Healthcare providers collaborate to care for communities

Three healthcare providers have signed a new partnership agreement to improve health outcomes.

The partners are Locality Provider South Seas Healthcare Trust and Primary Health Organisations ProCare and National Hauora Coalition (NHC). The ProCare network serves about 850,000 people while NHC has more than 200,000 registered with its network.

South Seas Chief Executive Lemalu Silao Vaisola-Sefo says the partners have come together to support the locality plan for Le Afio’aga o Aotearoa – the Ōtara-Papatoetoe area Locality established as part of the health reforms.

“ProCare and NHC bring expertise that will only enhance the locality work for Ōtara-Papatoetoe.
“We’ve entered this partnership to make a difference to the communities we serve and to solve intergenerational inequities in health, education and housing.”

Vaisola-Sefo says locality plans like Le Afio’aga are about ensuring people can access culturally appropriate health and wellbeing services where and when they need them, and in ways that work best for them.

“We will work together on tangible, practical projects that serve our communities – like long-term illness prevention, immunisations for Māori and Pacific communities, and child health.

“We already support NHC to deliver the excellent Mana Kids healthcare programme across schools in South Auckland, and the AWHI healthy homes programme in Manukau, and look forward to continuing our collaborations.”

ProCare Chief Executive Bindi Norwell says the partners are committed to community-led solutions for health and wellbeing.

“Our communities know how and what types of services they need, and we’ve joined with South Seas and NHC to ensure we can meet those needs.

“Each partner brings different skills and experience to the table to improve outcomes for the people we serve.”

National Hauora Coalition Tumu Whakarae Rachel Brown says the voice of whānau is paramount to the success of the health reforms.

“Since our beginnings in 2011, we have always taken a kaupapa-Māori approach to hauroa (wellbeing) and this must be elevated through the reforms.

“Whānau voice is at the core of our being and guides our actions from the insights we gather, to the way our programmes are designed and delivered.

“We create solutions that are responsive to whānau and their lived experiences and take a holistic approach to hauora and all that contributes to it.”

The moemoeā (vision) of NHC is mana whānau, whānau ora – prosperous families living well. The coalition represents 60 GPs, whānau, hapū, iwi and mātāwaka groups.