Compass Health celebrates Matariki with Māori Health strategy launch and rebrand

Matariki celebrations this week signal the launch of our Māori Health strategy.  As part of that strategy, Compass Health is also adopting a Māori identity to accompany the Compass Health name.

From Friday 15th June, Compass Health will be known as Tū Ora Compass Health.

The development of the Tū Ora Māori Health Strategy and accompanying Tikanga guidelines for practices led to a refresh of organisational values and rebrand with new logo and imagery.

“As part of a wider commitment to Māori health gain, biculturalism and our commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi, our board decided to adopt a Māori name and new logo to accompany the Compass Health name,” Chair Dr Larry Jordan says.

Tū Ora literally means stand up for health (Tū = stand, Ora = life/health). “It’s about being more connected to our population, their health needs, our region and our community,” says Dr Jordan. “The name was recommended by our Māori Health Committee and forms part of a whakatauki or proverb,” he says.

“TamaTū tama ora, tama noho tama mate.”

“An active person will remain healthy while a lazy one will sicken.”

The health aspect links to the new organisational purpose statement: “better health through great primary care,” says Dr Jordan, “while the Tū Ora logo visually represents our four regions uniting as a whole to support the population and includes elements of collaboration, network strength and completeness,” he says.

“The development of our Māori Health Strategy and Tikanga guidelines helps us to look at our everyday work through a cultural lens and also supports our network practices in very practical ways,” says Dr Jordan.

For staff this might mean improving Tikanga in the workplace, learning waiata and basic te reo to ensure pronunciation is correct. Cultural training opportunities are now available to all staff with additional support to network practices in this area.

The Māori Health Strategy also seeks to ensure organisational policies and procedures are developed to meet the needs of Māori. Data is captured to monitor equity at both a network and clinical services level.