The Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau Annual Staff Values Awards winners for 2022 have been announced. The winners were presented with their awards by Interim District Director Vanessa Thornton at a ceremony held at Ko Awatea.
“It’s the people who work at Counties Manukau who make this an incredible place to work”, says Vanessa. “I’m honoured to present these awards to some exemplary people who show up every day to make a difference for our patients.”
Zara Houston, Dietician, won the Supreme Local Hero Award. Zara consistently goes above and beyond her clinical duties to maximise positive health outcomes for our patients - she has picked up and delivered prescriptions for patients, contacted and convened multidisciplinary team meetings for patient care, and constantly strives to motivate and empower patients in their diabetes journey. She is highly knowledgeable and passionate and drives initiatives that will most effectively improve diabetes care.
The District Director Award went to Preleena Kishor, a Cleaner at Kidz First. She is well known for doing an excellent job and cleaning to the highest standard. Her welcoming presence can make a difficult shift much more bearable, especially when doctors and other staff are working late or extra shifts. She is very kind and thoughtful to other staff, regularly dropping off food for people who are working late, which makes the rest of the team feel appreciated and valued.
Lana Temara, Registered Nurse, was the recipient of this year’s Equity Award. For several years, Lana has worked in the Emergency Department, often on night shift in the triage role. Facing the frontline each night, Lana noticed a gap linking patients to their health care provider, which led to an inequity in health outcomes for Maaori. Lana since developed a project to reduce the gap between Maaori vs non-Maaori health outcomes.
The Valuing Everyone Award was won by Reuben Breadnam, Associate Charge Technician - Anaesthesia & Pain Medicine. Reuben demonstrates leadership, excellence, togetherness and kindness to the teams he works with. Reuben is an oasis of calm regardless of the situation. He smiles, maintains his patience and humour and continues to advocate for patients. He’s the person others turn to for support and advice knowing he will take the time to discuss issues in a non-judgemental way.
Clare Mafi, Social Worker, received the Kindness Award. Clare is a Social Worker on the neonatal unit, often supporting many families, many of whom have complex needs. Clare’s approach is gentle, compassionate and holistic. She treats each family with respect and recognises that every family requires different support. She often goes out of her way to gain resources to support families; she also spends extra time with families reassuring them and supporting them during difficult times.
Nicael Salazar, Associate Clinical Nurse Manager, received the Together Award. Nicael often works night shifts over the weekend in the Emergency Department, which can be very challenging. He has a quiet and unflappable manner which gives other staff and patients confidence in his ability to manage these challenges. He takes the time to ensure that everyone feels heard and supported. Staff love him and he is always willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done – no job is too small or too large for Nicael.
This year’s Excellence Award went to Hamish Gordhan, Clinical Eng. Operations and Equipment Manager. Hamish is a dedicated manager and team member, often going the extra mile to help with various equipment, some of which does not fall under his portfolio. Hamish often steps in to help clinical services bring in loan medical equipment for a specific case, whilst ensuring the equipment is safe for use and complies to all the regulatory requirements. He does this with professionalism whilst keeping the patients and clinical service needs in mind.
Each of the winners received an award, generously sponsored by Vodafone, Fuku Sushi, Columbus, Subway, Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, Middlemore Clinical Trials, Ola Bowl and Elixir.
Well done to all the winners who have done exemplary mahi and who have contributed to the culture and values of the organisation this year.
