Hauora Hokianga\u2019s Rawene Hospital was an example of a community-run service often forgotten and underfunded<\/a>, said Eggleton, a former Northland District Health Board member.<\/p>\n Hauora Hokianga planned on returning to surplus<\/a> after posting a $2.3m loss in the year to June 30, 2025, and budgeting a $500,000 loss this financial year.<\/p>\n Eggleton said it needed greater funding from Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora to address historical underfunding and more flexible contracts so it could deliver solutions it knew would work in the community<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we boil it down, we need to have equitable funding. It needs to take into account the uniqueness of Hokianga and small hospitals<\/a> in remote settings.\u201d<\/p>\n Hokianga\u2019s return to surplus will not cut services<\/p>\n Hauora Hokianga\u2019s five-year strategic financial plan<\/a>, developed with input from independent accountants BDO, would help it return to a sustainable financial position.<\/p>\n Chief executive Margareth Broodkoorn would not release details, such as when the organisation would return to break-even, but said the plan protects the services Hokianga people rely on.<\/p>\n \u201cThe plan is not based on cuts to services. We are not closing and we are not reducing services.\u201d<\/p>\n Changes included tighter budgeting and reporting, improved systems and careful cost management, she said.<\/p>\n While continuing to advocate for fair funding from Health NZ, Hauora Hokianga would also seek to diversify revenue, Broodkoorn said.<\/p>\n One example was an application to be lead contractor for a $9m nationwide programme of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)<\/a> assessment, diagnosis and support.<\/p>\n If successful, Hauora Hokianga would work with clinical providers around the country to provide the three-year contract.<\/p>\n Broodkoorn said the strategic financial plan had been received by Hauora Hokianga\u2019s board and key elements would be shared with the public over the next couple of months.<\/p>\n Hauora Hokianga services essential \u2013 patient<\/p>\n The reassurance Hokianga health services would not be cut came as a relief to Rawene\u2019s Mark Craig.<\/p>\n The self-described \u201cbest customer\u201d of Rawene Hospital had suffered three heart attacks and three strokes since 2007 and relied on the healthcare given at the hospital<\/a>.<\/p>\n The hospital not only offered life-saving services but was also a key employer in the area, Craig said.<\/p>\n He said Hauora Hokianga was essential and questioned why it had such a dramatic financial fall, after making a $2.8m profit in 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018Rural funding has historically been fragmented\u2019<\/p>\n Health NZ continued to work with Hauora Hokianga to identify and understand its financial sustainability challenges.<\/p>\n The sustainability of Hokianga\u2019s health services is a key consideration and there are no plans to close Rawene Hospital, said northern region director of planning funding and outcomes, Danny Wu.<\/p>\n Rural health services receive targeted funding to recognise the unique costs and challenges of delivering care in rural communities, he said.<\/p>\n This included a rural adjuster and targeted initiatives, like workforce support and rural telehealth<\/a>.<\/p>\n Wu acknowledged rural service planning had historically been fragmented<\/a> because of the way former District Health Boards made planning and funding decisions at a local level.<\/p>\n Health NZ was working on a Rural Health Services Framework<\/a>, due to be finalised in the middle of the year, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe framework is intended to guide health planners to support more nationally consistent and fair access to care for rural communities<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe focus is on supporting continuity of care and ensuring communities continue to have access to essential services<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n There were also changes to primary care funding, which included assessing increased costs for providing rural primary care<\/a>, Wu said.<\/p>\n Hokianga was also one of 70 rural and remote locations set to get strengthened urgent and after-hours care<\/a> as part of Budget 2025.<\/p>\n The sites listed in the framework include Hokianga, Dargaville<\/a>, Kaikohe, Kait\u0101ia, Waipapa, Kawakawa and Mangawhai, while Whang\u0101rei\u2019s urgent care will also be extended to 24\/7.<\/p>\nHauora Hokianga chief executive Margareth Broodkoorn says services will not be cut as the organisation returns to surplus.<\/p>\n
The Hokianga is beautiful but isolated, with the waterways providing a key transport link between Rawene (pictured) and Kohukohu. Photo \/ Denise Piper<\/p>\n
A faded sign in Rawene pleads for clinical staff to return home and work for Hauora Hokianga. Photo \/ Denise Piper<\/p>\n