TUUHONO HONO A COUNTIES MANUKAU HEALTH PUBLICATION | PIPIRI JUNE 2022
In this issue OUR COVER STORY
3 May 2022 marked 75 years since Middlemore Hospital was opened to the public. "Middlemore and the land it sits on is a sacred place for mana whenua and our community. It is a place where thousands of people started their lives, have been treated, and where many have spent their last hours on this earth." Read more on page four.
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EDITOR IN CHIEF: Hayley McElwain EDITOR: Nikki Allan DESIGNED by Sarah Cordtz Connect+ is produced by Counties Manukau Health. If you have something to share or would like Connect+ delivered straight to your inbox please contact communications@middlemore.co.nz
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FROM PETE Kia ora
This month we’re celebrating a momentous milestone – 75 years since Middlemore first opened its doors!
What makes Middlemore special is the people, their stories and successes, so we’re also focusing on telling 75 stories, one for each of the 75 years.
We are tremendously proud of our long history of serving the people of the Counties Manukau rohe, which began when Middlemore first opened on 3 May 1947. World War Two was in full swing when construction began in 1943 on what was originally intended to be a military hospital.
We’ve reached out current and former staff, patients, and community members to share their significant memories. You’ll read some of these stories here, but many more are being shared on the Counties Manukau Health website and social media, so check it out. I am sure you will see a familiar face or two.
However three years later when construction was complete there was no longer a need for a military hospital, and the Auckland Hospital Board decided to open a public hospital instead.
He aroha whakatoo, he aroha puta mai. If kindness is shown, kindness you shall receive.
Noho Ora Mai Pete Watson
The name Middlemore was chosen as it was the name of a neighbouring farm owned by the Thompson family, and Middlemore was a significant name for the whaanau. It was very special to gather with Manawhenua, a small contingent of staff and past and present CM Health leaders, on Tuesday 3 May 2022 - the official 75th anniversary - to commemorate the occasion with the opening of a memorial garden and blessing of a mauri stone.
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Middlemore Hospital
celebrating YEARS
AU MA RI MA TEK TU
Tuesday 3 May 2022 marked 75 years since Middlemore Hospital was first opened to the public by Sir Bernard and Lady Freyburgh. What was a 300-bed military hospital has since become a world-class hospital, staffed by thousands, serving a community of over 600,000. The auspicious day was commemorated with the opening of a memorial garden. A small gathering of past and present staff and leaders assembled to oversee the blessing of a Mauri stone honouring the significant moment in history.
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Let it be one alone that stands among the stars
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Waiho raa kia tuu takitahi ana ngaa whetuu o te rangi
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"We are tremendously proud of our long history serving the people of the Counties Manukau rohe." Dr Watson also paid tribute to the many staff who have worked at Middlemore. "We are honouring the legacy of the people who built this hospital from the ground up and those who walked its halls over the last 75 years, understanding, as they did, that we are custodians and, as such, have a responsibility to future generations."
Former CEOs Mr Stephen McKernon, Mr Lester Levy, and Ms Representing Manawhenua, Mr Robert Clarke says the stone Margie Apa all spoke, echoing sentiments of pride for leading was delivered from Port Waikato and took ten men to move. Middlemore and Counties Manukau Health and noting the mark the organisation has left on their heart and soul. "This stone was placed in this garden on purpose to be near our most vulnerable in the hospital as a source of strength," “Middlemore gets under your skin, into your soul, your Mr Clarke said. heart,” Margie said. "The floor above is the ICU where patients are fighting for their lives and this is a wellness space for whaanau from all walks to gather here to pray for their loved ones. "May this be a place of refuge, and may their faith, like this rock, be unshaken." CEO Dr Pete Watson referred to the occasion as a celebration of people, solidifying the importance of the hospital to the community and, more importantly, the community to the hospital. "Middlemore and the land it sits on is a sacred place for mana whenua and our community. "It is a place where thousands of people have started their lives, have been treated, and where many have spent their last hours on this earth. 4 | CONNECT + TUUHONO HONO PIPIRI JUNE 2022
Image: Manawhenua and CM Health staff assemble to bless the Mauri stone.
DR KAREN POUTASI ―
Medical Superintendent 1985-1987 Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit Dr Karen Poutasi has had a long and varied career in the health sector. She held the Director General of Health role for ten years, is the current Commissioner of Waikato District Health Board, and is a board member of interim Health New Zealand.
Leading at Middlemore While on fellowship at Harvard studying for her Masters in Health Services in 1985, Dr Poutasi flew back to New Zealand for a whirlwind visit to interview for what was to be her next role – Medical Superintendent at Middlemore Hospital. Dr Poutasi says she was looking to take the next step in her career. I was attracted to Middlemore because it had a reputation for being really committed to the needs of the population – and that’s still true to this day. “My extended family is Samoan, so I have a strong affiliation with the needs of South Auckland, and the Medical Superintendent role at Middlemore epitomised that”.
A string of firsts Dr Poutasi has many strong memories and achievements from the two years she was in the role, including establishing the first outpatient clinic for children.
thought, why not here too?”. So Dr Poutasi and her team got stuck in making day stay surgery at Middlemore a reality. “There was a bit of scrambling to get everything up to scratch for opening day, but we got there, thanks to the staff at Middlemore willing to be at the forefront of change”. Dr Poutasi found the biggest challenge was getting everyone - the community, patients, and staff - to understand that day stay surgery was safe and effective, something we wouldn’t give a second thought to today! As a first step into diversity, Dr Poutasi was also very proud to appoint the first Cultural Advisor at Middlemore in an effort to better meet the needs of the population. In a fitting twist, the Pacific Health team is now located in the Poutasi Link, which was named in her honour.
A long lasting legacy Dr Poutasi’s son Api, affectionately known as the ‘Middlemore baby’ was born at the hospital. As the family lived on hospital grounds, Api was often ferried between home and Dr Poutasi’s office, even leaving his legacy by way of some toddler scribbles on the Medical superintendent’s office wall.
“That was a big thing. Before we started the clinic, our South Auckland families were frequently travelling to Auckland city with their tamariki.
In 1987 when Dr Poutasi left her role at Middlemore, she was presented a gift of Tukutuku panels framed in wood from an old hospital building that had been demolished.
“Being able to receive substantial outpatient services locally was absolutely essential for the community”.
“This generous and thoughtful gift reflected the staff and teams there. Nothing could be nicer for me as a going away gift".
During her time in Boston studying at Harvard, Dr Poutasi observed that day stay surgery was a successful way to manage many minor operations. In the 1980s in New Zealand, minor operations required at least an overnight stay. “I saw day stay surgery working very well in Boston and
When asked to sum up what she loves about Middlemore, Dr Poutasi says it is the staff’s unswerving focus on the local community. “There is a willingness to be at the forefront of change – which is still true 35 years later”. COUNTIES MANUKAU HEALTH | 5
Kidz First
CONNECTED TO OUR COMMUNITY The atmosphere of delight and joy felt at the opening ceremony of Kidz First on 6 December 2000 is not what you would expect at a hospital but after 22 years that feeling lives on today. Nettie Knetsch, then General Manager of Kidz First, says the building and services were much needed. “The old children’s wards were way down the hospital in older buildings near the Poutasi Link, far away from Emergency Department, which made it unsuitable. “The wards only had 15 inpatient beds for medical patients, 20 inpatient beds for surgical care, and eight acute assessment beds.” Kidz First was designed as a solution to these issues, providing dedicated care to the children of South Auckland. Nettie says she feels fortunate to have been involved in the planning for Kidz First and feels very attached to the building and its history. “I travelled with the clinical director to look at designs of children’s hospitals worldwide to find out what worked and what didn’t. “The design we chose is child-focused and enables parents and whaanau to be partners in care while being flexible in how its capacity can be used to accommodate surges in need. "To this date the design continues to work really well.” A planned healing garden was opened in March 2001 to provide a place of sanctuary for whaanau.
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“Kidz First remains a place where child and whaanau-centred care are paramount,” says Nettie.
Opening the doors to the Counties community Kidz First was opened by then Prime Minister Helen Clarke in the presence of Hon. Dr Terepai Maoate, Prime Minister of Cook Islands, alongside then Board Chair Ross Keenan and Chief Executive Mr David Clark. Pam Tregonning, a previous CEO of the South Auckland Health Foundation (now the Middlemore Foundation), attended the Kidz First opening and says it was a special event. “Before Kidz First even opened, it has been supported by the local community, some of which still support Kidz First to this day.” A beautiful carving gifted to Kidz First by the late Maaori Queen’s carvers was unveiled at the opening of the building depicting a parent embracing their child, and it remains in place today. Today, Kidz First offers 66 beds with an additional 12 Emergency Department assessment beds, 15 short stay beds, and two dedicated paediatric resuscitation rooms.
The Middlemore Foundation's Counties Connection FUNDING KIDZ FIRST
Since its inception in 1999, the Middlemore Foundation has built a proud history of recognising and supporting the needs of the people of Counties Manukau. Pam Tregonning, who originally headed up the charitable foundation, says it was first established with a single goal in mind – funding a children’s hospital in South Auckland. "At the time, whaanau were travelling a considerable distance at great expense to Starship Hospital for Paediatric care," Pam says. The opportunity to take on the inaugural CEO role of what was initially known as South Auckland Health Foundation came as a surprise to Pam, who says she had never done anything like it before. "I did have a background in public health, a strong desire to help my community, and I'm good at talking and so I thought why not!
well supported 'Jammies in June' continue today. "We've established relationships with a significant number of donors, many of whom regularly continue to support the foundation's great work." The CEO baton has since been passed to Margi Mellsop, who says she is proud to continue the Foundations 23-year legacy of supporting Middlemore Hospital and the community it serves. "Recently we have been delivering hygiene packs to whaanau isolating during the Omicron outbreak. "We have just launched a long-term community initiative Ngaa Tai Tini, developed with Manurewa Marae and Manurewa High School to support Manurewa whaanau to realise their dreams for the future."
“Where there is a need – you’ll find us”
"I started the role with an empty room on hospital grounds, a phone and a laptop – so I'm really proud of how far the foundation has come since then.” Key fundraising initiatives such as the very popular and COUNTIES MANUKAU HEALTH | 7
Celebrating 75 years of
Middlemore Hospital
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Sir Edmund Hillary:
From the top of the world to the heart of Middlemore Image: Left to right: Chas Foxall, then King's College Head of Visual Art and Design, Alexander Hillary, Pam Tregonning, then Executive Director of the Middlemore Foundation, Peter Hillary. Photo credit: Kings College.
On 22 January 2002 Sir Edmund Hillary, conqueror of Mt Everest with sherpa Tenzing Norgay, was farewelled with a State Funeral at St Mary's Church in Parnell. On the same day at Middlemore Hospital, a symbolic and spiritual foundation stone, known as a mauri stone, was being buried in the ground of a new building at Middlemore Hospital. In a serendipitous twist of fate – and a perfect tribute to the great adventurer - the new 240 bed building would be named after Sir Edmund following a staff vote and permission being granted by his family. The official opening ceremony of the Edmund Hilary building was held on 15 July 2010 and was attended by members of the Hillary family, including Sir Edmund Hilary’s widow, Lady June, and his children Peter and Sarah, as well as then Prime Minister, John Key, and Len Brown, then Manukau City mayor. In 2016, Sir Edmund Hilary’s grandson, Alexander Hillary, returned to Middlemore Hospital with his father, Peter Hillary to present four framed photographs that he had produced in his photography class at King’s College. Peter Hillary: “It galvanises the link with Alexander’s old school, where he developed these skills, with one of Auckland’s most important healthcare facilities that has a new wing carrying his grandfather’s name.” The photographs are on display in the Hillary Wing at the Hospital, alongside photographs taken by Sir Edmund during his time in Nepal in the 1950s and 1960s.
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Jane's finger to thumb transplant
one of the Southern Hemisphere's firsts On the way to what should have been a great night out, Jane’s life was changed forever.
Jane had to have several operations to get it sorted - but it worked.
It was a Saturday evening in 1976 just before Christmas when the car Jane was travelling in lost control and crashed into a power pole. Jane was the sole survivor of the horrific crash.
“I am full of praise for Middlemore Hospital and the treatment I had there.
''When help arrived, I just remember hearing people saying ‘these two have gone, there's one over here" says Jane. “My best friend died at the scene and so did her flatmate.” Jane was thrown out of the car catching her left hand on the door as it swung shut. She was lucky to be alive and was rushed to Middlemore Hospital with a lengthy list of injuries that would require several surgeries, and impacted her wellbeing for many years. A broken jaw, broken cheek bones, a broken collar bone, two broken vertebrae and petrol burns were just part of the list of injures. But the most horrific injury was the loss of her thumb and part of her index finger which led to what Jane was told was 'the first operation of its kind in the southern hemisphere'.
“It was a dreadfully upsetting time, for everybody but the doctors and nurses were fantastic, and the surgery was second to none. “I was very lucky to have survived but there's not a day goes by that I don’t think of my friends.” Jane was a patient at Counties Manukau Health for around two years after her accident with follow up surgeries and outpatient care. After being discharged, Jane moved to the UK at the end of 1979, where she was married and had children.
Thank you for sharing your story Jane.
“I think they thought of amputation at one stage but decided to try to save my hand, and amazingly they cut down my index finger and transplanted it to where my thumb was.”
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Capturing the history of Middlemore's
Plastic Surgery unit
Image (top): Mr Earle Brown and representatives from the Sir William and Lady Manchester Charitable Trust presenting the book. Image (bottom left): Lieutenant William Manchester joined the New Zealand Army and was sent to Egypt in 1940.
In 1950, Middlemore Hospital was honoured to have renowned plastic surgeon Sir William Manchester arrive to establish our Plastic Surgery Unit. Prior to Sir Manchester’s arrival, visiting surgeons, Percy and Cecily Pickerills, regularly travelled from outside Auckland to tend to plastic surgery patients. Inspired by the history of the Unit, two of our former staff members, Doctors Earle Brown and Michael Klaassen wrote 'Perfection – the life and times of Sir William Manchester’ which delved into the life of Sir Manchester and his wealth of experience, including his time here. Both men knew and worked with Sir Manchester, and the idea for a biography came to light after receiving three boxes of archives from the Manchester home. Writing the book was 'quite a journey' says Mr Brown, whose relationship with Counties Manukau Health spans over 45 years.
“I was curious about the man himself an as such the book is about the man and his life, not just his surgical work, so there was a lot of interviewing people who knew him and worked with him". “My own history with this place also played a large part in my inspiration for the project.” That history spans to 1960 when Mr Brown first arrived at Middlemore Hospital as a student and continued through his work as a registrar and then plastic surgeon until 2005. 12 | CONNECT + TUUHONO HONO PIPIRI JUNE 2022
Dr Klassesn was also a former registrar at Middlemore Hospital. He qualified as a plastic surgeon in 1990 after completing his training at Middlemore and Waikato Hospital with Mr Brown his original mentor in plastic and reconstructive surgery in 1987. In 2021, Dr Brown returned to Middlemore Hospital to present the book on Sir William Manchester to the Plastic Surgery Department. He was proudly accompanied by his family members along with representatives of the Sir William and Lady Manchester Charitable Trust, who funded the book. Today, the William Manchester Unit at Middlemore Hospital continues to grow and change lives. 'Perfection – the life and times of Sir William Manchester’ Sir William Manchester is considered the father of plastic surgery in New Zealand and a world authority on reconstructive surgery. He grew up in rural Waimate, and initially became a battalion medical officer with the New Zealand Army in World War II. In 1941, Sir Manchester was selected to train as a plastic surgeon under the supervision of four pioneers of plastic surgery, Sir Harold Gillies, Archibald McIndoe, Rainsford Mowlem and John Barron. Eventually he arrived at Middlemore Hospital and the unit he founded achieved international acclaim, due in large part to his expertise. He had previously founded two other units but continued his work at Middlemore for 30 years, training generations of young surgeons and nurses.
"If it wasn’t for my family and mental health services like Tiaho Mai, I probably wouldn’t be here" After suffering depression and attempting suicide, Johnny Angel was hospitalised and diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Around 2002 he suffered a relapse which led him into the care of Tiaho Mai, Middlemore Hospital’s mental health rehabilitation unit. “I thought I was fine. With bipolar, the flip side of depression can be mania – and my mood was up, and I was all pumped up - so I thought I was more than ok,” says Johnny. It was his sister, Teri who noticed her brother was still unwell and started to seek help for him. “It was a hard decision to make but it was the best decision and I am really proud of my brother,” she says. Being raised in the traditional Samoan way, and in the church, meant that mental health wasn’t something that was understood, explains Johnny, so he didn’t know much about it. “People had told me it was because of my sins but I know mental illness is real, I lived it.”
know now - you can’t do it alone,” he says. Teri says that communication with Tiaho Mai was excellent and the aiga (family) was always kept up to date and involved in decisions. After leaving the care of Tiaho Mai, Johnny and Teri featured in a ‘Like Minds, Like Mine’ campaign, telling his story to help raise awareness of mental health issues and in the years following Johnny has thrived. He was an animator on the second episode of Bro Town, wrote and illustrated a published comic ‘Afi’, about a Samoan superhero, and has built a successful entertaining career as an Elvis Tribute artist - ‘Pacific Elvis - making appearances on The AM Show, The Project, Maori TV, and more. Johnny also returned to Middlemore Hospital and Manukau SuperClinic in 2020 to put on a Christmas show for staff and thank health care workers. He is also launching a mental health tour, with funding from the Generator, for people who are going through mental health problems. “I want to let others with mental health problems know you can get well and live a good life again.”
“My advice to anyone with mental health concerns is to acknowledge it, take ownership of it, and most importantly tell someone that you are not ok.”
Johnny says during his time at Tiaho Mai, he changed his attitude and realised he needed help to get better. He also began to take his medication which until then he had resisted. “If it wasn’t for my family and mental health services like Tiaho Mai, I probably wouldn’t be here – I felt safe there, the staff really look after you, they check on you, give you your medication and help you. “I will always appreciate and value the work they do. I COUNTIES MANUKAU HEALTH | 13
Middlemore staff through the ages Celebrating the tens of thousands of people across the decades who have cared for our patients and community. Here are just a few of these incredible people across the ages.
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A middlemore hospital romance Image (top): Pip, Robyn, John, and Immy (front). Image (bottom right): John and Robyn
Arriving at the nurses living quarters at Middlemore Hospital, John McKenzie and his friend were waiting patiently in the foyer for their dates to get ready when Robyn, a 19-year-old nurse, and her friend sat down to chat with them and keep them company. It must’ve been a great conversation because the next night John was back to take Robyn out on their first date and, as they say, the rest is history. Following that lucky meeting in 1958, John and Robyn married and had their daughter Pip - who also shares a connection to Middlemore working as a pharmacist at Counties Manukau Health for 15 years. Robyn often shares stories about her time at Middlemore with Pip. “We had such fun working and living at Middlemore Hospital as nurses back then and I have great memories of the people and those times,” says Robyn. “When I visit I love showing Pip where we used to bike together and tell her our stories.” The McKenzie connection to Middlemore Hospital now spans three generations. Not only is it where Robyn and John met and where Pip now works, but it is where Pip had her daughter, Immy. “It is a lovely feeling working where a part of your family history took place,” says Pip. “Middlemore is more than just a hospital. It is where many of our community and staff hold cherished memories of their loved ones, and it is something that those who work here show their respect for every day.”
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Celebrating 75 years of
Middlemore Hospital
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1947-2022