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BizCover Gold Award goes to Hayley Ward

Massage New Zealand is delighted to announce that Hayley Ward has been awarded the BizCover Gold Award for her case report. Hayley entered the contest in 2019 with her case report, "Chronic Tension Headaches and the Use of Neuromuscular Therapy on Scalenes, Sternocleidomastoid, Temporalis, and Masseter: A Case Report". Hayley's case report was assessed and graded by our panel of independent judges and was deemed to have met the standard of the Gold award. The panel acknowledges that it is an exceptional piece of work which was a pleasure to read, not only because it was so well done, but because it is possible to see Hayley's advancing skills as a researcher and writer. Hayley was awarded the Tui Balms Bronze Award for the 2018 MNZ Case Report Contest, so to have now advanced to Gold standard is an incredible achievement. The panel has commented that Hayley's entry has set the bar high for the standard of entries for future MNZ Case Report Contests.

You can read Hayley's case report in Issue 1/2020 of MNZ Magazine.

Hayley graduated in 2018 from the Southern Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Therapeutic and Sports Massage. Last year Hayley began the two-year Master of Science Communication endorsed in Science in Society at the University of Otago. After earning the Bronze award in the 2018 case report competition, Hayley was invited to speak at the MNZ conference in Hamilton. She is currently taking a break from postgraduate study to have her first child with fellow BTSM graduate, Joshua. The two of them are excited for impending parenthood and the opportunity to practice infant massage on their own baby.

As the winner of the BizCover Gold Award, Hayley will:

• Receive a voucher to the value of $600 from Bizcover, equating to two years premium for the MNZ professional liability scheme;
• Be awarded a one-year MNZ RMT Membership, valued at $195;
• Receive a certificate as proof of the award;
• Have her achievement announced via MNZ social media, website and MNZ Magazine;
• Have her case report published in MNZ Magazine and on the MNZ website.

Hayley has also been encouraged to submit her case report to the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (IJTMB) and is receiving some individual mentoring to assist her to bring her case report to the required standard for submission. This mentoring has been provided voluntarily, courtesy of international author, educator and MNZ Magazine Research Update columnist, Ruth Werner, BCTMB. We are very grateful to Ruth for offering her time pro bono.

The contest is an opportunity for New Zealand massage therapists to showcase their clinical work, analytical thought processes and to actively participate in the profession, helping to increase awareness of the profession's value in modern, evidence-informed health care. Case reports have the potential to have a positive influence in advancing the profession by helping to gain acceptance of massage therapy within the mainstream health sector, increasing awareness in the government sector and promoting the benefits of treatment and outcomes to the public.

Massage New Zealand would like to congratulate Hayley on her achievement, hopes she enjoys her prize and wishes her all the best for submission of her case report to the IJTMB for potential publication.

The 2020 MNZ Case Report Contest will be announced in late February, keep an eye out for more details. We would like to encourage more Massage Therapists and students of Massage Therapy to enter the contest.

For further information, contact: admin@massagenewzealand.org.nz