sidhu
Hsann Yin Maw
Ivan Chan Boon Kwong
Jamiah Binte Abu Bakar
Kale Sugam Suvarn
Kam Loon Chen
Kathiravan Kalaichelvi
Koh Ang Hong
Koh Bee Leng, Sabrina
Koo Yih Meng Kenneth
Lam Mei Lai Esther
Li Na
Lim Ai Meng
Consultant
Senior Epidemiologist
Assistant Director
Patient Care Assistant
Senior Consultant
Assistant Manager
Staff Nurse I
Senior Physiotherapist
Assistant Director
Consultant
Senior Enrolled Nurse I
Staff Nurse I
Senior Administrative
Assistant
Lim Moi Eng
Lim Mui Lan
Lim Yee Koon
Low Choon Kuang
Long Chey May
Patient Service Associate
Administrative Assistant
Staff Nurse I
Senior Radiographer
Senior Assistant Director,
Allied Health / Head, MSS
Low Li Lian
Lu Wei
Mazilena Binti Sarman
Mohite Prachi Sharad
Naini Anitha Reddy
Nelleke Van Den Ende
Ng Bang Teen
Noor Aisah Binte Hatnadi
Noor Juliana Binte Ab
Rahman
Resident Physician
Registrar
Patient Service Associate
Resident Physician
Senior Radiographer
Assistant Director
Consultant
Dental Assistant
Senior Staff Nurse II
Noorshidah Binte Mohd Said
Nora Binte Ahmad
Patient Care Assistant
Senior Patient Service
Associate
Norayunisa Binte Mohamad
Rasib
Administrative Assistant
Nurliyana Binte Mohamed
Yatim
Patient Service Associate
Nurul Naziyanty Binte
Mohamed Nasir
Enrolled Nurse I
Ong Beng Hwee
Paramasivan Bamarukmani
Pidlaoan Rowena Ganoy
Poh Lishi
Radha
Revathy D/O Murugiayan
Rosidah Bte Idris
Runes Christina Adaliga
Salizawaty Binte Ramlee
Sutan Muda
Events Coordinator
Staff Nurse I
Senior Staff Nurse II
Senior Staff Nurse II
Staff Nurse II
Accounts Assistant
Nurse Clinician I
Senior Staff Nurse II
Patient Service Associate
Santos Naomi Espinosa
Shamsiyah Binte Zainulabidin
Sharena Barween D/O
Md Yusoff
Senior Staff Nurse II
Senior Staff Nurse I
Patient Service Associate
Shazwana Binte Shahir
Shishir Sharma
Si Poh Nguan Cedric
Sim Chiew Te
Siti Noraini Bte Ismail
Siti Norashiken Binte
Mohamad Mislan
Enrolled Nurse I
Resident Physician
Resident Physician
Medical Social Worker
Patient Service Associate
Senior Staff Nurse II
Siti Radiyah Binte Kemat
Siti Yusirah Binte A Majid
Patient Service Associate
Senior Staff Nurse II
Soh Wei Chieh Edmund
Soh Wei Ling, Tiffany
Soon Chin Chin
Subramaniam S/O K
Shinivasan
Consultant
Senior Medical Social Worker
Medical Technologist
Assistant Technician Supervisor
Suhartty Binte Johari
Summer Natsuko Ishikawa
Sun Yongyuan
Suzanah Binte Mohd Noor
Tagore Rajat
Tan Chin Kwok
Tan Lilian
Tang Goi Suan
Tang Min Yee
Tay Lee Hiang
Tee Siew Fong (Zheng Xiufang)
Teo Stze Hwa Stephanie
Tewani Girish Harkishan
Tnay Janeth Bulaclac
Valarmathi D/O Sinnathamby
Vasantha D/O Krishnan
Vijayarani D/O Navasivayam
Woo Ngan Kin
Xue Xiaoting
Yeong Suet Fern Sequeena
Zaleha Binte Puteh
Zeng Huihui
Zubaidah Bte Osman
Zunika Binte Abu Hat
Supervisor
Senior Resident Physician
Senior Staff Nurse II
Administrative Assistant
Senior Consultant/Director
Registrar
Patient Service Associate
Patient Service Associate
Assistant Nurse Clinician
Nurse Clinician II
Medical Technologist
Director, Service Operations
Consultant
Senior Staff Nurse I
Senior Enrolled Nurse I
Senior Enrolled Nurse II
Senior Staff Nurse I
Senior Pharmacy Assistant
Clinical Instructor
Plaster Technician
Patient Care Assistant
Senior Medical Social Worker
Enrolled Nurse I
Patient Care Assistant
SQ Awards
A
For
Award-Winning Service
JurongHealth celebrated
excellent service dished
out by its staff at SQ Awards.
Staff were treated to
kebabs, cupcakes, mocktails,
prata and more. Feast your
eyes on pictures from the
event here!
On 4 April 2013, 53 of our colleagues from
Alexandra Hospital (AH) and Jurong Medical
Centre (JMC) were given awards in the Service
Quality categories of Service Ambassadors,
Outstanding Service Stars or SQ Team
Awards. The theme of the awards this time
was “SQ Masterchef” as the Service Quality
team equated service to cooking and felt
that the best recipe is often one that we
create ourselves. Hence, the team wants to
encourage our colleagues to add a dash of
creativity and personal touch to their individual
service recipe.
In keeping with this theme, staff who came to
support their colleagues were treated to an
exotic high tea comprising “live” kebab station,
DIY cupcake corner, mocktail booth, prata
kiosk, ice-cream van and so much more. It
was a two-in-one celebration as it was also to
thank staff for contributing to AH’s recent #1
ranking in the Customer Satisfaction Index of
Singapore survey. Ending the celebration on
a high note, staff donned aprons, chef hats,
held baking whisks, frying pans and spatulas,
and posed at a photobooth to star in their very
own magazine cover! Congratulations to all our
winners and continue serving your custommade recipe of excellent service.
13
SERVICE
AMBASSADOR
Outstanding
service star
Allied Health
Allied Health
Grace Michael
Dietetics & Nutrition
Tan Sin Yee Medical Social Services Pangilinan Mami Beltran
Pharmacy
Chandorkar Pranav Vijay Rehabilitation
Mark Anthony Chan
Rehabilitation
Qiu Huaying
Rehabilitation
Soh Meiqi Shamaine Rehabilitation
Carmelle Cuevas Hayag
Rehabilitation Senior Dietician
Medical Social Worker
Pharmacy Technician
Physiotherapist
Physiotherapist
Principal Occupational
Therapist
Occupational Therapist
Senior Sports Trainer
Ancillary
Junaidah Binte Ja’afar Emergency Medicine John Mark P Torres
Housekeeping
Tan Yew Kin Leslie
Service Operations
Maswati Lehwan Physiotherapy
Mohamad Sofian Bin Ismail Medical Records Office Latiffah Binte Rashid
Radiology
Lee Jennie Raquin Specialist Outpatient Clinics Supiah Binte Ahmad
Specialist Outpatient Clinics Irene D/O S Kulantasamy
Ward 1
Patient Service Associate
Section Supervisor
Patient Relations Associate
Therapy Assistant
Administrative Assistant
Senior Patient Service
Associate
Patient Service Associate
Patient Service Associate
Patient Care Assistant
Cheong Ee May
Gamboa Maritess Sarmiento
Ancilliary
Anchammal D/O Veerappa Samy Nathan
Prasanah Kasiramu
Dasuki Bin Kassan
Dr Tagore Rajat Dr Ho Yew Ming Senior Patient Greeter
Specialist Outpatient Clinics
Specialist Outpatient Clinics
Senior Patient Service Associate
Medicine
Orthopaedic Surgery
Senior Consultant/Director
Consultant
Clinic C Ward 1
Ward 3
Senior Enrolled Nurse I
Enrolled Nurse II
Senior Staff Nurse II
Senior Plaster Technician
NURSING
Valarmathi D/O Sinnathamby
Li Feng Santos Naomi Espinosa
Team award
Emergency Medicine Health & Wellness
Medicine
Medicine
Medicine
Orthopaedic Surgery
Orthopaedic Surgery
Surgery
Resident Physician
Resident Physician
Senior Consultant
Senior Consultant
Senior Resident Physician
Senior Consultant
Head/Senior Consultant
Consultant
Health for Life Centre
Emergency Ward 1
Ward 10
Ward 10
Ward 11
Ward 12
Ward 12
Ward 13
Ward 13
Ward 2
Emergency
Ward 5
Ward 7
Senior Staff Nurse II
Senior Enrolled Nurse I
Enrolled Nurse II
Staff Nurse II
Staff Nurse II
Enrolled Nurse II
Staff Nurse II
Staff Nurse II
Senior Staff Nurse II
Enrolled Nurse I
Staff Nurse II
Staff Nurse I
Staff Nurse II
Staff Nurse II
Clinic A
Ward 3
Medicine
Rehabilitation
pa
NURSING
Lee Bee Khim Ker Yok Tin Nur Syamsiah Binte Badis Lim Chwee Xian Shaine
Saranya Ramakrishnan
Joseph Jomia Elizabeth Chung Yee Siew Mei Li Li Jaya Jothi D/O S Thoondi
Loong Di Sheng Ebarle Charity Lanticse
Chua Peng Peng, Nicole Ling Ing Ing
Kavitha Segaren General Services
Medical
Medical
Dr Neo Hui Yee
Dr Lynette Govinden
Dr Chua Ai Ping Dr Lee Jer En
Dr Lee Yun
Dr Fareed Husain Yusuf Kagda
Dr Gamaliel Tan Yu-Heng
Dr Kan Yuk Man Medical Social Services Principal Medical Social Worker
Radiology Radiographer
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Service IMPROVEMENT
A Form To Help
New Staff
In this edition of Service
Improvement, we discover
through our Service Quality
team that service goes beyond
patients, and extends to staff
as well. Did you know that a
new checklist has been implemented
to help new hires better prepare for their preemployment check-up? This checklist tells them exactly what
to bring even if they already knew just what would be required.
It’s just our way of extending concern to our new colleagues!
Some of the items in the checklist include:
More Patientfriendly Toilets
As we prepare for our great move to our new
hospitals, service standards at Alexandra Hospital
continue to be upheld as we put patient care at the
heart of what we do. Here, Service Quality looked into
a feedback by a patient and took steps to follow-up.
Background
Wheelchair-assisted cubicles in all ward toilets are
currently at the far end of each toilet, where there
are no soap dispensers. To wash their hands,
wheelchair-bound patients have to wheel themselves
to the other end of the toilet.
Service improvement
On 17 May 2013, Service Quality, with the help of
Environmental Services, installed additional hand
dispensers to all ward toilets (with the exception of
Wards 4 and 5) to make them more patient-friendly.
Spot the difference below!
Before
A reminder to bring…
• NRIC/Passport/Employment Pass/Work Permit.
• Any past medical records, X-ray films and current medication.
For eye check-ups, to bring spectacles.
For chest X-rays, to inform the radiographer if female patients suspect they are pregnant
and a reminder to avoid wearing jewellery on the day of the examination.
For urine test, to schedule the appointment at least three days after the last day
of menstruation.
A hotline (6476 8828) is also provided to assist them with any change in their preemployment check-up.
Kudos to our colleagues for initiating this thoughtful gesture!
After
COMPLIMENTS
A Wedding at
Alexandra Hospital
On 16 June 2013, Ms Nurafizah bte Mohamad approached
Ms Quek Siew Hong, Senior Nurse Clinician at Ward 7, to hold
a simple solemnisation ceremony in the ward room to fulfill her
father, Mr Che Mohamad’s dying wish to see her married. Ms
Quek approached the Service Quality Department, and two
days later, Ms Queenie Quek, Executive, and Ms Saryati Binte
Sokiman, Senior Administrative Assistant, met with the bride
and her mum to make the arrangements.
Three days later, the ceremony was held at the Seminar
Room where OSS, SQ, and Food Service came together to
decorate the room and provided complimentary drinks for
the wedding guests. SQ also put together a complimentary
flower arrangement called Sirih Junjung, a customary flower
arrangement at Malay engagements or weddings, for the
occasion. The nursing team which comprised Ms Fernandez
Clary Bell, Deputy Director of Nursing; Ms Laura Quak,
Senior Nurse Manager; Mr Kenneth Abraham, Staff
Nurse II; and Ms Austria Ana Margarita Reyes,
Staff Nurse II, then brought Mr Mohamad to
the Seminar Room, with an oxygen tank
on standby. To ensure his comfort, they
transferred him from the wheelchair to
a cushioned chair. The ceremony was
carried out smoothly. Mr Mohamad passed
away two weeks later on 4 July 2013.
More than sixty relatives, friends and colleagues
were present to witness the occasion and everyone
was touched by the love and concern of the
doctors, nurses and staff of Alexandra Hospital.
The presence of Joanna Yap, Casey Chang,
Kuttiammal Sundarasan, Yeo Li Li, Fernandez
Clary Bell, Queenie Quek, Saryati Sokiman, Azlina
Aziz, Ana Margarita and Kenneth Abraham,
Laura Quak and friends made it a joyous occasion.
The Management looked into every detail from
a huge bouquet of flowers, music, wheelchair, a
grand chair for acutely sick patient, complimentary
carpark coupons, etc. Staff went out of their way
to make it possible for the patient to give his
approval to his daughter’s matrimony. Thank
you, thank you, thank you, a million times to the
staff of Alexandra Hospital for your love, care and
attention to every detail to make this evening a most
memorable occasion for the bride and groom, and
all their loved ones and friends.
To thank the team, the family wrote a thank
you letter, here is an excerpt:
To the staff who helped out at the event, thank you for living up to our IPOEM values!
15
Hospital Planning
A Bridge To Link
SOC And Wards
Staff/
Patient
Level
In an ideal hospital setting, the wards, intensive care units, operating
theatres and clinics would be near or adjacent to one another, with
multiple passages linking them for the ease of use by visitors, patients
and staff. In the case of the Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, the six-lane
Jurong Gateway Road (JGR) will separate the clinic tower from the ward
tower (where the operating theatres and wards are) and to maintain such
adjacencies and connectivity, a level 2 and level 3 link bridge and two levels
of basement links will connect the buildings seamlessly.
The link bridge was designed to separate public access (level two) from
private staff/patient access (level three) to maintain privacy. Broad passages
and travellators will also ease visitors’ movement. Notwithstanding these
functional features, deliberate efforts were made to keep the overall design of
the bridge lightweight so that it does not appear overbearing to users of JGR.
Public
Level
Travellators
The entire two-level link bridge is supported by two main 53m long by 5.5m high
steel trusses. Each weighs about 130 tons. Both levels are fully air-conditioned.
The lower level is for public use and is fitted with travellators to ease human traffic
flow, as well as for the comfort elderly and unwell patients.
As the road is still closed to public, the contractor is able to use JGR as
a launching platform to hoist heavy bridge trusses as well as to carry out
multiple activities without restrictions and time constraints. This will enable
them to complete the façade cladding as well. Most of all, this has helped to
speed up the bridge construction, and provided a safer and more conducive
working environment for the workers and public road users.
Public Level
Staff/Patient Level
Façade framing and fire protection painting in progress
HUMAN RESOURCES
On 24 July 2013, IPOEM & Me was
unveiled to all staff at the Auditorium.
The event was also attended by board
members Mr Low Wong Fook, Mr
Latiff Ibrahim, Mrs Sylvia Lee and
Mr Tan Kian Huay, as well as
members of the senior management
team including Mr Foo Hee Jug, Chief
Executive Officer (CEO); A/Prof Cheah
Wei Keat, Chairman Medical Board;
Ms Joanne Yap, Chief Operating
Officer; Ms Chow Siew Ying, Chief
Financial Officer; Ms Anna Fok, Chief
Human Resource Officer; and Ms
Kuttiammal Sundarasan, Director of
Nursing. Together with representatives
from Medicine, Nursing, Allied Health,
Emergency Medicine and Human
Resource Management, they placed
the IPOEM pillars on the IPOEM & Me
cornerstone to signal the launch of the
expected behaviours and mindsets in
accordance with our values.
In his speech, CEO said, “Our values
define our culture, the way we care,
the way we look after each other,
the way we get things done, and
the way we identify with each other.
With our values, we can create the
right culture that will allow us to be
really patient-centred and look after
our staff. The culture that we would
like to build in JurongHealth is one
that is patient-centred, genuinely
cares for every member of the
JurongHealth family, and founded
on living our values.”
17
A short video montage of IPOEM
Ambassadors was played to inspire
the audience to truly live our values.
Staff were then invited to partake
in various activities held inside and
around the Auditorium to helped to
reinforce the IPOEM values of Integrity,
Patient-Centredness, Openness,
Excellence and Mutual Respect.
This article was written in consultation
with the Department of Learning and
Organisation Development.
HUman resources
Continuous Learning
To Improve Patient Care
Several JurongHealth staff were presented with Learning Awards on 12 April 2013. 62 staff
received the Health Manpower Development Plan (HMDP) Award (Individual and Team-based)
and 31 staff received Formal Qualification sponsorships. While some staff are sponsored for
advanced clinical training, others will seek further formal education. For the first time, six multidisciplinary teams will undergo advanced clinical training at established local and overseas
hospitals and institutions.
Among the 93 recipients were Mr Charles Lew, Senior Dietitian, Dietetics & Nutrition; Ms Noor
Juliana Binte Ab Rahman, Senior Staff Nurse II, Emergency; and Dr Lee Kuan Wee, Consultant,
Emergency Medicine.
Family Support Helps
For Mr Lew, being awarded this
chance to do research was a
dream come true. He was awarded
the Health Manpower Development
Plan Award (Individual). He
explained that his chosen field of
study – improving the chances of
patients’ survival in ICU through
nutrition – was a good opportunity
to improve patient care.
Ms Noor Juliana Binte Ab Rahman
was awarded Formal Qualification
sponsorship for Bachelor of
Science (Nursing). She said the
degree course would not only
enable her to provide better patient
care but only sharpen her critical
thinking and decision-making skills.
Dr Lee who was awarded an
Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship
called expanding the use of the
ultrasound in the Emergency
Medicine Department an area of
need. He added that other than
having perseverance, stamina and
an open mind, it helped to have an
understanding spouse who was
willing to work around his schedule.
Families of the awardees who were at the ceremony to
support them testified to their passion for their chosen field
and more importantly to patient care. We congratulate the
awardees and look forward to their continued contributions
when they return from their training!
19
Staff Appreciation Month
at JurongHealth
Staff Appreciation Month was launched on 10 May 2013 following feedback
from staff through the 2013 Employee Engagement Survey to see relationships
at work improve. Mr Foo Hee Jug, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), encouraged
us to appreciate each other with words of encouragement. Then motivational
speaker and former Associate Professor at National Institute of Education and
Nayang Technological University, Dr Low Guat Tin, entertained the crowd with her
humourous speech on “The Magic of Appreciation”. To thank them for their hard
work and commitment, CEO presented members of senior management with
buckets and ladles, the buckets representing their emotional bank accounts and
the ladles being dippers which they can use to fill the ‘buckets’ of others.
Only the day before, staff were pleasantly surprised to receive stalks of
flowers from CEO. This was part of our Employee Engagement team’s
effort to get our leaders to walk the talk. Subsequently, Mdm Kuttiammal
Sundarasan, Director of Nursing (DN) gave out flowers in the wards.
Many were pleasantly surprised and took a break from their work to chit chat
with CEO and/or DN. Mr Ng Kian Swan, Assistant Chief Operating Officer
(Service Operations) similarly surprised staff at Jurong Medical Centre.
There were also free massages at the auditorium, a lunch-time song
dedication at the canteen, and a coffee and tea appreciation talk by the
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Even though Staff Appreciation Month has ended,
we can continue to drop words of encouragement and show appreciation for
one another. We thank our Employee Engagement colleagues for thinking of
new and innovative ways to engage us and keep the love going!
happenings
The Power of Introverts
Susan Caine’s “Quiet: The Power of Introverts In a World That Can’t Stop Talking”,
was discussed at our Auditorium when Mr Foo Hee Jug, Chief Executive Officer
(CEO), gave a talk based on her book. He said there were many introverts in the
world – including famous ones such as Albert Einstein, Sir Issac Newton and Bill
Gates − and they were the most misunderstood and under appreciated group
of people. CEO encouraged the introverts in the audience to identify with a core
purpose they are passionate with. He added that they could be ambiverts; enjoying
time away from the crowd while still enjoying social interaction, as long as they
opened themselves up at the right times. Closing the inspiring session, he quoted
Ms Caine, “Everyone shines given the right lighting. For some, it is on stage with
broadway spotlight and for others, a lamp-lit desk.”
Management Lessons From Mayo Clinic
On 25 April 2013, staff sat in on a book review titled, “Management Lessons from Mayo Clinic” at the Seminar Room
organised jointly by Service Operations and Jurong Community Hospital (JCH) Operations. Ms Khoo Chwee Kim,
Senior Manager for JCH Operations was guest speaker at this inaugural review as she shared about her experiences
reading this book. Calling it a “refreshing read”, she said it was particularly relevant to a young organisation such as
ours. As we align ourselves to the challenges faced by the successful Mayo Clinic, she found many relevant lessons in
the form of patient care and employee empowerment, which kept her turning the pages.
Mayo Clinic, sought after for its healthcare expertise, services thousands of
people daily. Inspired by its model of care, which rests heavily on teamwork
and a “patient-first” model, Ms Khoo said the relevance is in seeing how it
marries both to achieve the successful healthcare model it embodies today.
Without giving away too much of this book, we hope our short introduction
has inspired you to pick it up. Bearing in mind that our move to the new
hospitals will take place in less than one-and-a-half years, preparations
should start now. Armed with an attitude of openness and a positive mindset,
we will definitely be motivated and inspired to learn from the experiences of
others. We eagerly anticipate the next book review!
21
ICM Re-Energises With
Team Building Session
Intensive Care Medicine (ICM) held a full-day teambuilding session at Hotel Re! on 7 May 2013.
Following the opening address by Ms Chee Thong Gan, Assistant Chief Operating Officer
(Clinical Services), Ms Tan Chee Keat, Head of ICM, spoke of the concerns and challenges
faced by the ICM team. The multi-disciplinary team of more than 20 comprising doctors, nurses,
dietitians, pharmacists, physiotherapists and respiratory therapists were engaged in topics such
as “Knowing and accepting ourselves”, “Sensing and growing into our fuller beings” and “What
does it mean to be an ICM team?” These discussions led the group to debate about patient
needs and expectations. Staff were also asked to evaluate their roles, expectations and how
they could improve processes within the team. Mr Foo Hee Jug, Chief Executive Officer, paid a
surprise visit and gave the team some moral encouragement, and Mdm Kuttiammal Sundarasan,
Director, Nursing, closed the session by giving a meaningful speech. We hope the ICM team was
renewed individually and as a team by the session!
CMB Dialogue
A/Prof Cheah Wei Keat, Chairman Medical
Board, opened the CMB Dialogue on 10 May
2013, which saw many speakers take the stand
to talk about various aspects of making the
move to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.
Dr Quek Lit Sin, Head of Emergency Medicine
Department and Dr Gerald Chua, Head of
Medicine, stressed the need to ramp down
services to prepare for our move. This meant
taking measures such as stopping ambulances
from coming to Alexandra Hospital a month
before the hospital closed as well as stopping
outpatient visits and decantment from other
hospitals. Dr Hwang Chi Hong, Director of
Medical Affairs, revealed that nine process
mapping key processes were already done.
Mr Ng Kian Swan, Assistant Chief Operating
Officer (Service Operations) shared the transition
planning schedule as well as members
of the steering committee, migration and
commissioning team. Last speaker, Dr Gamaliel
Tan, Chief Medical Information Officer, spoke
on the EMR schedule and milestones. More
updates will be available as we edge closer to
the opening of our new hospitals!
happenings
Have You Practised
Good Hand
Hygiene Today?
Staff from Ward 1, Ward 2 and Emergency Medicine Department
put together some creative performances on hand hygiene that got
the audience in stitches on 8 May 2013. The acts were so innovative
and cleverly executed that the judges were torn over who to crown
the winner. Later that afternoon, A/Prof Dale Fisher gave a talk
titled “Changing a Culture of Misbehavior. Hand hygiene is NonNegotiable.” He is the Head and Senior Consultant of the Infectious
Disease Division, Department of Medicine at the National University
Hospital. He stressed the importance of looking beyond clinical
cases to eradicate the problem of infections as they were only
the tip of the iceberg, and shared with the audience hand hygiene
innovations at the National University of Singapore. Thanks to the
Infection Control team for putting together this event to emphasise to
all the seriousness of practising good hand hygiene.
Being Ready In
Times Of Infection
On 25 April 2013, Dr Ling Moi Lin, Director, Infection Control and
Senior Consultant, Pathology at Singapore General Hospital, gave
a talk titled “Infection Control: Readiness”. She emphasised the
importance of breaking the chain of infection, and one of the best
ways to do so was by practising good hand hygiene. She gave her
expert analysis on the current outbreaks of H7N9 in China and the
novel coronavirus in the Middle East. She ended off her presentation
by talking about how we can prevent and control the spread of
infection. We thank the Learning and Organisational Development
team for bringing this informative talk to us.
23
Dental Team Launches CDE
The JurongHealth Dental Team launched Continuing Dental Education on 6 April 2013 at the
auditorium starting with Complications in Dentistry (CID). A/P Adrian Yap, Director of Dental
Services; Dr Winston Tan, Director of Orthodontics; and Dr Chng Chai Kiat, Director of Oral
and Maxillofacial, delivered four talks − “Complications arising from Restorative Treatment”;
“Complications arising from Splint Therapy”; “Orthodontic Complications and Extraction” and
“Wisdom Tooth Complications”. Open to JurongHealth dentists and external practitioners,
close to 80 dentists attended the session despite the heavy rain.
The CID seminars are organised by various Departments at JurongHealth, its partners and
friends. It will draw on the experience of established clinicians, educators and healthcare
administrators to help participants understand the possible complications associated with
dental treatments. Through it, the team hopes to impart methods that would minimise risks
and manage problems better. A registration fee of $90 applies to non-JurongHealth dentists
and they can look out for subsequent sessions via the Singapore Dental Association and
brochures by JurongHealth.
Happy Feet at AH
The lobby was the venue for the first Podiatry Day on 19 April 2013. Staff and visitors learnt about topics such as bone
mechanics and diabetic foot screening. Snacks and podiatry-related items such as moisturisers were given out to those
who participated in games at the general podiatric booth. In addition, visitors could cosy up to any of our friendly podiatrists to
find out more about topics such as general nail and skincare.
As a surprise, our Human Resource Management colleagues popped by to present the team with sweet treats. It was Management’s
way of saying “thank you” to Team Podiatry. Healthcare colleagues were invited to two talks that delved more into ‘Diabetes Foot Screening’
and ‘Wound Care’ later in the afternoon. We thank the Podiatry team for putting up such a successful event.
MUSINGS
The
English
Language
Let’s face it,
English is a stupid language.
There is no egg in the eggplant,
no ham in the hamburger
and neither pine nor apple in the pineapple.
English muffins were not invented in England,
French fries were not invented in France.
We sometimes take English for granted, but if we
examine its paradoxes we find that:
quicksand takes you down slowly,
boxing rings are square,
and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor
is it a pig.
If writers write, how come fingers don’t fing?
If the plural of tooth is teeth,
shouldn’t the plural of phone booth be
phone beeth?
If the teacher taught,
why hasn’t the preacher praught?
Park on driveways and
drive on parkways?
How can the weather be as hot as hell on one day
and as cold as hell on another?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
where a house can burn up as it
burns down,
And in which you fill in a form by filling it out
and a bell is only heard once it goes!
English was invented by people, not computers,
and it reflects the creativity of the human race
(which of course isn’t a race at all.)
That is why:
when the stars are out they are visible,
but when the lights are out they are invisible.
And why it is that when I wind up my watch
it starts,
but when I wind up this poem
it ends.
If a vegetarian eats vegetables,
what the heck does a humanitarian eat?
Why do people recite at a play,
yet play at a recital?
Here are some common
grammatical errors
that have become the
standard vocabulary
for many people:
To affect is to have
some influence on, or to
change: if I score a goal
I affect the result.
To effect is to cause
to happen
(think “bring into effect”):
I might effect change by
firing all the staff.
An effect is the result
of something: the
fireworks produced
some dramatic effects.
Reason implies why and
because. “The reason
is that there’s a global
recession” is correct,
and not “The reason
why is that there’s a
global recession” or
“the reason why is
because...”.
A year is a measure of
time. Use “It’ll happen
in two years” and not
“It’ll happen in two
years’ time”.
If you can count them,
you have fewer of them;
if you can’t, you have less.
Less time but fewer
minutes
Less height but fewer
inches
Six items or fewer,
not six items or less.
Periods of time take
less rather than fewer.
The bell rang for less
than 60 seconds, not
fewer than 60 seconds.
Lay takes an object.
One may lay an egg,
a carpet, a false trail,
someone out cold or
down the law.
Lie doesn’t take an
object. One may go for
a lie down, but not for a
lay down. I may decide
to lie in the heather; I do
not lay in it.
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@JurongHealth
To thank our nurses for their selfless contribution to healthcare and caring for the sick, Concord
Primary School presented Mdm Kuttiammal Sundarasan, Director, Nursing, with an origami of flowers
at our “Build With Us! Your Gateway to Health!” community outreach event on 27 July 2013 at Jurong
Gateway Road. Entitled “Blossoms of Hope”, the lovely floral art piece of colourful buttons was created
by 120 teachers from the school.
Members of the public also showed their gratitude to our nurses by creating heart-shaped
handicrafts made from felt and embellishments. More than 100 such handicraft were produced in
less than five hours and put up on a ‘tree’ at the same event. Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health,
and other invited guests at the event also posted words of appreciation on the same ‘tree’.
yt
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th!
We
Our
nurses
In this special pullout edition, we showcase our
appreciation for our nurses over two weeks
From 25 July to 5 August 2013,
the public was invited to pen their
thoughts of appreciation for our
nurses on heart-shaped post-its.
It warmed our hearts to see the
board overflowing with compliments
for our nurses and heartfelt words
of appreciation. Titled “Say It with
Heart”, it was a MOHH initiative.
On 29 July 2013, our nursing
leaders, Mdm Loke Wai Chan and
Ms Fernandez Clary Bell, Deputy
Directors; Ms Prema Balan, Senior
Assistant Director; Ms Rohana
Binte Anang, Ms Jolyn Tan, and Ms
Chen Yin Yin, Assistant Directors,
presented all our nurses with gifts.
On 30 July 2013, the carpark
at the Administration Block was
transformed into a beach-themed
setting complete with a buffet
line, barbequed food, candy floss,
ice-cream, popcorn, DIY muffins
and even temporary tattoos for
our nurses to have some fun. The
instant photobooth, with an idyllic
backdrop of a beach and props
such as wigs and feather boas, was
a hot favourite. Mr Foo Hee Jug,
Chief Executive Officer and Mdm
Kuttiammal Sundarasan, Director,
Nursing, lauded our nurses for their
commitment, noting that their selfless
acts and compassion are deeply
appreciated – going by the number
of compliments received regularly.
Much to the delight of the audience,
consultants, Dr Eng Chee Yean,
Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) – Head
& Neck Surgery and Dr Christopher
Pearce, Orthopaedic Surgery, took
to the stage in beach gear and
serenaded our nurses passionately
with a Cantonese ballad. The crowd
was then entertained by local band
Jack and Rai as well as a pageant
search and talent show fronted by
our nurses. Not forgetting those
on night duty, our nurses received
snacks as a nod to their dedication.
On 1 August, members of Senior
Management including Mr Foo
Hee Jug, Chief Executive Officer;
Ms Joanne Yap, Chief Operating
Officer; Ms Chow Siew Ying, Chief
Financial Officer; Ms Anna Fok,
Chief Human Resource Officer;
and Ms Casey Chang, Director of
Communications and Service Quality,
together with Mdm Kuttiammal
distributed gerberas which were a
token from Ministry of Health.
On 5 and 7 August, nurses were
treated to massages where masseurs
from the Singapore Association for the
Visually Handicapped were stationed
at Alexandra Hospital for more than
eight hours. Judging by the response,
we know it was a much needed treat!
Besides receiving gifts and flowers,
the nurses at Jurong Medical Centre
(JMC) also held a competition
and put up a kaizen (continuous
improvement) competition. This
was done with the aim of integrating
JMC more seamlessly with Ng
Teng Fong General Hospital. 11
teams comprising staff from Day
Surgery Operating Theatre, Specialist
Outpatient Clinic, Dental, as well as
Health & Wellness came together
to brainstorm ideas on hassle-free
patient care. The teams whose ideas
most clearly met the vision of seamless
and hassle-free patient-centered care
won themselves prizes that were
personally sponsored by Mr Ng Kian
Swan, Assistant Chief Operating Officer
(Service Operations) and his team. We
congratulate Team SOC for emerging
as the overall winner.
Thank you nurses, we hope you had fun.
go
READY GET SET
To get staff excited about our move
to the west, the Transition Planning
Committee held a Transition Fair
on 28 June 2013 where a live
ticker counting down to the day of
our big move was launched at the
newly minted Transition Planning
Command Centre (the former Idea
Lab). Following the launch, staff
were invited to the Auditorium for the
second half of the event to partake
in an exhibition of Project OneCare
and be updated on the construction
progress of our hospitals.
Ms Joanne Yap, Chief Operating
Officer, opened the session,
following which Mr Lee Hong Huei,
Chief Executive Officer of Parkway
Laboratory Services shared his
experience on transiting into Mount
Elizabeth Novena Hospital and
challenged the audience to “think out
of the box but stay within the room”.
The next speaker, Mr Noel Hawkes,
Vice-president of Resorts World
Sentosa (RWS)’s Partner Relations,
related the challenges the team faced
while building the integrated resort.
The three-panel discussion comprising
Mr Ng Kian Swan, Assistant Chief
Operating Officer (Service Operations),
Mr Lee and Mr Hawkes, touched
on how service could be maintained
across different touchpoints and not
be compromised.
The audience was then treated
to an inspiring and humourous
talk by motivational speaker and
expert on change management,
Dr Andrew Goh. He encouraged
staff to embrace change and that
when we faced challenges, we
should not complain but adopt the
‘butterfly mentality’ and “soar over
every hurdle”. We hope the session
energised staff and to the Transition
Planning Committee, do give yourself
a pat on the back for putting the
event together.
Life-size mock-ups of key services at our new integrated hospitals, health
screening for the community, a celebration for Nurses Day, a handicraft
workshop, a recruitment fair, a chance to reminisce the good ol’ days of
Jurong – there was something for everyone at Jurong Gateway Road on
27 July 2013.
Graced by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, the event was also
attended by Madam Halimah Yacob, Speaker for Parliament and Member
of Parliament for Jurong GRC; Ms Grace Fu, Minister, Prime Minister’s
Office, Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, and
Foreign Affairs, and Member of Parliament for Yuhua; Dr Amy Khor, Minister
of State for Health and Manpower and Mayor of Southwest CDC; Dr Lam
Pin Min, Chairman, Government Parliamentary Committee for Health and
Member of Parliament for Sengkang West, many kind sponsors and staff.
Built with our patients in mind, guests were taken on a tour to see how
our patient-centred features would materialise at our future hospitals. The
event was also abuzz with artworks by 80 students from 10 schools in
the western region and elders from St Luke’s ElderCare (Jurong East).
Forming the “Pictures of Health” art project between JurongHealth and
Southwest CDC, these art pieces were replicated into a mural on the
hoarding flanking the Jurong Gateway Road. While adding colours to the
construction site, the mural will also be displayed in the future hospitals’
community art space to create a more uplifting environment. Members of
the public also got their creative juices flowing as they made heart-shaped
gifts for our nurses. All completed hearts found their way to a “tree”
bearing the message, “We love our Nurses – Happy Nurses Day 2013”. It
will also form part of an art installation at NTFGH come December 2014.
At another corner, our recruitment fair was a hit among job seekers
looking for a fulfilling healthcare career with JurongHealth. Many hopped
on the stationary recruitment truck to experience for themselves what it
is like to be a part of the JurongHealth family.
Meanwhile, many residents stopped by to share their memories of
Jurong at our Jurong Mermory booth, and others posed happily with
our volunteer mascots after signing up as volunteers.
The success of our event couldn’t have happened without the support
of all staff, partners and sponsors. As a big “thank you”, Engage put
together this special pictorial spread. See if you can spot yourself here!
NURSES MERIT AWARD
2013
Held annually, the prestigious
Nurses Merit Award on 2 July 2013
recognised over 77 nurses from
the public and private sector for
consistently delivering outstanding
service over a three-year period
and continual efforts to upgrade
skills through professional courses.
This year, we congratulate Ms
Choo Yee Mun, Senior Nurse
Clinician, Nursing Administration,
Ms Erlinda Lim, Nurse Clinician,
Emergency Department and Ms
Maswati Bte Amat, Senior Staff
Nurse, Major Operating Theatre.
Here are what our winners said:
Having been a nurse for 27
years, I feel that a great
nurse is compassionate,
empathetic, has selfawareness and possesses
a strong thirst for
further knowledge.
Ms Choo Yee Mun,
27 years in Nursing
Nursing is me. I get
satisfaction from giving
support to those who are
grieving, helping those in
need, and giving comfort
to those in pain.
Ms Erlinda Lim,
19 Years in Nursing
I am grateful to my seniors
and supervisors who have
nurtured me with their
selfless guidance and
support throughout my
nursing career. I feel proud
to be given this recognition.
Ms Maswati Bte Amat,
26 years in Nursing