Boost for Far North health needs
Residents to benefit from new medical and health services
Anew high-tech medical hub in the Far North will provide access to radiology and specialist consultants and reduce travel times and expenses for residents who would otherwise have to drive to Whangārei.
The medical hub, located at 1381 SH10 Kerikeri near the main Kerikeri Rd roundabout, will include an expanded TRG Imaging clinic with new services such as MRI and CT scans, steroid injections and specialist consulting.
Opening on May 27, it also includes Northland’s first dental hygiene clinic, The Smile Clinic, set to open on July 12 in a separate building.
The development is on top of another proposed medical centre on SH10 next to Redwoods Garden Centre and Cafe which includes a chemist, cafe, retail area, and related services such as specialists and medical testing.
TRG Imaging - which is in the process of rebranding to Canopy Imaging - said its first building, Te Mauora, will open with new X-ray and ultrasound services and a high-tech 1.5T MRI machine.
A second building under construction will be either adjacent to it or connected via a covered walkway and have further imaging equipment and consulting rooms for specialists.
“Our staff will be moving from the current Hobson St clinic with a number of new key appointments to facilitate our new services and support our expansion,” Canopy Imaging Group general manager Toni Sinclair said.
”[This will mean] reduced travel for residents in Kerikeri and the Far North to access radiology and specialist consultants.
“The latest in diagnostic imaging and radiology scanning ... will support better health outcomes for communities in the Far North.”
There is also a third building being constructed on the SH10 site for The Smile Clinic.
The Northern Advocate reported problems with a shortage of hygienists and physiotherapists last October, which has been getting worse since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Getting a hygienist appointment is near-impossible in Kerikeri, the issue exacerbated by the closure of an entire dental practice last year which put pressure on existing dentists.
The new hygienist clinic will offer dental hygiene, air abrasion, teeth whitening, stain removal and mouth guards.
The Smile Clinic’s Jessica Korach, a trained oral health therapist and dental hygienist in Whangārei for 15 years, said the move is “pretty exciting”.
While initially she will be the only hygienist, she plans to have up to four staff within two years.
“I can’t wait,” Korach said.
“It’s been something I’ve been working on in the background for a little while now.
“It’s pretty exciting. I’m getting lots of support and all the local dental practices are behind me.”
Last June, a state-of-the-art MRI machine was installed at the TRG Imaging Kensington clinic, providing faster and better-quality images.
Ashleigh Wyse knew from her daughter’s first day earthside that all was not what it seemed. standard hearing test while Annalise was asleep was “impossible to get a reading on” because her brain was “too active”.
When they tried six weeks later, they had the same issue.
From then on, Wyse described years of “fighting with doctors” to get her daughter a diagnosis and some help.
“It took me two and a half years of being told ‘ oh, she’s just a normal kid’.”
Wyse disagreed. Mealtimes were a nightmare and sleep was not much better.
“She was constantly active and very defiant. Getting her in her car seat was a big one. She was such a little Houdini.”
They finally got a diagnosis when Annalise was two and a half, something Wyse described as a relief.
She finally had the information and support needed to move forward.
“It was kind of a relief to know it wasn’t all in my head, but then it was also a bit of a shock too.”
Now 6, Annalise attends her local school happily thanks to the presence of a learning support co-ordinator.
Wyse said it’s been a weight off her shoulders knowing her daughter is well-cared for.
“They don’t call me up every time she has a moment.”
She shared one memory where Annalise had become so overwhelmed over the prospect of school photos that she had stripped out of her uniform and thrown it in the bin.
“They just dealt with it, and then in the afternoon, she went to class as if nothing was wrong.”
She thoroughly enjoys being outdoors but how going out will go depends entirely on her mood.
The mum of two said if she was a new mother and Annalise was her first child, she would be a “wreck”.
Too much noise can be too stimulating for Annalise and she avoids certain food textures.
Wyse said a trip to the grocery store can be an overwhelming prospect and sometimes results in big “meltdowns”.
She said she is all too aware of judgmental looks and whispers that follow them, but she has also experienced a lot of kindness.
She recalled once when a mother helped her pack her groceries into her car during one of Annalise’s meltdowns.
With the right support, guidance and help, Wyse has faith that Annalise will be fine.
She’s attended the Incredible Years Autism programme, something that made a difference in her parenting.
“I’m feeling quite confident that she will be valued member of society. Capable of going out, living on her own and working.”
She described Annalise as a “gogetter” with a love of dinosaurs and cars.
“If you look in our lounge, you won’t see that I’m raising a little girl,” she said.
Recently Annalise had her first sleepover with a friend, a huge milestone which didn’t go perfectly — but Wyse was proud nonetheless.
She’s determined to give her daughter quality time, something she forgets after her busy days as a community support worker.
Her message to others is to give parents the benefit of the doubt.
“Don’t judge — you don’t know the full story,” she said.