Minister welcomes new Rehabilitation Fellowship

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman welcomes the establishment of a new research health fellowship at Waikato DHB which will look at rehabilitation.

“We want those who need rehabilitation following a stroke or an accident to get the care and support they need so they can live longer healthier lives away from hospitals,” says Dr Coleman.

“To achieve this we need to ensure we are using an evidence based approach. This is the first fellow in rehabilitative medicine to be established and it is a positive step towards gaining a greater insight into this important area of care.”

Waikato DHB has teamed up with Bupa Care Services and the Institute of Healthy Ageing to establish a Bupa fellow in rehabilitation medicine.

The new Bupa fellow will look at ways to enhance existing rehabilitation services, as well as how those services fit in with the patient’s overall care.

The three year fellowship will have a close relationship with the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland.

The successful fellow will receive $360,000 over three years towards research costs and a further $360,000 over the same period towards doing clinical practice.

Dr Coleman announced the new fellowship during a visit to Waikato DHB today. He is visiting all 20 DHBs over the next few months to engage with doctors, nurses and management.

Further information about the Bupa fellow can be found at: www.waikatodhb.health.nz/institute.