Mainland Foundation Grant supports medical services at Nelson Tasman Hospice

A big Thank You to the Mainland Foundation for granting Nelson Tasman Hospice $46,000 towards supporting the ongoing costs of our medical services. At Nelson Tasman Hospice we have a team of three doctors who work as part of an interdisciplinary team with the nurses, allied health professionals and healthcare assistants.

This grant provides funds towards the salary of our medical lead, Medical Director Dr Jodie Battley. Jodie is a Specialist Palliative Care Consultant and provides clinical oversight across the Nelson Tasman Region working in the Specialist Palliative Care Unit at Suffolk Road, at the Nelson Hospital, alongside the community team in peoples’ homes and alongside District Nurses in the rural areas including Motueka, Golden Bay and down to Murchison.

Jodie graduated from Otago Medical School, lived and trained in Ireland in both oncology and palliative medicine; and completed advanced training in Palliative Medicine in 2016. Jodie is widely published in oncology and palliative care, including the development of national palliative care clinical guidelines in Ireland.

Jodie’s role is crucial to enabling us to provide the level of specialist palliative care in this community and to being able to provide clinical oversight including to the rural sector. As part of our Leadership Team, our Medical Director reports directly to the Chief Executive.

In this interview in the Know Us For When You Need Us series, Jodie talks about what inspired her to work in Palliative Medicine and what myths she would like to dispel about Nelson Tasman Hospice.

We acknowledge that it takes a community to make a Hospice happen. Thank you, Mainland Foundation, for being part of a compassionate community and empowering Nelson Tasman Hospice to care for our community.

Community grants are integral to the sustainability of our Hospice; if you know of any Trusts or Foundations that may consider supporting our essential service work, please let us know.

The Mainland Foundation is an independent hotel-based society, raising money for distribution to the community. Their local venues are The Sands Brewery, The Stables and Turf Hotel.