A Giraffe has arrived in Kids Ward

A new ‘Giraffe” Resuscitation Unit, worth $34,000, is now in place at the Lismore Base Hospital Children’s Ward.

The equipment was donated by Our Kids, with money raised through the Local Government Golf Day, the 2023 Lismore Samson Fitness Challenge and the Knappick Family.

This equipment replaces an older unit that is used by the paediatric team to review a baby’s condition, as well as for resuscitation of critically ill babies.

L-R: Sergeant Joshua Scott (41st RNSWR Battalion), Samantha Gordon (Team Samson), Jason Clarke (Team Samson), Jason Honeyman (Team Samson), Corporal Renee Campbell (41st RNSWR Battalion).

Representatives from the Local Government Golf Day and ‘Team Samson’, including members of the Lismore 41st Battalion who play a vital part in organising the Lismore Samson Fitness Challenge, visited the hospital to see how the ‘Giraffe’ helps local kids.

“Having this piece of equipment is incredible for Kids Ward and is vital for sick babies that present needing medical care,” Rebekka Battista, Our Kids Fundraising Coordinator, said.

“Large pieces of equipment often stay on the Our Kids Wishlist for a while due to the price tag; however, thanks to the generosity of these groups working together, we were able to purchase the Giraffe quickly,” Rebekka said.

Anthony Magarry (organiser of the Local Government Golf day) and Jason Honeyman (Team Samson)

The Knappick Family donated last year, and part of their donation kickstarted the funding for the Resuscitation Unit, followed by the Local Government Golf Day and the Lismore Samson Fitness Challenge in March this year.

Our Kids works with the Nursing Unit Managers (NUM) in the paediatric areas of each local hospital to determine items for the Our Kids Wish List.

Since 2001, through the community’s generosity, Our Kids has purchased over $2.3 million worth of equipment for local hospitals in Northern NSW to help keep kids local when they need medical care.

If you or your business would like to partner with Our Kids, please email info@ourkids.org.au or phone the Our Kids Office at 6620 2705.

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Tweed Valley Hospital set to open in May 2024

By Sarah Waters

The new Tweed Valley Hospital will officially open its doors to patients next year on Tuesday, May 14, after five years of construction.

The $723.3 million facility will allow 5000 patients to be treated each year, providing a major boost to health care services in the Northern Rivers.

It will be a regional referral hospital and has been designed to provide the health services required for the growing population of the region beyond 2032.

Northern NSW Local Health District Chief Executive Tracey Maisey said the opening date provided certainty to staff, patients and community members.

“The move to the Tweed Valley Hospital is the biggest whole of hospital move in regional NSW history, and it is important for the safety of patients and staff that we allow appropriate time for this process to occur,” Ms Maisey said.

“We’re excited to work together with our staff and our community to deliver a smooth transition to the new site from the moment the doors open.”

The new Tweed Valley Hospital will replace Tweed Hospital, in Tweed Heads, which is ageing and experiencing an increase in demand due to the high population growth in the area.

It will have 430 beds, an expanded 24-hour emergency department with 42 treatment spaces, 12 operating theatres and a range of outpatient services.

A new integrated cancer care service will provide medical oncology, haematology, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and an onsite PET-CT suite.

Comprehensive maternity and neonatal services for women and children will include modern birthing suites and a special care nursery for newborns requiring specialist clinical care.

The community will be supported with a broad range of mental health services, including inpatient care and hospital in-reach services.

Labor spokesperson for Tweed Emily Suvaal said residents in Northern NSW would benefit from the major boost to local health services.

“As a nurse, I know how important it is for regional communities to have access to high quality healthcare facilities like this one,” Ms Suvaal said.

Health Infrastructure Chief Executive Rebecca Wark said it was rewarding for the project team to achieve the significant milestone.

“We’ve worked through the COVID-19 pandemic, and the February 2022 floods, so the completion of construction is a milestone worth celebrating,” Ms Wark said.

The Tweed Valley Hospital development has supported up to 650 jobs during the project.

At the peak of construction around 75 per cent of workers were local to the Tweed and Byron regions.

Finishing touches on the landscaping across the 19.4 hectare campus and single-level car park will be completed in the coming months.

Hospital services will transfer to the new Tweed Valley Hospital when it opens on May 14.

BreastScreen and some community outreach services will continue to be delivered in Tweed Heads, either at or near to the existing hospital site.

The new Tweed Valley Hospital is located at 771 Cudgen Road, Cudgen.

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Resilient Kids launched to support Northern Rivers children and teens post-floods

By Sarah Waters

A new program, Resilient Kids, has been launched to support the health and wellbeing of Northern Rivers young people aged eight to 18 years in the wake of the 2022 floods.

Resilient Kids, funded through a $10 million grant from the Australian Government through the National Emergency Management Agency, will support thousands of Northern Rivers youth and at least 75 schools.

Healthy North Coast co-designed the program with children, young people, schools, families and mental health providers from across the Northern Rivers.

It will deliver initiatives that support children and young people to recover from trauma, reduce long-term mental health impacts of natural disaster and promote social and emotional wellbeing.

Healthy North Coast CEO Monika Wheeler said to design Resilient Kids, Healthy North Coast looked at information collected from 6611 children and young people.

“The survey results told us that physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, personal safety and reducing risks, a sense of social identity and engagement with learning were all extremely important to young people,” Ms Wheeler said.

“Our North Coast communities have been through many challenging experiences in recent years, and we will continue to support and fund a range of services that enable better mental health and wellbeing outcomes for our young people,” she said.

Social Futures CEO Tony Davies said Social Futures has been part of the recovery from the beginning and was well aware that many young people in the region were still doing it tough.

From back left, Play therapist Lisa Wilson, Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt, Healthy North Coast CEO Monica Wheeler and Social Futures CEO Tony Davies, have come together to create the Resilient Kids program.

“It is vital that the right care services are in place to support young people to build their resilience,” Mr Davies said.

“Even adults are struggling to navigate this new world and that’s why I’m so proud Social Futures is part of the Resilient Kids program.

“No one will deny that the past few years have been extraordinary, and Social Futures is delighted to partner with Healthy North Coast, The Family Centre and Human Nature Therapy to ensure that Resilient Kids makes a real difference to the lives of young people in the Northern Rivers,” he said.

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said the program aimed to address an important aspect of disaster recovery.

“The 2022 floods were traumatic for the whole community and the recovery process can bring a lot of change for families, so looking after mental health is so important,” Mr Watt said.

“This program has been developed by locals, for locals, to help families access long-term, positive programs that addresses the mental wellness challenges from disasters and build resilience,” he said.

The Family Centre is delivering Stream 1 of the program which focusses on school-based programs including disaster resilience and social and emotional wellbeing education, plus parent and carer support.

Six Wellbeing Hubs, led by Social Futures, across the Northern Rivers are delivering Stream 2, which focuses on community resilience.

These hubs have been set up to provide services, including counselling for children, young people and their families, peer-to-peer support and group support.

Outreach opportunities also available in smaller communities.

Collaboration with Northern Rivers Aboriginal Medical Services is also underway to prioritise services expected to be delivered through Stream 3, which supports First Nations children and young people.

More information about the Resilient Kids program can be found at the following website.

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