Canterbury DHB CEO Update 22 December 2014

Monday 22 December 2014: The highs and lows of 2014 As another year draws to a close, I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for all you have done to improve the health of Cantabrians. It feels like things aren’t getting any easier for many of us, however, as we look back over the past year there were some bright spots and I’d like to reflect on some of the highs and lows of 2014.

12 months of 2014 January – Appointment of the project manager and architects for Rangiora Health Hub.

March - Heavy rain in Canterbury causes major flooding.

- Work on CHOC begins.

- Surgeons shave for a cure.

- March 'staff flu campaign'.

February – Human Milk Bank Opens - We marked the third anniversary of the quake. In the CEO Update we focused on staff and community wellbeing… read more.

April – Boy band, Titanium play to celebrate youth being Flu strong in 2013.

- Land swap with council is signed off.

- The “Roving Grannies” at Christchurch Hospital spread the word about falls prevention as part of the April Falls programme.

May – Kaikoura Integrated Family Health Centre Blessing

June – Public meetings on Christchurch Hospital redevelopment.

July – Canterbury becomes the first to have a diabetes nurse specialist.

- Dry July 2014 raised over $738,000 in support of three health services in New Zealand including the Canterbury Regional Cancer and Haematology Service.

August – Performance in the Primary Health

September – Appointment of Schick Contract-

Targets has doubled in a year.

ing and Cartage to carry out site preparation work within the Christchurch Hospital.

October – Ebola Readiness planning kicks into action.

- Park and Ride starts.

- Riverside entrance closes.

Above: Artist’s impression of the new Acute Services building.

December – Volunteers ‘Superheroes’ thank you party at the Cashmere Club.

November – Quality Improvement and Innovation Awards.

The All Right? campaign cleaned up at this year’s awards…more information.

Above: Superhero Captain America Ian Clarke at the volunteers end of year do.

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December...continued Right: Members of Christchurch finance team infiltrated the theatres this week to carryout stocktaking.

From Left: Evan Kidd, Isaac Manickam and Charlene Ye.

Left: Members of the transit team from Christchurch Hospital resplendent in their Christmas scrubs.

And that was 2014! The highs, the lows and the in-betweens.

As some of us head away to spend time with friends and families, spare a thought for those who are on their own or not able to go away. Look after yourself and look out for your neighbours and anyone you know is on their own.

I’d like to pay tribute to those staff who have left our organisation after many years of service to the people of Canterbury, and my thoughts are with those of you who have lost colleagues and loved ones during the year. As a large organisation our lives often reflect the lives of those in our community – and in Canterbury we have faced more than our fair share of challenges and stresses.

I wish you all a happy Christmas and safe holiday season. Let’s hope summer arrives in time, so we can enjoy time outdoors with family and friends.

Remember to spare a thought for those less fortunate than ourselves, and take a breather – you deserve it and will need all your strength for the year to come. 2015 is shaping up to be another busy one!

Take care David Meates Friday 1422March Monday December 2014 2014

Monday’s Facilities Fast Facts This is your last Fast Facts for 2014. Wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday!

Burwood For Christmas, a sneak preview of the interior of the ward blocks. The roof is now on the first of the ward blocks.

Clockwise from top left: view from the ward rooms on the third floor, stairs on ward block 1, another view from the ward rooms, a crane in the centre well between ward blocks.

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Christchurch Further traffic works around Hospital Corner. On 5 January 2015 the City Council starts work on making Tuam Street one way eastbound between Antigua Street and Hospital Corner. From 9 January you will no longer be able to turn left onto Tuam Street from Antigua Street to get to Riccarton Avenue. Instead, continue westbound on St Asaph Street and turn right into Hagley Avenue to get to Riccarton Avenue. The map below shows the end result of these changes.

Transit Care/Clinical Support Nurses spread Christmas cheer This holiday season The Transit Care/Clinical Support Nurses are sharing their Christmas cheer by wearing Christmas scrubs. The team has worked throughout the year to incorporate the “FISH” philosophy into their work practice and team.

Jingle Bells by the Transit Nurses Dashing through the halls Parkside East to West Taking all your calls, Transit Team are best We help you on the wards Take your patients to X Ray Carry pager & a board every single day Oh, Transit Nurse, Transit Nurse Spreading Christmas play, Oh what fun it is to work In a FISH philosophy way!

Back row from left: Rachel Hood, Amanda Stewart, Steffany Whittaker and Jools Lawson, Front row: Karley Foden and Jody Cartwright.

Friday 1422March Monday December 2014 2014

Bouquets Intensive Care Unit and Ward 24 – Christchurch Hospital (published in letters to editor section of paper) Our son and brother has recently spent a long stint in Christchurch Hospital, part of this time in the Intensive Care Unit and the rest of the time in Ward 24. The care and treatment he received was nothing short of amazing from these doctors and nurses. It was all given with such skill, competence and unwavering passion to get him well, all the time being delivered with professionalism to provide him with respect and dignity.

We owe the fact that he is still with us and making improvements day by day to these amazing health care workers. At all times we were also treated with consideration and respect, keeping us informed and involved‌.Words seem inadequate to express our gratitude and thanks. So often your column is used to express a negative situation or to make a complaint; it is good to read positive situations as well. His on-going care from the Community Health Care segment, organised by Holly, from Ward 24, is also incredibly thorough and competent and caring.

Canterbury District Health Board We wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude to you for the care that was given to our family member. She was cared for in many wards in a number of your locations. We appreciate that the treatment she received was indeed comforting and deepest thanks to all the doctors, clinical managers, social workers, physiotherapists, caregivers and in particular the nursing staff in all the wards.

Phlebotomists, Canterbury Health Laboratories I just wanted to say a big thank you to you and your phlebotomy staff for the assistance you have given. The blood testing went very smoothly, Jan and Rose were terrific and the men were all very happy.

Your willingness to take the service into the community has made a big difference to our ability to ensure our contact tracing is completed at a time of year when we are all under extra pressure.

Ward 20, Christchurch Hospital To all the lovely staff on Ward 20, you are all amazing people. I watched you all go about your full-on daily duties making it look effortless with your caring dedication. It takes special people to do what you all do and I thank you all for helping my journey be so very comfortable, stress free and happy‌. I love you all and wish you many blessings today and always.

Monday 22 December 2014

Superheroes descend on Cashmere Villains ran for cover last Monday when a legion of superheroes (aka CDHB volunteers) gathered for the annual thank you morning tea.

The occasion is one small way we can thank the hundreds of volunteers who work throughout the Canterbury Health System for the benefit of our patients, their families and staff.

Pauline Clark, General Manager Christchurch Hospital and Wonder Woman for the morning, welcomed the guests and thanked them with two poems.

We were privileged to have Diane Williams and her mobility dog Orbit as guest speaker and entertainment. Diane suffered a stroke about five years ago, leaving her unable to speak or move the right side of her body. She is the first person who has experienced a stroke to be ''partnered'' with a dog from the Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust. Diane is a volunteer at Above: Orbit in action.

Burwood Hospital, helping in the BURS ward and the Spinal Unit.

Orbit (a 2-year-old golden retriever) is a fully fledged mobility dog and has ''absolutely'' changed Diane’s life since moving in with her at the end of last year. He knows 90 commands and has become a ''fantastic companion''.

Diane was determined to remain as independent as possible, and having Orbit has allowed her to do more. At the event he demonstrated how he picks up objects like remote controls and Diane’s blood sugar measuring kit. He can also help with laundry and open doors.

Guests donned superhero masks – here’s Ian Clarke as Captain America.

Mobility Assistance Dogs are paired with people living with long-term physical disabilities, including cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries. They are sourced from breeders or animal welfare centres soon after birth and are socialised in the community or by prisoners. They then spend about six weeks one-on-one with dog trainers to learn more than 60 specific commands, before being matched with a candidate and working with them for the next eight or nine years.

The total cost of raising and training each mobility dog is about $45,000, some of which is paid for by the recipients.

Guests won prizes via a lucky number and superhero quiz. The TPMH singers also entertained with Christmas with favourites like ‘Away in a Manger’ and ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’.

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Here are just some of the ways our volunteers have helped us during the past year:  The “Hospital Helping Hands” TPMH have contributed 2,535 hours.  Christchurch Hospital Volunteers have given $104,230 in donations. This brings their total donation value to $1.49 million since 1999.  Burwood hospital has over 70 volunteers. They have completed over 4000 hours over the past year. This has been in all parts of the hospital from the café, the gardens, and the library, to the pool. They have been a tremendous help to the patients and staff at the hospital.  The Friends of Darfield Hospital recently held a most successful Garden Party at a delightful local rural residence. They had more than 200 people attend and raised over $5000 for extras at Darfield Hospital.

Above: Tables and balloons.

Above: Busy with the quiz.

A blessing from the hospital chaplains A Blessing of Peace to you, in your heart in your home and all your relationships,

A Blessing of Encouragement to you, in all your plans all your dreams and all your hopes for tomorrow,

A Blessing of Comfort to you, to remind you that you are special and that you are greatly loved by God.

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Creating a brighter Christmas for vulnerable children The paediatric registrars and house officers of the CDHB Child Health Service came up with a generous proposition that they help to make a brighter Christmas for some children with a parent in prison by donating presents to the Infant2Teen project. The team presented gifts to the CDHB Child and Family Safety Service team for them to give to the vulnerable children they care for.

Sue Miles, Canterbury DHB Child and Family Safety Service coordinator, says it was heartening to see how much thought the paediatric medical staff had given to which gifts would be the most beneficial for the children.

“A holistic approach to their care is needed, and educational toys are a valuable tool that promote children’s learning and development says Sharen Small, Clinical Nurse Specialist.

“One of the children asked us for some simple paper to draw on, which for most of us is something we take for granted, but for this child it was a big deal, says Sharen.

The Child and Family Safety Service team work closely with Pillars, the children of prisoner's social services charity to provide vulnerable children and young people in Canterbury with psychosocial and physical health assessments.

“Many children of prisoners come from homes with fewer opportunities and often have complicated health needs that can go overlooked,” says Sharen.

“It's well known that health issues can impact on a child's learning abilities, which in turn can affect their future opportunities.”

Improving the future of these children is a key focus for the Child and Family Safety Service team.

“These children are often over-looked and it’s great to see them thought of at Christmas.”

Below: Sue Miles, CDHB Child and Family Safety Service coordinator (third from left in red) and Sharen Small, CDHB Child and Family Safety Service Clinical Nurse Specialist (fourth from left in green) with paediatric registrars and house officers of the CDHB Child Health Service.

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Five moments of hand hygiene Do we really need to perform Hand Hygiene five times when we interact with each patient?

No. Sometimes it will be once or twice, other times it may even be as many as six times depending on what you are doing.

Indications for hand hygiene depend on the risk of pathogen transmission and are closely connected with the activities of healthcare workers within the area surrounding each patient zone, and with tasks they perform.

Healthcare activity is made up of a succession of tasks during which healthcare workers’ hands touch different sources of contamination (patient, object, body fluid, etc).

The healthcare worker needs to assess the risk of spreading pathogens to or from the patients according to the activity.

The “before” indications are present when there is a risk of microbial transmission to the patient during that activity; the hand hygiene actions that correspond to these indications protect the patient.

The “after” indications are present when there is a risk of microbial transmission to the health-care worker and/or to the health-care environment (and to any other person present); the hand hygiene actions that correspond to these indications protect health -care workers, the health-care environment and ultimately other patients.

The right hand hygiene action at the right moment will contribute significantly to the maintenance of clean and safe care in the context of pathogens transmitted by hands.

Click on the poster to view a large version.

Friday 1422March Monday December 2014 2014

Dedicated nurse retires after 46 year career Ashburton Hospital Nurse Jenny Lang, who has retired after a 46 year nursing career, won’t miss getting up at 5.20 every morning to travel to work from her home in Geraldine but she takes with her many fond memories.

Jenny started her training in 1966 in Waimate, before moving to Timaru, where she worked for a year before starting at Ashburton Hospital in December 1971 as a Staff Sister. She became Ward Sister there in 1975.

Her role changed a lot over the years, including the titles, ultimately becoming Charge Nurse Manager of Ward 3/Surgical Services at Ashburton Hospital.

When she started nursing, the career was “very hierarchal” and nurses lived in nurses’ hostels, Jenny says.

“We had strict leave and had to sign in and out of the Matron’s office. Your leave would be cancelled if your time-sheet wasn’t completed on the day, and the Night Ward Sister checked our rooms each night to make sure we were in bed.”

Nursing was a “hands on” learning experience, Jenny says. On her first shift at Ashburton a serious injury came in, which she found difficult as she had not had had any orientation other than how to get from the nurses hostel to the ward.

On her third shift the Ward Sister was sick and Jenny was “thrown in at the deep end”.

“They basically said, you’re it.”

At that time nurses had to make their own cotton wool swabs and gauze squares, syringes were made of glass and needles re-useable.

The most enjoyable part of her career was being a surgical nurse, but it was also one of the most challenging, with many changes over the years in surgery techniques, equipment and patient care.

Jenny says she is excited about what lies ahead in her retirement and with a garden to fix up, a house to paint, and family to catch up with she will be busy for a while yet.

However she will miss the companionship of her fellow hospital workers.

“I’ll miss the friendships I’ve made,” she says.

“Ashburton has always been a nice small hospital where everyone knows everyone.”

Above: Jenny Lang

Monday 22 December 2014

Visit from Hawkes Bay DHB Christchurch Hospital Radiology Department had a special visit from Hawkes Bay DHB this week to check out how we do things here in Canterbury.

Hawkes Bay DHB is taking part in the National Radiology Service Improvement Initiative (NRSII), which has been launched by the Ministry of Health and the National Radiology Advisory Group.

The aim of the initiative is to ensure patients and health care colleagues receive specialist services and advice from the radiology team within 42 days to improve patient experience and outcome.

Canterbury DHB is taking a lead role in this initiative, having already done service improvement work.

The Hawkes Bay team visited Christchurch Hospital to learn more about how the hospital runs its radiology department.

Get your Christmas cards, out now This year's Christmas card has been designed by our Allright? team. It acknowledges our challenging year and reminds people to 'take a breather' over the break.

If you would like to order printed copies please send an email to natasha.capon@cdhb.health.nz.

You can also email the card. If you are using Outlook click here. Alternatively you can email a PDF – just put a Christmas message in your email and then attach.

Monday 22 December 2014

Laughter may be the best medicine, but ePA will make sure the dose is right ‘Kennedy’, the last inpatient ward on the Hillmorton site is now live for ePA (electronic Prescribing and Administration) which means the whole site now has this important tool for improving patient safety and making an often complex and important task easier to manage.

Stella Ward, executive sponsor for eMeds wanted to take this opportunity to thank both the Hillmorton and the eMeds teams for making this first phase of the eMeds rollout such a success.

“I am hoping that, with what we have learned and experienced at Hillmorton, we can do an even better job with the next phase.”

The new system is paperless and the information clear and easy to read. It also has a handy reminder tool that can assist in scheduling and administering the correct medication to a number of patients in a single healthcare environment, a hospital ward for example. A charge nurse manager can see in a single screen who is due what and when, with more insistent reminders if any medication is imminent or overdue. Here’s a screenshot of what you might see:

ePA: Are you next? Here’s what you need to know What is it?

Electronic prescribing and administration is being implemented across the DHB. This is part of a programme of work titled eMeds.  eMeds is focused on improving safety and efficiency in the administration, prescribing and reconciliation of medicines.  One of the components of the eMeds programme is called Medchart. This is an electronic system that will replace the QMR4 form. Medchart is being used across other sites in New Zealand and also in Australia and the UK. What will it mean for me?  The new system will involve using computers and laptops. These may be a mixture of devices already in your work area and also some new devices. Clinical members of our project team will work with each service to understand workflow and provide guidance on the right mix and locations for devices.  There will be training provided for everyone. This will be approximately 1 hour for prescribers and 2 hours for administrators. There is also training for other ward staff on the use of the system and all training sessions are run by clinical members of staff.  We understand that some staff may need additional support and so we will be providing some basic computer training to help people prior to training on the system.  We recognise that any new system means change for people. There is plenty of support available to help with these changes. We will have a team of clinicians and IT colleagues on the wards prior to, during and after go live who will ensure all equipment is working and tested.

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Monday 22 December 2014

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Also before the ‘go live’ in your area the team will be on hand to support all staff with the migration from the paper process to the electronic system.



As well as having our clinical project team on site, there will be a support line that you will be able to ring at any time to receive support or advice on using the system.

Feedback so far?

We have had very positive feedback about the changes and people who initially thought the new system would be difficult to learn and use have told us how easy it has been and they have seen positive improvements in their workflow. Here are some comments from Hillmorton users: “eMeds is a natural progression from Canterbury’s first implementation of electronic records way back in 2000. It’s the latest achievement in our goal of making sure computers continue to realise their potential as useful and versatile tools for clinical teams to enable better, safer care for our patients.” John Beveridge, Nurse Consultant.

According to Sue Nightingale, Chief of Psychiatry, the focus and support around the launch at the Inpatient Acute Service (IAS) at Hillmorton has been exceptional. “We couldn’t be happier with how it’s all going.”

“I never expected anything but positive outcomes from having eMeds here, but our rollout experience has proved that change doesn’t have to hurt.” Stu Bigwood, Director of Nursing.

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Monday 22 December 2014

Christchurch surgeon marks 30 year career General Surgeon Rob Robertson didn’t come from a medical background. His family had worked in mining on the West Coast.

“But I always wanted to be a doctor. The local doctors who lived in our area were encouraging and were positive role models for me. Two of them went on to become well known surgeons in Auckland.” says Rob, who this month marks a 30-year milestone in his career.

Rob arrived at CDHB in 1977 and was a Registrar here till 1982. He then went to England and worked at The Norfolk and Norwich Hospital then at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London as a Senior Registrar in general and paediatric surgery.

“I found some aspects Victorian in the older facilities, but the people there were very good and most helpful,” he says.

Rob returned to Christchurch at the end of 1984 and was appointed Consultant General and Paediatric Surgeon at Christchurch Hospital.

The 1990s were an exciting time for general surgery with the “laparoscopic revolution” which significantly reduced the invasiveness of surgery and improved recovery time.

“I think I am fortunate to have lived through that time,” says Rob, who was one of the first General Surgeons in the country to carry out a laparoscopic procedure. (Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy) During his career he has seen a shift, where possible, from overly radical surgery to dealing with conditions in a “gentler manner”.

This had been made possible by identifying cancers earlier.

“If you look at the last century for example, in breast surgery there were radical mastectomies, with extensive surgery to the chest wall and axilla. That has changed. We now do smaller operations and less invasive procedures resulting in much better functional outcomes.”

Surgical innovation is continuing with laparoscopic techniques using infra red light waves and fluorescent image guiding for identification of tumour spread now in development. As well, technology has given robotic and 3D imaging techniques.

Rob, who was President of the New Zealand Association of General Surgeons from 1999 to 2001, says one of the most important qualities for a good surgeon is being collaborative and co-operative.

“Surgery is a very rewarding career but you can’t do it as an individual, you need to be able to discuss things, you need that team approach.”

In 2008 Rob received a special medal from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He is one of only 14 New Zealanders, and the only Christchurch-based surgeon, to be presented with the medal, which recognises “distinguished service” to the college.

Above: Rob Robertson.

Monday 22 December 2014

Ebola Virus Disease Planning Planning for the unlikely chance of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) reaching New Zealand is well underway at Canterbury and West Coast DHBs. A key thing to remember is that it’s not a crisis; it’s Ebola. It’s essentially business as usual as it would be for any infectious disease outbreak.

Christchurch Hospital is designated as the South Island centre to treat a symptomatic patient. There are also three referral hospitals in the North Island.

About 100 staff from across Canterbury and West Coast DHBs are involved in Ebola readiness work. It’s a collaborative approach with St John, Primary Care, DHBs, Public Health, and the Ministry of Health to keep up to date on the international Ebola situation and be aware of any developments. It’s really important we ensure consistency across the country in the way a suspected case would be managed. Sharing any learnings along the way with each other around our preparedness plans, as well as monitoring what’s happening overseas is a key part of our planning.

While we’re still extremely unlikely to get a symptomatic patient, everything is in place should the VERY unlikely chance of that ever happening. Remember EVD is much harder to contract than a lot of other infectious diseases as it’s only spread by coming into contact with the body fluids of a patient displaying symptoms.

We have negative pressure isolation rooms with ensuites in our Acute Medical Assessment Unit at Christchurch Hospital where we currently care for patients with infectious diseases. If we were to admit an EVD patient we can section off half of the Unit as well and the Unit can be effectively sealed off from the rest of the hospital.

There is a buddy system that is part of the protocol for donning and doffing (taking off) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as a double check to ensure full protection at all times. There is a waste disposal protocol for Personal Protective Equipment, bedding and patient waste. These systems are already in place for infectious diseases.

We also have detailed plans in place with St John around transport for transferring a suspected patient from another location in Canterbury or the South Island.

While we are planning for the management of an Ebola patient, a suspected EVD case is most likely to be picked up at the airport through screening and it’s unlikely they would be symptomatic. Initial screening is based on a history of recent travel from one of the affected countries.

Links to Ebola Information: http://www.cdhb.health.nz/News/Health-Alerts/Pages/ what-you-need-to-know-about-Ebola.aspx

Monday 22 December 2014

One minute with… Therese Martin, Family Protection Specialist, Child and Family Safety Service (C&FSS) What does your job involve?

I have numerous responsibilities. I review and provide consultative services for all cases where CDHB staff have identified vulnerable unborn babies where there are or are likely to be care and protection concerns.

The social workers from both the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Maternity report their birth plans and discharge plans to C&FSS. Collectively our services try to ensure safety and support services are offered to the mothers and their babies prior to them discharging from hospital.

Arranging plans often necessitates that meetings are held with external stakeholders like Child Youth and Family. I also review and provide consultative services to CDHB staff for all patients of the DHB that are experiencing family violence. In particular I look after the cases for women and men without children. This also includes family violence in relation to older patients and pregnant woman experiencing family violence.

I am the health representative on the Police Family Violence Round Table which reviews the most serious family violence cases within Canterbury. A major part of my role is the provision of training to DHB staff in relation to family violence.

Why did you choose to work in this field?

I have worked in the social work profession for nearly 30 years and have found making a difference for women, men and children to be very rewarding.

What do you like about it?

It is a privilege to work with the social workers, physicians and other health staff who are managing these highly complex cases. I also enjoy developing networks and connecting with other agencies to progress situations for children and families at a systems level.

What are the challenging bits?

As you can imagine, family violence can be a very emotionally taxing area to work within day in and day out. Working with professionals who do their best to provide comprehensive plans makes the challenges easier to manage. I also work within a very supportive team and have a manager/team leader who makes the challenges easier to manage.

Who do you most admire in a professional capacity at work and why?

I admire my colleagues within the C&FSS. We work collaboratively to ensure that we provide a high standard of professional service to clients/patients.

The last book I read was…

I am currently reading a book about a child whose parents are killed and both the maternal and paternal grandparents are putting their cases before the family court to indicate why they would be the most suitable to parent their grandchild.

If I could be anywhere in the world right now it would be…

I have just returned from Melbourne – all shopped out, so my next planned holiday is going to be to Hawaii where I can lie on the beach and do absolutely nothing- if I want.

My ultimate Sunday would involve Spending the day with my family and doing fun things together.

One food I really dislike is…

I have been brought up to eat most things but oysters are the one thing I cannot go near.

My favourite music is All music. I feel a surge of happiness when singing along to the radio.

If you would like to take part in this column or would like to nominate someone please contact Naomi.Gilling@cdhb.health.nz.

Above: Therese Martin Monday 22 December 2014

The Patient Information Care System (PICS) Project Canterbury District Health Board is set to embark on one of the largest patient information management projects in South Island history that will significantly improve the way healthcare is delivered in Canterbury and beyond!

The Patient Information Care System (PICS) project will ensure our patients receive the best care by integrating patient information on a regional level, streamlining processes for staff and smoothing the patient journey.

Change isn’t always easy, but in Canterbury it’s an integral part of our ethos of continuous improvement.

We’re looking for qualified professionals to bring their fresh ideas and perspectives to work with an innovative team developing new and creative solutions. This is your chance to play in a part in making a big difference! Roles currently available include: Project Manager: The main focus of this role will be to work closely with business and project leadership to ensure the future development of the PICS is aligned with business expectations. You will have experience completing gap analysis and understanding functional requirements as well as keep stakeholders involved and current on project status, risks and the deliverables needed.

IT Application Trainers: In this varied role, you will be supporting the project with the administration and delivery of training across Canterbury District Health Board office and hospital sites. You will also be supporting the project team with the development and testing of new resources for face-to-face training delivery and eLearning.

Communication Lead: You will be required to work with local media when appropriate, organise community and staff briefings, arrange events, assist with Official Information Act requests, and most importantly – help keep our staff, other health providers and the wider community informed about what’s happening in their health system.

Testers: You will be responsible for assisting in the design, maintenance, ownership of testing tools and strategies as defined by the Test Lead and ensure that the developed software is linked to improving the patient journey development for the new Patient Information Care System (PICS), in conjunction with the selected partner, the Functional Design Group and other key regional DHB stakeholders.

Systems Administrator: This role will see you providing general systems administration support to the DHB as well as operational support to your team. You will develop and maintain all IT systems, applications, security, and network configurations in a predominantly Microsoft based environment. Key to your success will be your customer focused approach to your work and your ability to understand the needs of your internal clients and the impact your service has on the business.

Super Users (Open to CDHB staff only): We’re also looking for existing staff for who are experts in the use of our current Patient Administration system to join us as Super Users. You’ll know the processes that are in place to ensure patients receive the care they need. If this interests you, please visit the careers page via the intranet and search for ‘Super Users ‘ to view the full advertisement and apply.

For enquiries about any of the above roles, please contact Heather Ewing, email: Heather.Ewing@cdhb.health.nz or phone 03 364 0599; or apply online now at

https://cdhb.careercentre.net.nz

Monday 22 December 2014

In brief

National Health IT Board Christmas 2014 newsletter National Health IT Board Director - Graeme Osborne As we wind down 2014 for our summer break, it is worth reflecting on both the focus for 2015 as well as the achievements of the past year.

A new five-year plan being developed by the National Health IT Board (NHITB) will continue to provide direction on foundation initiatives including regional information platforms, patient portals, telehealth and clinical pathways. It will focus on enabling access to trusted information, supporting new and improved models of care, and moving towards personalised healthcare. A draft is due to be released in March 2015 for your input and is expected to be finalised by June 2015.

Read the full newsletter.

Allied Health Assistants taking up new qualification Two Allied Health Assistants (AHAs) at Ashburton Hospital, Margaret Kelly and Megan Wellman, have just completed their studies towards the National Certificate for Heath Assistants (Rehabilitation Strand) with the support of Veronica Ligteringen, Head of Therapy Services at Ashburton Hospital and Registered Careerforce Assessor.

Read the full newsletter.

Season’s greetings from the Health Quality & Safety Commission! We wish you a safe and relaxing Christmas and holiday break, and a happy New Year.

Read the latest E-Update.

Monday 22 December 2014

In brief What a year it's been for SI PICS In 2014, we have achieved a number of milestones for the South Island Patient Information Care System (SI PICS), the highlight being ex-Health Minister Tony Ryall approving the programme business case for SI PICS to become the regional solution for patient management and administration across all South Island District Health Boards‌.Read the full newsletter.

International Medical Simulation Symposium 28 April 2015, Christchurch The Simulation Centre is proud to be involved with the upcoming International Medical Simulation Symposium to be held on 28 April 2015 at the Rolleston Lecture Theatre.

For more information.

The December 2014 edition of Medication Safety Watch is now available online. This bulletin is for health professionals and health care managers working with medicines or patient safety. It contains information about medicine-related incidents, errors and adverse drug reactions and offers recommendations on how to improve medication safety.

Read the full newsletter

Your hospital cricket team needs you!

The Christchurch Hospital Cricket team is looking for enthusiastic players to join the team. The team has been a part of the hospital scene for some 30+ years but in recent weeks have been struggling to raise a full team. Matches are usually played on a Saturday afternoon. Anyone interested in joining us please contact Aidan Hegarty on ext 89770 or (preferred) email aidan.hegarty@cdhb.health.nz for further details.

Read the latest SCIRT news here

Monday 22 December 2014