Yesterday, 8 May 2023, we farewelled our Concierge Service from all Northern Health campuses.

As we reach the stage of the pandemic where public health directives and community expectations continue to wind down, it is time to reduce our centralised hospital entry screening in line with updated government guidelines.

Concierge was first implemented at Northern Health in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, as an outsourced program managed through ISS. Over the last three years, Concierge has formed a vital part of Northern Health’s COVID-19 response, by ensuring compliance with public health directives during uncertain times, including:

• Enforcing visitor restrictions
• Enforcing mask wear and safety compliance
• Registering visitors into the visitor portal
• Enforcing Rapid Antigen Testing for unvaccinated visitors and those visiting sensitive areas
• Ensuring temperature, vaccination status, purpose for visit and QR codes are monitored on entry into the facility.

ISS Key Account Manager, Saj Amerasinghe said, “The ISS Concierge team has done a tremendous job demonstrating the Northern Health and ISS core values from day one. They provided an important and supportive role in the overall process, focusing on the consumers by greeting community members and assisting them to understand the flow and process. Job well done, and I am very proud of my team.”

ISS Facility Services Manager and Northern Health Concierge Project Lead, Snezana Poposka, also congratulated the team.

“Leading the concierge team and working closely with Northern Health management teams has been a great part of my daily job. Everyone has been very professional and polite, and most importantly, they felt very proud to be caring for our community. They have always worked as one team. I am very proud of the Concierge team and on what they have achieved in keeping our community safe.”

In May 2022, the Concierge transitioned from an outsourced ISS program into a Northern Health internal department, and ceased operations at the vaccination centre, PRACC.

Hospital Reception Manager, Nick Caruana said, “The focus of Concierge has always been the protection of Northern Health’s staff and patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have continuously been at the forefront of each campus, greeting our consumers and ensuring first contact with our organisation is a positive one.”

“The impact Concierge has made over the last three years has been clear as day – the foot traffic across Northern Health has been controlled, the visiting guidelines have been thoroughly enforced, and mask compliance has been sustained. I am very proud of the work achieved by the Concierge.”

Debra Bourne, Chief Operating Officer, expressed her appreciation for the wonderful work of the staff.

“Northern Health would like to thank the Hospital Concierge staff for their unwavering contribution over the last three years. The significant work performed during this time has helped keep our staff, patients and community safe during a period of uncertainty and anxiety,” she said.

“The enforcement of mask wearing and monitoring of visitors will now shift to local departments within the organisation, as we begin the transition to a sustainable business as usual model.”

From all of us here at Northern Health, farewell and thank you!

Pictured in featured image: Concierge staff from Craigieburn Centre, Bundoora Centre, Broadmeadows Hospital, McLellan House, Merv Irving Residential Care and Northern Hospital Epping.