Latest news with #Calvary
The Advertiser
13-05-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
'Dangerous': mould and leaking windows plague Mater hospital
A mould that poses a risk to vulnerable patients has been found in the Calvary Mater Hospital as the nurse union raises the alarm about the "dangerous" conditions. Moisture has become an issue in the Waratah hospital where leaking windows are being patched up with plastic and drained into garbage bins. Aspergillus mould has been detected in multiple areas in the hospital. The mould is a danger to people with lowered immune systems, very young people and the elderly. The health district and Calvary say they are working hard to minimise any risk associated with exposure to aspergillus through deep cleaning and installation of additional air filtration units. NSW Nurses and Midwives Calvary Mater branch secretary Camilla Smith said mould was detected in the ward with the most immunocompromised patients. "We have mental health and cancer patients and toxicology and drug and alcohol," she said. "Our cancer patients come from the whole area, so not just the Newcastle area, the whole of Hunter New England. "They're on immunotherapy, chemotherapy and their immune systems are compromised and the patient leaflet [about the mould] says if you're fit and healthy, this is not such a problem, but it's the fact that it's in spores in the air. "So if you're unwell, immunocompromised, it can actually end up killing you, so it's pretty significant." Ms Smith said the windows in two bays of the recovery area and in the tea room leaked when it rained. Plastic and absorbent pads had been taped onto the windows to prevent water entry. The plastic sheets drained water into garbage bins. "It's embarrassing," she said. "Our tea room is at the end of the hallway, so patients are being wheeled down to theatre, and then if that door is open, what are they looking at? Plastic taped to windows - it doesn't look great, does it?" "If you were being wheeled down to have an operation, you wouldn't exactly think 'wow, great'. "Even for the staff, that's the place that you can go and have your break, but it's wet. You're constantly having to check where things are. You can't have the electrical panels on. It's just dangerous, basically." Hunter New England Local Health District executive director operations Susan Heyman said additional steps had been taken to minimise the risk of mould transmission, including deep cleaning and installing additional air filtration units in the affected areas of the hospital. "I want to assure the community that, alongside hospital management, we are working hard to minimise any risk associated with exposure to Aspergillus, which was recently detected at the Calvary Mater Newcastle," Ms Heyman said. "The Calvary Mater Newcastle team has now spoken to all impacted patients and staff members. "We acknowledge that this information may cause some distress or concern to our patients and staff. "I assure the community that we are taking these actions to minimise any potential risks of exposure, while appropriate next steps are determined. "We will continue to keep staff and patients updated." Ms Smith said the situation was proof that the hospital's public-private partnership model did not work. Facility management services at the Calvary Mater are delivered by a consortium called Novacare under a public-private partnership. Novacare comprises four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare subcontracted its hard facilities management to Honeywell. Honeywell said it was not in a position to comment and directed questions to the state government. "There's basically this fighting about who should pay for the bill because basically the whole facade of the building has to be resealed," Ms Smith said. "They need to stop blaming each other and actually just fix the problem. These public-private partnerships don't work. You can't put people's lives at risk to make some money." Ms Smith said this was exemplified by Joe's Law, which bans public-private partnerships in acute hospitals. It is named after two-year-old Joe Massa, who died from a cardiac arrest after his parents took him to the emergency department of the Northern Beaches Hospital. "The government needs to just put their hand up and say 'we've got it wrong, the public-private partnerships don't work' and the hospital needs to come back under a fully public system," she said. A mould that poses a risk to vulnerable patients has been found in the Calvary Mater Hospital as the nurse union raises the alarm about the "dangerous" conditions. Moisture has become an issue in the Waratah hospital where leaking windows are being patched up with plastic and drained into garbage bins. Aspergillus mould has been detected in multiple areas in the hospital. The mould is a danger to people with lowered immune systems, very young people and the elderly. The health district and Calvary say they are working hard to minimise any risk associated with exposure to aspergillus through deep cleaning and installation of additional air filtration units. NSW Nurses and Midwives Calvary Mater branch secretary Camilla Smith said mould was detected in the ward with the most immunocompromised patients. "We have mental health and cancer patients and toxicology and drug and alcohol," she said. "Our cancer patients come from the whole area, so not just the Newcastle area, the whole of Hunter New England. "They're on immunotherapy, chemotherapy and their immune systems are compromised and the patient leaflet [about the mould] says if you're fit and healthy, this is not such a problem, but it's the fact that it's in spores in the air. "So if you're unwell, immunocompromised, it can actually end up killing you, so it's pretty significant." Ms Smith said the windows in two bays of the recovery area and in the tea room leaked when it rained. Plastic and absorbent pads had been taped onto the windows to prevent water entry. The plastic sheets drained water into garbage bins. "It's embarrassing," she said. "Our tea room is at the end of the hallway, so patients are being wheeled down to theatre, and then if that door is open, what are they looking at? Plastic taped to windows - it doesn't look great, does it?" "If you were being wheeled down to have an operation, you wouldn't exactly think 'wow, great'. "Even for the staff, that's the place that you can go and have your break, but it's wet. You're constantly having to check where things are. You can't have the electrical panels on. It's just dangerous, basically." Hunter New England Local Health District executive director operations Susan Heyman said additional steps had been taken to minimise the risk of mould transmission, including deep cleaning and installing additional air filtration units in the affected areas of the hospital. "I want to assure the community that, alongside hospital management, we are working hard to minimise any risk associated with exposure to Aspergillus, which was recently detected at the Calvary Mater Newcastle," Ms Heyman said. "The Calvary Mater Newcastle team has now spoken to all impacted patients and staff members. "We acknowledge that this information may cause some distress or concern to our patients and staff. "I assure the community that we are taking these actions to minimise any potential risks of exposure, while appropriate next steps are determined. "We will continue to keep staff and patients updated." Ms Smith said the situation was proof that the hospital's public-private partnership model did not work. Facility management services at the Calvary Mater are delivered by a consortium called Novacare under a public-private partnership. Novacare comprises four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare subcontracted its hard facilities management to Honeywell. Honeywell said it was not in a position to comment and directed questions to the state government. "There's basically this fighting about who should pay for the bill because basically the whole facade of the building has to be resealed," Ms Smith said. "They need to stop blaming each other and actually just fix the problem. These public-private partnerships don't work. You can't put people's lives at risk to make some money." Ms Smith said this was exemplified by Joe's Law, which bans public-private partnerships in acute hospitals. It is named after two-year-old Joe Massa, who died from a cardiac arrest after his parents took him to the emergency department of the Northern Beaches Hospital. "The government needs to just put their hand up and say 'we've got it wrong, the public-private partnerships don't work' and the hospital needs to come back under a fully public system," she said. A mould that poses a risk to vulnerable patients has been found in the Calvary Mater Hospital as the nurse union raises the alarm about the "dangerous" conditions. Moisture has become an issue in the Waratah hospital where leaking windows are being patched up with plastic and drained into garbage bins. Aspergillus mould has been detected in multiple areas in the hospital. The mould is a danger to people with lowered immune systems, very young people and the elderly. The health district and Calvary say they are working hard to minimise any risk associated with exposure to aspergillus through deep cleaning and installation of additional air filtration units. NSW Nurses and Midwives Calvary Mater branch secretary Camilla Smith said mould was detected in the ward with the most immunocompromised patients. "We have mental health and cancer patients and toxicology and drug and alcohol," she said. "Our cancer patients come from the whole area, so not just the Newcastle area, the whole of Hunter New England. "They're on immunotherapy, chemotherapy and their immune systems are compromised and the patient leaflet [about the mould] says if you're fit and healthy, this is not such a problem, but it's the fact that it's in spores in the air. "So if you're unwell, immunocompromised, it can actually end up killing you, so it's pretty significant." Ms Smith said the windows in two bays of the recovery area and in the tea room leaked when it rained. Plastic and absorbent pads had been taped onto the windows to prevent water entry. The plastic sheets drained water into garbage bins. "It's embarrassing," she said. "Our tea room is at the end of the hallway, so patients are being wheeled down to theatre, and then if that door is open, what are they looking at? Plastic taped to windows - it doesn't look great, does it?" "If you were being wheeled down to have an operation, you wouldn't exactly think 'wow, great'. "Even for the staff, that's the place that you can go and have your break, but it's wet. You're constantly having to check where things are. You can't have the electrical panels on. It's just dangerous, basically." Hunter New England Local Health District executive director operations Susan Heyman said additional steps had been taken to minimise the risk of mould transmission, including deep cleaning and installing additional air filtration units in the affected areas of the hospital. "I want to assure the community that, alongside hospital management, we are working hard to minimise any risk associated with exposure to Aspergillus, which was recently detected at the Calvary Mater Newcastle," Ms Heyman said. "The Calvary Mater Newcastle team has now spoken to all impacted patients and staff members. "We acknowledge that this information may cause some distress or concern to our patients and staff. "I assure the community that we are taking these actions to minimise any potential risks of exposure, while appropriate next steps are determined. "We will continue to keep staff and patients updated." Ms Smith said the situation was proof that the hospital's public-private partnership model did not work. Facility management services at the Calvary Mater are delivered by a consortium called Novacare under a public-private partnership. Novacare comprises four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare subcontracted its hard facilities management to Honeywell. Honeywell said it was not in a position to comment and directed questions to the state government. "There's basically this fighting about who should pay for the bill because basically the whole facade of the building has to be resealed," Ms Smith said. "They need to stop blaming each other and actually just fix the problem. These public-private partnerships don't work. You can't put people's lives at risk to make some money." Ms Smith said this was exemplified by Joe's Law, which bans public-private partnerships in acute hospitals. It is named after two-year-old Joe Massa, who died from a cardiac arrest after his parents took him to the emergency department of the Northern Beaches Hospital. "The government needs to just put their hand up and say 'we've got it wrong, the public-private partnerships don't work' and the hospital needs to come back under a fully public system," she said. A mould that poses a risk to vulnerable patients has been found in the Calvary Mater Hospital as the nurse union raises the alarm about the "dangerous" conditions. Moisture has become an issue in the Waratah hospital where leaking windows are being patched up with plastic and drained into garbage bins. Aspergillus mould has been detected in multiple areas in the hospital. The mould is a danger to people with lowered immune systems, very young people and the elderly. The health district and Calvary say they are working hard to minimise any risk associated with exposure to aspergillus through deep cleaning and installation of additional air filtration units. NSW Nurses and Midwives Calvary Mater branch secretary Camilla Smith said mould was detected in the ward with the most immunocompromised patients. "We have mental health and cancer patients and toxicology and drug and alcohol," she said. "Our cancer patients come from the whole area, so not just the Newcastle area, the whole of Hunter New England. "They're on immunotherapy, chemotherapy and their immune systems are compromised and the patient leaflet [about the mould] says if you're fit and healthy, this is not such a problem, but it's the fact that it's in spores in the air. "So if you're unwell, immunocompromised, it can actually end up killing you, so it's pretty significant." Ms Smith said the windows in two bays of the recovery area and in the tea room leaked when it rained. Plastic and absorbent pads had been taped onto the windows to prevent water entry. The plastic sheets drained water into garbage bins. "It's embarrassing," she said. "Our tea room is at the end of the hallway, so patients are being wheeled down to theatre, and then if that door is open, what are they looking at? Plastic taped to windows - it doesn't look great, does it?" "If you were being wheeled down to have an operation, you wouldn't exactly think 'wow, great'. "Even for the staff, that's the place that you can go and have your break, but it's wet. You're constantly having to check where things are. You can't have the electrical panels on. It's just dangerous, basically." Hunter New England Local Health District executive director operations Susan Heyman said additional steps had been taken to minimise the risk of mould transmission, including deep cleaning and installing additional air filtration units in the affected areas of the hospital. "I want to assure the community that, alongside hospital management, we are working hard to minimise any risk associated with exposure to Aspergillus, which was recently detected at the Calvary Mater Newcastle," Ms Heyman said. "The Calvary Mater Newcastle team has now spoken to all impacted patients and staff members. "We acknowledge that this information may cause some distress or concern to our patients and staff. "I assure the community that we are taking these actions to minimise any potential risks of exposure, while appropriate next steps are determined. "We will continue to keep staff and patients updated." Ms Smith said the situation was proof that the hospital's public-private partnership model did not work. Facility management services at the Calvary Mater are delivered by a consortium called Novacare under a public-private partnership. Novacare comprises four companies: Westpac Banking, Abigroup, Honeywell and Medirest. Novacare subcontracted its hard facilities management to Honeywell. Honeywell said it was not in a position to comment and directed questions to the state government. "There's basically this fighting about who should pay for the bill because basically the whole facade of the building has to be resealed," Ms Smith said. "They need to stop blaming each other and actually just fix the problem. These public-private partnerships don't work. You can't put people's lives at risk to make some money." Ms Smith said this was exemplified by Joe's Law, which bans public-private partnerships in acute hospitals. It is named after two-year-old Joe Massa, who died from a cardiac arrest after his parents took him to the emergency department of the Northern Beaches Hospital. "The government needs to just put their hand up and say 'we've got it wrong, the public-private partnerships don't work' and the hospital needs to come back under a fully public system," she said.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Calvary softball wins fifth consecutive state title game
SULPHUR, LA (KTAL/KMSS) — On Saturday, Calvary defeated D'Arbonne Woods 12-0 in the Division III (Select) state championship to secure its fifth straight state title. The Lady Cavs put up one run in the bottom of the second inning, and the game stayed 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth when the Calvary bats got hot to say the least. The Lady Cavs showed off their dominance, putting up 11 runs in the fourth, shutting the game down early and bringing back another trophy to Shreveport for the fifth year in a row. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Calvary softball advances to 5th straight state title game
SULPHUR, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — The Calvary softball teams advanced to it's 5th straight state title game with a 1-0 win over Parkview Baptist in the Division III (Select) state semifinals. The first batter of the game for the Lady Cavs produced the only run of the game, sophomore Carlie Guile belted a 3-2 pitch over the centerfield wall, her 16th homer of the year. Kynzee Anderson picked up the win in the circle pitching a complete game shutout while striking out 12 batters. The Lady Cavs will play D'Arbonne Woods in the state championship game on Saturday at 3 p.m. The last time these teams played Calvary won 4-2. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Longmont's Calvary Open Door ESL/high school equivalency program celebrates 19 graduates
Dressed in caps and gowns, graduates in Longmont celebrated a major milestone Saturday evening: achieving their high school equivalency degrees. During a bilingual ceremony at Longmont's Venture Church, graduates of the Calvary Open Door program received certificates of completion for passing their high school equivalency classes. This year's class had 19 graduates, with 13 attending the ceremony in person. Barbara Ulrich, director of Open Door, said the Class of 2025 is the largest pool of graduates the program has had in its decade of operation. Calvary Open Door is an academic prep program that helps adults work toward their high school equivalency degrees. Program participants take classes and tests at Venture Church, formerly Calvary Church, at 2101 Gay St. Ulrich explained that students needed to pass five tests to graduate: reading, writing, math, science and social studies. Each graduate receives a diploma from the Colorado Department of Education. 'That is a huge accomplishment,' Ulrich said. 'It's been awesome for me to watch this journey.' This year's graduates are Abel Villegas, Alma Berumen, Annallely Mesa, Dulce Guzman, Eloisa Bailon, Erika Leeticia Escalante, 'Faviola' Maria Gandara Bayona, Jose Matos, Juan Azdar, Juliza Hernandez, Luke Arnott, Maria Elena Rico, Maria de la Luz Rodriquez, Maria Soto Lozano, Martha Galvan Ceniceros, Oralia Macias, Tomas Scott, Valeria Aguilar Loera, and Wendy Clavel. Ulrich said students of all ages and backgrounds come through the program. So far, the oldest student to participate in Open Door was 65. 'You're never too late to get your diploma,' Ulrich said. Graduate Abel Villegas called getting his high school equivalency degree a 'significant step' for his life. 'The achievements in our lives are a reflection of what we do,' Villegas said. 'We have to work hard for the things that we want in the future.' Villegas addressed his classmates, encouraging them to follow their dreams. Luke Arnott, left, and Juliza Hernandez, hold up their Graduation Certificates during the group photo. There were 20 graduates in this year's Calvary Open Door ESL class. Graduates received their HSE diplomas from the Colorado Department of Education on April 26, 2025.(Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer) 'Turn your dreams into reality,' Villegas told them. 'Be brave. Life is not easy. It requires effort and commitment.' Open Door teachers handed the graduates their certificates and congratulated them on reaching this point. 'Everybody in my class from last summer passed,' said Jodi Benson, a social studies teacher for Open Door. Benson explained that most of the students had to balance responsibilities in their lives on top of their studies. 'They come back to school, maybe after having kids,' Benson said. 'Maybe they're taking these tests in English when their first language is Spanish.' Ana Nieto, who supervises the testing center, said she's familiar with seeing the students nervous while taking their tests. The graduation ceremony, however, was a time for everyone to celebrate. 'When I see them here, I'm very proud of them,' Nieto said of the students. 'I know that it's not easy.'
TimesLIVE
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Gospel singer Dumi Mkokstad is excited to host the ‘Kingdom Mandate Revival'
Renowned gospel artist Dumi Mkokstad is set to host the Kingdom Mandate Revival . The recorded concert will take place on May 3 at Carnival City in Ekurhuleni to mark the beginning of a soul-stirring journey of worship, inspiration and spiritual renewal. Dumi, a multi award-winning singer-songwriter, has been a beacon of inspiration in the gospel music scene. He has captivated audiences with his albums including Calvary and earned many accolades. Dumi is known for songs including Ukuhlala Kuye, Ulwandle and Mbize. Speaking to TshisaLIVE, he said: 'The Kingdom Mandate Revival promises to blend soulful worship with community connection, offering an unparalleled experience that invites audiences from all walks of life to partake in a transformative journey of faith and celebration.' The highly anticipated event follows the successful Kingdom Mandate Talent Search held in Durban in February to identify gifted vocalists to join the new group, Kingdom Worshippers. 'The talented artists will accompany me, bringing their voices together to create a powerful and uplifting gospel experience.'
