MEDIA RELEASE  Community Voice Ignites Free Denture Initiative in Hauraki

MEDIA RELEASE Te Tara o Te Whai Partners with Dental Planet to Successfully Launch New Innovative Oral Health Initiative in Hauraki.

Te Tara o Te Whai recently attended the 2024 Careers Roadshow during its final leg in Thames.

As the first round of Niho Ora ki Hauraki concludes in Thames, we are excited to acknowledge its success.

In collaboration with Te Whatu Ora, Dental Planet, and the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), we are happy to announce our free mobile dental initiative, Niho Ora ki Hauraki!

Facilitated by Khadine Topia, our Kahu Taurima team hosted their first consultation wānanga.

The Ngātea community were able to share their whakaaro about how health services could be improved.

A collaboration between the New Zealand Police, Ngatī Maru Rūnanga and the Ministry of Social Development.

Hosted by Hikutaia Marae, Te Tara o Te Whai attended the 50th annual Hauraki Cultural Festival in Te Aroha.

Te Tara o Te Whai hosted their first community wānanga in Waihī on October 28th.

Facilitated by Te Korowai Hauora o Hauraki, Te Tara o Te Whai team was invited to attend a Kuia/Kaumātua rōpu hui this September.

Te Korowai Hauora o Hauraki hosted an amazing ‘Whānau Day Out’.

In celebration of the new HPV primary screening rollout, Pito Hauora hosted an event including free screening services, kai, coffee, and facepainting for tamariki.

For some New Zealanders, the cost of mobile data can be a barrier to accessing essential health and wellbeing information and digital health services. Those who cannot access information and services often have the highest needs.

Te Tara O Te Whai has gathered community insights from a Health Forum in Te Aroha, QR survey and one-on-one with individuals.

Hauraki District Council hosted Better Futures Hauraki, a forum focused on community wellbeing.

On behalf of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

Te Puna Hauora Matua o Hauraki Board Meeting  Board members recently met with Te Puna Hauora Matua o Hauraki management team to kōrero on the strategic direction for Primary Health Organisation’s (PHO’s), strategic priorities and the role of localities in system change and responsiveness to whānau voice. David Taipari, Chair for the Hauraki Māori Trust Board and Hauraki representative on Te Tiratū the Tainui Iwi Māori Partnership Board (IMPB) gave an update on the process for the IMPB being gazetted and added to the Pae Ora Act schedule. For more info click here

In March, Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall met with the team at Matai Whetu Marae, Thames to hear some of the challenges and opportunities Hauraki are facing and how we responded to adverse weather events. It was wonderful to see Minister Verrall focus on resiliency planning and ensure we are equipped to deal with this kind of weather event in the future.

Te Whatu Ora's Community Engagement team assisted in facilitating the community engagement hui in Te Aroha.

Former Te Whatu Ora chair Rob Campbell is a strong advocate of Mana Motuhake as the way forward. Sharing his views on co-governance and improving Māori health.

Our Te Tara o Te Whai team have been busy preparing and then facilitating two Writer’s workshops.

Te Tara o Te Whai team collaborated with the Stroke Foundation to gather insights from the communities of Te Aroha, Thames, and Waihi.

A successful collaboration between Wharekawa Marae, Kaiaua school and Te Whatu Ora last month (April).

Hosted by Ngā Wai Tāpara a Rangatahi, Te Tara o Te Whai attended the noho to capture insights from the rangatahi in attendance.

Te Tara o Te Whai held a community meeting in Waihi in March to hear from the community about what changes they would like to see in their community. The following are highlights shared by the community: Accessibility needs for more accessibility and availability to health care services, practices in Waihi are not taking on enrolments, “my husband has to travel to Paeroa to see a GP. Support with palliative care. Having specialised care services delivered in our community, radiotherapy. Only two services offer emergency services. We don’t want to travel out of our community for care. Remove the cost of prescriptions. We now must choose medication or kai. We need safe spaces for our young people to access the services when they need to. Be able to access care options virtually that don’t charge for data usage. To have free family planning services. Need for early access to mental health support. Have open access to services. Funding models create collaboration barriers Need transparency of funding Workforce, need for more carers to support our older people Not enough workforce in our community More community nurses and GPs are needed Shortage of midwives

Iwi Māori Partnership Boards (IMPBs) are a key feature in the new health reforms, with decision-making roles at a local level, and jointly agreed on local priorities and delivery with Te Whatu Ora.

Te Tara o te Whai localities team, along with Te Whatu Ora – Community Engagement team, facilitated a public engagement with the community of Paeroa.

Nine community transport providers were in attendance to discuss current issues regarding health and well-being in the community and the safety of our roads.

Te Tara o Te Whai supported the Kahu Taurima team in hosting their second consultation wānanga.

An opportunity for whānau to connect with community service providers and deliver their feedback on how services could be better improved for the benefit of the community.

Te Tara o Te Whai, with the support of Hauraki PHO, Te Korowai Hauora o Hauraki and the haukāinga of Manaia Marae

The Te Tara o te Whai team have had a busy few weeks exploring avenues of gathering whānau voice, creating promotional material and road trips around Pare Hauraki. On the 30th of November, our team met with both Colville and Whitianga communities. With the support of the Colville Project, our community forum was held at the Colville Hall, and over 30 attendees were present. Through whakawhanaungatanga, every participant could share their insights on what matters most to them with the team. Some of the themes that came through from the community were more access to health services closer to home, investing in our own people to help grow the workforce and better access to funding. Our team appreciated hearing the successes of the well-connected community, including support received from Colville health services, the Colville project and St Johns.

Around 15 attendees were present at the Whitianga community forum held at the Whitianga town hall. The community shared with the team their insights on what matters most to them. Some of the themes that came through were needing more workforce across the entire health sector, including more Kaiawhina, more career days to promote health at Kura and more affordable, accessible health services and prevention services. Thank you to both communities for sharing your insights with the Te Tara o te Whai team, we look forward to revisiting in the new year.