Bringing Culture Into Care

Over the past two decades, New Zealand health care has grown more culturally aware, slowly incorporating practices that better cater to the needs of Maori. Bradford Haami chronicles this health care evolution by telling the story of Amohaere Tangitu, a woman responsible for pioneering change. Spanning Amohaere's career in health services, Bringing Culture into Care is the story of Amohaere's work to bring cultural perspectives and practices into health care, making treatments culturally safe for Maori and all patients. Amohaere instigated changes in protocols around medical procedures to make them more culturally appropriate in Auckland's general and children's hospitals, established family accommodation in the children's hospital, and implemented cultural processes alongside the hospital treatments. Through her work, Amohaere changed the way staff practised and people healed.