Pinnacle Midlands Health Network

Important insights from our clinical director, Dr Joseph Scott-Jones on the potential impact of bowel screening changes on Māori and Pasifika communities and health outcomes. Ensuring equity in healthcare must remain a priority. https://lnkd.in/gKrEuwU5 #HealthEquity #BowelScreening #PreventativeHealthcare #EquityMatters

The 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Port Vila is heartbreaking, especially just before Christmas in this small nation. We continue to hear of a climbing death toll, widespread damage and devastation for so many. At Pinnacle, we value our strong connections with the Pasifika community, including our partnerships with K'aute Pasifika Trust and South Waikato Pacific Islands Community Services Trust (SWPICS) [Akarere Henry]. We recognise the resilience of the people of Vanuatu as they come together to support each other. To our Pasifika patients, colleagues, and partners, if this earthquake has affected you or your loved ones, please know you are in our thoughts. As an organisation, we are considering how we can support Vanuatu in this difficult time, and we know many others will be doing the same.  #VanuatuEarthquake #PasifikaCommunities #SupportingVanuatu

It was October 1984 when Judy Cowie first started work at Fairfield Medical Centre in Hamilton. She and then fiancé Grant Cowie were not long back in Aotearoa New Zealand after three years’ living and working in Australia and the United Kingdom. Judy, born in Huntly, went to Fairfield Primary, Fairfield Intermediate and Fairfield College so taking a job at Fairfield Medical Centre was like coming home. She is still there on the front line in reception and administration seeing the great grandchildren of patients she welcomed into the practice 40 years ago. So much has changed since then not only in the community and the practice but in Judy’s life too. Read more about Judy's story on our website: https://lnkd.in/ggTv3AhZ #celebration #40years #generalpractice #primarycare

This week CNO Lorraine Hetaraka Ministry of Health New Zealand hosted an industry tour for the Australian State Chief Nursing & Midwifery Officers here in Aotearoa. Marama Tauranga Heather Muriwai and I joined the tour where we discussed similar nursing and midwifery workforce trends and challenges both across the Tasman and the globe 🌍 We visited primary care clinics, Kaupapa Māori Hauora and Pacific Health partners starting in Auckland and right down to Wellington who are transforming the way we deliver health care through integrated practice models. We heard from frontline clinicians and primary care leaders who demonstrate innovation, solutions, and action to ensure our communities with the highest health needs get the care AND choice of service they need, when they need it. The collective vision, focus on culturally safe care, and interprofessional ways of working stood out. Advanced nursing practice models such as NPs, RN community prescribers, and RN prescribers, including allied health extended care paramedics and pharmacists, are creating an accessible primary care system that connects people to the care they need, is responsive to their preferences, delivers flexibility to meet those needs, and supports overall sustainability of the health system long-term. The future is here with growing primary care career pathways from new graduates into advanced scopes of practice. We are so INSPIRED by you all. Ngā mihi nunui to our incredible hosts 🙏🏽 Professor Alison McMillan PSM Liz Wilkes Marina Buchanan-Grey RN MSc FACN FCHSM CHE 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ Francine Douce Catherine Soana Latailakepa-Tu’akalau Jan Adams Rachael Scully Te Puea Winiata @IwiTeWhau @DrMikeTustin @HariataVercoe @NoeleneRapana Pinnacle Midlands Health Network Turuki Health Care @KorowaiArohaRotorua Pacific Health Plus Ministry of Health New Zealand @Health New Zealand

Last week our team joined forces with The University of Waikato and Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network for a co-design workshop at the stunning Harataunga (Rakairoa) Marae in Kennedy Bay, Coromandel. Together with 25 inspiring Students of Rural Health Aotearoa (SORHA) from around the motu, who’d gathered for a two-day wānanga, we brainstormed innovative career pathways for future health professionals, especially those from rural backgrounds. We're excited to help turn the ideas generated at this workshop into reality. #ruralhealth #futureofhealthcare #studentdevelopment #communitypartnership 

An exciting opportunity to showcase the valuable role primary care nurses play every day caring for their communities. #nurseprescribing #nursepractitioner #primarycare

🥳Congratulations to Dr Reuben He, this year’s recipient of the Pinnacle Trainee Intern (TI) of the Year Award at The University of Auckland's TI awards for the Waikato cohort. 🏆 Pinnacle's clinical director, Joseph Scott-Jones presented the award to Dr He in recognition of outstanding performance during his final-year six-week general practice placement. Assessment criteria included skills in interviewing, examination, clinical judgment, communication, teamwork, and engagement with hauora Māori—particularly addressing inequities and improving outcomes. It also considered reflective practice, research integration, collaboration, and professionalism. Jo said, "not only does it celebrate excellence — it also helps promote general practice as a rewarding and fulfilling career path." A special thank you to Dr Stewart Wells who leads the teaching of TIs in general practice in the Waikato. 📚 #HealthcareExcellence #FutureDoctors #GeneralPractice #PinnacleAward #TraineeInternOfTheYear

Treaty Principles Bill: A PHO's perspective - Justin Butcher, CE & Amit Prasad, Chair As a primary health organisation we see firsthand the challenges in our communities.   Te Tiriti o Waitangi has long served as a foundation for addressing inequities in Aotearoa NZ, particularly in healthcare. Its principles including partnership, participation, protection and redress, have been developed through legal interpretations, Waitangi Tribunal findings, and policy frameworks. They help guide our work to improve health outcomes for Māori and reduce disparities.   The Treaty Principles Bill, in our view, proposes a narrower interpretation, focusing on sovereignty, property rights, and formal equality. These ideas may seem appealing but fail to address systemic inequities the original Treaty principles seek to rectify. We have mostly maintained a neutral stance on political matters, but this issue calls for a stronger response. We do not support the Bill!    Approximately 21% of Pinnacle’s enrolled population are Māori. Te Manawa Taki, our region, has the largest Māori population in Aotearoa including almost 95,000 not enrolled with a general practice. Committed to hauora, our strategy prioritises health equity, but we believe the Bill fails to uphold Māori rights, mana, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi commitments. The societal implications of this Bill are significant. A referendum could fuel mounting public debate, creating further division at a time when Kotahitanga (unity) is essential.   For the health sector, this represents another distraction from the critical challenges; workforce shortages, funding shortfalls, rising demand, and equitable care.    Another concern is the Bill’s focus on "equality before the law." Equality means treating everyone the same, but fairness requires acknowledging people start from different places. Equity is a unifying concept—it ensures everyone has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their starting point.   In healthcare, this means targeting interventions to reduce the unique challenges faced by Māori, such as poorer access to care and higher rates of chronic illness. Ethnicity is a critical determinant of need in health. Acknowledging this allows general practice to prioritise resources effectively to address disparities.    The Bill limits "active protection" to physical property, sidelining cultural and collective taonga central to the Treaty. Māori language, traditions, and collective wellbeing are at risk of losing the protections they need in order to endure, undermining the Māori/Crown partnership. As a mainstream PHO, we know we may not always get it right, but we are committed to becoming, and being, good partners under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We’ve taken steps we’re proud of to support initiatives that promote trust and healing. Therefore, whichever way the Treaty Principles Bill falls, we will not backtrack on that commitment now, or in the future!   Abridged for LinkedIn, read more https://lnkd.in/gD_Zbqmc

At Pinnacle, we're committed to supporting workforce development and enhancing immunisation services across Waikato and the wider Te Manawa Taki region. We felt privileged to attend and awhi this immunisation wānanga at Waahi Paa. The gathering provided a valuable opportunity to (re)connect with key leaders from Te Rau Ora, Immunisation Advisory Centre NZ, National Public Health Service (NPHS), Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, and other local hauora and community partners and providers. With a fantastic turnout and amazing weather, the day was filled with meaningful kōrero, collaboration, and shared commitment to improving immunisation outcomes. Ngā mihi to all who participated and contributed to this important kaupapa! #Collaboration #ImmunisationMatters #StrongerTogether

Supporting people with long-term conditions, such as diabetes, is a top priority for Pinnacle. We were therefore thrilled to welcome 65 primary care nurses from across Waikato at a Diabetes Proficiency Day in Hamilton (6 November), to learn about newly funded Type 1 diabetes technologies like continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps. Our diabetes lead Kathy Knight and her Waikato PHO counterparts Suzanne Moorhouse (Hauraki PHO - Te Puna Hauora Matua o Hauraki), and Helen Morton (National Hauora Coalition) led the hands-on training. While this event focused on Type 1 diabetes, it complements our broader efforts to improve outcomes for the 27,000 Waikato residents with Type 2 diabetes. We're thankful to all those who attended – it's not easy taking time away from a general practice, but together, we're building capacity in primary care to provide consistent, potentially life-changing support for whānau across the region. Pictured: Collective efforts – attendees with the three diabetes leads, from bottom row, far right, Suzanne, Helen and Kathy. #PrimaryCare #DiabetesManagement #SupportingWhānau #WorkingTogether