East Otago Health

🌟 Māori Language Week 2024: "Ake ake ake – A Forever Language" 🌟

This year's theme highlights resilience, adaptability, and endurance in keeping te reo alive.

To ensure te reo remains a vibrant, forever language, embrace it wholeheartedly. No matter where you are on your journey with te reo, don’t be whakamā—every effort you make is valuable and appreciated. Keep going, and celebrate the language in all its richness!

Kīwaha
Give it a go

Wellness reset group is here for Spring!
Come along and hear how Roz and Gemma can help you set some wellbeing goals and self-manage some physical conditions…..details as below on how to register for “Progress over Perfection” 👏

Tuesday 3rd September our wonderful health coach and support worker Gemma Fairbairn will begin her walking group in Waikouaiti.
Check out below for details on this.
From the 10th Sept she will have appointments available in Waikouaiti to discuss your health needs.
Please call the clinic on 034651444 if you would like an appt with Gemma or would like more information on what services we offer
Kia kaha team East Otago

PPRICE INCREASE as of 12th August 2024
See our full list in clinic and on our webpage from nxt week

LATE NIGHTS ARE HERE!

For our patients who work and need an evening appt our late night clinics will start on Tuesday the 13th August in Palmerston, 20th August in Waikouaiti, we will be open to 7pm.
These will alternate respectively each week to accomodate your needs, call 034651444 for your appt and thank you for providing the feedback required to make this happen 🙏🏼
Kia kaha

Hi East Otago, I came with my human to the Medical Centre in Palmerston and now I have been left behind and feeling lost and lonely. If you recognise me I would be so happy to come back home 🫶

Friday 28th June 2024 - our clinic will be closed due to a public holiday Matariki.
Our oncall Nurse will be available for you acute needs only.
Enjoy your friends and whanau and good kai, it’s what it’s all about. Kia kaha

Morena East Otago….. as below, happening today!
Get up and get moving with Gemma 👊

With permission to publish from one of our lovely patients;

“Dear Jane.

I just wanted to give a huge shout-out to all your amazing staff; both administrative and clinical.

In particular, I have been seeing Liz and Briar recently regarding some serious health issues and they have been incredibly supportive and professional. I have now seen Liz as my primary healthcare provider for the past two years and would not consider changing that at all.

We are so fortunate to have a top-quality health service in our area.

As a registered nurse of over fifty years standing, I can honestly say that we have the best health service we could hope for.

Thank you, Jane! Your support, and that of your fantastic team, is greatly appreciated 🥰.

Kind regards,

Robyn Hill”

Thank you Robyn, so grateful for your kind words and timely in our relentless days 💜

Gemma our wonderful Support worker/health coach is starting a walking group!
Below for details on this, come along and get moving through the winter months with Gemma

Kia Ora team East Otago ….. as below our intersection (District Road & Gilligan Street) will be closed on the 5th June, nxt Wednesday.
For those needing access to and from the Medical Centre you will need to come in from the south end….. anyone who may experience issues getting to us during this time, please call 034651444 to see how we maybe able to help you.
Ka kite

Calling all Parents!
Great incentive for learning some new skills 👌

Live in East Otago? Are you or anyone you know interested in doing a First Aid course specifically tailored to parents? Email [email protected],nz to book your space.

As below, it’s so important to use those FIT tests for over 60 year olds, don’t throw them away!

“If I had not done the FIT test in January, I would not have realised I had cancer...” Joanne Hubbard was diagnosed with bowel cancer after doing the free screening test, a government-run program for anyone over 60.

“I had no symptoms and was fit and healthy, so I thought.” Joanne had her annual blood tests a week before w, and they all came back clear. “Being diagnosed came as a complete surprise.”

“I was managed and treated very quickly. I find it hard to believe that over half of these kits are thrown away*...come on, NZ, this test is free and could save your life!

Within two months of being diagnosed, my sigmoid/rectal cancer was removed, and because it was picked up early, the cancer had not spread, and I had no further treatment.

Bowel cancer can be silent... I had no symptoms and am very thankful to the Bowel Screening Program, which was able to pick up the cancer at an early stage.”

Joanne accessed funded support from us to support her through recovery and is very grateful her bowel cancer was picked up. For more information on the National Screening Program, visit their website: https://www.timetoscreen.nz/bowel-screening/

*≥ 60% of all eligible participants invited within each DHB area return a completed FIT kit every 24 months - National Bowel Screening Programme Interim Quality Standards released in 2017.

Last week we celebrated this milestone….. Michelle has been with East Otago Health for 10 whole years! A few interesting stories to be told of the “olden days” when we were all about paper, now we are all in clouds ☺️
Congratulations Michelle for this wonderful accomplishment 🎉
Here’s to the next 10! 💐👊

Lest we Forget...ANZAC Day tomorrow, our clinic is CLOSED. Our after hours Nurse is available for your acute needs only

Coming to our place - May the 9th, back of carpark, 117 District Road, Palmerston.

Heads up East Otago, for those who have appointments at the Medical Centre today the road is CLOSED from the Show Grounds end, for road works.
You will need to come down from the Cemetery end of District Road to get here, happy days Palmerston.

DOCTOR UPDATE
Dr Amanda McCorkindale will be back with us from May through to August 2024.
Some may remember Dr McCorkindale from a short placement last October. We are delighted to have her back working alongside our wonderful Practitioners, Liz Walker and Michelle Lawrence, with Dr Elizabeth Harris remaining with us on Tuesdays

Days as follows for Amanda:
Monday - telehealth
Wednesday - in Clinic at Palmerston
Friday - in clinic, mornings Waikouaiti, afternoons Palmerston

Please call 034651444 for your appt bookings
Many thanks, Jane Roberts

Linda Burns - Walk 50K this May for Incurable Breast Cancer Walk 50K this May to help support Kiwis living with incurable breast cancer.

We have a new Health Improvement Practitioner (HIPs) now in clinic - fully funded visits!
An in-site below from Roz;

Kia ora, my name is Roz Wood. I have just come on board as the new Health Improvement Practitioner (HIP) at East Otago Health, after working as a HIP at a busy Dunedin city practice for the last 2.5 years. I have spent several years supporting people with their mental health in my role as an occupational therapist.
I am a strong believer in living a life that holds purpose and meaning, and I enjoy helping others identify and connect with what is important to them. For me, this is a daily dose of art in some form, baking, and getting out in the hills with my dog.
I am based at Palmerston Tuesdays and Thursdays, and hope to be at Waikouaiti for alternate Tuesdays in the near future.

My role as a HIP is to see people of all ages, who are registered to the GP practice, around a wide range of matters – basically anything that is affecting you living your best life.
• Help you develop skills to make positive behavioral changes for your wellbeing
• Manage stress, thoughts, feelings and behaviors, help with sleep, alcohol and drug problems
• Support children, youth and their guardian who may have worries or have behavioral concerns

Appointments are available to people registered to East Otago Health. Sessions last between 15-30 minutes, always FREE, on the day appointments available, and there are no barriers to coming back and forth as you might need. I can also help ‘sign post’ to other services that may better support your needs.

I am really looking forward to getting to know and connecting with your community, including different groups or organisations. If you are a patient please feel free to make an appointment, or contact me via EOH reception if you are an organisation or group wanting to know more.

Roz :)

Welcome to East Otago Roz, we are all looking forward to working alongside you
Kia kaha, Jane Roberts

Access and Choice - Tōku Oranga » WellSouth Access And Choice, health coach, health improvement practitioner, community support worker, Toku Oranga, wellbeing, Integrated care, Access and Choice, Toku Oranga

Foodbank managers ‘over the moon’ about donation "Over the moon" is how Progress of Waikouaiti Area (POWA) managers describe their feelings after receiving a donation from a head-shaving...

The only thing that should be falling this Autumn, is leaves! 🍁🍂

‘April Falls’ kicks off today to raise awareness about the impact of falls and promote fall prevention strategies.

We want to take this opportunity to introduce our Falls and Fracture Prevention team!

They are dedicated to keeping our community independent and on their feet and can support people to improve strength, balance, and bone health through our falls and fracture prevention services.

Find out more about the team and their service on our website: https://wellsouth.nz/your-health/clinical-service/falls-and-fracture-prevention-service

Keep an eye on our page this month for fall prevention information and tips to build strength and balance.

Last chance to support Linda Burns and her epic acheivment of NO SUGAR for the entire month of March!
Well done Linda! 👏💪

Linda Burns - Give it up for Gut Cancer Give it up for Gut Cancer : Make a donation today to support Kiwis with Gut Cancer