Wellington Free Ambulance’s two new Wairarapa shift managers Jonathan Rees and Julia Giblin. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
Two new shift managers have been added to the Wellington Free Ambulance Wairarapa leadership team with a primary focus on staff well-being, Wairarapa manager Jake Carlson said.
Carlson said the new leadership team’s establishment – consisting of long-serving paramedics Jonathan [Jono] Rees and Julia Giblin – that stemmed from the community-based Wairarapa Ambulance Service Pop-Up event in 2019, was a new way of supporting the existing team.
“The creation of a dedicated leadership team in Wairarapa enables our staff to be more effective at what they do and move at a pace more suited to Wairarapa,” he said.
“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.
“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.”
Both Rees and Giblin started their new roles in February and March, respectively, and were already making waves supporting their teams and communities.
Rees – who has worked in the ambulance sector for the past 19 years as both an operational paramedic and clinical educator – said it was an honour to be part of a team that is responsive to the needs of staff and the community they serve.
He said 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.
“These changes will serve to push the boundaries of paramedicine to ensure the right care is provided at the right time, and right place.
“The Wairarapa leadership team is committed to providing the environment and direction to make this a reality.”
Giblin started with Wellington Free Ambulance in 2014 and hoped 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,” she said.
“I hope to be able to empower staff, building their resilience and well-being and, by extension, the well-being of our communities to grow and flourish.”
