Connect +A COUNTIES MANUKAU HEALTH PUBLICATION MAY 2014

Act now to prevent the fl u

Give a kidney, change a life

What is health literacy?

The Harley Gray Building is offi cially open

CONNECT+ I PAGE 2

Contents

From the Chair

CM Health produces Connect+ three ti mes a year. If you have something to share, or would like to receive a copy of this publicati on, please contact the Communicati ons Team via email, communicati ons@middlemore.co.nz.

Welcome to this May issue of Connect+. I wouldlike to start by thanking all of the dedicated staff who are working so hard as winter begins tobite. The winter busy ti me has started early forus this year, with more than the usual numberof days with more than 100% occupancy.

I would like to take this opportunity to talk with you about Project Swift , an acronym forSystem Wide Informati on for Transformati on.Project Swift is our response to the callsfrom our clinicians to be more effi cient with our resources through the use of modern informati on technology. We are focussingon two areas – effi ciency, so we improve the

quality of healthcare, and integrati ng informati on technology across primary,community, home and hospital, which we call whole-of-system care.

This strategy fi ts well within our Triple Aim; that is looking at the health of apopulati on, their experience of care and the per capita cost. The intelligent use of informati on technology has transformed other industries such as travel and banking. There is no reason why the same effi ciencies cannot be transferredinto health, giving both the end user and the provider a much bett er experience and improving outcomes through bett er, faster and more informed care.

This is a very exciti ng ti me for us as a health board, as we look at how we canbe the best health care provider we can possibly be. Because of the pressure of our diversity and the sheer size of our community, which is conti nuing to grow, we cannot just keep doing business as usual. We need Project Swift to helpmove us into a future where we can access global experti se in healthcare andhealth system transformati on and translate that into bett er health care servicesfor us and our community.

Please understand that this is not a one-off programme or a simple change in the technology we use every day. It is a major rethink of how we can use technology to save ti me and resources making it much easier for people to use our services as well as reducing duplicati on and waste. Just think about thetravel industry and how it has improved to serve its customers and that will give you a very small idea of what we can achieve together in health. I look forwardto working with you on this challenge.

Best wishes

Dr Lee Mathias,

Chairperson, CM Health.

ONNECT+ I PAGE 2

Thank you Rochelle (Charge Nurse

Manager) and the total nursing staff

under your guidance. Without a good

leader you don’t have good staff. You set

a magnifi cent example. The happiness

of life is made up of little things, a smile,

a hug, a moment of shared laughter. It

is often life's smallest pleasures & gentlest

joys that make the biggest & most

lasting differences and those who bring

sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep

it from themselves – Thank you all for

your brilliant & professional nursing.

Really enjoyed my stay here, the

nurses were awesome, always friendly

and made me feel comfortable. There

wasn’t a time where I was unhappy

with services provided. Staff were

the best though making me forget I

was in hospital most of the time and

always making sure I was taken care

of. Everyone was so friendly from the

orderlies to people delivering food, to

the cleaner; everyone was so fantastic

at doing their jobs. Loved it 10/10.

WARD 8 STAFF ROCK!!

Alison and Sue from Casting Unit/Ortho, these two ladies worked tirelessly to sort out the fi tting of the vest and halo. They were extremely kind, considerate and persevered until it was correct even going to the extent of hand sewing some of it so it would fi t better and be more comfortable. They are a huge asset to your organisation and deserve to be recognised for their skill in some way. My wife also appreciated being listened to and actually heard by these delightful ladies.

Patient feedback

Harley Gray Building opening 3

History wall in Harley Gray foyer 3

Give a kidney, change a life 4

Act now to prevent fl u 5

Harley Gray opening photo spread 6

Free vasectomies 8

MEWS improves safety of birthing mothers 8

Health Literacy 9

Meet the GMs of our four localiti es 9

Beyond 20,000 Days Healthy Hearts 10

Book Fair helps kids to hear 10

3000 donors needed 10

New qualifi cati on for orderlies 11

Food for Families a great success 11

New smokefree service a success 12

APAC heads to Melbourne 12

CONNECT+ I PAGE 3

Harley Gray Building opening

On Friday 11 April Hon Tony Ryall, Minister of Health opened a new $190 million clinical services block at Middlemore Hospital, named aft er eminent orthopaedic surgeon Dr Harley Gray.

“Five stories tall and the size of fi ve rugby fi elds, the Harley Gray Building will help CM Health to deliver improved health services in a region of rapid populati on grown and high health need,” says Mr Ryall.

“Counti es Manukau DHB now has a facility that matches the high standards of pati ent care provided by its dedicated staff .”

“The building took years to plan and just under 2 years to build,” says Dr Lee Mathias, Chair CM Health. “The design is modern and welcoming with dedicated spaces for family/whaanau.

“It took a huge eff ort to get the building up and running. Well done to everyone involved.”

“The new spaces are bigger, bett er and brighter, providing a highly functi oning environment to provide quality care to our pati ents,” says Dr Gloria Johnson, CM Health Chief Medical Offi cer. “Staff , pati ents and families are noti cing the improvements.”

Special guests at the opening included Professor Harley Gray and his family. Dr Gray, a former President of the New Zealand Orthopaedic Associati on and the Auckland Medico Legal Society, was an orthopaedic surgeon at Middlemore unti l 2001. He was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2003.

Over the years staff have expressed a strong desire to create a history wall and display items of interest from the hospital’s early days. When the Harley Gray Building was being designed the history wall concept fi nally came to fruiti on.

The wall’s central locati on, in the heart of the hospital, was chosen to maximise public exposure and to provide a point of interest to the hospital’s main visitor waiti ng area. In a ti me of stress, the history wall provides a visual

distracti on as visitors get a glimpse into the past and a sense of how far Middlemore Hospital has come over the past 67 years.

There are more items to be displayed and since the cabinets have been installed, many departments have come forward with interesti ng and valuable pieces.

Next ti me you’re walking past, take the ti me to have a look.

History wall in Harley Gray foyer

Opening the Harley Gray Building with Hon. Tony Ryall (far right) are: Geraint Marti n, CEO, CM Health, Dr Lee Mathais, Chair, Margaret Gray and Professor Harley Gray.

CONNECT+ I PAGE 4

It’s not every day that Elvis Presley, the Minister of Health, kidney pati ents and local dignitaries gather in Mangere.

But March 25 was a special occasion.

Over 500 people, including Mangere MP Su’a Williams and CM Health CEO Geraint Marti n, came together for ‘Give a Kidney – Change a Life’ at Mangere Town Centre. The event celebrated the launch of Live Kidney Donati on Aotearoa’s package of educati onal resources, part of a project led by CM Health in partnership with the Kidney Society Auckland, which is aimed at increasing the number of people donati ng kidneys to pati ents with end stage renal disease. The culturally appropriate educati onal resources will help build knowledge and skills amongst potenti al kidney donors, kidney pati ents and their whaanau so they can make informed decisions.

To promote live kidney donati on, the project is also focusing on:

• Healthcare professionals – providing educati on sessions to enable primary care providers to share appropriate informati on on live kidney donati on with pati ents and build health literacy; implementi ng a ‘Home and Kidney First’

policy at CM Health

• Pati ents and families – home-based support from health educators will help build health literacy and facilitate family discussions to enable informed decision-making

• Community – regular community events and engagement with community leaders will raise awareness about kidney disease, kidney transplant and the need for live kidney donors

The launch of the educati onal resources package by Minister of Health Tony Ryall marked a milestone for the project. Guests enjoyed performances by local group Nga Tuanga O Te Puna and Steve Fitt er, an Elvis impersonator and kidney pati ent. Kidney transplant recipients and live kidney donors shared their stories to help raise awareness about live kidney donati on, and Kidney Health New Zealand, Kidney Kids Team, the Auckland District Health Board Transplant Team, Organ Donati on New Zealand and Work and Income were also onsite to provide informati on.

Visit www.kidneydonor.org.nz or call 0800 LIVE DONOR (0800 5483 36667) to fi nd out more about Live Kidney Donati on Aotearoa.

Give a kidney, change a life

Geraint Marti n, 'Elvis' and Tony Ryall got together at the 'Give a Kidney – Change a Life' event.

Health experts are urging New Zealanders to get immunised against infl uenza as soon as possible, with recent cases of the disease showing that infl uenza can strike before winter really sets in.

“As highlighted by recent cases in South Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay, with some people in intensive care, infl uenza circulates all year round and can be serious,” advises Nati onal Infl uenza Specialist Group spokesperson and virologist, Dr Lance Jennings. “Getti ng immunised now, before we start to see the increase in fl u over the colder months, gives you the best chance of being protected.”

Immunisati on is parti cularly important for the elderly, people with ongoing medical conditi ons and pregnant women and their newborn babies. Healthy, pregnant women are up to 18 ti mes more likely to be admitt ed to hospital when suff ering from infl uenza than non-pregnant women. The

infl uenza vaccine has been used for many years in pregnant women, with no safety concerns, and can be given in any trimester.

“Pregnant women are at parti cularly high risk of severe complicati ons and death from infl uenza because of the changes that occur to their immune and other systems during pregnancy. Infl uenza immunisati on in pregnancy also off ers protecti on to the newborn baby during the fi rst few months of life,” says Dr Jennings.

For those working in health, it is important to get immunised and encourage colleagues to do the same, protecti ng both yourself and those you provide care for.

Infl uenza immunisati on is free from a GP or nurse unti l July 31, 2014 for New Zealanders at high risk of infl uenza complicati ons – pregnant women, people aged 65 and over, and anyone under 65 years of age, including

children six months and older, with long-term health conditi ons such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, respiratory disease (including asthma), kidney disease and most cancers. The identi fi cati on of young children at higher risk of respiratory illness is up to the discreti on of the health care provider and is likely to apply to many children under 5 years in the Counti es Manukau district.

Other people can receive infl uenza vaccinati ons at surgeries and some pharmacies for a small charge. Many employers, including CM Health provide free vaccinati on to their employees.

A roving fl u vaccinati on clinic is sti ll available for CM Health staff . Check the updated Staff Vaccinati on ti metable on SouthNET for locati ons.

For further informati on go to www.fi ghtf lu.co.nz or www.health.govt.nz/infl uenza or call 0800 IMMUNE 0800 466 863.

CONNECT+ I PAGE 5

Act now to prevent fl u

The influenza vaccine is a prescription medicine. Talk to your doctor about the benefits and possible risks or call 0800 IMMUNE. TAPS CH3843.

Immunisation may be FREE for you. Ask your doctor or nurse today.

National InfluenzaSpecialist Group

TXT FLU TO 515WWW.FIGHTFLU.CO.NZ

0800 466 863F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N :

Influenza.Don’t get it.Don’t give it.

Get immunised.

Don’t let the

Percentage of CM Health staff who have received an infl uenza vaccinati on, by division, at 8 May 2014.

On 12 April, theatre staff , past and present held a party to say farewell to the old theatres at Middlemore Hospital. The Theatre block fi rst opened 50 years ago in 1964 and at the ti me included 6 modern theatres and a plaster room. In February 2014 staff moved into a new theatre complex.

Over 200 people came to celebrate the farewell – dressed in the fashion of the year they started. For many this was a chance to say farewell to a place where they spent a huge part of their lives

“This is a unit where many life long friends were made and careers formed and it will never be

forgott en,” says Robyn Hughes, Nurse Manager, Middlemore Operati ng Theatres.

“The farewell was a great opportunity to reminisce about the good old days, share stories and laughs and refl ect on how far we have come,” says Catherine Larsen Service Manager. “Theatre is like a family and staff became close from spending a lot of hours together.

“Although it was sad to say goodbye we are super excited to be in our fabulous new theatre suite, where we know we will have another 50 great years.”

OOOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaafififififififififififififififififififififitititititititititititirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrttttttttttt

OOOOOOOOOOOOOffffffffffff

A fi tting farewell to the past

The Harley Gray Building opened 11 April 2014,

providing state of the art fac

ilities for patients, families,

visitors & staff. Here are some interesting stats:

– Years in the planning & just under tw

o years to complete

– Size of five rugby fields

– Located at the heart of th

e Hospital with links to our

major buildings

– Includes state of the art te

chnology and enhanced

communication systems

- 350 people working on site at

the peak of construction

- Over 600 staff made the move

- Patients and babies transporte

d safely

- Over 10,797 items can be found in the n

ew building:

Furniture: 4,500 items. Clinical equipment: 2,000 items.

Fittings: 2,300 (dispensers, sharps containers,

clocks etc)

eee e eee e eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

wiwiwiwwwiwwiwiwiwwwiwiwwiwwiwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww llllllllllllllllllll

The old theatre

Orderlies have made the move

Clinical Records

Neonatal Care

Central Sterile Supply Dept

Theatre

A mammoth effortThe Harley Gray Building

CONNECT+ I PAGE 6

Staff say goodbye

CONNECT+ I PAGE 7

Take a look insideThe Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD) includes the latest equipment and technology, resulti ng in a more producti ve and effi cient way of working.

The co-locati on of Operati ng Rooms, Post Anaestheti c Care Unit and Theatre Admission and Discharge Unit means quicker and easier access to inpati ent wards and acute units. There are 13 operati onal theatres in the new building (an increase of two), resulti ng in extra capacity to accommodate the complex needs of modern surgery. Technology is state-of-the-art and once fully established will include the ability to transmit operati ng pictures to other faciliti es

Neonatal Care has capacity for 38 intensive-care and special-care babies and includes support areas for parents/whaanau to be with their babies at what can be a stressful ti me.

Medical Assessment provides an effi cient streamlined service for non-criti cal medical pati ents presenti ng acutely to Emergency Care.

The Spiritual Centre is the ‘heart of the hospital’ – central to all wards and public spaces. It is a welcoming space for pati ents, staff and visitors.

The locati on of Non Clinical Support Services on the lower ground fl oor results in a more effi cient and improved service.

There is also space to include laboratories and radiology services in the future.

Medical Assesment

Neonatal Care

Harley Gray foyer Theatre

C

If you work at, or visit,

Middlemore Hospital you

may remember the colourful

rainbow that helped guide

people on their way to vari

ous parts of the hospital.

While the old rainbow disapp

eared to make way for

more modern facilities, a n

ew modern, vibrant and

energetic rainbow stands in

its place. Visitors, patien

ts

and staff now follow a pla

yful rainbow that spans

from one end of the hospita

l (via the ground floor) to

the other. Along the way there are fun

and playful

silhouettes and cultural elem

ents which represent the

diversity of our community.

Never has the journey throug

h

Middlemore Hospital been so entertaining

.

CONNECT+ I PAGE 8

If you have a pati ent or colleague who lives in Counti es Manukau, he may be eligible for a fully-funded vasectomy. As you know, vasectomy is considered the safest and simplest contracepti ve measure and has minimal side eff ects. CM Health is running a pilot programme to determine if there is a demand for this service which will probably run unti l the end of September 2014, depending on demand.

The pati ent will be eligible for this fully-funded service if he is sure his family is complete, he lives in Counti es Manukau and is eligible for fully-funded healthcare. More informati on is available by phoning 0800 304 729. Any health professional or pati ent can ring to book. The clinic staff will take care of all the arrangements including the pre-counselling which takes place over the phone with the nurse. When making a booking clinic staff should be advised that this is part of the free CM Health vasectomies programme.

The clinic is called 'Snip Vasectomy Clinic' and is being held in the Family Planning offi ces, 3rd level, Westf ield Mall, Manukau. Please do not call Family Planning for bookings.

The team at Snip Vasectomy Clinic will explain exactly what is involved when a booking is confi rmed, although the vasectomy starts with a counselling session by telephone.

Starti ng from 9 May vasectomies will be provided at least every four weeks. If there is more demand they will be off ered more regularly. The maximum wait for an appointment is four weeks.

Vasectomies are not normally regarded as reversible although some may be. It is best to be absolutely sure there will be no more family additi ons wanted before considering one. The enti re process is fully funded including any follow-up tests. For more informati on, please contact 0800 304 729.

Pregnant women in Counti es Manukau will benefi t from an innovati ve new early warning score system in place at Middlemore Hospital. The Maternity Early Warning Score (MEWS) went live on 17 March aft er three years in the making.

Development of the MEWS was initi ated by midwives who identi fi ed a need for an eff ecti ve early warning system that could be used with perinatal women. The midwives wanted a system that would enable them to identi fy perinatal women at risk of deteriorati ng in conditi on and intervene promptly. However, existi ng early warning scores designed for general pati ents are not suitable for use with perinatal women due to the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy.

The midwives gathered a multi disciplinary team including nurse and midwife educators, obstetricians, anaestheti sts, pain nurses and managers, and set about designing an early warning score suitable for birthing mothers. They created a colour-coded early warning score chart with a new parameter – blood loss. The new parameter is crucial, not only because blood loss is oft en a criti cal indicator of deteriorati on for women in childbirth, but also because the amount of blood lost is frequently underesti mated. The new chart deals with this problem by including pictorial guidance to help staff accurately judge the severity of blood loss. Colour bands are used to indicate pati ents in need of interventi on, with appropriate acti ons to prevent pati ent deteriorati on documented on the chart.

MEWS was successfully trialled on the ward for fi ve days and tested retrospecti vely by reviewing past serious and senti nel events to determine whether cases of acute deteriorati on would have triggered early interventi on if MEWS had been available.

The MEWS will replace regular TRP (Temperature/Respirati on/Pulse) charts.

MEWS improves safety of birthing mothers

Free vasectomies

CONNECT+ I PAGE 9

Kathryn DeLuc, General Manager

for Franklin Locality

My husband and I moved here

from the UK in 2002 and we now consider New Zealand our home. In the UK I worked

for many years in the Nati onal Health Service, developing services in the community that had

previously been provided in hospital. Before coming to Auckland I worked for Northland District Health

Board and was based in Whangarei and the Far North so I’m quite familiar with developing health services

for more rural, disti nct communiti es.

Lynda Irvine, General Manager for Manukau Locality

As a nurse I have always been passionate about

focussing on pati ents’ strengths

and ensuring a pati ent centred approach to service development. My previous experience is in the management of community teams with varied functi ons including community stroke rehabilitati on, early supported discharge and admission avoidance teams and implementati on of the restorati ve model of care for older people.

Sarah Marshall, General Manager Otara/

Mangere Locality

I had an extensive background in nursing before moving

into management roles. As Planning and Funding Manager

for ADHB, I managed a health equity portf olio and as Long

Term Conditi ons Programme Manager for Midlands Health

Network (UK) I led a programme of work that set up integrated, general practi ce based multi disciplinary teams in four DHB locati ons.

This led to the establishment of integrated primary health care multi disciplinary teams

in the four Midland DHBs.

The General Managers (GMs) of our four localiti es work closely with all health providers in their locality and work directly with CM Health and the Primary Health Organisati ons (PHOs) to facilitate collaborati ve partnerships.

The General Managers implement strategic plans to enable the development of locally appropriate innovati ve health soluti ons. They facilitate linkages between existi ng health services, create innovati ve partnerships and cooperati on and drive clinical redesign.

All localiti es focus on pati ents with chronic illness or long term conditi ons through the At Risk Individual (ARI) programme as well as initi ati ves specifi c to their communiti es needs. Keeping at risk individuals healthy and managing their conditi on well will help keep them out of hospital.

Meet the GMs of our four localities

Linda Bryant, General Manager for Eastern Locality

Aft er clinical and management roles in hospital pharmacy I moved to work as a clinical advisory pharmacist with general practi ti oners for East Health

Trust PHO. My role eventually combined being Clinical Manager of the PHO, plus my clinical advisory pharmacist role. I sti ll maintain an associati on with the Department of General Practi ce and Primary Health Care at the University of Otago, and the School of Pharmacy at the University of Otago.

Health literacyWhat is health literacy?In New Zealand, health literacy has been defi ned as:“the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health informati on and services in order to make informed and appropriate health decisions” (Ministry of Health).

Health literacy in Counti es Manukau

According to a recent Ministry of Educati on survey, over half of Counti es Manukau residents have low levels of reading and writi ng skills, which would impact on their ability to cope with the demands and interacti ons of our health system. This means that some people could fi nd it challenging to fi nd their way around hospital or struggle to correctly interpret medicati on dosage informati on.

Improving health literacy is important, especially with increased expectati ons for pati ents and whaanau to take more responsibility for the management of their health. However, health literacy should not

depend on the skills of the individual pati ent and whaanau alone. It is an organisati onal value that should be considered core business and incorporated into all levels of service planning delivery.

There is a growing appreciati on that health literacy is more than a set of skills that individuals need to acquire. System changes are needed to align health care bett er with the public’s skills and abiliti es and develop health literate health care organisati ons – that is, “health care organisati ons that make it easier for people to navigate, understand, and use informati on and services to take care of their health” (CMDHB).

CM Health is committ ed to the Triple Aim, which consists of improved health and equity for all populati ons, improved quality, safety and experience of care, and best value for public health system resources. Improving health literacy is connected to all three of the triple aims.

OtaraMāngere

ManukauEastern

Franklin

Waikato

Manukau Harbour

Wāitemata Harbour

CONNECT+ I PAGE 10

"WE DID IT!"

These were the words utt ered by the Healthy Hearts parti cipants, their family/whaanau and CM Health staff as they crossed the 2014 Round the Bays fi nish line! Completi ng the 8.4km walk represented a signifi cant achievement for everyone who took part, especially the parti cipants, who had never dreamt of att aining such a level of fi tness, following their diagnosis of heart failure.

Seven Healthy Hearts men and women took up the challenge, all recruited from Healthy Hearts programmes. This is an eight week, bi-weekly Healthy Hearts ‘Fit to Exercise’ programme for people with heart failure, sponsored by *The Beyond 20,000 Days Campaign and the Department of Cardiology. This pilot programme aims to assess people with heart failure and improve their fi tness by providing specialist advice and support and opportuniti es such as home/walk/community programmes or CM Health

Book Fair helps kids to hearRotary holds a special place in the hearts of Middlemore Foundati on staff because several clubs make regular donati ons, but one in parti cular does remarkable things. Alfriston Rotary raised $16,000 last year, money that provided phototherapy lamps used in jaundice treatment at Kidz First Children’s Hospital.

That represented $1333.33 for every one of the club’s 12 members – which must qualify as batti ng above your weight. And the club does not rest on its laurels. It got straight back into its next project, organising its

annual book fair.

By the ti me the fair came about in May, the club had undergone a massive 16% increase in membership – up to 14. Countless hours were spent collecti ng books and organising them for sale, fi nding premises, and arranging the volunteers to staff the sale for four days.

And all to supply tympanometers for Kidz First Children’s Hospital at Middlemore. These machines (which cost about $4000 each) help diagnose hearing problems in very young children and will be a fi rst for the hospital.

Member Janet Igrisan calls Alfriston Rotary the “small but mighty’’ club. ‘‘It’s a lot of work but it’s rewarding. Our club’s mott o is ‘People like you and me’, which is true. We’re all normal people who contribute to the community and enjoy it at the same ti me.’’

Despite its ti ny membership the club has made $100,000 through its book sales since they started fi ve years ago – a magnifi cent example of a small group achieving big things.

By the book: Alfriston Rotary Club Book Fair staff ers Sherrin “I’m only an honorary member” White, and club members Simon Gleeson and Ray Parkes, could be forgiven for going off reading for a bit aft er helping sell thousands of used books.

3000 donors neededThe Middlemore Foundati on needs 3000 donors for its Dozen Donor campaign. The idea is that a donor gives $12 a month for 12 months ($144). It doesn’t sound that many in an area as large as ours, but if 3000 did sign on a massive $432,000 would be raised.

David Banks of SAS Autoparts heard about it and signed up for $50 a week. Another donor couldn’t be bothered with the payments, so just sent $144 straight away.

All you have to do is organise a payment to our account at the ASB at Hunter’s Corner, 12-3113-0002022-00. Use your surname as a reference, followed by the number 12. An easy method is to charge a credit card once a month.

We need to keep track to send receipts, so send your name, address, phone number and email to david.kemeys@middlemore.co.nz.

Beyond 20,000 Days Healthy Hearts

supervised exercise classes.

Prior to joining the ‘Fit to Exercise’ programme, many parti cipants had never att ended a gym and had been unwell. Concerns about lack of fi tness, fear/anxiety about exercise and not knowing where to start were common reasons to enter the programme. Individualised goals such as ‘being able to walk my grandchildren to school’, ‘losing weight’, ‘wanti ng to feel lighter and be able to do more’ were all achieved on re-assessment immediately aft er the programme.

Round the Bays was set as a challenge to sustain the gains achieved at the programme and help parti cipants realise their exercise potenti al. One parti cipant has already enrolled in the IronMaori half marathon.

* The Beyond 20,000 Days Campaign works with individuals, family/whaanau and organisati ons across the health sector to give back healthy and well days to our community

CONNECT+ I PAGE 11

Compassion, a customer focus and people skills – these are just some of the many skills required to be a hospital orderly.

This skillset and the detailed knowledge orderlies require is now being recognised through a new nati onal qualifi cati on – the Nati onal Certi fi cate in Health, Disability and Aged Support (Orderlies).

This NZQA Level 3 qualifi cati on, which will be off ered through CareerForce, is open to orderlies at all of New Zealand’s district health boards. Moti Timoti (pictured right), an orderly co-ordinator who has worked at CM Health for six years, was the fi rst in the country to sign up.

“I like this place. You meet a lot of families and old school friends,” he says. “It’s a job where you can move around. There’s a lot of variety.”

Moti says he was very nervous when he signed up but he hopes that completi ng the qualifi cati on will help him set a goal and make him feel proud. More than 60 of his colleagues have also signed up to take part.

CM Health Non-Clinical Support Training and Quality Manager, Ree Angell, says the new nati onal certi fi cate will be recognised in New Zealand and Australia, and may help orderlies pursue other roles, such as a healthcare assistant.

“Being an orderly is not just something you walk into. There are a lot of skills required,” she says. “Now that orderlies have something to work towards, they know that those skills are recognized and valued, which is great.”

The 12 month qualifi cati on, which will require on-the-job assessment as well as theory work out of hours, began in March.

New qualifi cation for orderlies

Delicious meals from a Middlemore Hospital café are now helping feed families in need in Counti es Manukau.

Through CM Health’s Environmental Sustainability Programme, Wishbone Café has partnered with the South Auckland Christi an Food Bank. The food bank now collects left over food from the Wishbone Café at Ko Awatea before it reaches its expiry date and distributes it to families it works with.

“Our fi rst day with Wishbone was very worthwhile with two large boxes of food collected,” says Ian Foster, CEO and Trustee of the South Auckland Christi an Food Bank, which supports families struggling with debt.

The initi ati ve came about with the assistance of CM Health’s Environmental Sustainability Programme, which is aiming to reduce CM Health’s carbon footprint by 20% by 2017. Wishbone is now also working with the food bank to collect the left over food from its café at Auckland Airport, bringing even greater benefi t to our local

community.

“By using contacts in our local Sustainability network, we have managed to come up with a soluti on that helps all three organisati ons, the environment and the community,” says CM Health Sustainability Offi cer, Debbie Wilson. “It’s a real win, win, win situati on for everyone involved.”

Food for Families a great success

CONNECT+ I PAGE 12Please email communicati ons@middlemore.co.nz if you have any enquiries regarding this publicati on or contributi ons for the next issue.

Providing smokefree support in the suburbs of Auckland is proving popular, with nearly 200 people jumping onboard the region’s new mobile Quit Bus in its fi rst six weeks.

The Quit Bus – Waka Auahi Kore – was launched in February 2014 by CM Health's Comprehensive Care (in associati on with Waitemata Primary Health Organisati on) and Transiti oning Out Aotearoa. This innovati ve new service is delivered by trained advisors who provide free one-on-one advice and informati on and nicoti ne replacement therapy from two buses that can be located in town centres, workplaces and community events around Auckland.

The Counti es Manukau community has been very responsive, with smokers and non-smokers alike approaching the bus. In its fi rst six weeks, the team provided support to over 180 people onboard, and 150 of these people were referred to ongoing support programmes.

“We’re delighted with the interest,” says CM Health Smokefree Programme Manager, Vicki Evans. “Our community identi fi ed a mobile bus as something that would help support them to quit smoking. Now that the bus is here, we’re really pleased to see people engaging with it and taking that opportunity to become smokefree.”

The bus has already visited Clendon, Manurewa, Manukau, Otara and Otahuhu town centres as well as rural locati ons in Pukekohe and Tuakau. It has also been onsite at the Otahuhu Family Fun Day, ASB Pasifi ka Festi val, Tainui Games and Waitangi Day

New smokefree service a success

Following two enormously successful events in Auckland in 2012 and 2013, this year the APAC (Asia Pacifi c) Forum heads to Melbourne, where clinicians and health leaders from across the Asia-Pacifi c region will gather from September 1-3.

The Forum is Asia Pacifi c’s premier healthcare conference, run by Ko Awatea with the aim of supporti ng health improvement and innovati on.

This year’s event will be hosted by Victoria’s Commission for Hospital Improvement, who have worked in collaborati on with Ko Awatea to plan a programme that combines high profi le internati onal speakers, practi cal learning and networking opportuniti es around the themes of value-

based healthcare, co-design, leadership, high performing organisati ons and transformati onal change.

Ko Awatea Director, Professor Jonathon Gray, said: ‘The Forum is an opportunity to foster new networks and collaborati ons. It allows us to

showcase our own successes whilst enhancing our own professional knowledge of real-world service transformati on.

‘We hope to have strong representati on from the New Zealand health sector in Melbourne to ensure that our clinical practi ce

and our local populati on can benefi t from some of the most lead-edge thinking in health.'

Find out more and keep up to date on developments at www.apacforum.com.

APAC heads to Melbourne

celebrati ons along with trips to MIT, Massey University and Te Wananga O Aotearoa. In coming months it will be revisiti ng town centres as well providing workplace cessati on support.

For more informati on or for smokefree advice call 0800 569 568 or email smokefree@middlemore.co.nz.