Accreditation Certificate Presentation:
Te Puke Karanga Hauora
Paraweka Marae, Pipiriki, Saturday 21 February 2009, 10am

Hon Tariana Turia, Associate Minister of Health

I am always really happy to come to Pipiriki, to the heart of the awa, the middle reaches of the river.

As I travelled the River Road this morning this morning, I thought about how proud we can be that right across the world, communities have sought to recognise the significance of Tama Upoko – from London to Jerusalem to Bethlehem our river families have made an impact across the globe.

And I acknowledge too, here at Paraweka, there are also special connections to Kurawhatia – a mokopuna of Tutanekai and Hinemoa – from which we learn of the power of love; the enduring strength of perseverance, of loyalty, of whakapapa.

These are indeed, great values to lay a foundation for our celebrations today.

From Tieke in the north, to Hiruharama in the south, Te Puke Karanga Hauora travels the road, keeping isolated communites connected, logging in the hours, to provide nursing services and health education to the communities along the river.

It is indeed a reflection of the power of love they have for all our families – knowing there is a commitment that someone will be on hand, 24 hours a day.

Whether by car or helicopter and in some cases waka or jetboat, Te Puke Karanga Hauora is a service of the community; for the community, driven and owned by the community.

And so, this day in which we celebrate their accreditation through the Te Wana process is a celebration of community strength.

The Ministry of Health describes the services of Te Puke Karanga Hauora as a mobile suitcase. I’m actually thinking it’s more in the lines of an articulated truck.

You know the trucks I mean – like all those logging trucks in and out of the Karioi mill. They haul heavy loads, sometimes over rough terrain, and yet their driving capacity is as smooth as a limousine, their ability to manoeuvre complex turns appears unrivalled.

The Te Puke truck is able to take on alcohol and drug support; disease management; auahi kore support services, immunisation support; health promotion; disability support; whanau ora services; mental health support; and all of the other services in the provision of front-line care that is so critical to rural support.

Whether it’s a bulging suitcase, or an articulated truck, the range of health education and promotion, advisory and liaison services provided is enormous and demands a range of professional specialist skills and knowledge.

The people from Te Puke not only have to be equipped with all of the skills in initial assessment and emergency care; and to be proficient in chronic disease management and disability support; but they must also be the right people to rise to the challenge of rural practice.

And I want to go back to the concept of connectivity.

A key part of the success of Te Puke Karanga Hauora Trust is their ability to co-ordinate services provided by other health professionals.

But its not just the health sector that they reach out to. Te Puke now has a relationship with the Department of Conservation, through which they have access to a helicopter, or radio access to Tieke Marae.

And I understand they have also been devising an emergency plan for Tieke with both the Department of Conservation and the local people who could drive their boats along the river with their eyes closed.

And most significant of all, Te Puke Karanga Hauora knows that if their organisation is to be truly owned by the community, then they must face up regularly to seek and receive input.

And so I commend the Governance and the staff for doing exactly that – for approaching our kaumatua and kuia for advice, for holding meetings with the community.

This aspect of connectivity is very important when it comes to the development of community organisations – as recognised in Te Wana.

I remember back in the mid nineties, I was challenging community groups about the need to set quality standards for their organisations. Healthcare Aotearoa picked up the challenge, and by November 2000 they had completed their first pilot of Te Wana.

The emphasis is all about quality – and quality assurance.

Te Wana is the name which embraces one and all, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, all the partners within Healthcare Aotearoa, challenge and progress.

It is about quality improvement – continually raising standards, one step at a time.

Te Wana enables groups to assess all of their services, and their infrastructure, over a period of three years.

Quality assurance is not just a matter of filling in a checklist, ticking off the boxes.

To gain accreditation, Te Puke Karanga Hauora has had to go through a comprehensive process of education and internal assessment, of onsite review, and in addition, commit to ongoing three yearly reviews and accreditation.

It all sounds fairly daunting – but Te Puke has a pretty powerful advantage in all of this, through the form of your Chair, Honey Winters. In fact as a Review Manager for Te Wana there are actually few people out there who have as much knowledge of the development and accreditation process as Honey - she has been a key driver in steering Te Wana through over the last decade.

I want to also acknowledge your service Manager, Pet McDonnell, who has proven without a doubt, her commitment to giving our community a sense of security, a confidence and the optimism to know that your health and wellbeing is of absolute importance to her, and in fact to all the team at Te Puke Karanga Hauora.

Today, while iwi throughout Aotearoa, will be thrilling to the passion and the talents of those performers taking the stage at Te Matatini, is a good day to celebrate being Maori.

Te Puke Karanga Hauora is helping to make sure that every day is a great day to be Maori – to be healthy, financially secure, well connected, and flourishing in our expression of whanau ora.

Tena tatou katoa.

ENDS

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