About Us
Tōtara Health is a general practice with a focus on providing high quality, low cost health care to our enrolled population.
Tōtara Health is a general practice that is focussed on providing high quality low cost health care to our enrolled patient population. We work hard to create equity of access to support improved health outcomes to Māori, Pacific and low income patients and their families. Tōtara Health has a total enrolled population of 15,800. Of this, there are 8,100 (58%) Māori and Pacific patients. 43% (6080) of Tōtara Health patients are 0-25 years of age.
Tōtara Health is defined by the Ministry of Health as a Very low access practice. This means that we get additional funding because of the percentage of high needs patients and on the understanding that we keep the cost to our patients at a low level. Children and young people under 15 years are free for doctor and nurse consults, and 15 and over $19.50 to see a Doctor or Nurse.
Patient centred care approaches are fundamental to Tōtara Health’s philosophy to improve safety and quality of healthcare delivery.
Tōtara Health has formed a strong relationship with a local Maori Health Provider, Kahungunu Health Services, who provide outreach support to families with high health and social needs, and who support them to access health services to improve health outcomes of the family and individuals.
Our Clinics
Tōtara operates from two clinics, one in Flaxmere and one in Hastings. The Flaxmere clinic is the large and modern air conditioned building. There are 5-6 Doctors, 5-6 Practice Nurses, 5 Customer Service staff, a Clinical Pharmacist, a Counsellor/Health Improvement Practitioner and 3 Health Coaches working on site. The Flaxmere site opens 7 days a week. Tōtara Flaxmere has Physiotherapy and an Oral Health clinic co-located with it.
The clinic in Hastings (Tōtara Nelson Street) has recently been expanded with a modern building to meet the growth needs of the practice. The Nelson Street clinic has 5 - 7 GPs, 5 - 6 Nurses, 5 - 10 Customer Service/Administrative staff, 2 Clinical Pharmacists, 2 Counsellors/Health Improvement Practitioners, and 1 Health Coach.
The Flaxmere Clinic is open 7 days a week 9:00am to 5:00pm. Nelson Street is open 5 days a week 9:00am - 5:00pm with patients able to use the Flaxmere clinic for acute needs.
The practice is fully computerised with both sites linked to one database of patients. GP’s can also have remote access (from home if required) to the clinical system. The clinical system we use is called Medtech.
Demographics
The Flaxmere clinic serves a community that is predominantly Maori-Pacific and low income New Zealanders.
The patient profile is significantly younger than Nelson Street. Nelson Street has an older group of patients with less Maori and Pacific patients although this is changing as the practice grows.
Other health service providers
The local hospital is 7-10 minutes from both clinics and pharmacies are closer.