Overview
Chief Executive Officer, Helen Mason.
It’s been great having the opportunity to celebrate Matariki, and
Māori Language week. Thanks to Regional Māori Health Services
for their great leadership and hard work on this.
I was fortunate to see the wonderful kapa haka performance in
the Children’s Ward in Tauranga. I was so impressed with the
wonderful waiata the tamariki performed. I was also impressed
when I asked for one of the group to translate the song for me. A
young girl stepped forward confidently and in two short sentences
explained what the song meant to her. It was a wonderful
demonstration of talent from a confident group of youngsters who
live our Māori culture each and every day. I came away uplifted
and feeling optimistic about our futures .
This issue of Checkup also shares some great photos from
our recent staff recognition awards. I was so happy to have the
opportunity to recognise and thank so many of our team for
their years of dedicated service, and their contribution to our
communities. It was great to see so many family and friends able
to join us in the celebrations.
Have you thought about what you want to
hear from me and the Exec Team and in
what format?
In May we held a Staff Engagement and Culture Workshop and
communications was very much on everyone’s minds, as we
talked about how to make our good organisation, great.
As the saying goes “if you want to change - look to your people”,
so we want to hear your thoughts on the Staff Forum, and invite
you to be part of the group that decides the future of it.
The discussion will have to start with: does the Staff Forum
continue, or not? If the Staff Forum continues, does it continue in
the same format or not?
We would like the initial discussion, with recommendations, to be
held in July so that you can take your thoughts to the organisation
in August through meetings in Tauranga and Whakatāne.
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Otepou students performing at Tauranga Hospital.
Deciding the future of the Staff Forum is one small agenda item in
the communications stream from May’s workshop. You will hear
more about this work stream soon.
So, if you’re keen to be part of deciding the future of the Staff
Forum see back cover to find out how to take part.
2
Front cover: BOPDHB kapa haka group performing.