The legacy of Dr Peter Snow, a revered figure in rural
health, continues to inspire as the recipients of the Peter
Snow Memorial Awards for 2023 and 2024 were announced at the
National Rural Health Conference 2024.
Rhoena Davis
has been recognised as the recipient for 2023, while Kyle
Eggleton has been awarded the honour for 2024. Despite there
being no Conference in 2023 following the disruption of
COVID, the decision was made to honour the work of nominees
during that time.
Both recipients were nominated for
their longstanding service and dedication to rural
health.
Rhoena Davis has been honoured
with the Peter Snow Memorial Award for 2023. Her exemplary
service to Māori health, rural healthcare delivery and
nursing leadership all merge to form an unwavering
dedication to rural health and the vulnerable populations
represented within.
As a Māori board
member of the College of Nurses Aotearoa and a member of the
New Zealand Nursing Council Komiti Māori, Rhoena has played
a pivotal role in shaping nursing leadership and advocating
for Māori health at local, regional, and national
levels.
At the forefront of her leadership is Aronuku,
the Māori caucus of the College of Nurses Aotearoa, of
which Rhoena serves as the current chair. Aronuku, alongside
its counterpart Arorangi, embodies the holistic approach to
nursing, acknowledging, and addressing the diverse needs of
communities within Aotearoa.
Rhoena’s influence
extends beyond her roles within nursing organisations. She
has led initiatives to develop cultural safety competencies,
advocated for funding and policy changes to support Nurse
Practitioners, and worked tirelessly to address inequities
in healthcare delivery, particularly in rural and remote
areas.
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Her commitment to advancing nursing excellence
is evident through her involvement in various national
groups, including the National Nurse Leaders Group, Ora
Taiao, and the Federation of Primary Health Care. Rhoena’s
leadership is characterised by her passion for primary care
and her advocacy for vulnerable populations, making her a
highly respected figure within the medical
community.
Beyond nursing organisations, Rhoena sits
on the Hauora Taiwhenua Board as Deputy Chair, where her
expertise has been influential in shaping the
organisation’s foundation. Furthermore, Rhoena has been
part of initiatives aimed at actualising the principles of
Te Tiriti o Waitangi – partnership, protection, and
participation – through her position as Deputy Chair of Te
Rōpū Ārahi.
Rhoena Davis’ relentless pursuit to
improve Māori health outcomes and her steadfast commitment
to nursing leadership make her a deserving recipient of the
Peter Snow Award. Her exemplary service reflects a deep
commitment to fostering equitable healthcare delivery and
improving patient outcomes.
Kyle Eggleton
was announced as the recipient of the 2024 Peter Snow
Memorial Award, with his contributions reflecting a
persistent commitment to improving healthcare access and
outcomes for rural communities, embodying the spirit of
service and leadership in the healthcare
sector.
After graduating with a medical
degree from the University of Auckland, Kyle returned to
Northland to work as a rural GP, driven by a deep
understanding of the impacts of rurality and social
deprivation on community health.
His commitment to
addressing these disparities led him to join a Māori health
provider, where he spearheaded community-led projects
focused on improving health equity.
Kyle’s clinical
practice informs his academic roles – as a teacher for
medical and health students, as a researcher leading medical
education and rural health projects, and as a leader, the
latter culminating in his appointment as Associate Dean
(Rural) at Auckland University.
Through this role,
Kyle’s achievements include establishing a rural stream
for medical students and implementing admission schemes to
professional health programs for rural-origin students. His
dedication to rural healthcare extends to designing
curricula and interprofessional programs, aimed at enhancing
healthcare delivery in underserved areas.
The feedback
from his students is always incredibly positive with many
speaking about his advocacy, compassion and hope for rural
health workforce development and the potential impact on
rural communities and their wellbeing.
In addition to
his medical degree, Kyle holds Masters degrees in medical
science, and Public Health, and a PhD, which explored the
concept of measuring the quality of Māori health providers
using a Kaupapa Māori aligned methodology.
“We are
delighted to recognise Kyle Eggleton and Rhoena Davis for
their exceptional contributions to rural health,” said Dr
Fiona Bolden, Chair, Hauora Taiwhenua.
“Through their
remarkable impacts, Rhoena and Kyle have demonstrated that
dedication knows no bounds when it comes to serving rural
communities. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to them
both.”
About the award
The Peter Snow Memorial
Award was set up to honour the life and work of Dr Peter
Snow who passed away in March 2006. Dr Snow was a rural
general practitioner based in Tapanui. As well as caring for
his patients Peter was Past-President of the Royal New
Zealand College of General Practitioners and was a member of
the Otago Hospital Board and District Health Board. He was
enthusiastic and active in seeking knowledge to improve the
health and safety of rural communities. His work contributed
to the identification of the chronic fatigue syndrome, and
he was influential in raising safety awareness on issues
related to farming accidents. The Peter Snow Memorial Award
celebrates Peter Snow’s contribution to rural communities
as well as recognising an individual for their outstanding
contribution to rural health in either service, health
research or innovation.
Previous winners
include:
- Inaugural winner Dr Ron Janes
(2007) - Nurse Jean Ross and Dr Pat Farry (2008 –
jointly awarded) - Dr Gary Nixon (2009)
- Dr Tim
Malloy (2010) - Dr Martin London (2011)
- Nurse
Kirsty Murrell-McMillan (2012) - Dr Graeme Fenton and
NZIRH CE Robin Steed (2013) - Kim Gosman and Dr Janne
Bills (2014) - Dr Katharina Blattner (2015)
- Dr
Ivan and Leonie (RNS) Howie (2016) - Drs Chris Henry
and Andrea Judd (2017) - Dr Keith Buswell
(2018) - Dr John Burton (2019)
- Mātanga Tapuhi
(Nurse Practitioner) Tania Kemp (2020) - Dr Grahame
Jelley (2021) - Dr Branko Sijnja
(2022)
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