From
the Chair
Sally Webb - Chair, Bay of Plenty District Health Board
Here we are at the end of another year - and
this one has certainly been a busy and eventful
year.
A highlight for me personally each year is
the opportunities I get, as Board Chair, to
thank staff personally for their continual hard
work and contribution to the success of our
DHB. The staff service recognition awards at
Whakatāne and Tauranga at this time of year
are two events I really enjoy. We thank those
who have been working with us for 10 years
and then every fi ve years after that. This year
we had about 350 staff being recognised. It
is a privilege to be able to say thank you for
the years of service, working to improve the
health of our communities.
I also want to acknowledge the rest of the
staff and all the other health providers across
our communities. It is their dedication and
commitment that means you receive the care
you need throughout the year.
We are constantly looking at new ways to
make our services more responsive to our
communities’ needs and this month we have
some great articles for you to read. So please
take the time to enjoy this edition.
We are soon heading into the Christmas and
holiday season and many of us will be taking
off for holidays. I want to wish you all a
peaceful Christmas and holiday period. Enjoy
some relaxation and down time over the
summer and ensure you CARE for yourselves
and you whānau. If you are leaving the Bay
for Christmas, safe travels wherever you go.
Everyone please remember when you are out
in the superb summer we are going to have
SLIP, SLOP, SLAP and WRAP.
Arohanui
Sally Webb
Prepare in advance to avoid
any unnecessary GP visits
this summer
Bright future: Whetu Matthews (left) with her son Jared Te Iti-Matthews and General Manager Māori Health
Gains and Development Tricia Keelan.
Dramatic improvement in
tamariki health indicator
Manaakitanga, determination and
teamwork are behind the dramatic
improvement of a Māori health indicator
which has led to a national target being
met for the fi rst time, says the head of
BOPDHB’s Māori Health Gains and
Development.
In a little over 18 months the number of Bay
of Plenty Māori pre-schoolers enrolled for
free dental health services has risen by over
2,300. That has resulted in a jump from 59%
of the eligible population enrolled to 96%,
exceeding the national target.
“A number of approaches had been tried but
the indicator had not really moved,” says
BOPDHB General Manager Māori Health
Gains and Development Tricia Keelan. “It
was at 59% in March 2017 but had been lower
before and the team set about changing that.”
The BOPDHB’s Good to Great Team in
Māori Health Gains and Development,
working closely with the Community Health
4 Kids team, has been largely credited
for the success. Key strategies employed
included manaakitanga (mana enhancing
interaction), use of the Institute for Healthcare
Improvement (IHI) change methodology, data
quality improvements, and whanaungatanga
(relationships) and contact with parents of
pre-schoolers.
“It has been a Māori-led collaborative
approach, where determination, persistence
and mahitahi have paid off ,” says Tricia, who
added that the success was just the beginning.
for Toi Ora, and, that means supporting and
empowering oranga in oral health and also
ensuring timely assessment and treatment.
Untreated oral health issues go on to aff ect
children long term if not addressed.”
“Oranga niho - healthy baby teeth are
important, not only for chewing food - they
contribute to mauri ora, wairua ora, kōrero
and oranga. The baby teeth also hold spaces
for, and guide, the position of adult teeth.”
Tricia says the success had benefi ts for all
children in te Moana a Toi as well.
“Yes we achieved improvement in Māori
pre-school enrolment but through this work
we improved for non-Māori too. Enrolment
for the Total Population of pre-schoolers in
BOPDHB is now above the national target of
95%.”
She says that the task ahead of the team now
was to replicate this success in other areas and
develop a new Te Toi Ahorangi Strategy.
“This is just the beginning as we build on
this work for improvement with other Māori
health indicators such as breast screening,
breast feeding and vaccinations.”
“We are currently developing our Te Toi
Ahorangi strategy for te Moana a Toi (the
Bay of Plenty). We are looking forward to
being Toi Ora driven as we work to infl uence
waiora, whānau ora and mauri ora for our
tamaariki and their whānau.”
“The improvement has highlighted issues of
unmet need in terms of oral health,” she says.
“Enrolment is one thing but we are aiming Phone 0800 TALKTEETH (0800 825 583)
or 0800 935 5543 to make an appointment
to have your child’s teeth checked. For more
details see www.bopdhb.govt.nz and search
Talk Teeth.
Eastern Bay residents needing healthcare
advice are reminded they can phone their GP
day or night. Pharmacies available
after hours
Dr Sarah Gardiner says people should prepare in advance to avoid any unnecessary GP visits.
Eastern Bay of Plenty residents should
prepare in advance when it comes to
healthcare this Christmas and New Year.
As our population expands over the Christmas
holidays, so does the demand increase on our
local health services.
“It’s a really good idea to prepare yourself
before the holiday period. Make sure you have
enough of your repeats because it does clog
up ED to go in if you run out of medicines,”
says Dr Sarah Gardiner, a GP for Med Central
in Whakatāne, and Church Street Surgery in
Ōpōtiki.
If you are heading out of town camping or
on holiday, packing some of the basics such
as plasters, antiseptic cream, insect bite
cream, allergy medication, and some basic
paracetamol gives you something to use to
either avoid medical assistance or help you in
the meantime while you seek medical support.
“It is just common sense, but we can forget
these things when we are packing and all
excited to rush off for our holidays. Ensuring
you pack a basic medical kit can mean you
can deal with smaller issues as they arise,
rather than relying on medical intervention,”
says Dr Rachel Shouler, GP Liaison for
Eastern Bay Primary Health Alliance.
“Having a bit of forethought can be the
diff erence of having your holiday ruined or
being able to carry on with your plans.”
A nurse triage service answering after-hours
calls for all Eastern Bay GPs has been in place
for more than eight years.
“Calling your doctor and getting transferred
to the nurse can help you confi rm if you need
to go into ED or reassure you that you can
wait until your regular GP is available to book
again,” says Dr Sarah Gardiner.
All visitors to the Eastern Bay of Plenty who
are not registered with a local doctor can
access the same service by calling
0800 306 236.
Christmas Day
All pharmacies closed
Boxing Day
Unichem Adamson’s Pharmacy
10:30am -1pm and 2:30 - 4:30pm.
Ohope Beach Pharmacy 10am-1pm.
New Year’s Day and Wednesday 2 January
Ohope Beach Pharmacy
Phoenix Pharmacy
Duty pharmacy hours are published in the
Beacon on Friday.