Waikato Health News Winter 2019

WAIKATO HEALTH NEWS

WINTER 2019 WELCOME TO OUR WINTER ISSUE WHICH INCLUDES STORIES, HEALTH ADVICE AND INFORMATION FROM WAIKATO DISTRICT HEALTH BOARD FOR VISITORS, PATIENTS AND PUBLIC.

PUBLISHED BY Waikato District Health Board Hamilton, New Zealand June 2019

CONTACT news@waikatodhb.health.nz WEBSITES Information about our organisation, services, publications etc.

waikatodhb.health.nz News, feature articles, events

Waikato DHB Midwife and Nurse of the Year delighted to introduce our 2019 Midwife of the Year and Nurse of W etheareYear, selected from a large number of wonderful nominations sent in

by their colleagues at Waikato DHB. Ilona Jackson, Midwife, Women’s Health

Ilona is a midwife who mainly works in our Women’s Assessment unit, a place that is a busy place to work in and can become a highly acute area for women with sometimes complex issues. Ilona manages to not only coordinate the unit, but to make it an agreeable place to be. She is a highly skilled midwife, a compassionate woman, and a rock to her colleagues. She never complains and always sees the best in everyone. She is never looking for glory, and shies away from recognition, while always giving over and above.

She is extremely dedicated, hardworking and very dependable. A real beacon of midwifery professionalism!

Rylla Plomillo, Associate charge nurse manager, Ward M3, Waikato Hospital Rylla has devoted the last four years of her life to caring for a unique and complex group of patients – renal inpatients.

She works tirelessly to enable staff to succeed, and patients, family/whānau to feel welcome and assured they will receive the highest quality of care.

She shows staff what it means to feel supported, under her guidance and leadership. Whether it be staying late to help nurses finish their work, talking through your first difficult time on the ward, or managing high patient flow and bed shortages, Rylla is the person you want at your side when times become challenging.

waikatodhbnewsroom.co.nz

IN THIS ISSUE

OME COMING H H THIRST T I W E S R NU HEARING NEWBORN EDDING INDIAN W ORA PUNA WAI NA MEET DIA ISSIONER DHB COMM D LTH AWAR A E H L A R O ANAGER THAMES M OARSOME NEST THE TUI’S

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A nurse with a thirst for learning n 17 April 2019, Taumarunui nurse Helene Draper completed the journey to becoming a nurse practitioner, graduating from Massey University after completing the Masters programme and a successful panel interview by the Nursing Council.

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Lynnette Jones – coming home to Taumarunui

ynnette’s appointment as charge nurse manager for Taumarunui Hospital and Community Team marked a return home.

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Born and raised in the district, Lynnette had never practiced as a nurse there until now. Her recent nursing had been in the acute wards at Waikato Hospital, where she was charge nurse manager for the High Dependency Unit for nine years until making a change in direction into project work secondments for the DHB’s Property and Infrastructure. That included complex projects relocating clinical and non-clinical services, as well as change management and service development projects.

All of this will stand her in good stead as rural hospitals like Taumarunui look to new ways of bringing health services closer to their communities, more accessible and overcoming the obstacles of being “remote” from major hospital services.

This isn’t a case of ‘city girl meets country town’ – Lynnette has a real passion for the area and long standing family ties to the Ruapehu area.

She lives locally in a house and smallholding that belonged to her late mother and stepfather.

“The town has always had a wonderful feeling, it’s a really special town,” she says. “People care for each other and are supportive of each other. If you need help, someone will be there to give you a leg up or a helping hand, that’s the lovely thing about the town. And the area is so beautiful.”

While the lifestyle had big appeal, so did the challenges of a very different type of hospital. There may not be the excitement of an acute inpatient ward but on a daily basis staff face challenges in Emergency Department with patients needing transfer up to Waikato Hospital – and sometimes pressure situations with premature babies or serious road accidents.

“It is the nursing staff and the doctors that get people through in those situations and get them up the road to Waikato Hospital safely if that’s needed,” she says.

There are personal challenges in her role as charge nurse manager that she is enjoying too. “I have oversight of the hospital based nurses but also public health nurses and district nurses, so that’s been really different and interesting for me, to learn about the scope of work that those nurses do and what support they need from me.”

Nurse practitioners are expert nurses who have full prescribing rights, and are trusted to practice autonomously within their areas of competence and experience.

Helene has worked at Taumarunui Hospital since 2012 after more than 15 years nursing overseas and then running the camping ground in Taumarunui with her husband on their return in 2009.

She describes her driving force as a thirst for learning. “I wanted to learn, wanted more knowledge.”

Her role will include involvement in further developing the rural nursing workforce. She also hopes to inspire other nurses to learn and develop, and perhaps to take the path to being a nurse practitioner themselves.

Helene Draper with her first prescription issued as a nurse practitioner.

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Newborn Hearing Screening turns 15 ew Zealand’s first Newborn Hearing Screening service was launched at Waikato DHB 15 years ago to identify hearing loss in babies as early as possible.

Waikato DHB’s Newborn Hearing Screening services

What started at Waikato DHB has now grown into become a national programme and all eligible babies in New Zealand can receive a hearing screening check.

• Screening takes place at for women birthing at Waikato Hospital, Waterford Birth Centre and River Ridge East Birth Centre.

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The project was initiated by then Waikato DHB audiologist Michele Pokorny and funding and relationship manager Ruth Rhodes.

The Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Early Intervention Programme, as it is known, aims to identify newborns with hearing loss early so they can get the help they need for language, learning and social development.

The core goals of the programme are ensuring babies are screened by one month of age, audiology assessments are completed by three months and the right support is in place by six months.

Earlier this year Dr Samantha Everitt from the National Screening Unit and Michelle Pokorny who now works at Counties Manukau DHB joined the 15th birthday celebrations that recognised the difference Waikato’s initial project has made to the lives of numerous children in New Zealand who had their hearing loss identified through the screening programme.

Waikato DHB currently employs eight newborn hearing screening technicians who offer hearing screening to all eligible babies born or living in the Waikato area. If a clear response is unable to be obtained, the screening technicians refer babies to the audiology service for a full diagnostic assessment.

• Outpatient screening clinics are available in Hamilton at Waterford Birth Centre and River Ridge East Birth Centre, as well as Western Community Centre in Nawton.

• Rural screening currently takes place in Te Kuiti, Taumarunui, Tokoroa, Te Awamutu, Matamata, Morrinsville, Huntly, Thames and Waihi.

Since 2004, the team have screened over 77,900 babies.

There have been:

• 1366 babies referred for follow up treatment by audiologists • 441 babies identified with a hearing loss

• 141 of these babies have a permanent hearing loss in both ears • 112 babies have been fitted with hearing aids • 25 infants have had cochlear implants

Once in a lifetime Indian wedding experience ive nurses, a midwife and a doctor from Taumarunui Hospital as well as a local banker attended a once in a lifetime wedding in India earlier this year for registered nurse Sarath “Freddie“ Surendran and his beautiful bride Chandana Gouri.

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Nurses Kimba Thompson, Amy Hall, Holly Atkins, Daphne Ferguson and retired nurse Ann Virtue, midwife Jill Arundell, doctor Marlene Julyan and Taumarunui banker Kim Bougen were the friends and colleagues who went to India for the wedding.

Freddie has worked at Taumarunui Hospital for more than five years, and describes Taumarunui as “this lovely little town, where everybody cares for each other and treats people like a whānau.”

The feeling is mutual. Kimba Thompson says Freddie is a “super-duper person with heaps of charisma.”

This unique cultural experience was celebrated in Kerala in southern India over multiple days with a number of outfit changes, vibrant colour, hundreds of guests, spicy and sweet food, laughter, mingling and dancing - a magical wedding trip and a celebration of a much loved colleague.

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Photos from the launch of Puna Waiora #makingsciencefun event for year 9 and 10 students at Turangawaewae Marae, Ngaruawahia and was called Wānanga Pūtaiao

Excitement, education and encouragement – the Puna Waiora programme for rangatahi P

una Waiora is a new kaupapa Māori support programme offered by Waikato DHB, empowering and supporting rangatahi/young Māori to pursue a career in health.

picking for their senior years 11, 12 and 13,” says Waikato Puna Waiora offer support services to high school students DHB’s Te Puna Oranga (Māori Health service) senior year 9 through to 13, tertiary students, and Māori whānau programme manager Erana Severne. actively seeking health jobs.

“Our evaluations show that 54% rangatahi had little or no Puna Waiora work with rangatahi and whānau on a whole knowledge in science or health before the expo. After the range of things including goal setting and individualised expo we saw a shift in the data where career planning, having hands 85% of rangatahi felt they knew a on experiences, mentoring and “The rangatahi were buzzing, so good to very good understanding of coaching, finding scholarships or grants, interview preparation and job were the teachers and exhibitors.” science and health. application support.

The schools came from all over the North Waikato and Hauraki districts Wānanga Pūtaiao was an amazing including Te Kopuku High, Te Aroha College, Te Wharekura interactive science expo offering hands-on exposure to real o Rakaumanga, Fraser High School, Melville High School, careers in health, with a variety of healthcare, science and Tai Wananga, Huntly College, Fairfield High School, Huntly technology experts. Rangatahi could explore PH levels with Alternative Education, and Nga Taiatea Wharekura. manikins and Coca-Cola, be inspired to get into nursing; hands-on education about radiation therapy; OMGTech The Puna Waiora team are planning their second Wānanga stirring their interest in robotics and coding; resuscitation Pūtaiao in the fourth term for the South Waikato kura simulation races; to making flour bombs. The event was enrolled in the service. packed with excitement, education and much, much more.

Puna Waiora are currently holding the first Māori gateway “The rangatahi were buzzing, so were the teachers and programme called Te Tomokanga for year 11, 12 and 13 exhibitors. This is one of our main events for the Puna students in Waikato. This year the programme has 76 Māori Waiora team to get the students really excited about students in placements from both mainstream schools and science. Then from here we’ll work with the schools and wharekura. This is a dramatic increase in the from last year’s individual students to get them on track with their subject numbers of 15 Māori students in placements.

WAIKATO HEALTH NEWS WINTER 2019 5

INFLUENZA KILLS

PROTECT YOUR WHĀNAU FROM FLU THIS WINTER The flu vaccination is FREE for people who are most at risk.

Almost everyone can benefit from protection, especially if you or any family member is: Pregnant (any trimester).

Mothers who receive the influenza vaccine while pregnant can pass protection on to their baby.

Aged 65 years and older Living with ongoing health condition like asthma, diabetes, cancer, a heart or lung condition.

Aged 4 years or under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness or have a history of significant respiratory illness.

Meet Diana D

iana Maxwell works at Waikato DHB and took the photograph of sunflowers we feature on the back page of this magazine.

What does your work at Waikato DHB involve?

I am the administrator for Ward OPR1 (Mental Health for Older People), located in the Older Persons and Rehabilitation Building on Pembroke Street, opposite the hospital.

My role involves assisting staff, patients and visitors. Ward administrators have been described as the glue that holds things together! On any one day my duties might include answering the phone, electronic scanning and filing, managing stationery, petty cash, parking requests, organising meetings and events including the Mental Health Court hearings, getting things fixed, arranging one off quotes or orders... I’ve probably left a lot off.

What do you like best about your job/role?

The interesting variety of duties and people.

Do you do a lot of photography, or was this just a chance photo?

I take quite a few (amateur) photos to keep overseas family updated.

What is your connection, if any, to the place in the photo?

My “other” job is managing a drystock farm halfway up the Kaimai Range at Okauia (near Wairere Falls), and this photo was taken in my backyard.

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Commissioner for Waikato DHB

commissioner has been appointed to Waikato DHB to replace the Board. Health minister David Clark appointed former director general of health Dr Karen Poutasi to the commissioner’s role and she started the job on 8 May.

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The Health minister said that the DHB’s deteriorating financial position, lack of strong governance and performance issues with some health services had led to him installing a commissioner. A return to an elected board would follow the 2022 elections.

Dr Poutasi hit the ground running, restarting the “I’m looking forward to working process to recruit a permanent chief executive with staff at the DHB to make to bring stability to the a very real difference to the DHB. The appointment people of the Waikato.” process had been halted by the then Board in February.

Dr Poutasi said: “I’m looking forward to working with staff at the DHB to make a very real difference to the people of the Waikato.

We are already doing some great things here, but we do have challenges and I believe that together as team we can solve these.”

Dr Poutasi is the chief executive of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority where she has worked for 13 years and will be on unpaid leave from her role there when undertaking Commissioner duties around two or three days a week.

She is a medical professional and public health medicine specialist and as well as a number of management, clinical and chief executive roles at Dunedin and Middlemore hospitals and Wellington area health board, she was director general of health for 11 years to 2006.

She will appoint up to three deputy commissioners.

New Zealand Oral Health Therapist of the Year ongratulations to Yun-Yu Liu who has taken out this year’s New Zealand Dental and Oral Health Therapists’ Association (NZDOHTA) Oral Health Therapist of the Year award.

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Yun-Yu Liu aka YY, is an oral health therapist at Waikato DHB’s Cambridge Community Dental Clinic.

YY sees the best in everybody and every situation. Waikato DHB’s Community Oral Health general manager Diane Pevreal describes her as an outstanding oral health therapist who is the perfect role model for the profession and an exemplary employee.

Waikato DHB could not be prouder of her and this much deserved recognition by her peers.

Yun-Yu Liu receiving her award.

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Appointment reminders are OARSome ix months ago Waikato DHB implemented a new Outpatient Appointment Reminder System (OARS). The aim is to reduce the number of people who forget their appointment or who don’t turn up for other reasons.

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Thames welcomes new service manager Jade Sewell Jade Sewell stands in her Mātai Whetū marae in W hen Kopu as the new manager of Waikato DHB’s Thames and

Coromandel Health service she feels incredibly proud.

She says the challenge of the role Jade’s whakapapa is the local iwi is not to get bogged down in the in Thames, Ngati Maru, and she’s day to day operational stuff but to already bumped into kitchen staff keep looking at the bigger picture, who’ve been at the hospital 50 support the wider organisation in years and know her grandmother. its goals and always question if She says being connected to the there are ways to do things better. area can make a real difference in a role like hers and was what Jade is particularly interested in attracted her to rural health and the job. partnering with “My number one priority local providers “My number one is our people here in to ensure that priority is our people here in Thames, not only talking local people get Thames, not only to patients but also taking the services they need to stay talking to patients time to talk to staff.” healthy. She says: but also taking “Rural health time to talk to staff. I’m most impressed at Thames in the Coromandel is really rural, for patients just to get to Thames by our people’s commitment to Hospital is a long trek, never the community, they are here for mind Waikato Hospital, and it can the right reason. When we had make people very anxious. As a the floods here recently, everyone health system we need to work got stuck in and helped out. In the out how do we do better, how do first week I was here I attended a we facilitate the process for what morning tea for someone who had patients need and when and where been here for 30 years, there’s that they need it.” stickability to the community.

Jade says it’s a privilege to be Jade is one of three in the new leading Thames Hospital alongside leadership team for Thames her colleagues and has already Hospital, working alongside been made to feel very welcome. clinical director Gillian Twynam “We need to encourage our staff and charge nurse manager Derlys to live the values and mihi and ‘Jonesy’ Jones, and she says staff whakatau to people who come are already experiencing positive into the service and make it a change and the recent certification welcoming environment for staff audit was very positive about the and patients,” she added. hospital.

OARS has improved the way that we are able to get in touch with our patients to remind them of upcoming appointments.

It allows us to email and txt our patients, so you get a reminder in an easily accessible way.

The new system has also allowed us to include more locations and services able to communicate electronically with patients; Southern Rural Hospital patients now receive reminders, as do Older Persons and Rehabilitation (OPR) clinics and many Allied Health clinics, as well as outpatient clinics held at the Waikato Hospital Meade Clinical Centre (MCC) and many of the Thames clinics.

Patient feedback has indicated these reminder messages are really helpful, particularly the txt reminders.

We want to continue to grow this service and make sure the right people are getting the right message at the right time. To do this we need to have up-todate patient details.

You should be asked to check your details every time that you have contact with Waikato DHB. It may be a bit frustrating to do this, but it is really important.

Please check your details carefully, making sure that your mobile and email address are present and correct. If any of your details change before your appointment, give us a call and let us know – all our contact details should be included in your appointment letter, or you can call us on 0800 475 546.

With the reduced mail service in isolated and rural areas, keeping us informed of changes to your mobile and email are even more important, to ensure we are able to contact you in time for your appointment or inform you if there are changes.

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Showcasing beautiful Waikato

Photographer: Diana Maxwell. See story page 5.

Tui’s nest in clinical centre Senior Medical Staff W aikato Association has gifted a beautiful

black and white photograph (silver gelatin print) of a Tui nest with four eggs, by artist Dr Fiona Pardington for our patients, public and staff to enjoy as part of Waikato Hospital’s art collection.

The framed print is installed opposite Pharmacy on Meade on Level 1 of the Meade Clinical Centre at Waikato Hospital.

The image is part of a series by the artist that explores the idea of our native birds as precious taonga (native treasures). The subject matter is also fitting for a healthcare environment concerned with care and nurture.

Waikato Senior Medical Staff Association has also gifted other significant artwork on display in the Meade Clinical Centre including: • ‘Mahoe Leaf 2013’ by New Zealand artist and sculptor Jeff Thomson • The 35 quatrefoil shapes by renowned New Zealand artist Max Gimblett ONZM are part of a major WW1 commemorative project, titled the Art of Remembrance.

Left to right: Waikato Hospital senior medical staff association treasurer and executive member Dr Alison Jackson, Waikato senior medical staff member and co-chair Waikato Hospital Arts Committee Dr Cam Buchanan, Kate Darrow, independent art curator, and Waikato senior medical staff member and co-chair Waikato Hospital Arts Committee Dr Stephen Ng.

If would like to donate or assist the Waikato Hospital Arts Committee in raising funds for other artwork, please contact us at Info@waikatodhb.health.nz