PMAANZ Matters - e-Newsletters

Sent: Nov 2, 2023, 12:00 AM

Hope you enjoy our Newsletter

Kia ora

Welcome to the November PMAANZ newsletter, and the last one I’ll be compiling as the outgoing PMAANZ secretary. It feels a little strange to be leaving this role, which I have thoroughly enjoyed, but I am also very excited to welcome Carol Neki who has an amazing amount to contribute – watch this space! We also welcome Roshan Fernando as Communications/Webmaster and Wendy Harris as Treasurer.

Once again, we have some interesting pieces for you to read, starting with our new Chair, Mary Morrissey. Next up, you can read about making good recruitment choices by Healthy Practice, a Foundation Standard summary map created by an Australian practice manager and GP Docs…

Last but not least, we have some book reviews recommended by fellow PMAANZ members.

Warmest regards

Heidi Bubendorfer| Outgoing PMAANZ Executive National Secretary

A word from our Chair

Tēnā koutou katoa

Ko Taranaki te māunga

Ko Waingongoro te awa

No Airani oku tipuna

No Ngamotu ahau

Ko Morrissey tōku whānau

Ko Mary tōku ingoa

Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa

My first few weeks in the Chairperson role have been quite hectic, I have been to several meetings, mostly via zoom but a few F2F. These were:

General Practice Leaders Forum
General Practice New Zealand
Primary Care Sector Engagement Group
Collaborative Aoteroa
Health Alliance –Te Whata Ora
Rehabilitation System improvement ACC

I am very aware that I have some big shoes to fill & admire Michelle for everything that she has done for PMAANZ over the last 5 years. She has made our voice heard and her hard work has led to invitations to many of the meetings and groups we are involved with.

Thanks to the organising committee and Executive members for an inspirational conference in Ōtautahi. I always come home from conference invigorated and enthusiastic as well as quite tired. I’m sure Tāmaki Makaurau will prove to be another amazing conference.

I’m looking forward to an exciting year working with our new Executive members. I’m sure the general Election will bring its own set of challenges for us all, but I know we will do our very best to overcome these.

Mary Morrissey| PMAANZ Chair

Welcome to our new members

The Executive would like to warmly welcome the following new PMAANZ members. We look forward to meeting you in person, and hope that you engage fully and benefit greatly from your membership.

July new members:

Sarah McNaughton - Wellington
Petrina Cooper - Waikato
Ragitha Rajan - Auckland
Freya Osten - Wellington
Tahlia Simpson - Canterbury
Bronwyn Thomson - Canterbury
Helen Thomas - Waikato
Joseph Davidson - Otago
Katy Smith - Waikato
Melanie Coutts - Auckland

August new members

Dean Alexander - Otago
Tash Hamilton - Canterbury
Gillian Lane - Auckland
Rene Wilson - Auckland
Elaine Cooper - Waikato
Nicki Munford-Gibbs - Wellington
Darcy Kemp - welcome back! - Auckland

September new members

Andrea Cunniffe - Nelson/Marlborough
Michelle Smith - Waikato
Melanie Lester - Otago
Ginertte Campbell - Canterbury
Roslyn Brresnahan - Auckland
Julia Macdonald - Canterbury
Sandra Soper - Otago

October new members

Angela Palmer - Wellington
Adele Whiston - Otago
Chelsea Aylett - Waikato
Elizabeth Buswell - Auckland

Making good recruitment choices

All recruitment processes are time consuming and costly, so you want to make sure you are recruiting the right person for the correct role.

When there is a limited choice of applicants and you don’t feel there is anyone who fully meets all the requirements, it could be wise to readvertise rather than to employ the one who might be the best of the bunch.

During the interview process be sure to ask any questions about any inconsistencies. For example, gaps in employment, rapid changes of roles—and if the last relevant work experience is some years ago—ask how they have kept their skills up to date.

Remember to ask questions in a manner that elicits a response. For example, How would you handle…? Tell me about…? Rather than a yes/no answer.

You don’t say how many employees your practice currently has, but the 90-day trial period might give you the confidence to give someone ‘a go’. If they have the right attitude, then most people will have the ability to pick up the necessary skills.

With the applicant’s consent, always undertake reference checks and preferably before making an offer. You should always have an employment application form completed for preferred candidates that obtains their consent for this and other checks. Ask referees questions about work ethic and amount of leave taken. Be alert if there is any hesitation in response and always ask if they would re-employ the person. If nominated referees aren’t immediately contactable, make any offer conditional on receipt of satisfactory references.

It is the employer’s responsibility to confirm that applicants are entitled to work in New Zealand. Visas should be checked on the Immigration New Zealand website for validity and any conditions.

Professional registrations should be checked on the online registers available on all professional body websites.

Health practices that receive government funding, are required to undertake safety checking under the Childrens Act 2014 for roles covered by this legislation. Mostly, this is undertaken through the New Zealand Police vetting system, but some contractors undertake this process through an external provider called CVCheck.

An organisation can use safety check information completed on their behalf by another organisation if:

it has been carried out within the last 3 years
they are confident it meets the necessary requirements
they have a process in place to verify the identification of the worker.

Until this safety checking has been completed, new employees should not be allowed to work with or provide service to people under 18 years of age, without a parent or guardian present. Under this legislation, a child is defined as someone under the age of 18 who is not married or in a civil union. There are some instances where the age is raised to 21 and 25. Please refer to the following legislation: Children’s Act 2014 No 40 (as at 01 July 2023), Public Act – New Zealand Legislation

Depending on the role, you may also wish to undertake a credit check through a credit agency or criminal check through the Ministry of Justice. These checks should be role dependent and previous cases have been dealt with by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner when there appeared to be no correlation between the request and the role.

Finally, remember to get written consent from applicants prior to undertaking these checks unless the information is publicly available.

As part of our MAS HealthyPractice service, we have extensive information to help with the recruitment process including; an application form, offer and agreement templates. For more information you can email business@mas.co.nz or call the HealthyPractice team on 0800 800 627.

Fiona Mines

HealthyPractice Adviser, MAS

MAS staff are happy to answer any questions you have on practice issues or dilemmas. Email your questions to business@mas.co.nz.

This article is of a general nature and is not a substitute for professional and individually tailored business or legal advice. © Medical Assurance Society New Zealand Limited 2023.

New Foundation Standard Summary Map- all on one page!

Practice manager Keith Saggers has created a Standards Summary map condensing RNZCGP’s Foundation Standard onto one page, so practices managers and their teams can view all Foundation requirements at a glance.

RNZCGP’s Foundation Standard is very comprehensive and structured across four layers of Standards, Indicators, Criteria and Evidence requirements relevant to both the clinical and administrative practice teams.

The one page Standards Summary map describes each of the 5 Standards, 15 Indicators, 40 Criteria and 140+ Evidence requirements in concise single lines, so practices can visualise the overall task in context, quickly understand what is required and allocate teams or resources accordingly.

Training within the Evidence requirements are also highlighted for ease of reference.

The Standards Summary map is a hard copy map, specifically designed to be on a wall where the entire practice team can view the content all day-every day, know who is allocated to each task, be used for opportunistic learning, team meetings and provides accessible practice owner or practice manager oversight.

It also demonstrates the RNZCGP’s Foundation Standards are in place and to be met at all times, not just in the lead up to Accreditation and makes clear the practice is being Accredited, not the practice manager.

The Standards Summary map has been created by Adelaide based general practice, practice manager Keith Saggers. In 2020 Keith created a map of Australia’s RACGP’s 5^th Standards [ the 5th map ] that is in use in almost 700 Australian practices and has been very helpful to practice managers there.

During 2023 he mapped our own NZ Standards and will have the Standards Summary map ready for release in due course.

If you would like to be advised when the Standards Summary map is available, please contact: keith@5thmap.com.au or secretary@PMAANZ.org.nz

Benefits of achieving Equity Module

“Previously published in GP Voice August 2023 and re-published with permission of RNZCGP”

Fifth Avenue Family Practice in Tauranga started our Equity journey four years ago. It began with the formation of our Māori health rōpū – He Waka Eke Noa (‘We are all in this together’). This core group includes representatives from across the practice team, namely: Dr Todd Hulbert (Partner GP) Dr Tania Stokes (GP) Julia Perry (Nurse Practitioner) Debbie Irving (Assistant Practice Manager) and Tawharangi Nuku (our kaumātua). We also had a lot of support from Kiri Peita and Michaela Kamo from the Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation.

The first 6 months were spent really delving into Equity and understanding the inequities that do exist for our patients. We held a Christmas lunch hui where we invited our Māori patients aged 65+ (our kaumātua). We listened to their past experiences and future concerns for themselves and their whānau. This gave He Waka Eke Noa the confidence to move forward with support and guidance from our Māori patients.

And so our journey started, and we have gone from strength to strength due to our genuine understanding of why we have chosen an Equity pathway as a practice. We have not just ticked boxes to achieve our CQI and Equity Modules. Our teams have embraced Equity within the practice with respect and aroha; we’re extremely proud of this.

Our journey so far…

We started with bilingual signage following the best practice guide to ensure we were respectful in our translations
We fully trained our staff in the pronunciation of our signage and an understanding of WHY we transitioned to bilingual signage
Team members gradually started to greet all patients with kia ora
We commissioned a Māori artist to create a weave that represents Te Whare Tapa Wha which sits front and centre in our waiting room
We reviewed our enrolment policy to ensure no patients were sent away, if they did not have standard ID to enroll. For example, a patient that had not been enrolled at a Practice for 40 years came to reception after trying seven other Practices. We immediately enrolled her with a CSC and DL, and she saw a GP that day. Consequently, three generations of her whānau are now enrolled and engaged with the practice, breaking down the barriers they faced previously
We created a Priority Patient scheme that identifies priority patients and ensures they are seen by their GP when required
We hold a Saturday Māori flu clinic every year where we contact each eligible patient to extend an invitation personally
We commissioned a new website with an equity focus
We wrote our Māori Health Policy, and we continue to grow and develop within the equity arena
More recently we proudly completed our CQI and Equity module

While the process seemed very daunting at first, our approach was always to fully understand Equity and what it means to our Māori patients. This has been our strength as a practice, and the benefits to our entire community have been wonderful to witness.

Incoming PMAANZ Secretary - Carol Neki

Tēnā koutou katoa

Can you believe Christmas is only around the corner!? Where did this year go?

Well, I am sure you barely had time for a cuppa this year with all the business challenges we have all faced, not only this year, but the last 3 years prior, due to the dreaded word COVID!

First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge Heidi the resigning Secretary of PMAANZ, the lovely Heidi Bubendorfer has relinquished her secretary role and I have been handed the baton, Heidi has played a pivotal role maintaining effective relationships with external stakeholders and ensuring the seamless flow of information within the PMAANZ organisation, her knowledge and experience are valuable assets and for this reason Heidi will walk alongside me as I transition into the secretary role, I certainly have big shoes to fill!

We wish you all the best in your future endeavours Heidi, may your new journey bring you joy, fulfilment and continued success.

To all my fellow peers out there that have experienced staffing, recruitment, nurse pay parity and natural disaster issues, alongside ongoing systematic changes, cornerstone, organisational and financial pressures this year……. well done! If you are reading this email, it means you are still in your role, so pat yourself on the back, because no one else is going to do it……… it has really been tough. Our business models have been turned upside down AND inside out, I feel like we have all been working reactively for so long it has become a part of our “norm.”

Amongst all the madness, it is our job to run productive and financially sustainable businesses and we need all the help we can get; this is one of the reasons why I joined PMAANZ.

PMAANZ connected me to like-minded people, armed me with knowledge, peer support and educational resources.

On a personal note, I started in my practice 26 years ago as a medical receptionist, after a few years I moved into the senior administrator’s role, a few years later I was promoted into the 2IC role and then promoted or should I say, pushed into the practice managers role by my predecessor, over this time I have seen so many changes in general practice, but not as many changes as I’ve seen in the last 4 years.

I am of Māori/European descent and married to a Niuean man, we have been blessed with two teenage boys that drive me nuts most days, but when I talk to people who have daughters, I am quickly reminded of how lucky I am! I love travelling and exploring different countries and cultures and hope to take my children on more family trips in the next few years before they no longer want to hang out with mum and dad.

Overall, my journey in health has been shaped by a deep passion for understanding and helping others. I hope over time to connect with you all and understand what support you need so that you can arm yourselves with tools and skills you need to run productive, equitable, sustainable businesses.

I look forward to collaborating with the executive team and with all of you.

Ngā mihi

Carol Neki |PMAANZ Executive National Secretary (incoming)

Conference Conveyor - Jen Kaponga

This year’s conference was held in September at Te Pae in Otautahi (Christchurch). After a 14-year hiatus, it was a pleasure to go back to the Canterbury region and we weren’t disappointed. It has been great to receive shoulder tapping feedback saying what an amazing success it was.

It was a pleasure to get feedback from both the Christchurch Mayor Mr. Phil Mauger and MP for Labour representing Ministry of Health, Sarah Pallett, both spoke on what a great job we have all done in Primary Care.

We were treated to many great speakers. Matt Brown (She is not your rehab) spoke on his movement being an invitation for men to acknowledge their own childhood trauma and to take responsibility for their healing so they can transform their pain instead of transmitting it on those around them. He is a barber and has cut everyone’s hair from All Blacks to Wu Tang Clan. Me included, he had many in the room in tears. As an ambassador for Its not OK Campaign, he is an amazing speaker sharing what he has done in his life and what both he and Sarah are doing for the wider community.

Our gala dinner was held at the Cardboard Cathedral, it was fantastic to see so many amazing costumes and of course a great band for all the boogying done.

Most importantly a big thank you to our Platinum Sponsors Medtech, Gold Sponsor Indici, Manage my health and MPS. Silver Amtech, ACC and Genpro. Bronze Waitaha Primary health, GPNZ and Three Rivers Medical Gisborne. Without their ongoing support and sponsorship, we would not be able to achieve such a successful conference.

Jen Kaponga |PMAANZ Conference Convenor

Membership Portfolio - Karen Greer

Well, wasn’t Conference in Christchurch fantastic! The scenery around Christchurch is amazing. I will admit I always come back from conference with some information that I can use at work. For those of you who couldn’t make it you may want to look up Matt Brown, he is a Barber, on Tedex or you tube. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room. He certainly made me remember there are a lot of people that are less fortunate than myself and have certainly risen above their situation to make a better life for themselves and others.

What have I been doing lately? Umm let me think, like most of you I have been covering for a lot of staff that have been sick. It is always nice to take a break and help receptionists out. I know here in Bulls we have a lot of lovely patients out there and nice to have a wee chat. We also have been short staffed in the nursing area, so I have been helping them out as well. Then there is the Practice Managers role to catch up on. I normally try and do this at a 7am start and finishing at 6pm. I know this is not sustainable for ever and I am training my 2IC in this role. So, fingers crossed things will slow down a bit and I will be able to go home and get back into my gardens etc.

As I am writing this, I am looking at my Japanese Maple tree and it is looking beautiful with all the blossoms on it.

I haven’t had much time to read lately but I have watched The Family Stallone series for a bit of a laugh. Sly Stallone Reality programme is quite a laugh. It’s on TVNZ +1. My husband Toni would say its Mindless dribble but it is worth a laugh.

I also have been busy crocheting for some dear friends blankets for their cats to sleep on. It is quite nice doing something else with my hands instead of work and eating.

Summer is just around the corner and I do hope you all manage to get some sunshine.

Take care everyone and remember, sometimes it’s quite nice to just sit somewhere quiet and do nothing.

Karen Greer |PMAANZ Membership

Education Portfolio - Niomi Fleming

The 2023 Conference was a resounding success this year, and I want to extend my gratitude to everyone who attended and showed significant interest in our KASF papers and the courses offered by our partners at UNE. It was my pleasure to present four scholarships this year. I offer congratulations to Sophie Akroyd and Michelle Ormsby for earning bronze scholarships and to Kama Watson for achieving the silver scholarship. I look forward to hearing from all of you to pursue your awarded papers. Additionally, I’d like to congratulate Zhanquin Kerr, who secured the runner-up position for the diploma in leadership and management in Health care Practice, receiving a $1000.00 award to use for an educational course. Lastly, a huge congratulations to Samantha Malloch for being the recipient of the UNE scholarship. These scholarships provide a valuable means to augment your studies in case you, or your employer, are unable to offer financial support. If you’ve been contemplating pursuing additional educational courses, I strongly encourage you to consider applying next year.

PMAANZ and UNEp are EXCITED to announce we will be hosting an educational Roadshow in March 2024, in Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, and Auckland.

The event will feature Gary Smith, a distinguished expert on Practice Management. Gary's presentation will cover a wide range of topics, including Business Ethics, Leadership Styles, and organisational change processes.

As a UNE Partnerships advocate, Gary has dedicated his life to advancing practice management and educating frontline workers. Further details about the event, including location and pricing, will be provided shortly.

Wellington: 11 March
Christchurch: 12 March
Hamilton: 13 March
Auckland: 14 March

If you would like to register your interest to attend one of these sessions, please complete our form and we will be in touch with further details as we have them.

If you have any questions about this Roadshow, contact Niomi Fleming (education@pmaanz.org.nz) and/or admin@pmaanz.org.nz

Niomi Fleming |PMAANZ Education

Treasurer Update - Wendy Harris

To introduce myself, I have been the Business Manager at Cambridge Medical Centre for the past 7 years. When I took on the role, I very quickly realised that the world of general practice is very different and unique and to be perfectly honest I felt incredibly overwhelmed. I was very fortunate to be introduced to a whole bunch of amazing Practice Managers and to PMAANZ. This was my saving grace, and I will be forever grateful for all the support and mentoring I received in those early days as I navigated my way through the maze of general practice and primary healthcare. This is one of the main reasons why I have decided to join the PMAANZ Executive – to give back and to be a voice for Practice Managers across the country who work tirelessly day in and day out and who deserve to be heard, supported, mentored, advocated for and every now and then, pampered.

So, who am I? I was born in England and immigrated to NZ way back in the 70’s. I live in Hamilton, have been married to Mike for 22 years and we have two beautiful daughters, Sophie who is 20 and Lillie who is 17. Other members of our family include our ageing Cocker Spaniel Ruby, a ginger tomcat called Bambam who thinks he is a dog, and Nala, a genteel tabby cat. When I’m not working or hanging out with my family you will generally find me running out on a road or trail somewhere. Some may think I’m crazy, but I find it the perfect tonic for my mental and physical well-being.

So, if you need some support and want to have a chat, give me a call and we can go for a run together

Wendy Harris |PMAANZ Treasurer (incoming)

Communication/Webmaster - Roshan Fernando

To introduce myself, I have worked across the electronics, telecommunications, finance and health sectors in my career. Over the past 18 years, the experience I have gained in business has accumulated by working for corporates, SME’s and running my own business.

Currently, I am the business manager at Otara Family and Christian Health Centre where I have enjoyed working for the past 7 years. We are a high needs health centre and serve 10,000 customers in the heart of Otara.

My skillset includes strategic planning, financial management, human resource management, marketing, operations to name a few as well as plunging a blocked toilet if needed.

People are my passion, and I enjoy roles or running businesses where I can make meaningful change for my team and my customers.

As an Executive member, I will ensure that I fight the fight to represent our businesses and our roles at the table, but to also further PMAANZ influence and growth across sectors. Business/practice managers are the heart and soul of any organisation!

Look forward to the opportunity to serve on the Executive Board and further PMAANZ success across Aotearoa.

Roshan Fernando |PMAANZ Communications (incoming)

World Menopause Day

In celebration of World Menopause day, PMAANZ ran a competition to engage conversation as well as interest and awareness about menopause in support of women going through this transformative stage of life. Practices sent in photos showing their display of the posters they received at the recent PMAANZ Conference. The response was amazing and the PMAANZ Executive send those who participated a huge thank you for taking part in this piece of mahi.

Announcing our winners:

Joy from Te Aroha Noa Medical Centre, winning the Me No Pause tea towel.
Angela from High Street Health, winning the Me No Pause tea towel
Allanna from Tuapeka Health, winning the Nicky Pellegrino book “Don’t sweat it”

Branch Updates

Wellington Branch Chair/Co-Ordinator: Wendy Slight

Kia ora all

We have certainly lived up to our windy reputation in recent days – flights and ferries cancelled causing disruption to travellers (including the odd team member due back to work after a school holiday trip).

Wellington branch has been a bit quiet for the past couple of months but we are looking forward to at least one more gathering before the end of the year. We are hoping to move meetings around various parts of the greater Wellington region to enable as many members as possible to get to some, if not all, meetings. We are aware of several changes in managers around the region so we look forward to welcoming our newer members to meetings.

We are coming up to the end of our first year trialling things with a single Branch Co-ordinator and I have been asked to continue. I want to thank those managers who have hosted meetings to date – I hope, by us sharing the hosting duties, it never becomes a chore. If anyone has ideas for topics I am happy to receive them – just as important is us simply getting together and sharing knowledge and support (and a wine!).

By the time you read this the annual WOW extravaganza would have finished its season, having added to a bonanza of successful shows that we have had on in town in recent months – Kinky Boots and Wicked to name only two. So good to see the arts scene in Wellington reviving after the scarcity of the last few years.

Wendy Slight | Branch Co-ordinator – PMAANZ Wellington

News from Otago/Southland Branch - 2023 Recap

As 2023 comes to a close, it has been a year of mutual support, catching up on tasks postponed during the pandemic, and adapting to the new "normal." This year revealed how we could seamlessly blend virtual and face-to-face meetings, maintaining the strong connections forged during COVID—an impressive achievement, particularly for our expansive Otago/Southland Branch.

Throughout the year, we've made exciting new connections as both a sector and as individuals, gradually transitioning to a new "Business as Usual." In February, our first face-to-face and online meeting allowed us to share experiences from the past year and compile a list of topics for future discussions. Cybersecurity emerged as a key theme, and in April, Damon Campbell, COO of WellSouth, and Sebastian Kramer, Vendor & Key Account Manager at SSS IT Security Specialists, delivered an eye-opening talk on cybersecurity dos and don'ts, emphasizing the necessity of robust cybersecurity insurance. Sebastian demonstrated the ease of hacking passwords and the importance of strong password protection—long passwords!

June brought our Annual General Meeting (AGM) along with a presentation on "Mental Wellbeing in the Workplace" by local Health Improvement Practitioner (HIP) Karen Keppel. During our 23rd AGM, our Chair, Cassie Campbell, expressed gratitude to everyone in attendance. She acknowledged ongoing challenges with attendance, both in person and virtually, proposing that we collectively brainstorm strategies to enhance the excellence of PMAANZ. While the current branch structure remains optimal, a review is possible if office-bearer positions cannot be filled. The committee agreed to elect a co-chair to support Cassie, and after many years of service, Russel Hurring handed over the role of Secretary to Julie Clark.

In August, we welcomed Kim Fleck, a Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service Consultant. The key takeaway was that their approach centers around rationalizing and facilitating resolution for emotional complaints, making the process smoother for patients and us.

As a picture generally says more than words… September Conference Otago/Southland

Our October meeting, the final informative session of the year, featured Heidi Robertson, Health and Disability Coordinator from the Ministry of Social Development. It provided valuable insights into additional funding available to patients on a benefit. The meeting also included a tour of the new Saddle View practice, courtesy of Janine. Beyond these meetings, the committee connected with WellSouth to explore opportunities for aligned work, sharing ideas on training for reception and administration staff, and promoting interconnectedness among practice managers.

In summary, it has been an informative year, welcoming new faces to the committee and hopefully generating new ideas for expanding our membership. The last meeting of the year will take place in various locations across the region, connecting virtually. This social gathering aims to conclude the year on a positive note and set the stage for 2024.

Cassie Cambell & Paulien Leijnse | Co-chairs Otago/Southland

New Zealand Doctor reads

Newsletters and publications - if you would like to read recent publications from NZ Doctor we have them on our website: Click here.

Books / Movies / Shows

Recommended by PMAANZ Members - Book reviews

You Can Run

Laurel Snow wouldn’t call hunting a serial killer a vacation, but with a pile of dead bodies unearthed near her Genesis Valley, WA, hometown, she’ll take what she can get. Yet something about this case stirs her in unexpected ways. Like the startling connection she feels to Dr. Abigail Caine, a fiercely intelligent witness with a disturbing knack for making Laurel feel like she has something on her. Then there’s Laurel’s attraction to Huck Rivers, the fish and wildlife officer guiding her to the crime scene—and into the wilderness…

Series of 3 books:

If you like fantasy, the same author does a series with vampires & demons.

The Hike

Leaving behind their everyday lives, four friends hike out into the beautiful Norwegian wild – nothing between them and the mountain peak but forest, sea and sharp blue sky.

But there’s a darker side to the wilderness. A woman went missing here one year ago, scarring the mountain with suspicion and unanswered questions.

Now, the friends are hiking into the heart of the mystery. And waiting on the trail is someone who’d do anything to keep their secrets buried – and to stop the group walking away alive . . .