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We are the only emergency ambulance service in greater Wellington and the Wairarapa, and the only ones in the country who are free.
We are the only emergency ambulance service in greater Wellington and the Wairarapa, and the only ones in the country who are free.
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New Wairarapa leadership team
New Wairarapa leadership team
15 April 2021
Wellington Free Ambulance welcomes a new leadership team to Wairarapa.
Wairarapa Manager Jake says the establishment of a new leadership team, stemming from the community-based Wairarapa Ambulance Service Pop-Up event in 2019, is a new way of supporting the existing team.
“The creation of a dedicated leadership team in the Wairarapa enables our staff to be more effective at what they do and move at a pace more suited to Wairarapa.”
The primary focus of the two new shift managers, Paramedics Jono and Julia in these first few months is staff wellbeing.
“We know that functional relationships build resilience and we believe our primary role is to ensure our team have everything they need to provide our patients with the best possible care," Jake says.
“As Jono and Julia become well established in their roles, it will enable me to focus on key projects; the construction of the Five Rivers Ambulance Station in Greytown, a new ambulance station in Masterton, the launch of a community engagement programme and the consolidation of the Extended Care Paramedic programme in Wairarapa.”
Jono has worked in the ambulance sector for the past 19 years as both an operational paramedic and clinical educator, says it's an honour to be part of a team; responsive to the needs of staff and the community they serve.
He says significant changes are on the horizon for the ambulance service within Wairarapa.
“Both professional registration and an ever-increasing scope of practice are reshaping not only our perception within the health sector, but also what we can offer to our community.
“The co-location of ambulance and primary healthcare services in Greytown will likely serve as a place of exciting new patient-centric initiatives," Jono says.
These changes will serve to push the boundaries of paramedicine to ensure the right care is provided at the right time, and right place, Jono explains.
“The Wairarapa leadership team is committed to providing the environment and direction to make this a reality.”
Julia started with Wellington Free in 2014 and hopes to be able to make a difference in the leadership role by providing continuing and evolving support to staff.
“I have huge respect for our team and the way they cope with the increasingly complex demands that come with their roles.
"I hope to be able to empower staff, building their resilience and wellbeing and, by extension, the wellbeing of our communities to grow and flourish," Julia says.
Jono and Julia started their new roles in February and March respectively, and are already making waves in supporting their teams and communities.