From
the Chair
Connexion:
patient communication
the preferred way
District Health Board (BOPDHB)
communicates with patients about their
hospital appointments.
Ron Scott - Deputy Chair, Bay of Plenty District Health Board
In this edition of Health Matters you will see
some of the initiatives staff at our hospitals
are doing to get people back to being active
members of our communities.
Now is a great time to be thinking about being
more active. The weather is getting warmer,
Spring is in the air!
This makes me refl ect on my own fi tness.
Around this time a couple of years back,
the Bay of Plenty District Health Board
members and Senior Executive challenged
themselves to do the Oxfam 50 km walk in
Whakatāne at the end of that summer. One
group of hardened souls even aimed to do the
100 km route. Part of the motivation for me,
was recognising that getting up and getting
moving is important if I am to avoid getting
stiff er and slower with age. In this stunning
Bay of Plenty climate, the weather is no
excuse; it is really just a matter of making
the choice to do something. Anything; just
do something.
When my father was my age he could literally
not walk to the letterbox. One day he decided
to improve his fi tness. He started by getting
out of his car and walking to the letterbox.
Later that year he ran the Rotorua marathon.
What can you do to actively enjoy the
increasing hours of sun and extra warmth?
Perhaps a walk to the shop? Or a cycle around
town? Kicking a ball around with the kids?
How soon will it be warm enough for a swim
at the beach? Even clearing up the garden can
be a satisfying day in the sun and open air.
Anja Theron, BOPDHB Child & Adolescent
Mental Health Clinical Co-ordinator says, “We
know from experience that young people often
need a break or Mental Health support away
from their current environment, but not quite
the type of support that is provided in an in-
patient setting.
“We all know these days there are multiple
means of communication and what works
for one person will not work for another.
Patients are telling us that overall their
preferred method of communication is by
text message or email across all age groups
and communities.”
Many people need a goal to get them started:
You might train for next month’s Tauranga
marathon or Whakatāne’s annual Toi’s
challenge in November. Or your personal
goal might be simply to keep up with the kids,
climb the stairs without puffi ng or continue to
be able to tie your own shoe laces.
Whatever your goal, enjoy our Spring
weather. Get outside and take some deep
breaths. And you might surprise yourself as
we did by fi nding that you can walk 50 km
in a day!
He aha te mea nui o te ao?
He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!
What is the most important thing in the world?
It is people! It is people! It is people!
Whakatāne Hospital Health Care Assistant Sami
Hicks, ready to help patients cast their vote.
The waiting room at Whakatāne
Hospital’s Outpatients Clinic turned
into a make shift voting station recently.
Arohanui Not to be confused with the upcoming
General Election, patients were asked to
vote on their preferred method of contact
for appointments as well as their preferred
choice of text messages.
Ron Scott The move is part of a wider programme
to improve the way the Bay of Plenty
New
mental
health
facility
for Bay
teens
A new home is being set up in
Tauranga to provide short term
intensive mental health support for
Bay of Plenty young people needing
a break from their usual environment.
BOPDHB Chief Operating Offi cer Pete
Chandler says, “This is about adapting the
way we work and fi nding out what best suits
our patients. This requires us to evolve from
simply sending out appointment letters to
ensuring our patients are aware they have
an appointment at the hospital, what it’s for
and have the time to either get there
or reschedule.
The new and improved way of coordinating
appointments based on the preferred method
of contact is set to be running by the end
of the year. “Thanks to Z Energy BOP for
loaning us its ‘Good in the Hood’ voting
boxes and thanks to all of our patients
who have given us feedback through our
Facebook page, website or by voting at the
information points at both hospitals.”
FOR MENTAL HEALTH
SUPPORT CALL:
The Mental Health Crisis line
on 0800 774 545
For Eastern Bay youth (0-18 years)
call Voyagers on 0800 486 947
For Tauranga & Western Bay
youth (0-18 years) call 0800 333061
For Youth Alcohol & Drug issues call Sorted
on 0800 BAYSORT (0800 229 7678)
“This is about providing a safe place for
young people from 12 to 18 years; getting the
right support around them at a critical time
before the mental health issues they are facing
escalate further. “Having intensive support at a critical time, can
be the key to whether their health improves or
deteriorates further.”
“They may be in a crisis situation or they may
need a break from their usual environment for
their own wellbeing.” It will be equipped to care for four young people
overnight at any given time, and also provide
day programmes for others. Young people will
be referred to the service from health providers
from both the Western and Eastern Bay of
Plenty via the MICAMHS (Maternal Child and
Adolescent Mental Health service, or Voyagers
in Whakatāne.
Expert clinicians including Registered Nurses,
Occupational Therapists and Youth Workers will
be based at the service, providing one on one
support, working with the young person on a
treatment plan.
Well over 6000 appointments are
missed each year at Whakatāne and
Tauranga hospitals. We can reduce this
number by ensuring we contact patients in
the most appropriate way for them, and by
patients keeping us up to date with their
contact details.
The service , a fi rst for the Bay of Plenty, is due
to open in mid-September.
“Just how long the young person will stay
overnight at the service will vary depending
on their individual circumstances. It’s designed
to provide a short term service and we’d expect
them to be there for less than a week.”
The BOPDHB funded service will be
provided by Pathways, a leading provider
of community-based mental health and
wellbeing services across New Zealand.