Media Release
16 October 2006
Māori health providers celebrate with Whānau Ora Awards
The passion and professionalism of top Māori health providers will be on show next month with the Manatū Hauora and Te Matarau 2006 Whānau Ora Awards.
On November 3, 20 Whānau Ora Award finalists showcase their initiatives and celebrate their achievements at Wellington Town Hall, said Māori Health Directorate Service Development Manager Kathy Grace.
“Manatū Hauora is thrilled to be hosting this event that celebrates Māori health initiatives and promotes successful whānau ora models of service delivery.”
The displays are open to the public from 11.30am to 3.00pm and everyone is warmly invited.
The inaugural Whānau Ora Awards in 2004 were a huge celebration of excellence and achievement by individuals and organisations in the Māori health and disability sector.
Anticipation and excitement were now building ahead of this year’s event – the second Whānau Ora Awards, said Ms Grace.
“It has been exciting seeing the ongoing passion and professional development of Māori health providers over the past ten years, and the Whānau Ora Awards showcase and celebrate this.
“They have come a long way -- with accreditation, staff training and development and quality standards while at the same time maintaining the whānau ora vision.
The awards have attracted interest from small, medium and large Māori health providers.
The judging panel was very impressed by the high quality of the entries and the wide range of health services delivered by Māori health providers (mental health, disability, residential, immunisation, healthy eating, GP/PHO service and many more).
The judging criteria for the finalists was based on three guiding principles – innovation, quality and leadership.
The vision for Whānau Ora was firmly established in 2002 in He Korowai Oranga, the Māori Health Strategy. It reorientated the whole Māori health sector towards wellness and wholeness.
This led to the sector taking a leadership role across the whole of government and its agencies in their approach to ongoing health and disability service delivery.
The overall aim of He Korowai Oranga is Whānau Ora: Māori families supported to achieve their maximum health and well being.
Nau mai Haere mai
For further information, please contact Paula Yeatman, 09 529 4201 or 027 483 0021