Feeling All Right at the Improvement and Innovation Awards

Feeling All Right at the Quality Improvement and Innovation Awards

All Right? All Right? All Right?

Like Matthew McConaughey at the Oscars and in true Hollywood fashion, the All Right? campaign cleaned up at this year’s Quality Improvement and Innovation Awards last week.

The wellbeing initiative, run in collaboration with the Mental Health Foundation, took out one of two Supreme Awards, plus the Improved Health and Equity for all Populations Award and the Consumer Council Award.

Sue Turner, All Right? manager says the All Right? Team was humbled to receive all three awards at the ceremony.

“It is a great boost to have our work recognised in this way,” Sue says.

“This project has been very much a collaborative affair from its inception.”

Sue says the project, a partnership with the Mental Health Foundation, has received great support from a range of organisations including the Red Cross and SKIP. She says staff from right across the Canterbury DHB have also been instrumental in the campaign’s success.

“The focus of the campaign has been to put people at the centre of the recovery and support the wellbeing of Cantabrians post quakes. We are delighted to have the campaign honoured in this way.”

The other big winners is the Medical Physics and Bioengineering (MPBE) team who combined with the Maxillofacial Department have improved patient outcomes for eye socket fractures.

From 2009 to 2013, eye socket fractures were repaired using commercial plates at a cost of about $1000 each and they had to be fitted in theatre. After a CT scan 33 percent of cases were found not to fit properly and required a return to theatre to correct, which caused further trauma, scarring and costs to theatre time.

The team’s project involved creating low cost 3D printed models of patients’ eye sockets and using this to pre-shape titanium plates made in the MPBE workshop, at a cost of about $26 each.

The outcomes have been no return to theatre from 31 cases from 2013 to June 2014. Plates usually fit perfectly first time and time to insert them has reduced from about 30 minutes to 13 minutes and costs have reduced dramatically.

Steve Muir, MPBE image scientist, says it’s fantastic to receive the first for their category and a supreme award.

“From the beginning of the project there has been a great sense of fit between the needs of the Maxillofacial Department and the imaging and mechanical skills of the Medical Physics and Bioengineering Department,” Steve says.

“Watching the stats roll in about the better patient outcomes, cost savings and zero returns to theatre has been very satisfying for the whole team involved. Any more ideas out there that need developing - let us know.”

David Meates, Canterbury DHB chief executive says the awards are a favourite time of year to show case some of the very best innovations and quality improvements here in Canterbury.

Since the awards began a decade ago, 193 entries have made a remarkable difference to the Canterbury Health System. This year’s awards gained 13 entries.

“The quality, effort and work that’s gone into those projects, I am sure you will agree with me is absolutely outstanding.”

Mr Meates says he’s impressed with the consistent drive to make the health system better.

“The key themes are collaboration, engagement and consumer-centric because at the end of the day we’re here to serve our community and how we do that together is what makes the real difference.”

2014 Canterbury Health System Quality Improvement and Innovation Award Results

Supreme Award Winners

• All Right?

• Reducing Surgery Time and Improving Patient Outcomes for Eye Socket Fractures

Improved Health and Equity for all Populations
Winner All Right?
Runner Up Under Pressure. CDHB Point Prevalence Pressure Injury Studies

Improved Quality, Safety and Experience of Care
Winner Reducing Surgery Time and Improving Patient Outcomes for Eye Socket Fractures
Runner Up Community Alcohol and Drug (CADS) Service Group Programme

Best Value for Public Health System Resources
Winner A Sharper Phlebotomy Service
Runner Up Optimising Education Provision throughout the South Island

Highly Commended

• Diabetes Coaching, Team Preceptorship, The Health and Wellbeing Connection

Consumer Council Award

• All Right?

ENDS

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