Category: Waikato

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South Waikato Hauora day sets new benchmark for community wellbeing

Source: Waikato District Health Board

An event taking health and wellbeing in the community to the next level is how a South Waikato Hauora day is being described by Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Waikato.

Chief Medical Officer – Primary Care, Dr Julia Carr said the South Waikato Hauora (wellbeing) Day held at Tokoroa Hospital on 9 March was co-ordinated by the South Waikato Pacific Islands Community Services Trust (SWPICS).

“This day provided a unique opportunity for Health NZ staff to combine with trusted, local primary care providers and our secondary colleagues to offer vaccinations, screening and information services to the community, in the setting of the community’s rural hospital.

“The generous and collaborative effort of all involved resulted in a welcoming atmosphere, and the uptake of services was really heartening to see.

“These events usually involve several of our screening and immunisation services teaming up with local providers but Saturday’s real point of difference was some people attending the Hauora day were able to attend outreach specialist clinics and undergo elective surgical procedures on site.”

This had been able to be done by identifying people in the community who were on the surgery waiting list and getting them seen.

The elective procedures conducted in Tokoroa Hospital’s Outpatients Clinic on the day were minor surgical procedures performed by Mr Jasen Ly in a PR Bleeding Clinic set up on behalf of the Braemar Charitable Trust which owns Hamilton’s Braemar Hospital.

Trust manager Paula Baker said the organisation runs and funds a wide range of activities aimed at boosting health outcomes across the Waikato.

“Eight patients who had been on the public waiting list were able to receive treatment from Mr Ly or where needed, be referred for additional specialist care at the Hauora day which is great news,” she said.

Dr Stephen Ng and a team from Waikato Hospital provided vision screening for cataracts & keratoconus and pre-assessments for cataract surgery- a new model of care to improve access for surgery for people from disadvantaged communities in Waikato regions.

In all 82 people were screened by Stephen’s team and 18 people seen by the on-site clinic, 15 of whom were able to be pre-assessed for cataract surgery within the next three months.

SWPICS Chief Executive Akarere Henry said those procedures as well as vaccinations, screening services and general health and wellbeing advice shared with the 500-600 members of the public that visited the Hauora day were all part of a larger plan.

“One of the challenges of rural communities is ‘access.’ This initiative sought to reduce the inequities impacting our communities by deploying outreach health services to reduce barriers to health care for priority populations in the South Waikato.

“As a community provider we’re extremely grateful for the willingness of all partners to work collectively and demonstrate the better utilisation of resources within the one space. SWPICS is deeply honoured to have been able to coordinate this day and bring about its success because it is what the community wants.”

Both Akarere and Julia said it is hoped Saturday’s event will be the first of many such initiatives where the shared outcomes of placing whānau /aiga / kopu tangata (family) at the heart, is tangibly seen and felt.

Services provided by the participating 12 agencies included:

·         Body Mass Indexing

·         Blood Pressure reading

·         Cataract assessment

·         Keratoconus

·         PR Bleeding Clinic

·         Bowel Screening

·         Breast Screening

·         Stop Smoking support

·         Mental Health/ Korero Mai

·         Maternity Services

·         Child Immunisations

·         Cervical Screening

·         AWHI Healthy Homes

·         Drive through vaccines

·         Oral Health

For further information:
Akarere Henry, Chief Executive South Waikato Pacific Islands Community Services Trust 0272400043
Email:  ceo@swpics.nz

Paula Baker, Braemar Charitable Trust Manager
Email: PaulaB@braemartrust.co.nz

Caption: SWPICS CEO Akarere Henry left, with Health New Zealand Regional Pacific Lead, Tamati Peni at the Hauora day.

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New partnership halves fares to Waikato Hospital while protecting environment

Source: Waikato District Health Board

From 16 October access to Waikato Hospital will be easier for staff, patients and visitors thanks to a partnership between Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand and local councils.

Te Whatu Ora Waikato Operations Director for Clinical and Operational Support, Melinda Ch’Ng said the initiative will deliver a 50 percent discount on bus fares for people using their Bee Card to and from Waikato Hospital using the Pembroke St and Hague Rd bus stops.

“This initiative is aimed at improving equity of access to our hospital while contributing effectively to our carbon emission reduction goals.”

“Anyone travelling to and from the hospital using their Bee Card who tags on or off at the three bus stops near Waikato Hospital will automatically have the half price subsidy applied to the fare charged to their card, so it’s better for your wallet and, better for the environment.”

Te Whatu Ora will be covering the cost of concession for a trial of up to 12 months. Ms Ch’Ng said there was sound reasoning behind the investment.

“During the Government’s 50 percent public transport subsidy we saw a 28 percent increase in bus passengers travelling to or from the hospital and in partnership with the Waikato Regional Council, we want to build on that success.

“As an organisation we’re continuously seeking ways to mitigate the effects of population growth, lessen demand for onsite staff parking, care for our staff and help care for the environment by reducing single occupancy vehicle use, be that by staff, patients or visitors.”

The public transport fare subsidy initiative is part of Te Whatu Ora Waikato’s Sustainability Framework and the hospital’s Travel and Access Plan.

“One of the main goals of these strategies is improving access to transport for healthcare for priority populations and by keeping bus fares to and from the hospital affordable, it gives people healthier, more environmentally sustainable travel options.”

Waikato Regional Council’s public transport manager Trudi Knight said, “This is an operationally unique model in our corporate concession scheme that will deliver subsidised fares to passengers travelling to and from Waikato Hospital”.

“The scheme plays a pivotal role in fostering a culture of sustainability and environmental consciousness, and in the case of Te Whatu Ora, it makes trips to the hospital easier and more affordable.”

The Pembroke St stops are serviced by the Comet, Orbiter, 12 Fitzroy, 24 Te Awamutu and 26 Te Kūiti, buses and the Hague Rd stop is serviced by the 25 Taumarunui bus. For more information about Hamilton and regional buses visit busit.co.nz or call 0800 205 305.

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Recognition for Te Kūiti nurse making a difference in her community 

Source: Waikato District Health Board

A natural nurse, popular with her peers, easily able to establish a good rapport with patients and whānau is how a Te Kūiti nurse was described at an award ceremony recently.

Enrolled nurse Roberta ‘Bobby-Anna’ Wirepa was awarded the prestigious New Zealand Nurses Organisation’s National Leadership Award at Hamilton’s Te Pukenga Wintec campus in July.

The award came two days after the 49-year-old’s graduation, a culmination of two years study that required a lot of travel and dedication, achieved despite the impact of COVID-19.

Born and raised in Te Kūiti and described as a hearty Maniapoto- King Country person, ‘Bobby-Anna’ built her reputation as a hard and reliable worker on the back of experience in the shearing and hospitality industries including running her own businesses.

A 10-year stint working in Australia led to Bobby-Anna’s first entry into the health sector when she completed a Phlebotomy course in Cairns, leading to full-time employment with Queensland Medical Laboratories as a blood collector.

Among other duties, this role included flying around Queensland to various mine sites and conducting compulsory drug screening of fly-in and fly-out workers.

Returning home to Te Kūiti in 2018, Bobby-Anna found her Australian Pathology certificates weren’t recognised, cutting short her Phlebotomy career. Undeterred, she worked in a casual Health Care Assistant role at Waikato Hospital while undertaking Health Studies and qualifying to undertake nurse training, choosing a Diploma of Enrolled Nursing.

Her skills in pathology allowed Bobby-Anna an opportunity to be seconded to various COVID-19 testing teams around the King Country leading to an offer of post-graduate employment at Te Kūiti Hospital.

Throughout her training at Te Pukenga Wintec, Bobby-Anna was recognised as being a supportive and dedicated student, leading to her receiving the leadership award.

“I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to continue my career at my local hospital and can only thank ‘Whaea Tarn’ (CNM Tania Te Wano) for having faith in me,” said Bobby-Anna.
“It was a real surprise when I was told about the award and initially, I didn’t understand the significance of it all. I now understand I have a real opportunity to offer something to my community.”