About

Our mission is to provide the best holistic healthcare services to the communities we serve, particularly to people of Tongan descent.

We have also achieved Cornerstone accreditation from the Royal College of General Practitioners for GPs in New Zealand. This accreditation shows that our clinic’ performance and environment have met the standards set by the GP College. Another important achievement for us is completion of Child Youth and Family (CYFS) accreditation and realigning of our services to fit the new Integrated Outcome model of care.

Tongan Health is a top performing primary care centre with a total view of our patients’ lives. We are able to provide integrated packages of care services for high needs families and individuals based on Whanau Ora principles. 

We are led by CEO and medical director Dr Glenn Doherty. His commitment, leadership and professionalism have helped us to become a strong and resilient organisation that is able to do more good for the families that use our services.

Recently we received two awards from the health industry: One for Overall Best Provider within the Alliance Health Plus PHO collective and another for excellence in Rheumatic Fever Prevention. These achievements are important because they provide evidence that we are raising the benchmark for Pacifica healthcare.

Cornerstone logo
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What we do

VISION

The Tongan Health Society and Langimālie Integrated Family Health Centres help people by providing holistic healthcare and social services of a high standard.

Our organisation

Why we do it

MISSION

To provide the best health and social outcomes for all New Zealanders in the communities we serve, particularly people of Tongan descent in Aotearoa.

Langimālie

The concept of health and wellbeing is captured in the name Langimālie and inspires our purpose. As one of the many forms of social relations valued by Tongan people, ‘Langimālie’ is also central to relations such as ‘mahu’ingamalie’, which is about making sense of the connections between the context, meanings and the relationships people create with each other and others.

These relations are considered invaluable to Tongan people’s notions of living well, peacefully and in harmony with other people in Aotearoa – New Zealand.

‘Langimālie’ also makes a metaphorical reference to a clear, bright sky, with the face of a person, or the faces of group of people likened to a clear, bright sky when Tongan cultural values and responsibilities are upheld. It’s the fulfilment of responsibilities which brings peace to the soul, joy to the heart and happiness to the person in relation to other people.

In the managerial sense, ‘Langimālie’ contributes to Tongan people’s avoidance of pain, suffering and premature death.

Our values

CULTURE, PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY

These are the three threads that bind us. Culture expresses our deep beliefs and what we stand for. People are our reason for being. Our duty is to serve and nurture them. Community provides us with the framework and context for our work.

COLLABORATION, COOPERATION AND RESPECT

We are at our best when we act as one. We have an individual responsibility to support each other and live our mission. Each of us has unique skills that are valued and acknowledged, which provides the impetus to achieve the best health and social outcomes.

PROFESSIONALISM AND EXCELLENCE

We act with openness. We seek the truth. We are accountable to each other, to our families and to the community. Our systems and processes must be impeccable. We set high standards and must continuously scrutinise our levels of service delivery.

PASSION AND INTEGRITY

We are totally committed to what we do. It fills us with a greater sense of purpose. Our passion provides us with energy and vibrancy. We seek to do what is right, to be open and to treat others with goodwill, fairness and honour.

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  • GOALS

    To provide a range of accessible high quality primary care medical and nursing services for all members of the community with a particular focus on increasing non Tongan clients to complement the existing Tongan clients

    To develop innovative service delivery with particular emphasis on chronic conditions management

    Facilitate and foster relevant allied health professionals to complement the

    THS models of care.

  • GOALS

    Foster and develop new models of care for clients and whanau embracing clinical and non-clinical service integration, navigation, outcome focused packages of care and health and well-being outcomes

    Contribute to community development principles and intergenerational outcomes through fostering family enablement, empowerment, education and engagement.

    To contribute to the socio-economic determinants of health and wellbeing.

  • GOALS

    Implement and maintain high quality accreditation programmes for the Ministry of Social Development, Royal NZ College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, UOA School of Medicine – Department of General Practice and Primary Care and Tertiary Institutions

    Foster and develop research initiatives to underpin service development and new models of care on a unique cohort of largely Tongan clients and families and assist with generic clinical, social and pacific research initiatives

    Foster and develop training opportunities including where relevant ECE teaching practicums, post graduate researchers, medical and nursing students, social worker and counselling practicums, and RNZCGP registrar

  • GOALS

    Foster and develop strategic relationships and partnership with NGO’s the Tongan Government and other relevant organisations to complement THS business, service delivery, strategic development, constitutional imperatives, and the governance and operational work programme

    Develop and maintain a Tongan Outreach Project and Satellite Clinic in the Kingdom of Tonga collaboratively and in partnership with the Ministry of Health - Tonga as an adjunct to THS business in New Zealand ultimately to assist non-residents families and individuals on immigration pathways that seek health care in New Zealand from Tonga including the most vulnerable communities, clients and families.

  • GOALS

    To provide and maintain high quality ECE services to our community and explore future ongoing ECE opportunities and maintain Education Review Office (ERO) standards and reviews

    Invest in training and registration opportunities to support workforce, services, models of care, THS accreditations and professional scope competencies across the organisation.

  • GOALS

    THS wishes to become recognised as a consistently high performing, trusted and credible advocate for pacific health and lead the health and social services sector though innovation and leadership to achieve outcomes particularly for the Tongan community and for all people of Aotearoa who use THS services

    Foster and develop social enterprise opportunities to help vulnerable clients and their families particularly as it relates to social housing, parenting programmes, family violence, self management education, social work and counselling, justice and corrections initiatives and immigration support.

  • GOALS

    Maintain and develop an effective, efficient, sustainable and viable organisation that provides added value services to our staff, clients and community

    Facilitate and maintain contracts and income streams that contribute to constitutional, strategic directions, family and community aspirations.

  • GOALS

    Foster and develop innovative initiatives for youth that contribute to social, community, family wellbeing and intergenerational outcomes

    Develop strength-based practice models recognising the diverse realities that youth live in to assist youth with cultural and spiritual connectedness, employment and education and empowerment to use information for choice

    Develop initiatives to ensure youth are actively productive and participating in their communities confidently.

  • GOALS

    Ensure that all team members are trained in the principles and practice of health equity and cultural competency

    Continuously through internal quality programmes understand and address bias, work in a culturally safe manner and create an inclusive and culturally safe experience for our patients, whanau, staff and the communities we serve

    Work in partnership with the RNZCGP identified pro-equity elements and in conjunction with their Māori Health Plan and Whakamaua: Māori Health Action Plan 2020-2025, which sets the government’s direction for Māori Health advancement over the next five years and ensure that health and disability system is fair and sustainable and delivers more equitable outcomes for Māori and is promulgated systemically through the organisation

    Address racism and discrimination in all its forms through policy process and registering bodies competency programmes

    Ensure all organisational processes and policies are updated with relevant Equity and Treaty principles

    Continuously work on Foundation and Cornerstone programmes to ensure health equity is integrated into all clinical and non-clinical organisational work programmes.

What we’re working on

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Our services

The people who guide and manage the Tongan Health Society share a dedication to improved health and wellbeing for Tongan families in New Zealand and Tonga.

We are led by CEO and medical director Dr Glenn Doherty. His commitment, leadership and professionalism have helped us to become a strong and resilient organisation that is able to do more good for the people we serve.

Recently we received two awards from the health industry: One for Overall Best Provider within the Alliance Health Plus PHO collective and another for excellence in Rheumatic Fever Prevention. These achievements are important because they provide evidence that we are raising the benchmark for Pacific healthcare.

Our people

We have also achieved Cornerstone accreditation from the Royal College of General Practitioners for GPs in New Zealand. This accreditation shows that our clinics’ performance and environment have met the standards set by the GP College. Another important achievement for us is completion of Child Youth and Family (CYFS) accreditation and realigning of our services to fit the new Integrated Outcome model of care.

Meet our:
Board of Directors
Office of Board / CEO / Senior Management
Clinical Administration Team
Integrated Outcomes Unit Team
Medical Team

View our:
Organisational Structure

Our Logo

Tongan Health Society Inc icon

Triangle and tapa patterns/Tapatolu
Represent the sails used on traditional Polynesian outrigger sailing craft and the art of Tongan tapa.

Ko e La ‘o e fefolau’aki ‘a e kauKaivaimei he Tapatolu’oPolinisia.

Red Cross/Lanukulokula
Symbolises Tonga, people and the red cross (health).

Kolosi Kula, ko e taipe e Fuka’o Tonga mo e Tangata’lFonua.

Stars/Ngaahi Fetu’u
The Southern Cross, as seen above New Zealand, embracing new migrants.

Ko e Feut’uFakatonga ‘o e FukaNu’uSilaketaliamo ‘o’ ofaki e kaukumifonua.

White Oval/Siakalehinehina
White oval (or egg) represents the promise of a new life, goodwill, peace and spirituality.

Ko e fua’imoako ha fakatataa ki he palomesi ki ha mo’uifo’ou.

Annual Reports

Constitution

Careers with Tongan Health Society and Langimālie integrated Family Health Centres

At Tongan Health we’re interested in talking to experienced primary care health professionals who have a special interest in Pacifica health needs. We have a close-knit team that believes in excellence, collaboration, co-operation and respect.

To find out about current or upcoming vacancies, please email your CV with a covering letter to elly.roberts@tonganhealth.com. We’ll be in touch if your experience and qualifications match our needs.  

Work with us

Work with us •

Careers

Group photo at Kelston Medical Centre opening