Raised in the Metro South region, social worker Hannah Fowler’s first big career goal was realised when she joined the General Medicine team at Princess Alexandra Hospital in 2020. Passionate about empowering patients, Hannah wasted no time carving her early career supporting some of the hospital’s most vulnerable cohorts through the pandemic.
Three years later, Hannah is celebrating a new milestone after claiming PA’s Staff Award for Engagement in July.
“This recognition makes me proud to be a part of the internal medicine team and the social work department here,” she said.
“I have a really beautiful and collaborative team. We all support each other to make sure we’re getting the best outcomes for our patients, and I think that’s the key.”
Working with a large network of doctors, nurses, allied health and support staff, Hannah says the PA Hospital’s collaborative culture and the variety presented in Gen Med have helped shape her professional goals.
“Working at the PAH was always my dream, because I grew up in the area, and being such a big tertiary hospital with so many specialist units, I saw a lot of opportunity to develop my skills here. When I got the job, I felt like I’d made it,” she said.
“Working in Gen Med has been a really good way for me to figure out what I like, because we see so many different cohorts of people here. I realised I’m passionate about working with older people and people who have disabilities.”
Managing some of the hospital’s most vulnerable patients, Hannah’s exceptional professionalism and commitment to patient-centred care in the face of significant barriers were cited by her peers as some of her defining strengths.
Allied Health Workforce Development Officer, Julie-Anne Ross said Hannah’s way of interacting with people with complex behaviours is particularly exceptional and highly regarded by the team.
“She navigates extremely complex caseloads with outstanding professionalism, compassion and commitment to patient-centred care; working tirelessly to find creative, collaborative and timely outcomes for patients facing significant barriers to discharge,” Julie-Anne said.
Equipped with a wealth of knowledge, above-and-beyond attitude, and a naturally sunny disposition, it is little wonder Hannah’s positive influence resonates with colleagues and patients alike.
“The team across Ward 5A is so thankful for Hannah’s dedication and she also makes a difference to patients’ behaviour with her approach and her smile. Patients like her so much and will ask for her even on the weekends,” Julie-Anne said.
Balancing a full caseload between the Gen Med and Geriatric Evaluation and Management in the Home (GEMITH) teams, Hannah says the true highlight of her role is empowering and advocating for her patients.
“We work with a lot of patients who might have a cognitive or an intellectual impairment, where it is deemed they can’t make decisions about certain parts of their life,” she said.
“I'm very passionate about empowering those people to know that just because they have a cognitive impairment or disability, they still have the right to make choices. I think the social workers are sometimes the key player in advocating for that and helping people know that they have a voice.”
Naturally thriving on complex case management, Hannah looks forward to developing her technical skills and taking on new challenges at PAH.
“I really love working with people who have dementia, their families and other health professionals, so I can see myself doing more work in this space. It can be quite challenging as you often have to work with a lot of different systems to help patients with impaired capacity discharge from hospital. This can be time-consuming and frustrating for people who do not understand why they are ‘stuck’ in an acute ward.
“We have a wonderful Acute Cognitive Unit, and Dementia and Delirium Team who work towards supporting patients specifically with dementia, so in the future I would love to learn more from these teams and develop my skills in this area.”