Sharon spoke about NZRA and its aims, including the valuable work which acupuncturists are venturing into with mainstream healthcare dhb pilot projects and general business.

Nga Pou Mana group, established five years ago to give a voice to Māori allied health professionals, its focuses is on workforce development. Nga Pou Mana is keen to expose and attract young people to allied health profession careers. It also supports having a Māori focus in training curriculums. The Group has $110k in the bank and is looking to encourage allied professions to send more delegates to this hui and feed in any information towards mentoring and encouraging high school students into the acupuncture and other allied health professions. 

The professions represented at the Hui were podiatrists, dieticians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, counselors, speech therapists, social workers and osteopaths.  The key note speaker was Te Kani Kingi of Massey University. He focused on mentoring in healthcare and discussed present and possible future challenges within the healthcare industry of New Zealand.   These included dementia due to alcoholism and cultural diversity.

Rawiri Evans delivered his thesis presenting a framework which demonstrated how cultural competence, cultural values, and cultural perspectives, can be used to enhance health.  This framework is being utilised at Wellington DHB and has shifted DNA rates for the Wainuiomata mental health service from 50% DNA to 100% mental health patient attendance.  

Nga Pou Mana invites NZRA members to attend the next hui which will be held in Nelson in August, 2012.  Please contact Sharon Awatere for details sharonawa@xtra.co.nz