News


Rotorua Marathon – Congratulations all Kawerau participants

Perfect day for the 50th Rotorua marathon on Saturday. Tarawera Medical Centre were well represented with Dr. Tony Whitehead completing his 5th Rotorua marathon, his wife, Angela completing her 2nd and both their children, Edin and Paul completing their first. Dr. Lousia Barter’s husband, Richard completed his 2nd lap of the lake. Plenty of Kawerau representatives on the day as usual. Fabulous event with the legendary Rotorua support all around the lake. Great celebration of the multicultural nature of the BOP with awesome haka seeing the entrants off down the start chute, bagpipes up the hill from Ngongotaha village, the regular “Champagne Party” with Chariots of Fire theme up the climb before Hamurana, Japanese drummers after cresting the last big hill at the back of the lake and then the Polynesian drums just before “hitting the wall” at the airport. Great reward for the effort put into training for the day.

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Happy Easter

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Easter break. If you have to be on the road, take care with the weather we’re having. There was a good 30cm of water flooding in Onslow St at the promenade this evening after surgery finished!

We seem to have seen the start of the winter colds this week with plenty of sore throats and sniffles. The drop-in clinics we have been running for over a month are working really well for those who wake up feeling unwell in the morning being seen without having to phone in for an appointment. We have had a lot of people in for the ‘flu vaccination and it is a good idea to get this done well before the winter season to make sure that you have as much as protection as possible. We have so far been spared the early start to the ‘flu season that has had people in ICU in the Hawke’s Bay and Auckland.

We have a new subscription option on the website so that you can sign up to have blog posts automatically emailed. Check this out if you would like this option to keep up to date with news from the Medical Centre.


Chiropractic now available at Tarawera Medical Complex

Up until now Kawerau residents choosing to access Chiropractic treatment have had to travel out of town. As reported in the Echo, starting last Thursday, Jay Preston from Preston Family Chiropractic in Papamoa has started to offer sessions at the Tarawera Medical Complex, utilising the consulting room available at Tarawera Pharmacy. This adds another service to Kawerau’s One Stop Shop for healthcare, which for those who prefer the convenience of accessing all services at one site, which now offers 6 fully qualified and experienced specialist GPs, 5 practice nurses, visiting orthopaedic specialist, laboratory, pharmacy and now chiropractic treatments.


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In addition to our website and blog we now have a Facebook page for those who find it a more convenient way of keeping updated.

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Welcome Dr. Byrdie Johnston

We are very excited to Welcome Byrdie to the Tarawera Medical Centre. She enrolled at the medical centre on the advice of a friend who had been a Rural House Surgeon with us and enquired as to whether we may have any work when she was ready to return to work after maternity leave. After the challenges we have had in getting doctors in small town New Zealand this was almost unbelievable! Byrdie come highly recommended from her GP teachers and previously practiced in Rotorua where she pursued her cycling passion.

We are now, for the first time since the Porritt Clinic suddenly closed and landed us with a 50% increase in patients to try and care for, back up to a full complement of doctors. This has enabled us to start offering drop in clinics in the morning so that patients that need to be seen urgently can just come in without having to phone for an appointment. It has been a very challenging time for us to try and keep up with the demand and we really appreciate the frequently expressed understanding and support of our patients over these past few years.