Innovative Staff Battle it out at Southern DHB

19 November 2014

Innovative Staff Battle it out at Southern DHB

Southern DHB is challenging its staff once again to come up with innovative ideas to improve health service delivery.

This year sixteen applications will be judged in the Southern Innovation Challenge, a competition designed to give DHB staff the opportunity to present their innovative ideas to a judging panel which then awards funding.

Ideas as diverse as an outpatient murmur clinic, ipu whenua – a container for placenta and umbilical cord, and digital photo frames of staff for service users and their families/whānau are among the many suggestions from Southern DHB staff for quality and efficiency improvements.

The winners will take a share of $27,500, which includes sponsorship from Westpac Banking Corporation and Otago Polytechnic, to help them implement their ideas.

Southern DHB Chief Executive, Carole Heatly said that applicants need to show that their idea identifies with Southern District Health Board’s strategic priorities

“Every year we have such a fantastic range of entries from a mixture of clinical and administrative staff and it’s so difficult to choose the winners. I’m really looking forward to hearing about the innovative ideas staff have to improve our services to the community,” said Ms Heatly.

Ms Heatly will be joined on the judging panel by Lexie O’Shea (Executive Director of Patient Services), Leanne Samuel (Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery), Cherie McConville (Director of Performance), David Tulloch (Chief Medical Officer), Peter Harris (Innovation Facilitator, Otago Polytechnic) and John Blaikie (Private Advisor, Westpac Banking Corporation).

The Southern Innovation Challenge will take place on Friday 21 November from 9am to 2.15pm at Wakari Hospital Boardroom with a video conference link to Southland Hospital Boardroom and Queenstown Mental Health.

ENDS

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