Health NZ - Taranaki

Health NZ - Taranaki Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Taranaki improves, promotes, protects and cares for the health/wellbeing of Taranaki.

Taranaki together, a healthy community - Taranaki Whanui He Rohe Oranga


WHAT IS HEALTH NEW ZEALAND - TARANAKI? Health New Zealand - Taranaki is a Crown entity responsible for the provision and funding of health and disability services in the region. It is part of Te Manawa Taki, one of four regions, established nationally on July 1 2022. NGĀ TIKANGA - HOW WE WORK TOGETHER AND WITH OTHERS

Working together with our community by:

• Treating people with trust, respect and compassion
• Communicating openly, honestly and acting with integrity
• Enabling professional and organisational standards to be met
• Supporting achievement and acknowledging successes
• Creating healthy and safe environments
• Welcoming new ideas

Exotic mosquito response...
09/12/2025

Exotic mosquito response...

A stunning circular skylight will illuminate the main entrance atrium of our New East Wing Building (NEWB) casting a cul...
08/12/2025

A stunning circular skylight will illuminate the main entrance atrium of our New East Wing Building (NEWB) casting a cultural pattern across the floor.
The skylight has been designed by artist Rangi Kipa in collaboration with Tihei Ltd says Tamati Neho, interim Chief Māori Health and Equity Officer – Health New Zealand Taranaki.
“The designs across all the new facilities reflect our campus narrative, Te Puna Wai Tāheke Iho i te Ora, where water symbolises life, healing, and continuity. This cultural narrative is woven into the skylight and other features, creating spaces that connect people to the essence of wellbeing,” says Tamati.
Tihei has also created cultural design elements for other new buildings within the Project Maunga hospital redevelopment including the Renal Unit, Te Huhi Rāupo, the new mental health facility, Te Puna Wai Kātea, and the Taranaki Cancer Centre, Te Hōpua Whakahauora.”

08/12/2025

"I remember sitting in neonatal after one of my kids was born premature. As a parent you feel so vulnerable, like everything is out of your hands. You’re trusting the whole hospital to work as it should, your child’s life resting on every little link in the chain holding firm.

When I started here in 2022, the hospital was in the middle of a COVID wave. It should’ve been overwhelming, but pressure does the opposite to me. When everything speeds up, I slow down. That’s when I see things clearly. What I walked into wasn’t chaos, it was everyone doing their best under really tough circumstances. The team took a deep breath, and together we rebuilt systems one small improvement at a time… processes that made it easier for the frontline to grab what they need and focus on caring for their patients.

I think people don’t realise how much hospitals rely on invisible work. Cleaners, supply teams, tech teams, the people scanning stock at 7am — they keep things moving long before most people even start their day. There’s this whole unseen army working in the background, and I’m still amazed at how many moving parts sit behind a patient receiving the right care.

Lives depend on that whole chain working exactly as it should, and I’m proud that our work is one of the links holding it together."

Casey Raven - Supply Team Lead - Taranaki Base Hospital

Remember to apply your sunscreen! UV rays can still harm your skin, even on overcast days. Use a minimum of SPF 30+ befo...
05/12/2025

Remember to apply your sunscreen!

UV rays can still harm your skin, even on overcast days. Use a minimum of SPF 30+ before going outside and reapply it every two hours.

Other top tips: try to stay in the shade whenever possible, wear sunglasses, and cover your skin. Your skin will appreciate it!

*Pineapple on pizza may be controversial

It’s Feel Good Friday! 🎉 Today we’re sharing a shout out to our Taranaki Base Hospital Theatre team - their mahi made a ...
05/12/2025

It’s Feel Good Friday! 🎉

Today we’re sharing a shout out to our Taranaki Base Hospital Theatre team - their mahi made a real difference for this patient and her family.💙

You guys are amazing, and we appreciate everything you do! 🙌

Want to share your appreciation? We’d love to hear it!

Drop your appreciation here 👉 http://bit.ly/3HlEsMZ

05/12/2025

"Nursing is a delicate mix of science and art. The science is measurable... pumps, timings, infusions. The art is how you show up, whether something’s done with a person or done to them.

I manage surgical outpatients and district nursing, around 45 staff. We see people before and after surgery, and we handle procedures that don’t need a full theatre. My nurses are highly skilled, and most people never see the work they do... work that quietly takes pressure off the hospital.

District Nursing is another world entirely. My team walk into people’s homes, rural farmhouses and small flats at the edge of town. They don’t have a doctor to turn to, and no colleague beside them. They’ve got to back themselves... to think fast on their feet. They go out in floods, in the rain, on Christmas Day. They’re like the MacGyvers of nursing.

I remember early on; someone told me something that changed the way I lead. My job’s to look after my staff so they can look after their patients. That became my whole philosophy. So I take care of them… I know their partners’ names, their kids’ names, and what they’re carrying in life. I make sure no one goes into an unsafe home. I call people out when they cross boundaries. I’ll do anything to make sure my staff get home safe at the end of the day.

If I look after my nurses, they look after our community. That’s the heart of the job. That’s the part I’m proudest of."

Nicola Bleasel - CNM Surgical OPD, Pre Admissions, and District Nursing - Taranaki Base Hospital

05/12/2025

When you take the smoke out of smoko, you protect staff, reduce sick days, and remove triggers for people trying to quit.

Find out how to connect with free stop smoking services and build a healthier, smokefree workplace at: http://spr.ly/61867LzAO

04/12/2025

Tui Ora kaimahi Lucinda Byrnes (Counsellor Te Piringa Wara Petipeti / Gambling Harm), and Tracy Amstad (Alcohol and Other Drugs Peer Support) have overcome addiction and then dedicated their lives to helping others to do the same.

They have both recently completed some significant study to help them help others even more.

Find out more about these inspirational wāhine toa - link in the comments!

03/12/2025

Let’s be honest - things don’t always go to plan. 📉 And that is completely normal.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is something many guys deal with, but few talk about. If you’re stuck, here are your options in NZ:

💊 Pharmacist consults: You can often access medication (like sildenafil) directly from a pharmacist after a quick health check.
👨‍⚕️ GP visit: Highly recommended to rule out underlying stuff like blood pressure or diabetes.
🧠 Mental health: sometimes it's stress or anxiety, not physical. Talk to your usual health provider about support for mental health concerns, or visit: info.health.nz/mental-health/where-to-get-help

Don’t sit on it. It’s just health. Link for more resources.🔗 healthify.nz/health-a-z/e/erectile-dysfunction

Health NZ hospitals, services and emergency departments will remain open during the strike.If it's not an emergency, you...
27/11/2025

Health NZ hospitals, services and emergency departments will remain open during the strike.

If it's not an emergency, you can:
👩🏽‍⚕️ Visit your GP, pharmacy, urgent care clinic or book an online GP appointment
📞 Call Healthline for 24/7 free health advice on 0800 611 116
📞 Call Ka Ora for after-hours care in rural areas on 0800 252 672
📞 Call or text 1737 for 24/7 free mental health support and advice.

Find the right care for you and your whānau: http://spr.ly/61847qiVw

For more info on the strike: http://spr.ly/61857qiVb

Base Hospital ED, chapel & outpatient carparks affected during roof cleaningOur hospital maintenance team is cleaning th...
26/11/2025

Base Hospital ED, chapel & outpatient carparks affected during roof cleaning
Our hospital maintenance team is cleaning the roof over the ED to the main entrance, the front of the Clinical Services Building and the walls and front of the Outpatients building.
This is going to cause some disruption in carparking around the ED, Chapel and Outpatient areas.
Starting on November 28 the parking along the front of the ED and Cardiology will be closed while an edge protection and covered walkway are created closing carparks marked in purple. These parks will be reopened after the scaffold is erected.
Then on December 1 and 2, ED carparks marked in purple and green will be closed as this area is needed for a snorkel boom to reach and clean the 4th floor walls. A temporary road will be coned off behind the snorkel boom to allow for traffic to flow both ways.
On December 3 the chapel carpark marked in red will be closed for one day for the Snorkel boom to reach the Chapel side of the Outpatients building wall.
On December 3 and 4, the carparks marked in yellow on the outpatient’s side of the maternity carpark will be closed to complete cleaning of the Outpatients’ wall. This will take one day. All carparks will be reopened upon cleaning completion of each section.
The maintenance team apologise for any inconvenience during these days.

26/11/2025

"People always assume working in ED is overwhelming, but it’s the opposite for me. Chaos is my happy place. When it’s busy, I slow right down… I focus. It’s the quiet days that make me uncomfortable.

I’ve had 13 different careers since leaving school. I’ve been a mechanic, a roofer, a teacher, a fencer - I’ve even trained as a skydiving instructor. Looking back, it was in a cycle of really leaning into a job, then getting bored or burnt out and moving on. The funny thing is, all the careers I jumped between have shaped the way I care for patients. Every job taught me something different about people. Tradies, farmers, teachers, adrenaline junkies - I’ve worked alongside all of them. I know how they think, how they talk, how they behave under pressure. Everything I’ve done funnels into this role now… problem-solving, hands-on work, understanding people, teaching… it’s all useful here.

When I walked into ED, something just clicked. You need to know a bit of everything and make decisions quickly. You don’t get long with people - you need to connect and assess within minutes. You also move between emotional extremes. One room might be a miscarriage… the next is someone becoming palliative… then someone yelling because they’ve waited too long… then a trauma. You have to compartmentalise every single shift. It’s confronting, but I’ve realised it suits the way my brain works.

After work, that emotional weight has to go somewhere. We all shut it off here because we have to, but you can’t keep it shut forever. I go home and do the things I can control - rebuild a car, help mates with their renos… little therapy projects. If I’m not looking after myself, I can’t look after others.

Thirteen careers later and I finally know where I fit. None of them were wrong turns… just learning curves."

Mike Packman, Registered Nurse, Emergency Department

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David Street
New Plymouth
4310

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