A Māori and Samoan-owned pharmacy in Tairāwhiti has taken out the country’s top primary healthcare award, with Māori health leaders, marae-based services and innovative community healthcare programmes among the big winners at the 2026 New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards.
Horouta Pharmacy in Gisborne was named the overall winner of the prestigious ProPharma Supreme Award at the New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards | He Tohu Mauri Ora, held at Auckland’s Viaduct Events Centre on Saturday night.
The pharmacy also claimed the Community Pharmacy of the Year award, recognising its extraordinary commitment to ensuring whānau across Tairāwhiti can access essential medicines, even during major weather emergencies.
Hosted by The Health Media, the annual awards celebrate excellence, innovation and leadership across Aotearoa’s primary healthcare sector.
This year’s winners highlight the growing importance of culturally responsive healthcare, community partnerships and services designed around the needs of patients and whānau.
Horouta Pharmacy Claims Supreme Award
Horouta Pharmacy was established in 2019 by Kevin Pewhairangi and pharmacist prescriber Kasey Brown, becoming Aotearoa’s first Māori and Samoan-owned pharmacy.
Inspired by the late Paratene Ngata’s encouragement to return home and care for their people, the couple built a pharmacy grounded in community connection and service.
Their commitment has been tested repeatedly during severe weather events affecting Tairāwhiti and the East Coast.
When Cyclone Gabrielle and subsequent flooding disrupted transport routes and isolated communities, Horouta Pharmacy found innovative ways to maintain the delivery of essential medicines.
The pharmacy’s 12-member team coordinated rural medicine depots, courier services, helicopters and other transport options to reach patients.
When flooding closed the Hicks Bay medicine depot, the team established replacement services using a modified shipping container and mobile trailer within days.
The award judges recognised the pharmacy’s practical response to extreme weather and its ability to maintain healthcare access in geographically isolated communities.
For Pewhairangi and Brown, the philosophy is grounded in aroha ki te tangata and ensuring patients feel welcomed, respected and cared for.
Papakura Marae Leaders Recognised for Outstanding Service
Two major individual awards went to leaders from Papakura Marae, recognising the strength of its integrated, whānau-centred healthcare model.
Tony Kake CNZM received the Outstanding Contribution to Health Award, acknowledging his leadership in developing Papakura Marae into a major provider of health and social services.
Under his leadership, approximately 90 staff deliver 45 services spanning primary healthcare, housing, mental wellbeing, education, employment support and justice diversion.
His achievements include establishing nine kaumātua whare and developing programmes that support tamariki, whānau and people living with long-term health conditions.
The judges recognised the scale of his contribution and the importance of culturally grounded services that respond to the wider needs of whānau.
Barbara Betham was named Practice Manager or Administrator of the Year, recognising more than a decade of leadership at Papakura Marae Health Clinic.
Betham has helped coordinate the organisation’s extensive network of services, ensuring health, housing, social support and other programmes work together rather than operating separately.
Her work includes supporting Korowai Aroha, an initiative connecting marae-based care with hospice services to support whānau from diagnosis through to bereavement.
The two awards represent significant national recognition for the contribution of marae-based healthcare to the wellbeing of Māori communities.
Eastern Bay Māori Nurse Practitioner Honoured
Another major award went to Pareake O’Brien of Te Whare o Rehua, who was named Nurse Practitioner of the Year.
O’Brien has spent years developing trusted relationships with rural Māori communities across the Eastern Bay of Plenty.
Her work has helped bring primary healthcare closer to whānau in Te Teko, Matatā and Edgecumbe, including home visits for kaumātua unable to travel.
The Te Teko clinic alone supports approximately 780 patients annually.
Beyond her clinical work, O’Brien voluntarily supports a 24-hour home care service for whānau with disabilities and leads nursing services at Kokohinau Marae’s annual poukai gathering.
She also co-hosts Te Waka Tūhono ki Tua, a nursing wānanga attended by more than 300 nurses in 2025.
The judges recognised her contribution to improving access to culturally appropriate healthcare and developing the next generation of nurse practitioners.
Rotorua Healthcare Innovation Wins National Recognition
Rotorua Area Primary Health Services, known as RAPHS, won the Product or Service of the Future Award for its innovative approach to connecting health information with community services.
The organisation has developed an in-house data system that identifies patients at risk from long-term health conditions, missed immunisations and overdue health screening.
The technology helps clinicians identify patients requiring follow-up and coordinate care more effectively.
Alongside the digital system, the Koiora community hub provides free access to physical health, mental health and social support services.
More than 4,500 people use the hub annually, with Māori accounting for more than half of those accessing its services.
Together, the network supports approximately 71,000 patients across Rotorua.
The judges recognised the model as an example of how iwi partnerships, technology and community-based services can improve healthcare access and coordination.
Tāmaki Health Recognised for Mental Health and Equity
Tāmaki Health was another major winner, receiving several awards for its mental health, equity and digital healthcare programmes.
Its Wellness Support Team won Best Mental Health Programme or Service for supporting people whose needs exceed what a GP can provide but who may not qualify for specialist mental health services.
The 90-member team includes health coaches, psychologists, psychiatrists and other professionals.
During 2025, the programme supported more than 20,000 people.
The organisation’s Kia Korowai programme also won the Mana Taurite Equity Service Delivery Award.
Kia Korowai provides a more accessible pathway to trauma therapy for people who have experienced sexual harm, reducing the need for repeated disclosure and complicated referral processes.
Of those referred to the service, 44 percent identify as Māori and 22 percent as Pacific.
Tāmaki Health also received recognition for its use of technology to improve patient care, including shared medical records, automated health reminders and digital systems supporting clinicians.
More Recognition for Māori and Community Healthcare
Other notable winners included:
- Tongan Health Society’s Langimālie, named General Practice of the Year for its Pacific-led model connecting healthcare with housing, family wellbeing and community support.
- Dr Genevieve Matthews of Ngongotahā Medical Centre, named General Practitioner of the Year for her clinical leadership, medical education and contribution to improving healthcare in Rotorua.
- Kaylie Hannah, named Practice Nurse of the Year for her work supporting tamariki in emergency and transitional housing and identifying unmet health needs.
- WellSouth’s Kahu Taurima programme, recognised for improving newborn enrolment and immunisation through practical support for whānau.
- Evolve Wellington Youth Service, named Best Youth or Senior Health Service for its youth-led approach to providing accessible healthcare for rangatahi.
- Habit Health, recognised for an exercise-led concussion rehabilitation programme that reported significant improvements in recovery outcomes for Māori patients.
The range of winners demonstrates the contribution of primary healthcare professionals working across general practice, nursing, pharmacy, mental health, rehabilitation and community services.
Māori Health Models Leading the Way
A strong theme throughout this year’s awards was the importance of healthcare that reaches beyond traditional clinic-based appointments.
From Horouta Pharmacy’s response to natural disasters to Papakura Marae’s integrated services and Pareake O’Brien’s rural outreach work, several winners demonstrated the value of delivering care through trusted community relationships.
For Māori, these approaches recognise that health outcomes are closely connected to whānau wellbeing, cultural identity, housing, employment and access to essential services.
The awards also highlight the role of Māori and Pacific providers in developing innovative solutions to longstanding barriers within the health system.
As Aotearoa continues to face workforce shortages, increasing demand for healthcare and persistent health inequities, these programmes offer examples of how community-led approaches can improve access and strengthen services.
Celebrating Those Making a Difference
The New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards recognise the professionals, teams and organisations working to improve healthcare for communities across the country.
This year’s results demonstrate that innovation does not always require expensive new facilities or complex systems.
Sometimes it means delivering medicines by helicopter to isolated communities, bringing healthcare directly to kaumātua, creating safe spaces for vulnerable patients or ensuring families can access several essential services through one trusted provider.
For Horouta Pharmacy, Papakura Marae, Pareake O’Brien and the many other winners, the recognition is a celebration of healthcare grounded in service, innovation and a commitment to improving the lives of whānau.
And at the heart of that success is a simple principle: healthcare works best when it understands the people and communities it serves.
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