Pegasus Health announces winners of Quality Recognition Awards

The 2015 Pegasus Health Quality Recognition Awards, held on Saturday 18th July at the Air Force Museum in Wigram saw over 300 guests from general practice, community pharmacy, industry partners and Pegasus staff gather together for a night to celebrate innovation, team work and excellence in primary care.

The awards, held biennially, involve those working within primary healthcare nominating their colleagues for the outstanding contributions they make to primary healthcare in Canterbury. This year saw a large number of nominations across all of the awards categories. “We received a high volume of quality nominations this year which was just wonderful to see,” said Michael McIlhone, Pegasus Health Director of Nursing. “It makes the decisions more challenging for the judging panel, but demonstrates the extent of innovation and excellence throughout primary healthcare in Canterbury.”

Pegasus Health would like to congratulate the deserving winners of the 2015 Quality and Recognition Awards:

  • Outstanding contribution to a General Practice Team by a General Practice Member – Bernice Hey, Marshlands Family Health Centre
    • Bernice, a practice manager, led the transformation of Gayhurst Medical to Marshlands Family Health Centre after the practice was severely affected by the 2011 earthquakes. Her nominators described the result of her contribution as “thriving Integrated Health Service thanks to Bernice.”
  • Outstanding contribution to Clinical Quality and Education – Maria McIntyre of Unichem Bishopdale Pharmacy
    • A Pharmacist and Clinical Quality and Education small group leader, Maria, the third pharmacist in New Zealand to gain a Medicine Therapy Assessment qualification, has been described as an inspirational role model, “she is someone every Pharmacist should want to be like.”
  • Outstanding innovation within the multi-disciplinary team that has improved the delivery of patient focused care – Selwyn Street Medical Centre, Fiona Blair-Heslop & Ronnie Ellis
    • These Practice Nurses have collaborated with the Community Respiratory Team to improve the care pathway for COPD patients, resulting in many more patients being managed via this pathway and gaining confidence in managing their COPD condition.
  • Outstanding teamwork demonstrated by a Pharmacy working with General Practice – Hardings Pharmacy
    • Hardings Pharmacy have been described by their nominators as early collaborators and leaders with Integrated Family Health Service principles who have an integrated approach with general practice smoking cessation activity and a collegial attitude towards patients, resulting in excellent discussions and management of complex patients.
  • Outstanding community participation and engagement by a General Practice Team – Kaikoura Healthcare
    • Kaikoura Healthcare was nominated for their recent work on improved management and screening of gout in their local population. Their approach involved more engagement with Maori Health providers and the establishment of a collaborative project group after a successful application to Health Research Council in conjunction with Otago University and CDHB.
  • Community Leadership – Karen Carpenter
    • Karen, a Practice Nurse in Aranui led a successful submission opposing the opening of another liquor store in the local community. Her ongoing personal and professional contributions to the community greatly impacted on ensuring this liquor outlet did not open.
  • Leadership and General Practice – Dr. Jan Whyte
    • Jan moved to Christchurch from Winton with her 3 children under the age of 5 in 1984. As a solo practitioner in North Linwood, she was one of only 3 full time females GPs in Christchurch at the time. Jan also assisted in the establishment of the Nurse Maude Hospice and most recently, as a GP working at Gayhurst Medical pre earthquakes, Jan was heavily involved in rebuilding the practice as Marshlands Family Health Practice.
  • Positive System Change – Acute Demand Community and Coordination Team
    • The Acute Demand Community and Coordination Team continue to build on long established trust that primary and secondary care hold around the Acute Demand programme. Through their work they have refined the treatment of soft tissue infection which shows promise in reducing IV treatment times and standardised “normal care” for patients with heart failure, resulting in dramatic reduction in re-presentation to hospital.
  • Leadership in Integration – Kim Sinclair-Morris
    • As Programme Director of the Canterbury Clinical Network, Kim ensures and enhances collaboration across the Canterbury Health System. Kim has, “an understated and personable leadership style that all warm to, keeping the health consumer at the centre of all we do, and the ability to effectively and positively manage health system tensions and challenges.”
  • Pegasus Champion – Steve Boomert
    • Steve Boomert, CEO of ProCare was awarded the Pegasus Champion award in recognition of his strategic leadership, vision, determination and for making the health system better for all New Zealanders.

Pegasus Health would also like to acknowledge the generosity of their sponsors for helping them make this wonderful celebration possible: Lane Neave, Nurse Maude, St John, 2Degrees, Canterbury District Health Board, HFK Chartered Accountants, Westpac and Vensa.

“We are so grateful to our partners for supporting this celebration of success of the Canterbury Health system,” said Vince Barry, CEO Pegasus Health Charitable Ltd, “It has become a popular event for our primary care colleagues which would not be possible without their generosity and recognition.”