"A lot of these things we were already doing but we were needing documentation and evidence to show how we achieved it."
Korowai Aroha is a low cost health service with 6000 people enrolled - 80 per cent of those patients were Maori. Alongside their doctor's services, they offer programmes which include home-based support, men's health, kura kaupapa nurses, smoking cessation, asthma support, cardiovascular nurses.
Quality manager Rose Whetu-Boldarin said they can also be considered a training venue for GPs.
"Hopefully this will entice Maori doctors to do their training here at Korowai Aroha," she said.
"We're wanting this to become a future Maori workplace," project manager Jane Lane said.
Sessions were held regularly to ensure staff were updated with the latest health and disability practices and were meeting the several Ministry of Health targets before they were awarded accreditation in December last year.
"It was challenging to get all the staff on board but everyone is so busy, trying to get them to meetings and training was difficult and a lot of things had to be done after hours, pulling them away from their home and families," Ms Whetu-Boldarin said.
"The assessors visited us in October and they had never been into a Maori kaupapa practice. We had a pohiri to welcome them and all our staff turned up and at the end of the day for the debrief everyone was in attendance again, usually they would sit down with only a couple of people.
"They commented about that and I think it demonstrated the whanautanga of the staff, the momentum over those last 18 months had built and it was something our whole organisation could be proud of.
"We want to keep building our ability to provide a holistic service for the patient not just looking at their immediate health needs but look at it from a whanau perspective.
"We are part of the Te Arawa Whanau Ora Collective and have a really good working relationship with the other organisations. Having someone who would take you on that journey and not just say here's a referral card, go here but take you over there and walk beside you," Miss Vercoe said.
Korowai Aroha were also celebrating 21 years since it was first established. It was formed in 1992 by a group of Maori nurses who were all members of Te Kaunihera o Nga Neehi Maori o Aotearoa (National Council of Maori Nurses).
"They felt at the time the services were very mainstream and didn't take into account the needs of Maori," Miss Vercoe said. "We are incredibly proud of their work and have a huge amount of respect and want to keep it's continuity."
The nurses implemented Maori holistic perspective into their health service which included te taha wairua (spirituality), whatumanawa (emotions), whanaungatanga (family) and tautokohia (support).
"They went out to visit patients, we have always been willing to go out into the community, not always based in clinics. Maori feel more comfortable in their own environment whether it be at home, a marae or at an event," Ms Whetu-Boldarin said.
For Mrs Lane, a non-Maori, she said the health centre provided a unique work environment.
"We have karakia [prayer] and waiata [singing] every morning and I really enjoy it. It builds an easy and respectful relationship between everyone," Mrs Lane said.
Ms Vercoe agreed and said it was the whanau approach that people enjoyed.
"Staff who have moved on often want to come back, our philosophy here is to upskill and at times you need to move on to do that but many have wanted to work here again and some just drop in to have cup of tea."
