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Accreditation

Independent, periodic evaluation of our Australian hospitals by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS); our New Zealand residential facilities by the New Zealand Ministry of Health; our New Zealand Community, Youth and Child Services by the New Zealand Ministries of Health, Education and Social Development, the Department of Corrections and the Canterbury District Health Board ; and our Australian pathology services by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA).

Acute care

Treatment of a sudden episode of illness or injury.

Arts and health

General term to describe the arts in relation to the impact it has on health and wellbeing.

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC)

The Australian Government agency that leads and coordinates national improvements in safety and quality in health care across Australia.

Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS)

The agency that inspects and evaluates Australia health care facilities to award accreditation.

Balanced scorecard

A tool used by managers to monitor performance against a small number of financial and non-financial targets.

Board

The second tier of St John of God Health Care’s bicameral governing structure. Board members are appointed by the Trustees, with members accountable to the Trustees for the organisation’s ongoing stewardship and strategic development.

Brothers of St John of God

A congregation of Catholic Brothers who established psychiatric hospitals, residential schools and other care facilities and programmes for intellectually disabled and at risk people in Australia and New Zealand.

Caregiver

A term used to describe the majority of employees at St John of God Health Care.

Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD)

A hospital department that sterilises medical equipment.

Client

A person receiving a non-clinical service of St John of God Health Care.

Clinical care/clinical services

The health service provided to a patient by a doctor, nurse or other health professional.

Clinical Pastoral Education Program

An accredited education program on pastoral care offered by St John of God Health Care in Victoria and Western Australia.

Clinical risk management

Improving quality and safety by identifying circumstances that put patients at risk of harm, and acting to prevent or control those risks.

Collection centre

A centre offering pathology services.

Comprehensive Cancer Centre

A centre incorporating all aspects of care associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment, which enables cancer patients and their families to receive treatment and support in one location.

Coronary Care Unit (CCU)

A hospital unit specially staffed and equipped to treat patients with serious cardiac problems.

Critical/Intensive Care Unit (CCU/ICU)

A hospital unit specially staffed and equipped to treat patients with sudden life-threatening conditions.

Cultural alignment strategy

An approach to supporting new caregivers during their integration to St John of God Health Care culture and ethos, and to support existing caregivers to deal with significant change.

Disability and Inclusion Plan (DAIP)

A strategic plan to improve the organisation’s ability to include and respond to the needs of people with disability whether they are caregivers, patients, clients, volunteers or the general public.

Disability Employment Services (DES)

A Government run agency that assists job seekers with disability, injury or health condition to prepare for, find and keep a job.

Discharge

When an episode of care is completed and a patient leaves hospital.

Division

A major operating unit, such as a hospital, of St John of God Health Care.

Eastern Region

An internal expression referring to all St John of God Hospitals in Victoria and New South Wales.

Episode/occasion of service

Care provided by a health care facility or service that begins and finishes within a specific period.

EQuIPNational Program

A four-year accreditation program for health care organisations, administered in Australia by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards, that comprises of the 10 mandatory National Safety and Quality Health Services Standards (NSQHS Standards) and five other standards that focus on the performance of non-clinical systems.

Formation

Formal education and activities for caregivers, that aims to grow their understanding of and commitment to the Mission.

Group

The collective of all divisions and services operated by St John of God Health Care.

Holistic care

Care that nurtures the physical, intellectual, social and spiritual aspects of wellbeing.

Hospital in the Home (HITH)

The provision of health care to patients in their home as a substitute for hospital accommodation.

Inpatient

A person admitted to a hospital for treatment, usually requiring at least one overnight stay in an acute bed.

Intern

A student or trainee who may or may not have finished study and who is working to gain experience or satisfy requirements for a qualification.

Memorandum of Understanding

A written agreement between two or more parties.

Mission Management Model

A framework to ensure St John of God Health Care remains faithful to its mission.

Multicentre studies

Research that takes place across more than one location.

National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA)

The national authority responsible for the accreditation of laboratories, inspection bodies and calibration services in Australia.

National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHS Standards)

Ten mandatory national standards, developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, that aim to improve the safety and quality of health service provision.

Not-for-profit or non-profit organisation

An organisation not operating for the profit or gain of individual members. Any profits made are returned to the operation of the organisation.

Outpatient

A patient/client receiving services from a hospital but not requiring admission as an inpatient.

Overnight patient

An inpatient who is admitted and discharged following at least one overnight stay.

Palliative care

The care provided to a patient who has an illness that cannot be cured, where the focus is on helping the patient have the best quality of life by addressing physical symptoms and supporting emotional, spiritual and social needs.

Pastoral services

The care of people’s spiritual, religious and emotional needs.

Pathology

The diagnostic branch of medicine examining changes in cells and tissues that signal disease.

Perinatal mental health

Mental health issues arising around the time of birth, generally accepted to cover the period from conception to four years after birth.

Perth Northern Hospitals

An internal expression referring to a group of St John of God Hospitals in Western Australia, specifically St John of God Midland Public and Private Hospitals, St John of God Subiaco Hospital and St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital.

Perth Southern and Regional Hospitals

An internal expression referring to a group of St John of God Health Care hospitals in Western Australia, and in regional locations, specifically St John of God Murdoch Hospital, St John of God Geraldton Hospital and St John of God Bunbury Hospital.

Press Ganey

An independent company that conducts benchmarked satisfaction surveys.

Procedure

An activity performed on an individual with the object of improving health, treating disease or injury, or making a diagnosis.

Public Private Partnership (PPP)

A government service or private business venture funded and operated through a partnership of government and private sector company or companies, involving a contract between a public sector authority and a private party or parties.

Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)

A plan designed to build stronger relationships and enhanced respect between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians.

Registered Training Organisation

An organisation or training provider registered by Australia Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), or in some cases a state regulator, to deliver vocational education and training services.

Registrar

A doctor training to be a specialist in a particular field of medicine, such as obstetrics or surgery.

Resident Medical Officer

A doctor-in-training who is training and working in general practice in a hospital.

Root cause analysis

A method of problem solving used to identify the root causes of faults or problems.

Same day patient

An inpatient who is admitted and discharged on the same day.

Separation/discharge

The completion of an episode of care.

Service Ethos

The ethos behind our service delivery to patients, clients, caregivers and others with whom we interact, guided by our Mission.

Social justice

A commitment to people who are vulnerable, materially poor, powerless, or marginalised, and a fundamental and non-negotiable part of our ministry.

Social Outreach

St John of God Health Care services that reach out to people experiencing disadvantage, to improve health and wellbeing.

Sisters of St John of God

A congregation of Catholic Sisters, originating in Ireland, who founded St John of God Health Care in Western Australia in 1895.

Specialist Training Program

An Australian Government initiative that helps fund accredited specialist training positions in settings beyond traditional public teaching hospitals.

Stewardship

Effective and sustainable use of resources.

Sustainability

The ability of an organisation to endure long term, particularly in terms of financial, workplace, environmental and community activities.

Team nursing model of care

A model of care that develops a skill mix reflective of clinical need in each ward and unit.

Telehealth

The delivery of health services via telecommunications technologies, such as videoconferencing and the internet, often for the purpose of supporting long-distance health care, education and health administration.

Transformation

Making fundamental changes to how business is conducted in response to a change in the internal or external environment, with a focus on creating holistic value.

Trustees

The first tier of St John of God Health Care’s bicameral governance structure, with overall responsibility for St John of God Health Care.

Workforce planning

Strategies and actions designed to ensure there are sufficient staff to meet current and future demand.