News

Caring for those who care for us

Tue, 19 May 2020 03:54:00

RECHARGE stations stocked with healthy food; information on free exercise programs; and an anonymous telephone support line staffed by local mental-health practitioners is all part of an innovative staff health and wellbeing program underway at Mildura Base Hospital.

Sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic and the added pressure it has put on our healthcare workforce, the program is all about caring for those who care for our community.
“We started by actually asking staff what support they wanted, then our medical, mental health and human resources teams collaborated to develop the program to ensure it is responsive, not reactive, and offers easy to access, practical support,” Mildura Base Hospital’s senior mental health social worker Melissa Kennelly explained.
“What sets this program apart from others is that it is built on the advice of staff and it utilises knowledge and expertise from within our organisation,” she said.
“For example, the telephone support line is answered by volunteers from our mental health team, who provide emotional and practical support to our staff. It is anonymous, confidential and also helps increase local human connection. Despite the workloads we all have [due to COVID-19], the team were keen to help out with the program.”
The health and wellbeing program is available to hospital staff in addition to standard employee assistance services and is planned to remain on offer throughout the pandemic response.
“It is really important to look after our staff and it is well recognised that the COVID-19 response is causing huge amounts of stress and pressure for everyone, so we really wanted to make sure the right support was there for our staff,” clinical director of mental health services Dr Kate James said.
Considerable effort has gone into making the program easy to access and practical, with the hospital rejuvenating its intranet site; placing promotional posters and flyers in staff areas across the organisation; and encouraging teams from all parts of the hospital to support the program.
“The café staff do a wonderful job of making sure the re-charge stations are always well stocked; our mental health team is actively volunteering to provide the support line for staff; and staff members are also really encouraging their colleagues to be part of the program,” human resources manager Janelle McGregor said.
“Our staff do genuinely care about each other and the community. Everyone has a lot of compassion and empathy, so it’s wonderful to see such a positive response to the program.” She said.
While the recharge stations have been a hit with hospital staff working long shifts, human resources project consultant Andrea Pahek said it was also important to ensure staff knew emotional support was available to them.
“We want to be an employer of choice in our community, which means we need to support our staff and this program is a practical and intentional way of doing that,” she said.
Support for the program has also come from outside the hospital, with a number of local businesses donating goods and services to support the health and wellbeing program.
“The support from local businesses is wonderful and it shows our community really cares for our staff,” Ms McGregor said.

Pictured (L-R): Mildura Base Hospital’s Janelle McGregor, Dr Kate James, Andrea Pahek and Melissa Kennelly with posters promoting the organisation’s new health and wellbeing program for staff.