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JUL-SEP 2013 | ISSUE 17
@JurongHealth
E
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ent
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06-07
Transition
Planning
Gearing Up For the West
14-15
Service Quality
A+ in Smiles
18-21
Employee
Engagement
HR Initiatives for Staff
and Scholars
HIGHLIGHTS
FOCUS
04-05
SPOTLIGHT
06-07
Transition
Planning
08-11
Feature
14-17
Service
Quality
18-21
Employee
Engagement
22
Building with JurongHealth’s
Values in Mind
Staff from various departments such as Human Resources,
Medical Affairs, Service Operations, Clinical Operations,
Medical Social Services and Finance have moved into new
offices at Block 20. They join staff from departments such as
Anaesthesia, Orthopaedic Surgery, Epidemiology and Urology.
Located beside the Hostel, Block 20 is divided into Blocks A,
B and C. Block A has two storeys, Block B four storeys and
Block C three storeys.
Hospital
Planning
23-27
HAPPENINGS
28
Capacity for the building is planned for more than 600 staff who
will progressively take occupancy over the next few months.
The 7,016sqm building is equipped with lockers, training
rooms, workstations, meeting rooms and parking lots.
Writer
Jacinta Leow
Mr Lau Moh Lim, Managing Director of 3P Ecotecture, who
personally designed the new office block has created a building
that is user-friendly, energy-efficient and aesthetically pleasing
even though it is only meant for temporary occupation. In
MUSINGS
Editor
Tessa Monteiro
Editorial Advisor
Casey Chang
To help staff at Block 20 live our values, our
culture statement was placed at the lobby.
03
designing the building, Mr Lau kept in mind JurongHealth’s
corporate philosophy of openness and excellence, and proved
that with the same budget and time frame, temporary buildings
need not be a stack of lifeless containers. To make it accessible
to everyone, the building was designed with ramps and a lift.
Block 20 was designed for occupants to appreciate nature
from any point in the building as there are many green
spaces including two very old trees which were painstakingly
preserved during construction. Other green features include
the extensive use of natural light and ventilation, thereby
reducing energy consumption. Generous use of prefabricated building components, recycled and recyclable
materials and a “green wall” of creepers as part of the external
feature also reduce heat transmission.
We thank our colleagues from Operations Support Services
and Hospital Planning for working closely with our consultants
on this project.
SPOTLIGHT
Behind
Operations
Support
Services
In the third instalment
of profiling various
divisions at
JurongHealth, we
feature Operations
Support Services
(OSS), which
provides critical
support functions to
ensure JurongHealth
operates efficiently
and effectively.
Headed by Mr Joel
Tan, the division
comprises 148
staff across six
departments.
Biomedical Engineering
The Biomedical Engineering
team manages all the medical
equipment in the hospital to
ensure they are in proper working
condition and are safe to use. It
is also responsible for acquiring
new medical equipment, and will
oversee the delivery, installation,
testing and commissioning of all
medical equipment, while ensuring
the licensing and accreditation of
the equipment and facilities are in
time for the opening of Ng Teng
Fong General Hospital and Jurong
Community Hospital.
Environmental Services
Areas that come under this
department are housekeeping,
portering, linen management,
laundry, waste management,
recycling management, landscaping
and pest control. As some of these
services are outsourced, it is very
important to select the right vendor to
meet the operational requirements of
the hospital.
Food Service
Food Service provides for all inpatient
meals which includes Chinese,
Chinese vegetarian, Indian vegetarian,
Malay and Western. Each type is
broken down into the following subcategories: diet of choice, diabetic,
renal, low salt, low fat, low residue
and low purine. These are further
divided into the categories of soft,
minced, pureed and speech therapy
soft. Staff are rostered into morning
and afternoon shifts, and work closely
with the Senior Chefs, Dietitians and
Speech Therapists to deliver healthy
meals appropriate for each patient.
To maintain standards, inpatients are
asked for their feedback so that meals
can be improved. The department
also provides staff meals to the
Emergency Department, Operating
Theatre, Day Surgery Operating
Theatre and also in-house catering
services for internal events/meetings.
Facilities Management
The Facilities Management Department
comprises two teams – facilities
development and facilities maintenance.
The Facilities Development team
oversees renovations, expansions
and extensions while the Facilities
Maintenance team is involved in
the maintenance of systems and
equipment. The department is staffed
by engineers, interior designers and
an architect. It is also supported
by Keppel FMO which looks at the
maintenance of our facilities, building
equipment and systems. It provides
the bulk of the technical workforce
on a 24/7 basis, responding to
breakdowns and performing
preventive maintenance to ensure that
all systems are operating optimally.
Materials Management
Materials Management comprises
the procurement team and the
logistics and warehousing team.
As the procurement team gears
up for the opening of Ng Teng
Fong General Hospital and Jurong
Community Hospital, it is expected
to secure contracts for medical
equipment, medical instruments,
medical consumables and supplies,
medical implants, non-medical
items, IT systems, retail service
and all other outsourced services.
Its main responsibility is to ensure
governance and compliance to
our policies and guidelines. To
ensure the greatest value from the
procurement process, a team effort
across various departments and
end users is required. The logistics
and warehousing team oversees the
distribution of medical supplies for
the daily operational needs of the
hospital. Its main role is to ensure
timely purchase and delivery of these
supplies to the service points so that
timely care can be delivered at the
front line.
05
Greeting Services
Greeting Services provides
wayfinding and wheelchair assistance
services. Its Patient Greeters are our
frontline ambassadors as they are the
first human touchpoints for visitors
and patients.
General
Services
General Services
comprises several
teams – Events,
Greeting Services,
Mailroom, Retail
Space & Office Space
Management, Security
and Transport (including
ambulance services).
Events
The Events team provides audio/
visual support during events and
meetings at places such as the
auditorium, lobby and seminar room.
Retail Space &
Office Space Management
The Retail Space & Office Space
Management team manages the
F&B space, retail space, placement
of key amenities such as ATM
machines, vending machines and
allocation of work spaces for staff.
Mailroom
Even though the Mailroom comprises
only one staff, it supports the entire
hospital, and makes sure that mail
gets delivered to the correct staff.
Security and Transport
The Security and Transport team
oversees the overall security and
ambulance fleet of the hospital and
includes security officers and drivers.
transition planning
Gearing Up For The west
The construction of our new
hospitals is well on track and with
the date set, all of us are part of this
monumental task of ramping up our
various preparations for the west.
Read all about our transition in
this brand new column where
colleagues from the Transition
Planning Committee share with us
the updates on the ground.
In January 2013, the Transition Planning Steering
Committee (TPSC) and Transition Planning
Workgroup (TPW) were set up to oversee and
ensure a smooth and seamless transition from
Alexandra Hospital (AH) to our new hospitals.
Chaired by Mr Foo Hee Jug, Chief Executive
Officer, a meeting was held with the Senior
Management to update and coordinate the
transition progress to ensure seamless and
smooth transition. Apart from the regular meetings,
the TPW works closely with the respective
departments to coordinate key transition activities.
Such regular meetings provide departments with
a platform to surface challenges they face as they
prepare to make this transition.
To ensure a seamless
transition, new equipment
and furnishing, as well as
the relocation of patients
and staff, have been
carefully planned for.
The Transition Planning
Secretariat would like to
share with all, the principles
for a successful transition:
07
1.
1 Keep in mind the importance of national bed
and service capacity as AH continues to be in
operation until 16 December 2014.
2.
2 Ensure continuity of care for Specialist
Outpatient Clinic (SOC) patients and all
inpatients. Patients will be given a choice
to have subsequent follow-ups at Ng Teng
Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) or at another
restructured hospital of their choice.
5 Note that NTFGH will be fully operational on
5.
17 December 2014, and this includes the
Emergency Department, wards and SOC.
6 Buffer adequate time to stabilise our hospital
6.
operation, which includes:
- Orientation for colleagues to the
new environment
- Training on the use of certain equipment/
processes/IT applications, notably the
new Electronic Medical Record, Digital
3 Minimise inconvenience to patients who should
3.
Document System (DDS) and Real Time
not be moved more than once.
Location System (RTLS), etc
- Testing to ensure equipments work and
4 Minimise the number of patients transferring from
4.
conduct thorough checks on facilities to
AH to NTFGH so as to ensure patient safety.
rectify any defects
In preparing for our transition, a Transition Planning
Command Centre (TPCC) was set up at the Idea
Lab in June this year, and comes with a live ticker
which counts down to the day of our big move to
the west. In addition, the TPCC will:
- Integrate facility, operations and move
readiness within AH by adopting a seamless
model to ensure a smooth transition from AH
to NTFGH/Jurong Community Hospital as well
as the handover of AH to Sengkang General
Hospital (SKGH).
- Provide consistent issues reporting and
manage outstanding issues in an efficient and
timely manner
- Display real-time data on the transition status.
As the clock ticks, we’re sure
you’re filled with a sense of
excitement and anxiety as well. Fret
not as the team will keep all staff
posted on the transition progress
and work closely with departments
and external stakeholders
(Ministry of Health, SKGH,
general practitioners and
polyclinics) to ensure a
smooth move.
feature
EMR Team Successfully
Conducts Validation Sessions
The month of July marked the first cycle of our EMR validation sessions.
There will be a total of five cycles between July and November this year.
The first EMR validation cycle was conducted on 8, 9 and 12 July 2013
across various locations at Alexandra Hospital. The Epic team led and
conducted sessions for the first validation cycle, leaving our EMR team to
lead the four remaining validation cycles.
09
EMR system. Senior Management has been very
supportive of this and have given their approval to
reschedule several clinics and operating theatre
sessions during this period to allow our clinicians
to focus on and give their utmost attention to these
validation sessions. There was a lot of interaction
between the EMR team and the SMEs as both
parties were constantly exchanging their views
and feedback on the workflows and the system
capabilities which would definitely help in the EMR
system configuration of our new hospitals.
The second cycle took place between 30 July
and 1 August 2013. This time round, our EMR
team stepped up to take the lead and conducted
the sessions. Despite being nervous, they
conducted the sessions well and needed little help
from the Epic team. The third cycle took place from
4 to 6 September 2013. It was good to see the
close working relationship between our EMR team
and the Epic team.
The fourth cycle was held on 7, 8 and 10 October
2013, and the fifth cycle will be held between
13 to 15 November 2013.
Separately, the EMR team held two sharing
sessions on 5 and 11 July 2013 with our Allied
Health colleagues. They shared what they learnt
from their overseas training as well as on what the
Epic EMR system is capable of.
Prior to the first cycle of the EMR validation
sessions, the Epic team conducted a mock
session for Senior Management on 5 July 2013.
It gave Senior Management an insight and a
good understanding on how the actual validation
sessions would be like. Although it was a mock
session, Senior Management actively participated
in the session, holding up the “red” and “green”
popsicles to agree or disagree with the discussed
workflows.
The EMR validation sessions are necessary for
our EMR team to build and configure our future
EMR system for the new hospitals. The validation
sessions involved both clinicians and non-clinicians
from various departments and disciplines who
participated as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).
Despite their busy schedules, our colleagues
made time to attend and actively participate in
the validation sessions as this will be the first
step in determining the outcome of our future
Look out for more
developments as we
inch closer to our
big move!
FEATURE
Approaching Clinical
Risks Proactively
This fourth segment of Enterprise Risk
Management features the proactive and
coordinated approach in managing
clinical risks.
As at July 2013, the clinical risk profile comprises 18 key risks as appended. This list
of key risks will be regularly monitored and reviewed to prioritise mitigation actions.
Some of the key risks have been regrouped; C1 Professional negligence has been
regrouped into four new risk categories – C13-C16; and C12 Lack of teamwork
across disciplines is currently being reviewed.
Key
Risk
Ref
Key Risk
C2
Lack of supervision/standardisation/communication with staff
H
C3
Improper laboratory/radiology/equipment management
M
C4
Inadequate scope and depth of clinical services
H
1 Aggregate risk issues by mapping to key clinical risks.
1.
C5
Insufficient patient education/communication
H
2 Compute the average risk level for each key clinical risk.
2.
C6
Insufficient clinical guidelines and pathways
M
3 Compare the average risk level to the current risk
3.
rating (established in September 2011).
C7
Delay in assessment and/or treatment
H
C8
Incomplete documentation
M
C9
Medication errors
H
What clinical risks do we face?
From April to July 2013, the Clinical Risk Management SubCommittee (CRM-SC) carried out an aggregated review
of clinical risk registers submitted by various departments
and the Quality Assurance Committees. The following steps
were taken to refresh our clinical risk profile in July 2013.
4 Recommend to refresh risk based on computed
4.
average risk level unless
•
There is a difference in the likelihood and
consequence scores are marginal (just one score
point apart); or
•
There are justifications to keep the current risk level.
5 Evaluate the recommendation and justification in
5.
consideration of the effectiveness of current risk
controls, clinical incident trends and issues.
Risk
Level
C10Falls
H
C11Infection
H
C13
Wrong assessment/treatment/medication
M
C14
Wrong site surgery
H
C15
Wrong test performed
M
C16
Incorrect clinical judgement
H
C17
Inability to access to right siting for patient
M
C18
Improper cold chain management
M
C19
Improper sample handling
H
C20
Patient identification failure
H
11
Under the Communication
theme, common causes of C2 and
C5 risks were because staff did not comply
with the use of SBAR (Situation-BackgroundAssessment-Recommendation) to effectively
communicate information to one another; lack of formal
process for nurse/junior doctors to escalate critical issues
for prompt and appropriate patient care; lack of cross cultural
communication courses; and a fear of speaking up. Medical
Learning & Development Committee (MLDC), Patient Safety
Committee and Learning & Organisational Development
Department were engaged to review the issues and propose
plans to manage these causal issues. As an illustration,
MLDC had completed an educational needs analysis
and developed a roadmap for institutional education
which incorporates modules in risk management
and communication.
How do we manage these
clinical risks?
By reviewing their root causes, validating
existing control measures and reviewing
clinical cases, the CRM-SC prioritise these
271 clinical risk issues into three thematic
issues and identified actionable items for
completion by the first quarter of 2014.
Under the Standards
of Care theme, it will focus
on addressing policy and standard
gaps by benchmarking against JCI
standards on access and continuity
of care, assessment of patient and care
of patient. In doing so, it will mitigate the
exposure of C6, C7, C8, C13, C14, C15,
C16, C17 and C20 risks. The various JCI
chapters’ champions will propose a
detailed action plan and timeline to
the JCI Steering Committee.
These actionable items
will be communicated and
followed through to set and
reinforce our patient safety
and quality standards.
It is aligned to augment our
transition operations too.
To enable
compliance check on
established patient safety and
quality standards, the need for
an audit framework was identified
by CRM-SC. It has been
proposed that JCI Steering
Committee set up an
audit structure.
Let’s work
towards
building a safer
hospital for
our patients
and staff!
feature
JurongHealth
Wins At CSSP
Awards
Traditionally held at JurongHealth to instill safety and security amongst staff,
the Safety & Security Week posters developed jointly by General Services
and the Singapore Police Force last year made it to the National Community
Safety and Security Programme (CSSP) awards during the qualifying period
of January to December 2012. The CSSP Awards, which look at issues such
as crime, fire prevention, road safety, youth delinquency and emergency
preparedness, allow grassroots and residents to work with the police and
relevant agencies to address them.
JurongHealth made it to the ‘Open’ category last year and an official ceremony
was held on 15 August 2013 to recognise the winners. Held at Bukit Batok Club
House, Guest-of-Honour Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Senior Minister of State for Home
Affairs and Foreign Affairs, presented the awards to all winners.
MultiDisciplinary
Care Clinic
Update
At our last update in the Jan-Mar 2013
issue, Renal Medicine and Pain Service
were two services that had been rolled
out at Clinic E1. The Multi-disciplinary
Care Clinic (MDC) has since expanded
its list of services to include Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
(COPD), Cardiac Rehabilitation and
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.
The multi-disciplinary teams of
clinicians, nurses, Allied Health
colleagues and case managers at the
MDC clinic coordinate the needs of
patients daily and sees an average of
95 patients per month. April 2013 was
the busiest month for them as patient
numbers soared to 128. In line with
A/Prof Cheah Wei Keat, Chairman,
Medical Board’s vision to provide
improved care to patients through
a more streamlined approach, the
clinic strives to provide a 1-outcome
for every care plan per patient. The
MDC clinic reduces duplication of
work and information, saving time
and resources for patients and staff.
Going forward, it aims to include the
following list of services:
•Cardio-Renal-Diabetes
•
Arrhythmia
•
Falls Prevention
•Oncology
•Stroke
•
Spine and Neurosurgery
Look out for more MDC updates!
13
Access to information 24/7
JurongHealth, with support from our IT partner
IHiS, has implemented the Decision Support
System (DSS). The DSS is a project that automates
and creates a single reporting platform for
JurongHealth’s corporate, clinical and operational
performance. Three dashboards were launched in
phases this year. They are the Corporate Scorecard
(launched in February 2013) that shows a monthly
report on corporate key performance indicators; the
Clinical Quality Dashboard (launched in March 2013)
that shows a monthly report on clinical indicators;
and the Daily Operations Dashboard (launched in
July 2013) that shows a daily report on workloads,
for example, inpatient and outpatient attendances;
surgical procedures and bed occupancy rates.
Medical Affairs gave us an insight to the Clinical
Quality Dashboard (CQD). Aimed at improving
processes for users, the CQD provides a view of
clinical performance indicators and enables users
to have a consistent view of clinical quality-related
indicators, performance and trends. 72 indicators
were categorised into four domains of care − safe,
accessible, appropriate and patient-centered
care. Some of these indicators include the COPD
Bundle, Ischaemic Stroke Bundle, etc. Having
the CQD has enabled users to extract data from
the SAP, Chronic disease registry and COPD-ICP
database directly for easy monitoring of indicators.
Through traffic colour alert features, green will
appear when indicators hit above target, amber
when they are borderline/ below target and red
when indicators are far below target.
The DSS was a collaboration between Corporate
Planning, Medical Affairs, Service Operations
and other JurongHealth colleagues to develop a
system that allows users to view data with greater
breadth (in terms of time period comparison)
and depth (in terms of granularity of information
provided). It also reduces the laborious process
of manually preparing and reporting information,
whilst giving users 24/7 access to information via
JurongHealth’s intranet.
Enjoy The Freshness of a Cook Chilled Meal
At our future hospitals, inpatient meals will be
prepared via a method called cook chill, where
meals can be cooked in advance and chilled
immediately using blast chillers to retain their
freshness. Before consumption, the food will
be re-thermalised to 65 to 68°C for 50 minutes
in the dual flow trolley to allow patients to enjoy
a fresh meal.
Food Service, in consultation with Ms Joanne
Yap, Chief Operating Officer, had been doing
extensive research on cook chill by going on
study trips before deciding on this system. Mr
Richard Woo, Executive Chef, said, “The food
is heated up gradually, therefore the moisture
level is maintained, the sauce will not dry up
and the vegetables will not turn brown.” The
food remains in the hot compartment of the
new dual flow trolleys to keep the temperature
of food constant. These trolleys also have a
cold compartment for fruit.
Blast Chiller
Dual Flow Trolley
Mr Woo added, “We are experimenting with new
dishes and working closely with our Dietitians
on the nutritional content of each dish. We are
also sending food samples to external labs for
microbiological tests, which will help determine if
these new recipes can go into inpatient menus.”
Look out for more developments on the cook chill
menu here!
Stay tuned to find out which dishes make
it to the cook chill system!
service Quality
Ms T
hen
Staff molli Kum
Nurse
II, Wa aran,
rd 4
Lost visitors will
smile if you show
them the way.
han,
ke Wai C
Mdm Lo ctor, Nursing
ire
Deputy D
A big hug can show the
warmth in us and
bring a smile to
someone’s face.
Sm
magic ile is a
carrie al word an
someth s that sp d
life. I ing in ev ecial
ery
w
greet ill always body’s
s
great people with mile and
day”
“
and s have a
encour
ay s
ag
make ing words t ome
them
smile. o
Continue to smile
and stay friendly
even when the group
is discussing
something negative.
Mr Desmond Tan,
Software Engineer,
Information Technology
Bringing You a Smile,
One Cup at a Time
I will give
a helping hand
to my colleagues
and show concern when
they are sick or feeling
down. I will show mutual
respect to all staff by
greeting them politely and
making them smile.
Mr Mohamed Khairil Danish
Bin Mohd Khalip,
Patient Service Associate,
Emergency Medicine
The Service Quality Department launched
a new initiative called “A+ in Smiles” on 20
August 2013 at Alexandra Hospital and on
21 August 2013 at Jurong Medical Centre
to inspire staff to do small acts of kindness
regularly. Staff were encouraged to
submit acts of kindness that would make
My colleague was
a person smile while picking up cups as
they helped themselves to complimentary
so busy working, she
food, drinks and smiley souvenir pens.
did not have time to have
The month-long campaign ended on a sweet
lunch. When I offered to
note where staff were treated to a variety of
warm up her food, she smiled
ice-cream. Some ‘smile submissions’ were
and thanked me for being
shortlisted for a JurongHealth smile recipe book
kind and thoughtful.
that was launched at SQ Awards on 3 October.
Staff whose submissions were chosen received
Ms Nur Safirah Binte Suratman,
another smiley surprise - a limited edition mug!
Administrative Assistant,
Rehabilitation
Have you made someone smile today?
Here are some tips from our colleagues:
A positive attitude can make patients happy,
which will in turn make us happy too!
Ms Lee May Lee
Senior Pharmacy Assistant, Pharmacy
Ms Fahana Tasnim D/O
Reazul Hamid Majumder,
Enrolled Nurse II, CSSD
Offer help
to someone
in need or
acknowledge
a job well done
with words of
encouragement.
Ms Ang Chai Ying,
Engineer, Biomedical
Engineering
service improvement
Improvements Around
Alexandra Hospital
In case you missed out on service improvements that took place around
Alexandra Hospital, you’ll be pleased to know that the Service Quality
Department has consolidated them into boards which were recently
unveiled at the Service Quality Awards on 3 October 2013. If you were too
busy soaking in the fun that day, fret not as these boards will be stationed
at Block 20 until further notice.
Showing that we listen as we care, these service
improvements are but one way we strive to make
patient experience more pleasant every day. All
service improvements were made possible with
the joint support of General Services and Facilities
Management. Have a service suggestion you think
can make a positive difference to the rest of us?
Share it with Service Quality today –
email [email protected].
Service Improvement on
Hand Soap Dispenser
BEFORE
Alexandra Hospital
I have to wheel
myself to the other end
of the toilet in order to
use the soap dispenser
to wash my hands.
Hand Soap
Dispenser
Hand Soap
Dispenser
After listening to your feedback...
Hand Soap
Dispenser
STAFF
We have installed
additional soap dispensers in
all ward toilets to make it
more accessible.
Hand Soap
Dispenser
17
Wards 4, 12, Medicine, Medical Social Services and Rehabilitation
To the doctors, nurses and therapists who have helped my dad (Mr Soh Leong Kuan) during
his two month stay in Alexandra Hospital (especially in Ward 4 and 12)... and many more medical
and social workers whom I’m unable to name. :)
Thank you for bearing with my dad and taking care
thoughtfulness, kindness and patience have certainly
memorable stay. It is also an enriching journey for all
again. Keep up the good spirit of bringing
of him as much as
helped him to have
of us in the family.
wellness and joy to
you could. Your
a pleasant and
Thank you once
all!
Ward 3, Ward 5, Sophie Ellen Lechleiter, Sheryl Chua, Supaat Bin Mohamed Appandy, Rehabilitation,
Food Service, Housekeeping, Allied Health, Administrative and Ancillary
My stay in Alexandra Hosptial was my happiest experience ever in my 70 years. Having suffered from a
stroke, I spent five days in Ward 3 and a week in Ward 5. Initially, I was told to expect a month or two of
hospitalization. However, as my mother was about to celebrate her 99th birthday on 26 August, my target for
discharge was 23 August. With the excellent assistance and cooperation of your staff, this was achieved.
Compliments
Dr Chong Cher Cheong, Dr Amila Punyadasa,
Dr Deepak Ghimiray, Emergency Medicine and
SN Jacinto Evangeline Bahian, EDTU
Evangeline is very caring – she quickly got me a
chair when I arrived with my IMH patient. Dr Amila,
Dr Chong and Dr Deepak showed great kindness as
they treated my patient. Please thank them for me.
Of my many admissions to Alexandra Hospital since about 2000, this occasion revealed to me the GREAT
improvements in administering care. It was wonderful to experience so many members of staff patiently
willing to assist patients at all times. Even though the staff were of different nationalities, they worked
Nurses at Intensive Care Medicine
so well as a team attending to the needs of patients, visitors and of one another. Language translations
Thank you for being the life force behind AH ICU.
cleaning very courteously. I had never seen so many committed doctors administer to each patient.
have been trained so well and are so competent.
My experience in Ward 3 was replicated in Ward 5. In both wards, Sophie, Shirlyn and their very devoted
being patient with my shortcomings and ignorance.
come to take me for my therapy and such a challenging joy to attempt the exercises and feats they very
guys as nurses.
were freely given and nurses helped each other were like poetry in motion. Other staff went about their
and helpful assistant Supaat made each day a time to look forward to. How very happy I was to see them
Each and everyone of you is important. All of you
Thank you for taking me under your wings and
ICM patients and doctors are lucky to have you
encouragingly asked me to perform. Full marks go to them and three cheers for each one of them. I
noticed how painstakingly the Irish Therapists were learning the local lingo to communicate with patients
and their care for foreign patients was truly admirable. Three cheers for them, too.
And three cheers for the kitchen staff. What they do to help the morale of patients, to take delight in the
food served must also be lauded. The western diets were particularly appetising. To all who provide us with
clean clothes, bedsheets and pillow cases, I extend a sincere thank you. One feels a new person in clean
clothes and bed.
The efficiency of the Administrative Staff cannot be underestimated for the smooth functioning of the
hospital. To them and to Allied Health staff, to Radiographers, ultra-sound therapist, MRI personnel,
porters, stroke manageress and social workers to all who contribute to the good of the hospital,
Pharmacist etc, truly a BIG THANK YOU.
Ward 12
My family and I wish to express our heartfelt
appreciation for the good services provided by the
nurses of Ward 12 in taking care of my father
during his stay. Thank you.
Ward 7
There’s no way I can ever thank you enough for
being such awesome nurses and doctors.
I’m extremely lucky to be taken care of by a
whole bunch of you guys.
employee engagement
EPIC Validation Ceremony
On 10 September 2013, JurongHealth celebrated the successful completion of the training of its pioneer
batch of healthcare and IT specialists in the Epic, our Electronic Medical Records (EMR) System. The
team had started training in March 2013, with about 30 members attending courses in Verona, USA and
the other half attending local courses.
We have one of the largest Medical Informatics Team in Singapore, assisting in the implementation of our
future EMR system. As the first in Asia-Pacific to implement Epic, JurongHealth is confident that it will
play a pivotal role in achieving our vision of delivering and transforming excellent patient care.
Our EMR team achieved 90% certification rate in three months – one of the fastest hospitals to achieve
such high levels of certification in such a short time. Dr Gamaliel Tan, Chief Medical Informatics Officer
also did us proud when he achieved 100% in one of his tests.
To mark this important milestone, an evening of celebration, filled with good fun and delicious food,
was organised for the team. When Mr Foo Hee Jug, Chief Executive Officer, presented the training
certificates, the audience broke into loud cheering for fellow team mates, a joyful assurance that this
strong camaraderie will bring the implementation of the EMR System to fruition.
19
Welcome Party
for JurongHealth’s
Scholars
Whether it is an exercise class, food bazaar or enrichment talks,
the Employee Engagement calendar has something for everyone.
Here are the activities for the rest of the year.
Worklife
NOV - dec
2013
Event Calendar
Exercise & Leisure
Nov Dec
Brisk Walk to VivoCity
Brisk Walk to Redhill Market
*
*
ExErcisE
Nov
ABT (Abs, Butt & Thighs) Fitness Class
Yoga (Light Intensity)
Pilates (Light Intensity)
Care Well Exercise (Light Intensity)
Great Eastern Women' ’s Run
The Bull Charge
1
1
1
1
Swissôtel Vertical Marathon
Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore
MR25 Ultramarathon
Ms Joanne Yap, Chief Operating Officer, shared from her heart on
JurongHealth’s transition to the new hospitals. She challenged them to hone
their professional skills well during their studies, and then return to contribute
to JurongHealth by making a difference in patients’ lives. Apart from meeting
each other, the scholars had an opportunity to meet their respective
Department Heads.
We welcome them into our JurongHealth family and wish them all the best for
their studies as we patiently await their return to take on their new roles and
share our mission of transforming patient care.
-
31
31
31
31
24
1
29
Nov
How to Stop Procrastinating
and Start Exercising
Overcoming Inter-generation
Hurdles at the Workplace
Cycling Talk
Dec
"Home" for Christmas:
Christmas Décor Contest
*
NutritioN
& Diet & Bazaar
Nov
Monthly Bazaar
Mini Fruits Bazaar
Christmas Special Bazaar
1
1
1
1
Talks
team bonding
&
inclusiveness
On 27 August 2013, more than 30 of our newly minted and graduated
scholarship and sponsorship recipients came together for an evening of food
and fun. They had a first-hand opportunity to meet one another at the new
office block during the inaugural session organised by the Scholarships &
Sponsorships Unit.
Dec
- 30
- 30
- 30
- 30
10
22
26
8
Dec
13
20
19
20
25
games/
competitions
Nov
Friendly Bowling
Tournament
*
think well
Nov
Building Blocks for Wellness: Burn out and Fatigue
21
email [email protected] for any enquiries.
events are subjected to change.
* Look out for more details
Dec
employee engagement
JurongHealth Celebrates
National Day
As part of our National Day celebrations, our colleagues
from Employee Engagement went round the hospital on 6
August 2013 to distribute Singapore flag badges to everyone
who came dressed or accessorised in Singapore’s national
colours. To the delight of the roving team, staff came dressed
in a surprising array of red and white outfits, head-dresses,
shoes, accessories and even manicured nails!
Adding a new dimension to the fun, staff penned their wishes
for Singapore on giant cards which the roving team passed
around. There were many touching moments and humorous
messages as staff “confessed” their affections and showed
appreciation for the country they call home.
To top off the celebrations, JurongHealth received the
“Meritorious Defence Partner Award” at the annual Total
Defence Awards Ceremony for being a supporter of the
Singapore Armed Forces’ total defence policies. Mr Ken Lee,
Director, Human Resource Management, received the award
from Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister of Defence, on our behalf.
21
The Inside Story
A famous writer once said, “One
cannot think well, love well or sleep
well, if one has not dined well”. As
a matter of fact, one cannot heal
well if he has not dined well too. To
satisfy our curiosity on how inpatient
food is prepared in the hospital, we
made a trip to the Food Service to
learn about what goes on behind the
scenes and bumped into the cheery
Mr Tan Hong Chern, our cook from
the Chinese Kitchen.
Mr Tan joined the kitchen crew in
2008 under the management of
Alexandra Health. As he lives in
Malaysia, his day begins before 4am
every morning so that he can serve
breakfast to our inpatients at 7am.
Apart from preparing meals en
masse, Mr Tan also ensures that
the individual dietary requirements
of patients are personalised.
For example, a patient’s diet, when
tagged Renal, requires special care
and attention to ensure that the
patient’s intake of potassium through
green vegetables is well managed.
When asked if he finds it tough to
wake up so early, Mr Tan said he
finds purpose and meaning in serving
patients. Being in a close-knitted
team has also kept him going. These
are also the reasons he would not
hesitate to stay back to help his
colleagues even after his shift.
Mr Tan’s passion and dedication has
not gone unnoticed – the young chef
has been given new opportunities to
learn a variety of western cuisine to
expand his culinary skills in order to
help patients dine and heal well at
JurongHealth.
This is a regular column where
we pay tribute to staff for their
contributions to the JurongHealth
family. Stay tuned as we bring you
the next Inside Story.
Hospital Planning
SUPPORT ALONG THE WAY
Making Our
New Hospitals
ElderlyFriendly
Opening in 2014 and 2015 respectively, our new
hospitals will have many patient-centered features
which are also geriatric-friendly. For example,
Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) is
twinned with Jurong Community Hospital (JCH)
so that patients who no longer require acute
care can recuperate in a setting better catered
to their needs. All three buildings are connected
via link bridges and two basement levels to
ensure services are delivered in a seamless and
integrated way.
Geriatric-friendly features also exist at the
Emergency Department. These include:
• Example of RH and SOC corridor with
grab bars for the feeble patients
• Wide corridor for two wheelchair to
pass through.
• Ambient temperature to improve patient comfort
Outside to
• Non-skid floor surfaces, grab bars and ramps
Environment
reduce risk of falls
•Vinyl flooring with built-in layer of cushioning for
NTFGH – WAY FINDING
Besides easy accessibility to public transport
services via Jurong East MRT Station and Jurong
East bus interchange, there will be multiple vehicle
drop-off points at NTFGH at level 1 as well as
basements 1 and 2 to shorten the walking distance
for visitors. In addition, these drop-off areas are
kerbless to facilitate the mobility of wheelchairs.
Those taking the shuttle bus or taxis can wait at
the sheltered areas or indoor waiting lounges.
Located nearby are wheelchair bays.
Large, prominent signages throughout both
hospitals will reduce confusion, while grab bars
along public corridors provide extra support. Seats
along public walkways will allow patients and
visitors to rest while moving from place to place.
Examination rooms are large enough to allow
patients with disabilities to access them easily. Each
clinic is co-located with a pharmacy and financial
counselling services. A key feature for outpatients
is paying for only one bill at the end of their visit,
reducing the hassle of paying at each touchpoint.
better foot comfort
• Larger fonts for signages to reduce confusion
• Use of warm colours, avoiding blue and green
tones as perception of such shades decrease
with age
NTFGH – WAY FINDING
In addition, decentralised nurse stations will bring
care closer to the patient for improved care delivery.
For those who require training and rehabilitation
services, Jurong Community Hospital will
Registration/
Wayfinding/
Consult/
feature the first Traffic
and Mobility Park
Wait Safety
Circulation
Treatment
in Singapore. Here, elderly patients can practice
walking on different surfaces such as bathroom
tiles or gravel (road pavements) to prevent their
next fall. The outdoor rehabilitative space will
also feature public transport mock-ups to build
confidence among the elderly so that they can be
trained to utilise public transport safely.
HAppenings
23
CEO & CMB Townhall Sessions
The first of four Townhall sessions began on
15 July 2013. Mr Foo Hee Jug, Chief Executive
Officer, updated staff on the building progress of
our new hospitals. Several measures have been
taken to prepare our move to the new hospitals
including deploying staff to Tan Tock Seng Hospital
and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital to learn from our
peers, and IPOEM training workshops to help staff
live our values. Amidst the preparation, staff welfare
and appreciation have not been forgotten and this
Transitional Care Anniversary
The Transitional Care Service team
recently celebrated its first anniversary
with two of its former patients −
Madam How Ah Mui and Mr Teo Eng
Lee. Both patients had previously
been cared for by a multi-disciplinary
team comprising doctors, nurses,
physiotherapists, speech therapists
and medical social workers. To show
her appreciation to the team, Madam
How gave the team a bouquet of
flowers. The decision to invite them
back was to remind the team that
its care for the patient extends
beyond the period of their stay with
TCS. Despite their disabilities, it is
important for them to regain their
function so as to allow them to be
back in the community, and not to be
institutionalised. Moving forward, the
team will start engaging internal and
external partners to extend its reach.
A total of 18 beds are currently set
aside at Alexandra Hospital to care
for patients with such needs as they
rehabilitate and transit safely back to
the community.
could be seen through various initiatives such as
Staff Appreciation Month. A/Prof Cheah Wei Keat,
Chairman, Medical Board (CMB) shared that the
haze while unpleasant, helped us to better plan for
our new hospitals as senior management realised
the importance of including air scrubbing technology
which could help purify the air at our new hospitals.
CMB also did a simulation of the Electronic Medical
Record (EMR) system through a patient portal with
Dr Sin Yong, Medical Officer. Other speakers at the
session included Dr Yang Kok Soong, Director of
Epidemiology, who shared the roles and functions
of the department, and Ms Casey Chang, Director
of Communications and Service Quality who shared
about a heartwarming story of a group of staff who
went the extra mile to fulfil a patient’s dying wish to
see his daughter get married.
happenings
iCare Carnival Empowers Patients
Held on 28 July 2013, iCare Carnival was graced
by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health
and Manpower, who also took the opportunity
to launch AIC’s second version of the Singapore
Silver Pages − a one-stop portal with health
and social care information for seniors and their
caregivers. Jointly organised by the Agency for
Integrated Care (AIC) and South West CDC, the
event saw an overwhelming response of more
than 1,200 residents. Mr Too San Muan, Senior
Occupational Therapist, Rehabilitation, was at the
JurongHealth booth to demonstrate different home
care devices to visitors.
Many visitors found our booth very informative and
had fun trying out the different homecare devices
available and learnt how modified homes can
increase the safety quotient for the elderly.
If you are interested to learn more about these devices, pop by the newly-opened Home for
Independent Persons at Alexandra Hospital’s Geriatric Rehabilitation Centre. It aims to increase
independence and self-esteem; promote comfort and improved productivity in daily living and
reduce the level of assistance from a caregiver. Items on display include a wall-mounted shower
seat, curved utensils, a bedrail and a long-handed reacher. There is a free guided tour every
Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12.30pm to 1pm.
Empowering Diabetic Patients
On 7 September 2013, Ms April Cheung, Dietitian, conducted a talk titled “What is Low GI & It’s Benefits?” for the Touch Diabetes Support Group. A total of
80 participants, mostly patients with diabetes and healthcare professionals, turned up for the event. Fun-filled games were conducted to test the participants’
knowledge on the information relayed in the talk. Those who gave the most number of correct responses were given prizes at the close of the event. We hope
the patients at the event were empowered with self-care knowledge on diabetes and are able to apply them in their daily lives.
25
JMC Wows Patients
Jurong Medical Centre (JMC) offers patients warm drinks and
snacks while they wait for consultations. Led by Ms Doris Hung,
Senior Manager, Operations, the eight-member team unveiled
their “WOW Initiative” to their first patient on 31 July 2013.
To the team behind this initiative, we would like to say “Thank you for bringing on
the smiles!”:
• Ms Nur Farina Bte Ahmad Fuaz, Patient Service Associate, Dental Clinic
• Ms Nursheilla Bte Jumaat, Patient Service Associate, Dental Clinic
• Ms Sharon Ng, Patient Service Associate, Health & Wellness Clinic
• Ms Ruby Ong, Senior Enrolled Nurse, SOC
• Mr Leslie Tan, Patient Relations Associate, Information Counter
• Mr Mohd Yatim Margi, Senior Patient Relations Associate,
Information Counter
• Ms Norlela Bte Alipah, Patient Service Associate, Clinic A
• Ms Adeline Chia, Patient Service Associate, Information Counter
We had talents from the NUS High School orchestra on 27
June and 1 August 2013 at Wards 2,3,5 and 13 to bring
music to our patients. An initiative by Community Relations,
this was the second time they have played at Alexandra
Hospital. Bearing in mind that the nation was celebrating
National Day, they asked patients to pick their favourite
National Day hits. Wowing nurses and doctors, they put a
smile on everyone’s face and had some patients waving the
Singapore flag as they played.
Our patients at Ward 3 also had a treat on 12 September
2013 when some students from National Junior College came
by to teach origami. We could tell our patients were delighted
by the mentally stimulating exercises!
Do you know of someone with the time and resources to
volunteer? Then get in touch with our Community Relations
colleagues at [email protected] to bring a
smile to a patient today!
happenings
Built to LasT
Book Review
Our colleagues from Specialist Outpatient Clinics, Ms Joyce Tan, Assistant Manager; Ms Yeo Shu Qi, Senior
Executive; Ms Fame Espino, Executive; Ms Ivy Chong, Senior Executive; and Ms Adeline Tan, Executive,
presented a book review on “Built to Last”. Written by Jim Collins & Jerry I. Porras, the book looks at the
factors that have contributed to the building of visionary companies such as 3M, Merck, Ford, HP and The
Walt Disney Company by comparing them to a carefully chosen competitor from the same founding era.
They found that to ensure progress, these companies took small steps, accepted that mistakes would be
made and gave people the room they needed. Neither of the visionary companies administered autocratic
rule, publicly singled out failures and mistakes or controlled obsessively. In addition, the authors believed
that people of all levels can help to build a visionary company. With a little over a year more to our big
move, this is just the book we need to motivate us to give our best to an organisation that’s built to last.
They also tend to hire young people and rigorously mould them, and select managerial talent from within
the ranks to preserve the ideals.
In addition, the authors believed that people of all levels can help to build a visionary company. With a
little over a year more to our big move, this is just the book we need to motivate us to give our best to an
organisation that’s built to last.
Sharing
Best Practices
The Innovation & Improvement Department
participated at the annual Singapore Healthcare
Management Congress 2013 from 19 to 21
August 2013. The event aims to bring global
healthcare leaders as well as experts in healthcare
operations to provide a learning platform for the
region’s healthcare management professionals.
Participants also have the opportunity to network,
share and discuss best practices and challenges
and look at new benchmarks.
Mr Clay Goh, Ms Caroline Lee, Mr Mack Pan
and Mr Ng Yan Jun, Executives, presented their
“Simulation Modeling Project of the Eye SOC
Clinic in Alexandra Hospital (JurongHealth)” during
the Aspiring Executives Forum. The basis for the
presentation was that long waiting time at the Eye
Clinic was an area that needed improvement.
A team was formed to look into the root causes,
map out the workflow and use simulation models
to test out the potential solutions. The multidepartment team included staff from Service
Operations, Nursing, Allied Health and Innovation &
Improvement. Potential solutions will eventually be
piloted and if successful, rolled out when the new
eye clinic opens at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital
in 2014.
The team wishes to thank Mr Aloysius Chen, Senior
Manager and Mr Lee Chee Seng, Deputy Director,
Innovation & Improvement Department for their
guidance and support.
27
How Well Do You Know
The Local Healthcare
Finance System?
Mr Timothy Chua, Principal Medical Social Worker, Ms Zeng Hui Hui, Senior Medical Social
Worker and Ms Martha Ng, Senior Medical Social Worker ran a healthcare financing workshop
on 11 July 2013 for 18 doctors. The objectives of the workshop were for doctors to have a
better understanding of the local system, understand how this system influences treatment
rendered, and to apply basic healthcare financing knowledge in daily clinical work with patients.
Representatives from our hospital’s Business Office and the Ministry of Health were also present
during the question-and-answer session to provide the national perspective and address queries.
While the locally-trained doctors thought the three-hour workshop was useful in refreshing their
knowledge, the foreign-trained doctors felt that the three-hour workshop was an essential tool
in helping them treat patients. The next instalment is in April 2014. The Medical Social Services
Department is looking to run the workshop twice a year.
Applied Suicide
Intervention
Skills Training
(ASIST)
Designed to help identify people with
suicidal tendencies, the ASIST workshop
was attended by 14 staff on 3 to 4 July
2013. The trainers were Ms Long Chey
May, Senior Assistant Director of Allied
Health and Head of Medical Social
Services, Ms Molly Koh, Principal Medical
Social Worker and Ms Seah Yilin, Medical
Social Worker. The workshop aimed to
help participants increase awareness of
their attitudes towards suicide and its
impact on the intervention process. It also
enabled them to help deal with people at
risk of suicide with greater confidence and
competence, and developed skills in suicide
first aid to help a person at risk stay safe
and seek further help. These were achieved
through discussions, observations,
supervised simulation experiences and roleplaying. The workshop is especially helpful
for social workers, counsellors, paramedics,
nurses, psychologists and doctors. Staff
interested in the course can sign up for the
next instalment in 21-22 November 2013.
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At work, no matter the cultural
diversity, harmonious relations
are always possible. When
there is harmony, people are
more willing to help and serve
others. In the nursing field, this
is important for us.
It is a meaningful contest as it
reminds us of how important
harmony at the workplace is – it
helps to reduce conflict, foster
understanding and make us
more productive. Maintaining
workplace harmony also
strengthens our friendships.
The photo holds happy
memories as it shows
friendships forged over many
festive celebrations and
cultural site visits. The level of
trust and mutual respect that
we have has enabled us to
work well together.
Patrick Lee,
Therapy Assistant,
Physiotherapy
Serene Tan,
Senior Administrative
Assistant, General Services
Buddy Austein Bustria,
Staff Nurse I, Major OT
ony at the workplace.
Engage found more examples of harm
up our efforts for our new homes!
ramp
we
g even as
Do continue to keep the ties stron
Allied Health
Jurong Medical Centre
Department of Medicine
Clinical Operations
Laboratory Medicine
This was taken at the Allied
Health promote lunch in
August 2013. It was a joyous
day as staff were rewarded
for their hard work and got
to share their feelings and
aspirations. It was a fun and
enjoyable event for all of us!
On 31 July 2013, we
participated in a ‘kaizen
competition’. Kaizen means
continuous improvement. Not
only did the event help us to
improve our processes and
reduce errors, it also helped us
to apply our values of openness
and mutual respect. As a result,
we grew closer as a team.
This picture was taken on 20
February 2013 at Rendezvous
Grand Hotel this year. It was
the department’s first retreat
and it was attended by doctors
from 13 sub-specialities.
We look forward to another
rewarding session in 2014!
We went to HortPark for our
departmental bonding session
on 26 March this year. We
worked together in teams
to complete certain tasks
designed by the organising
committee. It was very fruitful
and we enjoyed the interaction.
On 30 August 2013, 15 of
us went cycling in the City
Hall-Marina Barrage area. After
that, management as well as
rank-and-file staff chilled out
at Starbucks. It was certainly a
night to remember!
Wendy Cheng,
Executive
Teok Chew Hui,
Executive
Chuah Ean Nee,
Assistant Manager
Daphne Low,
Senior Staff Nurse II
Yeung Pok,
Medical Technologist