Te Aka Whai Ora appoints 50 clinical and health professionals to Te Whiri Kaha │ Māori Clinical Forum

The establishment of Te Whiri Kaha │ Māori Clinical Forum will see Māori clinicians and health professionals from across the disciplines working in partnership with health agencies to shape a more equitable and fairer system.

The appointment of 50 clinical and senior health professionals from a wide range of services, with knowledge of diverse communities will address system-wide issues that most affect Māori populations.

“Building a better health future is a job that requires a collective approach and to do it well, we need to have the right voices at the decision-making tables”, say Te Aka Whai Ora Chief Medical Officer Rawiri McKree Jansen and Chief Clinical Officer Allied Health Carlton Irving.

Members are from all over the country to capture as many disciplines as possible, the appointment term is three years.

“The development of Te Whiri Kaha was influenced by the opportunity within the health reforms, and the need for a wide range of Māori health sector specialists who will ensure the kaupapa of partnership is reflected in the kōrero and all decisions that will affect Māori” say Te Aka Whai Ora Clinical Lead Midwifery Heather Muriwai and Clinical Lead Nursing Nadine Gray.

Te Whiri Kaha members will be working in partnership with the National Clinical Network, and are expected to influence and provide evidence-based advice on service implementation and delivery, quality of service and workforce development and access for Māori to culturally appropriate care.

“By taking an interdisciplinary approach, rather than the silo of professions, our goal is to collectively improve the health system for the Māori clinical workforce, for whānau and in the end seeking to change the broader context for people’s health choices by influencing the environments in which choices are made” says Dr Rawiri McKree Jansen, who co-leads the National Clinical Network.

Jacinta Rangi, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tamaterangi, who is an Extended Care Paramedic (ECP) for Hato Hone St Johns, who specialises in providing high-quality care to a mix of low and high-acuity patients in the community.

Jacinta is one of 50 members of Te Whiri Kaha whose extensive experience and career insights will ensure that Māori clinical and health professionals are included in the health discussions that in the end affect Māori whānau.

“My career has been about serving communities and the opportunity to be a part of Te Whiri Kaha, to be a clinical voice for Māori in some challenging spaces is exciting and daunting at the same time. I’m looking forward to it”, says Jacinta.

Membership covers three categories to ensure that all areas of the sector are represented:

• Five non-regulated kaimahi for example Kaiāwhina and Ronga practitioners.
• 35 front-line clinicians from across all disciplines including junior, new entrants and emerging leaders and
• 10 administrators, leaders, researchers, clinical management, Kaumātua/Kuia, tangata whaikaha, rangatahi and whānau advocates