Non-profit primary health organisation Pinnacle, which manages the healthcare of nearly half a million people in 84 practices around Aotearoa, has just given one of those practices to the people of Ngāti Pikiao.
The Ōwhata Medical Centre, in Rotorua, a GP services clinic, will be handed over to the iwi, which says the extraordinary gift will increase access to healthcare for its people and community, and help address health inequities.
Pinnacle has had a long association with Ngāti Pikiao, as the iwi’s primary health organisation. Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Pikiao chair Mapihi Raharuhi says Pinnacle has provided resources, financial and human, to help the iwi achieve its health aspirations, and the gifting of the Ōwhata centre cements that relationship.
“While this might sound as a surprise to those who haven’t heard of this before, for us it was really sealing the relationship that we had already secured.”
The deal will see the rūnanga take charge of the operations of the clinic from Pinnacle.
“Basically, it is just adding on to our GP services. We will continue to manage the relationship that we have with both clinical and operations and with the board.”
Helping Rotorua
Raharuhi is confident managing the clinic will help Ngāti Pikiao achieve its aspirations, not only for its members but for the entire Rotorua community.
“We know that we are currently in the biggest health reform that New Zealand has ever seen. So what it does is provide us with another opportunity to secure our relationship, particularly with our iwi Māori partnership board here in Waiariki – Te Taura Ora o Waiariki. It will also provide accessible service to our people. It’s not only to iwi Māori, hapū and whānau but also to the wider community.”
Longtime Ōwhata Medical Centre G, Dr John Armstrong worked at the clinic for over 40 years and is highly regarded among the community. He retired in 2019 but Raharuhi says having “Dr John” continuing to support the iwi and community is important as the centre makes the transition.
“John has often provided not only the clinical care to the patient but also supported the whānau to be a part of that care alongside the hapū.
“It’s important that people see people like Dr John supporting what we’re trying to do and achieving the aspirations of our people, which is to provide the best healthcare that we possibly can.”
Whānau opportunities
It is also expected that the change in operation could provide opportunities for whānau to participate in the health service.
“One of the things that Covid-19 taught us really well was that there is an untapped workforce in hapū and so this provides us with the opportunity to bring forth that manaaki workforce to sit alongside our clinical teams to provide service either in a clinical setting, go to your GP service and into the doctor’s room, or to provide outreach, where we go to out to our whānau who, for whatever reason, can’t get to the doctor’s clinic.”
The formal handing over of the Ōwhata Medical Centre to Ngāti Pikiao will take place this weekend at Pounamunui marae.
