For Jayne Beeching having cared for
women who’ve had mastectomies to
survive breast cancer, is motivation enough
for her to have regular mammograms.
The Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau Hauora Clinical
Nurse Manager is encouraging women in the
Eastern Bay to do the same.
For many years Jayne was a District Health
Nurse; changing wound dressings of women
who’d had breast surgery to increase their
chance of surviving breast cancer, was part of
the role.
“When you’re tending to those post-operative
wounds, it really puts things into perspective.
Putting up with that discomfort during a
mammogram is nothing compared to losing
a breast.”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer
aff ecting women in New Zealand. More than
3,000 women are diagnosed every year and
more than 600 women die from the disease.
You are more likely to survive breast
cancer if it is found early and is still small.
Mammograms can show changes inside a
breast before they can be felt.
Jayne has been having regular mammograms
as part of the free BreastScreen Aotearoa
screening programme for several years.
“I have three daughters. It’s really important
that they know to check themselves regularly,
get to feel any changes in their breasts. For
me, having regular mammograms is part of
‘walking the talk’ to them.”
This year Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau Hauora held
an education evening, where survivors of breast
cancer shared their stories and women could talk
about their breast screening experiences.
“The feedback we’ve received about the
evening from our wāhine has been really
positive and we plan to do this again in the
summer. For some, being able to hear from
local women about their experiences can have
a real impact on whether a woman chooses to
screen or not.”
BreastScreen Aotearoa is New Zealand’s
free national breast screening programme for
women aged between 45 and 69. It was rolled
out across the country in in 1999, reducing the
breast cancer death rate by more than 34%.
Enrolling is easy – Freephone 0800 270 200, or
talk to your doctor or your practice nurse can
enrol you, or you can enrol online.
www.timetoscreen.nz
Above Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau Hauora Clinical Nurse
Manager Jayne Beeching says the discomfort during a
mammogram is nothing compared to losing a breast.
Elections for Bay of
Plenty District Health
Board members
Positions
Elections for the Bay of Plenty District Health
Board will be required for seven positions,
elected ‘at large’ from the Board area which
comprises the areas of the Kawerau District
Council, Ōpōtiki District Council, Tauranga
City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District
Council and Whakatāne District Council.
In addition, following the election, the Minister
of Health appoints a further four members,
making a total of 11 members per Board.
Electoral Roll
Later this year you will be
asked to vote for Board
members for the Bay of
Plenty District Health Board.
The elections will be held
at the same time as the
triennial city/district council
elections and you will start to
notice the VOTE 2019 Local
Elections advertisements.
If you are eligible to vote but not on the Electoral
Roll, you will need to get enrolled by Friday
16 August. Copies of the electoral rolls are
available at libraries and city/district councils.
All parliamentary electors, including those on the
Māori Electoral Roll, are automatically enrolled
on local government resident electoral roll, at the
address where they live.
Nominations
Nominations for people who want to put their
names forward for election opened on Friday
19 July 2019 and close at 12 noon on Friday
16 August, 2019.
Free dental packs for Rheumatic fever patients
Above: Tori appreciates the dental pack initiative, arriving on horseback
seback to pick up his pack.
Above right: Three year old Kyani Tai was among a group of children screen printing the ‘Stop
Sore Throats Hurting Hearts’ recycled bags at Torere marae as part of Matariki celebrations.
Rheumatic fever patients in the Bay of Plenty
are being provided with free dental packs to
reduce the risk of further heart damage.
Each month 84 patients in the Bay have
monthly injections of Benzathine penicillin to
safeguard them from Group A Streptococcus
(GAS) bacteria doing further damage to their
hearts. Maintaining good oral health is also
really important for these patients as bacterial
complications from dental diseases can also
cause damage to their hearts.
District Health Nurses are handing out the
packs to their patients, many of whom are
children or young adults, when they see them
for their monthly injections. The packs
contain a toothbrush, toothpaste, fl oss and key
health messages.
Tori Tai who is 14, was the fi rst patient to
receive the dental pack in Ōpōtiki.
At eight, Tori was diagnosed with rheumatic
fever after going to his GP having returned from
a holiday complaining of a sore throat.
For the past six years, he has been having
monthly injections.
Tori has an active life. His passion for kapa
haka has seen him lead his Ōpōtiki College
roopu (group) in the recent Mātaatua regionals, qualifying for next year’s national competition.
He is also a staunch member of Te Whare Tu
Taua Ki Whakatōhea where he is striving in mau
rākau. His other love is riding his horse.
Sore throat swabbing services to detect strep
throat which, if untreated, can lead to rheumatic
fever, are available at many pharmacies and
schools across the Bay of Plenty.
Nomination papers are available from:
• www.bopdhb.govt.nz
• telephoning 0800 922 822
• Bay of Plenty District Health Board
(Board Secretary, CEO Offi ce, Tauranga
Hospital, Cameron Road, Tauranga)
• the electoral offi ce (Election Services,
Level 2, 198 Federal Street, Auckland).
Completed nomination papers can be returned
by post or hand to the electoral offi ce or to
one of the city/district council offi ces in the
Board area.
The single transferable voting (STV) will be
used for the Bay of Plenty District Health
Board election. Polling places
For more information visit
https://www.bopdhb.govt.nz/health-advice/
a-z-of-health-advice/rheumatic-fever/
Dental visits
• Have a dental check- up every 6 months.
• Brush your teeth twice each day with
fl uoride toothpaste.
• Use dental fl oss daily to clean between
your teeth.
• Choose water or milk to drink.
• Make sure your dentist knows that you
have had rheumatic fever as you may
need extra antibiotics before some types
of dental treatment.
Polling places for the issuing of special voting
documents and for the receiving of completed
voting documents will be available from each
respective city/district council offi ce in the
Board area from Friday 20 September to noon
Saturday 12 October 2019.
Want more information?
For further information
regarding this election please
contact the electoral offi ce:
Phone: 0800 922 822
Voting Period Email: [email protected]
Voting documents will be sent to all eligible
electors, post, from Friday 20 September, 2019.
The voting period is three weeks
(Friday 20 September 2019 to noon
Saturday 12 October 2019).
Electors may post their completed voting
documents back to the respective city/district
council electoral offi cer using the orange pre-
paid envelope sent with their voting documents. Mail: Dale Ofsoske, Electoral Offi cer,
BOPDHB, C/- PO Box 5135,
Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141
Or go to the Bay of Plenty District
Health Board’s website
https://www.bopdhb.govt.nz/your-dhb/
board-and-committees/bop-district-
health-board/election-information/