In this week’s Get to know: Q&A with… we catch up with Maree Glynn, Director of Clinical Practice Improvement.

Get to know Maree:

What’s your coffee order?

I actually don’t drink coffee!

Tell us about your Northern Health journey?

It would be hard to say that I am not totally committed to Northern Health. I have spent 40 years of my working life at either PANCH or Northern Health. I love the talent and the, “can do,” attitude of the staff and the commitment they have in making it better for people in the north.

Prior to commencing at Northern Health, I was on the project team for The Northern Hospital Development, which planned and managed the development and construction of Northern Hospital, the logistical move of PANCH to Epping and commissioning of a new facility. At the same time, I had divisional responsibility for Allied Health, Pastoral Care, Interpreter Services and the Private Consulting Rooms.

What is your greatest achievement or favourite memory since working here?

The move occurred in February 1998, and one of my great memories was to be able to finish the last services at PANCH at 8 am and open at the same time at Epping with a relatively smooth transition. An amazing achievement for all involved. One of my special memories of this great achievement was walking through, “a hospital with no patients,” the night before we opened and knowing that we were ready to go.

I also remember the first day in the Emergency Department when a patient went and got their own deck chair out of their car because there were not enough seats in the waiting room. Our popularity has not changed! I have loved seeing the challenges Northern Health has faced in this ever growing environment and how we have responded to these.

Can you tell us a bit about your career before starting at Northern?

My clinical background is emergency nursing, and one of my career highlights was in my first Nurse Unit Manager role to establish one of the first private Emergency Departments in Melbourne at Epworth Hospital. My greatest learning from this experience was the importance of having a clear vision, establishing a strong cohesive team to deliver the vision and never compromising on the need to build a service on a strong foundation, followed by a dedicated effort for sustainability. This has been my mantra for all my working life.

What does a typical work day look for you?

I now have a very challenging role as Director of Clinical Practice Improvement with the responsibility of ensuring that Northern Health meets all the requirements of The National Standards for Safety and Quality and that we are prepared for Accreditation assessments. I am proud that we had a very successful outcome at our last Accreditation survey in 2017 with no recommendations for follow up. Our next Accreditation assessment is in May 2020.

In preparation for this, we are having a Mock Survey from October 15 to 18 to check our preparedness against the second edition of the National Standards.

My vision for the role is not to talk about Accreditation, but to talk about quality care as everyday business. But the reality is in our very busy working days it has become important to have a time when we bring a focused attention to knowing that we are meeting the required standards in the way we do our work.

What are some things people don’t know about you?

My passion is football and I have barracked for Geelong all my life. I think it is a great medium for conversation and banter at work across all levels of the workforce. Like work, even with great effort as a team, we don’t always get the outcomes we want, so we just need to recharge and start again – always with new energy and hope.

What do you like to do after work?

My absolute joy at the end of a busy day is to arrive at home and be greeted at the door by my beautiful cavoodle, Winnie the Pooch, and have a home cooked meal prepared by my supportive husband.

How would you describe Northern Health in one sentence?

There is a YouTube video that reminds me of the roller coaster that we are on at Northern – the faster we go the harder it is to keep up. Some of you will be far too young to know who Lucille Ball is, but take time to watch the video below – it will make you smile. It gives me back my sense of humour – enjoy the ride!

Who would you nominate next for a staff profile and why?

I worked with Dr Kim Jeffs who is a Geriatrician and an expert in delirium when she was a registrar and I was in Medicine. Kim has been instrumental in helping us implement some of the requirements for comprehensive care in the new standards and I would like to nominate her for the next Q&A profile.