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New nationwide telehealth service launched to support rural communities

Ka Ora Telecare, a new telehealth service offering after hours health support for people living rurally, celebrated its nationwide launch in November. Three existing telehealth providers, Reach Aotearoa, Practice Plus and Emergency Consult, have come together to form Ka Ora. Ka Ora was awarded the contract from Te Whatu Ora following an RFP process earlier in 2023. With each business already operating in telehealth, the bidding team could draw on their expertise and processes in order to be able to quickly scale up to a new nationwide after hours and overflow model.

Raglan Noho Marae Visit Inspiring Health Students: A Cultural Immersion Experience

Earlier in November, the Raglan community and Poihākena Marae welcomed fifteen tertiary health students from around Aotearoa New Zealand, for a Noho Marae as part of Hauora Taiwhenua’s Rural Health Careers Programme. Noho Marae are a significant aspect of the programme, as a unique opportunity that bridges the gap between tertiary students aspiring for rural health careers and the kaupapa of Māori health.

Health on the Road: Navigating Rural Communities in Tasman and Marlborough – A Rural School Visit reflection.

One van, six health care students and 1,496 kilometres travelled through Tasman and Marlborough - what could possibly go wrong? Turns out one COVID case sending our seventh member into isolation and one lost room key was all the adversity we faced on this trip. Incredible planning by the Hauora Taiwhenua team and a lovely group of students made our biggest issue deciding what to have for dinner. This reflection will look at the five days we spent on the road travelling to rural communities of the Nelson region and the highs and lows of our experiences.

Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Student Research Scholarship winners announced

Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network is pleased to announce the winners of the three Rural Student Research Scholarships for the 2023/24 year. Two of the Scholarships were to support health students to support a 12-week elective/studentship, and/or research placement within a rural community of the student’s choice. A BNZ Rural Development scholarship was also available to any year two and above Medical Student for the same period. Read below for the three recipients for the 2023/24 year, with a summary of the research that they each will be undertaking below.

Election 2023

We have a new Government in waiting as we mark time until the special votes are notified on November 3rd, and then the negotiations truly start among National, ACT and New Zealand First. It is really too early to tell what the new coalition will bring to health as the potential coalition partners have different and sometimes contrasting policies on how they pledged to ‘fix’ the broken system. These potential fixes included more training places, a potential third Medical School based in the Waikato focusing on rural GP, pay parity for nurses and others, increased capitation rates, consideration of the recommendations in the ‘Sapere Report’ on primary care funding, and much more. Any coalition involves compromise, and we have seen new Governments in the past discard pre-election pledges, using the excuse that they were left with fiscal conditions much worse than anticipated.

Bridging Communities: Empowering the Future of Rural Healthcare

Earlier this year, Beth Hines, 3rd year AUT Paramedicine Student, volunteered for Hauora Taiwhenua’s Rural Health Careers Promotion programme. Beth's passion for rural healthcare was ignited during her attendance at the Rural Health Interprofessional Programme in Greymouth. Today, she is employed as a paramedic intern with Hato Hone St John, a direct outcome of her active participation in these initiatives and the meaningful relationships she cultivated.

 

Earlier this year, Beth Hines, 3rd year AUT Paramedicine Student, volunteered for Hauora Taiwhenua’s Rural Health Careers Promotion programme. Beth’s passion for rural healthcare was ignited during her attendance at the Rural Health Interprofessional Programme in Greymouth. Today, she is employed as a paramedic intern with Hato Hone St John, a direct outcome of her active participation in these initiatives and the meaningful relationships she cultivated.

Her participation in the rural school visits was made possible through a collaborative partnership between AUT and Hato Hone St John, which generously sponsored Beth’s involvement as a volunteer. AUT continued its support by sponsoring two more students following this, Pavan Sharma and Hannah Williams (pictured below).

Mel McAulay, Programme leader of the AUT Paramedicine Department, shed light on AUT’s vision and commitment to encouraging students’ participation in rural health initiatives.

“Aotearoa has an aging population and continues to experience inequities in health service access and provision in rural areas and in Māori and Pasifika communities, this is compounded by a growing workforce shortage in rural communities. Programmes such as rural health in schools allow high school age children to understand career options that are available to them in the health sector, that they may not have previously considered.”

Paramedicine, often misunderstood by the public as a mere transportation service, is evolving into a multifaceted profession. Paramedics now operate in ‘non-traditional’ settings, including primary care, making it crucial to showcase the expansive career opportunities a paramedicine degree can offer.

One of its fundamental elements is community engagement, which plays a significant role in students’ education and development.

“It helps break down barriers between communities and health workers, allows for community education around what paramedics can or might do if you call them and hopefully encourages more people to consider a career in paramedicine.”

AUT also supports students to attend the interprofessional rural health programmes funded by Te Whatu Ora. Two programmes run out of four sites across the country, with the University of Auckland running programmes out of Whakatāne and the Hokianga and the University of Otago out of Tairāwhiti and Greymouth.
McAuley emphasised the importance of tertiary institutions’ proactive engagement in initiatives that benefit the broader health sector and enhance patient outcomes.

“Programmes that break down barriers between different health professions and between communities and health providers are integral to improving health outcomes, particularly across our most vulnerable communities.”