Medical Employment Agency New Zealand & United Kingdom, Medical Staffing International

NZSTA/Medical Staffing International Achievement Award 2008

Award winner is dedicated to cleft lip and palate disorders.

Laura Wells, this year’s Award winner, works for the Middlemore Hospital Cleft Lip and Palate service: a role she enjoys so much that the hard-working SLT even continues her work in her holiday time.

Last year Laura travelled to Manila in the Philippines with Operation Restore Hope NZ for a surgical charity mission with a team of surgeons and nurses.

“It was the first time a speech language therapist was involved in this mission, plus I was the only SLT on the team. So the first challenge was to define my role in the team and make it work,” she reflects. “I’ll be returning to Manila again in April 2009 so that’ll give me the opportunity to iron out any problems and make an even bigger difference, especially as local therapists will be involved too.”

Learning some Tagalog, the language of the Philippines, is important for Laura’s work with the mission: “I needed to learn the local sound system so that I can help the local children with therapy, as well as communicating with them,” she explains.

As well as Tagalog, Laura has previously studied Samoan as well as Te Reo Maori: “At Middlemore I work with children from a wide variety of linguistic backgrounds who are learning English as a second language,” says Laura. “It’s really interesting to work with children from all over the world and to undertake bilingual assessments and therapy.”

Laura has a dual role at Middlemore Hospital: as well as working with the Cleft Lip and Palate team, she also works with Kidz First Child Development. This involves assessing and managing feeding and communication disorders in children with disabilities.

Winning the Award will allow Laura to attend and present at the Craniofacial Society of Great Britain and Ireland annual conference in Belfast, Ireland, next year.

“I wouldn’t have been able to go if I hadn’t won this prize, and it’s a big deal for a New Zealand delegate to attend,” says Laura. “It’ll allow us to keep up with worldwide best-practice, and I’m particularly looking forward to bringing back the most useful learnings to apply to our work in New Zealand.”

“I’m thrilled to have won the NZSTA/Medical Staffing International Achievement Award”, smiles Laura. “It’s so nice to be recognised for clinical work. I’d like to thank Kirsten at Medical Staffing International for sponsoring the Award. And thanks also go to Stella Ward, my previous SLT professional leader, and to Maeve Morrison, the senior SLT I work with at Middlemore.”

Kirsten Thomforde of Medical Staffing International is pleased that Laura’s won too: “So many therapists make a very real difference to people, every single day,” she says. “Laura is incredibly dedicated to her work as a speech language therapist and I’m delighted to present her with this year’s NZSTA/Medical Staffing International Achievement Award.”

For more information about the NZSTA/Medical Staffing International Award for Achievement in Speech and Language Therapy >>

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