Staff Benefits

Kareena ‘Wellbeing And Balance’ Program
We all know the importance of ensuring there is balance in our lives.
At Kareena Private Hospital we have developed a Wellbeing and Balance program based on 5 key elements:

• Staff End of Year Party

  Family Balance
• Personal wellbeing and development
• Physical Wellbeing
• Safety
• Community Involvement and Contributions

Just some of the ways we support our people in these areas include:

Family Balance – Tailored Flexible Working Arrangements

• Self rostering within clearly defined business rules – this enables staff to select shifts that suit their personal situation whilst also meeting the hospital’s needs
• Family friendly shorter shifts where possible
• Guaranteed minimum hours arrangements – Staff needing flexibility are able to determine the minimum hours they wish to be available each week and the hospital agrees to guarantee these hours. Staff are able to pick up extra shifts by arrangement which can vary from week to week.
• Family leave provisions and payments

Celebration Staff Lunch

Personal Wellbeing and Development

• Recognition Toolkit – these toolkits provided managers with guidelines and suggestions together with range of recognition tools and rewards which they can provide to employees at their discretion.
• On an annual basis a range of staff social and community events are decided upon by the management team. From this each department selects one event to host and as such is responsible for developing the event concept through to implementation. These form the basis of our Events and Happenings Calendar.
• The training needs of the organisation are reviewed annually and assessed by managers and every two years by staff. This information is then used as the basis for developing the comprehensive education program for the year.  For more information go to Staff Development.
• Specialist education evening for each area, where presentations were made by expert staff and support were given to staff to attend. This was completed for the orthopaedic unit and with the plan to role this to all the specialist areas in the organisation.
• Recognition of Contributions of Staff through:
• International Nurses Week celebrations:
• You’re Number 1 Week celebrations
• Annual Gala Year in Review dinner attended by 20% of staff.
• Staff receive ongoing support for external education, conferences etc as part of annual education grants
• Special education session on “Women and Heart disease”

Physical Wellbeing

• 10,000 steps challenge: over 30% of staff participated in the challenge. Having together achieved the target, the hospital donated funds to a children’s charity selected by the host team
• Corporate sporting events – Sutherland to Surf, Barefoot Bowls, City to Surf, Triathlon Pink
• Health promotion events
• ‘Feeling Great’ week
• Blood pressure and blood glucose checks
• On-site massage service
• On-site beauty services
• Discount for staff attendance to our Emergency Department and hospitalisation
• Discounted healthy meals available to all staff through our catering department
• Staff discounts at the coffee shop in the hospital
• Ramsay Employee Benefits program which includes discounts to movies, restaurants, shops and home and vehicle services

Safe Workplace:
The hospital has a strong health and safety focus as demonstrated by:

• dedicated health & safety officer
• financial commitment to health and safety initiatives
• implementation of proactive safety and return to work programs
• significant reduction in lost time injuries
• significant reduction in claims
• recognition within Ramsay hospital group for best management of worker’s compensation.
• staff access to confidential counselling support through the Employee Assistance Program

Team Education Evening

Community Involvement & Contribution

• Volunteers Week celebrations:
• Ambulance Education program
• General Practitioner’s Education program
• Community health promotion events organised by staff  including:
• Healthy Heart Week
• Diabetes Week
• Seniors week activities

Dining
Meals can be purchased at subsidised prices from the Catering Department. All meals provided at the hospital are prepared fresh on site and include hot and cold selections.
Alternatively, ‘Courtyard for Coffee’ offers a selection of fine coffee and tea and a variety of hot meals, gourmet sandwiches, tortes and gateaux.

Library Facilities
The Ramsay Healthcare Group has a national electronic library that staff are welcome to join and access. This library provides and on-line system to access to a very large range of journals, books, and articles

Quality Improvement
All staff members are encouraged to actively participate in the continuous quality improvement of the Hospital services. Contribution of ideas for quality improvement can be done through department meetings and quality improvement projects or through the Hospital working parties and committees.

Patients are encouraged to evaluate our services and contribute their ideas on improvement opportunities through Patient Satisfaction Surveys conducted independently for the Hospital and through comment forms located in each patient room.

Shop
The ‘Courtyard for Coffee’ is available to all staff, patients and visitors, is located near the Main Reception. The coffee shop also sells various items including newspapers, magazines, gifts, chocolates and flowers.

Social Events
The Hospital’s Social Team organises a variety of great events each year including events for the whole family. There is no membership fee. Information on the events is publicised throughout the hospital.
Click here to view the 2008 Events & Happenings Calendar.

Community Events
The Hospital has been an important part of the Sutherland Shire for over 40 years. Recognising the importance of being a strong community partner, Kareena Hospital and our people participate in key community events each year. These are often have a family focus for all to enjoy.
Click here to view the 2008 Community Events Calendar.

Private Health Insurance, Corporate Rates
Cheaper rates of private health insurance are available to new and existing staff at Kareena Private Hospital through the major private health funds.