2026 New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards He Tohu Mauri Ora

Health Te Aroha and Health Ngatea have won the Ka Ora Tele-care Rural General Practice of the Year award at the 2026 New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards He Tohu Mauri Ora. Their success reflects a team-driven approach to rural healthcare that transformed a severe workforce shortage into a collaborative, attractive, and resilient model of general practice. Leaning into the addition of physician associates and nurse practitioners to diversify teams is successful and common in many other countries but a newer change in Aotearoa. The recent regulation of physician associates will help clinics that want to diversify their clinic and move to multidisciplinary teams.

A Remarkable Workforce Transformation

Five years ago, these two practices faced a significant staffing challenge: only one general practitioner was serving 3,800 patients. Their clinical workforce did not include physician associates or nurse practitioners, and the practices were actively struggling to recruit.

By 2026, the situation had changed dramatically. Health Te Aroha and Health Ngatea had grown to four general practitioners, three Nurse Practitioners, and three Physician Associates. The practices had also expanded their ownership structure to include an NP and a PA as shareholders. Rather than competing solely for a limited supply of rural GPs, the practices developed a broader, more collaborative model that made the clinics highly attractive places to work.

Key Strategies Behind the Success

Reimagining the Workforce

The practices responded to the rural GP shortage by changing the question they were asking. Instead of focusing exclusively on how to recruit more GPs in an intensely competitive market, they built a multidisciplinary team that recognized the value of diverse healthcare roles.

By integrating Nurse Practitioners and Physician Associates into the clinical workforce, Health Te Aroha and Health Ngatea created a more flexible and collaborative environment. This approach strengthened the practices’ capacity while ensuring that responsibility for patient care was supported across the wider team.

Investing in the People Already There

A central part of the transformation was the decision to “back the people already there.” Rather than relying only on external recruitment, the practices invested in local professional growth and supported team members to develop their careers within the organization.

This inward investment helped create a workplace in which staff could see meaningful opportunities for progression. It also strengthened the connection between professional development and the long-term future of the practices.

Sharing Leadership and Ownership

Health Te Aroha and Health Ngatea went beyond employing alternative clinical roles: they elevated them into leadership and ownership positions. Including an NP and a PA as shareholders distributed ownership more broadly and gave these professionals a direct stake in the practices’ ongoing success.

This shared-leadership model helped align day-to-day clinical work with the long-term direction of the organization. It also demonstrated that leadership in rural general practice can be strengthened by including a wider range of clinical perspectives in decision-making.

Building a Positive Workplace Culture

The award judges specifically highlighted the practices’ positive, joy-filled environment. Their culture of laughter and community helped turn the clinics into a “magnet” for younger medical professionals.

This emphasis on workplace culture was not separate from the workforce strategy; it was a central part of it. By creating a place where people felt connected, valued, and able to contribute, the practices changed their recruitment dynamics. Clinicians who once had to be actively recruited were now seeking out the practices themselves.

From Recruitment Challenge to Recruitment Strength

The transformation of Health Te Aroha and Health Ngatea shows how rural practices can respond to workforce shortages by reshaping the way care, leadership, and professional opportunity are organized. Their model combined diverse clinical roles, local development, shared ownership, and a strong sense of community.

The result was more than an increase in staffing numbers. The practices became highly attractive workplaces with a collaborative team structure and a culture that encouraged people to build their careers there. Their experience demonstrates how investing in existing staff and embracing a broader definition of the healthcare team can create lasting change.

A Model for Rural General Practice

Recognizing Health Ngatea and Health Te Aroha as the 2026 Ka Ora Tele-care Rural General Practice of the Year celebrates not only the outcomes they achieved, but also the people-centered model that made those outcomes possible.