Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network

26/10/2026

Your rural health research journey starts here.

If you're studying a health discipline at a New Zealand tertiary institution, consider applying for the HTRHN Rural Health Research Scholarship.

With $7,500 available, this scholarship supports a 12-week elective or research placement in a rural New Zealand community. Successful applicants will also have the opportunity to share their findings with the rural health sector.

📩 Ready to apply? Send your CV and covering letter to Robyn Fell at [email protected].

Help us build the evidence that supports better rural health outcomes.

25/10/2026

📣 Mark Your Calendars!

Key dates for National Rural Health Conference 2027 are here.

Join 500+ rural health professionals as we celebrate 35 years of learning, connection, and innovation.

Stay tuned and start planning your NRHC 2027 journey.

Our key dates
Abstract submissions open: Monday 31 August 2026 SUBMIT NOW
Registrations open: Tuesday 6 October 2026
Abstract submissions close: Friday 30 October 2026
Notification of acceptance into the programme: From Monday 14 December 2026
Early bird registrations close: Monday 15 March 2027

24/10/2026

📣 Calling all rural health innovators, researchers, practitioners, and students!

Abstract submissions are now open for the National Rural Health Conference 2027.

✅ 35 years of rural health leadership
✅ 500+ attendees annually
✅ Oral presentations, posters & workshops

📖Our Conference Sub-themes are:
- Whiria te Tangata - Weaving Stronger Rural Primary Care Teams
- Te Ara ki Te Hauora - Community lead solutions for rural equity
- Kia Tupu te Kākano - Growing and Sustaining the Rural Health Workforce
- Mātauranga ki Mua - Knowledge, Innovation, AI and Digital Futures
- He Oranga Whenua, He Oranga Tangata, He Oranga Hapori - Thriving People, - Thriving Places, Thriving Communities

Share what's working, what's changing, and what's next for rural health in Aotearoa.

Submit your abstract today. https://zurl.co/wmtSd

Drawing on the priorities of the Aotearoa NZ Declaration 2026, which calls for equitable rural healthcare, stronger rural research and innovation, workforce development, and rurally led solutions, the National Rural Health Conference Committee invites abstracts for presentation at the National Rural...

23/10/2026

🌿 Your Work. Your Voice. Your Rural Health Conference.

For 35 years, the National Rural Health Conference has showcased the ideas, research, and innovations shaping rural healthcare in New Zealand.

Present to 500+ delegates through an oral presentation, poster, or workshop.

We encourage submissions from practitioners, students, researchers, educators, and rural health teams.

Submit your abstract and be part of the conversation. https://zurl.co/GUCKN

22/10/2026

With the general election approaching, New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa has asked health representatives from across the political spectrum five questions about the future of primary care.

The responses cover appointment wait times, telehealth, continuity of care, health inequities and each party’s plans to strengthen primary healthcare.

For rural communities, these questions are particularly important. Access to a regular GP, an adequately resourced primary care workforce and sustainable funding all influence whether people can receive timely care close to home.

As the election approaches, we need clear commitments that recognise the realities of rural healthcare and support equitable access to services, wherever people live.

Read the full article to compare the parties’ responses: https://zurl.co/IZMIO

22/10/2026

We’re calling for abstracts that explore He Oranga Whenua, He Oranga Tangata, He Oranga Hapori: Thriving People, Thriving Places, Thriving Communities.

Share your ideas, experiences, research and mahi with the rural health community at NRHC.

Submit your abstract by 30 October.

21/10/2026

The Mobile Surgical Unit can arrive in a remote community, open its doors, and within hours be delivering specialist healthcare that might otherwise require patients to travel hundreds of kilometres.

For five weeks, fifth-year medical student Faith DeCourcy stepped into the rhythm of rural healthcare, travelling with the surgical unit and seeing firsthand how healthcare can be transformed when services meet people where they are.

It wasn't long before Faith understood why so many clinicians are drawn to rural health.

"Working rurally feels different. There’s less hierarchy, everyone is focused on helping their community, and the impact you have on people’s lives feels very real."

Read Faith's journey: https://mobilehealth.co.nz/five-weeks-on-the-road-how-a-medical-student-found-her-future-in-rural-health/

21/10/2026

Invest in your future.

Thinking about a career in medicine, nursing or allied health? If you're finishing secondary school in rural New Zealand, a scholarship could help you take that next step.

The HTRHN Rural Secondary School Leavers Health Career Scholarships provide support towards first-year accommodation and essential learning resources.

Your future in the health workforce starts here.

Apply by 27 November 2026.

Find out more: https://mobilehealth.co.nz/scholarship

21/10/2026

Watch the full panel recording to hear directly from the political representatives and consider what their responses mean for the future of rural health: https://zurl.co/AfccZ

Ahead of the 2026 General Election, Hauora Taiwhenua brought political representatives together for our Rural Health Political Panel, facilitated by Michael Morrah.

What will the next government do to improve healthcare for rural communities across Aotearoa New Zealand?

Rural communities deserve a health system that works for them, wherever they live.

20/10/2026

📢 Call for Abstracts Now Open!

Have research, insights, innovation, or a great rural health story to share?

Join New Zealand's leading rural health conference, celebrating 35 years of bringing the sector together and attracting 500+ attendees from across Aotearoa.

We're seeking submissions for:
🎤 Oral Presentations
📌 Posters
🛠️ Workshops

Calling all rural health practitioners, students, researchers, educators, and health leaders.

Share your knowledge. Inspire change. Help shape the future of rural health.



https://zurl.co/SjVsE