June - West Coast District Health Board

The Westerly
“Te Hauauru”
The staff newsletter of the West Coast District Health Board
June 2010
Joel George
UT $4.50 ET $5.00
departing
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Chief Executive

Completing my time with the West
Coast District Health Board – an
initial three months that stretched
to almost two years – is cause for
reflection on impressions from my
experience here, and a brief stocktake
on some of the major developments.
Two words come immediately to
mind – “people” and “innovation”.
Health and disability services are
all about people and are otherwise
nothing. As elsewhere in the sector
it has been a pleasure and a privilege
to work with so many talented,
caring, and hard working people.
Innovation is another striking characteristic
of health services on the
Coast. Often from necessity, the
service models and practices are
innovative and continually evolving
to ensure the continuity of service
provision and service development.
There are long standing
service innovations on the Coast
that are a model for elsewhere.
Each year the West Coast District
Health Board plans to provide innovative
and comprehensive services
to achieve better health outcomes
for West Coasters, while improving
or maintaining the level of services
but staying within budget.
Collaboration with other district
health boards nationally and regionally
is essential to ensure that
West Coast patients get access
to the full range and all levels of
healthcare. Collaboration with the
Canterbury District Health Board is
fundamental to the future, and is
vital in order sustain the provision
of health services locally. Innovative
ways to provide healthcare
will benefit West Coasters, and
the use of technology to overcome
the challenges of the West Coast’s
small scale, dispersed population
and remoteness from larger and
more specialised services will be
CEO Joel George Departs
of increasing value in the future.
Equally important are the support
from, and local relationships with,
Tatau Pounamu, the West Coast
Primary Health Organisation, Community
and Public Health, the West
Coast territorial local authorities,
and all health and disability service
providers and interest groups.
During recent years, the West
Coast DHB’s Sustainability
Project has aimed to determine
the model(s) of care that are clinically
and financially sustainable
into the future. More recently this
project has proceeded in two main
streams – the LECG study looking
at acute hospital services, and the
proposals developed with the West
Coast Primary Health Organisation
for integrated family health centres.
The development of patient pathways
from rural and community
to tertiary health care will ensure
a seamless transition between
health service providers. This
smooth transition between more
healthcare services will help keep
people healthier for longer. The
development of integrated family
health centres will provide better,
sooner and more convenient
health services.
The West Coast District Health
Board strives for excellence in all
its services and is currently further
developing its clinical governance
and leadership to ensure the best
possible quality of patient care.
In the last nine months, the West
Coast DHB has been among the
leading district health boards in
meeting the national health targets.
This achievement recognises
the effort and performance of
staff throughout the sector, and is
widely publicised.
Expanding clinical training locally
is a vital strategy to assist in meeting
future staff requirements. The
many training initiatives, including
work with tertiary education providers
to bring nursing training back
to the West Coast, and developing
opportunities for medical training
on the West Coast, will held sustain
the clinical workforce in the
future.
I would like to acknowledge the
efforts and hard work of everyone
who works in or supports the
health and disability sectors of the
West Coast. Your dedication and
commitment are vital in providing
services on the Coast. Your support
has made my time here most
rewarding.
In closing, I would like to welcome
David Meates back to the West
Coast and to the West Coast District
Health Board. David knows
the West Coast well from his earlier
time managing Grey Base Hospital.
I’m sure that everyone will join
with me in welcoming David, and
I know that you will provide David
with every support.
Board Deputy Chair Dr Paul
McCormack, watched by
management team members
Hecta Williams and Gary
Coghlan, pays tribute to Chief
Executive Joel George who
departs the West Coast District
Health Board this month after
almost two years in the role.

Remifentanil PCA for Labour Analgesia
From left: Denis Benichou, Bill Ridley, Jenny Westgate, Mary McGrane, Jude Bruce,
Ruth Henderson, Anders Johnson, Barbara Roberts. Absent: Paddy O’Connell, Erica
Lobb, Anna McInroe, Linda Monk
Remifentanil has been introduced
into McBrearty ward as an alternative
means of providing analgesia
for women in labour.
It is delivered using a Patient Controlled
device (PCA) so the women
gets the analgesia when she needs
it and not when we think she should
have it. It is a method, which has
been used successfully more than
ten years world wide and some
years in a few NZ hospitals.
Remifentanil is a synthetic opioid,
mainly used to provide analgesia
during surgery or diagnostic procedures.
It has a quick onset and
an extremely short half-life. These
characteristics make it suitable for
analgesia during labour with similar
or less effect on the foetus in
comparison with other means of
analgesia.
The midwives and obstetricians
working in McBrearty Ward have
undergone education in this method
of analgesia and most are now
certified to administer and monitor
Remifentanil PCA.
The staff have worked hard to
achieve this and our congratulations
are extended to them
Kahurangi Memory Garden
The idea for a comfort, memory
garden came from Barbara Forrest,
daughter of Alan Forrest,
resident of the Kahurangi Dementia
Unit, who is a long time
Rotarianand holder of double
Paul Harris medals.
Barbara approached the Greymouth
Rotary Club and things
literally grew from there. Plans
were drawn up, plants purchased
and the Rotary didn’t
only donate the money but also
provided hours of labour to establish
the garden.
Barbara coordinated the work
and spent time herself digging,
weeding and planting.
A big thank you to Barbara and
the Rotary Club. Greymouth
Nurseries supplied the strong
healthy plants for the garden.
An “Extra Mile” Award was presented
to Barbara and the Greymouth
Rotary Club.
This was the first time this award
was presented to a community
group outside the hospital.

Minister of Health Visits West Coast
Minister of Health Tony Ryall
made a short visit to the West
Coast accompanied by local MP
Chris Auchivole at the end of
May.
The pair visited Buller Health and
met with civic leaders in Westport
before coming to Greymouth.
A quick inspection of the new
Academic Practice under
construction at Grey Base
Hospital and a look at the ViPr
videoconferencing system with
the Rural Medical Immersion
Programme students were on
the agenda before a visit to the
West Coast PHO and off to the
Greymouth Medical Practice
where MP Auchivole had his
influenza vaccination.
The Minister sits in on a teaching session from Dr Buzz Burrell at Wairau Hospital.
Safe Patient Handling Trainers
The West Coast DHB hazard register,
identifies manual handling
as high risk with the possibility of
significant harm occurring. Many
of these handling tasks can be
eliminated or minimised with good
quality training and the use of appropriate
equipment.
There were 24 reported manual
handling incidents during 2009
throughout the West Coast DHB
(16 patient related). The injury
sites were back, neck, shoulder,
wrist and thighs with varied severity.
The cost of these injuroes was
approx $37,000.
Each ward and clinical service
area of the West Coast District
Health Board has a staff member
who is a Safe Patient Handling
Trainer.
These dedicated trainers work
within their own areas to promote
good work practices and to do
specific on-the-job training with
the staff. These clinical staff have
undergone extensive up skilling in
safe patient handling techniques
and methods on how best to train
staff in these tasks.
The Safe Patient Handling Trainers
provide training on specific tasks
with patients e.g. rolling, sitting to
standing, getting in or out of bed,
standing transfers etc. as well as in
the use of a wide range of equipment
e.g. sliding sheets; PAC
slides, transfer belts etc
Trainers are skilled in applying their
knowledge using biomechanical
principles of safe patient handling,
to problem solve in the more difficult
situations. They also provide advice
on appropriate safe patient handling
equipment for their work area and
how best to review and trial new
equipment.
The trainers audit and review their
work area annually and submit a
report to the Occupational Health &
Safety Adviser for discussion at
the yearly peer review session.
Barriers to Safe Patient Handling
include the impact of staff shortages,
the reluctance of some
staff to change work practices
or take advice from more junior
staff, time constraints and budget
constraints.
Recognising and utilising the skills
around safe patient handling will
make for a safer worksite.

New Executive Director of Allied Health
Stella Ward – is the new jointly appointed
WCDHB and CDHB Executive
Director of Allied Health.
Stella comes to the position after
two and a half years as the Director
of Allied Health at the Counties
sional leadership role at Counties
Manakau District Health Board
eventually becoming Director of Allied
Health.
“Allied health professionals have a
unique approach to people’s health
and look at someone in the context
of who they are and how they interact
with the world. It’s a whole
person approach. Allied health professionals
work as part of a multidisciplinary
and interdisciplinary
team. There’s a sense of team
work with the patient and their families
being an integral part of this,”
she says.
Helping the elderly stay safe this winter
Manakau DHB.
As part of her new role, Stella will
provide strategic leadership for allied
health, technical and scientific
professionals in both regions and
will be part of the Executive Management
Teams for the two district
health boards.
Stella began her career as a
speech and language therapist at
The Princess Margaret Hospital
and after a stint in Australia, United
Kingdom and Ireland, she returned
to Christchurch where she began
a Masters in Health Science while
working as an Early Intervention
Speech Language Therapist with
children.
In 2004 Stella took up a profes-
Occupational Therapy home
assessments notice that the
elderly are at extra risk over the
winter months from falls. They
struggle to keep warm and are
susceptible to exacerbations of
health conditions.
• Ensure steps and pathways
that are often shaded get swept
and are free of moss and ice. Fit
small grab rails at door thresholds,
these can be purchased from the
Occupational Therapy department.
• Keep steps and pathways clear of
clutter
• Offer to change light bulbs, clean
high areas, take down curtains, and
wash windows, basically anything
that requires a stepladder or stool.
• Put a small amount of coal into
paper bags or supermarket bags.
These can then be placed directly
on the fire more easily than
shoveling from a coal bucket.
• Offer to fill up coal buckets and
wood baskets. Empty the ashes
safely.
• If possible have the coal and
wood supplies inside the house
or close as possible to a door.
Encourage use of everyday items
such as a laundry trolley to move
heavier loads. This reduces a lot
of unnecessary risk for the elderly.
• Arrange winter clothing and bed
linen for ease of use.
• Check fire alarms have a new
battery.
• Have the electric blankets
checked by an electrician every
year before use.
• Remember the “heater-metre
rule” - keep furniture, clothes and
curtains at least one metre away
from heaters and fireplaces. If
you notice that any elderly person
needs to sit close to a heater or
fire, start asking why
• Look into ENERGYWISE
funding to help insulate the home,
and install clean and efficient
heating under the government’s
Warm Up New Zealand: Heat
Smart programme. Check out
their website for more information
http://www.energywise.govt.nz/
• Check heaters for frayed cords,
broken plugs, faulty switches and
thermostats.
• Make sure the chimney has
been cleaned
• If you are sick, stay away from
those that are frail and vulnerable.
Remember anyone can refer to
Occupational Therapy if they are
having difficulty managing, or are
unsafe at home.

Pharmacy
Role in
Smokefree
Recognised
Smoking Cessation Practitioner
Mike Dyne (right) presented
pharmacy staff Ruth Lumukana,
Pip Bull, Domhnall Heron,
Jonathan Goodall and Omita
Prakash with a goodie basket in
recognition of the efforts made in
supporting the efforts of staff and
patients to become smokefree.
New Food
Services
Manager
Tracy Eastman is the new Food
Services Manager for Grey
Base Hospital, Buller Health and
Reefton Health. She is employed
by Spotless and has taken over
from Jack Jansen.
Tracey has a long history in food
services which started back in
1984 when she joined the Royal
Navy (UK) as a cook. More recently
she was employed by the
WCDHB as PA/Special Projects
Co-ordinator to the Buller Health
Manager.