It’s always with some sense of relief that we exit winter, and the illness that tends to accompany those cooler months. However, it appears that the flu season is not behind us, but rather was delayed, and there are signs of a spring spike. So please remember, it is not too late to get a flu jab, and all our winter wellness messages still stand: get care early, and don’t wait until it’s an emergency.
Care closer to home
Getting care early underlines the importance of having strong primary care options available, and why our Primary and Community Care Strategy and Action Plan remains a priority for the DHB. More general practices are now on the journey to becoming Health Care Homes, offering more flexible approaches for providing care, and more practices are making use of patient portals so we can have greater access to our own information and better manage our own care.
We are also excited to be embarking on a whole of Southern health system website, to make it easier to find the care you need. This virtual front door for health services in the South has been long called for, and we are pleased to be working with the Community Health Council and partners in primary care to deliver this. We will update you as this project develops.
Meeting the community
The commissioner team will be on the road again soon, to hear from the community and update you on progress and projects. On 2-3 October, we will be holding community meetings in Oamaru, Alexandra, Queenstown, Gore and Balclutha.
Please keep an eye out for times and venues, you can check at www.southerndhb.govt.nz We look forward to seeing you soon.
Thank you
Finally, I would like to express my sincere thanks to Dr David Perez, who has recently retired from the DHB, with his most recent role leading the Clinical Leadership Group that has been advising on the new Dunedin Hospital. We now welcome psychiatrist and Associate Dean at the Dunedin School of Medicine Dr John Adams to this important role, ensuring our clinicians’ expertise contributes to the exciting opportunity we have ahead of us.
Click on the headlines below to read more:
- Health Roundtable Innovation Award recognises Southern’s primary community programmes
- Heartfelt gifts in honour of wife and son
- Local bowel screening champions step up to Save Lives!
- Health Minister Clark visits Health Care Home
- Cervical Screening Awareness Month: Good friends and whanau save lives
- Nurse’s culturally-sensitive care recognised
