Phone: 02 6022 8888 Fax: 02 6024 5792 Freecall: 1800 657 573 email: Hours: Mon to Fri 8am - 6pm. Staff were face-to-face with COVID-19, they saw the harm it … "It's quite uncomfortable and you're desperate to get it off when you walk out the door. "It definitely adds that layer of discomfort especially in a resuscitation situation where you're already probably sweaty," she said. © ConnectingCare 2020 All rights reserved. Albury / Wodonga is located on the picturesque Murray River (3 hours from Melbourne) and its neighbouring city Wangaratta is only a 2.5-hour drive from Melbourne. Dr Jackson said working in full PPE was uncomfortable but had helped protect staff treating COVID-positive patients. "There's been a lot of local businesses who have been affected by COVID who have been so supportive of the team and dropped off food and lots of treats for the staff. "Not to say we've missed it by the skin of our teeth but I think the community doing the right thing and the health service being in front has really saved us. Mrs Bridges standards were rigorous, at times well above what was being asked by the Department of Health and Human Services. Provision of ongoing Acute care to patients in their home, following an inpatient stay at Wodonga Regional Hospital or on referral from other Victorian Public Hospitals. Emergency - Dial '000' HOME; COVID-19; About Us; News & Events; Support Us; Contact Us; Services & Departments . Albury Wodonga Health (AWH) is a cross border public health service which is the largest regional health care services between Sydney and Melbourne. Mrs Bridges standards were rigorous, at times well above what was being asked by the Department of Health and Human Services. ABOUT US . Everyone attending Albury emergency department had to be treated as if they were infectious until they could be assessed. Emergency - Dial '000' HOME; COVID-19; About Us; News & Events; Support Us; Contact Us; Services & Departments . All rights reserved. We aim to provide quality, compassionate, family focused specialist care for children and young people with a … RELATED: 'It's coming:' How AWH prepared for an unpredictable pandemic. Fill out the form below . This agreement facilitates delivery of, or progress towards, the government’s commitments for the financial year. Thank you for your interest in applying for a position with Albury Wodonga Health (AWH). Every aspect of hospital life needed to adapt, from cleaning regimes to food preparation. "That shortfall hasn't been met through the multiple paths we've gone down trying to get assistance," Dr Jackson said. Borella Road Albury, (map)

IN OTHER NEWS: The service was well ahead of other operations setting up the first COVID-19 drive-through clinic in regional Victoria. "Our families know what we're doing and why we're doing it and are fully supportive and behind us.

Looking at heat maps in Sydney and Melbourne we were in the middle so it was like it's coming, it's coming, it's coming." RELATED: A day to celebrate our frontline workers and those behind the scenes But those who do attend tend to be more acute in their needs and mental health presentations have been on the increase ever since bushfires ravaged the region at the start of the year.

RELATED: A day to celebrate our frontline workers and those behind the scenes. Wodonga: (02) 6051 7111. Picture: MARK JESSER, "I'm sure in the back of everyone's minds there's the fact they don't want to take COVID home to their families.".

Phone  (02)  6051 7950 They've been really well celebrated. "Initially there was definitely a heightened level of anxiety among our staff when we were working and you could actually feel that," she said. Established on 1 July 2009 it is the first cross border public health service to exist in Australia.

... We, Albury Wodonga Health, acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land. A fever clinic was erected outside the emergency department so people could be assessed for COVID symptoms, before being moved to different zones inside the emergency department. I had, not to say nightmares, but I was just imagining all these patients needing ventilators, all these patients needing beds - everyone was. All the while the only thing separating them from the highly contagious and deadly virus, was a thin layer of gowns, gloves, masks and shields.

", Any Public Acute Inpatient admission to Wodonga Regional Health Service, (Local Government Areas where this service is available), Service relates to ongoing acute care folowing inpatient admission. They've been really well celebrated. Cancer Services. ", https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/sophie.boyd/228d58b5-b94b-4cb3-bafc-bc5f948c99ef.jpg/r0_239_3264_2083_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg, 'It's coming:' How AWH prepared for an unpredictable pandemic, A day to celebrate our frontline workers and those behind the scenes, Major dealer dealt a spell in jail over drugs, loaded revolver, Wodonga businesses affected in second power outage of week, Melbourne Cup weekend tied to lifting of border restrictions, MP's candour will help others struggling mentally during COVID, Victoria goes one week without a new COVID-19 case, MP says mental plight shows needs to check on loved ones, More job losses on the horizon as supply chains shaken, 'Big boy' will stand trial over alleged violent assault of female friend, Social distancing on the border made easy, November 7-8. "It definitely adds that layer of discomfort especially in a resuscitation situation where you're already probably sweaty," she said. Albury Wodonga Health (AWH) is a cross border public health service which is the largest regional health care services between Sydney and Melbourne. "It was actually quite palpable when you were looking after patients, and a bit of frustration there as well because you want to protect the patient firstly and make sure they're okay but you also want to protect yourself and staff. Phone 02 60 517 925 Everything in a hurry as the virus spread into and across Australia. EXTRA CARE: The fever clinic set up to help triage patients. "I think our teams have done an amazing job, they've been so adaptable and flexible," she said. "Not to say we've missed it by the skin of our teeth but I think the community doing the right thing and the health service being in front has really saved us. Comprehensive medical infrastructure meeting the health and welfare needs of Wodonga, Albury and surrounding Region. It's been really significant struggle to actually fill that roster.". "We have understood the need for restrictions on visitors, but the impact has been felt by so many of our patients and their families," he said. Vermont Street Wodonga, (map) VIC, 3690 Australia. EMERGENCY - Dial '000' Albury: (02) 6058 4444. Call for an appointment. "We were doing it all on the run to try and keep in front of what was happening, it was a huge team effort." I've almost been living here the past few months," she laughed. To Albury Wodonga Health - Wodonga Campus site page. "We were doing it all on the run to try and keep in front of what was happening, it was a huge team effort.".

", In January when most people were blissfully unaware of how 2020 would upend their lives, Leisa Bridges knew a nightmare was headed our way and that no one was safe. Phone  (03)  5722 5347 Early on in the pandemic, staff who were pregnant or had pre-existing conditions were offered deployment to other areas of the health service. We are able to offer you a variety of job and career opportunities in nursing and midwifery, medical, research, administration, human resources, finance, IT, allied health, palliative care, community care, clinical … Director of emergency and intensive care David Clancy said despite the risks and precautions, staff treated COVID-positive patients with the same level of care they would anyone else. Address: Trotman Building, Level 4 111-113 Hume Street. "I've never wanted to drop my standards, I've always wanted to maintain them because I just know these guys are the ones who I need to protect," Mrs Bridges said. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and to leaders emerging.

"I think our teams have done an amazing job, they've been so adaptable and flexible," she said.

Employing close to 3000 staff with an additional 300 volunteers, the combined team provides a broad range of hospital, primary and community based services from 17 sites to a growing population of 250,000 living in the north east of Victoria and southern parts of New South Wales.

She ensured staff had P2 masks from day one, even when the department said surgical masks were suitable. Wangaratta Vic 3677

"I want them to go their families and be safe as well because I would never be able to sleep at night knowing that I hadn't done as much as I could to protect staff and our community. "Equally families feel helpless not being able to be present with their loved ones."

Those early days were vital, the processes Mrs Bridges and a vast number of other AWH staff members set up held them in good stead later when frontline staff tested almost 15,000 symptomatic people and managed 13 positive cases. "Initially there was definitely a heightened level of anxiety among our staff when we were working and you could actually feel that," she said. Patients are assessed for COVID symptoms and then funnelled into hot or cold zones in the emergency department. She said COVID has added a layer of anxiety to everyone's lives and for people with underlying mental health issues that extra layer could "tip them to the level where they need acute service.". When the first wave of the pandemic hit Albury-Wodonga in March, the anxiety in Albury Wodonga Health was 'palpable'. Enter your AWH email address and we will send a password reset link to you. There were a lot of sleepless nights. Once you have validated your registration by clicking on an activation link within a confirmation email, you will be able to update your notification preferences.

"It is stressful enough having to come to hospital when you are in a vulnerable state - whether that be from pain, uncertainty, or hearing bad news - and that is where the support from our families and friends is so vital. Emergency department nurse unit manager Clare Maher said they had to be ready for the worst. Albury-Wodonga Paediatric group is a specialist paediatric practice providing care for children and young people aged 0 to 18 from all backgrounds within the Albury-Wodonga Region. Email feedback@awh.org.au. Processes to put in place, clinics to set up, rapid changes and concerns over possible PPE shortages. Everyone attending Albury emergency department had to be treated as if they were infectious until they could be assessed. Along the way there have been plenty of COVID curve balls, as the health service calls them, but at the heart of every decision was the health service's determination to protect patients and staff. INTENSE: Director of emergency and intensive care David Clancy, Nurse manager, emergency department Clare Maher and Emergency physician Kirsty Jackson. In the early days before the drive-through clinic, Mrs Bridges and other staff entered potentially infected persons' houses to conduct testing all the while knowing her husband and two children were at home. One of the biggest, and possibly least comfortable changes, has been the need to wear full personal protective equipment (PPE) around anyone with symptoms. Wodonga VIC 3690 Fax  (03) 5722 5420, 11 Wilson Street Wodonga, (map)