From protecting people in a global pandemic to conquering a needle phobia. A unique insight into what it's really like to lead a health service during the COVID-19 crisis. Western Health Chief Executive Russell Harrison reflects on the biggest challenge of his career and the most humbling experience of his life.

Additional information:

  *    Interview excerpt is a Western Health senior critical care nurse manager Kylie Fisher speaking at a Victorian Government media conference in Melbourne.

  *   Russell refers to an EAP program - this is an Employee Assistance Program, which provides care and support to employees.

For more information please visit http://www.theunifyingcall.wh.org.au

True Western - Different Kinds of Mysteries, is a new podcast from Western Health where we share stories about solving patient mysteries, how undetected illnesses impact lives, and treating patients caught up in crimes. Coming soon! Subscribe to True Western wherever you get your podcasts.

Visit www.truewesternpodcast.com for episode notes and acknowledgements.

Don’t Forget the Bubbles is an international coalition of clinicians who are playing a global role in making sense of COVID-19’s impact on children - including the rare inflammatory syndrome that has been diagnosed in a number of children. The WHO; the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health UK; and the prestigious journal Paediatric Research (from Nature) are now citing their work as one of a number of valuable sources. A recent Don’t Forget the Bubbles evidence summary of COVID-19 paediatric literature was picked up by the media in the US, UK and Australia and the information was accessed more than 90,000 times in one month. 

Western Health emergency physician Dr Andy Tagg has a special interest in paediatrics and is a co-founder of the ‘bubbles’ group. In a previous life Andy was a medical officer on cruise ships for more than four years.

Please share this episode with 5 colleagues, so these stories can reach and inspire more people.For more information, visit theunifyingcall.wh.org.au

Infectious diseases expert, Dr Marion Kainer, now based in Australia after 20 years in the US, is grieving the loss of almost 100,000 US lives to COVID and feels deeply for her infectious diseases colleagues in the US, whose expert guidance - essential during the worst public health emergency in 100 years – has been sidelined. 

When COVID cases were first reported in the US, Dr Kainer said this would be absolutely devastating for the American people under the Trump administration, because it would not make science based decisions. Despite her foreboding, Marion says the outcome has been far worse than she expected. This interview was recorded on 18 May.

The Unifying Call is presented by Western Health. Dr Marion Kainer is Head of our Infectious Diseases Unit. Please share this episode with 5 colleagues, so these stories can reach and inspire more people.For more information, visit theunifyingcall.wh.org.au.

Surge 4 is catastrophic. When it comes to COVID-19, we know what that looks like and at Western Health, teams of engineers, biomedical technicians, environmental services staff, switchboard operators and logistics experts, worked night and day in the race to prepare our major hospitals for the worst case scenario they’ve seen played out in Italy, Spain and New York City. They have had one goal - to support our clinicians in overcoming the pandemic. Suzie Demir headed up these teams and bore a heavy responsibility as the work took place over a few short weeks. This interview was recorded in mid April 2020. 

Please share this episode with 5 colleagues, so these stories can reach and inspire more people.For more information, visit theunifyingcall.wh.org.au. 

Nurse Joyce Dalde has what it takes to lead the first COVID ward in a major hospital - it’s not easy, but her colleagues reassure her “You’ve got this Joyce”. Joyce is one of the most highly regarded nurse leaders in an organisation with 7000 staff and 3700 nurses. Her expertise is in a combination of respiratory and infectious diseases nursing - the ideal combination to support COVID patients. Joyce’s background includes working in Singapore during the SARS outbreak in 2003 and many years of nursing patients with highly infectious diseases including TB and measles. She is a warm and committed person.

For more episodes, go to Theunifyingcall.wh.org.au

As the senior doctors across our hospitals began to plan for large numbers of COVID-19 patients, Dr. Rupert Sherwood saw the need for a joint statement of leadership, a unifying call among medical colleagues in this time of crisis. Dr. Sherwood is an obstetrician gynaecologist, usually in the role of Head of Gynaecology at John Kirner and Western Health, and is currently acting Clinical Services Director for the Women's and Children's Division. In this conversation, he explains why the decision to stand strong together as leaders is needed more than ever.

Please share this episode with 5 colleagues, so these stories can reach and inspire more people. For more information, visit theunifyingcall.wh.org.au.

Director of Western Health's infectious diseases unit, Dr. Marion Kainer joined Western Health in October 2019, returning to Australia after almost two decades in the United States, where she became a renowned expert in healthcare associated infections. Based in Tennessee, she also spent a number of years working for the United States Center for Disease Control in the epidemiological Intelligence Service, often referred to as the “disease detectives”. In this conversation, hear Marion’s experience at the frontlines of the SARS outbreak and why she became an infectious diseases expert. 

Please share this episode with 5 colleagues, so these stories can reach and inspire more people. For more information, visit theunifyingcall.wh.org.au.