Fresh start in Te Hapara

From left to right Aroha Te Hau – Social Worker, Julia Brooking – Nurse Lead, Paula Renouf – Nurse Practitioner, Rau Chesley RN, Diane Pears RN, Dr Debra Bromiley, Dr Rob Wilks, Caroline Thompson – Practice Manager, Krystal Peachey – Receptionist, Jo Gardner RN, Maxine Neustroski RN, Margaret Johnson – Receptionist, Dr Laura Gilding, Marg Lane Receptionist.

A NEW look, a fresh start and a new way of doing things. That is the emphasis at The Doctors Te Whare Hapara.

The GP medical centre, formerly known as Desmond Road Health, has opened under its new name and intends delivering health services in a new way.

Practice manager Caroline Thompson said the new name acknowledged the area, community and people “where we live and serve”.

“Te Whare Hapara resonates a space where people feel welcome, listened to, cared for, empowered and safe. We will care for our patients based on concepts of whanau ora. This means we focus on the well-being of whanau, families and communities.”

Ms Thompson said Te Whare Hapara used a team approach with more nurse-led services including nurse practitioners, a kaiawhina and a social worker who could help patients “navigate around health and social services while a doctor focus on your more complex health needs’’.

Those present at the opening included staff, community guests, kaumatua Owen Lloyd, representatives of Hauora Tairawhiti and representatives of primary healthcare provider Green Cross Health of which The Doctors Te Whare Hapara are members.

Ms Thompson told gest the majority of staff were “born and bred Gizzy people”.

“But there are also those of us who have moved or immigrated here from different parts of the country and the UK. Our strength lies in our differences not in our similarities.

“We are bound together as a team and share simple grass roots values about treating people with the respect and caring that we would expect for ourselves and our families.

“We believe that sometimes you cannot fix the physical problem without taking into consideration the social issues impacting on that person and their whanau.

“We offer a holistic service and have a social worker on site to help people to navigate through our complicated web of health and social services.

“We understand that without a sense of caring for the people enrolled with our service, there can be no sense of community.”