Dr Elana Taipapaki Curtis (Ngāti Rongomai, Ngāti Pikiao, Te Arawa) is the recipient of the Te Tupu-ā-Rangi Award for Health and Science
Te Tupu-ā-Rangi Award for Health and Science is special recognition of outstanding initiatives and programmes created and implemented in a clinical or non-clinical context which positively contributes to the development and retention of a capable health workforce. Science includes medicine, biophysics and biochemistry as well as environmental and cognitive sciences.
Dr Curtis is a Māori health expert leading numerous initiatives that have been credited with a record number of Māori and Pacific graduate doctors from the University of Auckland in 2016.
She is Director of the University of Auckland Vision 20:20 programme and has operationalised a number of quality improvement measures to ensure the focus, outcomes and consolidation of the three component projects:
- Whakapiki Ake Project or WAP (Māori recruitment);
- Hikitia Te Ora – Certificate in Health Sciences (bridging/foundation education); and
- Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme or MAPAS (admission and retention support)
At the university’s graduation in late 2016, Māori and Pacific medical students made up about one fifth of the 215 doctors who graduated from their six years of training. The 46 medical graduates included 28 who identified as Māori, 14 as Pacific, and four as Māori and Pacific.
Dr Curtis is leading several research projects that focus on improving the teaching and learning environment to improve outcomes for Māori and Pacifica students. A number of key indicators of student engagement, performance and retention have been improved as a result of her leadership.