Turanga Health Accredited Maori Health Provider

Media Statement

Wednesday 14 March 2007

Turanga Health Becomes Accredited Maori Health Provider

Turanga Health learned last week that it has earned Accreditation from Quality Health New Zealand.

Accreditation is to a health service, what a positive Education Review Office report is to a school, and Turanga Health Chief Executive Reweti Ropiha said he could not be more thrilled.

“We were put under the microscope,“ says Mr Ropiha. “It’s like one big long examination by people you have never met. But at the end of it, we know that Te Hauora o Turanganui a Kiwa or Turanga Health, has earned a well respected mark of approval that offers confidence to our staff, and more importantly gives our funders and the community confidence knowing our services are credible and robust.”

“I want to acknowledge and thank the Turanga Health staff, everyone who has used the services, and the huge wider Turanganui a Kiwa community that contributes to the services each in their own way.”

Mr Ropiha said the Accreditation status lasts for three years but Turanga Health staff were certainly not relaxing.

“Accreditation gives us the minimum standards but there are still ongoing challenges for us to maintain our unique features, our kaupapa, which Accreditation doesn’t necessarily tick off.”

Turanga Health offers a range of services aimed at Turanganui a Kiwa Maori including the Kaumatua Programme for older people, Well Child checks, drug and alcohol education and intervention, community injury prevention programmes including a baby and child car seat scheme, holiday programmes for youth, dental education, and dietary services.

Along with six Gisborne GP Practices, Turanga Health is part of Turanganui Primary Health Organisation.

The process of Accreditation started in 2005 when Turanga Health staff were asked to do a self-assessment of their performance in areas like providing mental health and primary care services.

They were also asked to assess their performance around health and safety, human resource policies, information technology capabilities, and management structure and strengths.

Turanga Health Quality Manager Shirley Keown said it was a fascinating process which allowed staff “to see any gaps and develop potential solutions.”

“For example, we realized we didn’t have one consistent standard registration form for new patients across the organization. It might seem like a small thing but now we have a standard form and our information collecting method is more straightforward and robust.”

Five Quality Health New Zealand surveyors visited the three Turanga Health premises in November 2006 to carry out their first survey for Accreditation.

ENDS

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