Rural Women New Zealand and Access Homehealth scholarship awarded to Waikato nurse
The 2015 Rural Women NZ and Access Homehealth scholarship has been awarded to Heather Leong, a rural Waikato nurse.
Heather is currently a Community Registered Nurse working for Access Homehealth Midland Region and is also
self-employed, providing nutrition and lifestyle advice. She will use the $3000 scholarship to help fund her studies to
complete an International Integrative Nurse Coach Certificate in the United States.
Heather’s goals are to build on her skills in wellness education to promote and support holistic health in the rural
community. The coaching certificate integrates health promotion strategies with traditional therapies.
“I intend to use the coaching certificate alongside current medical practices, coaching rural clients in Waipa with
chronic health conditions such as heart disease to makes changes, where necessary, to their usual practices and improve
their status.”
Access Homehealth CEO, Graeme Titcombe, says, “Heather was selected as support resources are often scarce or limited in
rural and remote areas, as is education on how to manage these issues. The coaching certificate is relevant to
restorative and enablement programmes that already exist in New Zealand home based health services and Heather will
benefit from learning about international advances and applying those techniques in her rural community.”
The annual Rural Women NZ and Access Homehealth scholarship is awarded to a health worker who wishes to further their
health or disability studies at post-graduate level, with a focus on the rural sector.
Heather was chosen from a strong field of 32 applicants. "We were thrilled with the high calibre of applicants," says
Rural Women New Zealand National Council Chair Wendy McGowan.
Heather is planning to travel to the United States to complete the certificate in 2016.
ENDS