New Active Southland team member Tilley Carroll has a goal – to help as many patients achieve positive health outcomes as possible. 

Tilley is one of the new members of the regional sports trust’s Toku Oranga team. 

Her role as health coach/community support worker involves helping patients better understand their health needs and journeys, connecting them with relevant support agencies in the community, and helping unravel the sometimes tricky and confusing aspects that can come during the journey to better health. 

Her time will be divided between supporting patients as a health coach at the Fiordland Medical Centre, and out in the community as a community support worker. One day a week will continue to be dedicated to her role as a pharmacist at the Fiordland Community Pharmacy. 

Moving into the health coach/community support worker role felt like a good fit with her passion for providing gold standard care by striving to achieve the best possible outcomes for her patients’ and their families’ health and wellbeing, she said. 

“I love that ‘aha’ moment when you know that something is going to work for them (patients).” 

A Southlander born and raised, she was looking forward to showing her patients just how many opportunities there were in Te Anau and its surrounding areas to benefit people’s wellbeing. 

“For a little town, we have an amazing array of opportunities.” 

In her spare time she enjoys kayaking and adventure racing and has been involved in the running of the popular Kepler Challenge mountain race. While staying fit and healthy has been a focus for a long time, she is looking forward to prioritising this with the new role. 

“I’m looking forward to walking the talk a lot more.” 

Article added: Monday 02 May 2022