Category: Tairawhiti District Health

Source: Tairawhiti District Health – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Protect your whānau from flu this winter

Now is the time to think about the best way to protect your family/whānau from influenza or the ‘flu’ this winter.

Flu vaccine will be arriving in surgeries and participating pharmacies in this week. April is the best time to get your annual flu shot or immunisation, so you’re protected before flu season strikes in winter. You, or your family/whānau, may even qualify for a free flu shot.

And, yes, this year’s vaccines are expected to offer protection against the strain circulating in the Northern Hemisphere winter this season, and sometimes called the ‘Aussie flu’, that’s been in the media lately. To better match circulating viruses, the two funded quadrivalent influenza vaccines will contain four inactivated virus strains, specially formulated for the New Zealand 2018 season.

You can’t get flu from the vaccine because there are no live viruses in the vaccine.

The staff at Hauora Tairāwhiti will be vaccinated this week. Keeping vulnerable people safe is their highest priority.

Many people we care for are vulnerable and have weakened immune systems, says Obstetrician Dr Sean Pocock

“The elderly and very young children can become very ill with flu. If we pass on the virus, the consequences are often serious. The influenza virus can be anywhere. It is easy to catch through coughs and sneezes and by touching some surfaces. Being fit and healthy won’t stop you getting the flu”.

“Around one in four New Zealanders are infected with flu each year. Eighty percent of those people infected with the flu won’t feel sick at all but can still pass it on to others. This is particularly concerning for people working in health. We would never intentionally work with patients if we knew we had a virus and could be passing it on to someone whose health is already vulnerable. With the flu virus, you may not know.

Flu viruses are mostly spread by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. That’s why it’s important to try and keep several metres from others when you are unwell to reduce the spread of the virus.”

For the last five years, Hauora Tairāwhiti has had the highest percentage of staff immunised against influenza out of all New Zealand district health boards (DHB). 84% of all local DHB staff rolled up their sleeves to protect themselves and the people they care for last year. “This level of caring for our community is one we intend to repeat and extend in 2018 to make a healthier winter for all, says Chief Executive Jim Green.

Where can I get a flu shot?

Flu immunisation is free for Tairāwhiti residents from your doctor, nurse or vaccinating pharmacist (Bramwells, Gordon’s, Sean Shivnan Pharmacies and Pharmacy 53), from April until the end of December, if you’re in one of these groups:

• Anyone aged 65 years or over
• Pregnant women (any stage of pregnancy) 

Pregnant women can also get free flu immunisation from:

• Their midwife at any point in pregnancy
• In the Maternity Unit at Gisborne Hospital
• Gisborne Hospital and Tūranga Health Antenatal Clinic

Flu immunisation is also free from a doctor or nurse if you’re in one of these groups:

• People under 65 years of age (including children) with long-term health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, respiratory disease (including asthma that requires regular preventive therapy), kidney disease and most cancers
• Children aged four and under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness or have a history of significant respiratory illness.

Even if you don’t qualify for free immunisation from your doctor, nurse or pharmacist, you may still be able to get one free from your employer. Flu shots are also available for anyone for a fee from a doctor, nurse or some pharmacists. Please encourage your family/whānau members who can get the free flu shot to see their doctor, nurse or qualified vaccinating pharmacist.

 

 

—

Source: Tairawhiti District Health – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: IPE Students gather at Rongopai Marae

Students studying multiple health disciplines gathered at Rongopai Marae early in the week for an IPE Noho Marae programme that focuses on Maori and rural health. The group was made up of students from three inter-professional education programmes (IPE) in Tairāwhiti, Wairoa and Whakatane.

The idea of the IPE was to attract students back to the regions and the focus is on rural health, Māori health and interprofessional practices, said Wairoa’s clinical nurse manager Sonya Smith.

Five students make up the Wairoa contingent — a medical student, a student of occupational therapy, two pharmacy students and a student studying for a degree in oral health. In Wairoa, the students live in a former nurses’ hostel, the Gisborne students live in accommodation at Gisborne Hospital and in Whakatane the students stay in houses in the community.

Sharing reflections and opinions

Living together is an integral part of the programmes, as it means the students could share their reflections and opinions, she said.

“We also want them to have fun together and get to know each other,” said IPE administrator Rose Schwass. The group visited Rere Falls and enjoyed leisure time before the programme began.

The programme can include up to nine disciplines (medicine, nursing, dental, occupational therapy, oral health, physio, dietetics, pharmacy and social work) and this year in Whakatane there are some students of paramedicine as well as midwifery.

It has been running for six years and so far 36 students have come back to the area to take up jobs in their chosen fields. Community projects are an important part of the IPE, allowing students to give something back to the community. One project done by students last year was the creation of Tu Mahi, a workplace wellness feedback tool. Another project was the production of a sexual health resource targeted at sexually active people from 12-25 years of age.

The group was welcomed on to the marae with a waiata and a kapa haka performance. It is a special cultural experience with a large part of the programme focused on Māori health strategies and Māori concepts relating to health and wellbeing.

Taina Ngarimu was acting as cultural adviser to the group and they also had Māori spiritual healer Wiremu Niania address them yesterday, said programme leader Dr Patrick McHugh.

The Tairāwhiti IPE is affiliated with the University of Otago. A lot of students have not had much contact with Māori, so it was especially meaningful for them, he said.

Visiting Norwegian professor Bente Norbye addressed the group and talked about the similarities between Norway and New Zealand. Ms Norbye works in the faculty of health sciences at The Arctic University of Norway UiT. Her visit is mainly for research and observation of how IPE is delivered here. She is here for five months working out of Wellington as a visiting academic and healthcare educator.

The skills she teaches there are transferable, such as learning to work together with other medical professions and being creative in finding the right solutions. “In the rural sector it is about building relationships and being trustworthy.”

 

—

Source: Tairawhiti District Health – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Sue loves her job after 40 years service

Sue Cranston with her daughters Kylie Dowding and Kimberley Cranston.

After 40 years dedicated service to nursing, many of those years spent supporting children and whānau in Tairāwhiti Sue Cranston still loves her job.

A highlight of Sue’s career has been working in Planet Sunshine and contributing to many improvements to the service. Sue is the Paediatric Quality and Education Coordinator. “I am passionate about improving the quality of care to our children and families and being able to contribute to making improvements for staff. I work with a great team of people who show respect, care and work well together.”

She is known as the lady of the night in reference to her many years of service in Planet Sunshine as a senior night nurse whose calm and caring manner has kept mums, babies and her colleagues safe and reassured.

Sue trained at Christchurch Polytechnic. It was the second year of the “new “ way of training and there was only a choice of Wellington, Christchurch and a new school in Nelson. “I chose Christchurch, learnt to ski and met my husband Andy while down there! Because this was a new way to train nurses we felt we had to prove ourselves against the still active apprenticeship type training.” 

After graduating Sue worked for two years at Waikato Hospital in the surgical and then high dependency wards. “As soon as my two-year bonded period was completed, Andy and I headed off on our OE. We stayed for eight years. I worked in South Africa, London and in Cornwall. We would work for a while, then travel for a while. We visited so many countries including a five-month overland trip through Africa (a travel highlight). We also lived for a year in France.

When we finally returned to New Zealand I was 5 months pregnant. I got a temporary job in Paediatrics until just before Kylie was born. When a night shift job came up a few months later, I applied I have been ever since.” 

I have seen many changes in my time here that make a real difference to the people we care for. We now have different/better models of care, rapidly advancing technology and we work in partnership with whānau who are part of caring for their child. Parents can now stay with their child; homesickness used to be so difficult to deal with in the night. 

Nursing is now a highly qualified profession. Nurses need a Bachelor’s degree and postgraduate education is encouraged. We now have opportunities for nurses to become Nurse Practitioners and now Nurse Prescribers to make the most of their skills. 

“Taking on the quality then the education roles has been a highlight of my career. I am proud of the many improvements I have been a part of. Developing the play specialist service, creating a virtual tour of Planet Sunshine, pain management manuals, Paediatric Early Warning Score charts, entrance art are some of the things that come to mind. 

Sue Cranston’s 40 years dedicated service to nursing and support of the children and whānau in Tairāwhiti was acknowledged recently by Nurses and Midwives of Tairāwhiti (NAMOT). Colleague Natasha Ashworth spoke about Sue’s dedication to other nurses. Sue is not just passionate about the children and whānau in Planet Sunshine but also her nursing colleagues. Sue has been a proponent of nurse education, encouraging nurses to gain postgraduate qualifications as well as organising local education sessions in pain management for the team and wider hospital group. Sue supports the new graduate nurses in their portfolio preparation and with their projects. As Sue is a portfolio assessor she also has the opportunity to encourage nurses across the DHB to work on the quality of their portfolios. This she does in a kind, professional and supportive manner, offering practical feedback and suggestions.

Sue is described as being a role model to all staff both new and old. She role models the WAKA values: showing whakarangatira with her quality work, awhi to nurses across the DHB, kotahitanga as she steps up to Clinical Nurse Manager in Deb McKay’s absence and aroha for the whanau in her care.

Thank you to Sue Cranston for 40 years dedicated service to nursing and support of the children and whanau in Tairawhiti.

Sue is pictured with her daughters Kylie Dowding and Kimberley Cranston.

 

—

Source: Tairawhiti District Health – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Do the census, its good for your health

Health in Tairāwhiti needs all the funds it can get.

Census day – Tuesday 6 March 2018 – has a big impact on how many health dollars end up in the district. Health funding is population-based. It’s not just the number of people either; older, younger, rural and people on low incomes attract a higher rate of health funding.

This year the census is online. “If a lot of older people don’t complete it, for instance, that will have a significant effect on how much funding we get to provide health services in Tairāwhiti”, says Hauora Tairāwhiti Chief Executive Jim Green.

“The population count for Tairāwhiti in the 2013 census was 43,653, of which 19,683 were Māori. At the time there were closer to 45,000 people enrolled in a Tairāwhiti General Practice. This suggests that around 1500 residents didn’t complete a census or missed out being included in the count. On average each resident is worth approximately $3600 in health dollars. That equates to $5.4 million Tairāwhiti may have missed out on each year since.”

That is a large amount of money for many services we could have provided in the community, in hospital, caring for so many more people.

At the moment we have 47,700 people enrolled with a Tairāwhiti General Practice. National population projections suggest that our population numbers may be closer to 48,700. We really need the Census figures to confirm that significant increase in population. The increase in demand on GPs and Gisborne Hospital suggest that we are serving more people.

“Census data is not only used to determine funding; it is used to help us plan for the future. Having accurate information about our people helps us make decisions about which services are needed and where they should be.”

So please take time to fill out the census and also please make sure family, friends, work mates, everyone you know also helps us to get what we need to make for more and better health care in Tairāwhiti.

All people staying overnight at Gisborne Hospital will be given a paper copy of the census to complete. “We don’t have Wi-Fi on the wards so it would be difficult for many people in hospital to complete online. There will be help from census volunteers to complete the form but friends and family visiting the hospital are asked to assist where possible.”

Do the census at

—