onsThe phone call to Adam El Gamel saying he was on the short list for a clinical director’s position at Waikato Hospital took one of the world’s most experienced heart surgeons by surprise. El Gamel was on ... read more

A change to the way the Health Waikato Ear Nurse Service operates in southern Waikato towns has seen a decrease in waiting times and a warmer, more inviting clinic set up – just in time for the colder months. Wh... read more

Integrated services, whether in one location or by improved communication and commitment to pool resources, is the way of the future as Waikato DHB strives to sustain rural health services. Health Waikato chief operating officer ... read more

Waikato's Integrated Heart Failure Service started in December at Te Kuiti Hospital with the second community-based clinic planned in Tokoroa next week. With nearly twice the heart failure admission rates of Ham... read more

The Unite Incorporated (Unite) union called a 24-hour strike this Friday 29 January for members employed as attendants at Waikato Hospital. The direct impacts on patients and the public will be minimal.   ... read more

NEW IV PUMPS TO REDUCE MEDICATION ERRORS Waikato District Health Board is one step closer to eliminating medication errors after the arrival of 200 new volumetric infusion intravenous (IV) pumps last week. IV pumps are invaluable devices used at all Hea... read more

Hospital continues to provide after hours care Taumarunui Hospital will continue to provide all after hours' health services until further notice due to a break down in discussion with Taumarunui GPs. Taumarunui Hospital has been providing after hours ... read more

Rural and community services get the big tick Caring for the health of one of New Zealand’s most rural regions is a big job, and somebody must do it - but do Waikato Rural and Community Services do it well? Yes they do, according to those who need them... read more

Leigh Singers takes up the new position of Waikato Hospital nurse manager, operations from November 23. It is the first of the nurse manager positions reporting to Waikato Hospital nursing director Suzanne Lawes ... read more

Suzanne Lawes is passionate about nursing and the challenges it provides which is why she’s so excited about her appointment to the Waikato Hospital nursing director’s position. Mrs Lawes, 42, currently service manage... read more

The Waikato District Health Board has performed elective surgery on a record number of people in the 2008/09 year, with more than 11,400 patents treated. More elective surgery for Waikato patients - 30 September 2009... read more

Waikato Hospital has employed a security manager at its Hamilton campus. The appointment was one of four recommendations made by Waikato Police in a research review completed last month by a police district problem... read more

Colin Lightbody, 41, an IT consultant from Malvern East, Melbourne, Australia who survived a 200 metre fall from Mt Ruapehu yesterday asked us to release the following statement. Colin is in a stable condition in Wa... read more

Taupo Rescue Helicopter release At 10 o'clock last night the Youthtown Trust Rescue Helicopter responded to a call from the Medical Centre at Whakapapa ski field, a 41-yo man fractured his ankle and sustained multiple abrasions when he fe... read more

Waikato Hospital has employed a security manager at its Hamilton campus. The appointment was one of four recommendations made by Waikato Police in a research review completed last month by a police district pro... read more

Waikato District Health Board’s hospital and health services provider arm Health Waikato had a year to remember. In the financial year 1 July 2008-30 June 2009, the organisation:did 21,686 surgical operationssaw 78,275 people in... read more

Hospice Waikato is to appoint its own palliative care physician based in Hamilton at the Gallagher Family Hospice and working throughout the Waikato community. Chief executive Elizabeth Bang today said the hospice hoped t... read more

toThe appointment of Dr Daniel Ninin as histopathologist at Waikato Hospital’s Histology Department is more good news for the department. Dr Ninin arrived from South Africa in July and brings the total num... read more

Tokoroa Hospital continues to remain closed to inpatients for the next 24 hours due to a norovirus outbreak. One patient still has symptoms while another is in isolation. Six staff are off work with five of them still showin... read more

Three patients and eight staff members at Tokoroa Hospital still have norovirus-like symptoms this afternoon. All patients will continue to be either isolated in single rooms or separated in multi-bed rooms with contact pre... read more

Another member of staff at Tokoroa Hospital has gone home with norovirus-like symptoms bringing the number of those affected to 21, 10 of them patients. The virus, which results in violent symptoms including diarrhoea ... read more

Tokoroa Hospital is battling a norovirus outbreak and Waikato District Health Board is urging people, in particular visitors with diarrhoea and vomiting, to stay away until the hospital is symptoms free. Twenty people, 10 staff... read more

Waikato's radiation oncology patients know exactly what they're in for before they get to Waikato Hospital thanks to a doctor's initiative to use online videos. Waikato Regional Cancer Centre's radiation oncology ser... read more

New Zealand 'medical first' at Waikato Hospital A 77-year-old Cambridge woman this week became the first person in New Zealand to get a new pacemaker system developed for use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines. The operation was at Waikat... read more

Waikato Hospital staff today got a glimpse of how the hospital’s structure could look; now all it needs is their feedback. Health Waikato chief operating officer Jan Adams and Waikato DHB director of nursing and midwif... read more

A weekend of Waikato pirate adventures will see Waikato Hospital's children's wards fitted with a new bedside entertainment unit. The 'pirates', a group of fun loving people who volunteer four weekends every year to shake... read more

! Waikato Hospital's children wards may just have a new $2500 bedside entertainment unit after this weekend if the 'pirates' have anything to do with it. The pirates, a group of fun loving people who give up four weekends a year to ... read more

Health Waikato staff will continue to offer women who plan to have an abortion the opportunity to view their ultrasound scan beforehand. Chief operating officer Jan Adams today said any woman having an ultrasound had the righ... read more

A new initiative which frees up nurses’ time for direct patient care is in full swing at Waikato Hospital. ‘Releasing Time to Care - Productive Wards’ focuses on improving ward processes and environments to help nurses and therapists ... read more

A third mobile breast pump has gone missing from Waikato Hospital’s newborn intensive care unit. Charge nurse Cathy McBride said the pump, worth $3000, was taken sometime between 7pm yesterday and 10am today. Police are in... read more

Imagine working somewhere for 38 years, and only wearing three different outfits to work the whole time. Waikato Hospital attendant Dave Phelps today celebrated the unveiling of a new attendants' uniform and his four... read more

Pharmacy evening proves beneficial for the community A new liaison pharmacist position at Waikato Hospital has opened many doors already but none as significant as the community pharmacy evening held onsite this week. Fiona McNabb started as the Waikat... read more

Waikato Hospital group manager Dr Grant Howard says he is committed to improving operational and capacity planning so nursing staff go where patients need them in the hospital. In his report to the Health Waikato Advisory... read more

Patients visiting Health Waikato rural hospitals and continuing care facilities will get some extra special care now. Someone to speak up for them, ask the questions they didn’t even know they needed to, help get them b... read more

Phil Wood is the new clinical services leader for Health Waikato's Older Persons and Rehabilitation Services. Dr Wood comes to Waikato with a wealth of knowledge in the sub-specialty of older people's health. Dr Wood... read more

Waikato Hospital’s Emergency Department had its busiest day ever yesterday with almost 200 patients seen in a 24-hour period illustrated by a surge of alcohol-related injuries. Staff assessed and treated 191 pati... read more

One of Waikato Hospital's senior emergency department doctors, punched and kicked by a drunken patient on Saturday night, is today considering pressing charges. The attack came after the man, who earlier in the... read more

Waikato DHB’s commitment to quality improvement in its hospitals and health services is reflected in the release today of the serious and sentinel events for the 2007/2008 year. The number of serious and sentinel events ... read more

Family and friends who have spent time in Waikato Hospital’s old Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can return this Friday for one last visit before it closes. Refurbishment of the area will get underway next week following the mo... read more

Ahead of the Vodafone Warriors' preseason trial against the Melbourne Storm in Hamilton tonight, the team found time to visit some of their little fans at Waikato Hospital yesterday. Warriors' captain Steve Price and tea... read more

Acting Maori Health GM steps up today Waikato District Health Board Maori health strategist Ditre Tamatea today took on the role of acting general manager: Maori Health. Interviews for the position will take place on Friday, and Mr Tamatea will continue... read more

More than 14,000 people who used to visit the Waikato Regional Diabetes Service at Waikato Hospital now go to newly refurbished premises in Hamilton. The Diabetes Clinic is now at 26 Clarence St, just over a k... read more

Three key Health Waikato management positions are announced by chief operating officer Jan Adams today. Intensive care specialist Dr Grant Howard becomes group manager: Waikato Hospital until December 31, Richard Poole... read more

The 89-year-old Cambridge woman who was the second patient to undergo an innovative heart procedure in New Zealand at Waikato Hospital spoke publicly today for the first time since her operation last week. Peg Robinson, w... read more

The 89-year-old woman who was the second patient at Waikato Hospital today to undergo an innovative heart procedure is Peg Robinson of Cambridge. Mrs Robinson is originally from Belfast, Ireland and came to New Zeala... read more

o An 89-year-old Hamilton-based Irishwoman became the second patient today to have an innovative heart procedure at Waikato Hospital. Surgeons took just over an hour to complete the woman’s aortic valve ... read more

Waikato Hospital surgeons today successfully completed an innovative heart procedure on a 78-year-old Thames man. Noel Howard had an aortic valve replacement in an operation led by cardiothoracic surgeon Nand ... read more

A 78-year-old Thames man due to have an aortic valve replacement done through a small incision in the chest on a beating heart last week, will undergo the operation at Waikato Hospital sometime this week. Noel Howard was p... read more

Waikato Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) manager Gem Williams reckons her unit is so impressive; it could attract more much needed NICU nurses to Waikato Hospital. Construction of Waikato Hospital's brand new NI... read more

An 86-year-old Otorohanga woman today died at Waikato Hospital while undergoing surgery for an aortic valve replacement using a procedure being done in the southern hemisphere for the first time. Ailsa Eunice Fleming, ... read more

Two patients having heart operations at Waikato Hospital on Wednesday will be the first in the southern hemisphere to have aortic valve replacements done through a small incision in the chest on a beating hea... read more

This Christmas: Emergency for Emergencies Health Waikato physicians are asking Waikato residents to keep an eye on their health before the Christmas/New Year holiday period. In 'silly seasons' gone by, trauma cases and those presenting from alcohol and ... read more

A 42-year-old Whangamata man is recovering in cardiac care after becoming the first person at Waikato Hospital to have an atrial fibrillation procedure to correct a heart rhythm disorder. Hamilton-born cardiologist Mart... read more

Health Waikato gratefully accepted a $125,000 cheque for Waikato Hospital today from Progressive Enterprises as part of their 2008 Fresh Future fundraising appeal. The hospital plans to spend the money on improvements t... read more

More than 450 people came from all over the Thames-Coromandel region last Friday to take up the chance of being the first to see inside the brand new Thames Clinical Centre. Everyone was invited to attend between 2-6pm and... read more

Waikato Hospital yesterday celebrated five months of its new stroke service – one that is becoming increasingly important due to higher incidence of stroke in the Waikato. The Organised Stroke Service team opened t... read more

Thames Hospital’s new clinical centre is all set to open its doors at the end of the month but local residents are invited to a special preview next Friday, 17 October. The Thames Clinical Centre will house the hospit... read more

Thames is to get a new stand alone primary maternity facility. The Waikato DHB board today voted unanimously to approve the building of the facility in Mary St, Thames at a cost of $893,000. Primary birthing facilities (where... read more

Health Waikato will lead out a new system for delivering trauma care to the rest of the Midland region next year. The model, led by Waikato Hospital director of trauma Grant Christey, is a holistic and ... read more

New Zealand's first nurse practitioner celebrates DVD Seven years ago, Waikato neo-natal nurse Deborah Harris became the country's first nurse practitioner. Therefore, she sees last week's release of a Ministry of Health DVD focusing on the work of nurs... read more

Waikato District Health Board installed Health TV in Waikato Hospital's Emergency Department and Orthopaedics waiting rooms yesterday.   Eventually another screen will go into Thames' Emergency Department. &... read more

They're out there - second hospital open day a success They came back again. Former nurses and midwives are obviously still out there in the community and keen to come back to work if today's open day at Waikato Hospital is any indication. More than ... read more

The situation at Waikato Hospital remains critical today prompting hospital management to set up an incident management team under the control of Hayley McConnell. The goal for the team is to reduce hospital occupancy to ... read more

They came back and now Waikato District Health Board wants more. Nurses and midwives are in high demand both nationally and internationally. While recruitment campaigns traditionally focussed on the ov... read more

Waikato Hospital's fifth recipient of the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation was 79-year-old Tokoroa man Graeme Gubb. Mr Gubb, also known as Taff, has recovered extremely well from his operation and is due to re... read more

Occupancy at Waikato Hospital is critical today at 109 per cent by 2pm with no respite in sight. Sixteen patients are waiting for inpatient beds with only two projected to be available in the next six hours. In addition... read more

Taumarunui is the latest of Waikato District Health Board's largest rural communities to implement a 'telephone nurse triage service'. The changes to the delivery of after hours' medical services in the King... read more

Maeroa Intermediate added a touch of colour to the Children’s Clinic at Waikato Hospital today when students presented four murals they had created for the area. Clinic staff approached the school last year... read more

Waikato Hospital’s Transit Lounge helped the hospital get through a busy time last week by freeing up a record number of beds and taking pressure off the wards. The hospital was close to full capacity at the en... read more

When Hamilton mother-to-be Fiona Reid went into labour on Tuesday she wasn’t expecting to see brand new facilities at Waikato Hospital, and be the first to use them. “It was quite a surprise. They moved me in h... read more

Patient occupancy at Waikato Hospital could go 5 per cent above capacity this weekend, hospital bosses warned today. Already there have been major disruptions to elective surgeries at the hospital, said group manager Hayl... read more

Many Thames Hospital staff were unable to get to work today because of road closures due to flooding. Some of those at work today may have to leave early to attend to family and property and also avoid being stranded. Clini... read more

Three Cambridge retail employees and a Morrinsville dairy employee face possible prosecution and a fine of up to $2000 after selling cigarettes to people under 18. Waikato District Health Board's Populat... read more

Babies born in Waikato Hospital’s refurbished delivery suite on Tuesday (July 29) are getting an extra special start in life. Not only will they be the first born in the revamped premises but they will also... read more

Months of hard work by staff has resulted in Thames Hospital getting the tick of approval from the Ministry of Health for a further two years. All New Zealand hospitals are regularly put to the test to ensure the saf... read more

More than 200 guests braved the cold and fog this morning to attend the official opening ceremony at Waikato Hospital today (Tuesday) for its new carpark and main entry building. Te Arikinui King Tuheitia and Rt Hon Hele... read more

One of the country’s largest operators of mental health facilities has slammed a website set up to name and shame mental health providers and staff who breach codes of practice. Waikato District Health Board’s hospital and he... read more

Stroke victims will now have world-class coordinated care through Waikato Hospital, thanks to a new Organised Stroke Service introduced at the hospital this week. The aim is to be proactive in early diagnosis... read more

Waikato District Health Board’s key focus during the next strike by junior doctors will be on maintaining patient safety. For this reason, Waikato Hospital will scale back many elective services so that emergency ... read more

Gate one off Pembroke St will be the only entry and exit point into Waikato Hospital in Hamilton from Monday May 5.  The closure of the entrance at the eastern end of Selwyn St allows for completion of roading up... read more

Waikato Hospital’s shuttle service has been expanded to include a bright red van that will give patients and visitors rides to their appointments. The shuttle bus will travel around the hospital every 20 minutes on weekdays... read more

Junior doctors’ strike affects non-urgent servicesWaikato Hospital will be reduced to providing emergency cover only during next week’s planned two-day national strike by junior doctors. The hospital is scaling back services in order to reduce the number ... read more

Waikato District Health Board’s Population Health Service group manager Barbara Garbutt will manage the Older Persons and Rehabilitation Service in an acting capacity from Monday. She takes over from Jeff Benn... read more

Jeff Bennett has been appointed to the top management job in Health Waikato’s Mental Health and Addictions Service. Currently group manager of Health Waikato’s Older Persons and Rehabilitation Service, Mr Bennett has a s... read more

A $5. 9 million investment in radiology and cardiology digital imaging systems at five Health Waikato hospitals will make viewing traditional x-rays outdated. Waikato and Bay of Plenty district health boards yesterday f... read more

When Waikato Hospital clinical nurse manager Dinny Oakley put the call out for nurses interested in returning to the workforce she had no idea the response would be so good. More than 100 people turned up for two open day ... read more

What started as a regular afternoon tea session for one group of 1940s registered nurses has spiralled into one of the biggest reunions of its type in Hamilton. Tomorrow (Saturday March 15) 250 past and present n... read more

Would you mind going back? Health Waikato and anyone else within the region that has ever required hospital treatment, needs you. The country is full of nurses no longer registered or practising who are i... read more

Stage one of Waikato Hospital's $252 million redevelopment is complete with the new main entrance and carpark building now open for use. Visitors coming to the hospital can now enter through the new Gate 1 entranc... read more

An enhanced focus on quality and safety was already top of the agenda for Health Waikato before today’s publication of serious and sentinel events, says chief operating officer Jan Adams. A consultation document ... read more

Ill-fitting nightwear has plagued hospital patients for years - now Thames Hospital staff are doing something about it. Small adjustments can make big differences to patient comfort and staff time, said Thames Hospit... read more

Taumarunui is in dire need of at least one more midwife before pregnant women are sent elsewhere for their antenatal and birthing needs. While Taumarunui has previously had two operating midwives until last week, Diane ... read more

Waikato Hospital is holding a Summer Celebration this Saturday (9 February) 10am-1pm outside its new main entrance and carparking building in Hamilton.  Your hospital is celebrating the progress that has been ma... read more

Health Waikato's new Transit Lounge opened today (Monday) to provide a peaceful place for discharged patients who need somewhere to wait before going home. The facility at Waikato Hospital is staffed by registered nurses who ... read more

Health Waikato has been forced to buy 69 new wheelchairs at a cost of $280 each because more than 50 at Waikato Hospital have been stolen or damaged. In recent times wheelchairs have been found ruined at a local s... read more