Published on 18 May 2023

Dear colleagues,

There are a number of important milestones approaching for all of us at Western Health with many of you working to deliver on a diverse range of projects.

Each of these projects are approaching fast and within the day-to-day business of our work, it is worth taking some time to reflect on what might be happening outside your own work area.

Mental Health

From 1 July, Western Health will become one of the biggest mental health services in Melbourne.

On this day, Midwest Area Mental Health Service and components of the Aged Persons Mental Health Program (part of NorthWestern Mental Health) become a part of Western Health.

This significant and exciting change came as a result of the findings of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.

Our aim is to provide a more accessible, responsive and well-resourced mental health service delivery for our communities in north and western metropolitan Melbourne.

And I wanted to make sure as many of you as possible have the chance to see the webinar presented last week for all Western Health staff and volunteers.

Paula Stephenson, General Manager of Transition and Integration for Mental Health and Wellbeing Services, and Jolene Geh, Area Manager for the MidWest Area Mental Health Service and myself covered what Western Health is doing to prepare to become an authorised mental health provider from 1 July 2023.

Click the picture below to view the session:

For further information visit the Mental Health and Wellbeing Services Transition and Integration page on Westerly

EMR Countdown

Another countdown involves EMR Phase 2.1. The clock is ticking with the go-live date at the Williamstown, Sunbury, Footscray and Sunshine Hospitals just a little under 8 weeks away.

Thank you to the 700 members who have already completed their online training via WeLearn!

Any staff member who feels they need further support after completing their WeLearn lessons, or prefers classroom training, is encouraged to attend a face-to-face classroom training session with a Digital Health trainer. Bookings are now open for these optional sessions, which will run from 5th June – 30th June. Please check with your manager before booking in.

When you’ve completed your WeLearn or classroom training, it is important to practice in the EMR practice environment. Stepping through the new workflows is a great way to consolidate your learnings from the training and to ensure you’re feeling confident and ready for the Go-Live.  Login details for the practice environment are available from the EMR Super Users in your area.

To learn more about EMR Phase 2.1 please visit the Digital Health information site. The site includes news and updates, FAQ’s, a glossary and the recently launched EMR Phase 2.1 Nursing & Midwifery and Medical Key Messages poster series.

Key messages for Pharmacy, Allied Health and ED Clerical will be launched shortly.

Dame Phyllis Frost Centre primary health care service

As previously reported Western Health will be commencing the delivery of primary healthcare at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre (DPFC) on July 1, 2023.

As a current Western Health employee, you may be interested to be involved in the delivery of specialised healthcare in DPFC.

While the new Custodial Health team within Western Health has engaged the staff needed to run the primary health care service at DPFC, there may be opportunities for other staff to work in this setting, most likely in part-time or casual roles.

For further details about how this new service will operate including a Change Impact Statement click here.

Eynesbury bus crash

And finally, can I extend my appreciation to staff who treated a number of primary school children involved in the serious bus collision at Eynesbury earlier this week. As is always the case in these events our staff, along with many others in the emergency services, stepped up to provide the timely and high-quality care these patients and their families required. Sadly, the ongoing impact of these young lives and those of their families will be significant and longstanding.

Should you, your colleagues or family experience any distress arising from this situation, I encourage you to access support from our Employee Assistance Program. They can be accessed via Phone (1800 099 444), email (work@caraniche.com.au) or online enquiry (https://work.caraniche.com.au/make-a-booking/).

A range of services are available including 1:1 services, as well as critical incident debriefing for small groups.

We will continue to monitor the wellbeing of our staff and please feel free to discuss any concerns with your direct manager.

Regards,

John Ferraro

Chief Operating Officer