Support to Screening
WBOP team
celebrate success
By WBOP PHO Support to Screening Services
Coordinator, Donna Moon.
The WBOP PHO Support to Screening
Services team has reason to celebrate.
In its first eight months of providing breast and cervical screening
it’s exceeded screening targets set by the Ministry of Health for
priority women. This target includes Māori, Pacific, Asian (for
cervical screening), as well as ‘hard to reach’ unscreened, and
under-screened women.
Occupational Therapy Team Leader Emma Green with the Certificate of
Achievement presented to the BOPDHB for ‘Outstanding Innovation’ at the
recent Allied Health Improvement Group Conference, held in Adelaide.
Award-winning
project aims to
‘stop wasting
patients’ time’
‘Stop wasting our patients’ time’ is a mantra
which has been adopted with award-winning
commitment by staff at Tauranga Hospital.
It is well-known that elderly patients are at risk of deconditioning
if they spend too long in hospital. The PARIS (Patients At Risk of
Increased Stay) project was introduced to Tauranga Hospital last
year to address this, focussing on patients over 75 and looking at
ways their hospital journeys could be improved.
The cervical screening target was 112. The Support to Screening
Services team screened 177 women. The breast screening target
of 56 was exceeded by almost 300% - screening 155 women.
The team was presented with a CARE certificate to mark this
achievement.
This achievement has been brought about through great
leadership, a core team with exceptional belief in the importance of
better health outcomes, and a great deal of hard work!
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Accessibility within a Friendly Respectful environment.
Flexibility of Clinic Times including Monday evening and some
Saturday mornings.
Transport & Support.
Choice of Maori nurses.
Organised processing of referrals from GP Practices through
GP Outreach.
Focus on Motivational Interviewing.
Holistic Assessments and Multi-Disciplinary team.
“In House” referrals to other Specialist Staff.
Direct Liaison with GP’s.
Direct Liaison with, and help from NCSP and NBSP Regional
Coordinators and ‘read only’ access to the databases.
Regular staff meetings to review and improve processes from
which w e work.
Communication and cooperation with Breast Screen
Midland and Bay Radiology to increase access to screening
appointments.
All of these factors put together have enabled our very capable
team to achieve great outcomes.
As a result, over the past 12 months, Allied Health staff and
Medical Floor and APU (Admissions Planning Unit) nurses have
significantly changed the way they work; promoting a collaborative,
task-sharing model between the different professions. It has meant
less duplication of routine tasks, fewer new faces at the bedside,
and shorter waiting times for patients. In short, the same quality
care delivered in less time, which is better for the patient.
The project was recognised with an Outstanding Innovation Award
at the recent Allied Health Improvement Group Conference, held in
Adelaide and attended by delegates from across Australia and NZ.
“It is exciting for us to be recognised by other health organisations
for the work that we have undertaken to improve the experience
for our elderly patients,” says Occupational Therapy Team Leader
Emma Green, who presented at the conference on behalf of the
BOPDHB.
The PARIS project was featured in the October issue of Checkup
winning top prize in the 2017 Innovation Awards.
WBOP PHO Support to Screening team with its CARE certificate awarded for
exceeding cervical and breast screening targets. From left to right: Roimata
Timutimu, Steve Harris, Margaret Tunbridge-Ross, Donna Moon, Margaret
Dudley, and Joanne Tuhakaraina.
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