http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz en-us Mon, 04 May 2026 12:27:49 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/post/163392/gary-says--lfh-is-moving/ ... Tue, 14 Apr 2026 04:30:39 +1200 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/#post163392 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/post/159955/gary-says--take-a-look-at-the-everyday-choices-shaping-our-health/ When we talk about health crises, we often picture hospitals, ambulances, and emergency rooms. But many of the forces shaping New Zealand’s health outcomes are far quieter and far more familiar. They live in our daily routines, our environments, and the habits that are easiest to ignore until illness makes them impossible to overlook. Lifestyle and risk factors remain some of the most persistent drivers of poor health in Aotearoa — and they continue to fuel demand on an already stretched sys... Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:21:43 +1300 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/#post159955 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/post/159952/gary-says--we-keep-ignoring-the-slow-burn-crisis/ New Zealand’s greatest health threat is not sudden or spectacular. It does not arrive in waves like a pandemic or dominate headlines for weeks at a time. Instead, it creeps forward quietly, year after year, filling clinics, wards, and waiting rooms. Chronic, non-communicable diseases are now the dominant cause of health loss in Aotearoa — and we are still treating them as background noise rather than the central challenge they are.Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic respiratory con... Sun, 08 Feb 2026 09:58:40 +1300 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/#post159952 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/post/159951/gary-says--access-denied-how-workforce-strain-is-breaking-new-zealands-health-system/ New Zealanders are being told to be patient. Patient while they wait weeks to see a GP. Patient while elective surgeries are postponed again. Patient while emergency departments overflow. But patience is not a health strategy, and goodwill cannot substitute for a workforce that is stretched beyond breaking point.At the heart of our access crisis is a simple truth: we do not have enough clinicians, and the ones we do have are exhausted.Long wait times are now a routine feature of care, not an exc... Sun, 08 Feb 2026 09:41:01 +1300 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/#post159951 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/post/159296/gary-says--something-is-coming-to-lfh/ ... Sat, 24 Jan 2026 09:08:14 +1300 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/#post159296 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/post/158423/gary-says--when-do-we-stop-blaming-the-system--and-start-expecting-engagement/ In Aotearoa, Māori, Pacific peoples, and those living in Quintile 5 communities face the greatest burden of illness and the steepest barriers to health care. For years, the dominant narrative has been clear: poor outcomes are the result of system failure, not individual behaviour. This framing has been necessary, corrective, and overdue. But it is no longer sufficient on its own.At some point, equity conversations must evolve beyond where responsibility sits and begin grappling honestly with ho... Tue, 30 Dec 2025 09:57:51 +1300 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/#post158423 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/post/158422/gary-says--equity-engagement-and-the-limits-of-system-responsibility-matters/ A Provocation for Health Governance Health inequities affecting Māori, Pacific peoples, and Quintile 5 communities in Aotearoa are well-documented and indisputable. Poverty, colonisation, racism, cultural disconnection, and underinvestment have shaped health outcomes across generations. Boards are rightly held accountable for ensuring systems respond to these realities.However, a critical governance question now confronts the sector:At what point does continued system redesign, in the absence o... Tue, 30 Dec 2025 09:19:15 +1300 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/#post158422 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/post/153548/gary-says--why-ed-wait-times-are-growing-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/ If you’ve been to Palmerston North Hospital’s Emergency Department lately, you’ve probably noticed the long queues, packed waiting rooms, and the sheer fatigue etched on the faces of staff. Across the MidCentral region, ED wait times are climbing — not because health professionals have stopped caring, but because the demand has outgrown what the hospital can safely manage.... Sun, 05 Oct 2025 10:25:10 +1300 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/#post153548 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/post/152780/gary-says--children-are-unbeatable-why-smacking-isnt-the-answer-and-what-works-better/ Let’s be honest: parenting is hard. Most of us were raised when a quick smack was considered “good discipline.” But when you listen to kids—and look at the research—the picture changes. Here’s the short, real-talk version.1) Smacking hurts and confusesKids say it straight: it hurts, it’s scary, and it feels unfair. When we hit to stop hitting, the message muddles—“Don’t hit” lands as “it’s okay if you’re bigger.” That chips away at trust, the very thing we need to g... Wed, 24 Sep 2025 11:15:17 +1200 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/#post152780 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/post/151110/gary-says--elder-abuse-is-not-talked-about-enough/ Elder Abuse – Information for Patients & Whānau Elder abuse is when an older person (65+) is harmed, mistreated, or neglected, especially by someone they trust (like family, friends, or carers). Types of Abuse       Emotional – being yelled at, humiliated, threatened, or cut off from whānau/friends.      Financial – money or property taken without permission, pressured to sign papers.     Physical – being hit, pushed, or roughl... Wed, 27 Aug 2025 07:27:18 +1200 http://www.levinfamilyhealth.co.nz/blog/#post151110