Media and Communications

Enabling our people to be better communicators

What is media and communications?

Waikato District Health Board is a public organisation that provides health services to more than 365,300 people or 8.28 per cent of New Zealand’s population. These people should know what is happening within our organisation and with the services we provide.

This is where the Media and Communications Unit comes in.

Communication is the lifeblood of any organisation and how well it communicates with its employees and external audiences brings its value to life. Effective communication is central to good management practice and crucial to building and maintaining public confidence.

Media and Communications can assist Waikato DHB staff to be better communicators.

The team’s vision reflects this ‘enabling our people to be better communicators’.

Areas of activity What we can do for you

Brochures

Medical photography brochure

They can provide a wide variety of services to help with this and ensure the presentation of clear and accurate information in a professional format.

Most of the team is in Level 1 Campbell Johnstone Building (Viscom) and director Mary Anne Gill is in Level 9 of the Menzies Building.

The team’s work brief encompasses four broad areas of activity: internal and external communications, media relations and visual communications.

Meet the Media and communications crew

Mary Anne Gill

Media and communications director

Mary Anne is a member of Craig Climo’s Direct Reports team and manages the staff that make up the Media and Communications Unit, which includes Viscom and Printshop.

She provides media and communications advice and guidance to staff of Waikato DHB, Health Waikato and the board.

A big part of her job is dealing with media and ensuring there is fair and accurate reporting of Waikato DHB activities and also assisting patients and staff to deal with the media in a helpful, yet unobtrusive way. All media who wish to visit a Waikato DHB hospital or have an enquiry about a patient, project or activity must first contact Mary Anne.

Mary Anne also works to actively seek positive information about the organisation to inform our communities. Some of the biggest jobs she has undertaken are leading the standardised signage campaign and simple writing for Waikato DHB Get it right and Get the look.

The role of the Communications Director

	Donna Straiton Personal assistant Donna is Mary Anne’s PA. She can be a big help to the team and if you’re having trouble tracking Mary Anne down then Donna usually knows where she is! Donna is based in Level 9 Menzies Building with Mary Anne.

	Kate Blackie Reception / administration As administrator Kate is the face and voice of Viscom. She is the first person you see as you walk in the door and the one you will hear when you call. She arranges appointments for the team, creates and organises signage, books advertising, manages the Viscom accounts and provides secretarial support to Mary Anne's Direct Reports.

Kathy Jenkin

Programme Manager: Communications

Kathy is the programme manager: communications and looks after the communications staff.

Kathy is assigned to the Programme Management Office and the Building Programme Office. She helps out with all their communication needs.

Kathy is relatively well known around the organisation, after starting as a medical photographer a ‘few’ years ago. She also has a lot of graphic design and project management experience.

Communications advice and services

Bee Pears

Amy Thomsen

(on maternity leave until March 2012)

Amy (on maternity leave until March 2012) and Bee are the two communications consultants in the Media and Communications Unit.

They can help you identify exactly what your communication needs are, and how they can be achieved – within your budget!

Their work includes providing advice and developing plans to ensure that your messages are getting through to the right audiences in the best possible way.

Michelle Flay

Team Leader: Process Improvement

Michelle’s job involves managing all the printing, graphic design and desktop publishing requirements of the Waikato DHB and overseeing the day-to-day running of Printshop. She manages the customer portal and production of job activities that cover communications, project work, graphic design and print work for Viscom. Michelle also attends regular meetings to present and approve new forms.

It is part of Michelle’s role to ensure that all the Waikato DHBs printed material meet the organisation’s style guidelines. She also monitors and controls costs by constantly ensuring processes are efficient, effective and within budget.

Graphic designers and the desktop publisher report to Michelle as does the Printshop.

Graphic design and desktop publishing

Tamara Miles

(on maternity leave until August 2012)

Jeremy Tritt

Tamara and Jeremy are the graphic designers. In a nutshell – they make things look good.

They take a brief or an idea and translate it into something effective and polished.

They can assist with developing professional looking posters,flyers, brochures, presentations, reports and many other resources and materials.

They work closely with the media and communications staff on campaigns and promotions as well as many on-going projects.

If you’ve seen a sophisticated and stylish poster or flyer around the place – chances are they did it!

Jan Bremner

Desktop publishing

Jan is a desktop publisher.

She creates new forms, patient information pamphlets, certificates and business cards – just to name a few.

She then organises proofs and sends them off to print. Jan also helps with reception and front desk duties when required.

Andre Chivell

Web management and analysis

Andre’s job involves maintaining the internet site to help you promote your service to health professionals and patients alike.

He is constantly looking for new and creative ways to improve the current site and ensure it is as user friendly as possible.

He also manages the content management systems for the internet and intranet and provides access, support and advice for authors who develop their own intranet pages.

Andre can help you with web solutions for your communications issues on both the internet and intranet, identify your potential audiences and the best way to reach them via the web.

Medical photography and audiovisual

Mark
Forster-King

Sunil Bange

Julia Donovan

Isla Trapski

Mark is the team leader: photograpy/audio visual and manages a team comprising Sunil, Julia and Isla. They provide a wide range of services to medical staff and work closely with many of the clinics and departments of the DHB.

A lot of their work involves contact with patients. This includes photographing or videoing patients in theatre or in the Viscom studio to help with diagnosis, tracking and recording medical conditions.

Some of this work is utilised in teaching materials, medical textbooks, journals and educational videos/DVDs. They have even made a number of health related television advertisements.

Other non-clinical photography and videoing is used on the intranet, internet, advertising, posters, brochures and other DHB documents.

The photographers can also help you with PowerPoint and multimedia presentations, videostreaming, video conferencing, video/DVD production and audio visual support.

Medical photography brochure

Meet the Printshop crew

Printshop manager and assistants

Jo Giltrap

Cie Hari Hari

Stephen Keane

Tamu Montejo

Printshop manager Jo and copy centre operators Cie, Stephen and Tamu (employed by Fuji Xerox) work hard to provide an in-house digital printing service (in partnership with Fuji Xerox) to Waikato DHB and some external providers.

Printshop is also a central electronic storage for all the organisation’s forms and patient information pamphlets. They also manage and organise distribution of the external printing requirements for Waikato DHB.