Metro North Health

01/12/2025

“I cared for my husband for six years before he passed two days before Christmas, but he was no longer in any pain, so it was a blessing. In my earlier career, I worked at a popcorn factory; I ate more than I packed! Before that I was a machinist; I loved making dresses for Christmas, and I even made a special outfit for my dog. I love Christmas - carols especially, Silent Night is my favourite. I moved into a new place for Christmas last year, and I’m looking forward to being there again this year. We have a seven-foot Christmas tree and Santa that will need to be sorted, lucky I can delegate that job to my son to put them up. “

💭Ward 1C patient Denise with Sue, Eat Walk Engage Clinical Assistant at TPCH

30/11/2025

She's making a list, she's checking it twice, and Dr Hollie knows if the Christmas presents you're buying are naughty or nice! 📝

With tomorrow marking the first day of December, Redcliffe Hospital Emergency Doctor Hollie wants everyone to remember the risks associated with certain toys when shopping for little ones this festive season.

Hollie and her peers will see many kids over the Christmas break, with lots of broken bones and sprains from trampolines, bikes and scooters, through to small objects which are accidentally swallowed or put in ears and noses.

Her message when buying gifts this year is simple - no small parts, and supervise your children when using their new gifts.

"Choose age-appropriate toys and think about who else lives in the home, particularly younger siblings who may put things in their mouths. Review the age recommendations on the packaging and inspect the toy for small removable parts, sharp edges, or poorly secured batteries and wiring. If the toy requires batteries, make sure any spares are stored safely and out of reach," she said.

"If you’re buying bigger items like bikes, scooters, or skateboards, don’t forget to include the proper safety equipment and ensure children are supervised while using them." 🎁 🛴

29/11/2025

Helen has some advice to those starting their nursing career - and it's to build your skills and learning as much as you can!

When she started over 31 years ago, Helen wasn't aware of the opportunities that lay ahead of her. She began as a junior in the maternity ward at Caboolture Hospital, and now years on, coordinates the new graduates in the very same facility.

"I never thought I'd be a manager," Helen shares.

"I know that the first year out of Uni is so important as you learn to manage shift work, work/life balance and ensure that you have support, both at home and with your work family.

"There are so many more options than working at the patient bedside. If you build your skills and learn, while exploring diverse pathways, you'll gain so much."

👏 Shoutout Saturday to Helen in Nursing Workforce team, for her decades of service to the Caboolture Hospital and community.

28/11/2025

Some of the patient-focussed programs at TPCH are not only bringing our patient's voices to the decision makers but winning awards along the way! 🏆

The Connection and Kinship program looks to connect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and families in the paediatric space with clinicians, to hear their voices and support health equity.

Uncle David, Caroline and Leesa recently met with the award-winning Cultural Capability team, to yarn about their experiences. 💬

"We're happy to have a chance to have our son now being treated through TPCH paediatrics," Uncle David shares.

"It's important to have a voice and to be able to talk about things that affects us."

27/11/2025

Imagine being able to get your hospital care in the comfort of your home? 🏠 🏥

Well many of our eligible patients can, with Hospital In The Home (HITH)! We tagged along with the HITH team to learn the ins and outs of this wonderful service on offer. 🤩

26/11/2025

Sharing clinical information on behalf of medical professionals requires a deft hand, an interest in medicine and science, and a curious approach. 🧑‍💻

Just as the clinician's field of expertise is varied, so too are the patients they care for, so they need a supportive team like those in the Clinical Multimedia Unit! 💻🖨️

Graphic Designer Marie explains the variety of projects she oversees as she produces contemporary materials throughout Metro North Health.

"Here at Clinical Multimedia, we handle projects such as scientific poster designs, brochures, flyers as well as custom medical illustrations for clients," Marie shares.

"At the end of the day I feel that I have achieved something if I know that I have helped someone achieve a better outcome."

A vacancy exists for a Medical Illustrator in the Clinical Multimedia Unit, and interested parties are encouraged to check out the link in the comments for more details.

25/11/2025

The Metro North region is facing heatwave conditions this week.

As the hot weather continues, and some people experience power outages, we want to ensure everyone stays safe.

Remember to:
💧Hydrate.
❄️Seek air-conditioning where possible. Look to visit a public space with air-con if you don't have it, such as a shopping centre or library.
👶Check on vulnerable people, including the elderly, pregnant women, people with chronic illness, and babies.
🏡Stay indoors at the hottest part of the day if you can.
🏃Avoid strenuous exercise.
🚑Know the symptoms of heat-related illness and seek medical support if you need it.
🥽Be aware of how hot, humid conditions create mould.
🥑Follow food-safety protocols, especially if you have lost power and your food has been unrefrigerated.

For more information on how to beat the heat and what to look out for, visit:

Learn how to protect yourself and those most at risk during hot weather and avoid heat-related illness like heat stroke.

24/11/2025

Kiarna and her proud mum, Sherry, are helping create more welcoming healthcare spaces for members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. 🖼️🎨

Along with other talented artists from the Pine Rivers State High School Indigenous Art Club, Kiarna recently visited RBWH to present her work, which will be displayed in some of our clinical areas.

Kiarna explains the inspiration for her piece, ‘Colours of Paradise’.

“The colour patterns represent the memories and stories passed down through time, and the bright colours and circular shapes show the ripples of water and the connection between people, nature and dreams,” Kiarna said.

After presenting their artworks, the students were led on a tour of RBWH cardiology services to select where they would like their work displayed to help foster inclusion and connection with patients, staff and visitors. 🩷💜❤️🩵💚

24/11/2025

"Terry's last six months have been a blur. He had a stroke in May, spent time in ICU and had some complications requiring surgery. He was moved over here to STARS for his rehabilitation and at that point he couldn't sit up on his own or eat. I'm a physiotherapist myself so would help each day with his mobility, and his team of carers have been amazing. Especially physiotherapist Angie - Terry calls her his guardian 'Angela.' He's now walking unaided, eating full meals, reading the paper and he even made arrangements with our sons to have three dozen roses delivered for our 36th wedding anniversary. Terry tells me you sometimes have to have a little bit of bad luck to realise how lucky you are."

💭Monday Mantra - Deb (wife to patient, Terry) talking about the wonderful team at STARS. Terry and Deb are looking forward to heading home very soon.

23/11/2025

Tackling kidney disease requires laboratory and clinical approaches to bring cutting-edge discoveries to the bedside. This is where Clinician Research Fellow Dr Monica comes in - to bring new diagnostic tests and therapies to people with chronic kidney disease!

Dr Monica is a Clinician Research Fellow, Nephrologist, Translational Kidney Pathobiology Group Leader and Clinical Trials Unit Chair at the Metro North Kidney Health Service. Her team’s work aims to develop new minimally-invasive tests from extracellular vesicles (a.k.a. nanoparticles in the urine) to reduce the need for kidney biopsies.

She leads studies in the clinic to evaluate new drugs to treat different causes of chronic kidney disease and reduce kidney failure.

“Chronic kidney disease affects more than 2 million Australians and has significant impacts on how people live their lives” she said.

“By bringing ground-breaking laboratory techniques used in other fields to kidney disease research, we can develop new clinical tools that work better, reduce complications and halt the inexorable progression to kidney failure."

Dr Monica and her team’s work was recently presented in the Discovery and Translational Award Session at the Australia and New Zealand Society of Nephrology Congress in Perth.

Great work Dr Monica!

22/11/2025

Advanced Care Planning Facilitators like Desre help us plan for our future, by identifying goals, values, and wishes for end-of-life care.

But Desre is also a myth-buster, visiting homes and presenting to community members on the importance of taking the fear out of the advanced care planning. 📜

While she acknowledges that decision making in a time of crisis is a hard thing to do, she says forward-planning can make all the difference.

"We want to look after you in a way that is meaningful, based on your values and needs, if the time comes that you cannot speak for yourself," Desre says.

"I've had so many people tell me that they feel better after the conversation, grateful that their wishes are known."

👏 Shoutout Saturday to Desre for her decades of dedication, both at Caboolture Hospital in advanced care planning and throughout her time at Metro North Health.

21/11/2025

Queensland Schoolies Week kicks off tomorrow, and we want to say a big congrats to all our school-leavers, and the parents who have helped them get here! 🎉😁

Dad to teenagers and Director of Addictions at Metro North Mental Health, Dr Tom, says that that talking to your kids about drugs and alcohol can be scary, but is the best way forward ahead of a big party event like Schoolies. 🤗

“I think curious communication is key,” says Tom, adding that a non-judgemental conversation around what a night out might look like, can go a long way.

“Talk to your kids about what their back up plan is if it goes awry. And encourage young people to buddy up and look after their mates,” he said.

“I think in the young person space, the biggest risks and trends remain around alcohol misuse, and the potential for misadventure. But the importance is to seek help through friends, family, emergency services or other people if you need it - we have a great community around us, and someone is always there to help.”