HSNSW News May 2013

MAY 2013
Contents
Fashion forward.................................. 1
Chief Executive’s message................... 2
Ros Simpson bows out........................ 2
StaffLink countdown on......................3
Service Centres launch
smartphone app.................................. 4
Beating cancer – one sip
at a time.............................................5
Making a splash.................................. 5
HealthShare
news
Fashion forward
Privacy obligations updated................. 6
Protecting your digital reputation............ 6
Reaping the benefits of
image sharing..................................... 7
Keeping Between the Flags................. 8
Celebrating staff excellence................. 9
Windows 7 Office upgrade
heats up........................................... 10
Application Performance
Monitoring........................................ 10
ALL ITEMS
(NAVY)
Allied Health
Unisex
OUTERWEAR/
LOWERWEAR
(NAVY)
POLO SHIRT/
SCRUB STYLE
(TEAL)
SHIRT
WHITE
(TEAL WITHSTRIPE)
AND NAVY
Knitted Vest
(Outerwear)
(42.3.0200)
• VNeck
ndedge
ribtrimarou
• 1.5cmbound
ndribtrim
h1.5cmbou
• Armholewit
yle
• Sleevelessst
y
• Taperedbod
ueathem
• Knittedbasq
edstyle
• Fullyfashion
Allied Health
Men
V Neck Pullover
HSD Online Claiming
complete........................................... 11
Long Sleeve
Business Style
Short Sleeve
Shirt
(31.1.0201)
cket
frontwithpla
•7Button
andstand
• 2Piececollar
ckets,
nedpatchpo
• 2frontbutto s
mitredcorner
s
nonwearer'
• Pencilpartitio
leftpocket
onback
thcentreacti
• Backyokewi
placket
withtailored
• Longsleeves cuff
andbuttoned
Business Style
Short Sleeve
Shirt
t
twithplacke
• 7Buttonfron
randstand
• 2piececolla
pocketswith
• 2Frontpatchrs
mitredcorne
r's
ononweare
• Pencilpartiti
leftpocket
atcentre
ithboxpleat
• Backyokew
splits
linewithside
• Straighthem
seams
• Straightside
hem
• Sidesplitsat
(36.1.0201)
etinshort
oulderwiths
• Extendedsh
sleeves
band
wideoverlap
• VNeckwith
thdividers/
• 3Pocketswi ts
compartmen
htchest
rlooponrig
• Badgeholde
pocket
inleftchest
• Penpartition
nleftsleeve
• Penpocketo
splits
linewithside
• Straighthem
Jacket (Outerwear
)
(72.3.0200)
body
eck,cuffsand
• Ribtrimonn
zipclosure
• Centrefront
rdarts
eve
• Backshoulde
ketonleftsle
sandzippoc
• 4Penpocket
front
zipshieldat
• Topstitched
ackneck
odininnerb
ocket
• Concealedho
rnalweltedp
ockets,1inte
iltedlining
• 2frontweltp
hpaddedqu
utershellwit
• Waterproofo
LOWERWEAR
(NAVY)
BLOUSE
WHITE
(TEAL WITHSTRIPE)
AND NAVY
Maternity Pant
(10.5.0200)
antwith
• Straightlegp dwaistband
stretchknitte
Maternity
Maternity Blouse
• Keyloop
peloop
• Adjustableta
edpockets
• 2xsideangl
flydetail
• Topstitched
(38.5.0200)
ndrolluptab
vewithcuffa
• ¾Setinslee
us1spare)
ntclosure(pl
• 7Buttonfro
withstand
• 2Piececollar
ts
• Sidebustdar
• Backdarts
splits
inewithside
• Shapedheml
erarmseams
amsandund
• Felledsidese
ats
yoke,withple
• Doubleback
Maternity Skirt
- Outerwear
Reversible Vest
Introducing eduroam......................... 12
Special praise for Fairfield staff.......... 13
Wet Weather
Allied Health
Staff profile....................................... 12
Logic model tracks benefits............... 13
(Outerwear)
(40.3.0200)
rib
1.5cmbound
• VNeckwith
leeves
• Longsetins
ed
• Fullyfashion
atsleeve
dbasquerib
• 7.5cmknitte m
andbodyhe
V Neck Scrub
Polo Shirt
(41.1.0200)
lar
• Selffabriccol
tplacket
• 3Buttonfron
leeves
• Shortsetins
dge
ngonopene
• Contrastpipi
ofpocket
tition
withpenpar
• Chestpocket
(30.1.0201)
• Shortsleeves
(71.1.0200)
tly
ntfacingligh
• Collarandfro
padded
• Standcollar
zipclosure
• Centrefront
ts
• 2Weltpocke
Men's Single
Pleat Pant
(10.1.0201)
ipfly
htleg,frontz
• Classicstraig
pockets,
• 2Angledsidebags
largepocket
tside
ocketonrigh
• Singlecoinp
ndsideback
• Widerightha
jetpocket
opfastening
• Buttonandlo
• 2backdarts
oldtape
ontlooptoh
• Adjustablefr
yloop
• 1Stitchedke
10
HealthSha
NSW Health
re NSW -
Staff Uniform
Men's Elasticised
Cargo Pants
(11.1.0200)
yzip.
htleg,frontfl
• Classicstraig
button
aistbandwith
• Elasticisedw
ckets,
flapthighpo
• 2xPatchand cketonrightside
singlecoinpo
hlarge
epocketswit
• 2xAngledsid
pocketbags
hpocket
• 1xbackpatc
ltloops
• 5Regularbe
yloop
• 1stitchedke
oldtape
ontlooptoh
• Adjustablefr
Cargo Shorts*
(13.1.0201)
ntzipfly
• Flatfront,fro
kneelength
• Straightleg,
ocket
• Singlecoinp
flaps
pocketswith
• 2Backpatch
pockets
• 2Angledside
aps
ocketswithfl
• Thighpatchp
andbellows
(20.5.0200)
• A-Lineskirt
skirt
• Kneelength
dwaistband
• Stretchknitte
• Keyloop
edpockets
• 2xsideangl
• 7BeltLoops
approval.
*SubjecttoLHD
HealthSha
re NSW -
NSW Health
Staff Uniform
Catalogue
11
Catalogue
Staff at Bathurst Base Hospital, one of the first in NSW to adopt the
new uniform range, model their new colour-coded uniforms
ICT Cabling Standard introduced............ 14
Karen floor(ball)s the competition!.... 15
Nominations open for
Service Awards................................. 16
Born to serve Bega............................ 16
If you’ve got a story or feedback
for HealthShare News, please contact
Karen Fontaine on 8644 2246 or
email [email protected].
nsw.gov.au
Spearheaded by HealthShare NSW,
the rollout of new state-wide
uniforms across NSW Health is
almost complete.
It’s been a massive undertaking for
members of the NSW Health Uniform
Project team, who conducted almost
190 information sessions at 56 facilities
dotted the length and breadth of the
19 Local Health Districts (LHDs).
Kellie Bowyer, Program Manager,
Finance and Business Strategy, said
her team was delighted by the positive
response of tens of thousands of NSW
Health staff to the new uniforms,
which are colour-coded to make
identification easier for other staff,
patients and visitors.
“Employees have been really happy
with the increase in the number of
styles available, and they love the online
ordering system which means they can
order from the comfort of their own
lounge room,” Kellie said. “People have
also been very happy with the faster
delivery times – some orders are now
being turned around in under a week.”
Manufactured by ADA Systems, a
Melbourne-based company, the new
uniforms feature NSW Health branding
and allow employees to easily transfer
between LHDs, eliminating the need to
purchase new uniforms with each move.
Each workstream, including nursing
and midwifery, medical, allied
health, oral health, scientific and
Continued page 4
Image: Phill Murray, reprinted with thanks to The Western Advocate
Gosford goes gluten free................... 14
HealthShare News
May 2013
Chief Executive’s message
In other news, I’m pleased to announce two new appointments to my
executive team, completing the new
executive structure.
Thanks to the excellent work of Paul
Willis and his team, HealthShare NSW
staff will soon get to experience the
new payroll and human resources
system first hand as the statewide
implementation of StaffLink reaches
100,000 system users.
Preparations for our own StaffLink
implementation are underway, with
a scheduled go-live date in August.
Workforce is leading a working party
for HealthShare NSW, and I encourage
everyone to support them by simply
being aware of impending changes,
requests for information and participating in the appropriate training.
The system itself has many benefits for
our staff (see page 3 of this edition for
further detail), and your support will
help to ensure a smooth transition.
Our new Chief Operating Officer,
Conrad Groenewald, commenced in his
role on 20 May and assumes responsibility for Food and Hotel Services, Linen
Services, EnableNSW, transactional
purchasing and financial services and
transactional human services.
Conrad brings extensive operations and
management experience to HealthShare
NSW, having held senior positions with
leading Australian manufacturing group
Visy Industries. He most recently held
the position of Chief Operating Officer
with SteriHealth, an Australian company
providing a broad range of products and
services across the healthcare sector.
I’d also like to welcome Vera Fiala,
who takes up the position of Director, Customer Service and Corporate
Governance from 11 June.
Vera comes to us with an extensive
background in state government, having held senior positions with the NSW
Department of Primary Industries, NSW
Fisheries and the NSW Environment
Protection Authority. Most recently,
she has held the position of Director,
Corporate Strategy & Communications
for the NSW Department of Trade & Investment where she was charged with
improving the department’s customer
service and stakeholder engagement.
Lastly, I’d like to take the opportunity to
highlight the excellent work underway in
our Food Services division as we prepare
to trial a range of new hospital meals
throughout June, July and August.
Junee, Grafton, St George and Sutherland Hospitals have all agreed to take
part in the trial, which will involve
surveying patients and asking them to
rate the taste and overall quality of the
meals being tested.
Our aim is to collect more than 15,000
survey responses during the trial period,
with feedback then used to determine
whether any of the meals should be
added to patient menus in the future.
The trial is just one way we are looking
to ensure patient needs are met through
increased choice and service flexibility.
Mike Rillstone,
Chief Executive
Ros Simpson bows out
HealthShare NSW bids a fond
farewell this month to one of our
“foundation” staff members who
brought passion and excellence to
safety in the workplace.
Ros Simpson has retired after 27
years working in health, much of it
in the Work Health and Safety and
Page 2
risk management services, firstly with
Wentworth Area Health Service, then
Sydney West Area Health Service and
most recently with HealthShare NSW.
the transition of staff and risk
management responsibilities from
Local Health Districts,” said Chief
Executive Mike Rillstone.
“Ros is a HealthShare NSW original,
having been recruited in 2006 to
establish a risk management service
for our organisation and to support
“Ros built the team and the risk
management service from the
ground up. She describes this as an
exciting but challenging time, and the
HealthShare News
May 2013
StaffLink countdown on
From August, the new StaffLink
Human Resources Information System
(HRIS) will be rolled out for all
HealthShare NSW staff. This new
system is designed to standardise and
simplify human resources and payroll
processes for NSW Health staff, and
replaces the existing Supero HRIS.
Designed for a busy workforce,
StaffLink brings with it many benefits
for our staff, including:
• The introduction of online payslips,
detailing more pay and entitlement
information (including ADO balances);
• Access to Manager and Employee
Self Service online, anytime, via the
HealthShare NSW intranet or personal
devices including home computers,
tablets and smartphones;
•U
se of new eForms, replacing the
need to print and manually submit
some of the most commonly used
payroll and human resources forms.
Leading the implementation for
HealthShare NSW is a dedicated team
working closely with Corporate IT
Program representatives.
“The Workforce team is leading a
dedicated internal Working Party for
quality of risk management services
we provide today and the care we
provide to our people who are injured
at work are a testimony to
her efforts.”
Ros and her recently retired husband
Ron have a host of travel planned,
including trips to Europe, including
Scotland, Ireland and Wales, and
maybe Vietnam next year. They are also
looking forward to spending more time
ADOs and StaffLink
• When StaffLink is introduced, all staff will be able to
check their ADO balances via Employee Self Service (ESS).
•A
DOs will automatically be accrued and recorded in StaffLink.
• For those staff who accrue ADOs, a balance will be automatically calculated
allowing staff and managers to easily and accurately determine ADO balances.
• S taff will not be able to exceed a balance of three ADOs.
• T o ensure there is no disruption to ADO balances, please work with your
manager to reduce your ADO balance to a maximum of three prior to
August StaffLink implementation.
HealthShare NSW StaffLink implementation,” said Paul Gavel, Director,
Workforce. “Our aim is to ensure a
smooth implementation, and provide
ongoing support for our staff as they
get used to the new system.”
“This includes offering appropriate training opportunities, and addressing the
specific needs of a significant number of
our staff, primarily working in food, hotel
and linen services, that do not access
computers regularly at work.”
The Working Party has already commenced a thorough data preparation
process to ensure all relevant information is transferred to the new system in
an accurate and timely manner.
A dedicated intranet page will also
be established for HealthShare NSW
staff to ensure access to StaffLink
implementation support, whenever
it’s needed.
“There is a significant amount of work
to be done to bring us online with
StaffLink in August. Over the coming
months we will be circulating updates
and requests for information primarily
to managers, and also engaging with
all employees to ensure their needs for
the new system are met,” said Paul.
“This is a busy but exciting project for
HealthShare NSW, and we appreciate
the support already given to the Working Party to ensure a smooth implementation,” said Paul. “Our Project
Lead, Sue Connolly, will be in touch
with staff regularly to keep everyone
up to date on progress.”
with their eight grandchildren, aged
between six months and 19 years.
On her final day in the office, Ros
said: “Helping to get Health Support
Services off the ground was a big
challenge but I feel good and I’m
proud of my achievements. I made
wonderful friends and had a lot of
support throughout my career. Now
it’s time to take it easy and enjoy the
next chapter.”
Ros Simpson
Page 3
HealthShare News
May 2013
Service Centres launch
smartphone app
NSW Health’s 130,000 employees and
its vendors are now able to use their
smartphones and tablets anywhere
and at any time to access information
and services provided by Service
Centres Newcastle and Parramatta.
The smartphone and tablet-enabled
application (‘app’) allows people to
make payroll queries and receive
Service Centre news, alerts and
contacts at the tap of a button.
State-wide rollout began in March,
following a successful pilot project
involving 70 employees and vendors.
“This is about catering for a busy,
24/7 workforce,” said Sharyn
Wilson, State Manager, Recruitment
& Employee Transactional Services
(RETS) Customer Service.
“It means that a permanent nightshift worker can log a query at
midnight, or that a doctor doesn’t
need to be taken away from
important clinical duties to make a
call to a Service Centre. We want to
make it easier and more convenient
for them – which in turn helps us to
cater to their needs.”
Importantly, staff do not need to be
at work to log a query – “they can do
it in line at the supermarket, at any
time of the day or night,” said Sharyn.
It is estimated that 75 per cent of
NSW Health staff own a smartphone
– that is, around 98,000 workers –
with growth rates of up to five per
cent expected annually.
“We recognise that many of our
people, in particular the younger
generations, use apps every day,”
she said. “In developing this app, we
are moving into the 21st century and
increasing the ways in which staff and
vendors can contact us.”
Vendors can access only limited
sections and functions of the app,
including enquiry and feedback
mechanisms.
The app, a prototype for which was
unveiled to strong support at the
2012 HealthShare Expo, “presents
endless possibilities for improving
communication with our customers,”
said Pavindren Govinda from Service
Centre Parramatta.
For NSW Health staff, some of the
features being considered for future
stages of development include Live
Calendars, Live Events, Reminders,
Payroll Calendars and Factsheets –
with accessible hyperlinks and live
status enquiries.
Ongoing functionalities include the
ability to have calendar and alerts reminders for payroll processing cut-off
days. This function is available to all
registered recipients.
Available by searching ‘HealthShare’
in the Apple App store and Google
Play, the free app is available for
download to Android and IOS smartphones as well as tablet computers.
Fashion forward
From page 1
technical support and patient support
services, is defined by their own
individual colours.
Workstream colours apply to the
upper garments. With the exception
Page 4
of those worn by medical staff, all
lower garments are navy.
In accordance with the state award,
employees required to wear a
uniform will continue to receive
a laundry allowance and will also
receive a garment allocation. All
19 LHDs will be live with the new
state-wide uniform and Total Apparel
Management System (TAMS) by 1
July, Kellie said.
HealthShare News
May 2013
Beating cancer – one sip at a time
HealthShare NSW threw its support
behind Australia’s Biggest Morning
Tea, with Chatswood staff members
sharing all manner of home-baked
treats over a cuppa – and raising $260
towards cancer research, prevention
and support services in the process.
This year marked the 20th anniversary
of this Australia-wide fundraising
effort, which to date has raised an
incredible $110 million.
That figure is almost as astonishing
as the fact that, at current rates, one
in two Australians will be diagnosed
with cancer by the age of 85.
Biggest Morning Tea Ambassador Ed
Halmagyi, best known as the Better
Homes & Gardens chef, said: “Australia’s
Biggest Morning Tea is not just about
raising money for medical research –
while that’s fantastic – it’s about raising
awareness, and raising hope.
“It’s only with the prospect of a cure
that those with cancer can believe in a
better future. So in raising a cup, we’re
also hopefully raising spirits, and letting everyone touched by cancer know
that they’re not in this alone. We’re with
them every step – and sip – of the way.”
Ed – we’ll drink (tea) to that.
(Above, L-R): Shirley
Wall, Shantha
Tekkatte, Shruti Kaul
and Tracey Steele
(Below left, L-R)
Morning tea organisers
Amy Forsyth and
Lorraine Seia
Making a
splash
Currently on maternity leave from
HealthShare NSW’s Events team,
Melissa Watson was making news of
her own when The Daily Telegraph
interviewed her for a feature on
‘What Women Want’.
Best known for her work behind the
scenes at HealthShare NSW events across
Sydney, Melissa and her seven-monthold daughter Emily graced page 6 of the
Saturday newspaper’s 6 April edition.
Page 5
HealthShare News
May 2013
Privacy obligations updated
HealthShare NSW staff routinely work with records and data that
includes personal and private information. This information is subject to strict protection principles intended to safeguard the privacy
of client and employee information. As such, all staff must act in
accordance with relevant policies and legislation governing privacy
and records access.
Briefings and Correspondence Manager Scott Falvey is HealthShare
NSW’s Privacy Contact Officer. Scott recently updated the intranet
with information and resources to support staff in meeting their
privacy obligations. Key points staff should be mindful of include:
• All personal information and health information is confidential.
• Staff should ensure patient and/or client privacy is not breached
if discussing specific cases and care in public areas, for example;
cafeterias, lifts and corridors.
• Printers and faxes should be located in secure staff areas. Personal information should not be allowed to accumulate around these devices.
• Staff should not disclose personal or personal health information
without delegated authority, authorisation from a manager or
without the individual’s consent.
• Database managers and custodians must ensure compliance
with all privacy principles. Highly sensitive records may also have
additional restrictions on use and disclosure.
Protecting your digital reputation
The increasing use of mobile and
web-based technology has had one
of the biggest impacts on people’s
understanding of privacy and data
retention policies in the online world.
People are often surprised at the
information relating to them that is
provided, or otherwise made available, to strangers and entities with no
direct connection to the individual.
However, the fact that websites collect and track your usage is not new –
nor is the fact that this information is
often shared with third parties as part
of a commercial arrangement with the
website you are using.
Page 6
Your ‘digital footprint’ (as this information is often referred to) is generated as
a direct consequence of your actions in
an online environment (websites and/or
mobile apps), as well as the content that
you have published relating to yourself
and friends/family (on sites such as
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).
This content can result in a poor online
reputation and influence how other
people, both online and offline, will
relate with you. This content can have
a very long shelf life and reach out to
you a long time after its creation.
According to Scott Falvey, you can
protect your digital reputation by
following these guidelines:
• Consider what you post, email
or tweet!
•B
e respectful of others as you would
be in your offline life.
• Be aware that each social media
provider’s privacy settings for
member profiles are different, and
be mindful of how policy changes
can affect them.
•W
atch out for potentially offensive
photos and videos you have been
tagged in and arrange for removal if
necessary.
• Always remember, online information
could be there forever and may end
up with people you don’t know,
including potential employers.
HealthShare News
May 2013
Reaping the benefits of
image sharing
It has been over a year since the
Enterprise Imaging Repository (EIR)
went live at The Children’s Hospital
at Westmead (CHW) and its positive
impact is only getting stronger.
Some statistics for the
project so far:
Dr Mary McCaskill, Emergency
Department Director at CHW, shares
a story of how quick access to images
improves patient care:
“We recently had a child that came to
us from another hospital with a broken
arm. We were able to look up the
x-ray on the system, could see exactly
what the problem was, and the child
went straight to theatre. Previously,
the x-ray might have been in hard copy
and very frequently was left behind.
Our options would have been for the
child to have an x-ray again, which
wastes time and exposes the child to
more radiation, or we may have sent
a courier to go and pick up the x-ray
which, again, takes a lot of time. The
benefits of having instant access to the
image were just fantastic in being able
to treat that child quickly.”
In addition to CHW using and seeing
the benefit of the EIR, Nepean Blue
Mountains, Western Sydney, Far
West and Western NSW Local Health
Districts (LHDs) are also connected
to the EIR and are sharing images
and reports.
“Figures gathered from the past
six months show that clinicians at
CHW viewed on average 281 studies
from Western Sydney and Nepean
Blue Mountains LHDs each month,”
said Joe Hughes, Medical Imaging
Program Manager.
Dr Mary McCaskill
The EIR is a centralised imaging store
that allows the sharing of medical
images and reports across all public
hospitals in NSW. This means that irrespective of which public hospital a patient visits, appropriate clinical staff will
have immediate access to their previous
and current x-rays, scans and reports.
“Phase One of the EIR implementation
includes Sydney, Mid North Coast,
Northern NSW, Northern Sydney,
Central Coast and South Eastern
Sydney LHDs and is expected to be
completed by August,” said Joe.
“Phase Two of the EIR implementation
includes Hunter New England, South
Western Sydney, Southern NSW, Murrumbidgee, Illawarra Shoalhaven and
Justice Health (connecting to Enterprise
Patient Registry only) and is expected
to be completed by December.”
Critical to the success of the EIR and
the first stage of connecting it with a
patient’s record from the LHD’s Patient
Administration System, as well as other
• 931,362 studies now stored
in the EIR.
• 33,887,759 images now stored
in the EIR.
• 65,533 images viewed by
clinicians.
• 883 studies automatically
pre-fetched and available for
Radiologist viewing.
• A further 5,162 studies were
retrieved using the ad-hoc
query.
systems in the future, is the Enterprise
Patient Registry (EPR).
The EPR is connected to Medicare’s
Health Identifier Service which
is a national system for uniquely
identifying healthcare providers and
individuals to ensure that the right
health information is associated with
the right individual.
“More than 2.75 million patient records
in the Sydney, South Western Sydney,
Far West and Western NSW LHDs were
added to the EPR earlier this year. This is
a significant step and paves the way for
their connection to the EIR, HealtheNet
and to the Personally Controlled
Electronic Health Record,” said Joe.
There are currently 6.1 million patient
records in the EPR.
More information on the EIR and the
Medical Imaging Program is available
at http://intranet.hss.health.nsw.
gov.au/insidehss/pmo/medicalimaging-mi
Page 7
HealthShare News
May 2013
Keeping Between the Flags
Ministry of Health as part of the
Between the Flags (BTF) program.
The BTF program uses the analogy
of Surf Life Saving Australia, whose
Lifeguards keep people safe by keeping
them under close observation and
ensuring they do not venture into unsafe
areas. They also provide a rapid response
should anyone get into trouble.
Similarly, the BTF program – via the
SAGO and SPOC charts – closely
monitors a patient to reduce the risk
of them deteriorating unnoticed and
ensures they receive appropriate care
if they do.
HealthShare NSW, the Clinical
Excellence Commission (CEC) and
NSW Health have been working
under the guidance of Dr Alan
Forrester, Clinical Sponsor, and in
close partnership with Cerner to
develop electronic versions of the
Standard Adult General Observation
(SAGO) Chart and Standard Paediatric
Observation Chart (SPOC) for NSW
hospitals using the Electronic Medical
Record (eMR).
In both emergency and recovery
environments, SAGO and SPOC
charts monitor a patient’s vital signs
such as blood pressure, heart rate
and breathing. The paper versions
of these were initially developed by
the CEC together with the Greater
Metropolitan Clinical Taskforce
(GMCT), an expert group of clinicians
and the Clinical Safety, Quality and
Governance Branch of the NSW
Page 8
“The electronic SAGO and SPOC charts
are accessed through the eMR via a
customised ‘MPage’ Patient Summary
and provides a one-page interactive
view of each patient,” said Tony Azzam,
eMR Program Manager Architect.
“It is a dynamic, real-time view which
enables clinicians to view observations
as trended graphs, against coloured
Rapid Response (red), Clinical Review
(yellow) and for paediatrics, Increase
Observations (blue) zones which are
relevant to the patient’s age.”
The system has the functionality to
modify alert settings (Alterations
to Calling Criteria), adjust the
frequency of observations (Variations
to Frequency of Observations) and
record interventions and comments.
Other data such as respiratory
distress, oxygen saturation and blood
sugar levels is represented in tables,
as was available in the paper charts.
“Phase 1 of the electronic observation
charts was piloted at Port Macquarie
Base hospital on 19 March 2013 and
completed on 1 April. All other sites
in the Northern NSW and Mid North
Coast Local Health Districts (LHDs)
using the Cerner eMR began using
the electronic charts in both FirstNet
(used in Emergency Departments)
and SurgiNet (used in Recovery) on 4
March 2013,” he added.
“A combined team effort including
HealthShare NSW, Mid North Coast
and Northern NSW LHDs, Cerner and
the CEC ensured very good clinical
adoption of the project which as a
whole was very successful,” Tony said.
Seventeen hospitals across the two
LHDs are now using the electronic
charts as part of their clinical workflow
in accordance within the Between the
Flags guidelines. Rollout to all LHDs
using the Cerner eMR is expected to
be complete by the end of this year.
HealthShare News
May 2013
Celebrating staff excellence
A round of applause, please: Deborah
Ng is the latest winner of a Staff Excellence Award for outstanding individual,
and Service Centre Newcastle’s VMO
Processing Team has scored a Staff
Excellence Award for outstanding team.
Both awards were given in the
category of Business Solutions and
Innovation, and Deborah and the VMO
team were presented with $150 and
$500 respectively, courtesy of sponsor
First State Super.
Individual winner: Deborah Ng,
Between the Flags, eMR Program
Between the Flags (BTF) is a Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC)
program. HealthShare NSW and the
CEC have worked closely to develop
electronic versions of the Standard
Adult General Observation (SAGO)
and Standard Paediatric Observation
Chart (SPOC) for NSW hospitals.
of Health and the Pillars to create a
rollout plan “which ensures delivery
and remains cognisant of costs to the
project,” Tony said.
In her role as BTF’s Project Manager, Deborah (inset above right)
has “worked tirelessly to ensure this
project improves clinical outcomes
for patients across NSW,” said Tony
Azzam, HealthShare NSW’s eMR
Program Manager Architect.
Team winner: VMO Processing Team
Based at Service Centre Newcastle, the
10-member VMO Processing Team is
an excellent example of a group of staff
members who identify a better way of
doing things – and then go out of their
way to turn an idea into practice.
“With limited resources, Deborah has
not only managed the Project Management aspects of this project, but
she has also taken on many other business, change and testing aspects to
guarantee its success,” Tony said.
“The team identified that the process in place for the submission and
data entry of VMO claims could be
improved,” their supervisor Cherie
Tiedeman said. “The team took the
initiative to research, develop and
implement a new process, which has
had significant benefits for both the
customers and the team.”
“She has also utilised her problemsolving ability when posed with
solution defects, which require quick
analysis and suggested resolution.”
Tony praised Deborah for working
with Local Health Districts, the Ministry
The VMO Processing team (L-R): Nicole Fensom, Zelna Whelpton, Pym England,
Alice Hawkins, Cherie Tiedeman, Imogen Willcock, Colleen O’Hara,
Lorraine Westwood, Gemma Covey (Lyndal Harrison, absent)
INSET: Deborah Ng
of their work and is always willing to give
suggestions to improve our processes
and embrace change,” she said. “Everyone is happy to go the extra mile to
help each other and to ensure that the
customers have excellent service.”
Moreover, team members were willing
to meet on a regular basis and give
their opinions and suggestions to
ensure that the implementation was a
success. “Each team member has had
input and takes pride in the ownership
of this successful change,” she said.
It’s not just the team members that are
smiling; the environment is, too. The
team’s new way of working has seen
a massive reduction in the amount of
paper used, with printing plummeting
to 1,000 pages from a previous 21,000
pages per month.
Cherie praised the team members as
“positive and innovative thinkers”. “Each
team member takes pride in the quality
Page 9
HealthShare News
May 2013
Windows 7 Office upgrade
heats up
Work has begun on a project to
upgrade more than 3,000 computers
and laptops to Windows 7 and
Microsoft Office 2010, across sites
hosting HealthShare NSW-managed
computers.
Currently, our computers are running
on the old Windows XP operating
system and a combination of
earlier versions of Microsoft Office
2003/2007 (such as Outlook, Word,
Excel and PowerPoint).
Chief Information Officer Greg
Wells said moving to Windows 7
enhances our ability to prepare for
future software products, and allows
for greater compatibility within our
Windows-based computing system.
The system upgrade to Windows 7
and Microsoft Office 2010 will be
implemented in stages between April
and June 2013. Specific information and
dates will be provided to staff at various
health agencies closer to the time.
This will include details of what will
need to be done prior to the upgrade
to ensure that all data is retained.
Training will be provided to staff
who are unfamiliar with Windows
Benefits of Windows 7
• Faster start-up
• Improved usability and productivity
• Better security
• Improved media options.
7 and Microsoft Office 2010 and an
Information Services Support Team will
be available at each site to assist with
questions while the upgrade is occurring.
Project implementation will result
in approximately 25 different types
of hardware having their operating
system upgraded across HealthShare
NSW and the Health Pillars.
Application Performance Monitoring
HealthShare NSW’s Information
Services team recently completed
Phase 1 of the Foglight Application
Performance Monitoring (APM)
project.
The APM software is an application
monitoring solution which allows
for integrated monitoring of current
and new technologies, capacity
planning, availability reporting,
event management and application
performance management.
As part of this roll-out, the project
team has configured clinical
applications including Electronic
Medical Records (eMR), iPatient
Manager (iPM), CHIME, CHIME
4 and HealtheNet in the Foglight
environment to enable servicebased monitoring.
Page 10
This means an application such as eMR
can be monitored in real-time and any
impact to the eMR system can be seen
immediately via a dashboard. Phase 2
of the implementation begins in May
and will involve configuring additional
components within the Foglight such
as the Active Directory, Exchange,
databases, operation and executive
reporting.
The APM initiative will:
• Provide application support teams with the ability to do detailed analysis
of application performance issues across the state;
• Enhance monitoring, availability reporting and proactive capacity management;
• Support the Statewide Infrastructure Services (SWIS) program and
Health Infrastructure as a Service (HIaaS) which require sophisticated tools
to monitor the applications and infrastructure (eg Active Directory
and Exchange);
• Build dashboard capability to manage and report on overall service
availability and identification of Key Performance Indicators;
• Provide automated key service delivery reports for both HealthShare NSW
and its customers.
HealthShare News
May 2013
HSD Online Claiming complete
HealthShare NSW’s Pharmacy Improvement Program (PIP) has completed delivery of the Online Claiming for Highly
Specialised Drugs (HSD) project. Claims
for reimbursement from Medicare Australia for the HSD dispensed are now
being sent electronically to Medicare
Australia and funds are being transferred directly into LHD bank accounts.
“Thanks to the implementation of the
new system, NSW public hospitals will
continue to be subsidised some $255
million per year for HSD dispensed by
the hospital pharmacies,” said Richard
Goldman, HealthShare NSW’s Acting
Director of Strategy & Architecture.
“This is a great achievement for the
project team and a big win for NSW
public hospitals.”
HSD are subsidised through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. These
medicines are for the treatment of
chronic conditions that, because of their
clinical use or other special features, are
restricted to supply through hospitals
with appropriate specialist facilities.
“The online claiming solution implemented in NSW involves a secure connection between Medicare Australia’s
system and each authorised LHD pharmacy,” said Fiona Wilson, Pharmacy
Improvement Program Director.
the new processes and online system
from October 2012. It was followed by
St Vincent’s Hospital in December 2012.
“In the subsequent four months, more
than 70 other hospitals across the
state went live,” said Mike Kisby, HSD
Project Manager.
“Considering the tight timeframe in
which this project had to be rolled
out, detailed planning was critical. We
needed to test and demonstrate the
new system and processes in a live
environment up front and ensure that
pharmacy staff were adequately trained
and prepared. This work allowed the
project to run incredibly smoothly.”
Access to online claiming functionality required upgrade of the pharmacy
management system (i.Pharmacy) used
by the hospitals and then introduction
of a new module of i.Pharmacy that
was developed specifically for online
claiming. Upgrades of the hospital
pharmacy management systems
to a current version of i.Pharmacy
were managed by the PIP. This work
involved a dedicated project team and
was completed in December 2012.
“The team was very impressed at how
quickly pharmacy staff learned the
system and were incredibly grateful
for the support received to make this
project happen,” Mike said.
“It allows real-time electronic claiming
for the Medicare portion of costs LHDs
incur through the provision of HSD to
patients. This significantly reduces the
effort involved in submitting a claim
and reduces the time taken for funds
to be provided.”
In addition to the implementation of
new software, there was significant
change to business processes and the
team worked closely with many staff
across the state to support them in the
transition to the new system.
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead
was the first hospital in NSW to pilot
“There was a good lead in before
go-live to allow stakeholders to be
aware of the project and upcoming
changes,” said Lindsay Scott, Pharmacy Manager, Far West LHD.
“The pharmacy education sessions
were useful, especially the recaps the
week prior to go-live and prior to
submitting the claim, [and] the Project
Managers were available to answer
questions and concerns.”
While Lindsay did have some suggestions for improvements in the future,
she found that “having the support of
the PIP team meant a much smoother
and less stressful introduction of a
major change to our business”.
More information on the Pharmacy
Improvement Program is available at:
http://intranet.hss.health.nsw.
gov.au/insidehss/pmo/electronicmedication-management-emm/
pharmacy_improvement
Page 11
HealthShare News
May 2013
Staff profile
My most memorable meal was... Dinner at Fitzpatrick
Castle in Dublin to celebrate my grandparents’ 60th
wedding anniversary.
I’m at my happiest when... I’m chilling out with my
friends or exploring somewhere new.
The last book I read was... Revolutionary Road by
Richard Yates.
Gillian Reid
Executive Assistant to Chief
Executive Mike Rillstone
A typical day at work for me involves... Making sure
Mike’s daily operations run smoothly, managing his diary,
meeting requests, organising meetings and managing all
of the documentation and correspondence that comes
through our office.
When I’m not at work I like to... Catch up with
friends, enjoy good food, nice wine, relax at the beach
(and a bit of retail therapy always helps).
When I was a child I wanted to be... A vet. I’m a big
animal lover and started horse riding when I was five, and I
always wanted to work with animals; horses in particular.
I’d love to learn... To speak Italian fluently.
My top three movies are... The Shawshank Redemption,
Man on Fire and The Lion King.
My dream holiday location is... Somewhere like Bora Bora,
sipping cocktails and lounging by the crystal-clear waters.
If I had to describe myself in three words they
would be... Friendly, caring and determined.
My top three dinner party guests would be... My mum,
dad and brother...I miss them lots.
If I won the lottery I would... Fly my family and friends over
to Australia, throw a huge, completely over-the-top party, invest
in some property with lots of land and have lots of horses.
My guilty pleasure is... Online shopping.
The best advice I’ve ever been given is... What’s for you
won’t pass you.
Introducing eduroam
HealthShare NSW is collaborating
with service provider AARNet, to
provide eduroam (short for “education
roaming”) to Health Education and
Research (HE&R) communities across
NSW, and has recently trialled its use at
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Eduroam is a secure service which allows
research and education communities
wireless internet access at participating
campuses. For NSW Health, it means
that university staff visiting selected
NSW Health and Local Health District
(LHD) campuses will be able to securely
connect via a local network.
Page 12
“A key benefit for health education
and research professionals will be the
opportunity eduroam provides for
greater collaboration with academic
and clinical staff,” said Greg Wells,
NSW Health Chief Information Officer.
Eduroam is being made possible
through work being undertaken by the
HealthShare NSW Infrastructure Office
Health Wide Area Network (HWAN)
program. Connections across 20 hospitals and health facilities will be enabled
as part of the initial phase.
“Providing the infrastructure to enable
eduroam means that university staff
who visit our hospitals and LHDs will
be able to use their smart devices, such
as phones or tablets, to connect to the
local network by simply finding and
adding the eduroam ID, using their
university-provided credentials,” said
Andrew Pedrazzini, Director, HealthShare NSW Infrastructure Office.
Eduroam is currently deployed to
more than half Australia’s universities,
CSIRO campuses and more recently at
hospitals to enable medical researchers
to gain network access whilst
training, teaching or collaborating
on medical research.
HealthShare News
May 2013
Logic model tracks benefits
The Food Service Improvement
Program (FSIP) team is working with
a leading US scientist to ensure all
changes to hospital food packaging
result in real improvements to
patient care.
The Chief Scientist at Georgia Tech
Research Institute (GTRI), Dr Dennis
Folds, led the team through the development of a “logic model” to test all
changes to packaging to ensure they
meet the ultimate aim of improving
the nutrition outcomes of patients.
A logic model is a tool for evaluating
the effectiveness of a program and ensuring that each change that is implemented results in measurable benefits
and leads to the desired outcomes.
“We are working to improve the
packaging of food items that are
served in hospital to ensure they are
easier to open, especially for patients
who may be frail, aged or unwell,”
said FSIP Packaging Project Manager
Zdenka Fuller.
“Ease of opening is now a key selection criteria for the procurement of
food by NSW Health.
“It is very important to ensure that
each change we make to packaging
and procurement leads to measurable
improvements in patient care.”
HealthShare NSW has worked closely
with GTRI to develop a system to test
the packaging of all products served
in hospital.
“The system provides us with a
clear understanding of the level of
ease a patient has in opening each
product and gives manufacturers
straightforward guidance on how to
make the product more accessible,”
Zdenka said.
“Business is responding positively to
our requests for packaging improvements and a number of Australian
manufacturers have already made
their products easier to open.”
Zdenka said a number of food products
including soups, desserts and biscuits
with improved, easier-to-open packaging are already on hospital menus.
Through the use of the logic model,
the FSIP team can test each change
they make to assess whether it has
been effective in moving towards the
long-term goals of improving patient
care; that is, delivering safe, nutritious
meals and providing Local Health
Districts with an equitable service that
offers value for money.
“By testing our changes against the
logic model, we can be sure that each
of these developments provides a clear
benefit to our patients,” she said.
Special praise for Fairfield staff
Health Minister Jillian Skinner has congratulated Food and
Hotel Services staff at Fairfield Hospital after a carer singled
them out for special praise. When Melissa Chance received a
bi-lateral knee replacement at Fairfield Hospital, her care was
of such high quality that her husband Peter Chance, a retired
registered nurse and paramedic, wrote to the Minister.
“This hospital and the staff are truly amazing. The surgeons,
theatre staff, high dependence unit staff, surgical ward staff,
doctors, nurses, cleaners, food delivery personnel all had
one thing in common – a totally professional approach to
their goal of optimum recovery, in the shortest amount of
time, with absolutely no corners cut,” Mr Chance wrote.
“And they did it with a smile, good humour, playfulness
and attentiveness to the patient’s needs – all the things
that make a patient feel valued and cared about.”
Another patient, June Courtney, delivered her praise of
Tweed Hospital Day Care Unit in verse:
“Some chefs study for many a year
To bring to their patrons a feast to cheer
With herbs and sauces they tempt their appetite
And practice for years to make it just right.
But hunger is the best sauce of all
And the finest meal I can recall
Was the box of sandwiches I recently ate
On my hospital visit to New South Wales state.
With soft bread, salmon, tomato, cheese
Cucumber and egg all designed to please
Top chefs could not have designed more appeal
Thank you for this wonderful meal.”
Page 13
HealthShare News
May 2013
Gosford goes gluten free
When Clinical Coordinator Wendy
Moir learned that Gosford Hospital on
the Central Coast was about to introduce a new and improved menu, she
had personal as well as professional
reasons for being interested.
Wendy is gluten intolerant and keenly
aware of how important it is for
patients like her to be confident their
meals are strictly gluten free.
A gluten-free diet excludes a complex
protein found in foods containing
wheat, rye, barley, oats, malt, spelt and
triticale and is required for patients with
coeliac disease, while other patients
may suffer from a type of dermatitis
inflamed by exposure to gluten.
Wendy wrote to HealthShare NSW’s
Food Service Improvement Program’s
Nutrition Project Manager, Nola Pater-
son, to ask how patients on a glutenfree diet would be supported when
the new menu was introduced.
Therapeutic Diet Specifications for
Adult Inpatients that the new ICT
system will manage,” replied Nola.
HealthShare NSW has worked closely
with management and clinicians at
Central Coast Local Health District
to develop the new menu that
reflects the needs of local patients
and complies with mandatory statewide nutrition standards. It offers a
wide variety of tasty meals to help
clinicians promote good nutrition
outcomes and is supported by a new
ICT system.
“I think you will be quite happy with
the range of gluten-free products
that we have been able to source for
patients admitted to CCLHD hospitals.
I have attached a copy of the new
patient menu for Diet: Gluten Free
just for your information.”
Nola told Wendy that gluten-intolerant patients would be well cared for,
along with patients on other therapeutic diets and on the full diet.
“Gluten Free is one of more than 130
Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI)
The new menu offers two hot choices
at lunch and dinner for people on a
gluten-free diet, including such dishes
as grilled fish with Italian tomato
sauce and Hawaiian chicken.
Gluten-free bread, sandwiches, desserts and soups are also provided.
Wendy was reassured. “That is
fantastic,” she said.
ICT Cabling Standard introduced
HealthShare NSW has developed an ICT
Cabling Standard, which will help to
establish a solid platform for the implementation of NSW Health’s complex and
diverse ICT applications and improve
service quality and value for money.
The Infrastructure Office has worked
closely with the Local Health Districts
(LHDs) and other health agencies to
develop a Standard which ensures
consistency and best practice is
achieved statewide.
“Cabling infrastructure is a crucial
platform to the delivery of NSW
Health ICT services, and up until now
there has been no uniformity in the
Page 14
delivery of cabling works across NSW
Health. The Standard will ensure that
NSW Health sites implement and
manage their cabling infrastructure in
a consistent and cost-effective way,”
said Andrew Pedrazzini, Director,
Infrastructure Office.
of ICT cabling infrastructure will allow
NSW Health to leverage existing energy
resources, reduce consumption in critical facilities and lay the foundation for
more comprehensive energy approaches in the near future, including the new
whole-of-government data centres.
“A significant benefit to LHDs and other health agencies will be the reduced
tender ambiguity and contract costs,
which will increase the opportunity for
agencies to implement cost-effective
strategies that rely on high-quality ICT
cabling and infrastructure.”
The ICT Cabling Standard provides
a definition and requirement of the
standards and practices that are to
be observed in the design, supply,
installation, documentation, testing
and acceptance of cabling and cabling
products installed to support NSW
Health facilities and operations. The
document is available on the HealthShare NSW intranet.
NSW Health Chief Information Officer
Greg Wells said the standardisation
HealthShare News
May 2013
Karen floor(ball)s the competition!
By day, she’s a mild-mannered HR
Business Partner toiling at HealthShare
NSW headquarters in Chatswood.
On a floorball court, however, Karen
Bowden transforms into an elite athlete, playing this fast and furious sport
at an international level.
An indoor sport that’s one of Europe’s favourites, floorball blends
the greatest elements of ice hockey
with some characteristics also found
in indoor hockey and soccer. It uses
a lightweight plastic ball that during
play can reach speeds of up to 200
kilometres per hour.
Karen recently travelled to Korea
to help Australia win, for the first
time, the AsiaPacific tournament.
The win secured Australia a berth in
the 2013 Women’s World Floorball
Championships, to be played in
Prague in December.
If she qualifies for selection in the
Australian team that travels to the
Czech Republic, Karen will play in her
third World Championships, having
competed in Sweden in 2009 and
Switzerland in 2011. She will go up
against teams from Europe, Asia and
2O13
A triumphant Karen (kneeling, second from right) and her teammates celebrate
winning the AsiaPacific tournament
Scandinavia, where floorball is so
revered it’s a professional sport.
Floorball is a sport that’s fast gaining
popularity in Australia and is being
considered as an Olympic sport in
2020. “It’s fast, highly physical and
it’s a mind game, too,” says Karen.
“It’s a great mix of ice hockey, indoor
hockey and soccer.”
Karen turned her talents to floorball only
in 2009, having honed her playing prowess on a hockey field since the age of six.
Now, at 36 and the oldest member of
the team, she admits it’s “exhausting”
playing against teenage competitors
but says her maturity helps give her
the edge “because I’m older I have
to read the play better, which helps
because it’s quite a strategic sport”.
Asked to draw a parallel between
what she does on a floorball court
and her role at HealthShare NSW,
Karen said: “They’re both about
teamwork, communication, and
seeing the bigger picture.”
SAVE THE DATE!
Friday 8th
November 2013
Sydney Convention
& Exhibition Centre,
Darling Harbour
www.hssevents.health.nsw.gov.au/healthshareexpo
Page 15
HealthShare News
May 2013
Nominations open for Service Awards
Service Awards are now open, with all
HealthShare NSW
2013
Entries for the inaugural HealthShare NSW
staff encouraged to nominate teams
or individuals for one of five different
Award categories.
“These new Awards are designed to recognise the hard work, innovation and com-
motivates, develops and inspires those
around them;
• Chief Executive Award for
Embodying Values and Spirit –
recognises a passionate staff member
who has a positive and engaging
• Creating Value Award – recognises
approach to fellow staff, customers and
mitment of our staff,” said Mike Rillstone,
staff that demonstrate an ability to con-
Chief Executive. “While much of our focus
tribute to improving pricing and
has been on customer service excellence, it
cost modelling for HealthShare NSW
Winners of two further categories –
is important to recognise the staff behind
and/or ongoing refinements for
Outstanding Team of the Year and
this outstanding performance.”
customer charges;
Outstanding Individual of the Year
the organisation as a whole.
– will be chosen from recipients of the
The five Award categories open to submissions are:
• Innovation Award – recognises individuals and teams who have improved
organisation’s Staff Excellence Awards
throughout 2013.
a business process and/or developed an
• Customer Service Award – recognises
innovative solution to a problem;
staff that have a passion for meeting
and attending to customer needs and
Entry criteria and forms are available on the
HealthShare NSW intranet, and winners
• Chief Executive Award for Leader-
will be announced at the 2013 HealthShare
consistently providing exemplary,
ship – recognises exceptional leadership
NSW Expo on Friday, 8 November at the
quality service;
and acknowledges an individual who
Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Born to serve Bega
When Margie Long started work in the kitchen at Bega District Hospital, modern dishwashers were a fantastical, futuristic
dream. The year was 1973 and the piles of pans and pots and
crockery in the sink in the hospital kitchen were a terrifying sight
to a then-23-year-old Margie.
“The first couple of nights I stood in front of that sink, staring
out the kitchen window, the tears trickling down my face. I was
there on my own, cleaning up after the meals for 30 patients,”
she said. “There was a mountain of washing up!”
L-R: Food and Hotel Services Supervisor Leonie Rolfe (left)
and Food and Hotel Services Sector Manager Shannon Chamberlain (right) present Margie Long (middle) with flowers
and a certificate marking her four decades of service
But working in Food Services at Bega Hospital soon became a
While Margie still serves meals and morning teas to patients just
way of life and, on 13 April, Margie marked 40 years of caringly
like she did in the 1970s, she also enters data into the Food Ser-
providing meals to patients. Food Services staff celebrated Mar-
vices computer system that supports the task of providing many
gie’s milestone with a morning tea.
hundreds of meals a week.
“Margie is a bit of a character,” said Shannon Chamberlain, Food
One thing hasn’t changed. The best part of Margie’s job is still
Services Sector Manager for the region. “You could run the de-
supporting the patients. “There’s not much time to stop and
partment using her as the clock. She does everything accurately
chat, but in Bega you often see people you know,” she said. “It’s
and properly. She really knows her stuff.”
nice to say a few words – but we’re always on the go!”
Page 16