Student interns gain insights into primary care at Pegasus Health

L-R: Rian Burrows, Chloe Scoble, Amelie McArthur, Rebecca Bassett, Ofa Kitekeiaho, and Peta Clark 

Six student interns have completed twelve-week placements with Pegasus Health, gaining first-hand experience across a range of programmes and teams. 

The students, in the final stages of study in health-related fields including public health, health science, health promotion and nutrition, worked with Pegasus teams in Immunisation, Equity Leadership, Community Respiratory, Mental Health, and Project Management. 

Ofa Kitekeiaho, with the Equity Leadership Team, explored causes of vaccine hesitancy among Pacific Peoples. “To understand vaccine declines in Pacific communities, we have to look beyond clinical factors and consider the whole person and their community,” she said. 

Rebecca Bassett’s project for the Immunisation Team reviewed which Pegasus resources are most valued by general practices. “Practices place high value on core services such as cold chain accreditation, catch-up schedules, and advice following vaccination errors,” she said. 

Working with the Community Respiratory Team, Chloe Scoble examined the role of exercise and connection through community activity and coffee groups. “There is a deep sense of community,” she said. “People get more than activity; they get a group of friends, too.” 

Peta Clark, with the Equity Leadership Team, helped develop a cultural safety resource for health professionals. “Cultural competency can be a checkbox — greetings and protocols. Cultural safety is different. It shifts the focus to the health professional’s own self and unconscious biases,” she said. 

Food and Nutrition student Rian Burrows joined the Mental Health Team to develop a wellbeing workshop for hospitality workers. “Hospitality has its own challenges — long hours, drug and alcohol culture, and financial stress,” she said. “We created a wellbeing workshop and gifted it to Health Hospo, a non-profit supporting hospitality workers nationwide.” 

Amelie McArthur worked with the Project Management Office to deliver a Plastic Free July campaign at Pegasus. “The aim was to increase awareness of waste minimisation,” she said. “Ninety-two percent of respondents said the campaign increased their awareness of waste reduction.” 

The interns said their placements had deepened their understanding of how primary care operates and their interest in health careers. Their projects also prompted reflection and fresh thinking among Pegasus teams, reinforcing the value of supporting emerging health professionals.