Project Manager seconded for Midland DHBs’ regionalisation work
All five Midland District Health Boards have now agreed to progress activities towards regional co-operation in a planned manner. This is in line with the Minister of Health, Hon. Tony Ryall’s Letter of Expectations for DHBs which signals an expectation DHBs work together more collaboratively across the regions.
Each of the five Boards has voted on a series of resolutions that chart a plan for a more structured and coordinated approach to planning and delivery of services across the Midland region.
The Chairs and Chief Executives of the five Midland DHBs – Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Tairawhiti and Taranaki agreed late in February that while the actual benefits from increased cooperative activities can not be precisely estimated at this time they were likely to be substantial and therefore the Midland DHBs agreed they should proceed with the regional activities project.
Since then a list of formal recommendations on a way forward has been agreed to by each of the five DHB Boards.
Project Manager Erica Holtsbaum has been seconded from Lakes DHB to progress a plan for the cooperative activities including:
- regional planning as per the Regional Clinical Services Plan
- regional clinical service co-ordination – building on the current work of networks such as that for cancer
- consideration of a range of back office and support functions
|
Erica Holtsbaum
Project Manager
|
Erica Holtsbaum will be based at Bay of Plenty DHB, but her role will
involve working closely with all five Midland DHBs, Waikato, Bay of
Plenty, Lakes, Taranaki and Tairawhiti. Erica will report to Cathy
Cooney, Lead CE for this project to 30 June 2011. Waikato District
Health Board Chair Graeme Milne says the project manager will build on
previous work to assess the way forward for the Midland DHBs for
regional activities and that all five Midland DHBs have committed to
providing the required resources for the period from late March until
the 30 June 2011. Graeme says the project manager will come back to the
DHBs with final recommendations for regional activities in due course,
for their approval. He adds that that this work will need to be done so
as not to lose sight of the diversity among the DHBs, and the need for
the DHBs to be accountable for running their individual organisations
and providing health services for their local populations. The Midland
DHBs have a history of working collaboratively in a range of areas for
some years. The Midlands Regional website is under development and will
list examples of regional collaboration. You can access it by clicking
on: www.waikatodhb.health.nz/midlanddhbs
ENDS
Date: 29 March 2011
|
