This week the Pinnacle Incorporated Executive Committee has written to Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Director-General of Health and Labour MPs across the Midland region asking them to reconsider lowering the screening age for Māori and Pacific people.

In response to a few requests we're breathing new life into our practice managers discussion forum on Facebook.

This is a brief update to let you know that I will be stepping out of the network lead role at the end of September and starting in a new role with Taranaki DHB as a portfolio manager.

We are pleased to confirm that Katy and Sam Smith will be joining the Taranaki locality team from Monday 16 November. Katy and Sam will be sharing the GP liaison and locum role, which means there will be no break in the locum service for Taranaki.

After 27 years with Kawhia Health Centre practice manager Heather Sherman is moving on, literally, in her (stunningly beautiful!) campervan with (equally stunning!) dog Jaxon by her side.

Over the past few months we have been developing the Pinnacle Group strategy by doing a lot of listening, both within the Pinnacle network and also with other providers, agencies and iwi.

We are proud to announce the data team at Pinnacle Ventures has achieved AWS Select Partner status.

During the COVID-19 lockdown virtual consultations for POAC cases were funded. We are pleased to announce that this will be a permanent change.

The Te Tumu Waiora integrated mental health and wellbeing service has been up and running in general practices in Taupō and Tūrangi since July 2019. The response from practices and the community has been overwhelmingly positive.

The 2019 World Indigenous Cancer Conference – ‘Respect, reconciliation and reciprocity: connecting across knowledge systems’ – was held in Calgary, Canada last month. It was attended and presented at by Rawiri Blundell, Māori health manager.