PICTURED: Left to right, back to front: Karen Carpenter, Nursing Council; Naomi Tuipulotu, Integrated Diabetes Service Development Group; Losana Korovulavula, Integrated Respiratory Service Development Group; Maria Pasene, Pacific Health Manager Pegasus Health; Koral Fitzgerald, Canterbury Clinical Network Project Facilitator; Sekisipia Tangi, Health and Disability Working Group; Toe Smith, CDHB Consumer Council and Marie Mitchel, Canterbury Clinical Network Project Coordinator/ administrator.

A Pacific Caucus, which brings Pacific members from across the Canterbury Clinical Network together, was officially launched in June.

The group, which aims to support members to provide a coordinated focus on equitable health outcomes for Pacific people, is facilitated by Pegasus Health's Pacific Health Project Manager, Maria Pasene.

At their inaugural meeting Maria began the meeting by asking members to introduce themselves and explain about their roles. "We are all working across different Workstreams and Service Level Alliances as an advocate for Pasifika people and to provide a perspective. Sometimes our role is simply to ask the question - what does this mean for Pacific people?

"This is a space where we can support each other and share information about the different roles we play across the health system. We know that one person can't represent a whole community's thinking, here where we can bring a Pacifica perspective  from our respective groups to the table and talk to each other about them," she continued.

In a paper to the Alliance Leadership Team, which was endorsed in May, CCN Programme Manager Ruth Robson said: "Over the last two to three months four new pacific members have joined CCN Workstreams, Service Level Alliances or Service Development Groups.

“As well as providing a coordinated focus, the caucus will provide skills development to members to support them in influencing matters relating to Pacific Health within their various CCN groups."

The group will meet six times a year.