CEO’s Year in Review
As I sit to write this review, I am reminded of how dynamic and diverse this organisation is. We have continued
to operate within our available funding, by encouraging staff to look at new and different ways of delivering
services, whilst keeping the patient firmly at the centre.
Once again we have delivered health and disability services, both in the community and in our hospitals within
budget. Given the significant financial pressures, this is a noteworthy achievement and only made possible
through the collective efforts of all staff.
At the same time we have maintained a quality focus on the patient and our community. The quality focus can
be broadly defined by the Triple Aim of:
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Improving the quality, safety and experience of care.
Improving health and equity for all populations.
Achieving the best value for public health resources.
During the year, the Chair and I signed the national Quality Pledge confirming our commitment to patient
safety as part of a national campaign titled “Open for Better Care” was launched by the Health Quality and
Safety Commission.
Improving the quality, safety and experience of care
The healthcare achievements in 2012/13 have included improving our standing in the Government’s Health
Targets: performing well in heart and diabetes checks, improving our immunisation rates, surpassing our
planned elective surgery volumes, providing smokers with more opportunities to quit, and delivering shorter
waits for cancer treatment.
I was really pleased to receive notification that our immunisation rate has improved significantly to where 86%
of our eight month old babies have now had their primary course of immunisations.
8,989 elective surgery discharges were completed; 632 more than last year, and 107% of target. All of our
cancer patients received their radiotherapy and chemotherapy within four weeks, and 72% of our people have
had their heart and diabetes checks.
The DHB is involved with the Ministries of Health and Business, Innovation and Employment in a project to
improve healthcare service provision in geographically isolated and/or distant locations using video and
telehealth technology. While in its early stages, this innovative initiative is already stimulating significant
interest within certain areas of our communities.
The Bay of Plenty Clinical School’s second Clinical Research Awards were held in October 2012. Seventeen
applications were received from a variety of DHB services and external contracting organisations.
The seven finalists selected were from: Cardiology, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Clinical School,
Endocrinology, Psychiatry, Paediatrics and Dermatology.
The winner of the 2012 award was Neal Singleton, Orthopaedic Registrar. Neal’s research explored the optimal
management of distal radius (wrist) fractures in elderly patients. Dermatologist Ben Tallon was runner-up.
Ben’s study analysed the rate of recurrence of 1,035 moles over five years to determine whether re-excision is
necessary to prevent recurrence or progression of melanoma.
A state-of-the-art $32 million radiotherapy facility is under construction on the Tauranga Hospital campus,
adjacent to the current cancer centre. This development means that our cancer patients who require radiation
treatment will get their cancer treatment closer to home, while still benefiting from being part of the wider
Midland cancer network. The facility is being developed by the Bay of Plenty DHB in partnership with Bay
Radiotherapy Services, and will allow us to offer a more complete cancer service to the people of our region.
Project WAKA, the rebuild of the Whakatane Hospital, is on budget and on schedule. We have held a number
of events including a tour of the new building for local government mayors, councillors, chief executives, the
Board, Kaumatua Council, and those organisations whom we work closely with, like the police and St John
staff.
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