clutha health first

What clutha health first does

Clutha Health First is a community-owned integrated healthcare provider operating from a single Balclutha site in South Otago, New Zealand, serving approximately 17,000 residents of the Clutha District. The organization is the sole major provider of hospital, community, and general practice services in the catchment, operating a 14-bed inpatient ward (with ensuites), a 3-bed maternity unit with a primary birthing room, and a large GP practice that hosts 17 visiting specialist outpatient clinics. Services extend across allied health (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work), district nursing, mental health, day rehabilitation, mobile surgical, public health, relationship counselling, and an adult oral health programme delivered via Birch Lane Dental.

Technology stack includes the ManageMyHealth patient portal for records and lab results access, the HealthOne shared health records system for South Island cross-provider interoperability, and Heidi AI deployed as an ambient note-taking scribe within General Practice consultations. The integration is intentionally closed-loop with clinician review of all AI-generated outputs. Funding is predominantly public under New Zealand's health system, with revenue contracts from Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora) and the legacy Southern District Health Board for inpatient, maternity, district nursing, and community services, supplemented by GP consultation fees for non-subsidized patients.

The entity is owned by Clutha Health Trust, a charitable trust that is the sole shareholder of Clutha Community Health Company Ltd, with governance from a Board of Directors of up to 8 members. Gary Reed serves as Acting Chief Executive Officer and Janet Copeland as Board Chair. Strategic partnerships include Awanui Laboratories (laboratory since 1998), Pacific Radiology (X-ray/ultrasound), SPS Physio, Ka Ora Telecare (after-hours triage), WellSouth Primary Health Network, and academic partners University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic for clinical training placements. The annual report for the year ended 30 June 2025 was published in June 2025.

Name

clutha health first

Legal name

Clutha Health First Ltd

Website

https://chf.co.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Clutha Health First is a community-owned healthcare provider in Balclutha, New Zealand, delivering integrated hospital, general practice, and community health services to approximately 17,000 residents of the Clutha District from a single rural facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Integrated Healthcare Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (6211), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621), Home Health Care Services (621610), Health Care and Social Assistance (62)

SIC

Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062), Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Skilled Nursing Care Facilities (8051)

akta.pro primary industry

Critical Access & Rural Hospitals (HLAFAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Independent Primary Care Practices (HLAFAGAA), Subacute Care Facilities (HLAFAFAE)

Keywords

• Integrated healthcare services
• Community hospital services
• General practice services
• Rural healthcare delivery
• Community health nursing

Headquarters

HQ city

Balclutha

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Publicly Funded Healthcare Services: Government-funded healthcare services under New Zealand's public health system. Services including inpatient care, maternity, community health, and many GP services are free to eligible patients. Revenue comes from Southern District Health Board and Health New Zealand funding contracts.
2. General Practice Consultation Fees: GP consultation fees charged to patients not covered by subsidies. Children under 14 and those receiving subsidized vaccinations receive free services. After-hours consultations incur additional charges.
3. Adult Oral Health Programme: Short-term funded dental care programme for community members struggling with dental costs who don't qualify for Work and Income grants. Funded through Comprehensive Primary and Community Care Teams (CPCT) Programme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Clutha Health First provides integrated hospital, general practice, and community health services from its Balclutha facility. Its service portfolio includes inpatient and maternity care, primary care, outpatient and allied-health services, diagnostics, rehabilitation, mental health, and public health support for Clutha District residents.

Product overview

Clutha Health First is a community-owned healthcare provider offering an integrated health system under one roof. The organisation operates a 14-bed inpatient ward with 3 maternity beds, a primary birthing unit, a large General Practice group serving approximately 17,000 people, and comprehensive outpatient and community services. Core services include General Practice, Inpatient Ward, Maternity and Midwifery, Outpatients (with visiting specialists), Mobile Surgical Unit, District Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Social Work, Day Rehabilitation Programme, Clinical Needs Assessment, Mental Health Services, Lab and Radiology, Public Health, Relationship Counselling, and Adult Oral Health Programme. The General Practice is enhanced with Heidi AI note-taking technology. Patient-facing digital services include ManageMyHealth portal for health records access and online payment processing. The facility employs over 100 staff and serves the Clutha District from its Balclutha location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Practice Comprehensive primary care for enrolled patients, including accident-related injury care, assessment and management of medical conditions, cardiovascular checks, cervical smears, contraception advice, diabetic screening, ECGs, immunisations, minor surgery, sexual health screening, skin checks, spirometry, travel health, women's health, and wound care. The service also uses Heidi AI for consultation documentation with clinician review.
• Inpatient Ward Fourteen-bed inpatient unit with four single rooms and five two-bed rooms, all with ensuites, providing acute medical care, stabilisation, resuscitation, rehabilitation, and palliative care for adult patients from the Clutha District.
• Maternity and Midwifery Services Primary birthing and midwifery service with three private bedrooms, a birth room with a pool, and a family lounge, providing antenatal and postnatal care with community midwives available 24/7 and Baby Friendly Initiative-accredited support.
• Outpatients Visiting specialist outpatient clinics covering Child Development Services, Continence Specialist, Diabetic Education, Dietitian, Gynaecology, Neurology, Oncology, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, and Surgical services, with care delivered locally to reduce travel to Dunedin.
• Mobile Surgical Fully equipped mobile operating theatre providing low-risk elective day surgery for rural communities on an approximately five-week cycle, for patients who would otherwise travel long distances.
• District Nursing Specialist nursing delivered in patients' homes, workplaces, or clinic facilities, including ACC community nursing, IV therapy, oxygen therapy, chemotherapy, catheter care, bowel and stoma care, and palliative care.
• Occupational Therapy Community-based occupational therapy for people whose participation in daily activities is limited by disability, illness, injury, or age, including equipment education, home-modification funding assistance, and rehabilitation support.
• Physiotherapy Physiotherapy assessment and treatment for musculoskeletal, respiratory, and neurological needs, including inpatient visits, home-based care, gym rehabilitation, and Pilates rehabilitation using reformer equipment.
• Social Work Support for patients and families facing difficulties during hospitalisation or in the community, including information on health services, National Travel Assistance support, crisis intervention, and advocacy.
• Day Rehabilitation Programme Day rehabilitation for people living at home, delivered by physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and social workers, with transport service, a hot meal, and support for recovery goals.
• Clinical Needs Assessment Comprehensive health-needs assessments and service coordination for people aged 65 and over with age-related disability, working with patients and families to identify support needs and arrange services.
• Mental Health Services Acute and non-acute community mental health services for adults aged 18 and over diagnosed with significant mental illness, delivered by psychiatric nurses, a drug and alcohol counsellor, social worker, visiting psychiatrist, and psychologist.
• Lab and Radiology Services Onsite laboratory and radiology services, with Awanui Laboratories providing phlebotomy and limited urgent testing and Pacific Radiology providing X-ray and ultrasound examinations.
• Public Health Free public health nursing services for South and West Otago, including well-child and youth health assessments, parenting support, school liaison, and free sexual health clinics for youth under 25.
• Relationship Counselling Service Free counselling for couples in the Clutha District experiencing communication, conflict, or relationship difficulties, available in person or online.
• Adult Oral Health Programme Free dental care for Clutha District residents who cannot afford dental costs, delivered through Birch Lane Dental in Gore, including triage, X-rays, treatment planning, extractions, fillings, root canal treatment, and infection treatment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17 specialist outpatient clinics available on site, reducing patient travel to Dunedin
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Southern District Health BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates the Southern Rivers Community Mental Health Team from premises adjacent to Clutha Health First. Provides visiting specialists and coordinates hospital-level services. Clutha Health First liaises closely with the DHB for seamless patient care transitions.
• Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment health authority responsible for implementing health services. Clutha Health First works under Health New Zealand frameworks and utilizes their infrastructure and policies including the Data Protection and Use Policy (DPUP).
• Awanui LaboratoriescoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides laboratory services to Clutha Health First since operations began in 1998. Offers onsite phlebotomy and limited urgent testing with routine testing performed at Dunedin main laboratory.
• Pacific Radiology LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides publicly funded X-ray and ultrasound services at Clutha Health First for South Otago residents. Services include general X-rays, ultrasound examinations including prenatal imaging.
• SPS PhysiocoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides physiotherapy services including onsite clinic visits, inpatient ward visits, home-based care, gym rehabilitation, hydrotherapy, and Pilates rehabilitation. Also offers student placements for Otago University.
• Ka Ora TelecarecoreTechnology or IntegrationPhone-based triage service providing after-hours GP care for Clutha Health First patients. Triage trained nurses assess health concerns and arrange appointments or telehealth consultations. Available 5pm-8am weekdays and 24 hours on weekends and public holidays.
• HealthOnecoreTechnology or IntegrationSecure South Island shared record system enabling healthcare providers to safely access and share patient health information. Fully compliant with Privacy Act 2020 and Health Information Privacy Code 2020.
• Southern Rivers Community Mental Health TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperated by Southern District Health Board but situated next door to Clutha Health First at 24 Clyde Street. Provides acute and non-acute mental health services for adults 18+ with significant mental illness.
• University of OtagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClutha Health First is a regional teaching centre for fifth year medical students of the University of Otago Rural Medical Immersion Programme. Students spend their academic year in various clinical settings within the facility.
• Otago PolytechnicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNursing students from Otago Polytechnic and Southern Institute of Technology have clinical placements at Clutha Health First in wards, district nursing, maternity, and general practice.
• Mobile Surgical ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides a fully equipped mobile operating theatre that travels New Zealand on a 5-week cycle, stopping at Clutha Health First to provide low-risk elective day surgery services to rural communities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• WellSouth Primary Health Network: Primary Health Organisation supporting primary care across the Southern region, including the Clutha District. Comparable as a regional coordinator of primary care services and a CHF partner via the CPCT programme.
• West Coast DHB (now Health NZ West Coast): Public rural health service provider for the West Coast of the South Island, offering hospital and community services to a small remote population. Comparable geographic and demographic profile to CHF's catchment.

Direct peers

• Hokianga Health Enterprise Trust: Community-owned rural health trust in Northland providing integrated hospital, GP, and community services to a small remote population. Directly comparable in rural community ownership model and integrated care delivery approach.
• Central Otago Health Services: Community-owned rural integrated healthcare provider serving Central Otago communities with hospital, GP, and community services. Highly comparable to CHF in mission, scale, ownership model, and rural integrated service delivery.

Emerging players

• Mobile Surgical Services: NZ provider of mobile operating theatres that visits rural towns on a 5-week cycle, including Clutha. Comparable as a complementary rural health delivery model that extends CHF's surgical capability without permanent infrastructure.
• Ka Ora Telecare: NZ after-hours telehealth triage service used by CHF to provide out-of-hours GP coverage. Comparable as a digital health partner enabling rural providers to extend service hours without onsite staffing.

Others

• Pacific Radiology: NZ radiology provider operating X-ray and ultrasound services within the CHF facility. Comparable as a partner provider enabling rural imaging access and representative of the outsourced specialist model CHF uses.
• Clutha Community Health (parent entity): Clutha Health Trust is the sole shareholder of Clutha Community Health Company Ltd, the legal entity operating CHF. Included for completeness as the parent governance and ownership structure.
• Awanui Laboratories: National NZ laboratory services provider that has supplied lab services to CHF since 1998. Comparable as a partner-embedded diagnostics provider in CFH's integrated care model and offers a point of comparison for ancillary rural health services.

Broad incumbents

• Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora) Southern District: National health authority that funds and coordinates hospital services in the South Island, including the former Southern DHB. It is the primary counterparty that commissions CHF's hospital, maternity, and community services and effectively anchors the regional healthcare system CHF operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about clutha health first