Yvonne Boyes    RGON, BN, Post Grad Health Management, Post Grad Dip Advanced Nursing.

My name is Yvonne Boyes your elected representative on the Bay of Plenty District Health Board. I live at Ohope Beach, married to Mike and we have 2 adult children. My occupation is that of a registered nurse with 30 years of community practice ranging from Public Health, District Nursing, Hospice Nursing (Waipuna Hospice- Director of Nursing) and currently in Primary Health Care.

 As a board member I have seen personal growth and development, and I have been apart of the positive but also challenging effects on the health and population of the region.

Health isn’t all about hospitals; primary health is an integral part of health services and this impacts hugely on the population. See election issue 1.

The projects I am most proud of are the opening in 2008 of the Project Hope Cancer Centres, the announcement of the redevelopment of Whakatane hospital and the most recent opportunity of six dialysis chairs for dialysis patients in the Eastern Bay. This has come about by seeding funding from the Project Hope committee and I was an intergral part of this. 

Today ten people have to go to Tauranga hospital three times a week for dialysis and from Jaunary 2011  can stop at Whakatane hospital. This is wonderful for our comunity of dialysis people  and their families.

I have the knowledge and the commitment to continue to be an advocate for the health of the communities of the Bay of Plenty. My key strengths come from my health professional background, commitment to community and an advocate for health.

Working in the community has been a vital part of my nursing practice and with this I have developed a comprehensive knowledge of the challenges and complex issues of health provision facing our communities.

Our populations across the Bay have very diverse health needs; our geography itself lends too many difficulties in delivery of appropriate health care. With these thoughts I would like to continue to advocate for you.              

 I represent trust, integrity, committed to our community.

 

Top 5 Issues

1. Primary Health care with population ageing and the challenges it brings to families and communities.
   Growing resources required for aged care and the educated and supported workforce required for that care.
2. Highlighted are the issues concerning the stronger links between primary and secondary care to ensure the continuty of care.
   Currently there is gaps in services, access in some areas and duplication in others. There is an inefficient use of resources, fustrating to patients and health professionals and it can result in poor quality care.
3. Access and care for chronic conditions must have a new approach to ensure self management ensuring people are enabled to do this.
   How in this growing population of chronic illness do we manage with budget constraints?
4. Identified issues on a increased focus of immunisations, smoking rates as these produce many health challenges for families in the Bay.
5. Growth in public funding is likely to be far less than it has in previuos years given our current economic climate. The DHB will be under greater pressure. Ongoing sustainability will require a fundamental shift to different models of care that are effective and less costly.

Personal Profile