Overview
News in brief
Sir Michael Cullen has resigned as the Chair of the Bay of
Plenty District Health Board and as a member of the Lakes
District Health Board due to ill health.
He has also reluctantly stood down from his long-held position as
lead claims negotiator for Te Kotahitanga o Ngati Tuwharetoa.
Both District Health Boards express their sadness at this news,
and wish Sir Michael, wife Anne and family their kind thoughts.
In the meantime, Sharon Shea has taken on the role of Interim
Board Chair.
Interim CE Simon Everitt
Kia ora everyone and welcome to the first edition of Checkup
for 2020. What a year it’s been so far! COVID-19 is at the
forefront of our minds with information changing daily on the
global pandemic and a small number of cases now confirmed
in New Zealand. Many of you have been working tirelessly on
our preparedness for this pandemic, I want to thank you all
for your work to date and realise this is an on-going emerging
situation we are all faced with.
This edition of Checkup features information on the virus;
how this impacts on you all at work and at home and what
everyone can do to reduce the spread of the virus. I encourage
you all to read it and contact your line manager in the first
instance if you have any questions.
The Ministry of Health has the latest information about COVID-19
which you can access at https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/
diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus
Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds, covering coughs
and sneezes and staying away from work if you are unwell with
a temperature, coughing or gastric symptoms are things you
can do. This will help to protect you, your family and patients
from droplet transmitted infections and are good preventative
tips for not only COVID-19 but colds and influenza (the flu).
With winter illnesses front of mind …our flu vaccinators are
preparing for the 2020 influenza season. We expect to start
providing free flu shots for all staff, contractors and volunteers
from 24 March. Details of when and where you can get your
free flu shot at Whakatāne and Tauranga hospitals will be on
OnePlace. It will be really important to get your vaccination
this year so we don’t have the flu and COVID-19 establishing
The Bay of Plenty District Health Board has started the
recruitment process to find a permanent CEO and shortly you
may see advertising for the position.
As you will be aware CE Helen Mason left the organisation in
November 2019 and Simon Everitt has been Interim CE since
this time.
The recruitment process will be led by the Board using the
assistance of an external consultant. The Board has designed the
activity as an inclusive process which will seek input both at the
start - to assist with the specification of the skills and experience
required - and in the selection phase of the process. The Board
will be talking with clinical, health service delivery, corporate,
Runanga leadership and with key external stakeholders.
The Board expects to be in a position to make an
announcement sometime in May/June.
The extensive culture change programme the DHB has
embarked upon gives the Board confidence in our future
organisational pathway and it anticipates appointing a CEO who
will continue this development and direction.
A new model of health care has opened in Ōpōtiki involving the
three Ōpōtiki GP Practices working together with registered
nurses, to provide 14 hours a day, 7 days a week, service from
the Ōpōtiki Community Health Centre.
The General Practices are Church St Surgery, Toi Ora Health
and Whakatohea Health Centre.
Te Pou Oranga o Whakatohea Operations Manager, Louisa
Erickson says this new service model is described as a nurse-
led Rural General Practice and General Practitioner supported
service.
“We believe that by working with the community, for the
community, alongside the Bay of Plenty District Health Board
and the Eastern Bay PHA, we have developed the best model to
ensure a robust community-based health service in the Ōpōtiki
area, now and into the future.”
themselves at the same time over the winter period.
I’ll be lining up to get my jab and I encourage you all to do the
same.
Lots of good information in this Checkup on Whakaari/White
Island recovery, our People and Cultuire team and our efforts
to be a more sustainable organisation for the future.
Ngā manaakitanga
Simon
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June 2019
Checkup
Checkup
August 2019
Whakatāne Hospital Ball
Midnight in the Jungle
page 12
ty tests
ss casual
Mock ma y specialists
emergenc
Get your
wear on
– page 5
active
ons
Te Reo less
– page 13
les
Pathway
supports high
risk patients
– page 5
Nurse padd
to victory
– page 16
1
Pedal4Prostate
– page 15
Checkup
Bay of Plen
ty District
Health Boar
d staff news
Bay of Plenty District Health Board staff news
d staff news
Health Boar
ty District
Bay of Plen
Innovation
Creating our
Culture
– page 16
Hi tech trau
ma
training –
page 4
1
Awards – page 10
Te Toi Aho
rangi
– page 8
Keeping Me
Well
– page 23
October
2019