Waikato District Health Board(MIS100 2011)

Reports to: CEO
Size of IS shop: 93

PCs: 3547
Mobile PCs: 574
Terminals: 359
Hand-held devices: 132
Total screens: 4612

Industry: Health and community services
PC environment: Windows XP, HP
Server environment: Windows 2003; 2008; Unix; vSphere HP; IBM
DBMS: SQL, Oracle, Unidata, Access
Address: Pembroke Street, Hamilton
Website: www.waikatodhb.govt.nz
Key IS projects this year: Replacement Laboratory system
Enterprise platform refresh, ICT for new clinical centre, Infrastructure security enhancements, HRIS upgrade, Regional Pharmacy, Clinical data repository, Oral Health information system

The IS department at the Waikato District Health Board is responsible for the ICT needs of all clinical and corporate divisions of the DHB, along with some support services to the University of Auckland Waikato Clinical School and Midland Healthshare. Demand is overwhelming, says CIO Alan Grainer, which makes focusing on success hugely important.

Staff and client expectations grow ever greater, with mobility a huge driver behind the increasing demand for flexible workspaces and new tools, such as iPads. Responding to these requests, while maintaining focus and budgets is a continuing challenge.

“Front and centre for us this year are the Waikato campus building programme and service reconfiguration, with a focus on the issues of core IT infrastructure to enhanced patient flow and clinical practice. Next up is a new clinical centre. Enabling mobility and linking practitioners across the health care continuum are also key goals,” says Grainer.

Equally important will be the replacement of the laboratory system, an enterprise platform refresh, enhancements to infrastructure security, an HRIS upgrade, regional IS projects for Pharmacy, clinical data repository and a new network. Finally there is a new oral health information system.

As the economy improves (though ICT budgets and projects are still down slightly), retaining skilled IT staff has become, once again, a major priority. “The market is starting to move, and so are staff,” explains Grainer. “Retention and remaining attractive in a tightened environment are challenges.”