Prevention-Focused Health Coaching Across Aotearoa
1 in 4 New Zealanders live with two or more chronic conditions. This is not only unsustainable for our health system, but largely preventable. In 2013, chronic physical and mental disorders accounted for 88% of all disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost in Aotearoa. That is over one million years of healthy life lost every year. More than a third of this burden is linked to modifiable lifestyle factors.
This is where health coaching makes its mark.
At PREKURE, we partner with Māori and Pasifika health providers, Primary Health Organisations, and community organisations to train a new generation of frontline health workers including kaimahi, support workers, and navigators. Our focus is on practical skills that will compliment their lived experience and cultural knowledge to walk alongside whānau and support healthier lives.
Co-Designed Health Coach Training for Community Health Workers
Each programme is tailored to meet the needs of your workforce and your people. It is:
1. Culturally grounded, built in partnership with Māori and Pasifika models of wellbeing
2. Flexible, delivered in formats that support your teams on the ground
3. Evidence-based, grounded in the science of behaviour change and lifestyle medicine
4. Outcome-oriented, providing tools that lead to measurable, lasting improvements in health and wellbeing
We are not just teaching skills. We are returning health to the hands of communities. We work in partnership to empower your people to uplift whānau.
Case Study: Empowering Pacific Families with Health Coaching
Pacific Islanders in Aotearoa New Zealand, experience mental distress nearly twice the rate of the general population. Barriers like limited healthcare access, education and housing challenges make it even harder to get the help they need.
That’s why PREKURE partnered with the Pasifika Medical Association to create a Health Coach training program rooted in Pacific values – honouring Pacific ways of knowing, doing, and being.
Delivering Real Health Outcomes
The PREKURE-ProCare Beating Diabetes Together pilot programme saw 118 patients and their whānau exposed to a new approach to manage type 2 diabetes. It has illustrated promising results in the management and reversal of Type 2 diabetes in a primary care setting in South Auckland, particularly for Māori whānau and Pacific aiga.
The results were unprecedented – participants’ average HbA1c (long-term blood sugar) dropped by 9.2 mmol/mol in just 3 months. Two patients completely reversed their type 2 diabetes, and a further 12 moved from diabetic to pre-diabetic status. This change is unmatched by standard care for diabetes, and it illustrates how a lifestyle-first coaching approach can save lives and healthcare dollars. We see similarly powerful outcomes in mental health and Pasifika health initiatives (as detailed below). These case studies give us a strong prevention narrative and mission clarity: lifestyle medicine and coaching can change health trajectories
Case Study: Pasifika Medical Association Workforce Development
The Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) is a network of Pacific health professionals, working collaboratively to strengthen Pacific health workforce capacity and capability to meet the health needs of Pacific people in New Zealand. Improving the health outcomes of Pacific people is at the heart of all they do.
In early 2021 the Pasifika Medical Association partnered with PREKURE to deliver tailored Health Coach + Mental Health Training.
Their need: An educational partner to deliver more robust and rigorous training and bring an innovative, agile and responsive approach to meet the needs of Pacific health professionals and their community.
A true partnership, embedding cultural context alongside technical skills
Engaging with PREKURE, a true partnership was formed to deliver high quality, evidence based, engaging and innovative Health Coach and Mental Wellbeing training.
An innovative programme of training was co-designed with the Pasifika Medical Association to ensure Pacific ways of knowing, doing and being were embedded alongside PREKURE’s high quality, evidence based nutrition, lifestyle medicine and coaching skills.
The training was rigorous and challenging but ultimately achievable by all, combining Talenoa with the latest evidence and best practice, to improve and strengthen the positive impact for Pacific family wellbeing and prosperity.
Improving health outcomes for Pacific people
Together, through a true partnership model, the development of a new health and mental health workforce has begun. A workforce that is skilled in health coaching and an integrated model of care for Pacific families. This model meets Pacific families where they are at, to walk alongside them to realise and achieve their goals.
Specifically, the results of this training for the newly trained health and mental health
workforce include:
- Being armed with practical tools to help support people and family who are struggling with mild-to-moderate mental health issues,
- Families becoming active, eating healthy, and engaging and enrolling in primary health care,
- Health and wellbeing improvements in the learners themselves and their families,
- Health literacy and educational improvements in lifestyle medicine.
“It is a privilege to be part of efforts to navigate and improve health outcomes for Pacific peoples. Expanding care by making every Pacific health worker a mental health worker. This means training and upskilling the Pacific health workforce in the essentials of brain health, coaching and lifestyle medicine.
– Louise Schofield, PREKURE CEO and co-founder
“You guided us. You’re not telling us what to do, it’s very much like, ‘apply this knowledge but don’t lose yourself as a practitioner.’ “No other program has ever done that for me. It’s usually just, go in, do the work, get a certificate and go, but with PREKURE it was different.
– Leina Fofoa, PMA Health Coach Graduate
Explore the
Hauora Whakaako
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Training Delivery: Flexible, Scalable, and Tailored to You
We understand that upskilling your workforce needs to be convenient, engaging, and relevant. PREKURE’s training programmes are flexibly delivered over 3-6 months, part-time, and can be tailored to your organisation’s schedule and needs. We blend online learning with live practical training to maximise impact:
Self-Paced Science Modules:
Participants complete a series of online courses covering the theory and evidence of preventative health and lifestyle medicine. There are typically ~6 modules (e.g. Nutrition Science, Exercise Science, Sleep and Stress, Behaviour Change Science, Health Coaching Foundations, Community Health Systems). Learners can study at their own pace via our digital platform, which features video lectures, interactive quizzes, and readings. This format is ideal for busy working professionals and can be done from anywhere. The content is highly engaging and up-to-date, and we incorporate local context (for instance, a module on “Upholding the mana of tāngata whai ora while navigating the healthcare system” in our Māori-tailored program).
Interactive Live Labs (Wānanga):
Knowledge is nothing without practice. That’s why our programs include 20+ hours of live, interactive training – which can be delivered in-person or via Zoom depending on what’s best for your team. These sessions are essentially skill-building workshops where trainees get to practice coaching in a safe environment. Led by PREKURE’s expert faculty of coaches and clinicians, the live labs involve role-playing coaching conversations, giving and receiving feedback, and group discussion of real-life scenarios. We keep these sessions hands-on and fun, often using small breakout groups. This is where confidence is built. By the end, trainees have actually done health coaching and are ready to apply it immediately in their job.
Cultural and Community Integration:
We work with you to ensure the training materials and delivery incorporate your community’s values. For example, with Pasifika partners we might open sessions with a prayer or incorporate Pacific metaphors in teaching behaviour change. With Māori partners, we begin with a karakia timatanga and close with a karakia whakamutunga to honour tikanga and create a shared wairua of connection and respect. With rural cohorts we might adjust session timing to suit farming schedules. Co-design is key – our goal is to make the training feel like it’s “for us, by us” for your participants. This boosts engagement and relevance.
No Prior Qualifications Required:
Our Health Coach training is accessible to all frontline workers – there are no university prerequisites. We have trained everyone from healthcare assistants and support workers to nurses, social workers, and community volunteers. All that’s required is a passion for helping others lead healthier lives. We find that this inclusive approach often empowers members of the community (who may not have formal health credentials) to step up as wellness champions, while also further educating those who do have clinical backgrounds.
Partnering for Impact
How does PREKURE support the Government’s goal of reducing pressure on the healthcare system?
PREKURE-trained Health Coaches focus on prevention and early intervention – helping people manage chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes before they require hospital care. By keeping people well and out of Emergency Departments, we reduce pressure on GPs, specialists, and hospitals.
Does PREKURE training address the rising burden of chronic disease in NZ?
Our evidence-based programs equip coaches to tackle the root causes of diabetes, heart disease, obesity and mental health issues. Coaches help people adopt sustainable lifestyle changes – a powerful, cost-effective solution for preventing and managing chronic conditions.
How do Health Coaches help free up GPs and clinicians?
PREKURE Coaches handle the “lifestyle” side of healthcare – supporting patients with behaviour change, nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress. This allows GPs to focus on diagnosis and clinical care, while coaches provide ongoing patient support and continuity of care.
Who does PREKURE partner with?
We partner with iwi, Pacific health organisations, PHOs, Whānau Ora providers, community trusts, NGOs, insurers, and corporates. Our partners share a common goal: improving community health outcomes through prevention and workforce empowerment.
How can I explore a partnership with PREKURE?
Book a free discovery kōrero with our CEO Louise Schofield. We’ll explore your needs, share case studies, and discuss how a training programme could work for your team.
Will this training be relevant for Māori, Pasifika or rural workforces?
Yes. PREKURE’s training is designed to empower Māori, Pasifika, and rural workforces with practical, culturally grounded tools that create real change in their communities.
We work in close partnership with iwi, Māori and Pasifika health providers, Whānau Ora agencies, and rural organisations to co-design programmes that reflect each community’s values, tikanga, and lived realities. Our Hauora Whakaako Māori Health Coach training and Pasifika Health Coach Programme are tailored to resonate with the people being served – embedding kaupapa Māori, Pacific models of care, and lived experience into every layer of the training.
The training is accessible, flexible, and delivered in a blended format (online + live sessions), making it suitable for busy frontline kaimahi, community workers and support staff, regardless of geography or prior academic background.
Coaches trained through these programmes are equipped to:
Walk alongside whānau as trusted partners, not just health professionals
Deliver culturally safe lifestyle and mental health support
Help prevent and reverse chronic conditions like diabetes and depression in high-needs communities
Strengthen the community workforce while lightening the load on clinics and hospitals
Whether you’re an iwi trust, a rural PHO, or a Pacific health provider, PREKURE’s training helps you grow a prevention-first, whānau-centred workforce from within your community – for your community.
What kind of training do you offer for partners?
Yes. PREKURE’s training is specifically designed to empower Māori, Pasifika, and rural workforces with practical, culturally grounded tools that create real change in their communities.
We work in close partnership with iwi, Māori and Pasifika health providers, Whānau Ora agencies, and rural organisations to co-design programmes that reflect each community’s values, tikanga, and lived realities. Our Hauora Whakaako Māori Health Coach training and Pasifika Health Coach Programme are tailored to resonate with the people being served – embedding kaupapa Māori, Pacific models of care, and lived experience into every layer of the training.
The training is accessible, flexible, and delivered in a blended format (online + live sessions), making it suitable for busy frontline kaimahi, community workers and support staff, regardless of geography or prior academic background.
Coaches trained through these programmes are equipped to:
Walk alongside whānau as trusted partners, not just health professionals
Deliver culturally safe lifestyle and mental health support
Help prevent and reverse chronic conditions like diabetes and depression in high-needs communities
Strengthen the community workforce while lightening the load on clinics and hospitals
Whether you’re an iwi trust, a rural PHO, or a Pacific health provider, PREKURE’s training helps you grow a prevention-first, whānau-centred workforce from within your community – for your community.
What practical skills will my staff gain from PREKURE training?
They’ll leave with the latest evidence-based lifestyle medicine – covering mental health & addictions, nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress. They’ll know how to apply that knowledge in real-world settings, from reading food labels and building meal plans to tailoring exercise and stress techniques for different clients. Most importantly, they’ll be able to turn complex science into simple, actionable advice.
They learn how to work with resistance, what truly motivates people, and how to guide change over time. Everything is hands-on: they practise sessions, document progress, and understand when to refer clients back to clinical care.
Do you offer reporting or impact data post-training?
Yes. PREKURE provides robust reporting and outcome data as part of our training delivery. We track enrolment, completion, engagement, and learner satisfaction rates, and can provide detailed summaries to meet your internal reporting needs.
Where applicable, we also work with partners to measure downstream health impacts – such as biometric improvements, lifestyle behaviour change, and service utilisation data (e.g. reduced GP visits, reduced medication reliance). For example, in our South Auckland diabetes pilot, we tracked average HbA1c reductions of 9.2 mmol/mol in just 12 weeks.
We’re happy to co-design an impact framework that aligns with your organisation’s KPIs or funding requirements.
Over 30 globally-leading, world-class Health Coach experts
Learn from our diverse, world-class faculty of over 30 professors, researchers, Health Coaches and clinicians, who will equip you with real-world knowledge and practical skills.
Partner with PREKURE for Community Health Coaching
We’d love to kōrero about how we can support your community or workforce. Connect with us today to explore a partnership or to request a proposal tailored to your goals. Together, let’s reimagine health – for good.
PREKURE Partners
At PREKURE, we are proud to partner with leading organisations committed to improving health and wellbeing across New Zealand. From iwi-led trusts to nationwide health networks, we provide customised world-class training and support to equip their teams with the skills and tools needed to create lasting change. Together, we’re building healthier communities by addressing disparities, empowering whānau, and championing prevention-focused care.
Pasifika Medical Association
Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) -a charitable organisation dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of Pacific communities in NZ and the Pacific region. We have partnered with PMA over the last 5 years to train cohorts of Pacific Health Coaches with a culturally tailored curriculum. By fostering leadership among Pacific healthcare professionals, PMA and PREKURE are delivering culturally responsive healthcare solutions. The program emphasises respecting Pacific values, using community strength, and addressing specific issues like diabetes and obesity that heavily impact Pasifika people.
Kahungunu Executive
Kahungunu Executive ki Te Wairoa Charitable Trust is a Māori-led trust empowering whānau in the Wairoa community. They engaged PREKURE to provide training for their community support workers, aiming to uplift health, confidence, and skills among local whānau. Together we delivered a customised training that honoured local tikanga and integrated with their Whānau Ora services. Now, Kahungunu’s team is equipped to drive sustainable changes in lifestyle and health for their people - creating a ripple effect of wellness in this tight-knit community. community. Through its multifaceted services, Kahu Exec focuses on uplifting the health, confidence, and skills of individuals, equipping them to drive sustainable change in their lives and communities.
The Fono
The Fono is a leading Pasifika health and social services provider. Our partnership involved training Fono’s navigators and community health workers to be certified health coaches. This has enhanced The Fono’s ability to deliver an integrated approach to care - combining medical services with preventative coaching. By delivering solutions tailored to Pacific values and traditions, The Fono’s coaches are engaging clients in new ways and achieving better outcomes in areas like nutrition and mental wellbeing.
nib
nib New Zealand is a leading health insurance provider, committed to supporting Kiwis in accessing affordable, high-quality healthcare. With a focus on promoting health and wellbeing, nib offers a range of health insurance solutions tailored to meet individual and whānau needs. Dedicated to empowering members to make informed healthcare choices, nib combines innovative services, expert support, and a customer-first approach to improve access to care and enhance health outcomes across New Zealand.
New Zealand Health Group
New Zealand Health Group is the country’s largest provider of home and community health services, dedicated to enabling people to live independently in their homes and communities. New Zealand Health Group offers a wide range of support services, from aged care and disability support to rehabilitation and mental health services. With a strong focus on quality care and innovation, New Zealand Health Group is committed to making a positive impact on the lives of New Zealanders.
Aupōuri Ngāti Kahu Te Rarawa Trust
Aupōuri Ngāti Kahu Te Rarawa Trust (Far North) - ANT Trust delivers Whānau Ora services in the Far North, tackling health, housing, education, and more. PREKURE is working with ANT to train community champions as health coaches who can address the interconnected challenges their whānau face. The training is empowering local people with the skills to support their own communities - truly “by the community, for the community.” It’s a holistic approach that echoes the Whānau Ora philosophy and extends ANT’s capacity to create positive change.
Mahitahi Hauora
Mahitahi Hauora (Northland) - a Māori-led Primary Health Entity in Northland focused on equitable, whānau-centered care. Mahitahi Hauora sought to empower their clinical staff and community health workers with PREKURE’s Hauora Whakaako training. We co-designed a program aligned with their holistic, community-driven approach. “The partnership between Mahitahi Hauora and PREKURE has been transformative, providing invaluable support in empowering our Clinical Team and Health Coaches and enhancing the well-being of our community and whānau. By combining PREKURE’s innovative, evidence-based training with Mahitahi’s community-focused approach, we’ve cultivated a dynamic environment where coaches are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to make a meaningful impact…fostering a stronger, healthier community by addressing holistic health needs and promoting lasting positive change.” – Gaelyn Sinclair, Clinical Hub Nurse, Mahitahi Hauora. This collaboration has not only upskilled local workers but is actively improving outcomes for Northland families.
