CEO Update Monday 22 June 2015
Where would we be without our volunteers?
It’s National Volunteer Week this week (21 – 27 June) and nowhere is the work of volunteers more appreciated than within the Canterbury Health System.
From neo-natal unit knitters, to Burwood Mobile Shop operators and our recent Park n Ride meet and greet helpers we have volunteers across a wide range of our services. The difference they make to the health journey for our patients and their families is immeasurable.
have won a Ministry of Health Award for Volunteers, and representatives from CDHB are in Wellington today accepting this. The same team has won an award with Volunteering Canterbury, and a group of them will be attending the ceremony at the Civic offices in Christchurch tomorrow.
contributions given by Aotearoa’s past and present volunteers.
Humble and gracious, our volunteers don’t do it for the recognition or glory but it’s great to be able to celebrate their successes.
We’ll have details and photos for you in the next update.
You’ll find more information on their website.
Volunteering New Zealand says that National Vounteer Week (NVW) is a fantastic chance to celebrate the invaluable knowledge, skill and time
Here’s the story of one of our Christchurch Hospital volunteers – Faye Anderson.
We’ve recently been told that Christchurch Hospital volunteers
This year’s theme is “There is a place for you to volunteer” or “he wahi mohou hei tuao” which highlights the diversity of volunteer opportunities, volunteers themselves, and the impacts of volunteering.
Faye Anderson - Volunteer Not one to sit back and let a lazy retirement take over her life, Faye Anderson joined the team of volunteers at Christchurch Hospital. “After we sold our business, I really wanted to do something but hadn’t found my niche. Some people do arts and crafts, but I wanted to do something in the volunteer line.” Faye says she searched through the opportunities listed on the Volunteering Canterbury website
In this issue
and came across a call for volunteers at Christchurch Hospital. “They were looking for people to help with wayfinding once the Park and Ride started,” she says. “I applied and was accepted. I didn’t really know much about the hospital, except that it always made me sad whenever I drove past as this is where my mother spent the last few weeks of her life.” Now she says she realises that it’s
a fabulous, community-focused environment, filled with people who care about people. “I’ve really enjoyed being part of it. The volunteers work closely with the orderlies and security and are there for each other. There is great communication between us all as we help patients and their families who are arriving at the Hospital.” ›› Article continues on page 2
»» Philippines Independence Day celebrated...page 2.
»» Fence no barrier to creativity...page 7.
»» scOPe for improvement...page 5.
»» Clinical exam success...page 9.
»» Cleaners complete qualifications...page 6.
»» Sign up now for Dry July...page 12.
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When a space opened up in the volunteers who staff the shop, Faye says she jumped at the chance to extend her volunteering hours at the Hospital. “Now I do four hours on a Monday wayfinding and four hours on a Thursday in the shop.” “Volunteering definitely adds something to your life,” says Faye. “You have to keep the social side of your life going. It keeps you active, talking to people and in with the crowd. People are so appreciative of the help you give them. It’s a very rewarding experience and the volunteers all get along so well and they all seem lovely people.”
David Meates
CEO Canterbury District Health Board
Above: Faye Anderson
Philippines Independence Day celebrated Ward 23 at Christchurch Hospital had a fun time on June 12 celebrating Philippines’ Independence Day. Independence Day is an annual national holiday in the Philippines observed on June 12, commemorating the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain in 1898. Since 1962, it has been the country’s National Day.
Staff enjoyed delicious Filipino food, made name tags with Philippines’ flags, wore ribbons in Philippines’ flag colours, and sung the country’s national anthem. Ward 23 Filipino nurses brought in a tourist video of their country showing its beautiful landscapes and beaches.
Ward 23 Charge Nurse Manager, Anne-Marie Evans, says 20 per cent of nurses on the ward are from the Philippines. “I wanted to somehow acknowledge the contribution and value that they bring to our ward and thought celebrating Philippines Independence Day would be a good way to do that. “The decision to leave your own country and family to come to another place is very courageous. We are really grateful to them for doing that. I wanted to make sure they know how valued they are,” she says.
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Bouquets Haematology, Christchurch Hospital Hello, I would just like to pass on my sincere thanks and compliments to all the staff that I had recent dealings with at the Haematology Department, right from confirming the initial appointment, the service and care I received was nothing short of exceptional - utterly reassuring that CDHB has such high quality staff, really something to be proud of. Thank you very much and my kind regards. Urology Unit, Christchurch Hospital To all the nursing staff on the Urology Unit. This is a belated, but none the less heartfelt thank you for the care and attention you provided to me postsurgery. Radiology Department, MRI Technician / Play Specialist …our … [young] son had an MRI scan without a general anaesthetic, which was so beneficial to both our [son] and us his parents. This would not have been possible without the three play therapy sessions with the very talented Diane Haver and MRI technician Peter. The therapy sessions were a way of setting [him] up to succeed. They were in a relaxed environment and ideas/procedures were encouraged at his pace/acceptance. [He] has epilepsy and has lots of procedures that are very scary for a [young boy]. We are so grateful that he had the time spent with him to make sure this procedure was a positive one. I highly recommend putting your resources into these sessions and avoid having any extra medicines they don’t have to have. Peter and Dianne had a tough task convincing [him] to do the
procedure but they worked as a team and he did it! … We thank them both and hope this feedback reaches them.
Ward 11, Christchurch Hospital Very good nurses...I was very well taken care of.
Ward 1A, The Princess Margaret Hospital To the staff of Ward 1A, thank you for caring for my Dad…in the way that you all did. The care that he has received has been amazing – throughout almost three weeks in PMH he maintained his dignity – thank you for that. As a family, we really appreciate the services provided and hope that you will be able to continue with your excellent standards – thank you so much.
Chemotherapy Suite, Oncology and Food Services, Christchurch Hospital ...I was treated today to a great sandwich...along with the sandwich was soup, yoghurt and a banana. A great lunch! ...it adds pleasure to an otherwise depressive visit! Thank you!
Urology Unit, Christchurch Hospital Thank you for looking after and caring for our Mum. Ward 18, Christchurch Hospital I was looked after amazingly well. All my needs and requests were adhered to. They treated me like a queen. All the staff deserve to have my thoughts told to them. They showed professionalism and empathy. Urology Unit, Christchurch Hospital Thank you so much for looking after me while I was in hospital for appendicitis. You made my stay as comfortable as it could be, especially as it was my first time in hospital. Oncology, Christchurch Hospital All the services and personnel associated with my treatment... have been absolutely grand. I have felt comfortable and confident with the services and attention [I have recieved from your] quality staff in your establishment. Credit to all concerned.
Ward 11, Christchurch Hospital I am very happy with my first over night stay in hospital. All staff are well mannered and very professional in their work. Well done. Ward 20, Christchurch Hospital ...my two week stay was awesome. The staff in every department that I went to, which was theatre, x-ray, plastics, blood, infectious, emergency, bone shop were marvellous. I can’t speak highly enough of them all...My stay has been like a little holiday to me. Everyone has been courteous, friendly and very helpful. Ward 18, Christchurch Hospital ...awaiting surgery in Ward 18 and very much enjoying the meals and wonderful staff. Ward 26, Christchurch Hospital My mother has now been in Ward 26 for nearly four weeks and I would like to register my appreciation. The staff have all been so kind to Mum...and also to me. Her care has been great and very attentive. A huge thank you from me and my family.
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Monday’s Facilities Fast Facts Burwood The main foyer / reception area at Burwood is clearly beginning to resemble the architects’ drawings. The photograph, taken on Thursday 17 June, shows that the structural steel for the staircase has been installed and the main feature window framing is now in place. When it’s complete this will be a bright, modern and welcoming front-of-house.
This week, staff at Burwood and The Princess Margaret Hospital had an update on the Burwood project from Dan Coward, General Manager of Older Person’s Health. One of the most common questions from staff about the Burwood build is: “will there be enough car parking?” The answer is yes, there will be around 650 car parking spaces on site around the campus, including areas for staff, patients and visitors.
Christchurch User group news User Groups have continued to receive Detailed Design Plans and room data sheets from the design team. They now have a few weeks to review them and provide feedback to the design team on any identified issues and changes required.
A number of user groups went to the Design Lab this week to see a mock-up of the CDHB medical services panel. The group was able to give feedback on the design, which will contribute to changes ahead of a high fidelity mock-up being produced in the next few weeks.
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There is a lot of site work at the rear of the Riverside building and behind Food Services at the moment (see photo). The work is fourfold – »» Build of the new dirty dock at the rear of Riverside, including a vehicle turning circle. »» Dismantling the old clean dock. »» Continued re-routing of underground services, including new manholes to be installed. »» Ground compaction and fill at the west end of the site, ahead of foundations beginning.
scOPe, for improvement scOPe is a clinical audit tool that collects information during the completion of routine tasks (previously performed on paper forms) such as booking patients for surgery and writing operation notes.
»» Any complications can be entered during the patient’s stay or at subsequent visits. This information is presently used for M+M meetings, audit and management of waiting lists.
The system was initially used in Orthopaedic Surgery and subsequently trialled in Gynaecology in Christchurch under the oversight of Dr Bryony Simcock. In 2011 Christchurch Hospital made the decision to expand the use of scOPe to all surgical services as the default audit tool.
»» Data from scOPe can also be exported to national (or international) databases and into logbooks for registrars and other trainees.
scOPe has brought other benefits that weren’t the primary intent of this initiative. According to surgeon Ross Roberts “theatre bookings are more accurate thanks to mandatory fields and we have much better visibility of our waiting lists.”
Service manager, Marilyn Ollett says there has been a major reduction in the follow-up medical typing required due to the direct ‘real time’ completion of an operation record in scOPe by the surgeon at the time of surgery. “I am convinced there has been an improvement in patient safety because the operation notes and post op instructions can be printed in recovery and accompany the patient back to the ward,” Marilyn says.
It is now used for audit by the Departments of General Surgery, Gynaecology, Plastic Surgery and Anaesthetics with roll out to other services planned during 2015. Just some of scOPes advantages: »» scOPe reduces repetition as each entry only has to be made once, wasting less time and reducing reporting errors.
»» Since all entries are electronic, scOPe enables greater visibility of the patient’s progress for the whole team including theatre and ward staff.
wards, the benefit for the nursing teams of being able to keep family informed is fabulous. “Being able to read the post op note before pick up is very valuable to the wards. Also judging when a person will go for acute surgery is really helpful.” It may be possible in future to build this functionality into South Island Patient Information Care System as part of our systems integration work, but right now, scOPe is available and delivering real benefits to surgical teams, to patients, and their families. For a short video that explains the benefits of scOPe and shows clearly the superiority of the information it generates, click here Below: scOPe screens
Marie Lory, Peri-operative Nurse Manager, says the theatre visualisation shows work in progress which could not easily be done before – which is especially great for large units with multiple sites. “As we connect with the cdhb.health.nz 5
CEO Update
Cleaners complete qualifications Over the past year some of the in-house cleaning team at The Princess Margaret Hospital (TPMH) and Hillmorton Hospital have been working towards gaining cleaning qualifications. Service Manager, Housekeeping and Uniforms, Pauline Tootell, says she would like to congratulate the cleaners who are the first in Canterbury DHB to have embarked on and completed a Level 2 National Certificate in Cleaning and Caretaking, and Level 2 and 3 Assessor training. “I’m delighted to report that 16 cleaners have now graduated Level 2, three have achieved Level 2 Assessor, and one has achieved level 3 Assessor qualifications. We also have another 17 staff working towards Level 2 and Level 3.” TPMH Cleaner Andrea Walker, says she found completing Level 2 rewarding and challenging. “I am now enjoying doing Level 3 which will also be a challenge and a great achievement for me.” TPMH Cleaner Jan Messer, says she is enjoying the challenge of working through each step to achieve the credits. At first she found the Careerforce papers overwhelming. “But with support and input from other cleaning staff I realised it wasn’t that bad.”
Doing the qualification was helpful and made her aware of her skills. TPMH Site Cleaning Supervisor, Donna Handy, has completed the qualifications and is now a registered assessor. “It was a challenge but with Pauline and Careerforce Workplace Advisor, Andy Bunn’s support, I got through it, and for that I thank them very much.” The cleaners have all worked hard to pass and it has been a real morale booster. They are looking forward to the challenges of Level 3, she says. Pauline says the training has helped the cleaners gain confidence and self-esteem. “Training re-enforces the core skills our cleaners demonstrate every day and highlights areas where they can improve. For some this is the first time they have had the opportunity to do something, just for them, which will improve the way they work. It’s been motivating and a big confidence boost.” Careerforce Workplace Advisor, Andy Bunn, says the qualification is a way of formalising all the great skills and knowledge the cleaners have as well as “filling gaps” to further their professional development.
Pictured right - Back: From left to right: Cleaners, Donna Handy, Doreen Mihaka, Yvonne Kelly, Debbie Wood, Val Eyles, Service Manager, Pauline Tootell, Careerforce Workplace Advisors Andy Bunn, and Bev. Front : From left to right: Cleaners, Fiona Moody, Lyn Richardson, Judy Hunt, Jan Messer, and Andrea Walker. Absent: Cleaners, Wayne Kirk, Carolyn Russell, Trish Forbes, Lara Pledger, Norma Timms, and Georgia Russell.
Canterbury Grand Round Friday 26 June 2015, 12.15 to 1.15pm with lunch from 11.45am Venue: Rolleston Lecture Theatre Speaker one; Sarah Hurring & Garth Munro Title; The Sixth Age of Man. Managing Frailty in Hospital
resource. Anatomical teaching has also undergone a minirenaissance with the application of innovative methods of teaching anatomy that will hopefully improve the anatomical knowledge of medical students and doctors. Chair: Mike Ardagh Video Conference set up in:
Managing the care of frail older people is one of the CDHB’s top priorities. This talk aims to provide information on the clinical assessment of frailty and describe a restorative care project underway in General Medicine to reduce the adverse effects of hospitalisation
»» Burwood Meeting Room »» Meeting Room, Level 1 PMH »» Wakanui Room, Ashburton »» Administration Building, Hillmorton
Speaker two; Mark Stringer, Paediatric Surgery
All staff and students welcome
Title; Place of Anatomy in Medical Education Contrary to popular belief, new discoveries continue to be made in human anatomy. Cadavers remain a crucial
Next is Grand Round is on Friday 3 July 2015 Convenor: Dr RL Spearing, ruth.spearing@cdhb.health.nz
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Fence no barrier to creativity The Burwood Hospital development is really beginning to take shape and the long fence that separates the construction site from the existing buildings is now dwarfed by the new facilities beyond.
A couple of the artists brought their young children with them who each completed a painting, with another adding a cat amongst the flowers in her mother’s painting – and this resembles Burwood’s resident cat ‘Harry’.
Contractors Leighs Cockram JV originally put up the fence to keep people safely off the construction site. When the fence first went up, it was clean and beautifully constructed as you might expect, but starkly white – and starkly white it remained, until just recently.
“The artwork is diverse and creates a talking point with the patients, as patients, staff and visitors all have their favourites,” Nerilee says.
Patients notice these kinds of things, especially having become used to views of Burwood Hospital’s beautiful gardens – and wondered if there was a way to make the fence a little easier on the eye. Nerilee Kidd thought they had a point. “As Duty Nurse Manager I overheard a group of staff discussing how they had raised some funds to purchase paint to improve the outlook for the patients. The idea hadn’t progressed because the original painter had dropped out. They had some beautiful colours but not nearly enough to cover more than a few panels.” The idea gathered momentum: The patients thought it was a great idea, senior managers said ‘why not’ and Leighs Cockram JV (who own the fence) gave a safety-gloved thumbs up. All it needed now was some willing artists and a lot more paint. “I have a lovely friend Sandra Duncan who is not only talented but also very community minded and has connections with other artists. She came and got excited about the panels as ‘blank canvases’ “ Caroline Mccullough, a Clinical Nurse Coordinator at Burwood, says that the staff decided the best way to raise money to buy paint was with a cake sale. “Staff did the baking and patients and their families did their bit to make sure it was appreciated, and helped raise the money that was needed in the process.” “Later, we put out an appeal for donations of paint through the Post a Note on CDHB’s intranet and asked some paint retailers. The Selwyn Street and Northwood Resene stores were particularly generous. We got pots and pots!” The lead artist, Sandra, had hoped that some of the patients resident on the day could have helped but none were up to wielding a paint brush. They did however share their ideas, enjoyed observing the proceedings and loved seeing the pictures develop during the day. Summoning the power of social media, Sandra was able to recruit enough artists who liked the idea of a blank canvas and loved the thought of being able to improve the outlook for our elderly patients. For some it was their first opportunity to work on murals. Three young lads armed with spray paint cans on the day have since offered to put their skills to work again and have their eye on other blank surfaces around our brain injury rehab building. cdhb.health.nz 7
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Take part in the World’s largest earthquake drill Canterbury District Health Board has signed up to the World’s largest earthquake drill, Exercise Shakeout. Exercise Shakeout has been created to help people and organisations get better prepared for major earthquakes, and practise ‘Drop, Cover and Hold’ - the right action to take during an earthquake. This year it will take place on October 15 at 9.15am. It is hoped 1.5 million Kiwis will take part. CDHB Emergency Planning Manager Jenny Ewing says it will be a great opportunity for Cantabrians to show the rest of the country what we’ve learnt over the last few years. “Even though most of us in Canterbury know the right actions to take before, during and after an earthquake, it’s important that CDHB staff lead from the front and show our colleagues from around the country how it’s done.” For more information go to www.shakeout.govt.nz
2015 Administrative Services Workshop series – register now Registrations are open for the Administrative Services Workshop series being held 14 and 15 July 2015 at the Horticultural Hall. The workshops are to inform, celebrate, develop and engage with administration staff from across the Canterbury DHB. It is also an opportunity to acknowledge the valuable contribution administrative professionals make to the Canterbury Health System every day. With four workshops across two days, administrators will have the chance to continue their professional development journey while finding out more about what’s happening across the organisation. The workshops on 14 July are designed as introductory sessions and complement more in-depth courses being offered through the CDHB Learning and Development calendar … while the workshops on 15 July will be
of interest to all patient management system users and the opportunity to be hands-on in the new South Island Patient Information Care System (SI PICS). Please see the full programme with dates, workshop sessions and details on how to register for the workshops. »» Workshop 1 Tues 14 July, 9am – 12.30pm Thriving through change »» Workshop 2 Tues 14 July, 1pm – 4:30pm Reducing workplace conflict »» Workshop 3 Wed 15 July, 9am – 12.30pm South Island Patient Information Care System
»» Workshop 4 Wed 15 July, 1pm – 4:30pm South Island Patient Information Care System Administrators may choose one workshop session from the four on offer over the two days. One hundred seats are available at each workshop. This is an opportunity to network with colleagues from across the wider Canterbury DHB administrative team to share your knowledge and experiences. Registrations close Friday 26 June 2015 and will be confirmed by email by Tuesday 30 June 2015.
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Clinical Examination Success Christchurch Physician training programme registrars are celebrating 100 per cent success in the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) clinical examinations this year. This matches the 100 per cent success celebrated earlier in the year with the RACP written examinations. “I think we can quite rightly continue
to claim to be a ‘centre of excellence’ in physician training,” says Director of Physician Education, John Fink. The candidates – all successful – were: »» Cameron Mcalister
»» Ying-tung Liu »» Ziwei Goh »» Jeanette Cheung »» Mike Liu »» Jonathan Davis
»» John Llewelyn
General Manager, Christchurch Hospital, Pauline Clark, says it is a great result.
»» Josie Mccabe »» Philip Drennan
From left to right: John Fink, Director of Physician Education, John Llewellyn, Mike Liu, Philip Drennan and Jeanette Cheung.
News in brief from the Quality team An ongoing Medication Safety collaborative is making great progress in tying together work at national and local levels to promote the safe use of opioids in a hospital environment. On Tuesday and Wednesday this week (23 & 24 June) the National Steering Group is being hosted here in Canterbury. Learning session two will be held at the Hagley Pavilion, Christchurch.
Services (Safety) Act 2001. The main aims of the Act are to keep consumers in health and disability services safe, while encouraging providers to continuously improve their services.
The latest HQSC Medication Safety Watch newsletter number 14 is now out and available here.
»» Organisational Management
This edition focuses on human factors as a cause of errors – why they occur and what can be done to reduce the likelihood of such an error being made.
»» Safe and Appropriate Environment
Today, Monday 22 June, there is just one month to go to the start of the Certification process for Canterbury DHB. Our next audit against the Health and Disability Services Standards across the DHB will start in the week beginning 20 July 2015. Certification is required under the Health and Disability
This audit will check all core standards are met. These include: »» Consumer rights »» Continuum of Service Delivery »» Restraint Minimisation and Safe Practice »» Infection Prevention and Control. During the Certification visit you will be able to demonstrate how your team routinely meets the standards in practice - the focus of Certification is on checking how we operate every day. It is also an opportunity for teams to showcase all the improvement work.
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Lifetime achievement award The Burwood Spinal Unit and the Auckland Spinal Rehabilitation Unit have presented Professor Alastair Rothwell with a Lifetime Achievement Award for service to the Spinal Cord Injury communities of New Zealand and beyond. Alastair Rothwell, ONZM, MB, ChM, FRACS, FNZOA was educated at Waitaki Boys High and Otago Boys High School. He graduated MB ChB (Otago) in 1965. Alastair qualified as an orthopaedic surgeon in 1973, and developed expertise in surgery for rheumatoid arthritis and hand and upper limb disorders, especially surgical restoration of upper limb and hand function for tetraplegia, for which he has gained international recognition. Known as the “patient centred professor” Alastair has received international recognition for the quality of his surgery procedures and outcomes and for his quantitative research. His main clinical interest has been hand surgery and his research interests rheumatoid arthritis, upper limb surgery for tetraplegia and The New Zealand Joint Registry. Alastair has published numerous research and clinical papers on these topics in a range of peer reviewed international journals, as well as podium presentations at national and international medical conferences. In the early 1980s when he shifted to Christchurch from Dunedin, Alastair set up the Upper Limb Surgery Programme for tetraplegic people at the Burwood Spinal Unit with Plastic Surgeon, Stewart Sinclair. This has been very successful with over 300 tetraplegic people having had well over 1000 surgical procedures aimed at restoring elbow extension, key pinch and grasp.
of clinical management.
long career, Alastair says.
Alastair was Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery from 1990 to 2006. In 2006 he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to orthopaedic surgery. In 2009 Alastair was awarded the Gold Medal for Excellence in Teaching, University of Otago, Christchurch. This year marks 50 consecutive years of Alastair teaching medical students.
Clinical Director, Raj Singhal, says Alastair is a pioneer in the field of upper limb reconstruction in tetraplegics. The upper limb reconstruction clinic celebrated its 30 years since inception recently.
Alastair says he is overwhelmed and humbled to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award but at the same time proud to accept it, “not for myself but on behalf of our dedicated upper limb teams of health professionals at the Burwood Spinal Unit and the Auckland Spinal Rehabilitation Unit”. “My surgical colleagues and I have been very fortunate in having such expert teams working to maximise the outcomes from our surgery. The real heroes, however, are the tetraplegic persons who over the years have been brave enough to put their lives on hold while they undergo the surgery followed by the prolonged rehabilitation.” Working with them has been a truly rewarding surgical partnership over a
“Alastair’s contribution is recognised on the world stage and has put Burwood Spinal Unit in the world map.” His teaching and skills have brought international trainees in hand surgery to Christchurch and he has nurtured home grown talents who are also in the world stage. “Whenever I have done outreach clinics, I have come across patients who have had their lives transformed by Prof Rothwell’s surgical skills such that they can hold things in between their fingers, straighten their elbows to reach for things and do pressure relief, bottle feed their new born child, open doors and drive, none of this they could do because of the neurological insult to their spinal cord.” The New Zealand spinal injury community is grateful for his contribution, Raj says. Below: Professor Alastair Rothwell
Staff numbers, both medical and allied health, have more than doubled and the unit has gained international recognition for the quality of its surgery procedures and outcomes for both quantitative and qualitative research. He is still active in this area cdhb.health.nz 10
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One minute with… Hamish Sandison, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Community and Public Health (C&PH) What does your job involve? Writing/reviewing emergency response plans; ensuring that Community and Public Health (C&PH) is ready to respond to future emergency events; teaching ‘Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS) in Health’ to staff; health and safety; and championing Safety 1st. Why did you choose to work in this field? The fulfilling experience derived from being involved in all facets of emergency response management during my police career in Scotland and stimulated my desire for more work in this field. Thus I readily accepted this position when I was offered it at its inception in 2005. What do you like about it? The variety of work; interacting with key people in the health sector and other agencies, including Civil Defence, Christchurch Airport and the Tourist Industry Association New Zealand; facilitating debrief sessions.
What are the challenging bits? Getting Civil Defence partner agencies to understand that: the health sector is multifaceted, comprising of more than St John and the Emergency Department. While C&PH will not usually be a first responding agency, its role in secondary response is crucial in preventing/limiting communicable disease outbreaks that otherwise have the potential to cause a disaster greater than the initial event. Who do you admire in a professional capacity at work and why? Dr Peter Mitchell, Medical Officer, for his meticulous attention to detail, unsurpassable work ethic and steadfastness. Dr Cheryl Brunton, Medical Officer of Health, for her enthusiasm for all aspects of population health, leadership skills and obvious appreciation for the efforts of her support staff.
The last book I read was… Bryce Courtney’s ‘Tandia’, the sequel to the ‘Power of One’. If I could be anywhere in the world right now it would be… Tramping with my wife, Joan, in Abel Tasman National Park. My ultimate Sunday would involve… A stroll with Joan through the Liffey Reserve, which adjoins our home, observing the swans, ducks and fantails, followed by some light gardening and family dinner in the evening. One food I really dislike is… Lamb. My favourite music is… Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Linda Ronstadt, John Fogerty, Paulo Nutini, Van Morrison, Corries, Dubliners, Runrig, Lovin’ Spoonful, Grateful Dead, Doors, and Allman Brothers Band. If you would like to take part in this column or would like to nominate someone please contact Naomi.Gilling@cdhb.health.nz. Below: Hamish Sandison
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Sign up now for Dry July In addition to signing up for Dry July, Christchurch Hospital Oncology staff are holding an alcohol free drink stand outside the Great Escape café on 30 June. They are also planning to have gold coin donations on mufti day Fridays and other activities – more details to come in future CEO Updates.
You can read more about other items purchased with Dry July funds on Canterbury DHB’s website.
There is no doubt that items already purchased with Dry July funds are greatly appreciated.
Below: Patient’s Perspective: View looking at the Hokitika Gorge ceiling picture while lying on the bed in Planning CT Scanning Room at Christchurch Hospital.
Radiation Therapist Laura Ross says patients are particularly grateful for the beautiful murals and ceiling pictures of New Zealand scenery for the Radiotherapy Department at Christchurch Hospital.
Sign up now for Dry July and support adults living with cancer who receive treatment from the Canterbury Regional Cancer & Haematology Service (CRC&HS).
The murals cover the walls leading into the treatment rooms and the ceiling pictures are placed for patients to look at while lying on the beds. The ceiling of the Planning CT Scanning Room features a lovely picture of Hokitika Gorge. Because this room is the first place in the Radiotherapy Department that patients visit, they can be quite anxious and nervous. “In a room full of large machines and medical equipment, it is so nice to have a tranquil picture for patients to look at. Whether the patients try to guess where the scene is, reminisce about a time they were there or comment on how beautiful the colour of the water is, our Hokitika ceiling picture is something patients always notice and talk about. These images really brighten up the Radiotherapy Department and have been a wonderful addition for the patients. I am so grateful to the Dry July Campaign for providing these comforting images for patients. Thank you Dry July!” says Laura.
Something out there for the blokes The Canterbury Men’s Centre (CMC) is celebrating the 100,000th print copy of “The Blokes Book”. The Blokes Book tells Canterbury men about local health and community support options and gives them basic advice about taking care of themselves. Canterbury DHB, Rural Canterbury PHO, Christchurch PHO, Pegasus Health and a large range of other local funders have supported the project.
involved in the Christchurch rebuild and includes a web link to a map of fun things for men to do. The Blokes Book can be seen online at canmen.org.nz, can be ordered by emailing blokesbook@canmen.org.nz or by phoning 03 365 9000.
CMC Manager, Donald Pettit, says “we get a lot of people saying that there is nothing out there for men when it comes to a crisis, but that just isn’t true. What is true is that men generally don’t know about the options and that is where The Blokes Book and the CMC come in”. The Blokes Book has been a significant success in Canterbury over the past four years and comes out of initial funding by the Ministry of Social Development with this recent print being funded by the Christchurch City Council and The Canterbury Community Trust. The book’s 40 pages cover issues such as depression/anxiety, alcohol, and basic health checks. This edition is focused on men
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New stroke app The National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences at AUT University has developed an application to calculate, and advise on, the risk of a person having a stroke. The Stroke Riskometer ™ app was chosen by doctors in the United States as a top medical app of 2014. It has been endorsed by the World Stroke Organization, the European Stroke Organization and World Federation of Neurology to calculate and advise on the risk of a person having a stroke. It has become internationally recognised in primary stroke prevention. The recently released version of the app measures individual risk of a stroke in the next five to 10 years and provides recommendations for stroke prevention tailored to individual risk profiles. It is also being used for an international epidemiological study called RIBURST to determine regional
frequency and determinants of stroke, heart attack, dementia and type-2 diabetes mellitus across over 160 countries. The Stroke Riskometer app can be downloaded free at AppStore and GooglePlay. Professor Valery Feign, Director of the National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences at AUT, would like DHBs to consider using the app for stroke prevention and to participate in the RIBURST study to improve prevention strategies. The invitation to be part of the study pops up when you get to the estimate page on the app - just read the information on the app and follow the instructions. There is also a Stroke Riskometer Facebook page facebook.com/Strokeriskometer.
The way of reporting patient incidents and staff health and safety incidents at Christchurch Hospital is changing Over the past two weeks the Safety1st Christchurch campus implementation team has been working with areas to transition them from paper to electronic incident reporting. Staff can now report a patient incident or a staff health and safety incident via the Safety1st incident management system. We are aiming to complete this transition for all areas by the end of June. Where to find the form? On the intranet page under the workday essentials heading. Who can access the form?
»» Perioperative Group »» Cardiology »» General Medicine »» Dermatology »» Diabetes »» Endocrinology »» Infectious Disease »» Gastroenterology »» Nephrology »» Respiratory
All staff can complete the form. Which areas are live already? »» Nursing Department »» Allied Health »» Pharmacy
Any questions contact: Heather Phillips Quality Facilitator or Vickie Attewell Nurse Coordinator – Quality For more details click here.
Te Mana Ora - Supporting Māori Health in Canterbury June 2015 The second Te Mana Ora for 2015 is now out. In this edition you can read about the success of Te Matatini, the importance of kapa haka in promoting positive cultural identity, the recent gifting of taonga to Canterbury DHB from the Whakaraupo Carving Centre, and find out more about Matariki. Read it here
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CEO Update Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch & the SMHS, CDHB Tuesday Clinical Meeting Tuesday 23 June 2015 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Venue: Beaven Lecture Theatre, 7th Floor, School of Medicine Building, University of Otago Title:
“Shell Shock – a century on”
Presenter:
Assoc. Prof Sandy Macleod
Chair:
Dr Brian Deavoll, PSE
Abstract: “The psychiatric literature on Shell Shock, which
has largely been forgotten, remains very relevant to modern warfare. The signature injury of WW1 is the signature injury of Afghanistan/Iraq. Some of the myths and assumptions about Shell Shock will be addressed” »» These meetings will be held on a weekly basis (except during school holidays). »» A light lunch will be served at the School of Medicine venue, 7th Floor, from 12 noon. »» Psychiatrists can claim CME for attending these meetings. »» The sessions will be broadcast to the following sites: »» For TPMH attendees the venue is the Child, Adolescent and Family Inpatient Unit, ground floor. Access is from the main reception at TPMH. »» For Hillmorton attendees the venue is the Lincoln Lounge, Admin Building, Hillmorton Hospital »» The dial in address is: Psych Med Grand Round. »» If you have difficulties dialling in please call 0800 835 363 to be connected.
Staff Wellbeing Programme: Staff Wellbeing Workshops – registrations now open for the next 10 workshops Wellbeing Workshops Registrations are now open for the next set of 10 Staff Wellbeing Workshops. Click here to register. Social Interest Groups Click here to visit the SIG intranet page. Have some fun with like-minded colleagues – or start your own group! Earthquake Support Coordinators (ESC) Our dedicated CDHB ESCs can help you manage ongoing EQC/insurance issues. Click here for more information. Resilience building Being active is a proven way to build personal resilience – so why not get together with a colleague and be more active this winter. We have around 20 yoga, Zumba and Pilates classes running each week across main CDHB sites. Click here for more information. For more information on all wellbeing initiatives visit the Staff Wellbeing Programme intranet page.
Andy Hearn, Staff Wellbeing Coordinator Canterbury and West Coast DHB Phone: 03 337 7394 | Ext: 66394 | Mobile: 027 218 4924 andy.hearn@cdhb.health.nz
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CEO Update
Annual Artist Doctors & Friends Concert Saturday 5 September 2015 It is not too late to join in. Practice is about to start. Singers, dancers, comedians, groups, instrumentalists. Get your act together! Visit our website Artistdoctors.org.nz Or email is at enquiries@artistdoctors.org.nz Event Organiser Ros McCarthy Ph. 364 1104 M. 027 353 2639
Zero fees
Healthy individuals, connected wha ¯ nau, inclusive communities He tangata ora, he wha ¯ nau kotahi, he hapori manaaki
Needhelp helpwith withEarthquake EarthquakeIssues? Issues? Need
for
under-13s From 1 July 2015 children under 13: • are no longer charged a fee for visits at most general practices
Free Earthquake Earthquake Support Service Free Support Coordination Coordination Service
Earthquake Support Coordinators are available to help people and their families directly affected by the Canterbury earthquakes. Earthquake Support Coordinators can: • Support you to work out what needs to be done for you, your family and/or a family member and make a plan • Provide relevant information • Support connection with relevant services • Coordinate meetings between you and the experts. They can meet with you anywhere you choose – your home, workplace or ...
• are no longer charged the regular $5 prescription fee
They can connect you to services that provide (but are not limited to):
• have access to zero fees after-hours care.
• Legal, EQC and insurance help • Repairs • Accommodation assistance • Counselling support and social services • Financial assistance or information • Health services • Winter heating advice • School or childcare support • Translation services • Environmental and infrastructure information. The support provided is based on your individual circumstances.
For advice or to request an Earthquake Support Coordinator,
Call: (03) 371 5598
After hours assistance available
or Email: earthquake.support @richmond.org.nz
TO FIND OUT MORE
ASK your GP or nurse
TALK to your pharmacist
CALL Healthline on 0800 611 116
VISIT www.health.govt.nz/ visiting-a-doctor
HP 6203 July 2015
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