Dr Marta Kroo with Dr Jane Laver from Tararua Health Group and Dr Isadora Ekawati at the Royal NZ College of General Practitioners conference where Marta was given a community service medal.
When Marta Kroo first came to New Zealand, it was initially for a three to six-month sabbatical.
But she loved it so much, she decided to stay.
And not only is she now a New Zealand citizen, after a recent citizenship ceremony in Dannevirke, but she has also been given a community service medal by the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.
Born in Hungary, Marta moved with her husband and children to the United States in 1985.
While there, she became a family practitioner, receiving her residency and then going on to teach residents as well as establishing a private practice in Connecticut.
But she soon found the practice became so busy she had to give up teaching and supervising the residents.
“I became frustrated by that.”
At a conference for GPs, she met New Zealanders.
“They were cool and laidback,” the Dannevirke doctor says.
She kept in touch with them, exchanging emails and was encouraged to come and see New Zealand for herself.
So she thought: “Maybe I should come for just a sabbatical”.
The rest, she says is history.
Marta has been in Dannevirke since 2009 and has several responsibilities, including her involvement in the rural medical immersion programme from Otago University.
The programme, as described by the university, has fifth-year students spending a year in a rural community.
Marta says since she came on board with the programme, she has been co-ordinating the students and tutoring them every week throughout the year.
She says she enjoys Dannevirke and admires the GPs she has worked with over the years.
Deciding to stay, she sent a message to her family that she wasn’t going back to the US.
On the award, Marta considers it an acknowledgement of the team as a whole.
“The medal was awarded to me but it reflects [Jane Laver], the GP practioners’, the nurses’, and all the nurse practitioners’ work. They all work extremely hard under so much pressure and strain, trying to provide quality care to our community, which is so often overlooked.”
She says they try to provide holistic care.
“Making sure that patients get what they deserve, they can understand their health and play a crucial role in their health management.
“I try here at [Dannevirke Community] hospital to have that extra help for patients, so when they go home they have a better understanding what is going on in their whole health.”
Marta says she also tries to teach her students to have a different approach, as in a larger hospital there will be specialists focusing on one area.
“Unless we consider each part together, we don’t do a good job as doctors. That’s what I am teaching.”
In the citation for the award, the college states:
“Dr Kroo ... has embraced her role and set up systems to allow timely access to rural hospital care for her priority patients, including after-hours admissions. This is particularly evident when there are barriers to secondary care for social and/or physical reasons.
“She has shown outstanding kindness to vulnerable patients, particularly if there is difficulty navigating the health care system, and for those with complex needs or those experiencing challenging experiences.
“Dr Kroo acknowledges the importance of working within a collaborative team, and that health is an all-encompassing phenomenon. She utilises a range of healthcare providers, community support services and whānau to achieve the best possible outcomes for her patients.”
Leanne Warr has been editor of the Bush Telegraph since May 2023 and a journalist since 1996. She re-joined NZME in June 2021.
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