DHB Announces Name Of New Child Health Service And Children’s Hospital

Capital & Coast DHB is today excited to announce that the integrated Child Health Service and new children’s hospital will be named Te Wao Nui – ‘The Great Forest of Tāne’ – in recognition of the cultural significance and life-giving properties that Māori associate with the forest.

The name will take effect when the service transitions into the new children’s hospital building from late 2021 and was developed in collaboration with tamariki, CCDHB’s Māori Partnership Board, the Wellington Hospitals Foundation, Child Health staff, and Weta Workshop.

“Te Wao Nui reflects the ecosystem of integrated health services designed for the tamariki, rangatahi and whānau of central Aotearoa,” said Hutt Valley and Capital & Coast DHBs Chief Executive Fionnagh Dougan.

“It also underpins the ‘tree of life’ concept, forest murals, and kaitiaki whānau that have been developed for the new hospital’s interior.”

Helping to bring the new hospital name and its interior concepts to life are nine kaitiaki who will be present across the hospital building and are designed to make tamariki and rangatahi feel supported and cared for during their hospital journey.

Each kaitiaki has its own special attributes and values that reflect the values of CCDHB and its child health service in caring for young people.

“This new purpose-built facility will place our child health services – which are currently located in different parts of Wellington Regional Hospital – under one roof for the very first time.

“The new hospital has been designed with tamariki, rangatahi and whānau at the centre. It allows for the provision of high-quality services and brand new equipment, and also ensures clinical collaboration and communication across an important part of New Zealand’s specialist children’s hospital network.

“We look forward to opening Te Wao Nui’s hospital doors early next year and would once again like to acknowledge Mark Dunajtschik’s unprecedented and incredibly generous donation which has allowed this wonderful project to come to fruition.”

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