The Whanganui District Health Board provides a number of Māori Health Services, these include:

Whanganui District Health Board Key Māori Health Positions:

Kuia and Kaumatua
These key positions are established both in the Whanganui District Health Board funding and planning and the Provider Division.

Māori Health Advisor
This position provides the strategic overview, policy development, relationships management with Iwi, hapu and whanau.  The Māori Health Advisor provides advice to the Chief Executive Officer, Executive Management Team and Senior Management Team and when required to the Chair of the Board. The position is also responsible for the Māori provider health contracts management through funding and planning.

Kaiwhakahaere/Co-ordinator Māori Health
This role works principally within the Whanganui District Health Board’s provider division,  Whanganui Hospital and Health Services. The role is responsible to provide advice to Public Hospital and Health Services continuum in its Treaty of Waitangi obligations, tikanga Māori and on ways of progressing implementation of strategies to ensure mainstream service responsiveness to Māori. This position also assists in the development of cultural training and policy regarding Māori health.

Kai-tūhauora/Māori Liaison Officer
This position is a key link between community Māori health providers and hospital services. The Māori Liaison Officer works in conjunction with Te Oranganui Iwi Health Authority to support Māori patients and their whanau when accessing health services from the provider division and assists in linking the patient to a Māori health provider on discharge.

Iwi Provider/Maori Health Services

Whanganui District Health Board has five geographically based Iwi providers who have historically and continue to be at the fore front in terms of delivering value for money to the populations they service.

They play a crucial role in guiding and helping the Whanganui District Health Board to understand what makes a difference for Maori populations in terms of health outcomes. In recognition of their special role we recently formed the Maori Health Outcomes Group which brings Iwi providers together to advise and support the Whanganui District Health Board in service development activity.

Services from by the Iwi Providers / Maori Health Services include:

• Whanau Ora (family health)
• Tamariki Ora (child health)
• General practitioner service
• Maori community nursing
• Sexual and reproductive health
• Rangatahi (youth health services)
• Mental health
• Disability support services,
• Health promotions

Iwi Provider/Māori Health Services Referral and Discharge Form
This form helps strengthen the discharge and admission processes, who are enrolled or referred to a Iwi Provider/Māori Health Service.  Patients are encouraged to give consent for referral/discharge to ensure care is provided once the patient leaves the hospital.

Whanau/Family Accommodation:

Te Whare Mauri Ora
Te Whare Mauri Ora is emergency accommodation provided to whanau/families who live outside of the city limits, and who have a whanau/family member in the hospital. Access to this service is through the Kaituhauora/Māori Liaison Officer.  Whanau may stay up to seven days.

Whakatau Mate Whare
Whakatau Mate Whare is a temporary short stay accommodation provided for whanau/families who suddenly experience the loss of a whanau member. The house is available to the whanau prior to the tupapaku/deceased being removed for a Post Mortem, or while awaiting the Funeral Director.  The whare/house is available to all families through the hospital and due respect is given to the Maori cultural focus of the whare/house.