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25.01.2022 A group of skilful, local quiltmakers presented a special collection of handmade quilts to Canberra Hospital last week, to be gifted to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as part of the Comfort Care Support at End of Life program. The Dreaming Quilts of Love are works of art. They were designed and sewn by a dedicated group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal women using fabric sourced from Alice Springs. The project is a collaboration betwe...en the Aboriginal Liaison Service, Territory Wide End of Life and Palliative Care and the Canberra Hospital Foundation. Each Dreaming Quilt is unique; created for a man, woman, child or baby that is at end of life and approaching the dreaming. They are intended to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ death literacy and experience of death in hospitals. Joyce Graham, Manager of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Service, says that, 'Each quilt is so much more than just a beautiful design. The sharing of stories, energy, love and comfort are embedded in the fabric.'

22.01.2022 Weston Creek local Callan Robertson (14) has been a regular user of Walk-in Centre (WiCs) in recent years. Callan has been treated for a range of injuries including a knock to the head and a suspected broken thumb, both a result of sporting accidents. Weston Creek WiC has been operating as a COVID-19 testing centre since March but re-opened for general patients this week.... Callan’s dad Doug says it will be great to have access to the local WiC again. ‘We are lucky to have free, high quality health care so close to our home. The Nurse Practitioners are skilled and thorough, taking as long as is needed to investigate symptoms and provide the right treatments.’ Weston Creek Walk-in Centre has just celebrated its one-year anniversary. WiCs are open 7.30am to 10.00pm every day of the year, providing free treatment of non-life threatening injuries and illness. Weston Creek Walk-in Centre has resumed normal operations but will continue to offer a COVID-19 testing service.

21.01.2022 In 2018, an ambitious project began to improve the mental health system by providing more community-based alternatives for mental health care. A number of houses were built specifically for people with mental illness, allowing them to live independently with enough support in place to help them on their journey to recovery. Last month, this innovative housing model earned our Mental Health, Justice Health, Alcohol and Drug Services (MHJHADS) team an ACT Mental Health Month A...ward, alongside its community agency partners Mental Health Foundation ACT and Havelock House Association. ‘This award really validates the innovative and collaborative approach that was adopted here as well as the significant efforts of a large number of people across various organisations, including our own community mental health clinicians who work tirelessly each day caring for those in the community,’ said Bruno Aloisi, operational director of Adult Community Mental Health Services. ‘This type of model has helped to provide long-term supported accommodation and a real home for people who otherwise may not have had an opportunity to live independently in the community in such a well-designed and purpose-built home.’ Congratulations to all involved from our MHJHADS team!

19.01.2022 ‘I’m quite lucky that I’m a midwife that works in all areas of our maternity unit, this means I can see some of the most amazing moments across pregnancy and birth. There is nothing more special than seeing a woman transition into motherhood.’ ‘A woman might present early on in pregnancy and they’ll remember my face. The next time they see me may be in labour and it’s almost like a wave of relief washes over them because they have that continuity with a familiar face.’ Alex i...s one of our rotational midwives who made a great leap to move from Sydney to Canberra over a year ago to join us. ‘Everyone was so helpful when I got here that it’s made that transition super easy. Now I feel like I’ve been here for 12 years instead of 12 months.’

18.01.2022 Alyce (pictured middle) is one of our physiotherapists with the Falls Prevention Program and holds classes, home visits and clinics at community health centres to help reduce the risk of falls in older people. ‘Through the program, I’m able to look very closely at each of my clients’ risk of falls. From there, I can then teach them different ways to reduce this level of risk, so they can stay as independent as possible and keep doing the things they love to do.' ‘One of my ...favourite aspects of the program is that we get to do a detailed assessment of every person we see. We’re then able to provide a much more tailored program that suits their needs.’ ‘As physiotherapists, we work closely with strength, balance and mobility to try and reduce the risk of falls. We also have nurses and dietitians available who can provide more info on how medications and nutrition affect our falls risk.' ‘It’s really great for people to get involved and sign up. You can do so through Community Health Intake on 5124 9977.’

18.01.2022 Congratulations to our CHS CEO Award winners Last night we celebrated the achievements of our remarkable colleagues who go above and beyond to provide exceptional care to the community. If you see one of the award winners around don’t forget to say congratulations!... 25 Year Anniversary Medal of Excellence for Outstanding Service - Pam Drenkhahn Unsung Hero - Dorothy Gunner Excellence in Direct Service DeliveryAllied Health - Ella Cameron Excellence in Direct Service DeliveryMedical - Philip Gaughwin Excellence in Direct Service DeliveryNursing and Midwifery - Maternal and Child Health Team Excellence in Direct Service DeliveryPatient Support and Support Services - Central Health Intake Exceptional CareInnovative initiatives City Mental Health Team Exceptional CarePerson Centred Care Improvements Anne Knobel Leadership - Daniel Guthrie Values in actionKind - Pathology Accounts Team Values in actionProgressive Ashleigh Grimes Values in actionReliable - Frank Hubner Values in actionRespectful - MOSCETU Director Prevocational Education & Training and Prevocational Medical Education Officer Work Health SafetyLeadership Excellence - Wendy Beckingham Work Health SafetySafety champion - Adult Mental Health Unit Multidisciplinary Team

16.01.2022 This weekend we’ll acknowledge DonateLife Thank You Day, a day to recognise all Australians who make organ and tissue donation possible. Our theatre staff at Canberra Hospital were presented with cupcakes to say thank you for their role in organ and tissue donation. Janine Cunningham, Donation Specialist Nursing Coordinator, says ‘as 2020 is the Year of the Nurse, we wanted to give a special thanks to the nursing staff who provide excellent care of our organ donors towards th...e end of their hospital journey. Organ donation is rare and is not part of the routine surgeries that theatre staff are involved with.’ Thank you to the donors, families and health care workers who make organ donation possible.

15.01.2022 Canberra Health Services’ community nurses cover an area of more than 800 kilometres squared and a population of around 457,000, visiting patients in their homes, as well as in clinics across our five community health centres. This STOP Pressure Injury Day, Nurse Practitioner Judith Barker says ‘taking care of our skin is so important when it comes to wounds.’ ‘The risk of pressure injuries or bed sores is high in people who are unwell, confined to a bed or chair, are elderl...y or very young or have recently had an operation or long procedure. ‘It’s important to stay active, check your skin daily and keep it clean and dry and make sure you’re eating a balanced diet that includes fruit, vegetables, meat, rice and grains.’ Canberra Hospital and University of Canberra Hospital are also two of the only hospitals in Australia to have a dedicated team specialising in wound care and the prevention of skin damage, with the service continuing to grow each year.

14.01.2022 Did you know that 15 million blood cells are produced and destroyed in the human body every second? Pathology is all about examining blood, tissue and other body fluids that come from our bodies to uncover abnormalities, and this is what fascinates Mary Brun. Mary is a Chief Scientist at our Calvary Laboratory. She directs medical laboratory tests to help in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease - a crucial part of our ACT Pathology service. ‘My fascination wit...h the work relates to learning more about a given disease and its treatment options, and seeing the changes that have occurred over the years in terms of patient care, particularly those with haematological diseases’ (these are diseases that affect blood or blood-producing organs). ‘As medical laboratory scientists, the pleasure of our work is in knowing we are making a difference in the patient care journey, using science to obtain the results.’ Happy International Pathology Day 2020!

13.01.2022 ‘For me, the most rewarding part of the job is helping the patient reach their goals whatever they may be - similar to the way a physio, speech pathologist or specialist doctor might help a patient to reach their health goals.’ For Psychology Week 2020, we spoke with Jean a Sydney-raised clinical neuropsychologist within our mental health services. Jean works at the University of Canberra Hospital and our secure mental health unit Dhulwa, among other Canberra Health Se...rvices sites, helping patients with moderate to severe mental health issues through group and individual therapy. She is just one of our 120 psychologists working in acute, rehab, community and judicial settings. Thank you to our psychologists for all that you do, each and every day.

12.01.2022 Canberra Hospital is currently experiencing very high demand. Our staff are working hard to manage this demand and will continue to prioritise the most seriously unwell patients. We remind all Canberrans that emergency departments are for emergencies and urgent treatment. If you need help for other conditions you should consider visiting: One of our Walk-in Centres at Dickson, Belconnen, Tuggeranong and Gungahlin. They provide FREE health care between 7.30am and 10pm every ...day of the year. Our Walk-in Centres treat a range of conditions - including minor fractures and wounds that need suturing - for all ages except children under 2yo. Find out more at walkincentre.act.gov.au. Your GP. If you don’t have a GP you can find one that suits your needs including after hours and bulk-billing GPs at findahealthservice.act.gov.au You can download our app to see current wait times at all Walk-in Centres and emergency departments health.act.gov.au/digital/consumerapp For more information about the best health care for your needs visit bit.ly/canberrahealthoption

09.01.2022 The emergency department at Canberra Hospital is currently experiencing very high demand. Our staff are working hard to manage this demand and will continue to prioritise the most seriously unwell patients. We remind all Canberrans that emergency departments are for emergencies and urgent treatment. ... If you need help for a non-urgent condition you should consider visiting: One of our Walk-in Centres at Dickson, Belconnen, Tuggeranong and Gungahlin. They provide FREE health care between 7.30am and 10pm every day of the year. Our Walk-in Centres treat a range of conditions - including minor fractures and wounds that need suturing - for all ages except children under 2yo. Find out more at walkincentre.act.gov.au. Your GP. If you don’t have a GP you can find one that suits your needs including after hours and bulk-billing GPs at findahealthservice.act.gov.au You can download our app to see current wait times at all Walk-in Centres: health.act.gov.au/digital/consumerapp For more information about the best health care for your needs visit bit.ly/canberrahealthoptions

09.01.2022 We don’t usually publish posts like this, but we have a young patient who has lost her teddy bear during a stay at Canberra Hospital. Has anyone seen it? Fluffy, chocolate brown, slightly ripped arm and cute as a button. Please get in touch if you’ve seen it around CHS. Stay tuned to our social media channels to see whether we will be able to find teddy.

05.01.2022 Being a trauma patient can be a stressful experience and it can take a big toll on people. ICU Registrar, Dr Gajen Perinpanayagam says trauma patients often spend so much time not being able to control anything and being unwell, and it must be frustrating for them. ‘For me, making time to communicate with my patients and help them mentally has become a part of my process. The time that it takes to sit and talk to someone may feel relatively long compared to some of the other... stuff we do but it can make a big difference to our patients. When a patient is in ICU and they start making a recovery beyond the acute phase, talking to them, explaining their injuries, and helping address some of their emotions/thoughts is part of our job. Whether that’s identifying it as something that you can’t fix and organising assistance or whether it’s literally just hearing them out, sometimes you just need to let them share what they need to share and explain that it is ok.’

04.01.2022 Here at Canberra Health Services it takes a wide range of health professionals to deliver truly exceptional health care. Stuart Gamgee (left) is a pedorthist a professional trained in analysing and treating foot and ankle problems. He makes custom footwear for people who have foot problems caused by diseases such as diabetes, congenital defects or injury. These people often require very specifically fitted shoes to help them walk properly and to minimise any further damage ...to their feet. It’s Stuart’s pedorthics skills that can really make the difference. ‘The most rewarding aspect is when people come back for another pair of shoes because they have worn them out and I like to know they have been used well,’ says Stuart. Tony Bailey (right) has a diabetes-related foot condition and is one of the people Stuart has custom-made a pair of shoes for Stuart. Tony says his shoes have enabled him to get on with day to day living. He says, ‘I don’t think I’d be able to keep standing if it weren’t for Stuart’s shoes’.

04.01.2022 In June of 2018, Canberra resident Lisa Lovett was diagnosed with a type of pulmonary fibrosis and was told she had roughly 12 months to live. In a very short time, Lisa’s illness became very aggressive, she was deteriorating quickly and a double lung transplant was her only hope. In June 2019, almost a year on from her diagnosis, Lisa woke to a 4am call from the transplant coordinator who told her to get to Sydney ASAP. A possible set of lungs had become available due to a ...wonderful donor and their family. ‘My husband and I drove to Sydney in shock. We couldn’t quite believe it. Once seated at the Heart and Lung Clinic my memory leaves me. I just remember waking up and breathing. I am just so appreciative to the donor and family.’ ‘The experience has changed me completely I am now appreciative of everything around me. I see things. I notice things, I’m no longer flippant... I recognise the magic in everyday life.’ Lisa, who was a registered donor even before all this, is a strong advocate for organ donation. ‘You have to imagine the person who needs an organ is yourself, a family member or a loved one. Put yourself in their place what would you do to save their life?’ ‘It’s everyone’s prerogative, what they choose to do with their body, but understand that by choosing to become an organ donor you don’t only give someone a second chance at life, you give them the chance to live an even richer, more fulfilled life as a result.’ Today we say THANK YOU to organ donors and their families for giving the gift of life.

02.01.2022 Sarah is a clinical psychologist within our Alcohol and Drug Services Counselling and Treatment Service. She works mostly with under 18-year-olds with substance abuse issues. During the January bushfires, she also volunteered as a wellbeing officer for the Disaster Recovery Counselling Committee. ‘A lot of it was helping those who came through the evacuation centres connect with the right service. There was a lot of uncertainty, so we needed to provide a quick and flexible ...response.’ To mark Psychology Week 2020, Sarah wants to remind the community that while the pandemic has offered a unique opportunity for some, it has been incredibly challenging for others. ’There has been a huge mental health impact and a big increase in substance abuse in the home.’ ‘COVID-19 has seen the loss of human touch, of physical connection, and it’s impacting people. I can see that. But there are other ways that we can remain connected to others and to what is important to us.’

01.01.2022 I meet such a wide variety of people in this role and they all have such interesting stories. Sometimes people tell us that just knowing that we’re here makes them feel better Rhondha is one of our Veterans’ Liaison Nurses here at Canberra Health Services and spends her time supporting Veterans. She says there’s no such thing as an average day. ‘We provide support to Veterans while they’re at hospital and can help arrange services through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs..., for those who are eligible.’ Rhondha says that sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference. ‘I heard from someone whose father is an inpatient at the moment. She wanted to make sure he knew about the Remembrance Day ceremony on tv, so I’ll pop in to make sure he knows it’s on and how to watch it.’ Like millions of others, staff and patients at Canberra Hospital will acknowledge Remembrance Day today. Rhondha has worked with the Woden Valley RSL on a recording to be played across the hospital at 11am. Rhondha is pictured below in our Veterans’ Lounge at Canberra Hospital, a place for Veterans, ex-servicemen and women, and war widows/widowers who need a change from their hospital bed.