Taonga gift acknowledges more than a partnership

At a recent board meeting Ngāti Hine Health Trust Chair Gwen Tepania-Palmer presented Northland DHB board chair Anthony Norman with a taonga to acknowledge what is more than just a partnership.

“This taonga represents the mutual integrity of our relationship, which we trust will last as long,” said Ngāti Hine Health Trust Chair Gwen Tepania-Palmer of the ceremonial patu (hand held club) carved from 40,000 year old swamp kauri.

“We endorse the historic leadership of people such as Rob Cooper (former Ngāti Hine Health Trust chief executive) and awhi the leaders who are making this future possible.”

The health and wellbeing of the Mid North community is at the heart of the partnership between Ngāti Hine Health Trust and Northland DHB. Ngāti Hine Health Trust and Northland DHB have a common vision to improve access, provide a more integrated, efficient, high quality service working in close partnership to deliver the best possible care for everyone.

The partnership will enhance individual and whānau experiences, with co-location reducing travel time and coordination of services ensuring that that patients and consumers see the right people at the right time.

“This is also far more than just co-location of healthcare providers. There is a drive and focus on delivering a high level of care, based on promotion of health excellence and prevention of ill health”, said Northland DHB chair Anthony Norman.

“Our focus is on keeping people healthy and well in their communities, while providing integrated care across primary and secondary services”.

Changes include three general practices coming together to operate as one, the DHB building a new accident and medical department, new renal unit and refurbishing other areas of the hospital.

Ngāti Hine Health Trust is funding the construction of a whānau wellness centre named Te Hauora O PukePuke Rau (a healthy chief/ whānau on every hill).

The plans for the hospital refurbishment are well underway and will see refurbishment of the kitchen and laboratory, a new accident & medical department, which will also provide facilities for GPs to provide after-hours services. The accident & medical department will provide the interface to Te Hauora O PukePuke Rau with a single triage point (assessment area) to serve both the whānau wellness centre and hospital.

Other services on site will include community and specialist nurses, health promotion kaimahi (worker), telemedicine, a dispensary, podiatrist, physiotherapists, a radiography suite, dental surgeries, gymnasium and an after-hours GP sleep-over suite.

Refurbishment and construction will be completed by November 2016.

ENDS

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