In achieving of our vision, ‘a healthier community, making a difference for every person, every day,’ the actions of our staff, volunteers and leaders are guided by our new values – safe, kind and together.

Our values, along with Northern Health’s Strategic Plan 2020-24, were officially launched earlier this week, and will drive our approach to patient care, and each other.

safe: We provide safe, trusted care for our patients. We are inclusive and culturally safe, celebrating the diversity of our staff and community.

For Careena Newcastle, one of our consumers, safety is “about the safety of surroundings, cleanliness”, while Cameron Miller, ICU Nurse believes “everyone has the right to be safe”.

Toni Gabelish, Aboriginal Liaison Officer said, “safety means our patients understand they will all be treated equally.”

kind: We treat everyone with kindness, respect and empathy. We provide patient-centred and compassionate care.

For Kathleen Werbiurk, Associate Nurse Unit Manager, kind means “looking past the disease, past the processes and coming back to empathy.”

Linda Romano, Divisional Director said: “It’s not just about being kind to our patients, but also about being kind to one another”.

For John Knipe, Patient Experience Coordinator, kind means “the way we work and behave towards patients, colleges and each other, it’s about treating everyone as I would like to be treated”.

together: We work together with our staff, patients, consumers and health system partners.

Briana Baass, Chief Allied Health Officer, said together for her means “being one team across Northern Health and working with our partners across the community”.

Sarah Rexhepi, Quality and Training Coordinator said together means “we support each other and ask if everyone is doing ok. It means to help others and listen to them. We are all a family working under the one roof and if we all work together we can do the impossible.”

Organisational values describe the core ethics or principles which the organisation will abide by, no matter what. Our vision and values will help motivate and inspire us to perform our best at work, and in our everyday lives. Over the next three weeks, we will showcase our three new values, and our five new strategic priorities across iNews and other communications.

Please watch the below video and hear from some of your colleagues about what Northern Health’s values mean to them.

(Please note video filmed before COVID-19 physical distancing)