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HTRHN Advisory Service

As a member of Hauora Taiwhenua you have access to HR advice and assistance on a variety of issues that you may encounter in the course of your career, or when running your own practice. We have a number of resources, including information on the following:

Two Peter Snow Memorial Award winners presented at the National Rural Health Conference 2024

The legacy of Dr Peter Snow continues to inspire as the recipients of the Peter Snow Memorial Awards for 2023 and 2024 were announced at the National Rural Health Conference 2024. Rhoena Davis has been recognised as the recipient for 2023, while Kyle Eggleton has been awarded the honour for 2024. Despite there being no Conference in 2023 following the disruption of COVID, the decision was made to honour the work of nominees during that time. Both recipients were nominated for their longstanding service and dedication to rural health.

Rural Hospital Summit 2023 – What’s happened since then?

Te Whatu Ora leaders' presentation about their plans for a Rural Hospital Sustainability Project was well received but as far as we know, has not gained the traction we'd hoped for - most likely as the Hospital and Specialist services team are carrying a massive workload. However, this is no consolation for the NGO rural hospitals and rural general practices who provide medical services in their co-located Te Whatu Ora hospital. A letter from them to Margie Apa, asked her to urgently address the financial and clinical risks they face because their funding does not allow them to achieve pay parity for their clinical staff.

Turning Research into Practice

Recently published Rural General Practice and Ethical Issues. A Rapid Review of the Literature: by Samantha Menzies, University of Auckland, was the catalyst to our letter to the Medical Council of New Zealand requesting they work with us to review their Code of Conduct documents to reflect the realities of rural medical practice. Samantha was the recipient of our Hauora Taiwhenua and BNZ Rural Development scholarship.

Hauora Taiwhenua Emerging Researcher and Educator Awards

With the National Rural Health Conference fast approaching, the Research & Education Chapter of Hauora Taiwhenua are calling for nominations and applications for the inaugural round of the Emerging Rural Researcher and Educator Awards. The awards recognise Hauora Taiwhenua members who are positively impacting rural communities, rural health systems and/or rural workforces.

Hauora Taiwhenua Applauds Coalition Government’s Progress in Developing a Third New Zealand Medical School Focussing on Producing Rural Doctors

Hauora Taiwhenua expresses its support for the Government’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Waikato to establish a third medical school focussing on developing rural doctors.

Hauora Taiwhenua expresses its support for the Government’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Waikato to establish a third medical school focussing on developing rural doctors.

“We are pleased to witness this important progression in the establishment of a third New Zealand medical school with a unique focus on solving the rural medical workforce issues,” stated Dr Fiona Bolden, Chair, Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network.

“The current state of the rural health workforce in New Zealand is under extreme pressure, and we commend the Government for taking proactive measures to address this critical issue by training focussed on graduates willing to work rurally.”

The need for diverse strategies, both short-term and long-term, is critical to combating the challenges facing the rural health workforce. Hauora Taiwhenua recognises the importance of initiatives, such as a new medical school, in producing rural doctors and other essential rural health professionals.

Dr Grant Davidson, CE of Hauora Taiwhenua comments, “We have been advocating for a long time to introduce innovative training, based on overseas research, that proves that training rural people, in rural areas using rural health professionals, will produce graduates that are much more likely to stay practicing in those rural communities.”

“It is pleasing to see the plan to establish a third medical school supporting this, with a programme that will be focussed on producing rural doctors and other rural health professionals.”

Hauora Taiwhenua looks forward to collaborating closely with the University of Waikato as well as both existing medical schools at the University of Auckland and the University of Otago. Recently, both Auckland and Otago received additional funded medical school placements along with funding to expand programmes involving immersion training in rural communities.

“We eagerly anticipate working alongside the University of Waikato and our colleagues at the existing medical schools to train as many graduates to work in rural areas as possible,” Dr Davidson added.

“Our collective efforts strive to empower our rural communities by ensuring they have access to high-quality healthcare services delivered by professionals who understand and are committed to rural values and needs.”