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Pegasus 2025 Kia atawhai ki te tangata
A MESSAGE FROM THE CEO Kia ora koutou, I’m Mark Liddle and I am the acting chief executive for Pegasus Health, until Vince Barry returns from secondment to the Ministry of Health. Many of you will know me as the chief operating officer, and it is a privilege be the Pegasus Manukura until September. Vince was sought by the Ministry to provide input into the design of the rollout of the COVID-19 immunisation programme across the South Island. His appointment is testament to his leadership, as well as recognition of Pegasus’ role in the health system and of the contribution primary care will make to vaccine rollout. This edition of Pegasus 2025 covers some interesting topics. There’s a focus on the Primary Mental Health Service and how it is improving engagement with patients and working to reduce wait times. We are also looking at the Small Group Programme and the use of virtual conferencing during changing COVID-19 levels, to maintain good access and to keep the programme running. While I mention COVID-19, I want to highlight the recent Auckland cluster and the harm a slight slip in our vigilance can cause. So I implore you all to scan, scan, scan and wash your hands. Auckland has shown us how scanning and contact tracing is important in containing the outbreak. We can’t take these things for granted. I’m also aware the New Zealand Health and Disability System Review is causing some distraction. I assure you Pegasus Health is looking forward to the announcement of what this looks like in April. We are well prepared to take on the challenges and opportunities that will arise from it. Our board is working with senior management to make sure we are match fit and ready for the next stage. Take care and go well. Ngā mihi, MARK LIDDLE
ACTING CEO / MANUKURA PEGASUS HEALTH
In this issue:
› Gearing up for the next phase of COVID-19 vaccine rollout | 2
› Brief Intervention Talking Therapy Update | 4-5
› Education - New format options | 3
› Vaccinating the Vaccinators | 6
› Sandy Brinsdon - Chair PHAB | 4
› Lifestyle Matters: Appetite for Life | 7-8
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P E G A S U S H E A LT H G E A R I N G U P F O R N E X T P H A S E O F C O V I D - 1 9 VA C C I N E R O L L O U T
With the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines now delivered to Christchurch border workers, Pegasus Health is planning the next phases as the programme expands in coming weeks.
The programme has required setting up a number of systems to make sure it goes smoothly and to minimise waste. Karyn says the Pfizer vaccine can be refrigerated for some time once thawed, but must be used promptly once reconstituted. Because of the timeframes it is vital that recipients are booked in at the clinics at the right time to make sure doses don’t go to waste. “We have had to very quickly come up with a way we can get them booked in,” Karyn says. Karyn says that while there has been a lot to set up in a short time, the first phase has worked well, particularly at the Orchard Road site which was already set up for testing. “That’s the good thing about this site. You can easily scale-up and put through a whole lot more people.”
Karyn Bainbridge, Community Covid Testing Service Manager
“It’s been full-on, but it’s nice when it all works.”
Community Covid Testing Service Manager Karyn Bainbridge says hundreds of Christchurch airport and port border workers have received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine since late-February. Second doses will begin to be given out to people from March 24 and the vaccine will be offered to borderworkers’ families and close household contacts after that. Having already been providing COVID-19 testing for airport and port border workers in Christchurch, Karyn says Pegasus Health was well placed to work with the Canterbury District Health Board to deliver the two-dose Pfizer vaccines through existing clinics.
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E D U C AT I O N - N E W F O R M AT OPTIONS Clinical Education providing more options for attendees The Pegasus Clinical Quality Education programme started back again for the New Year on 15th February. Known to most as the Small Group Programme, it runs for GPs, Nurse Practitioners, practice nurses and community pharmacists working in primary care in Canterbury. As well as changes to funding there have also been changes to the way people can access education sessions, which can now be attended either in person or virtually depending on preference and our being at Alert Level 1. Last year changed the way we delivered our small group sessions, and so we asked participants what worked best for them says Clinical Quality Education Team Leader Louise Kennedy. We received feedback that was supportive of online due to it being more accessible, convenient, more focused, assisting with reducing carbon footprint and a good option in winter when people don’t want to head out as much, she said. This has meant we’ve adopted some changes to how we provide education sessions, widening the choices for attendees with options for in person or across digital platforms, she said.
eSmall Group Evaluations: 37% felt online eSmall Group was as good as in person | 10% felt it was better than in person.
Practice Nurse Small Group Education meeting on Family Harm Prevention, 2021.
All existing groups have adopted one of the following three formats for the next 12 months: •
In person for all meetings
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eSmall Group (online/Zoom) for all meetings
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Mixed model – group meets in person for topics 1 and 5 (summer), group meets online for topics 2,3,4 (winter)
As well as these options all the ‘catch up’ Small Groups will take place online to widen accessibility for our rural colleagues who previously had to come to Pegasus House or miss out. Louise says we’ll keep assessing how we deliver the Small Group education based on attendee feedback, and National COVID-19 alert levels will also impact on that too. For example, our first week back we had to quickly adapt and move back to online only sessions. The systems are not perfect but we are working hard to iron out any issues as they arise and make the programme as accessible to our health workforce to help them care for their patients. The first Small Group topic is on ‘Family Harm Prevention’, with upcoming topics in development on ‘Persistent Pain Focussing on Osteoarthritis’, and another on ‘Screening Initiatives’. If you’d like more information on the Clinical Quality Education Programme or small groups, then you can get in touch with the team at CQEadmin@pegasus.org.nz.
Practice Nurse Small Group Education meeting on Family Harm Prevention, 2021.
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SANDY BRINSDON - APPOINTED CHAIR
P E G A S U S P O P U L AT I O N H E A LT H A D V I S O R Y B O A R D ( P H A B )
Sandy Brinsdon has been appointed to role of Chair of the Pegasus Population Health Advisory Board (PHAB). Sandy was a previous member of PHAB and before that, the Pegasus Community Board, and also the inaugural chair of the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Health Advisory Group. She is currently the Senior Health in all Policies Advisor and Team Leader at the Canterbury District Health Board, based at Community & Public Health. Sandy brings to the role both governance training and chairmanship Sandy Brinsdon, Chair of the Pegasus Population Health experience, and strong facilitation and relationship skills. She is Advisory Board committed to Te Tiriti and has a genuine passion for equitable health outcomes. She looks forward to building on the work that Pegasus has already done - and continues to do - to make health equity a clear and visible focus at Pegasus and across the health sector. We welcome Sandy and are very excited that she has accepted this important role at Pegasus.
P R I M A R Y M E N TA L H E A LT H B R I E F I N T E R V E N T I O N TA L K I N G T H E R A P Y U P D AT E F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 Despite the challenges of 2020, the team made over 4,000 more appointments, and had more people attend their appointments. This was due to a combination of being able to contact people more quickly after their referral and using multiple methods of contact to help remind people of their appointment. In 2020, the service booked 21,076 compared to 16,808 in 2019, and 77% of people attended their appointment compared to 69% the year before.
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VA C C I N AT I N G T H E VA C C I N AT O R S Pegasus Health has also been able to use staff from different areas to support the vaccination clinics. That has allowed staff to use other skills they have, and also receive additional training. Rowena Smithies, who works in the Pegasus Health mental health team, is one of the staff members who is coming in to support the rollout.
“I’m a qualified vaccinator and it is the right thing to do.” She says there is a “sense of relief and excitement” that the vaccine is finally starting to become available. Some recipients have raised concerns about any effects following a vaccination but Rowena says the actual shot itself is not painful. Having received the first dose, she notes she didn’t have any issues afterwards.
“It’s actually not as painful as some vaccines. You might feel a little scrape but there’s no burning sensation or anything like that. Your arm may feel a bit heavy later on and you might get a few flu-like symptoms the following day. But I didn’t have anything like that.” Insights from the initial phase will be valuable as the scope of the programme is extended to larger groups in Ōtautahi-Christchurch and nationally. “It’s such a huge undertaking, but we’re learning. The job has to be done and everyone’s united to get it done.”
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Rowena Smithies and Anna Fraser
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L I F E S T Y L E M AT T E R S Our nutrition programmes, Appetite for Life and Senior Chef, have evolved to be about more than just food and learning to cook. Seeing the impact of Appetite for Life and Senior Chef on participants prompted the team to explore soft drivers of health and wellbeing, like sleep and stress management, which are now at the forefront of their work. With dietitian Lucy Carey having become Board Certified in Lifestyle Medicine, the team is now even more focused on treating the whole person, not just one aspect of their health.
The Puāwai Healthy Lifestyles Team won Pegasus Health’s CEO Award 2020 for Teamwork. From left Lucy Carey, Jane Callahan, Eve Ji, Wendy Scanlon, Chris John
“I hated cooking with a passion but realised I couldn’t live forever on tins and packets. This course has been absolutely amazing. I’m gaining more confidence in my ability to manage a healthier lifestyle.” Feedback 2020
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Lucy completed Board Certification with the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine and the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine last year. She says the qualification focuses on chronic disease prevention and treatment by addressing the root causes of disease, instead of looking only at symptoms. Alongside nutrition, it focuses on regular physical activity, avoiding risky substances, restorative sleep, positive social connections and stress management. Her learnings have shaped a new programme to be piloted later this year, Puāwai – Kai, and an education package for health professionals, Ka Puāwai te Kākano (the seed will blossom). As well as this latest qualification, Lucy has a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition, a Master of Dietetics, is a NZ Registered Dietitian, Approved Practitioner with the Australian Centre for Eating Disorders, AND..... she’s the affiliated dietitian for the Christchurch Ballet Society. Keep an eye out in future issues for more information on these new offerings.
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Pegasus Health 2025 is produced by the Communications Team at Pegasus Health (Charitable) Ltd. Content within Pegasus Health 2025 newsletters has been included with the approval of content providers therefore please contact us if you wish to reproduce or alter and transmit any of the information or images contained within. Steve Addison, Head of Brand and Communications, Pegasus Health steve.addison@pegasus.org.nz 17 MARCH/ POUTŪ-TE-RANGI 2021
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