Ngāti Tūwharetoa Action Group

On 7 May 2018, Pihanga Health was invited to a hui with Te ariki Ta Tumu and his team of health representatives, including Teresa (TC) Chapman, Janet Curtis, Tania Te Akau, and Miriama Prentice. The Pihanga Health team was honoured with this opportunity to collaborate in health.

From this hui, we have created together an inclusive, voluntary Ngāti Tūwharetoa Action Group meeting fortnightly and reporting back to Te ariki Ta Tumu quarterly focused on:

  1. Improve health literacy/health education of people, community, and whanau in the rohe of Ngāti Tūwharetoa by utilising upskilled health representatives and clinical staff.
  2. Empower Ngāti Tūwharetoa by supporting hapu aligned health representatives with the resources, skill, communication, and access to health information
  3. Provide opportunities for occupational health pathways within Ngāti Tūwharetoa.
  4. Improve access to health services through new technology:
    • Improve access to services using new IT related technology such as videoconference consults and the patient portal; proactively close the access gap to videoconference consults and patient portal uptake for Maori.
    • Improve access to services using new medical technology such as digital pictures, video uploaded for remote clinician assessment.
    • Improve access to services using point of care testing to identify health needs of underserved patients and provide patients with access options.