Monday 8 December 2014: 5 moments of Hand Hygiene – are we a safety-focused organisation? After receiving the latest Hand Hygiene New Zealand National Hand Hygiene Performance Report this week, I found myself considering whether we are truly a safety-focused organisation? There are so many parts of what we do as part of the Canterbury Health System that provides superb patient focused care. However this latest report highlights an area where we are letting both ourselves and our patients down. We can do better! The latest Hand Hygiene New Zealand National Hand Hygiene Performance Report for DHBs was released this week. I was surprised and disappointed to see that our compliance with the 5 moments of hand hygiene has dropped. Take the time to do the right thing The World Health Organization states that cleaning your hands is the single most important thing you can do to stop the spread of disease. It’s not rocket science, but it does take time. Our patients rightly expect us, as a health organisation, to pay meticulous attention to infection control and hand hygiene is a vital part of this. I encourage all patients to feel empowered to ask everyone involved in their care whether they’ve cleaned their hands. Hand hygiene is one of the most important measures in the fight against health care-acquired infections, making it a key patient safety issue within our health system. International evidence is clear that improved hand hygiene practices help reduce health care-acquired infections, including antibiotic-resistant infections within hospitals. What are you doing to improve patient safety? The majority of you are observing the “5 moments”. However, we all need to make this “just the way we do things around here” – not something that we choose not to do! Everyone is accountable to ensure optimum patient safety. Hand hygiene is an important part of this. Patient Safety should be the first agenda item at every clinical team meeting. Hand gel (or alcohol based hand rub – to be precise) should be on the end of every patient’s bed or in the bed space. Given the known effectiveness of good hand hygiene on patient care and outcomes it is hard to think of a good reason why the compliance rate (with the “5 moments”) should not be set at 100%. The target is currently 70% rising to 80% next March. Our latest compliance rate of 62% highlights that good effective hand hygiene is not YET part of our culture. We owe it to our patients and those that entrust their care to us that we are doing everything to keep them safe and enable the best possible recovery. I am looking forward to seeing a significant improvement in our performance in the next report. 5 moments Expect to see and hear more about Hand Hygiene over the comThe Five Moments are those key ing weeks and months. A group of CDHB staff recently visited times when staff can dramatically Waikato DHB who have seen significant improvement in their hand reduce the risk of spreading inhygiene performance over the past year. They achieved this while fection, simply by washing hands major construction was going on around them. There are no excuses thoroughly or applying alcoholfor not doing the right thing. We will be looking to adopt some of their based hand rub: initiatives to help improve our hand hygiene practices. Moment 1 - before patient contact Moment 2 - before procedure See over the page for the “5 moments” poster – perhaps you could Moment 3 - after procedure or body print it and display it in your work area as a reminder. fluid exposure risk Moment 4 - after patient contact Have a great week Moment 5 - after contact with David patient surroundings.
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Monday’s Facilities Fast Facts Burwood Time capsule for Burwood: A steel time-capsule, similar to one made for the Christchurch Hospital Centuries of Care celebrations, will eventually be installed in the new main entrance and reception area at Burwood Health Campus. Inside this we'd like to create a mini -museum reflecting life at both The Princess Margaret Hospital and Burwood Hospital. Staff, patients and visitors are encouraged to contribute ideas for items to be included. These could be current technology, news clippings or letters, photos from a special event, newspapers, etc that you could pass on to use. Thank you to those who have contributed to this project already. Please email your idea of what you would like to see included in the capsule to itsallhappening@cdhb.health.nz The ward blocks are well on the way to completion, as the photo above right shows, with much of the precast concrete panelling now in place. For comparison, the architect’s drawing is below the photo. More concrete pours are planned for the central area of the ward blocks, on Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 December. As usual, residents have been informed.
Christchurch Construction updates for the week ahead There may be some traffic disruption at the entrance to Christchurch Women’s and Hagley Outpatients this coming fortnight, owing to work on the sewer main under the roadway. The work is scheduled to last until 18 December. At the back of the site, there will be some vibration and noise at the rear of Christchurch Women’s Hospital associated with sheet piling work. Sheet piling – pushing sheets of metal into the ground – is needed to shore up the sides of the large excavations for new underground sewage and diesel tanks. Staff in areas likely to be affected have been notified about the trial. There will also be noise associated with forthcoming concrete removal near the Oncology building, and demolition of a service tunnel and manhole between Oncology and the Oral Health building. Again, staff have been notified. Continues on the following page... Friday 148 March Monday December 20142014
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Watch the Kaikoura IFHC rebuild Among the many rebuild projects underway at Canterbury DHB is the new Kaikoura Integrated Family Health Centre. The $13 million Centre will replace the old hospital and provide facilities for primary care, aged care, acute care, maternity care, radiology services and trauma stabilisation. It’s a complex staged development as the original building, some parts of which are over 100 years old, will be slowly demolished as new areas are built. Arrow International is the main contractor for the work. You can see the building going up, as well as checking out some amazing Kaikoura scenery, via the webcam on the CDHB website. Visit the home page and click on the It’s All Happening button then on the Kaikioura Integrated Family Health Centre tab.
CEO Update publication dates over the Christmas/New Year period CEO Updates will be published on Monday 15 and 22 December, resuming again on Monday 12 January 2015. Deadline for contributions is the Thursday prior ie Thursday 18 December and Thursday 8 January. Please send your contributions to communications@cdhb.health.nz
Monday 8 December 2014
Bouquets Hospital volunteers, Christchurch Hospital Last week I had to go to the hospital to check on a St John volunteer taken to the hospital and later admitted to the ICU. When my colleague and I arrived we were very grateful to be approached by one of the hospital volunteers stationed at the entrance. She was fantastic. She not only directed us but she took us to the lifts we needed to get into. This is such a great service and takes all the stress out of getting around the hospital. You and you team are to be commended! St John, South Island Region Cardiology Day Unit, Christchurch Hospital Lovely staff in CDU, very welcoming and informative. Hats off to the staff. Medical Day Unit, Christchurch Hospital I would like to thank the staff in the MDU, especially Helen and Andrew and his team in DSA, Radiology (Digital Subtraction Angiography). The all made a difficult day go very smoothly and they gave me the best Christmas present ever. Thanks heaps guys, you are all amazing. Christchurch Hospital Coming from Timaru, I am so happy with how the people in Christchurch look after one another. Best hospital we have ever been to. Thank you beautiful people of Christchurch. Ward 11, Christchurch Hospital Excellent care – awesome nurses and staff! Professional and caring. Couldn’t ask for better. Plastic Surgery, Christchurch Hospital Great team, great treatment. Thank you. God bless you all. Ward 23, Christchurch Hospital Well looked after. Nick the porter was great, he was gentle going over bumps and had a great sense of humour. Make a bad day feel better. Matt the doctor was caring and paid attention to what I was saying. All the team I had were great, you should be proud of them. Park and Ride Shuttle, Christchurch Hospital Having received nothing but superb care and service, but hearing that people were actually complaining, felt compelled to say something. Parking can be horrendous around the hospital and the “Brewery” carpark is a perfect (albeit temporary) solution. Of special mention though must be the courtesy and care of what can only be handpicked drivers. THANK YOU! Keep up the great work and try not to be affected by the complainers. Park and Ride Shuttle, Christchurch Hospital My journey was made very pleasant thanks to the park n ride shuttle service. I was very impressed with this system. It had me here early and without the stress and time consuming business of trying to find a park and walking a long distance. The driver was pleasant, kind and very professional. I was impressed by his encouraging words to my fellow passengers as he dropped them off. Please convey my thanks to him.
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Canterbury Medical Grand Round Friday 12 December 2014, 12.15-1.15pm (lunch from 11.50am) Venue: Rolleston Lecture Theatre Speaker: Dr Kotton is Clinical Director, Transplant and Immunocompromised Host, Infectious Diseases Massachusetts General Hospital, Title: “Transplant brings out the most interesting of infections” Dr Kotton is from the Infectious Diseases Division at the Massachusetts General Hospital and has very broad and deep experience of infectious complications of organ bone marrow transplants which she will address. Chair: Rick Acland Convenor: Ruth.Spearing@cdhb.health.nz DVD Recordings available within two weeks on majority of sessions Video Conference set up in: • Burwood Meeting Room • Meeting Room, Level 1 PMH • Wakanui Room, Ashburton • Telemedicine Room, Admin. Building 6 – Hillmorton
Neuroengineer & Neuroscientist elevated to Fellow Professor Richard Jones, Senior Biomedical Engineer from our Medical Physics & Bioengineering team and Director of the Christchurch Neurotechnology Research Programme has had his membership of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) elevated to Fellow (FIEEE). The IEEE is the world’s leading professional association for advancing technology for humanity. It has 400,000 members in 160 countries. IEEE states that “IEEE Fellow is a distinction reserved for select IEEE members whose extraordinary accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest are deemed fitting of this prestigious grade elevation.” Richard’s elevation has been awarded ‘for contributions to human performance engineering and neurorehabilitation’. He is one of only two IEEE members awarded this distinction in New Zealand in the current round. In addition to his CDHB role Richard has appointments at both Canterbury and Otago universities. Right: Professor Richard Jones.
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Neonatal Charge Nurse takes top award Bubbly Neonatal Charge Nurse Manager Debbie O’Donoghue has just won Neonatal Nurse of the year. Originally from the United Kingdom, Debbie has worked 30 years in nursing – 25 of those in neonatal (we can hear you say that she must have started very, very young!) Her career has included 17 years in leadership roles within Canterbury neonatal nursing and she has held the position of Neonatal Charge Nurse Manager at Christchurch Women’s Hospital for the last five of those. In addition she has contributed as chair and former chair and committee member of Neonatal Nurses College of Aotearoa. Debbie says she was genuinely very surprised that she had been nominated. “The award is humbling , I am only too aware that there is a wealth of worthy recipients out there within the field of neonatal nursing in NZ, my contribution to neonatal nursing as detailed is different to that of a clinical role but I believe is so important to the future of our care practices,” she says. Debbie’s commitment and passion is evident in the way she advocates for her neonatal team. She is proactive and encourages nurses to take advantage of education opportunities and is a strong supporter of the PDRP programme. Debbie says she feels she has made a difference when she is able to assist in any way to showcase the wonderful work neonatal nurses do and how important a speciality it is. “Although this is a national award, a lot of my drive in recent times is as a result of what has happened in Canterbury and how that has affected my team. “Aligned with the demands that have been placed on us as a service, and that time and time again we have upheld the high quality standards of care and supports as a mulitdisciplinary team to the families in our care, is something we need to be very proud of.” From left: Jacqui McKanny - Fisher and Paykell Business Manager, Debbie O’Donoghue and Jane Bocock—Executive committee member of the neonatal nurses college aotearoa (NNCA).
Order your Christmas cards 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. Electronic versions for emailing will be available next week. If you would like to order printed copies please send an email to natasha.capon@cdhb.health.nz.
Monday 8 December 2014
Quality Accounts – a snapshot on how we’re doing The third edition of the Canterbury Health System Quality Accounts have been published. The Quality Accounts provide a snapshot of how the Canterbury Health System is meeting the needs of our community and we hope you will take a moment to check how we are doing. David Meates, Canterbury DHB chief executive says the Quality Accounts demonstrate the Canterbury Health System’s commitment to high quality health care. “It also shows how we are progressing with continuous quality improvement and how we monitor quality and safety. It highlights our successes, what we have learned and our future plans,” David says. This year’s Quality Accounts has 10 key areas: • • • • • • • • • •
Consumer experience Preventing harm Fewer people needing hospital care People are seen and treated early People are supported to stay well Living within our means Equity Improving end of life care It’s all happening – facilities developments How we measure up
The key areas support the health system’s goal to keep people healthy and well in their own homes and communities. Additional sections including ‘Consumer experience’ ‘’It’s all happening’ and ‘How we measure up’ are important development areas for Canterbury. “‘It’s all happening’ is our section detailing the facilities redevelopment and ‘How we measure up’ tracks our performance with the National Health Targets and the Quality and Safety Markers set by the Health Quality and Safety Commission. It also outlines our focus for the coming year.” The Quality Accounts require health care providers to give an account for the quality of their services in a similar way to financial accounts showing how an organization used its money. The Canterbury DHB Quality Accounts are released and published on our website and intranet. Staff are encouraged to read these online or download a copy. Hard copies will be available for consumers to read in waiting rooms throughout Canterbury DHB hospitals and the community. If you have any feedback about these Quality Accounts and whether they provide relevant and useful information on the quality of health services being delivered in Canterbury, please email qualityaccounts@cdhb.health.nz or write to Susan Wood, Director Quality and Patient Safety, Canterbury DHB, PO Box 1600, Christchurch.
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Fairy tale magic comes to the Activity Room Linwood College year 10 fabric class made a special visit to Christchurch Hospital's Activity Room on a very wet Friday last week to drop off a special donation. The pupils have gifted a collection of hand-made fairy tale inspired dress up costumes. The Fairy Tale Project was started by Bridget Allen. Bridget says she started the project after seeing the joy that is brought to children after having a fairy dress made for them, seeing the imaginary world that is created, and thinking how children who are in hospital would benefit from this. “The Fairy Tale Project took this to the community. Fabric was donated in the form of off cuts of curtains.” A workshop was held at Linwood College with the support of the school and year 10 students. “The students showed so much enthusiasm that many came into school for the weekend workshop,” Bridget says. “The best part of the workshop was watching the thought that the students put into designing the dress ups. Thank you to all those who gave up their time to make dress ups for the children in Christchurch hospital.” Allie Bower, Activity Room Team Leader, says the costumes are a very creative and generous gift. "I'm sure the children who come to play in the Activity Room will get loads of use out of these fantastic costumes. "Children just love to dress up and these costumes are really brilliant." Below: (Left to right) Renee Lopez; Jaymee White; Ms Tama Tait; Rhiannon Bramley; Keziah Thompson; Feenix Graham; Ms Stringer; Seini Tagicakiuerata; TeAoMarama Davis; (Centre) Bridget Allen with daughters Lauren (5) and Lucia (7) Gray.
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Key messages & summary from the Alliance Leadership Team (ALT) The following provides a brief summary and the key messages from the most recent CCN Alliance Leadership Team (ALT) meeting on 24 November 2014. For further information, contact the relevant facilitator or the CCN Programme Office (details below). Child & Youth (C&Y) Health Presentation –Dr Nicola Austin and Wayne Turp – Project leads for the C&Y Health workstream joined the meeting and presented on recent activity and progress. 14 key areas of activity and 50 initial objectives reflected the scale of child and youth health issues prioritised by the group over the past three years. Active collaboration between health and other sector partners (in particular education) has been identified as a key success factor for the C&Y Health workstream, resulting in child and youth pathway development and the preparation and rollout of the Children’s Action Plan. In respect to the Children’s Action Plan; a major focus for the next 6-12 months will be the establishment of a Christchurch Children’s team to provide a cross-agency response for vulnerable and at-risk children. Laboratory SLA Presentation –Carolyn Gullery and Dr Carol Horgan – Chair and Project Facilitator for the Laboratory Service Level Alliance (Lab SLA) provided an update to the ALT on progress with the Lab SLA. Overseeing the integration of two laboratory services (Canterbury Health Laboratories and Canterbury SCL) the Lab SLA provides a platform for driving common Information Technology enablers, service delivery and quality standards and a fair distribution of services across both labs. Upcoming priorities include eOrdering; eRegistration; the development of a common doctor database and a data warehouse for joint reporting and analysis. Carolyn Gullery will be stepping down from the Chair role but will remain on the SLA. A process to select a new clinical Chair from within the SLA is underway. System Level Dashboard – Dr Greg Hamilton joined the meeting to present the Q1 System level outcomes. CCN draft Q1 Report – ALT endorsed the draft CCN Q1 report. Available on the CCN Website linked here: http://www.ccnweb.org.nz/Home/PublicReports.aspx (scroll to the bottom of the list). ALT noted that in Q1, 722 Brief Intervention Counselling (BIC) sessions were delivered to young people aged 12-19 in primary care settings (that is over half the targeted total numbers for the 2014/15 year). Carolyn Gullery reported that the CDHB has recognised the increase in demand in mental health services and are taking active steps to support service delivery.
Summary of other items discussed CCN Programme Leaders Report – Click here to view the report Standing Orders Development Group Terms of Reference – ALT endorsed the Canterbury West Coast Standing Orders Development Group Terms of Reference. Pharmacy SLA Membership Proposal – ALT endorsed the PSLA membership change proposal i.e. Professor Stephen Duffull to fill the vacancy for the Academic Pharmacist on the PSLA. CCN Risk Registers – The CSSLA and Immunisation SLA risk registers were noted CCN Programme Office Activity Dashboard – ALT noted the CCN Programme Office Activity Dashboard
Items for Noting CDHB CE Update – Health Literacy Resource - noted Departure of Dr Martin Seers – ALT acknowledged and thanked Dr Martin Seers for his active participation on the Alliance Leadership Team since its inception in 2009. Professor Les Toop is his confirmed replacement.
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Introducing CDHB’s Patient Information Care System team This is a collaborative, region-wide project being progressed through the South Island Alliance (all five SI DHBs) with technical delivery through our strategic alliance partners, Orion Health and in order to succeed we have our own local team whose job it is to make PICS a success here in Canterbury. It’s always good to put a face to a role and better still to know who’s running the show and who to contact with your thoughts and feedback. So, here’s a who’s who of SI PICS:
Programme Management Team Kelly Turpin Programme Manager As Programme Manager, I have the overall responsibility for delivering a working solution for CDHB. I manage the programme schedule, resources, risks, issues, budget, communications and documentation - all with the goal of keeping the project on time and under budget. I've worked in several other large hospital system implementations in the US and there is nothing more exciting to me than seeing the efficiencies new technology can bring to a clinical environment. This project is especially rewarding because of the direct impact it will have on improving the patient flow as well as patient experience. PICS isn’t just for the patients, it will provide significant benefits for staff too!
Shannon de Bruin Project Coordinator As the Project Coordinator for the team, I get to work with details, dates and information that helps the team coordinate activities. This is a vast project, with many complexities, and yet every detail is based on the simple overarching focus - improving the patient journey. It is exciting to be part of something that will have such a big impact on our community.
Harrick Snow Transformation Lead I am responsible for the people side of change. I have a passion for people and aim to support the organisational change environment to facilitate people’s transition from the current to the future state.
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Technical Team Elliot Heffer-Lawson Technical Delivery Manager As the Technical Delivery Manager I oversee the techy aspects of the project such as data migration and hardware. Coming from a Tech Support background, I know the pain people have gone through with the old systems and look forward to delivering a much more comprehensive and friendlier system in PICS.
Dusty Ellof Business Systems Analyst As a Business System Analyst in the PICS team my role is to analyse each aspect of data on each system currently being used and how this is being integrated into the PICS system to ensure a smooth transition. It is great to be part of such an important project and hope to see the results of the team’s work benefitting many people in the future.
Operational Team Jason Elley Senior Business Systems Analyst My role currently sees me working across the organisation mapping current business processes; looking for opportunities for process improvement and at the challenges that SIPICS will present when it goes live. I’m looking forward to the having a single system across the CDHB (and region) and the many benefits that it will present. With a background in both Physiotherapy and Information Technology I’m passionate about using IT to help improve the healthcare we provide. Helen Ramsey Business Process Analyst My role is one that involves process improvement. The Business Process Analyst is responsible for understanding and mapping current processes, helping staff identify inefficient ones, offering improvement opportunities, and automating them where possible. The PICS team want to make life significantly easier for patients and staff. I work on the theory that short is sweet. Continues on the following page... Monday 8 December 2014
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Frances Mansell Business Process Analyst I am a Business Process Analyst who likes to sort both tangible and intangible aspects of life to make them as simple as possible. I recently moved from the fish Maui pulled up, to be part of this exciting project. While the constantly changing road works here give my brain and vocal cords a daily workout, the future promise of streamlined patient systems soothes and allows me to sleep at night.
SI PICS open office comes to Burwood The CDHB PICS Project team are holding an open office from 9 ‘til 11 am on Thursday 11 December in the Spinal Seminar Room on the Burwood Campus. Drop in and take part in an interactive demonstration of SI PICS and have your questions answered. Quote from Dan Coward, GM Older Persons, Ortho & Rehabilitation: “PICS isn’t an optional project for CDHB, our current systems are failing us in patient care. This is what we need to equip us for the future.”
Quality and Patient Safety Presentation Presenter: Erik Hollnagel Topic: Resilience Engineering: learning from what goes right (video presentation) Risks change, they are dynamic and can’t be eliminated. In our efforts to eliminate risk, we focus on unacceptable outcomes, but rarely ask why acceptable outcomes occur. We need to examine our successes, and not just failures alone, and the science of resilience engineering focuses on how we manage the “expected” rather than the “unexpected” alone. Erik Hollnagel is Professor at the Institute of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Chief Consultant at the Centre for Quality, Region of South Denmark, Visiting Professorial Fellow at the University of New South Wales (Australia), and Professor Emeritus at the Department of Computer Science, University of Linkoping. Venue: Oncology Lecture Theatre Date: 11 December Time: 1pm to 2pm An attendance record sheet will be provided. Please contact Shona.MacMillan@cdhb.health.nz, Quality Manager
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Canterbury and West Coast paediatrician wanting to make information systems better for patient transfers John Garrett Christchurch Hospital Paediatrician is looking to take make it easy for clinicians to communicate information when transferring patients around the country. Dr Garrett was recently one of three finalists who made a submission to this year’s Clinician’s Challenge, which aims to promote the use of information systems in health, and to encourage clinicians to identify ways technology can improve their clinical practice and improve patient outcomes. He was awarded runner up and won $5000 for his work, which he presented to the judges at the Health Informatics New Zealand Conference. His submission suggested improvements to the way consultations and information are recorded and transferred when staff at smaller hospitals seek support or transfer from their colleagues in larger centres in relation to unwell neonates and children. The idea has subsequently attracted interest from the National Burns Service, which is keen to get on board and be part of the project. “It’s really great that the National Burns Service has shown an interest in implementing this idea in their service. Often serious burns patients have multiple clinicians involved in their care and require a transfer to either Christchurch or Auckland, but details around clinical decisions aren't always recorded or exchanged as effectively as they could be.” Dr Garrett is now looking for a way to use the funds to make his idea a reality, and is seeking some IT expertise. Anyone who thinks they might be able to help should contact John on 027 2629886 or at john.garrett@cdhb.health.nz. The aim is to ensure information relevant to the consultation on a patient is recorded electronically in a standardised web based and mobile device accessible format, operating through the Connected Health Network, by the clinicians working together to look after the patient. Dr Garrett wants to be able to apply that thinking to a system the National Burns Service can use. “For it to work it needs to be easy for clinicians to use. It also needs to be secure access to maintain patient privacy,” he says. Other key features include: Pre population of demographic data based on NHI Pre population of contact data based on referrer location Integration with other tools such as the PICU Emergency Drug Dose Calculator and PEWS (Paediatric Early Warning Score) observation charts. The ability to produce a suitably formatted version of the information that can be sent electronically to the referrer so they have an accurate copy of, in particular, the treatment plan. In this format information could also be forwarded to others involved in the patients care. The ability to be updated throughout the patient’s treatment. The ability to be integrated with the patient’s electronic medical record. The ability to support audits. The ability for the above to be done in such a way as to maintain patient data and network security.
Right: Clinicians’ Challenge winner Dr Tom Morton (left) with runners-up Dr John Garrett (centre) and Dr Allister Williams Monday 8 December 2014
Putting the patient in patient portal Canterbury’s trial of its Patient Portal has come to a successful conclusion. As you may recall the trial was to last nominally three months, ending in early November. However, for the 33 health pioneers who took part in the trial, the portal will remain available, at least until phase two yields a new and improved version. The scope of the trial narrowed during the recruitment phase and in the end, for practical reasons, volunteer patients came exclusively from secondary care. Clinicians from long-term care disciplines shoulder-tapped people who were willing to engage and likely to get something from the trial, or from a developed patient portal in the future. The next iteration of patient portal will need to be thoroughly tested with both clinicians and patients in the primary care sector. Together with the 33 patients who signed up, 19 clinicians were able to see what the patient sees and could give us feedback from a clinical perspective. Executive sponsor for the Patient Portal, Stella Ward says clinicians have been excited by the prospect of working more closely with their patients. “We have only recently collated their feedback but in general clinicians could see clear benefits for the patients who took part in the trial, who mostly had complex needs and would be more used to managing their own health. Clinicians were also constructively honest about what we need to do to make a better patient portal.” To ensure people receiving care for a chronic long-term condition were part of the mix, Nephrology were asked to nominate patients that might be interested in taking part in the trial. A number of their patients were enthusiastic about being able to monitor their condition, for example by checking their monthly blood test results against their normal range. Nephrology specialist Dr Nick Cross says most of their dialysis patients know what’s okay for them and those that undergo home dialysis have had training in interpreting their test results. “Home dialysis patients in particular are very engaged in looking after themselves and our aim is to support them to be experts in their own care. Being able to access their test results will help keep them informed and that information may alter what they do, leading to better outcomes for them.”
Here are some of the comments from patients themselves. They come directly from interviews between the patient and their clinician and are anonymous to protect patient privacy. The main voice is that of the clinician reporting on their conversation with the patient: “One patient said that to be able to access her results was ‘Amazing, fabulous and exhilarating!’ She is very happy with it. Another says ‘Brilliant! Really good.’ She used to get lab results sent to her in the mail and they would take from a week to 10 days. Now she usually gets them back mid-afternoon on the day she had the lab work, or at the latest the next day.” “The patient was more interested in knowing more details so he said the portal was a great way of being able to see results and compare them previous results and go more in depth.” Lastly: “A patient uses it for looking at x rays, though they recognise they may not always be able to understand what they see.” Executive sponsor Stella Ward summed up by saying, “Our experience from the trial and perhaps more importantly, the patient experience, tells us that developing our patient portal is absolutely the right thing to do. Empowering people to take charge of their own health is one of our strategic goals. What really mattered here is that the trial proved that people, and clinicians, want that too.”
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Raising money for children in hospital Friends of Children in Hospital, Christchurch, held a Christmas cake stall and food hamper raffle last week. Friends of Children in Hospital was formed in 1988 and incorporated in 1990, holds two stalls a year, one in June and one in December, raising funds to help children and their families in hospital. Spokeswoman, Janine Randle, says they also raise money through grant applications. Money raised has fitted televisions, provided meal vouchers and taxi chits. “We provide 24 areas with sticker boxes and update these every two to three months. We also provide and update 15 distraction boxes of toys around the wards and departments where children are.� Toys, books, intravenous poles for the outreach service, chair beds and cot and parent bed blankets, lamps, fans, sipper cups, toddler spoons, a parent washing machine and dryer, are just some of the other items the organisation has provided. Friends of Children in Hospital is always looking for new members. Please see brochure for information on how to join.
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Nurse remembered for her positive attitude Colleagues, friends and family farewelled Ophthalmology Nurse, Gaeleen Smith, at her funeral last week. Gaeleen died on November 15 after a brave four year battle with cancer. All the staff in the Eye Clinic at Christchurch Hospital, where Gaeleen worked for many years, would like to acknowledge the amazing contribution she made to the department. Gaeleen began work at Christchurch Hospital in the Eye Ward, Ward 31, as it was then, in the late 1980s and continued to work there when wards 31 and 32 were combined to become the ENT and Eye Ward. Later Gaeleen moved to the Eye Outpatient Department where she continued to work, her service only interrupted by family commitments and illness, until she resigned due to ill health in 2013. Gaeleen was a much valued and trusted member of the department, gave great support to everyone and was loved by all, including the patients. She had a wonderfully caring attitude and was “a born nurse”. Ophthalmology Nurse, Claire Ballantyne, said Gaeleen was a Gaeleen Smith lovely person who had a great sense of humour. She was great fun to be with especially at social events and conferences. Gaeleen had a very positive attitude and we all admired the way in which she dealt with her illness. She was a fighter right to the end trying not to let her condition prevent her from living life to the full. “We enjoyed and valued the opportunity over recent months to catch up and chat with Gaeleen over lunch or coffee.” Gaeleen was a person with a love for life and was very proud of her family, husband Wayne, and sons Hamish and Cullum, and always had a story to tell. “We will miss you Gaeleen and our thoughts and love are with your family.”
User Account Management – enrol now CDHB staff are now able to reset their own passwords and get back into the computer if they’ve been locked out, without having to contact the service desk. This new self service option enables you to sort this out yourself through a series of simple instructions. To make sure you can achieve this self-service status you need to enrol – do it now and save yourself frustration later. The following information is up on our intranet – how to:
Enrol / update with User Account Management Unlock your account and reset your password Update your phone book/ enrolled mobile number and other internal phone book numbers.
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Patient tours of Radiation Oncology Department to begin in 2015 From January 2015 the Radiation Oncology Department will be offering tours for patients and their families. Annie Sievers, radiation therapist says, the idea is to get patients comfortable with the equipment and the process before they have to come in for their initial radiation therapy appointment and therefore hopefully reduce anxiety around these appointments. The tour will allow patients and families to see the treatment machines, learn about radiation therapy planning and treatment processes and what they may need to do before their treatment. This is followed by a meet and greet with the cancer society who will provide details of all the support they can offer to patients and their families. Staff from other specialties, working with patients who may need radiation treatment are asked to pass on the attached invitation. “Hopefully this will help reduce stress levels at a time that can be very difficult for patients and their families,” says Annie. The tours are every second Tuesday of the month at 7pm. Participants need to meet at Christchurch Hospital’s main entrance.
Staff Wellbeing Programme: Thanks and Merry Christmas A huge thanks to all the instructors and volunteers who have helped us run the Staff Wellbeing Programme in 2014. With your help we’ve run a wide range of initiatives that have supported many staff during a challenging year. We have some exciting plans for 2015, so keep an eye out for more information in global emails, CEO Update and via the Staff Wellbeing Programme intranet page Finish / start dates for classes Please speak to your instructor to find out when classes finish for the year. Most classes will restart in the first week of February but there are some exceptions. Your instructor will advise you and we’ll update information on our intranet page early in the new year Free counselling available for all staff – EAP Services For more information click here or 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
Monday 8 December 2014
These great opportunities... Lean Coach We're on the hunt for a talented expert to 'Lean' up the Canterbury Health System! Partnering with an experienced Pharmacist, this 12 month project will predominantly see you work in the community, rolling out Lean initiatives within local pharmacies to improve workflow and increase capacity. Pharmacist time will be freed up to focus on patient care initiatives, particularly for those with long term conditions. Unique to Canterbury and already implemented across 15 pharmacies, this programme aims to roll out to more pharmacies across the region. This role will also help support service improvement initiatives across the Canterbury Health System and build capability, focussing on our key priority areas and patient flow. To find out more about this exciting project view the full advertisement online or contact Stacey Flintoff, Recruitment Specialist on (03) 378 6676 or email stacey.flintoff@cdhb.health.nz
Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Coordinator The Canterbury Eye Service has a unique opportunity for Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Coordinator to join their team. If you embrace change and enjoy a fast paced environment, look no further. This autonomous role will see you working in an outpatient setting ensuring best eye health outcomes for people with diabetes. A qualified health care practitioner you may be a Nurse, Optometrist, or Orthoptist. A high level of computer literacy is essential. To find out more view the full advertisement online or contact Steph Keene, Recruitment Specialist – Nursing, on (03) 378 6252 or email stephanie.keene@cdhb.health.nz
Financial Analyst Excellent opportunity for an experienced Financial Analyst to provide valued financial support and analysis! You’ll have the opportunity to put your analytical skills to good use by assisting with the ongoing functions of the Corporate Finance Department. This will include extracting and analysing primarily payroll information, but also other financial information, assisting with monitoring costs and trends, monitoring KPI information, and responding to ad hoc analytical requests. This is an exciting time to be joining our team as we support the business through change, and play your part in making a difference to the Canterbury Health System. To find out more view the full advertisement online or contact Stacey Flintoff, Recruitment Specialist, phone (03) 378 6676, email stacey.flintoff@cdhb.health.nz
Want to know more about roles available at the Canterbury District Health Board?
Visit https://cdhb.careercentre.net.nz Monday 8 December 2014
ONE MINUTE WITH… Kat Forrester, Registered Nurse, Gynaecology What does your job involve? Maintenance of lady bits. We’re vagicians. Why did you choose to work in this field? Initially my interest was in sexual health, but gynaecology was a natural progression. I still have a large educative role, especially in the Gynaecology Assessment Unit, with the young girls who come in who you get to play mother hen to and give them a stern talking to. There’s a massive variety of clientele right across the life spectrum so it’s pretty cool. What do you like about it? I love the women. You’re actually making a gloriously positive change to many women’s lives. It’s so refreshing to work in a health area where the patients aren’t generally sick per se, but have been struggling with debilitating symptoms for years and years. What are the challenging bits? Political hierarchy, administration and bureaucracy. I really struggle with it. Who do you most admire in a professional capacity at work and why? Ground breaking, positive thinkers who challenge established internal systems. The last book I read was… I’m currently reading I am Malala which is Malala Yousafzai’s biography. She has just won the Nobel peace prize making her the youngest recipient ever. What a chick. If I could be anywhere in the world right now it would be… Fairy spotting in Iceland. I’ve always wanted to go there, mainly because of the outrageous musical genius of the place. It strikes me as so eclectic and liberal. My ultimate Sunday would involve… Sleeping in late then having a big fry up brekkie at home. Go flying over Banks Peninsula and finish with tossing rugby balls on the beach. One food I really dislike is… Blue food. Anything coloured blue grosses me out. My favourite music is… Anything that I can jump around in my kitchen to. I am currently frothing on Foster the People’s new album. I’m always keen on hearing something exciting from different artists. If you would like to take part in this column or would like to nominate someone please contact Naomi.Gilling@cdhb.health.nz.
Above: Kat Forrester.
Monday 8 December 2014
In brief Corporate Accounts Department Christmas Shut Down The Corporate Accounts Department will be shutting down over the Christmas period. Their last day of work will be Tuesday 23 December 2014 and they will reopen Monday 5 January 2015. For Accounts Payable The 20 of the month payment run for December will be done on Monday 22 December 2014. This will also be the last payment run until Thursday 8 January 2015. To ensure invoices are in the system for this final payment run they must be received into the Accounts Department no later than 12 o’clock (Noon) on Thursday 18 December 2014. To ensure all overseas payments are made before the Christmas Closedown all foreign currency invoices that are to be paid on the 20 December must be in accounts no later than Tuesday 16 December 2014. For Accounts Receivable The Accounts receivable ledger will be unavailable from 3pm on 23 December but open again for both invoicing and receipting from 24 December until 3pm 31 December when it will close for month end. Accounts anticipate that the Accounts receivable ledger will be open for the January period early on 6 January 2015. They will e-mail users as soon as it is open.
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DHB Whanau Ora Update No 28 - November 2014 The 28th issue of Te Kete Hauora's electronic newsletter has been published, providing District Health Boards with WhÄ nau Ora updates. Read newsletter Previous newsletters are available online at the National Service Framework Library.
Read the latest SCIRT news here
Monday 8 December 2014
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch & SMHS, CDHB Tuesday Clinical Meeting Date and time: Tuesday 9 December 2014, 12:30pm – 1:30pm Venue: Beaven Lecture Theatre, 7th Floor, School of Medicine Building Title: "Accentuate the Negative: The Case of a Young Rehab Patient with Predominantly Negative Symptomatology". Presenter: Drs Jill Buchan and Chris Romann Chair: Dr Tegwyn Williams Special notes These meetings will be held on a weekly basis (except during school holidays) and the details of the next meeting will be emailed to you in advance. A light lunch will be served at the School of Medicine venue 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 & Family Inpatient Unit, Ground Floor. Access is from the main reception at PMH. For Hillmorton attendees the venue is the Telemedicine Room, 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.
Nursing Research Series Friday 12 December Oncology Lecture Theatre | Christchurch Hospital | Ground Floor 1230-1300 Come along and listen to Trudy Keer-keer talk on her research “The lived experience of adults with myasthenia gravis: a phenomenological study” The aim of this study was to examine and understand the lived experiences of adults with MG. Thematic analysis revealed that MG affects every aspect of a person’s ‘lifeworld’: their sense of time, body, space and their relationships with others. For information contact Janette Dallas Nurse Manager Professional Practice Development ext. 81689.
Consumer Council update As part of continuing expansion and increased consumer participation across the Canterbury Health System Consumer Council members are actively involved in a number of projects: the Patient Portal Pilot CDHB Health, Quality and Safety looking at falls visual aids which is part of the Falls Prevention Programme and is currently being trialled in a Christchurch Hospital ward – The Falls visual aids project ensures staff and visitors know at a glance what vulnerable patients require to assist them with mobility. Consumer Council members were particularly interested in the language used and advocated for awareness that the use of medical/clinical terms around patient care may have a significant impact on peoples’ status in the community when they leave hospital. Infection Prevention and control board. The Consumer Council are currently recruiting for three new members to represent: 1. Alcohol and Drug Addiction. 2. Chronic Conditions, and 3. Men’s Health Nomination forms for these positions can be accessed by emailing consumercouncil@cdhb.health.nz; if you or someone you know is interested in providing consumer representation for any of the above areas. For any queries relating to the Consumer Council or to request their participation please email consumercouncil@cdhb.health.nz or phone Wayne Turp (03) 364 4130 Monday 8 December 2014