Team spotlight on Latasi (Tasi) Koro, audiologist
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your background and what led you into audiology?
Tasi: My background is in population health, so I naturally take a broader view of how our society and the systems within it are set up in ways that mean some groups of people have greater opportunities to thrive than others. I still strongly believe in creating change at that level, but it became exhausting not being able to see that change happen quickly enough.
Audiology provided me with a practical way to help. It allowed me to combine research with clinical practice and contribute to change on an individual level, while also helping to change the system by representing the South Pacific in a workforce where there had previously been little to no Pacific representation.
Q: What attracted you to joining The Hearing House and working with the team?
Tasi: I had always wanted to work in paediatrics but wasn't brave enough to take the leap until COVID. During lockdown, I joined a Zoom hui hosted by the Eisdell Moore Centre on middle ear disease in children in Aotearoa. I enjoyed the discussion so much that I realised I wanted to be doing that kind of work directly. I was looking for a more challenging but rewarding work environment where no two days or cases are the same, and where I would be learning continuously. The mahi and mission of The Hearing House offered me exactly that.
Q: What excites you most about being part of the audiology team at The Hearing House?
Tasi: What excites me most is the collaboration—not only within the audiology team, but across disciplines with our speech-language therapists, Ko Taku Reo staff, and many others. There is no ego; everyone genuinely wants the best for our kiritaki (clients), and we value the different perspectives and expertise each person brings to achieve that.
Q: You’re passionate about equitable hearing health outcomes—why is that important to you, especially for Māori and Pacific whānau?
Tasi: I am passionate about equitable health and opportunity in general. We live in Aotearoa New Zealand, which is often depicted globally as a high-income, developed country, yet when a child is born here, their ethnicity can influence how long they live, how healthy they are, how soon they are referred to specialist services, and the quality of care they receive. Unfortunately, there isn’t a level playing field.
For Māori and Pacific whānau, these inequities are often exacerbated by barriers such as access, cost, communication, and navigating complex health systems. I am passionate about ensuring that all our kiritaki have access to the care they need, when they need it, and that information is shared in a way that makes sense to them and their whānau. When people feel informed, understood, and empowered to make decisions about their health, they are better positioned to achieve positive outcomes.
Q: What’s something you’ve learned early on in your role that’s stuck with you?
Tasi: Before joining The Hearing House, I had very little knowledge of or engagement with our Deaf community in Aotearoa. One of the biggest things I learned early on was to embrace the many ways people engage with the world around them. Growing up, English was my second language after being raised in a full-immersion Gagana Samoa preschool and bilingual Samoan unit, so I've always valued how deeply language connects us to our culture and identity. Working with our kiritaki has broadened that understanding even further. From New Zealand Sign Language to the many spoken languages our families use, each offers its own richness and perspective, reinforcing that there is no single right way to communicate or experience the world.
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