With our 2011/12 turnover of $640 million we have spent $1.75 million every day, seven days a week, for 366
days of this Leap year. This is a huge investment by the Government in the people of the Bay of Plenty and it’s
my role to ensure that the best health care is provided by our health providers.
This year has marked the completion of Project LEO, the building project for our Tauranga Hospital site.
Meanwhile Project Waka, the building project for the Whakatane Hospital site got underway with the
demolition of many old buildings to clear the way for construction of the new hospital. Work on the new
hospital site began in December 2011 and the hospital rebuild will be finished by January 2014.
Also this year in Whakatane, we celebrated the opening of the Clinical School, the new Māori Health Centre,
and as mentioned the Renal Centre.
These building programmes on both the Tauranga and Whakatane sites will ensure that the people of the Bay
of Plenty will have access to modern, up to date hospitals for their health care for many years to come.
Another project which will contribute to our ability to provide better, sooner, more convenient health care for
the people of our community, is Bay Navigator. Bay Navigator is an online initiative with hospital clinicians and
general practitioners developing clinical pathways to fit the needs of Bay of Plenty residents. Bay Navigator
allows GPs to go online and get agreed step-by-step guidance on how conditions should be handled.
The pathways also provide information that helps them do more for their patients in their clinics more quickly,
which results in fewer patients being referred on to the hospital.
One of the issues that is very important for the Board is that the people who use our services feel cared for and
respected. During 2011 we reviewed the DHBs values to ensure we have values that will underpin our
behaviours and actions so people are treated with empathy and compassion, and are able to maintain their
dignity while in our care.
CARE was introduced as our values acronym, standing for:
Compassion
Attitude
Responsiveness, and
Excellence.
Health is about people. We are committed to these new values ensuring everyone who uses our services feels
cared for and respected; and that all our staff are fully supported to provide excellent service.
It is all the health providers and their staff who will ensure the goals and actions set by the Board are met.
We are fortunate to have the support of so many in the community and through continuing to strive for
excellence in service delivery, we will increase that support.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my Board members for their commitment and support
throughout the year; Jeff Williams (Deputy Chair), Mark Arundel, David Stewart, Gail McIntosh, Yvonne Boyes,
Marion Guy, Ron Scott, Matua Parkinson, Tamarapa Lloyd, Mogens Poppe, and Punohou McCausland (Chair of
the Runanga Board).
Thank you all for your contribution.
Sally Webb
Chair
Bay of Plenty District Health Board
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