Annual Report 2017-18 | Monash Health

Our community
Refugee Week 2018
In June we celebrated Refugee Week,
which raises awareness about issues
affecting refugees and recognises the
valuable contribution refugees make to
Australian society.
The theme of this year’s Refugee Week
is #WithRefugees.
Monash Health has a long-standing
commitment to improving the health
of asylum seekers and refugees across
Melbourne’s south-east. This is most
strongly reflected in Monash Health’s
multidisciplinary refugee service,
Refugee Health and Wellbeing, located
in Dandenong.
After years of working closely with
local refugee communities, Refugee
Health and Wellbeing has become
familiar with stories of the tragic
circumstances that bring asylum
seekers and refugees to Australia.
However, we have also experienced the
many ways that refugee communities
embrace new opportunities with
strength, resilience, and determination
through countless stories of success.
Refugee Week was a way for the
organisation to reflect on the diverse
journeys of others, consider our
personal roles in creating a fair, just,
and inclusive society, and celebrate the
diversity that makes Australia a vibrant
and culturally-rich nation.
Monash Health Annual
General Meeting
More than 100 people attended the
2017 Annual Meeting in November.
Monash Health Board Chair Barbara
Yeoh delivered the opening address,
followed by a detailed account of
the achievements and successes of
the organisation presented by Chief
Executive Andrew Stripp.
Mr Stripp reported on the
organisation’s clinical, operational,
safety, capital and financial results,
including Monash Health meeting all
of its service delivery targets within its
2016-17 operating budget of $1.7 billion.
Mr Stripp also shared patient
stories and our progress on
organisational-wide priorities, such
as patient experience, response to
family violence, aboriginal health,
sustainability initiatives, research
and innovation. He also spoke about
opportunities and guiding principles
as Monash Health develops its new
strategic plan.
Keynote speaker was Dr Beth Wilson
AM. A lawyer by training, Dr Wilson
is an expert in mental health and a
passionate consumer rights advocate.
Dr Wilson spoke about Monash
Health’s duties to its consumers,
including the recently produced
‘Statutory duty of candour’, which
recommends legislation which would
ensure consumers and their families
are told when and why things go wrong
with their care.
Committed volunteer goes
above and beyond
Dayawati Lal has been volunteering
at Dandenong Hospital since 2013.
Originally from Fiji, it is part of
Dayawati’s culture and Hindu beliefs
to give back to the community in
which she lives.
Dayawati is one of the first friendly
faces you see when entering
Dandenong Hospital, she provides
important directions and guidance to
consumers and their visitors. She also
spreads hope and happiness with the
delivery of flowers to the wards on
Tuesday mornings.
But Dayawati wanted to do even more
for Monash Health consumers. She
came to her shift one afternoon with
the funds to purchase a wheelchair.
“I wanted to give something useful
to the people who need help moving
around the hospital,” she said.
We thank Dayawati and all of our
committed volunteers who generously
give their time to help consumers and
their families.
Integrated Model for
Responding to Elder Abuse
at Monash Health
In December, Monash Health launched
a project to deliver an Integrated
Model for Responding to Elder Abuse.
The new model focusses on identifying
and responding as part of a whole of
health approach to elder abuse using
a family centred approach, which
engages both the person being abused
and the person responsible.
This new initiative is a 12-month project
funded by the Department of Health
and Human Services through the Elder
Abuse Prevention and Response Unit.
The department has funded five trial
sites throughout Victoria.
The integrated model of care includes
four key components: workforce
training, an Elder Abuse Prevention
Response liaison officer, counselling
and mediation (including financial
counselling), and an elder abuse
prevention network. Monash Health
has partnered with like-minded
organisations to help us achieve this,
including St Vincent’s Hospital, the
Bouverie Centre and FMC Mediation,
and Counselling Victoria.
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