New children and family centre

Annette Lambly-Robinson Reporter from Whangārei Leader

A dedicated space designed for tamariki and their whānau to access healthcare opened in Otangarei on Monday
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The Te Rito Hauora Tamariki Centre will focus on tamariki up to the age of 13, although whānau with tamariki can also be seen as a family.
Kaiwhakahaere Rauemi / Operations Manager, Janine Kaipo, saw the opportunity to better meet the needs of tamariki by creating a space specifically for them.
“Tamariki need access to a range of specialist health and support services. We want to make it easy for whānau to connect with these services in a child-friendly environment. Te Rito will provide this space for our enrolled whānau.”
There are other advantages as well. Kaipo sees the opportunity for nurses and health practitioners to build on their specialist knowledge of child health through this focused, collaborative approach.
Te Hau Awhiowhio o Otangarei Hauora operate a nurse practitioner model where nurses with advanced training have expanded roles and are authorised to prescribe medicines, order diagnostic tests with the guiding hand of the Hauora GP, Dr Jude Russell.
“The difference it can make to whānau can be as simple as having a waiting room where it’s ok for kids to be kids so we are looking forward to being able to better meet the needs of our whānau and their children in Otangarei.”