106 | COMMUNITY Te Whatu Ora - MidCentral Future proofing healthcare Karen Phelps The new mental health unit will be a key tool for supporting the region. With more than 30 years experience , Air Dynamics has the expertise to custom design, build and install solutions to create the perfect operating environment for sensitive equipment, technology - and people! Working in with our fabrication department Metal Dynamics Whether your project is small or large; one-off general engineering and fabrication or full design-to-install, Air Dynamics and Metal Dynamics have the proven expertise and experience to deliver the right solution for your premises Air Dynamics, Your Critical Systems Experts Specialist Fabrication Engineers Choose Experience, Choose Expertise Visit our website AIRDYNAMICS.CO.NZ or call 06 356 9865 info@airdynamics.co.nz | 71 Keith Street, Roslyn, Palmerston North Air Dynamics wish to congratulate Maycroft Construction. Passionate about local construction. Proudly supporting Te Whatu Ora - MidCentral Talk to us today about joining our growing team. 06 292 49 18 HR@maycroft.co.nz www.maycroft.co.nz A significant project programme will transform the nature of healthcare in the Manawatū region, says Te Whatu Ora - MidCentral (previously DHB) General Manager Finance and Corporate Services Neil Wanden. “The significant collection of short and longterm capital projects going on at Palmerston North Hospital comprises far more than just what you see on the street and will ensure our facilities are improved and expanded to meet current and future demand,” he says. Particularly important, says Neil, is the emergency department observation area (EDOA), which manages ED patients who require a short period of observation before they can be discharged, and the medical assessment planning unit (MAPU), which provides acute medical assessment, at the very front of the hospital. “The new MAPU and EDOA facility will help us manage the flow of people through the hospital. Relocating this service alongside the ED will support the management of patients who can be assessed, treated and discharged within 36-48 hours and do not require longer inpatient care. The MAPU is designed to accept referrals direct from general practitioners,” explains Neil. He says that the new and expanded MAPU and EDOA will enable greater co-ordination and collaboration of the acute triage and assessment services. MAPU is currently in a 13-bed unit and will expand to 20 beds. EDOA is a 6-bed unit and will soon offer ten beds. The new facility will be situated in front of the Emergency Department (ED) and the building’s foundation and civil works were completed in early May with the roof and exterior cladding in July. The project should be finished by the end of the year. Another project underway is the Surgical Procedural Interventional Recovery Expansion (SPIRE). This includes a cardiac catheterisation lab – one of the first in the country in a regional area - allowing Te Whatu Ora – MidCentral to insert heart stents, pacemakers etc. “This new capacity will have a huge impact on a patient’s quality of life,” says Neil. Plans to build a new Acute Services Building at the front of the hospital and upgrade the existing wards will be another important project with a big impact on how Te Whatu Ora can meet the health needs of the growing region, says Neil. “We are developing a business case for the need to create a highly resilient acute facility in Palmerston North at the centre of the Lower North Island, which will be able to continue to function after a major seismic event.” The new building would include ED, ICU, theatre and peri-operative services, plus supporting services and three new wards.
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