The community health programmes offer focused wellness programmes directly to the neighbourhoods, schools and working places and change lives by preventing and educating. These grassroots initiatives address the chronic diseases, mental health, and access disparities in a better manner than hospitals do. Programmes have long-term change by enabling locals to become health champions in the capacity of making emergency visits go down by an estimated 30 percent in the participating regions. Their informative strategy is crucial in 2026 when healthcare expenses across the globe are increasing.

Preventive Care Reaches the Underserved

Mobile clinics and pop up health fairs take health screenings such as diabetes, blood pressure and cancer to remote communities. The participants are provided with immediate feedback and lifestyle coaching and the problems are identified in their initial stages when the cost of treatment is reduced by 80 percent. Habits are built with walking groups and cooking classes, which reduce obesity rates by 15 percent in 2 years. Such practical sessions create trust, leading to follow up care that is usually lacking in isolated clinics.

Mental Health Support Builds Resilience

Peer counselling circles and stress management workshops are used to deal with anxiety and depression where stigma is the obstacle to classical therapy. There is the use of trained community leaders that create safe spaces, educating on breathing methods and coping skills. Programmes document 40 percent mood enhancement in 12 weeks and the participants share skills throughout the family. School-based youth programs prevent bullying and self-harm, which have a trickle-down effect.

Nutrition and Fitness Initiatives Drive Habits

Community gardens provide fresh products to be used in cooking demos, reducing the use of processed foods. Competition on fitness through apps counts steps and cheers on, which increases the level of activity by a quarter. Reforms in school lunch introduce balanced meals, which enhance the focus and grades of kids. These initiatives connect health and social connections, and wellness is enjoyable and shared instead of being clinical.

Vaccination and Infectious Disease Control

Campaigns in the workplace and door to door campaigns have 90 percent uptake of flu, COVID boosters and childhood vaccines. The myths are disproved by education, which creates confidence in public health. Outbreak responses put in place rapid testing forces, which contain the spread in days. Herd immunity levels are achieved sooner than the national averages, which save lives and economies through long-term monitoring.

Technology Amplifies Reach and Results

Apps make users be linked to telehealth, appointment reminders, and progress dashboards. Wearables in programs check the vitals, providing warnings to coaches. Analytics identify areas of high needs, which optimise resources. The virtual support groups maintain the motivation between the real life meets and 70 percent of the groups maintain the motivation as compared to 40 percent when people do the same individually.

Measurable Outcomes Prove Success

Programmes monitor the measures such as a 22 percent reduction in hospital admissions, 18 percent increase in productivity, and two years of life expectancy. Cost-benefit analyses indicate that one saves 5 dollars on every 1 dollar spent by fewer treatments. Testimonials about participants emphasize the increase of confidence and the improvement of the health of the family. Governments expand winning models, mixing local wisdom and evidence.

Things are still difficult, such as funding and burnout among volunteers, but collaborations with businesses and schools keep the momentum. Paid coordinators who are locals will also provide continuity.

Small efforts through community health programmes are massive payoffs. They go to people at their homes and reshape health narratives as a reaction to prevention. Their legacy lives on and healthier communities are being established neighbourhood by neighbourhood.

Te Whatu Ora Waikato’s Nurse of the Year serves as a celebration of excellence acknowledging the extraordinary contribution of our nurses across many areas of healthcare.

The theme for 2023’s International Nurses Day was “Our Nurses, Our Future”, aligning with the commitment of Te Whatu Ora Waikato to cultivate our growing nursing workforce. There has been a strong growth in the number of new nurses graduating and working within the Waikato, and in our experienced nurses continuing their development and moving into roles such as Nurse Practitioners. This rise in the number of nursing professionals in the region suggests a promising outlook for the future of healthcare, as the nursing workforce plays a vital role in quality patient care and improving health outcomes.

The recipient of Waikato’s 2023 Nurse of the Year award was Nicola Griffiths, who serves as the Bowel Screening Nurse Lead. Krizia Ledesma-Libre, a Forensic Mental Health Nurse, was also presented with a Special Recognition award.

Nicola Griffiths, Waikato Nurse of the Year 2023

Nicola Griffiths, Bowel Screening Nurse Lead, played an instrumental role in developing an online tool that enables the entire Bowel Screening team to access information on all screening patients and their corresponding stage in the screening journey. Patients can now be accurately categorised and are visible to the team, ensuring they receive the appropriate level of care.

“Nicola incorporates Treaty of Waitangi principles into her practice, identifying barriers to patients receiving their Bowel Screening Colonoscopy, and works with stakeholders, including nurses, community staff, and administrative personnel, to improve the timeliness of patients’ procedures,” Sue Hayward, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer said.

“Thanks to Nicola’s efforts, patients receive a streamlined and high quality experience. The Bowel Screening team can easily access patient information and deadlines, allowing for timely processing and preventing any patients from being missed or lost in the system.”

Krizia Ledesma-Libre, Special Recognition Award 2023

Krizia Ledesma-Libre was recognised this year for her exceptional work in Forensic Mental Health nursing. Krizia’s knowledge and commitment has made a significant difference in ensuring that everyone has the necessary understanding and support to make a positive impact.

She has implemented staff trainings, supportive knowledge gathering and sharing initiatives that have improved team cohesion and benefited staff and tāngata whaiora.

“Krizia’s compassion, kindness, and respect for others has helped many tāngata whaiora who are going through the mental health system to regain a sense of hope. The job is not easy, but Krizia’s determination, thoughtfulness, and understanding make her a gem in this field of nursing and we commend her for her dedication,” Sue Hayward said.

Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand is managing elevated cases of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) identified at Waikato Hospital.

What is VRE?

Enteroccocus is a bug which lives in most people’s bowels and is usually harmless. Carrying the bug this way (usually called being colonised) does not mean a person is infected so there should be no symptoms.

Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus is the same bug, but a strain which has developed resistance to the antibiotic vancomycin. This does not mean that someone who has an infection caused by VRE cannot be treated, just that they will need different antibiotics to the one usually used.

If VRE gets passed to another part of the body it can cause an infection, with symptoms dependent on which area is infected.

How is it spread?

It can be spread through contact between people, by touching shared items or surfaces that have VRE on them.

What precautions are in place?

Transmission can occur in hospitals which is why we are isolating people who test positive for VRE. This is to protect patients who are already ill and may have increased risk of developing an infection.

When cases are confirmed we identify any potential close contacts who can be screened on visiting a hospital or healthcare provider. If needed they can be isolated.

Within our hospital spaces, any area or equipment used for people with VRE must undergo an extensive cleaning process using disinfectants which eliminate the bug.

For individuals the risk of VRE can be minimised by good hand hygiene and thorough cleaning procedures.

A new Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine was gifted to the Waikato Hospital on Thursday 20 April by The Heart Trust.

The ECMO machine is similar to a cardiopulmonary bypass machine which “takes over” for a patient’s heart and lungs, adding oxygen to blood before pumping it back. It is used during some heart and lung surgeries or to assist recovery from heart or lung damage by allowing those organs to rest. The arrival of COVID-19 has increased the use of cardiopulmonary bypass machines outside of the operating theatre.

The new machine is simpler and easier to operate than the bypass machines currently in use. It is also smaller and more portable, enabling its use during patient transport to other hospitals to access specialised care, such as Auckland City Hospital’s Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, potentially saving lives in critical situations.

“ECMO technology has expanded treatment options for a group of people who are critically unwell,” says Michelle Sutherland, Interim Lead Hospital and Specialist Services.

“The simpler operation of this machine makes it more comfortable for use in intensive care settings with perfusion specialists’ help. We are grateful to have the ongoing support of the Heart Trust and thank them for their very generous donation.”

The Heart Trust is an incorporated charitable trust dedicated to improving the quality of life of heart patients in the Midland region. It has worked with Waikato Hospital for more than 50 years.

The trust successfully fundraised for the $120,000 ECMO device across a number of events, including a concert featuring Dr Madhav Menon, a cardiologist at Waikato Hospital, who sang accompanied by his talented daughters performing on the violin and cello.

Dr Clyde Wade, a former Waikato Hospital Cardiologist and current Heart Trust trustee, said “The Heart Trust was my secret weapon back in the day” as he had worked with the Trust and Waikato Hospital on numerous occasions to obtain equipment which helped deliver world-class cardiology care.

An initiative to improve connectivity between patients, visitors and whānau came to fruition at the end of May with Wi-Fi connections established at rural Waikato hospitals.

Interim Operations Director – Community & Rural Health, Rachel Swain, said locally provisioned public Wi-Fi has now been fully established at each of the four Te Whatu Ora Waikato rural hospitals.

“This includes Taumarunui, Te Kuiti, Thames and Tokoroa Hospitals and has been achieved by using an independent link at each site fed by a fibre connection to each hospital.”

“To have an ability to communicate with loved ones is very important to our patients and whānau. In situations such as the earlier COVID-19 related lockdowns being able to interact with loved ones unable to visit is a key part of our patients’ wellbeing.”

Having publicly accessible Wi-Fi can make trips to the hospital less stressful for visitors as well.

“People visiting the hospitals will be able to book Health Shuttles or look at public transport timetables while they visit which can assist when planning outpatient appointments or follow up treatment.”

“This is all about enhancing the patient experience and making our services more accessible to more people.”

COVID-19 is still active in the community and still making friends and whānau unwell.

Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand is asking you to play your part in keeping everyone safe.

Over the weekend we had an increase in the number of our patients in hospital testing positive for COVID-19 and it appears that in most cases they were exposed to the virus from people visiting.

If you are visiting loved ones in hospital, don’t forget to wear a mask and please don’t visit if you are feeling unwell or have flu, cold or COVID-19 symptoms.

Help us to protect our patients, visitors, and staff.

Now is a good time to get up-to-date with your vaccinations. Get your Flu and COVID-19 vaccination or booster at our pop-up vaccination clinics or GPs and pharmacies throughout the Waikato. To find a walk-in option today or book go to